ARRL Hudson Division 
April 2002
Hudson Division Beacon - e-mail edition
By Frank Fallon, N2FF, Director, Hudson Division, ARRL
30 East Williston Avenue, East Williston, NY 11596
(516) 746-7652 n2ff@arrl.org
 
Hudson Division Home Page - http://www.hudson.arrl.org
 
ARRL Members
 
Please continue to spread the word to others who may want to receive
this information that they will need to access the ARRL members only web
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> MT. BEACON HAMFEST CANCELED
 
The Mt Beacon Amateur Radio Club was recently dealt a blow when the
local school district informed them that they would no longer be able to
use the high school as a site for their event. School board members
decided to enforce a provision of their rules which denied the site to
any profit making group. Despite repeated attempts at negotiating a
solution the event had to be cancelled for April 21. Hopefully they
will be able to find a new site and continue this fine hamfest. 
 
> HAM RADIO ENRICHES OUR LIVES....a few comments and an interesting
story (I hope!)
 
Shortly after I was married my mother in law, God Rest her soul, after
she saw how much time I spent in the activity, asked, "Are you even
going to make any money with that?" I answered, no. Fortunately my
wife has never asked that question. That was many years ago and my wife
recently reminded me of her mother's comments. My wife pointed out that
while I have not made any money from the pursuit of Ham Radio it sure
has enriched both of our lives. We have done a lot of interesting
things, been to a number of interesting places and met some very
interesting people all through ham radio.
 
We were again reminded of this fact as we watched the funeral of Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother on CCN a few days ago. The
event brought back memories of the school year (1974-1975) when I was a
Fulbright Exchange Teacher in Blackpool, England. During that year
which took place because of ham radio I had tea with the late Queen
Mother and sat only one person away from her. It would never have been
but for ham radio.
 
In 1965 I acquired a sideband rig and stated working some DX with a
14AVQ vertical mounted on the roof of our apartment. Later in 1968 we
moved into a house and soon I had a two element quad on a forty foot
EZ-Way tower and DX became even easier. It was not long before I began
to work a number of EI stations, from the country where both my parents
and my wife's were born, Ireland. Soon I had new Irish friends, skeds
and many trip to JFK some four miles from the house to meet someone who
would take some ham gear back to Ireland for one of my new ham friend's.
 Those were different - pre terrorist days- when some unknown person
would accept a package and take it aboard an aircraft. Many of my new
Irish ham friends invited me over and there were, of course, many aunts,
uncles and first cousins I had never seen. By 1972 my resistance had
worn down and our young family was off on a five-week summer trip to
Ireland. It was my first ever trip to Ireland and it was great. 
 
That's a story in itself but it was the ham contacts that led to the
Irish trip and that trip set both my wife and I off contemplating a year
long stay in England as a participant in the Fulbright Exchange Teacher
Program. Applications were sent off to the US Education Department
which administered the program. The entire family, including our two
young children, were interviewed but nothing happened. In the early
1970's NYC was in the midst of a high crime wave and no British teachers
wanted to come and take my job at Forest Hills High School while I took
their job in the UK. They had seen how bad it was after watching
"Kojack" on BBC. Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" was released in 1975
while we were in England. No matter that FHHS was a good school in good
neighborhood with good kids. No one wanted to come from England. Urban
street crime was a big issue. I began to look for solutions to the
obstacles our family year abroad plan faced. 
 
Then one Saturday morning on fifteen meters I found it. I came across a
G3 station who was talking about coming to Michigan for his second
teacher exchange. At the end of his QSO I broke and he came back and we
had a long QSO. Dave Lake in King's Lynn told me I should write to a
number of British teacher journals and educational publications. He
would send a list. About three weeks later I received a big brown
package containing a photocopied list of publications and comments about
which were probably the best for my request. I typed out almost thirty
letters on my electric typewriter, for this was almost ten years before
computers and mail merge programs, and sent them off and waited for
results. I put my address in the letter and also the address of the
British "Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges" which was
the government agency running the program in London. 
 
I waited and waited. No letters came from England. I was disappointed.
 Then a letter came from Washington, DC. Our prayers were answered. We
had a match with a teacher at St. Catherine's Girls School in Blackpool,
Lancashire in Northern England two hundred and fifty miles north east of
London.
 
It was only months later, after we arrived in England and spoke to a
number of the people who worked at the "Central Bureau," that I learned
that that my letters had indeed been published in a number of journals.
As a result there were many more applications to the program that year. 
In addition my letters clearly showed that I was really serious about
the application and apparently the folks at the Bureau went out of their
way to get me a match. Writing the letters paid off, big time.
 
We rented our house in Queens, stored our furniture and flew off to
England for a great year emersed in a different culture and operated a
great deal of mobile with an FT-101E and a Hustler. My children were
enrolled at the local elementary school. I taught and my wife visited
British infant schools. We saw quite a lot of England, Wales and
Scotland on weekends and at school breaks. In time were invited to the
"garden party" for exchange teachers in London on July 4th, 1975. This
is a yearly event sponsored by the British government held then at
Lancaster house just down the road from Buckingham Palace at which one
of the Royals greets the five hundred or more teachers from all over the
world with some 100 of them from the USA. My wife and I received eight
pages of directions and protocol about how to dress and what to say to
the Queen Mother, the royal assigned to the job that year. I
specifically remember being directed not to ask her any questions. Only
I would be presented to the Queen Mother as the ceremony was for the
exchange teacher and did not really include the spouse or significant
other. About two weeks before the event I learned that I was to be one
of the lucky twelve who would be sat for tea with the Queen Mother
entirely separate from the other 488 lesser mortals. Wow, I was
impressed! Again this was probably as a result of my letter writing and
the attention it brought to the program. This was quite an honor for
someone who parents were born British subjects in Ireland and who
traveled to the US in 1928 on British passports. When I was born this
woman I was to have tea with was the Queen of England. Fortunately, I
was too busy with all the travel arrangements for the 250-mile trip down
to London where we stayed with my wife's uncle to find time to think and
become a nervous wreck. He had been born in Ireland and had come to
London just before World War Two to work at building airfields for the
RAF. Actually, the impact hit me after the event. 
 
On the appointed day, my wife and I arrived at Lancaster House on a
beautiful sunny July day, a rare occasion in London, and stood with the
throng in the back garden of Lancaster House waiting to be presented to
the Queen Mother. We chatted with American friends we had met at other
functions earlier in our year long stay. They were impressed at my luck
at being sat with the "Queen Mum," as she was affectionately called by
her subjects. I didn't bother to explain the Amateur Radio connection
to them. Eventually we were lined up in order and waited to be
presented, one by one. A lady in waiting stood at the Queen Mother's
side reading a list of names.. I was presented as "Mr. Frank Fallon of
the United States" to a small smiling seventy five year old lady in a
light blue floral patterned dress and matching hat standing on a small
rug in a pair of shoes matching the dress. The shoes had four-inch
heels, not the usual fare for seventy-five year olds, but probably
designed to make the Queen Mother appear taller than she actually was. 
She stood in front of a chair which she had refused to use and for the
next hour and a half she was utterly charming to the lucky five hundred
who came closer to royalty than they had ever expected to be in their
wildest dream. My wife took a picture as I was presented which remains
in the family collection. The Queen Mother, I realized only when I came
close to her, had an ace bandage on one leg. Yet she stood for the
entire ceremony being utterly charming and royal.
 
After everyone had been presented we were eventually ushered in doors
and the "lucky twelve" to a small private dining room. The seating
arrangement placed me on the Queen Mother's right with only one person
between us. We had tea and small quarters of thin sandwiches of salmon
and watercress and one of the Queen Mothers two pet corgies, either
Gordie or Billie, wandered below the table sniffing our feet as even
royal dogs will do. At one point, I learned later, my wife attempted to
enter the room to take a picture and was told by a body guard, "No one
is allowed to view Marm while she is at tea!" There is therefore no
photo in the Fallon family album recording the event for posterity.
 
All the while the thoroughly charming Queen Mother entertained us with
small talk about the weather and the house. She even passed plates of
sandwiches to us asking if we wanted more. I felt like a young man
visiting his grand mother. Eventually she began to talk to some of us
individually as we sat soaking it all in. We all realized, I am sure,
that this was the only Merchant Ivory film in which we would ever
appear. There was probably not going to be a sequel and if there were
we were not going to be cast members. This was our fifteen minutes and
we were enjoying it.
 
Leaning forward a bit the Queen Mother asked me where I was from and I
answered, remembering the protocol, "New York City, Marm." She replied,
"Oh, I have been to New York. It was a long time ago." Later my wife
and I realized that it was probably in 1939 for the World's Fair when I
was less than a year old.
 
And then she added, "Oh, by the way, I heard on the wireless this
morning that your dust bin men have gone back to work."
 
And so it was that I learned that the July 1975 New York City Garbage
strike had been settled. I had been too busy to listen to the radio or
watch television for the past few days.
 
Ever since my wife, whenever she spoke to me of the Queen Mother,
referred to her as "your friend, the Queen Mother." While we could
never really be called friends, we certainly have fond memories of her
and were very sad while watching her funeral a few days ago. 
 
But the point is, we would not have had this unique experience of living
and working in England and of meeting the Queen Mother had it not been
for Amateur Radio. Ham radio has enriched our lives and continues to do
so. 
 
> QUOGUE SCHOOL TALKS TO ISS
 
This was a really up experience in many ways and enriched a number of
lives here on Long Island. Stan Zak, K2JSO, former Hudson Division
Director has recently moved to Long Island and is in the process of
having a home built in Manorville. At the moment he is living at his
daughter's home in Westhampton Beach. I invited him along to see ten
students talk to the astronaut on the ISS. Roberta Keis, N2RBU, science
specialist at the school and president of Peconic Amateur Radio Club
made all the arrangements and the event went very smoothly. During the
ten minute pass ten students were able to ask eighteen questions. Thanks
to Peconic ARC members N2NFI, N2QHV, K2OVS, WM2Z, N2WQA and others the
radio portion was flawless but it sure took a lot of hard line - 300
plus feet to get to the antennas set up behind the school. You may see
some tv coverage as a new IMAX movie about the ISS was released on
Wednesday. The audio and some of the questions and responses are on the
MSNBC web page.
 
The story with pictures is now on the ARRL page. As you will be able to
see Stan Zak, K2SJO, is looking great.
 
> FIELD DAY PREPARATIONS - Think PR here, please.
 
I am sure your Field Day Chairman has already downloaded the rules file
from the ARRL site and plans are well underway for another great time at
FD in 2002. It is also time to begin inviting local elected officials 
so you can show off ham radio and make it easier to get support for
antenna support structure legislation. As you will see in the following
story we are about to begin a national effort with some CC&R
legislation. We are going to need to get support across the nation for
this important effort. Please, therefore, invite your local US
Congressional representative and US Senator and have someone available
to give them the pitch for support.
 
Remember: It's not only a smart thing to do, there are points to be
gained for the Field Day Score. Have the club secretary write a letter
or send a fax to the district office scheduler of the official with the
dates and times of the Field Day event. You might also want to try the
governor. 
 
If you do get a VIP visitor please, contact a local PIO and get some
media coverage at your site.
 
> LOBBYING FOR CC&R RELIEF CONTINUES ON LONG ISLAND
 
Last month we reported on our February Washington trip to see if we
could get sponsorship for legislation to alleviate the problem we face
from CC&R restrictions. This month that effort continued locally when
we visited Long Island Congressman, Steven Israel in his Bayshore office
on Thursday April 4th. Present were George Tranos, N2GA, NLI SM; Tom
Carrubba, KA2D, NLI SEC; Diane Ortiz, K2DO, and Phil Lewis, N2MUN both
Hudson Division ASMs. All are residents and voters on the congressman's
district. 
All were also heavily involved in our response to the 9/11 attacks.
 
Tom and George gave the congressman background information on ARES
response on Long Island and how home stations enabled KA2D to help
provide the operators at Red Cross sites in New York City. Tom
explained how he used his Amateur radio station to communicate with the
NYC net and determine their staffing needs when unable to do that via
telephone. We stressed the importance of home stations in any emergency
response. Diane spoke about some of the media coverage we received from
the event. Phil Lewis, who is also president of Great South Bay ARC
invited the congressman to speak at a meeting of the club and we set the
date before we left. 
 
We spent some time discussing the wording of a proposed bill in detail
on a speaker teleconference call with the congressman's staffers in
Washington. The congressman informed us that he wanted to sponsor the
bill and hoped that we could arrive at language which would make passage
easier. (Later that afternoon I was again on the speaker phone from home
when Chris Imlay, W3KD, ARRL Chief Counsel while he visited Israel's
Washington office to discuss language in the draft bill.)
 
To say it was an interesting day is an understatement. It does look
like we are closer to getting a bill introduced which may be the
solution to the bleak future we face from the hidden private contracts
in CC&R restrictions many face when buying into new developments. 
 
These agreements frequently preclude outside antennas and some even
forbid transmitting from the property. As I noted last month:
"Currently CC&R restrictions are NOT covered by the limited federal
preemption know as PRB-1. CC&R is an acronym for "covenants, codicils
and restrictions" put into property deeds. It is very difficult to buy
a home in a new development that does not have them. Many CC&Rs contain
language forbidding the use of outdoor antennas or transmitting of any
kind. They have ruined many retirement plans. It is almost impossible
to find developments in the South and West that do not have these deed
restrictions. Projecting this trend for the next ten or twenty years
paints a very bleak future for Amateur Radio. "
 
Last July the ARRL Board added CC&R relief to its advocacy program.
 
> NEW YORK TOWER BILL STATUS....
 
A few days ago I learned that the New York State Assembly has passed a
resolution commending New York Amateurs for their response to the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Sometime in the next two
weeks four of us will be in Albany to accept the proclamation on behalf
of those who responded. The proclamation will be a good boost for
Amateur Radio and also a chance to lobby for our antenna bill. We hope
to get time to speak with Speaker Silver personally and to Assemblyman
Sweeney whose Local Government Committee still has our bill.
 
 You may be aware there are now 16 states with Amateur Radio antenna
laws. We would certainly like to see New York shortly join that select
group. There has been no movement on our bill in the last month. 
Thanks to WA2MMX, NT1N, W2UQ, K2GBH and others we were able to provide
some of the senate sponsors with a number of pictures of support
structures. Many thanks to all who responded to the request.
 
We will make another trip to Albany in late April to see committee
chairs and our assembly sponsors.
 
We are again inviting Governor Pataki to visit a Field Day site.
 
> THE WA2MMX KINDERHOOK ZONING ISSUE - A WIN
 
With some forty plus tower cases under my belt I can truly say that this
Kinderhook ZBA proceeding was the longest - almost nine months - and
most involved proceeding I have ever been involved with. The town
tortured Fred, a volunteer firefighter in the community, after he
proposed to move his tower only 300 feet after moving into a new house
in a new development adjacent to the house where he had lived for almost
ten years. There were six hearings. Local newspapers were sympathetic
to Fred and Amateur Radio. Even they realized he was the good guy here.
 I am VERY pleased at the outcome.
 
In Fred's own words: 
 
WE WON!!!!
 
The LAST Zoning Board of Appeals hearing was held tonight (4/3/02). The
ZBA read a prepared statement that stated their findings, based upon the
past 8 months of hearings. 
 
They clearly stated that if my application was considered only based
upon the request for a variance, it would not have been granted. They
further acknowledged that PRB-1 was a major factor in the decision.
Thank you ARRL!
 
What was interesting was some of the comments in the statement relative
to the conclusions of the ZBA. 
 
My application: 
 
1. Does not alter the character of the neighborhood significantly.
2. Does not have a negative environmental impact. (SEQR)
3. Agreed that a negative impact to health based upon RF radiation was 
 
 not proven. 
4. Property values are not significantly affected by a ham radio tower.
 
5. 35 feet of tower is not conducive to effective communications and
that 50 
feet (my request) is the bare minimum for effective communications and
that Ed Hare (W1RFI) the ARRL Lab Engineer had proven that 75 feet
is the accepted height for optimum communications. (Thanks ED !)
6. A crank-up tower is a safety issue.
 
The ZBA approved the application, after 8 months by a vote of 3 in favor
to 1 opposed (yes the same one person who is clue-less). The following
conditions were placed upon my approved application:
 
1. The tower is approved for the left side of the house as opposed to
right outside the shack on the right side. 
2. They approved a total height of 75 feet; 50 feet of tower and 25 feet
of antenna. (This was a pleasant surprise)
3. I agree to install an anti-climb device
4. The tower must be removed upon re-location. 
5. I must provide proof of license renewal every 10 years. 
 
It is not over, however. Now I start with the planning board.....here we
go with the site plan approval process. I can't wait. First workshop is
next Thurs. 
 
I could not have gotten this far without the help of many, many people,
with special thanks to three individuals who spent time and their own
resources to help me fight this battle. My special thanks go out to:
 
My Attorney - Al Millus (WB2EQR) who provided the legal expertise with
many trips from Binghampton to Kinderhook for hearings. Of course when
Al was not getting windshield time, he was submitting legal briefs on my
behalf. AL was most generous in his assistance. 
 
Frank Fallon (N2FF) - ARRL Hudson Division Director; Frank has been to
EVERY hearing, even when the Board asked to re-open the hearing to ask a
few questions, Frank was there and was most diligent in my defense.
Frank, I thank you for your support. You are a crusader in the effort to
keep Ham Radio active and moving forward. Because of your efforts, I
recently became an ARRL Life Member. I am looking forward to receiving 
my Life Membership plaque that I can display in my new shack. 
 
Ed Hare (W1RFI) - Ed, your expertise and presence was not un-noticed by
the ZBA. They quoted your testimony several times tonight. I thank you
for your trips to Kinderhook in the "Death Mobile" for all of my
hearings. You are a valuable asset to the League and have become a
friend. I look forward to us having lunch when I get over to W1AW in
the near future. 
 
George Wilner (K2ON) - I was introduced to George by Frank Fallon -
N2FF, the ARRL Hudson Division Director. George is the head of the
Hematology Department at Albany Medical Center. His expert testimony
provided the ZBA with information regarding the alleged harmful effects
of radio waves to humans. George's credentials and testimony were so
solid, there were virtually no comments from the opposition at that
hearing. He was also quoted as providing evidence that my signals would
not harm humans at this last hearing. 
 
And last but not least my ham buddies from Kinderhook who have supported
me for the past 8 months and put up with me for much longer! You have
all attended the hearings, and yes we have had study sessions at my
Soon-to-be QTH with intense analysis of 807s!
 
My thanks to: Dana Jonas- WA2WNI, Don Chittenden - N2USM, Mike
Alecksynas- N2JVE, Jack Hart - WA2WHJ, and Bob Isby - N2USM
 
I will issue updates as we continue to jump through the hoops. The
Chair of the ZBA did state that the Town Board in its attempt to
regulate Telecommunications Towers, did not intend to leave Ham Radio
Towers out. The town looks like it may be interested in amending the
Zoning Law like many other municipalities have to permit ham tower up to
a certain height. From their allowance of a total height of 75 feet for
me, it looks like the time is right to try for a change in zoning law. I
intend to call the Town Supervisor tomorrow and get on the agenda. 
 
We attended the Planning Board workshop last night (Thursday, April 11,
2002) and were pleasantly surprised that they were friendly. In fact,
the first comment was "why are we looking at this"! I reviewed my site
plan and the only thing they asked was to bring a photo of the type of
shrubs we planned to plant near the tower to the next hearing next
Thursday. They will need to schedule, yes, another public hearing for
May, but it looks like it will not be too complicated. The Planning
Board clearly has bigger fish to fry and views my case as minor. Our
sense it that they want to dispose of my case quickly. 
 
The Town Supervisor was present and I had a brief discussion about the
need changes in the zoning law regarding amateur towers. His few
comments were not positive, so on to the next battle. 
 
My best regards and thanks, 73's, Fred, WA2MMX
 
> HUDSON DIVISION SPEAKER'S BUREAU
 
I goofed last month and gave Andrew the wrong last name. I used the
name of a fly fishing friend. Sorry about that! Here is the entire
announcement with the correct name.
 
Division clubs are always looking for interesting speakers. If you have
a topic that might fill the bill please contact Andrew Schmidt, N2FTR,
the Hudson Division Assistant Director tasked with keeping the database
at N2FTR@arrl.net
 
> ARRL CONTEST BRANCH ANNOUNCING THE ARRL CONTEST RATE SHEET
 
The ARRL is pleased to announce the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet - to be
published every other week by the ARRL! It's intended to be a useful
source of timely information for both the active and casual contester. 
The Rate Sheet will include information about events during the
following two-week period and time-sensitive news items.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Here is a small portion of the latest issue. Set
your member profile on the Contest Rate Sheet ARRL Web
to receive the next issue in its entirity.
10 April 2002
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX
 
> April 25 - Spring QRP Homebrewer Sprint - email to n2cq@arrl.net,
paper logs to: Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Drive, Woodbury, NJ 08096, USA
 
The following contests are scheduled:
 
TARA PSK31 Rumble - sponsored by Troy ARA, 0000z - 2400z, April 20th.
Frequencies: 80,40,20,15,10,6 meters, work stations once per band.
Categories: Club Challenge (see web site), Normal (100W), Great
(20W), Super (5W), Novice, SWL. Exchange: Name and SPC. Score: QSO's x
(W + VE + JA + VK call areas + 1 point per entity). Multipliers count
once per band. For more information -
http://www.qsl.net/wm2u/rumble.html or http://www.n2ty.org. Logs must
be received by 18 May via the contest web site or email to
wm2u@n2ty.org.
 
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
 
The lists of Logs Received for the 2001 ARRL Ten Meter and 160-Meter
Contests have been posted at http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed/. If
you find an error in your listing, or if your listing is missing,
please contact Dan Henderson, N1ND at n1nd@arrl.org. Please have your
receipt number available if you submitted electronically. 
 
Take a few minutes and respond to the CQ magazine 2002 Contest Survey by
K1AR. You can find it on-line at http://hamgallery.com/survey/ or in the
April edition of CQ. Your participation is appreciated. All of
the results and analysis will be available in CQ later this summer. 
(Thanks to John Dorr, K1AR, CQ Contest Columnist)
 
 
>>>>>>>>> HAMFESTS: 
 
1 Jun + Bergen ARA  Washington 
2002 http://www.bara.org Township, NJ
Contact: Jim Joyce, K2ZO 
 286 Ridgewood Blvd. North Sect: Northern New
 Washington Township, NJ 07676 Jersey
 Phone: 201-664-6725
  Email: jjjoyce@cybernex.net
 
9 Jun + Long Island Mobile ARC Bethpage, NY
 2002 http://www.limarc.org 
 Contact: Diane Ortiz, K2DO 
 Sect: New York
 PO Box 392 City-Long Island
 Levittown, NY 11756-0392
 Phone: 516-520-9311 or
 631-286-7562
 Email: hamfest@limarc.org
 
15 Jun + Raritan Valley Radio Association Dunellen, NJ
 2002 http://www.w2qw.org 
Contact: Doug Benner, W2NJH Sect: Northern New
 1020 Laurel Trail Jersey
 Martinsville, NJ 08836
 Phone: 732-469-9009
 Email: wb2njh@aol.com
 
30 Jun + Hall of Science ARC Queens, NY
 2002 http://www.qsl.net/hosarc
 Contact: Stephen Greenbaum, WB2KDG Sect: New York
 85-10 34th Avenue City-Long Island
 Jackson Heights, NY 11372
  Phone: 718-898-5599
 Email: wb2kdg@bigfoot.com
 
17 Aug + Ramapo Mountain ARC Oakland, NJ
 2002 http://www.qsl.net/rmarc
Contact: Steven Oliphant, N2KBD Sect: Northern New
 10 Glen Road  Jersey
 Ringwood, NJ 07456
 Phone: 973-962-4584
 Fax: 973-962-6210
 Email: rmarc@qsl.net
 
 7 Sep + Saratoga County RACES Ballston Spa, NY
 2002 Contact: Darlene Lake, N2XQG
  314 Louden Road, #84 Sect: Eastern New
 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 York
 Phone: 518-587-2385
 Email: lake@capital.net
 
 15 Sep + Long Island Mobile ARC Bethpage, NY
 2002 http://www.limarc.org 
 Contact: Diane Ortiz, K2DO Sect: New York
 PO Box 392 City-Long Island