The PL tone needed to key the 445.300 repeater has been changed from 123.0Hz to 100.0Hz.

For the last couple months, some of you may have heard what sounded like a weak signal trying to get into the 2 meter repeater. This was caused by the 440 repeater when it would generate the same 123.0Hz PL tone that the 2 meter repeater requires. So the correct course of action was to change the PL for the 440 repeater the 100.0Hz.

And like always, we at the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club, would like to thank Dan N6BKL for his work to the system. Thanks Dan

SANTA CLARITA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES

The long-awaited QSL-cardless ARRL awards and contact credit system "Logbook of the World" (LoTW) officially opened for business this week. Within its first five days of operation, the system--which is open to all--already had attracted more than 1000 requests for a digital certificate, the essential pass key to LoTW.

"Although Logbook of the World is a tremendous resource for hams chasing DXCC, VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC), Worked All States (WAS) and other awards, we hope it will appeal to hams who are not currently active in these awards programs," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Mark Wilson, K1RO. "The proliferation of logging software has stimulated activity and interest in contesting, and submitting log data and verifying award credits online is a logical next step."

Data integrity has been a watchword of the LoTW since the project's conception, and that starts with a digital certificate. Obtaining a digital certificate involves a combination of on-line filing and good old-fashioned snail mail. The first step is to visit the ARRL Logbook of the World Web page http://www.arrl.org/lotw, download the LoTW software and request a digital certificate that ties the participant's identity to a digital key.

"We will need to verify you are who you say you are," ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, explains. "The security of the entire system depends heavily on the method used for verifying the user's identity." This first step is called authentication. Everyone who plans to use LoTW first must obtain a digital certificate. There are no exceptions. For US amateurs, this process relies on your mailing address in the FCC database, which must be current.

For non-US amateurs, authentication will rely on other documentation, primarily a copy of the participant's Amateur Radio license and another official identifying document. Mail these copies to ARRL, Logbook of the World Administrator, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA.

Assuming everything goes smoothly, US licensees requesting a digital certificate soon will receive a postcard in the mail that contains a password."The first batch of postcards has been mailed, and some people have uploaded their passwords," Wilson said. "Those will be checked, and the first batch of digital certificates should be e-mailed to users September 22."

Users then should go to the LoTW Web site and enter the password to complete the processing of their certificate request. Once the password has been entered, the digital certificate will be e-mailed within a working day or two. Non-US stations will receive their digital certificates via e-mail once their documentation has been received at ARRL Headquarters and authenticated.

Participants will use their digital certificates to "sign" and upload either Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) or Cabrillo-formatted files. Participants also may use their primary digital certificates to obtain additional certificates necessary to submit log data and obtain award credit for contacts made under formerly held call signs.

At the heart of the Logbook of the World concept will be a huge repository of log data provided by operators--from individual DXers and contesters to major DXpeditions--and maintained by ARRL. Mills says the system will benefit big and little guns alike by providing quick QSO credit for ARRL-sponsored awards, especially DXCC.

Obtaining a digital certificate and uploading log data are free of charge. There will be a per-QSO charge for each contact credit used, but Mills expects it will be much less than the typical costs involved with exchanging paper QSL cards. When you use an LoTW confirmation for an award credit, the fee will be added to your account and shown in the user's record. The user will be able to pay for these charges on-line using a credit card.

Mills' article, "Introducing Logbook of the World," appears in the October issue of QST. LoTW news and announcements will be posted to the Logbook of the World Web site http://www.arrl.org/lotw/.

Wilson commended ARRL Web and Software Development Department Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, and the other contributors to the project "for their dedication and hard work that made Logbook a reality."

September, 2003

Dear Amateur Radio Club Members,

As summer fades and we anticipate a return to the rigors of fall, you will be reinvigorating Amateur Radio club operations in your communities. But before you club launches its activities, I hope you can take a moment at your next meeting and consider a disturbing and critical topic - Broadband over Power Lines (BPL).

BPL is a devastating threat to the Amateur Radio spectrum - especially the HF bands. There has been a lot of publicity on this issue - articles on the ARRL web site (www.arrl.org/bpl ) and other ham radio sites. Your ARRL is at the forefront of the campaign to defeat BPL and will continue to work tirelessly to protect your Amateur Radio bands. And you can help.

This summer individual hams - and clubs - have responded generously to fund ARRL’s efforts to fight BPL, and have filed comments to the FCC. But we still need to raise an additional $55,000 to fund the field measurements and document filings necessary to defeat this threat. We’re all in this effort together, so I hope the members SCARC and the Club itself will jump on the bandwagon and support the campaign financially. We’ve received a number of club contributions ranging from $50 to $2000. If your organization has already made a donation, thank you.

And if your club is considering a contribution, I hope you’ll do so right away. With a contribution of $100, $250, $500 or more, your club can join the roster of clubs that are joining the effort. Your commitment will make a tremendous difference. And we’ll put a list of contributing clubs on the ARRL web site this fall as our way of saying thank you.

If you need more information on BPL for your club, go to the ARRL web site (www.arrl.org/BPL ) for the full story, including copies of the two FCC filings and a video that graphically demonstrates the interference radio amateurs would experience from BPL. The video can be downloaded and played at your next club meeting, and there’s a PowerPoint presentation you can use. Just follow the link above to an "Understanding the NOI" page and a resource page where you’ll find the presentation.

ARRL President Jim Haynie calls BPL the biggest threat to Amateur Radio in decades - and hams have lent their voices to the cause. If BPL becomes a reality, many Amateur Radio activities, like Field Day, will be meaningless. Your club’s support with a generous financial contribution now will help fund this effort.

Thank you for considering this request. Contributions can be made on-line at www.arrl.org , or by mail to BPL Special Spectrum Defense Campaign, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111.

"Through his extensive contacts in NASA, he was instrumental in convincing NASA management to fly Amateur Radio onboard the space shuttle," said Bauer, who expressed condolences to Neal's family on behalf of ARISS and AMSAT. "Roy's successful negotiations with NASA management led to the first on-orbit Amateur Radio operations by astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, on the STS-9 space shuttle Columbia flight in November 1983."

Bauer, who's also AMSAT-NA's vice president for human spaceflight programs, also credited Neal with being instrumental in forming the ARISS international team and for moderating its gatherings. "K6DUE's extensive experience as a newsman was put into practice as he utilized these talents to keep the ARISS team on-track and focused during these critical, consensus-gathering meetings," Bauer added. Neal also often emceed ARISS school group ham radio contact teleconferences. ARISS, a joint project of ARRL, AMSAT and NASA, developed the first permanent ham station in space aboard the ISS.

Bauer called Neal "an encyclopedia of knowledge" about the US space program and said he was honored to have him as a friend.

"I will miss him dearly," Bauer said. "K6DUE worked tirelessly to expand Amateur Radio operations beyond the surface of the earth. He personally challenged me and the entire ARISS team to develop, operate and maintain a permanent Amateur Radio station on the ISS. The ham radio station onboard the ISS serves as a living legacy to Roy Neal."

Neal covered all of the Mercury missions for NBC--becoming a personal friend of the Mercury 7 astronauts in the process--and later reported the Gemini and Apollo missions and many early space shuttle flights. In the process, he got to know many of the country's space pioneers. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for his role in persuading NASA to allow the first Amateur Radio operation from space.

Neal also was a regular visitor and sometime presenter at Hamvention and a correspondent and reporter for Amateur Radio Newsline. He hosted the 1987 ARRL video production New World Of Amateur Radio, an overview of ham radio in space.

A Pennsylvania native, Neal began his broadcasting career at a Philadelphia radio station. Subsequently, he served as an infantry officer during World War II and served as a program manager for the Armed Forces Radio Network in Europe. Following the war, he resumed his broadcasting career in Philadelphia, this time in television. He went on to set up NBC's West Coast news bureau. Later, the former NBC correspondent and producer anchored the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade telecast for many years.

An ARRL member, Neal had been licensed for much of his adult life and was active on the air until the last few weeks of his life. He enjoyed DXing, HF and VHF. Survivors include his wife Pat and sons David and Mark.

Neal's services will be 11 AM August 19 at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 1225 Chestnut Drive, High Point. The family invites donations in lieu of flowers to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Astronaut Hall of Fame, ATTN Linn LeBlanc, 6225 Vectorspace Blvd, Titusville, FL 32780.

The ARRL has told the FCC that improved interference standards for consumer electronic devices is the most pressing need as the Commission considers the interference immunity performance of receivers. The League filed comments July 21 in response to an FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI), "Interference Immunity Performance Specifications for Radio Receivers" (ET-03-65), released last March.

Stating that no receiver immunity standards are necessary or practical in the "essentially experimental" Amateur Service, the ARRL said that the real need for receiver immunity specifications is in the area of consumer electronics and the FCC must establish stronger interference rejection standards for such devices.

In its 21-page reply to the NOI, the ARRL recited the recent history of efforts to come to grips with interference from RF sources, including amateur stations, to receivers used in other services, such as TV and radio broadcasting, and to consumer electronics.

"ARRL continues to believe that receiver immunity should be on the order of 3 V/m for receivers that might be in the near field of an Amateur Radio station," the League said.

The ARRL suggested the FCC mandate a standard for all consumer electronics or adopt a labeling or grading system, and that the FCC not rely exclusively on manufacturers to set standards.

The FCC has granted amateurs use of five 2.8 kHz-wide channels with center frequencies of 5332, 5348, 5368, 5373 and 5405 kHz. The channels will be available to General and higher class licensees. The only permitted mode will be upper-sideband USB phone, and 50 W ERP is the maximum power allowed.

Users of the 60-meter channels should set their carrier frequency 1.5 kHz lower than the channel center frequency. ARRL suggests restricting transmitted audio bandwidth to 200 Hz on the low end and 2800 Hz on the high end for a total bandwidth of 2.6 kHz. ARRL recommends that amateurs considering modifying existing amateur equipment for operation on 60 meters contact the equipment's manufacturer for advice. NNNN /EX