The ARRL Letter
Vol. 13, No. 11
June 15, 1994

ARRL ATLANTIC DIVISION HONORS THREE AMATEURS

	The ARRL Atlantic Division "Amateur of the Year" for 1994 is Bob 
Bennett, W3WCQ, of Towson, Maryland. Among his many contributions to 
Amateur Radio, Bennett, 58, co-anchors the "Answer Man Net" on the 
Baltimore Amateur TV Society repeater. 
    After serving for nearly 10 years as the Atlantic Division representative 
to the ARRL UHF/VHF Advisory Committee, in 1993 Bennett was named 
chairman of the new ARRL Spectrum Committee.
    The Division's Technical Achievement award was won jointly by Bill 
Ferguson, WA3BXW, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, and Charles "Jim" Smith, 
K3ATI, of Newportville, Pennsylvania. Together, they operate and maintain 
a system of voice repeaters and packet nodes known as the Bristol 
Emergency Amateur Radio Service, linking New York City, the Philadelphia 
area, and parts of Delaware and the New Jersey shore.
    And the "Grand Ole Ham" is 94-year-old Dean Wallace, K2ANM, of 
Herkimer, New York. Dean was first licensed in 1919, as 8AAF.
The awards were announced at the ARRL Atlantic Division Convention, 
held in conjunction with the Rochester (New York) Hamfest, on May 21, 
1994.

Cubans, Americans in joint contest operation

By Joe Lynch, N6CL

    What is probably the first ever joint Cuba-USA operation took place 
on Cuban soil between June 2 and 9, 1994, with participation in the ARRL 
June VHF QSO Party. Packaged with this were a few VHF-and-above firsts, 
including the first-ever Cuban 222 MHz and 1296 MHz contacts, both of 
which were with the US. In addition, the first DX rover operation was 
conducted during the contest.
    Operators from the US included Lauren Libby, KX0O; Joe Lynch, N6CL; 
Chip Margelli, K7JA; and Janet Margelli, WA7WMB. In Cuba, they traveled 
to Bellomonte, a site overlooking a tourist area about 15 miles east of 
Havana.
    There they teamed up with a group of Cuban hams that included Oscar 
Morales, CO2OJ; Piro Pirole, CO2PL; Pedro Hernandez, CO2KG; Jose 
Amador, CO2JA; Mario Rodriguez, CO2YY; and Arne Coro, CO2KK, to 
operate CO0FRC as a multiop entry and CO2OJ/rover during the contest.
Before the contest the US operators worked the HF bands, using their 
stateside call/CO2.  Several hundred contacts were made, principally by 
Janet, who became the groups unofficial marketing director by announcing 
the VHF operating frequencies often during her HF contacts.
    Owing to (1) an American saying that It is better to ask for forgiveness 
than to ask for permission, and (2) enough extra equipment, the author 
convinced his friend Oscar Morales to have a go at a rover operation. 
While following my advice not to seek additional permission for operations 
from the first two grid locators, the Cubans thought it might not be wise for 
an American to be seen traveling through the streets of Havana in the back 
seat of a van, wearing headphones! 
    So, subsequent permission was sought and received while the group 
was on its way to the third grid locator.
    Encouraged by all this, two other special stations were activated: 
CO0BGG (operated by CO2JA, CO2PX, CM3CD, and CM2WZ) entered the 
limited multiop category. CO0EGZ, operated by Leo, CM3ZD, entered the 
single band QRP category by running an 8 watt battery-powered radio into a 
three-element beam on 6 meters. Additionally, some six other Cuban 
amateurs activated their 6-meter stations.
    To go along with the ARRL contest, the Federacion de Radioaficionados 
de Cuba (FRC), the national amateur radio organization, sponsored a 
national 2-meter simplex contest. Operators from this contest provided 
many additional 2-meter QSOs for the CO0FRC, and CO2OJ/rover 
operations.
    Many stateside stations remarked that they had never heard so many 
Cuban stations on the air during a contest.
    Highlights for the CO0FRC operation include contacts with Ott Fiebel, 
W4WSR, and John Meleski, KQ4PI, for the first two Cuba-US (and the first 
ever Cuban) contacts on 1296 MHz, and a QSO with Charles Barber, 
WA4CHA, for the first Cuba-US 222 MHz contact. Additionally, a contact 
with Dave Blaschke, W5UN, provided  CO0FRC with an EME QSO on 2 
meters.
    Unofficial tallies for the different stations are: CO0FRC, 34.4k;  CO2OJ 
(rover) 14.5k; and CO0EGZ, 5.3k.

After the contest

    On Monday following the contest, FRC President Pedro Rodriguez, 
CO2RP, arranged for Carlos Martinez, the director of frequency management 
of the Ministry of Communications (their equivalent of the head of the FCCs 
Private Radio Bureau) to come to a meeting at the FRC headquarters, to 
answer my specific questions concerning Amateur Radio license 
suspensions. These questions had arisen following a visit in February 1994.
    Martinez explained that 36 Cuban hams have had their licenses 
suspended for between 30 days and two years for handling traffic for 
compensation, which, as he pointed out, is against ITU regulations.
Martinez said that he was not concerned with the one-time use of 
Amateur Radio to request medicines. However, he said there were 
documented cases where hams had either received in kind compensation 
from the person sending the material from the States or actually received 
compensation in dollars from the Cuban requesting the assistance.
    It is important to note, though, that Martinez used his contact with a US 
Amateur Radio operator  (the author) as an opportunity to level criticism 
against the FCC for its lack of enforcement in cases of alleged deliberate 
interference to internal Cuban communications. He said that he had sent 
countless telexes to the FCC  from his monitoring of  these incidents.
The next day, as a way of demonstrating how much the Cuban hams 
wanted me to feel welcomed back to Cuba, they took me on a trip to 
Cifuentes so that I could visit ham radio and church friends.  Upon arrival, 
Lauren and I were treated to a reception by many of the local hams. 
Following visits with Joes friends and a meeting with a municipal official, 
the entourage went to Santa Clara for a lunch hosted by Julio Perez, 
CO6JP, the president of the regional Amateur Radio club, and Joel 
Carrazana, CO6JC, the deputy vice-president.
    After lunch the group made a spontaneous decision to go to Falcon, a 
small town south of Santa Clara, to visit Francisco Rodriguez, CO6RL, the 
net manager of the national traffic net. Panchito, as he is called, is known 
by most hams in the country for his dedication to the hobby. Despite being 
blinded 50 years earlier by a lye explosion at the age of seven, he maintains 
an optimistic attitude toward life. Among his many ham radio 
accomplishments is being the Elmer to 21 hams in his town. It was reported 
the day after the groups visit to his home that Panchito took seven minutes 
of net time to tell about the visit of those very important Americans.
    Throughout the trip we found the Cuban hams deeply caring and 
hospitable. Despite their economic circumstances, the Cubans went out of 
their way to make the Americans feel at home.  Permanent friendships 
were made across the boundaries. And both sides remarked how important 
ham radio diplomacy was to making the trip and even future people-to-
people (nonham) contacts between the two countries successful.

FCC CLARIFIES ACTION ON MESSAGE RELAYS

    In response to a request from the ARRL and inquiries  from others, the 
FCC's Private Radio Bureau has clarified new rules that went into effect on 
June 1, 1994.  The new rules do not remove the restriction against 
automatic control of digital and RTTY transmitting below 50 MHz.
    The new rules, resulting from action in PR Docket 93-85, relax the 
Amateur Service rules regarding the responsibility for the content of 
messages on high-speed digital networks.  The Commission amended 
Section 97.109(e) to allow a forwarding station in a message forwarding 
system to be automatically controlled while transmitting third-party 
communications.
    But, the Commission pointed out in a June 2 statement, Section 
97.109(d), which was not amended, still limits automatic control of stations 
transmitting RTTY or digital emissions to frequencies above  50 MHz.
The FCC currently has under consideration two petitions for rule making, 
RM-8218 and RM-8280, that address this subject.  The petitions were 
submitted by the ARRL and by the American Digital Radio Society, 
respectively.
    More information is in June 1994 QST, page 81.

AMSAT CALLS FOR PAPERS FOR ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM

    The 1994 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium will be 
held October 7 to 9, in Orlando, Florida.  AMSAT seeks papers for the 
symposium and can provide authors with help in editing and graphics, if 
needed.  Papers are welcome even if the author is unable to attend the 
symposium.
    Topics for all amateur satellite disciplines are sought, including 
introductory tutorials, satellite operations, Phase IIID design and 
development, and new applications and techniques.  Sign up now and 
request an author's kit, then compose a short abstract by July 1. Final 
drafts are requested on or about August 26. 
    Direct inquiries to Steve Park, WB9OEP, 12122 99th Av North, 
Seminole, FL 34642. Tel  813-391-7515.

SECTION MANAGER ELECTION RESULTS

    Ballots have been counted in the Section Manager election for the 
Vermont Section. Justin Barton, WA1ITZ, was elected with 213 votes over 
Mitch Stern, WB2JSJ (139 votes). His term of office begins July 1, 1994.
Seven other Sections were not contested and the following were 
declared elected:

Alaska: Larry Flanagan, NL7XG.
Illinois: Bruce Boston, KD9UL.
Indiana: Peggy Coulter, W9JUJ.
Maine: Michelle Mann, WM1C.
Northern Florida: Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP.
Oregon: Randy Stimson, KZ7T.
Wisconsin: Richard Regent, K9GDF.

    July QST solicits SM nominations for the Eastern Massachusetts, 
Missouri, Nebraska, New York-Long Island, South Carolina, Southern New 
Jersey, and Western Pennsylvania ARRL Sections and resolicits for Santa 
Clara Valley.

PETER I OPERATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO BANK FRAUD

    Robert Wilber, N4GCK, one of the operators on last Februarys 
Dxpedition to Peter I Island (3Y0PI), has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and 
mail theft, according to a report in the Ann Arbor News.
    Under a plea agreement he will receive 24 to 37 months in federal 
prison and be subject to three to five years of federal supervision following 
his release.
    The paper said Wilber took checks totaling some $113,000 from the 
mailbox of a University of Michigan professor and cashed them. He was 
photographed at an automatic teller machine and his photo appeared in the 
paper on December 20, 1993. At that time he knew he was caught, the 
News said. 
    Wilber, 35, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, avoided arrest long enough to join 
the expedition to Peter I. He surrendered upon his return, having spent all 
the stolen money, the News said. 
    Another participant in the expedition was astounded at the news. We 
had no idea, he said. But Bob was very quiet under close quarters and it 
was obvious to all of us that something was troubling him.

SOFTWARE WRITER SETTLES WITH CD-ROM DISTRIBUTORS

    Antenna-design software publisher Brian Beezley, K6STI, has settled 
copyright infringement actions against two distributors of CD-ROMs: 
Buckmaster Publishing and CDRP Inc. Both companies agreed to cease and 
desist from unauthorized distribution of copyrighted antenna analysis and 
optimization software written by Beezley.
    The companies were distributing older software, written by Beezley in 
the late 1980s, before he began copy-protecting his products. "I didn't want 
this old software out there," Beezley said, "because it is really primitive 
compared to current software and because it had some bugs. It is important 
to keep this outdated software from being circulated."
    Beezley, who currently sells the programs AO 6.0 and YO 5.0, also said 
that although his early work was not copy-protected, neither was it 
"shareware." Buckmaster and CDRP routinely add shareware to CD ROMs 
they sell in order to "fill them out."
    Beezley, who asked for no monetary damages from the two companies, 
said he hoped his action would "give pause" to software pirates. "Many 
software developers have no defense against the widespread software 
piracy that occurs in the Amateur Radio market," he said. 
    "I hope news of this legal action will make the market a safer place for 
their products."

BRIEFS

* The League's volunteer Public Relations Committee met at 
Headquarters on June 4; attending were members Rich Moseson, NW2L; 
Dennis McAlpine, K2SX; David Greer, WE4K; Dave Bell, W6AQ; and Evelyn 
Gauzens, W4WYR (along with staff members Steve Mansfield, N1MZA and 
Jennifer Hagy).

* The 1994 Microwave Update Conference will be held September 22 to 
24 in Estes Park, Colorado, and the ARRL will publish the proceedings. Get 
more information and a registration form from Bill McCaa, K0RZ, PO Box 
3214, Boulder CO 80307, tel (days) 303-441-3069.

* Westlink Report has named 15-year-old Allison D. Zettwock, KD4CKP, 
its 1994 Young Ham of the Year. Allison lives in Louisville and is the 
daughter of Larry Zettwock, KR4IF. She is active in the Amateur Radio 
Transmitting Society of Louisville. She received her award June 4 at the 
Sea-Pac Convention in Seaside, Oregon.

* More than 100 clubs entered the 1993 annual newsletter competition 
of the Amateur Radio News Service (ARNS). 27 were rated "superior," with 
the top three The Atlanta Ham, edited by James Massara, N2EST for the 
Atlanta Radio Club; The Readout, by Clarence Pinheiro, WA6ZLO for the 
Stanislaus (CA) ARA; and (once again) The W3OK Corral, by Clarence 
Snyder, W3PYF for the Delaware-Lehigh ARC. 

The ARNS is an organization of Amateur Radio newsletter editors and 
publicists. For more information contact ARNS Secretary Pam Myers, 
N8IAK, 510 West Harrison, Alliance OH  44601.

* Nets have until September 6, 1994, to register in the 1995-96 ARRL 
Net Directory. This new edition will not carry over information from previous 
directories, so you must send a registration card (Form FSD-85, available 
from HQ) to Headquarters.

* A case involving a California amateur has led some to ask "Is it legal 
to own equipment capable of out-of-amateur-band operation?" The answer 
is yes, but it is not legal to transmit out of band, unless the communication 
is made in connection with the immediate safety of human life or the 
immediate protection of property, when no other means of communication is 
available (Section 97.403, FCC Rules).

* Expirations of the first 10-year amateur licenses, issued in 1984, 
continue to take their toll. In March the FCC "deleted" 3744 station 
licenses, while adding 3010.

* Attention 75-meter DXers: as of May 20, 1994, Japan has a new 
subband, from 3747 to 3754 kHz, in addition to the two existing bands at 
3500 to 3575 kHz and 3791 to 3805 kHz.

* Our summertime Headquarters tour guide this year is Ramona 
Mansfield, a May graduate of Central Connecticut State University. Ramona 
majored in geography and minored in fine arts and in the fall is going to 
visit Iceland "because I always wanted to." She plans to follow that up with 
a swing through Germany; one of her first tours was for several visiting 
German amateurs. Ramona's father is ARRL Manager of Legislative and 
Public Affairs Steve Mansfield, N1MZA.

Our summer tour guide of the past couple of years, John Evanson, 
WJ1U, continues his undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut 
and is working this summer for IBM in Rochester, New York.

* Two clarifications about  the ARRL Incoming QSL Bureaus from Don 
Haney, KA1T, manager of the First Call Area bureau.	Keep your bureau 
stocked with envelopes addressed to you but only attach one unit of first 
class postage to each; paper-clip more stamps so the bureau can use them 
as needed.

And some bureaus accept money, from which they provide envelopes 
and postage back to you. Check with your bureau or individual sorter to see 
what their policy is.

* He never held a transmitting license, but Geoff Watts was one of the 
most famous of DXers.  Watts, an avid shortwave listener, died in England 
in May at age 75.  He founded the Islands on the Air (IOTA) award, in 
1964, as well as the RSGB DX News Sheet, a weekly newsletter which he 
edited from 1962 to 1982. 

The 1994 IOTA Honor Roll and Annual Listing, published in the June 
edition of Radio Communication, shows a 43% increase over 1993, with 
509 stations participating.  At the top is F9RM, followed by I1ZL and 
I1HYW.

* Space shuttle mission STS-65 is on schedule for a July 8 launch with 
Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas, KC5FVF, in charge of SAREX activity. 
This will be a 14-day mission. Astronaut Robert Cabana awaits his amateur 
license.

As on all SAREX missions, the crew will use separate receive and 
transmit frequencies. Please do not transmit on the shuttles downlink 
frequencies. 

Voice downlink (worldwide): 145.55 MHz.
Voice uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, and 144.99 MHz.
Voice uplink (Europe): 144.7, 144.75, 144.8 MHz.
Packet downlink: 145.55 MHz.
Packet 	uplink: 144.49 MHz.

The Goddard Amateur Radio Club (WA3NAN) in Greenbelt, Maryland, 
retransmits shuttle communications on 3.860, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 
28.659 MHz, as well as on 147.45 MHz.

10 years ago in The ARRL Letter

The ARRL expected the FCC to adopt expense recoupment rules for 
volunteer examinations in mid-July, at which time the League planned to 
sign an agreement with the Commission to become a Volunteer Examiner 
Coordinator. The ARRL/VEC expected to begin coordinating exams at 
conventions and hamfests by the first of September, and other sessions 
about two months after that. The FCC had accepted proposals from 
potential VECs in five call areas. An ARRL/VEC training manual was in the 
works and more than 6000 amateurs had signed up as "potential volunteer 
examiners."

The FCC turned down an ARRL request for a waiver of its rules that 
would have allowed paid W1AW operators to make two-way contacts when 
the station was not transmitting code practice or bulletins; the first 
anniversary of the ARRL Special Service Club program was noted, 105 clubs 
having signed up; the call sign for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles 
was assigned (NG84O); and the first cross-country hand-held to hand-held 
QSO was announced (through 2-meter HF gateways in West Virginia and 
California).

Peter I book in print

This is a sales pitch, but theres nothing in it for us! Last February, as 
most of the eastern half of the US was moaning about the Winter of 94, 
a group of nine men, eight of them hams, were basking in the 
summertime of Peter I Island. This was just another DXpedition except 
that, among other things, it was judged as highly successful (if you didnt 
work them you werent on the air), and within three months a book on the 
project was published (3Y0PI, Peter I Island, Antarctica). We received a 
copy just in time to briefly mention it in our last issue but had not finished 
reading it.

And now we have. Chod Harris, VP2ML, editor of The DX Bulletin, calls 
this the best ham radio DXpedition book ever written, and we agree. It is a 
marvelous mix of real life, human interest information and ham radio. And 
author Bob Schmieder, KK6EK, mercifully has written his book in English, 
without the DXSpeak that has permeated too much DX writing in the last 
decade (The Deserving, and so on).  I read the book with my logbook at 
hand, so I could correlate days with the contacts I made (and to see how I 
missed them on some bands). Reading this book will make you feel like you 
were there. Highly recommended!

($20 plus $2 s/h US, $15 s/h elsewhere, from Robert Schmieder, 4295 
Walnut Blvd., Walnut Creek CA 94596. -- Jim Cain, K1TN

*eof

