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The ARRL Letter

December 24, 2015
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  North Korea on the Air for First Time in More Than a Decade
 *  FCC Proposes to Penalize California Licensee $25,000 for Causing
    Intentional Interference
 *  Philippine Radio Amateurs Respond to Typhoon Threat
 *  Preliminary CQ World Wide Survey Results Suggest Contesters Trending
    Older
 *  US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process
 *  AO-85 Slow Scan TV Image Likely a Prank, Not a Test
 *  Straight Key Night is a New Year's Day Tradition
 *  RTTY Roundup is a Good Way to Kick Off the 2016 Contest Calendar
 *  Kids Day is Sunday, January 3
 *  International DX Association Announces Humanitarian Fund
 *  Radio Broadcasting Remote Pickup Pioneer George Marti, W5GLJ, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Headquarters Closing Early on Christmas Eve, Closed on Christmas Day, New
Year's Day: ARRL Headquarters will close at 3 PM Eastern Time on Christmas Eve,
 Thursday, December 24, and it will remain closed until Monday, December 28, at
 8 AM Eastern Time. In addition, ARRL Headquarters will be closed on New Year's
 Day, Friday, January 1, 2016. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice
 on December 24, 25, or January 1, and no ARRL Audio News on December 25. There
 will be no editions of The ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News on December
31/January 1. Both will return on January 7, 2016. We wish everyone a safe and
enjoyable holiday season and a happy new year!

____________________________________________________________________________


North Korea on the Air for First Time in More Than a Decade

In an unexpected turn of events, Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, who visited
North Korea -- officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) --
this month in advance of a planned Amateur Radio operation early next year,
showed up on the air from the most-wanted DXCC entity around 0000 on December
20. During a "demonstration" for North Korean officials, P5/3Z9DX made nearly
800 DXers -- most of them in Asia -- very happy over the couple of days he was
on the air. Grzyb operated mostly on 15 meters with some excursions on 20 and
10 meters, SSB only. The P5/3Z9DX preview was the first from North Korea since
the 2001-2002 operation by Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN.

The surprise appearance of P5/3Z9DZ on the air coincided with some of the worst
 HF conditions in days, if not weeks, no thanks to a geomagnetic storm. Grzyb's
 visit to Pyongyang this month had been scheduled to iron out the details of
his 2016 operation. The radio equipment he took to North Korea remained behind
in government hands, as agreed beforehand. A P5/3Z9DX operation from North
Korea now is poised to take place in February.

While operating from North Korea, P5/3Z9DX was running 100 W to a vertical
antenna mounted on a metal fencepost some 7 feet above the ground among
government high-rise buildings. He also was handicapped by high ambient noise
levels. During the brief on-the-air stint, government officials came and went,
apparently to keep a close watch on things. Grzyb told DX-World on December 20
that his "real" DX operation in February might take place from a different
location. -- Thanks to The Daily DX and DX-World.net


FCC Proposes to Penalize California Licensee $25,000 for Causing Intentional
Interference

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has proposed fining William F. Crowell, W6WBJ
(ex-N6AYJ), of Diamond Springs, California, $25,000 for intentionally
interfering with other Amateur Radio operators and transmitting prohibited
communications, including music. FCC San Francisco District Director David K.
Hartshorn released a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALF) on
December 18, detailing the allegations.

"Deliberate interference undermines the utility of the Amateur Radio Service by
 preventing communications among licensed users that comply with the
Commission's rules," the FCC said in its NALF. "Mr Crowell's deliberate
interference to other users, using voice, noises, and music, directly
contravenes the Amateur Radio service's fundamental purpose as a voluntary
noncommercial communications service..."

An Advanced class licensee, Crowell is no stranger to the Enforcement Bureau,
which warned him as far back as 2000 about intentional interference. In 2008
the FCC designated his current license renewal application for hearing,
alleging that he had caused intentional interference, interrupted others'
communications, transmitted music, and made one-way transmissions, including
some containing "indecent language," the FCC said. His license, which expired
in 2007, has not been renewed, but Crowell may continue to operate while his
application is pending. Prompting the December 18 NALF were complaints earlier
this year by members of the Western Amateur Radio Friendship Association
(WARFA), which conducts nets three times a week on 75 meters.

The Enforcement Bureau recounted that its agents and the High Frequency
Direction Finding (HFDF) Center monitored Crowell's transmissions during the
WARFA Net on 3908 kHz on August 25 and August 27. As the agents and the HFDF
Center listened, Crowell "repeatedly interrupted other amateurs using noises,
recordings, and music, in addition to talking over amateurs affiliated with the
 WARFA Net, so as no not allow them to transmit on the frequency," the FCC said
 in its NALF. "His transmissions and recordings included racial, ethnic, and
sexual slurs and epithets." According to the NALF, the interference continued
until the net shut down.


Philippine Radio Amateurs Respond to Typhoon Threat

The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) activated its Ham Emergency
Radio Operations (HERO) on December 12 as Typhoon Melor -- locally called
Typhoon Nona -- threatened the Philippine archipelago. The storm boasted winds
up to and slightly in excess of 100 MPH. National Traffic System Chairman Jojo
Vicencio, DU1VHY, announced the activation during the early-morning DU NET.
HERO used 7.095 MHz for emergency traffic, and other hams in the region
cooperated in keeping the frequency clear.

Stations from the Eastern Visayas area hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 as
well as various emergency communication groups and clubs checked into the net.
Melor made its first landfall between Catarman, Northern Samar, and Sorsogon,
Southern Luzon. Stations in Eastern Samar and Tacloban City were on alert. Some
 hams embedded with local disaster risk reduction and management
councils/offices.

The eye of Typhoon Melor made a second landfall over Bulusan, Sorsogon. The
province of Albay declared a state of imminent emergency. Workers and students
were sent home, and stores and shops closed. Pre-emptive evacuations were
undertaken in coastal towns in danger of dangerous storm surges, as reported by
 HERO stations. As the storm progressed through the Bicol region, PARA members
continued to give reports on 7.095 using emergency power.

The typhoon abruptly weakened into a tropical storm on December 16. Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
forecasters lifted high-level storm warnings, as winds dropped to between 75
and 90 MPH. -- Thanks to Ramon J. Anquilan, DU1UGZ, via IARU Region 1 News


Preliminary CQ World Wide Survey Results Suggest Contesters Trending Older

The CQ World Wide Contest Committee has posted the preliminary results of its
September survey of CQ WW participants. The committee received 5117 responses
from contesters around the world, the greatest number -- nearly 2600 -- from
Europe. An analysis of the results showed that most survey participants were in
 the older age brackets and that there were not many youth participants.

"This is especially true when we look at the age distribution in North
America," said the analysis, prepared by Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q. "There is very
little survey participation in North America from those under 40 years of age."
 More than 900 of the nearly 1500 respondents from North America were at least
60 years old, according to the survey.

CQ said the situation in Europe was "a little more optimistic," where the age
curve trended about 10 years younger overall.

"While the missing young people could be a symptom of the survey methodology,
any look around a ham radio club meeting [or] convention reveals similar
findings," the survey commentary said. "Should we be concerned about the future
 of radiosport (and Amateur Radio)? What can we do to encourage more young
people to participate?" it went on to ask.

The CQ WW Contest Committee analysis concluded that older-skewing operators may
 lead to lower operating times, increased multioperator entries, or eventual
less overall activity.

CW was far and away the most popular operating mode, at least among
participants age 40 or older. Nearly 62 percent of those participating in the
CQ WW survey indicated they were either serious contesters or part-timers
trying for the best score.

"It was very gratifying to receive so many survey responses in such a short
time," the CQ WW Contest Committee said in summary. "The CQ WW community is
passionate and engaged -- both on the air and in considering the future of the
event." Other summary highlights:

 *  Europe is the leader for contest activity.
 *  Contesters are getting older.
 *  There is a wide range of interest levels.
 *  CW is the favorite operating mode.

The CQ WW Contest Committee said that a future blog post would discuss the
results of questions related to possible rule changes.


US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced that the
 proposals of 17 schools and organizations submitted during the recent
application window will move forward into the next stage of planning to host
Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members. Once scheduled, the contacts will
 take place between July and December 2016.

"This is a significant step in ARISS' continuing effort to engage young people
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities and raise their
 awareness of space exploration, space communications, and related areas of
study and career possibilities," the ARISS announcement said.

The 17 schools/organizations now must complete acceptable equipment plans that
demonstrate the ability to execute a contact. Once the ARISS technical team
approves equipment plans, the final selected schools/organizations will be
matched up with contact opportunities offered by NASA.

The schools and organizations are Boca Raton Christian School, Boca Raton,
Florida; The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana; Frontiers of Flight
Museum's "Moon Day 2016," Dallas, Texas; Howell L. Watkins Middle School, Palm
Beach Gardens, Florida; iSPACE, Cincinnati, Ohio; John Glenn Middle School,
Maplewood, Minnesota, and Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, New
York.

Also, Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Kansas; Museum of Innovation and
Science, Schenectady, New York; Northland Preparatory Academy, Flagstaff,
Arizona; Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, Illinois; University of Nebraska's
Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha, Nebraska; South Street School, Danbury,
Connecticut; Space Jam 10, Rantoul, Illinois; United Space School, Seabrook,
Texas; US Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama, and World Genesis
Foundation, Goodyear, Arizona.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA in the US, and other
international space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations around the world.
Its primary purpose is to organize Amateur Radio contacts between ISS crew
members and classrooms or informal education venues.


AO-85 Slow Scan TV Image Likely a Prank, Not a Test

A Slow Scan TV (SSTV) image that a Brazilian radio amateur reported receiving
on December 13 from Fox-1A (AO-85) was most likely a prank, not any sort of
official test of the satellite's SSTV capabilities. AMSAT Vice President for
Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said the Robot 36 image, which depicted a
cartoon fox and the legend "Testing Fox-1A/AO-85 AMSAT satellite," was of
terrestrial origin and transmitted via the AO-85 satellite's transponder.

"I can tell you that in South America, they are having some fun, and that our
analog-to-digital to analog IHU processing of the audio seems to work very well
 at SSTV frequencies!" Buxton told ARRL. "I don't know who uplinked the signal,
 but it was a ground-satellite-ground contact, nothing that originated on
AO-85." Buxton called the prank "just a very good demonstration of the
capability of the FM repeater on the Fox-1 series satellites." The FM satellite
 uplink is at 435.170 MHz (67 Hz CTCSS tone required). The downlink is at
145.978 MHz. Both frequencies are subject to Doppler shift.

While transmitting SSTV images via satellites is not recommended, the South
American "experiment" did not appear to interfere with other transmissions. "At
 some point we will set up a period to try it over the US, but until then
please refrain from repeating this experiment," AMSAT VP of Operations Drew
Glasbrenner KO4MA said. -- Thanks to Jerry Buxton, N0JY, and Drew Glasbrenner,
KO4MA

____________________________________________________________________________

Straight Key Night is a New Year's Day Tradition

Every day is a good day to operate on CW, but set some time aside on New Year's
 Eve and Day to enjoy Straight Key Night (SKN). The annual event gets under way
 a 000 UTC on January 1 (New Year's Eve in US time zones). The 24-hour event is
 not a contest but a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants
 are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW
contacts, preferably using a straight (hand) key or a semi-automatic key (bug).
 Activity traditionally centers on CW segments in the HF bands. There are no
points or obligatory exchange. The only requirement is just to have fun!

Send your SKN list of stations work and your votes for "Best Fist" and "Most
Interesting QSO" by January 31.

Concurrent with the ARRL Straight Key Night, AMSAT will hold its own SKN on
OSCAR 2015, this year dedicated to the memory of Ben Stevenson, W2BXA, who died
 in 2011. No log is necessary, but AMSAT also asks for "Best Fist" nominees via
 e-mail to Ray Soifer, W2RS.

Stevenson, who was licensed in 1929, was one of the world's top DXers on HF and
 satellites and held Satellite DXCC No 1. He was the founding president of the
North Jersey DX Association.


RTTY Roundup is a Good Way to Kick Off the 2016 Contest Calendar

The ARRL RTTY Roundup over the January 2-3 weekend is a veritable digital
festival, so dust off those keyboards! In addition to conventional Baudot, RTTY
 Roundup ops may use ASCII, AMTOR, PSK31, and Packet (attended). It's very easy
 to get on RTTY and other digital modes, and some late-model transceivers even
have RTTY and other digital capabilities built right into the radio.
Participation in this annual operating event has grown along with the
enthusiasm for digital modes, and newcomers are always welcome to join the
fray.

The 2015 ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800 UTC Saturday, January 2 through 2359
UTC Sunday, January 3, with operation on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.
Participants may operate 24 of the 30 available hours. US and Canadian stations
 send a signal report and state/province, while DX stations send a signal
report and consecutive serial number, starting with 001.

Submit Cabrillo logs via e-mail or by using the web applet. Send paper logs to
ARRL RTTY Roundup, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All logs must be
postmarked no later than 2359 UTC Tuesday, February 2, 2015.

Contact the ARRL Contest Branch for more information.


Kids Day is Sunday, January 3

The next Kids Day will be Sunday, January 3, 2016, from 1800 to 2400 UTC. The
twice-yearly event, sponsored by the ARRL and The Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio
 Club, is an excellent opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio
satellites to youngsters and even to hand over the keys so they can get some
hands-on experience. Share the excitement with your own children or grandkids
or youngsters in the neighborhood! For youngsters, their positive ham radio
experience may foster an interest that leads them to get licensed one day. For
veteran radio amateurs, it's a chance to share their stations and affection for
 Amateur Radio with the next generation.

To solicit contacts call "CQ Kids Day." The suggested exchange is name, age,
location, and favorite color. There is no limit on operating time, and stations
 may work each other more than once if the operator has changed. Repeater
contacts (with permission of the repeater's sponsor) are okay too, and
satellite contacts may provide a real thrill. Observe third-party traffic
restrictions when making DX contacts.

All participants are encouraged to post stories and photos to the Kids Day
Soapbox page and are eligible to receive a colorful certificate. You can
download the free certificate, customized with the youngsters' names, after
filling out the Kids Day Survey found on the same page as the certificate
generator. Alternatively, you can send a 9 x 12 SASE to Kids Day Certificate
Request, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.


International DX Association Announces Humanitarian Fund

The International DX Association (INDEXA) has announced the formation of a fund
 -- "Hams with Hearts" -- to support humanitarian projects carried out by
DXpedition teams. Thanks to an initial contribution by Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT,
INDEXA will be able to begin humanitarian support grants beginning in
mid-January 2016, the announcement said.

"To qualify for humanitarian grants, DXpeditions must present a clear plan for
a humanitarian project to coincide with their DXpedition," the announcement
said. "The project must provide direct, physical benefit to the local
population and go beyond leaving behind ham equipment, making a video, or
giving a class in Amateur Radio."

INDEXA said acceptable projects might include such things as providing school
supplies, clothing, medical supplies, first aid equipment, or water
purification supplies. The INDEXA board will review the plans and decide
whether or not to fund the project.

"In the early years of this fund, it is likely that grants will be modest,"
INDEXA allowed. "We therefore will be seeking low-cost but high-impact
projects. As this fund grows it may be possible to encourage DXpeditions to
conduct humanitarian projects by supporting both the DXpedition itself and the
humanitarian project it carries out. We are grateful to Zorro for his
generosity and acknowledge the many humanitarian projects he has carried out on
 a personal level. With this new fund we hope to benefit humanity and enhance
the image of Amateur Radio around the world."


Radio Broadcasting Remote Pickup Pioneer George Marti, W5GLJ, SK

George Marti, W5GLJ, who pioneered and manufactured remote pick-up (RPU)
technology to allow radio stations to originate broadcasts away from the studio
 wirelessly -- and lobbied the FCC to authorize its use -- died on December 13
at age 95. Marti lived in Cleburne, Texas, where he had served as mayor for 12
years.

A radio station owner himself, he developed his first RPU unit to broadcast
local high school football games back to the studio, bypassing the use of
expensive and sometimes unreliable telephone lines. His company, Marti
Electronics, also developed and sold studio-transmitter link (STL) equipment.
An early Marti RPU is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of
American History.

A radio amateur since his teens and a US Marines veteran, Marti also was a
cattle fancier, banker, and philanthropist. He sold Marti Electronics in 1994
to Broadcast Electronics. In 1991, the National Association of Broadcasters
honored Marti with its Radio Engineering Achievement Award. In 2010, the Texas
Association of Broadcasters awarded Marti its Lifetime Achievement Award; he
also was inducted in 2002 into the Texas Broadcasters Hall of Fame.


In Brief...

ARISS Postpones Anniversary SSTV Event: The Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) Slow-Scan TV event set for December 26-27 has been
postponed due to "complications in planning," ARISS has announced. ARISS now is
 targeting mid-January as the next possible opportunity. This year marks the
15th anniversary of continuous Amateur Radio operations on the International
Space Station. The first ISS crew conducted its inaugural ham radio contact
from NA1SS in November 2000. The first Amateur Radio on the International Space
 Station (ARISS) school contact took place the following month. ARISS will post
 more information as it becomes available.


Digital Communications Conference Presentations Available Online Some of the
presentations from the 2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference now are
 available on YouTube, courtesy of Gary
Pearce, KN4AQ, of "HamRadioNow." He also has produced audio podcasts. To
subscribe to the "HamRadioNow" podcast, enter this URL manually into a podcast
app: http://HamRadioNow.tv/hrn/hrnrss.xml.


Boston Marathon Seeks Amateur Radio Volunteers with Technical Skills:
Preparations are under way for the 120th running of the Boston Athletic
Association's Boston Marathon, which takes place on Patriots' Day, April 18,
2016. Nearly 300 trained Amateur Radio volunteers staff the event each spring,
providing vital communication services over the entire 26-mile course.
Volunteers are recruited, selected, and managed by the BAA's Communications
Committee, now in its second year. "A major initiative of the Committee this
year is to bolster the technology we use on Marathon Monday," said
Communications Committee member Matthew Forman, K6MCF. "To do so, we're forming
 a Technical Infrastructure Subcommittee (TIS) and seeking amateurs who can
offer current skills in analog and/or digital modes (UHF/VHF), repeaters, and
infrastructure. We'd like to have the TIS consist of one technically seasoned
member from Amateur Radio clubs in Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and
the northern parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island." Committee member Mark
Richards, K1MGY, will assist in representing the TIS to clubs and other
interests. Contact Richards for more information.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  December 26 -- DARC Christmas Contest (CW, phone)
 *  December 26-27 -- World Wide Iron Ham Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  December 27 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
 *  December 27 -- RAEM Contest (CW)
 *  January 1 -- ARRL Straight Key Night
 *  January 1 -- AGB New Year Snowball Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  January 1 -- SARTG New Year RTTY Contest
 *  January 1 -- AGCW Happy New Year Contest (CW)
 *  January 1 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
 *  January 1 -- QRP ARCI New Years Sprint (CW)
 *  January 2 -- PODXS 070 Club PSK Fest
 *  January 2-3 -- WW PMC Contest (CW, phone)
 *  January 2-3 -- Original QRP Contest (CW)
 *  January 2-3 -- ARRL RTTY Roundup
 *  January 2-3 -- EUCW 160 Meter Contest (CW)
 *  January 3 -- Kids Day (phone)
 *  January 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
 *  January 6 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (phone)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on
Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL
member profile e-mail preferences.

____________________________________________________________________________


Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

 *  January 9 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia
 *  January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage,
    New York
 *  January 15-16 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers,
    Florida
 *  January 15-16 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
 *  January 17-23 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
 *  January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
 *  January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
 *  February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention, N. Charleston, South
    Carolina
 *  February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia
 *  February 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention, Orlando, Florida
 *  February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia
 *  February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
 *  February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
 *  February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida
 *  February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico
 *  February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

"So let me ask you a question about this brave new world of yours. When you've
killed all the bad guys, and when it's all perfect, and just and fair, and when
 you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do
with the people like you? The trouble makers. How are you going to protect your
 glorious revolution from the next one?" - The twelfth Doctor

... Before you beat a dog, learn his master's name. Chinese Proverb
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)