Source: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2004-06-18
Timestamp: 2016-06-29 05:51:12
Document Index: 8780546

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 97', 'art 15', 'art 15', 'art 15', 'art 97', 'art\n97', 'arts 2', 'art 97']

* +ARRL joins battle on behalf of BPL &quot;Poster Child&quot;
* +League, FCC largely agree on Part 97 proposals
* +NA1SS Field Day operation possible
* +Pending 40-meter changes benefit spectrum efficiency, FCC says
* +ARES/RACES team assists with Reagan funeral procession
* +&quot;Sig Alert&quot; inventor Loyd &quot;Sig&quot; Sigmon, ex-W6LQ, SK
+Broadband over Power Line video available
Lap two for W9IMS
ARRL's 90th anniversary a &quot;banner&quot; occasion
==&gt;IOWA HAM IS BPL INTERFERENCE &quot;POSTER CHILD&quot;
The ARRL has weighed in on behalf of Iowa amateur and ARRL member Jim
Spencer, W0SR, of Cedar Rapids, who has suffered severe broadband over
power line (BPL) interference for more than two months. A formal complaint
to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David H. Solomon calls on the Commission
not only to order Alliant Energy's BPL field trial system to shut down but
to fine the utility $10,000 for violating the Communications Act of 1934
and FCC Part 15 rules. Alleging &quot;ongoing harmful and willful interference
to one or more licensed radio stations,&quot; the ARRL asked Solomon to
intervene &quot;on an emergency basis.&quot; ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who signed
the letter of complaint, said Alliant Energy has been aware since March
30--the date it installed Amperion BPL equipment in Spencer's
neighborhood--that the BPL system was causing harmful interference.
&quot;It's simply unacceptable for Alliant Energy to continue to cause
interference while they're trying to solve the problem,&quot; Sumner said.
While the utility has been cooperative, mitigation efforts have been only
marginally successful. The BPL system continues in operation, Sumner
notes, despite repeated requests to eliminate the interference or shut the
The complaint cites the Commission's own Part 15 rules prohibiting harmful
interference from the operation of an unlicensed intentional,
unintentional or incidental radiator to a licensed radio service. &quot;If
harmful interference is caused, the radiator may not operate,&quot; the
complaint says. &quot;There is simply no room for interpretation that would
lead to such harmful interference being permissible for any period of
time--certainly not 10 weeks.&quot;
The letter of complaint summarizes and culminates a series of exchanges
and actions in an unsuccessful effort to resolve Spencer's BPL
interference. Sumner said the League got specifically involved in
Spencer's case after United Power Line Council &lt;http://www.uplc.org/&gt;
President William R. Moroney invited the League in mid-March to keep his
organization in the loop on any cases of BPL interference that were not
being satisfactorily addressed. When Spencer's case arose, Sumner said,
the League considered it &quot;a good place to start.&quot;
Among other approaches, Alliant Energy has tried notching out the HF
amateur bands. After notching attempts in late May, Spencer--a retired
engineer and former Collins Radio employee--still reported &quot;significant
levels&quot; of BPL interference on some bands and power line noise on 160
meter and 80 meters.
An Amperion contractor indicated that the notching--or &quot;power masking&quot;
remains a &quot;beta procedure&quot; as well as &quot;somewhat labor intensive.&quot; The
contractor, Tom Luecke, indicated to Spencer in early April that he had
cranked down the BPL system's gain &quot;a notch below where I would like to
have them&quot; on three units closest to Spencer's home.
Although claiming Amperion's equipment to be FCC Part 15 compliant, &quot;We
are not a radio silent technology, nor do we claim to be,&quot; Luecke
conceded. &quot;Put another way, you can hear our signal, but we strive not to
interfere with ham operators on the ham bands.&quot; He said his company has a
good track record with the amateur community and &quot;would like to think that
the majority of apprehension about Amperion's technology lies in
misinformation.&quot;
Sumner said UPLC representatives have made good-faith efforts to persuade
Alliant Energy to comply with the FCC rules. Spencer &quot;has cooperated fully
and patiently&quot; with Alliant Energy's and Amperion's fruitless efforts to
eliminate the interference, the complaint notes. The BPL partner
companies' best efforts to date notwithstanding, Sumner said, the time had
come to say enough is enough.
&quot;The situation in Jim's case is egregious, and it's been going on for 10
weeks,&quot; he said. &quot;If this is the best we can expect when a BPL system
causes interference, then the only answer is to prevent them from being
deployed.&quot;
The letter of complaint calls on the FCC to notify Alliant Energy
&quot;immediately to cease operation of their BPL devices in accordance with
�15.5(c), and to follow up that notification with a Notice of Apparent
For additional information, visit the &quot;Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and
Amateur Radio&quot; page on the ARRL Web site. To support the League's efforts
in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web site.
==&gt;ARRL IN SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT WITH FCC ON WIDE-RANGING PROPOSALS
The ARRL told the FCC this week that it substantially agrees with the
Commission's proposed wide-ranging changes to Part 97 Amateur Service
rules. The League filed comments June 15 in the so-called &quot;omnibus&quot; Notice
of Proposed Rule Making and Order (NPRM&amp;O) in WT Docket 04-140, released
April 15. The proceeding addresses several largely unrelated Amateur Radio
petitions for rule making, including some filed by ARRL. Although the
NPRM&amp;O does not take up comprehensive Amateur Radio restructuring, the
League said it sets the stage for the FCC to act on a far-reaching
restructuring plan. While complimenting the Commission for a
well-considered document, the League pointed out that some petitions will
have been on the table for between three and four years before the FCC
concludes the proceeding.
&quot;It is hoped that other petitions filed subsequent to those addressed in
the instant Notice and which are pending before the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau can be more expeditiously addressed,&quot; the ARRL
In a significant item related to license restructuring, the NPRM&amp;O
recommended adoption of the ARRL's &quot;Novice refarming&quot; plan, spelled out in
RM-10413. The League's later license restructuring petition, RM-10867,
incorporates refarming--a realignment of HF subbands. Noting that the
approaching low point of the sunspot cycle typically means a migration to
the &quot;substantially overcrowded 80 and 40-meter bands,&quot; the ARRL urged the
FCC to act swiftly on the ARRL-proposed band realignments.
&quot;The proposed changes will assist greatly in redistribution of some of
this overcrowding,&quot; the ARRL told the FCC. The League said its refarming
proposals &quot;will benefit all licensees,&quot; and it expressed gratification
that the FCC agreed with the petition.
Under the now FCC-endorsed ARRL plan, current Novice and Technician Plus
(ie, Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees could operate on the 80,
40, 15 and 10-meter General-class CW allocations at up to 200-W output.
The plan also would mean changes in the 80, 40 and 15-meter phone bands
for General and higher class operators.
The ARRL strongly favors the proposed FCC adoption of a rule to limit the
number of applications a licensee may file on a given day for the same
vanity call sign. Some amateurs have filed multiple applications for the
same call sign on the same day to greatly enhance their chances of getting
their first call sign choice.
&quot;This manipulative practice clearly should be discouraged,&quot; the ARRL said.
&quot;While it is unclear to ARRL why this practice has not been prohibited by
Order, it should be prohibited now.&quot; The League further suggested the FCC
expand the scope of its proposed rule change to preclude the filing of
more than one application on a single day for the same call sign
choice(s). The FCC's proposed rule addressed only the first choice. The
ARRL further recommended that the FCC dismiss the vanity applications of
The League advised the FCC against adopting a Quarter Century Wireless
Association petition to let amateurs to designate a specific Amateur Radio
club to acquire their call sign in memoriam after they die. The ARRL said
such as change would effectively give licensees property rights over their
FCC-assigned call signs. &quot;Vanity call signs are not assignable, and the
Commission's rules do not permit trafficking in call signs,&quot; the League
The ARRL praised the FCC for proposing to essentially eliminate its rules
prohibiting manufacture or marketing of Amateur Radio Service power
amplifiers capable of operating between 24 and 35 MHz. &quot;The proposed
amendments are welcome and will enhance amateur use of the 10 meter and 12
meter amateur bands,&quot; the League commented. &quot;It will also allow amateurs
to enjoy the benefits of construction projects without unnecessary
Although in opposition to an earlier, broader proposal, the League now
says it supports an amendment to permit auxiliary operation on 2 meters
146.0 MHz--in addition to frequency segments already authorized. Kenwood
Communications had asked for the change in 2001 as part of an effort to
make legal the use of its Sky Command system, which permits users to
operate certain Kenwood equipment remotely via a VHF/UHF handheld
transceiver. The ARRL said the proposal would &quot;enhance the development of
sophisticated amateur communication systems.&quot;
The League said the FCC should retain its rule requiring a public
announcement of test locations and times as a means to prevent abuses. The
ARRL also called on the Commission to require volunteer examiners and
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, such as ARRL-VEC, to submit or forward
exam session paperwork within 10 days. The FCC proposed eliminating both
The ARRL proposed in RM-10413 and the FCC supported a rule change to
permit spread spectrum (SS) emissions in the 222-225 MHz band. Current
rules prohibit SS emissions below 420 MHz. However, the League disagreed
with an FCC proposal to also permit SS on 2 and 6 meters.
The League further asked the FCC to make two changes relating to World
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 actions to bring the language of Part
97 into line with the international Radio Regulations.
A copy of the League's comments in WT 04-140 is available on the ARRL Web
==&gt;SPACE STATION FIELD DAY 2004 OPERATION POSSIBLE
The crew of the International Space Station--astronaut Mike Fincke,
KE5AIT, and cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, RN3DT--could be on the air for
Field Day 2004. ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth G. Ransom, N5VHO,
says he's sent Field Day operating instructions and pass times to the ISS
support team at Johnson Space Center for relay to Fincke this week.
&quot;Those instructions state that Mike should be operating as NA1SS, '1 Alfa
ISS,'&quot; Ransom said. &quot;Mike was also notified that anytime he is over North
or South America would be a chance to operate.&quot; Ransom says that if
Padalka gets on the air, he'll identify as RS0ISS and give the same
exchange. Fincke and Padalka would use the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) radio gear aboard the spacecraft.
Since most ISS passes over North America will already have occurred by the
time Field Day gets under way at 1800 UTC on June 26, the ideal pass times
sent to Fincke are for the following day. Here's the pass schedule for
Sunday, June 27--all times UTC: Southern and northeastern US: 0753-0811;
Western US: 0927-0947; Northwestern US: 1103-1123; Northeastern US:
1415-1435; Central US: 1551-1611; and Southwestern US: 1727-1743.
&quot;As with any Amateur Radio operation aboard the ISS, the crew gives of
their free time to participate, and, as such, may not be available on
every pass,&quot; Ransom said, adding that it's also possible that &quot;more
pressing events&quot; may preclude Field Day participation altogether.
Ransom pointed out that a space walk is scheduled for just a few days
before Field Day, and the crew &quot;will still be in the process of getting
back to a normal schedule when Field Day is in full swing,&quot; he said.
The tentative plan calls for Fincke to be on FM using the standard ISS
voice frequencies for contacts in ITU Region 2--144.49 MHz up and 145.80
MHz down. Ransom said that if Padalka also participates, he would operate
on the same 2-meter frequency pair, and the Expedition 9 crewmates would
likely trade off on passes.
Since ARISS has two radios aboard, it's possible that both Fincke and
Padalka could get on the air at the same time. If that happens, one would
be on 2 meters while the second would operate 437.55 MHz FM simplex.
Ransom cautions, however, that Doppler shift in the 70-cm band is
significantly greater than on 2 meters.
If it turns out that the Expedition 9 crew cannot participate in Field Day
2004, Ransom says the RS0ISS packet station should be on and available for
ground stations to work each other via the packet digipeater using &quot;ARISS&quot;
as the alias for the call sign in UNPROTO mode. Frequencies are 145.99 MHz
ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says he was happy to hear
that hams aboard the ISS may once again be on the air for Field Day. &quot;We
look forward to seeing lots of reported QSOs with Mike--and perhaps
Gennady--during Field Day 2004.&quot;
Henderson notes that ISS voice or packet contacts do not count for bonus
satellite contact points because the ISS is not an &quot;Amateur Radio
satellite,&quot; as event rules specify. Field Day has no specific rules
relating to ARISS operation because there's no guarantee that the crew
will be able to get on the air for the annual exercise.
In 2001, astronaut Susan Helms, KC7NHZ, thrilled Field Day participants by
showing up unexpectedly on the air and working several dozen stations. ISS
crew members have participated in the event each year since.
==&gt;FCC SAYS PENDING 40-METER CHANGES WILL ENHANCE SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY
The FCC says pending changes in the 40-meter amateur band as a result of
World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) will improve spectrum
efficiency. The Commission's remark came in a Notice of Proposed Rule
Making (NPRM) in ET Docket 04-139, which seeks public comments on proposed
rule changes to complete domestic implementation of various WRC-03
allocation decisions. The NPRM primarily affects Parts 2, 25 and 73 of the
&quot;We anticipate that administrations in Regions 1 and 3 will in the near
future authorize phone emissions in the segment 7150-7200 kHz,&quot; the FCC
predicted in the NPRM, &quot;and we note the ARRL has requested that the [US]
frequency segment for phone emissions be expanded to 7125-7300 kHz.&quot; The
FCC said authorizing phone in the 7150-7200 kHz segment of the band would
permit same-frequency US-to-DX contacts, resulting in increased spectrum
efficiency. Amateurs in the Region 1 countries of Norway, Croatia and San
Marino already have been granted access to 7100 to 7200 kHz on a
secondary, non-interference basis.
Under the present regime, most amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 use
7075-7100 kHz for phone. Since the US phone band is 7150 to 7300 kHz, this
means most US-to-DX operation requires &quot;split&quot; operation. The band
7000-7300 kHz is allocated to the Amateur Service on a primary, exclusive
basis in Region 2, but that is not the case in much of the rest of the
Effective next January 1, WRC-03 allocated the band 7100-7200 kHz to the
Amateur Service in Regions 1 and 3 on a co-primary basis with
broadcasting. After March 29, 2009, 7100-7200 kHz will be allocated to the
Amateur Service on an exclusive basis throughout the world, except in some
Region 1 and Region 3 countries.
&quot;As such, Amateur Service use of this 100 kilohertz will be on a de facto
secondary basis in Regions 1 and 3 until the broadcasting service vacates
the band 7100-7200 kHz at the conclusion of Schedule B in 2009,&quot; the FCC
noted. &quot;This means that amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 will shortly
be permitted to transmit in the band 7100-7200 kHz, if they can find a
frequency that is not being used by an international broadcast station.&quot;
The FCC said it doesn't think it needs to update its Part 97 Amateur
Service rules until administrations in Regions 1 and 3 implement changes
to allow amateurs to transmit in the 7100-7200 kHz segment.
&quot;As a practical matter, we do not believe that the Amateur Service can
make use of the band 7100-7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 in advance of HF
broadcasting stations vacating the band because of the great power
disparity between amateur stations and international broadcast stations,&quot;
the FCC concluded.
The NPRM also addresses the deployment of Earth Exploration Satellite
Service-Active (EESS-Active) spacecraft in the 70-cm band. The FCC said it
&quot;tentatively&quot; finds that any secondary EESS-Active allocation at 432-438
MHz should be limited to federal government use. The Commission said
operation in that allocation &quot;should not cause harmful interference to,
nor claim protection from, any other services allocated in the band in the
United States, including the Amateur-Satellite service.&quot;
Comments in the proceeding are due July 16, with reply by August 2.
Interested parties may view the entire NPRM, file comments and view
comments filed in ET Docket 04-139 via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing
==&gt;CALIFORNIA ARES/RACES TEAM HELPS WITH REAGAN FUNERAL CORTEGE
California's Ventura County ARES/RACES group assisted June 11 in the
funeral activities for former President Ronald Reagan. Due to the large
number of people wanting to view the Reagan funeral procession when the
former president's body was returned to California for burial, law
enforcement agencies asked the Amateur Radio volunteers to serve as
additional eyes and ears along the 18-mile procession route.
&quot;Operators were stationed on freeway overpasses, road intersections and
other key locations on the route,&quot; said David Gilmore, AA6VH, who's
Ventura County's ARES District Emergency Coordinator and RACES Radio
Officer. He says some 50 radio amateurs participated.
&quot;We in Ventura County have always felt a connection to President Reagan,&quot;
Gilmore. The county is home to the Reagan Presidential Library as well as
Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, where Air Force One often landed
when Reagan visited his ranch in neighboring Santa Barbara County. Gilmore
said the ARES/RACES members &quot;were grateful to be able to participate in
this historic occasion, and to uniquely serve and honor President Reagan
for the last time.&quot;
He also noted that Ventura County ARES/RACES members had undergone law
enforcement background checks during the past year. &quot;This was fortuitous,
as the United States Secret Service--responsible for overall
security--felt comfortable in having our participation,&quot; he said. The
ARES/RACES team members worked side by side not only with the Secret
Service but the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation
Administration, the US Coast Guard, the California Highway Patrol and
&quot;At the end of the day we received compliments from a number of persons in
various capacities to the effect that our reports of the position of the
motorcade were invaluable,&quot; Gilmore concluded. One especially gratifying
comment came from an FAA representative who complimented the team on its
==&gt;&quot;SIGALERT&quot; DEVELOPER LOYD C. SIGMON, EX-W6LQ, SK
&quot;Sig Alert&quot; inventor Loyd &quot;Sig&quot; Sigmon, ex-W6LQ, of Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, died June 2. He was 95.
According to the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), the
SigAlert got its name and its start in the 1940s when the Los Angeles
Police Department were in the habit of alerting Sigmon--then a radio
reporter--of bad traffic accidents. His on-the-air bulletins, initially
called &quot;Sigmon Traffic Alerts,&quot; soon became known as SigAlerts.
The SigAlert apparatus came about when Sigmon, a partner with Gene Autry
in Golden West Broadcasting in the 1950s, came up with an electronic
system using a tape recorder and a radio receiver to let LAPD dispatchers
send bulletins to broadcasters over the regular police radio
frequency--then 1730 kHz--alerting them to traffic conditions and
emergencies. Activated by the dispatcher, the SigAlert
transmission--accompanied by a special receiver-activation tone--would
notify stations via a red light or a buzzer.
The first such SigAlert, broadcast in 1955, urged medical personnel to
respond to an LA train derailment--reportedly causing a traffic jam when
so many doctors and nurses showed up to help.
Now in use throughout California, the system--which has since become
computerized--has been duplicated in other areas of the US. CalTrans says
SigAlerts today are limited to any unplanned event that causes the closing
of one lane of traffic for at least 30 minutes. For the invention Sigmon
was honored by the National Safety Council, among others.
An Amateur Radio licensee from the age of 14, Sigmon started his
broadcasting career in the 1930s. During World War II he served on Gen
Dwight Eisenhower's staff as head of non-combat radiocommunications in
Europe. He retired in 1969 and moved back to his native Oklahoma in the
late 1990s. Sigmon had not been active as a radio amateur for several
years, and his ham ticket expired in 2003.--CalTrans; news reports
Heliophile Tad &quot;I'll Follow the Sun&quot; Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Several large sunspot groups now pepper the Earth-facing side of
the sun, and sunspots also have been detected on the sun's far side. Daily
sunspot numbers rose to a high of 113 this week, although the weekly
average was down a few points from last week. Average daily solar flux
numbers rose this week more than eight points. Geomagnetic conditions were
fairly quiet. The most active day was Tuesday, June 15.
The current forecast shows solar flux up around 110 over the weekend, June
18-20, then dropping to 100 by June 25. Conditions don't look bad for this
weekend's All Asian DX CW Contest.
Sunspot numbers for June 10 through 16 were 50, 45, 28, 55, 77, 87 and
113, with a mean of 65. The 10.7 cm flux was 82.5, 83.9, 88, 95.2, 99.9,
109.4 and 111.5, with a mean of 95.8. Estimated planetary A indices were
11, 10, 7, 4, 11, 16 and 7, with a mean of 9.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 8, 5, 5, 3, 9, 14 and 7, with a mean of 7.3.
* This weekend on the radio: ARRL Kid's Day is Saturday June 19. The All
Asian DX Contest (CW), the SMIRK Contest, the West Virginia and Quebec QSO
parties, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest and the DIE Contest are the weekend of
June 19-20. JUST AHEAD: ARRL Field Day, the UK DX Contest (CW), the
of June 26-27. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
open through Sunday, June 20. Classes begin Tuesday June 29. This course
is a excellent way learn the ins and outs of antenna modeling.
Computer-modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined
the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his passion
for antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical,
course of study. Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010)
also remains open through Sunday, June 27. Classes begin Tuesday, July 6.
With the assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they
need to know to pass the FCC Technician license class test. To learn more,
&lt;http://www.arrl.org/cce/&gt; Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and
* ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration:
on-line course (EC-003) opens Monday, June 21 at 1201 AM EDT (0401 UTC)
and remains open through the June 26-27 weekend or until all available
seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, July
6. Thanks to our grant sponsor--the United Technologies Corporation--the
$45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after
successful completion of the course. During this registration period,
seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served
Education Web page &lt;http://www.arrl.org/cce/&gt;. For more information,
* Broadband over Power Line video available: A video that clearly and
concisely explains and depicts the threat of Broadband over Power Line
(BPL) to Amateur Radio now is available for downloading free of charge
&lt;http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/06/18/8/BPL-and-HF-web.mpg&gt;. The
video, BPL and HF: A Primer, runs approximately three and one-half minutes
(including credits). It's suitable for Amateur Radio club presentations as
well as for non-ham audiences, such as the news media, civic clubs, local
governments and emergency response agencies. A suitable &quot;companion piece&quot;
for the video presentation is the ARRL brochure &quot;Broadband over Power
Line: Why Amateur Radio is Concerned about Its Deployment,&quot;
&lt;http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/bpl-deployment.html&gt; which makes an
ideal informational handout. Members of the North Carolina BPL Action
Team--Frank Lynch, W4FAL; Tom Brown, N4TAB; and Gary Pearce, KN4AQ--with
assistance from Cyndi Pearce, KD4ACW; Danny Musten, KD4RAA; and SoundTrax
Studios in Raleigh, North Carolina, shot and narrated the video. It was
produced and edited by Flint.Ridge Productions. The file is approximately
18 MB. A high-speed Internet connection is strongly advised for those
wishing to download BPL and HF: A Primer.
* Correction: VE7SL's last name was incorrect in the story &quot;Virginian is
first US ham to accomplish 'Tuna Tin II' WAS&quot; in The ARRL Letter, Vol 23,
No 24. VE7SL is Steve McDonald.
* Lap two for W9IMS: The W9IMS Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio
Club (IMSARC) United States Grand Prix special event operation will
continue through Sunday, June 20, the date of America's only Formula One
race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
&lt;http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/&gt;. IMSARC is the first-ever
official Amateur Radio club of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stations
working or logging W9IMS will receive an official Indianapolis Motor
Speedway QSL card--the second in the three-card series for 2004. Look for
W9IMS from 1500 to 0300 UTC during the June 19-20 weekend on or near 1840,
3840, 7240, 14,070 (PSK31), 14,240, 21,340, 28,340 and 50,140 kHz plus
144.240 MHz SSB and 146.52 MHz simplex FM. Include a #9 or #10 SASE with
QSL/certificate requests to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio
Club, PO Box 18495, Indianapolis, IN 46218-0495. Contact David Spoelstra,
n9kt@arrl.net, for more information. W9IMS also will be on the air
starting July 31 leading up to the Brickyard 400 (NASCAR) race on August
* ARRL's 90th anniversary a &quot;banner&quot; occasion: Visitors to ARRL
Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, now are greeted by this huge
birthday banner to commemorate the organization's 90th anniversary. The
same banner provided a backdrop to the ARRL booth at Dayton Hamvention
2004. Thanks to ARRL Building Manager Greg Kwasowski, KB1GJF, it now hangs
proudly from the front portico for all to enjoy.