ARRL Hudson Division
February 2003
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
 
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sent.
 
Alert: Although the initial news of the shuttle disaster was heart
rending, it was even more so to learn that 3 of the seven astronauts
were hams... 
The STS-107 crew, headed by Commander Rick D. Husband, also included
Pilot William C. McCool and Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, KD5ESI;
David M. Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel B. Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael P. Anderson,
and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon--a well-known Israeli Air Force pilot
who had waited two years for a chance to go into space.
 
If cabin fever and depressing TV news we have all been viewing lately is
getting to you, venture out to the LIMARC hamfest on Sunday February 23
at the Levittown Hall in Hicksville. (Yes, that in Hicksville.) 
 
> WALTER CRONKITE DOES VIDEO FOR ARRL
 
Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, in his editorial It Seems to Us in March 2003 QST
tells about the unveiling of this great video at the ARRL Board meeting.
It is must see, five stars. It will make you not only feel good about
yourself and ham radio, but it is going to be a great tool for
recruitment for new hams and new ARRL members in addition to being a
lobbying tool. It's a great six minutes about ham radio's public
service mission narrated by the most trusted man in the USA, Walter
Cronkite. At the January ARRL Board meeting it was my pleasure to make
a motion to thank all those involved with the production. It was
directed by Dave Bell, W6AQ, was written by Alan Kaul, W6RCL. The
production team included Bell and Kaul as well as Bill Pasternak,
WA6ITF, and Bill Baker, W1BKR. The editor was Keith Glispie, WA6TFD 
 
The updated Amateur Radio Today video now is available for free
downloading from the ARRL Web site. The MPEG-format file is 70 Mbytes.
Narrated by former CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, Amateur
Radio Today showcases the public service contributions made by hams
throughout the country. Highlights include ham radio's response on
September 11, 2001, ham radio's part in helping various agencies respond
to last year's wildfires in the Western US, and ham radio-in-space
educational initiatives. Amateur Radio Today is an ideal presentations
for clubs, government meetings, civic organizations and any other venue
where you want to vividly illustrate what Amateur Radio has to offer the
public. The video runs just six minutes and is available in several
formats. The digital version of Amateur Radio Today is available in MPEG
video format, which can be played by Windows Media Player, Apple
QuickTime or RealPlayer software. It can be run from the CD or copied to
your hard drive (not included). This program is not intended for
broadcast use and may not be reproduced or distributed without
permission. You also can order Amateur Radio Today on CD-ROM and VHS
tape. The CD-ROM version also requires that you have software that can
play MPEG files installed on your computer. 
 
> SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT REINTRODUCED AS HR 713
 
The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act has again been introduced in
the US House of Representatives. The measure is an ARRL legislative
initiative. Florida Rep Michael Bilirakis put the latest version of the
bill, HR 713, into the legislative hopper on February 12. It has been
referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. When last
introduced in 2001, the measure was known as HR 817. 
 
HR 713 is aimed at ensuring the availability of spectrum to Amateur
Radio operators. It would protect existing Amateur Radio spectrum
against reallocations to or sharing with other services unless the FCC
provides "equivalent replacement spectrum" elsewhere. Bilirakis, a
Florida Republican, has twice before sponsored similar legislation at
the League's recommendation. A Senate version of the bill is pending. 
 
The measure would amend the Communications Act to require the FCC to
provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio and the
Amateur-Satellite Service in the event of a reallocation of primary
amateur allocations, any reduction in secondary amateur allocations, or
"additional allocations within such bands that would substantially
reduce the utility thereof" to amateurs. 
 
The ARRL is urging members of the Amateur Radio community to contact
their representatives in Congress and request that they cosponsor HR
713. Experience has shown that, while most members of Congress
understand and appreciate the benefits of Amateur Radio, some may be
reluctant to sign onto a technical piece of legislation without some
indication of support from their own constituents. A sample letter is
available on the ARRL Web site. 
 
The 2001 version of the measure attracted 53 cosponsors in the House. 
Last spring became one of many pieces of legislation caught up in the
so-called "Enron logjam," during which the Internet and
Telecommunications Subcommittee did not meet, although its full
committee, Energy and Commerce, held numerous hearings concerning Enron.
 
 
> NEW JERSEY ANTENNA BILL NEEDS COSPONSORS 
 
Matt Ahearn. KB2PNN, New Jersey Assemblyman continues to work toward
passage of our Bill in the Assembly - Bill A-3065! Matt's initiative
has saved us months of work. We still need a sponsor in the Senate
which we are working toward. We are still looking for a Senate
sponsor. E-mail me if you have any NJ Senate contacts, please. Stand
by for directions as to how you can help. We will soon begin a letter
writing campaign.
 
> James Hannell, W2JHO, SK
 
James "Jimmy the Newsagent" Hannell, W2JHO, of Albany, New York, died
suddenly on January 26. He was 53. An ARRL member, Hannell--who was
blind--ran Jim's Newsstand on the concourse level of the New York
Legislative Office Building for 30 years. ARRL Hudson Division Director
Frank Fallon, N2FF, said Hannell had been extremely helpful in efforts
to get an Amateur Radio antenna bill through the New York Legislature.
"He not only kept tabs on the progress of our legislation, but he also
made a constant daily effort to gain support for the bills by reminding
senators, assemblymen and aides how important the bills were to ham
radio," Fallon said. "Jimmy really served Amateur Radio above and beyond
the call of duty." According to Fallon, W2JHO also was "a invaluable
source of inside information" regarding Albany happenings. "We are going
to miss him," he said. Hannell was a member of the Troy Amateur Radio
Association. Survivors include his wife, Mary, and two daughters. 
(From the ARRL Web)
 
For a picture of W2JHO see
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/01/30/1/?nc=1 Jimmy was
responsible for getting Senator Volker to sponsor our New York tower
bill. When the senator brought the bill to floor for passage last year
he mentioned that the Senate needed to pass the bill to help hams like
Jimmy. On behalf of the Hudson Division I sent flowers to the family. 
We are considering linking Jimmy's name to the bill as he was very well
know to Albany legislators and their staff.
 
> NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE SESSION A 2662 and S 63 introduced in late
January
 
We are off and running again with our tower bills. The bills have both
been reintroduced with the same wording as we had last year and most of
the same sponsors.
 
The Senate version of our New York antenna bill has been reintroduced
and is now S 63 (ah, that it were 10 digits higher). Senate sponsor,
Senator Dale Volker, and his staff submitted the bill early and it has
received a very low number. Co sponsors are Larkin, Morahan, Rath,
Seward and Wright. Senator Rath was chair of the Local Government
Committee for the last few years and although she is not longer chair of
that committee she is still a member
 
The Assembly version of the bill S 2662 was introduced at the end of
January with Ron Tocci as sponsor and Paul Tonko as co-prime sponsor. 
Also on the bill are Schimminger, Smith, and Weisenberg. We will
shortly begin letter writing campaign shortly once the division web page
is updated. 
 
But the fact that the Senate passed the same bill last year is a big
advantage to our 2003 efforts. 
 
> ANTENNA BILLS AROUND THE US
 
>From the ARRL Web page we learn that antenna bills have been introduced
in other states: An Amateur Radio antenna bill has been introduced in
the Indiana State Senate. State Sen Rose Ann Antich is the sponsor of
Senate Bill 109, "Regulation of Amateur Radio Antennas." The bill
parallels PRB-1 but also specifies a minimum regulatory height of 75
feet for amateur antennas. Utah's Amateur Radio antenna bill appears to
be on the fast track. Just 11 days after its introduction, the bill has
made it through the Utah House of Representatives. The vote today was 65
to 8 (with two members not voting). ARRL Utah Section Manager Mel
Parkes, AC7CP, has been encouraging Utah amateurs to get behind the new
measure, House Bill 79, which was introduced January 20. 
 
Unfortunately, things do not happen that quickly in New Jersey and New
York. Please note, also, that a number of these bills say nothing about
height. When height is not issue it is often very easy to get a bill
passed, but such bills will do little to improve an Amateur Radio
operator's ability to put up an effective antenna. Both our New Jersey
and New York bills address the issue of height. Their passage will
bring a real change in the antenna environment in both states.
 
Mississippi has joined the list of states considering ham radio antenna
legislation. The Mississippi Senate already has approved Senate Bill
2722 and passed the measure along to the House, where it was referred to
the Public Utilities Commission. The measure would incorporate the
limited federal preemption known as PRB-1 into Mississippi's laws and
would establish minimum and maximum regulatory limits for the height of
antenna structures used in the Amateur Radio Service. 
 
The proposal would prohibit municipalities or counties from regulating
Amateur Radio Service antennas "in a manner inconsistent with any
provision of federal statute, regulation, rule or directive, provided
the installation is limited solely to amateur radio signals and the
installation is less than 200 but more than 75 feet above ground level."
SB2722 would not permit municipal regulation of any Amateur Radio
antenna installation less than 75 feet above ground level. The full text
of the bill is available on the Mississippi Legislature Web site. 
(Note: Mississippi could become a BIG ham retirement state if this bill
passes.)
 
The latest effort to get an Amateur Radio antenna bill on the books in
the State of Indiana took another step forward this week. Senate Bill
109 received a "do pass" recommendation following a hearing and a 5-3
vote February 12 by members of the Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee. The measure now goes to the full Senate. In addition to
incorporating the essence of the limited federal preemption known as
PRB-1 into state statutes, the measure would prohibit localities from
restricting the height of an Amateur Radio antenna to less than 75 feet
above ground level. "I expect opposition on this bill from the Indiana
Association of Cities and Towns, and the Indiana Historical Preservation
Society," said ARRL Indiana Section Manager Jim Sellers, K9ZBM. Sellers
was among those speaking in favor of SB109 at the committee hearing. He
told the panel that there is a patchwork of ordinances across the state
regulating various allowable antenna heights, some of them too low to
provide effective communication. SB109 would provide a uniform
standard. (edited from the ARRL Web page)
 
> UTAH AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA BILL ON ITS WAY TO GOVERNOR'S DESK
 
Less than a month after its introduction, Utah's Amateur Radio antenna
bill is on its way to the desk of Gov Michael Leavitt. The bill
unanimously passed the Utah Senate February 13, 26-0. The measure, HB
79, was introduced January 20. It earlier passed the Utah House, 65-8.
 
"I would like to express appreciation to the many Amateur Radio clubs
and individual Amateur Radio operators throughout Utah who spent many
hours publicizing this bill and ensuring Utah representatives and
senators were contacted about the importance of this bill," said ARRL
Utah Section Manager Mel Parkes, AC7CP. "Once the bill is signed Utah
will be come the 17th state to enact PRB-1 legislation."
 
Sponsored by Rep Neal B. Hendrickson, HB 79, "Regulation of Amateur
Radio Antennas," made it through the house 11 days after getting a
favorable committee recommendation. The Utah Senate Business and Labor
Committee unanimously approved HB 79 and sent it to the Senate floor
February 6. HB 79 would prohibit municipalities and counties in Utah
from enacting ordinances that fail to comply with the limited federal
preemption known as PRB-1.
 
A copy of the proposed legislation is available on the Utah State
Legislature Web site
<http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2003/bills/hbillint/hb0079.htm>. (ARRL
Web)
 
> DXCC NEWS
 
DXCC HONOR ROLL: In order to appear in the next listing that will appear
in the August 2003 QST, you must be current on the DXCC Honor Roll as of
March 31, 2003. Applications must be received, or postmarked, March 31.
With the addition of Ducie Island in 2002, the minimum number of
entities required is 326, and these include only current entities. 
Deleted entities do not count towards Honor Roll. For #1 Honor Roll, the
total is 335 current entities. (from Angel Garcia, WA2VUY - Hudson
Division DXAC Member)
 
> FIELD DAY PINS AND SHIRTS AVAILABLE
 
Check out the Field Day pins and shirts for 2003 at 
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/02/13/1/?nc=1 
This year's design really pushes our public service function. In
addition a GOTA pin is now available. Save the date now Field Day is
June 28th. If it were not so cold I might start wearing the shirt
immediately! It's a great design!
 
The new 2003 ARRL Field Day logo says it all: "When all else fails . . .
," the legend in the upper left-hand corner declares. The four-part
image--which will be on this year's Field Day pin and other
gear--depicts a tornado and downed utility lines in opposing corners,
and an Amateur Radio transceiver in the lower right. 
 
Jerry Conover, NE7I, of Flagstaff, Arizona, suggested the slogan for
2003. "It came to me just before Field Day last year," said Conover, a
professor of marketing at Northern Arizona University. "I think there's
a general lack of understanding in the public about what hams can do,"
he said. "I think the slogan shows our spirit and pride as amateurs and
lets the world know we'll be there." The logo was designed by ARRL
Graphic Arts Supervisor Sue Fagan and Senior Technical Illustrator David
Pingree, N1NAS. 
 
> ARRL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FULL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP
 
The ARRL Foundation has announced the Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, a
full, four-year undergraduate scholarship that will go to a meritorious
young Amateur Radio operator about to graduate from high school. The new
award is the result of a generous endowment from the late William
Goldfarb, N2ITP. 
 
ARRL Foundation Secretary Mary Lau, N1VH, said the Goldfarb scholarship
marks the first Foundation scholarship offering to fund a complete
undergraduate education. "It's been a long process," she said. "This
scholarship was five years in the making. Bill Goldfarb was a humorous,
kindly man; a really warm spirit." Before his death in 1997, Goldfarb
set up a scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory of his
parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb. 
 
Each year, to the extent of the funds available, the Foundation will
select a deserving young Amateur Radio operator to receive a "full ride"
for his or her undergraduate studies at an accredited baccalaureate
degree-granting college or university. The successful applicant must
major in computers, engineering, the sciences, medical/nursing or a
business-related area. Also, financial need must be demonstrated via
submission of a copy of the applicant's Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant will cover all conventional educational
expenses--including tuition, room and board and textbooks. 
 
A close friend of Goldfarb's--Richard Goldstein--characterized Goldfarb
as "a wonderful person" who was genuinely interested in other people.
"Bill felt deeply for his parents, whom he lost when he was a teenager,"
Goldstein said. "He placed a high value on education, and he saw this
scholarship as a way to perpetuate the memory of his parents." 
 
Goldfarb grew up in Brooklyn and, after a stint overseas in the US Air
Force, he worked in Manhattan for the New York City Department of
Finance. He was a great lover of the arts, culture and travel, and
animals, Goldstein said, and volunteered with the American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). 
 
An on-line application for the Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is
available on the ARRL Web site. The application deadline for the 2003
Goldfarb Scholarship is March 15. The ARRL Foundation encourages high
school students to apply after February 1. For additional information,
contact Mary Lau, N1VH. 
 
> DMCA AND NPRM 02-230 A THREAT TO HAM RADIO?????
 
An ARRL member from Brooklyn has been persistently lobbying both Jim
Haynie and I to get ARRL to take a stand on this issue. Actually the
ARRL's Executive Committee looked at the issue last year and decided
that it was not an Amateur Radio issue and therefore chose not to file
on NPRM 02-230 which was in the Broadcast division. I still don't think
it is. Apparently the only ARRL member who feels this is an issue
resides in Brooklyn. No one else in the Hudson Division has telephoned
or e-mailed me about the issue. 
 
The ARRL, as a matter of policy, does not get involved unless an issue
is going to impact Amateur Radio directly.
 
A few years ago we had a number of members, certainly a lot more than
one, who wanted us to take a position against the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act. That was the precedent setting legislation
which criminalized listening on 800 Mhz. We did not take a stand. 
While we don't like the idea of limiting receiver capabilities the act
was not going to impact ham radio. A number of years later it still
hasn't. While a number of our members wanted to continue to listen on
800 Mhz it was not something we should take a stand on. It would
certainly have been very difficult for us to present a good public
relations position for Amateur Radio if we appeared at the same time to
be fighting to maintain the right to listen in on our neighbors
telephone conversations. It is also expensive when we get involved with
filing on an FCC NPRM and can easily cost $20,000 before the process if
over. Did I think it was a good idea to force manufactures to block out
a band of 800 Mhz frequencies. Certainly not, but it is just not a ham
radio issue. 
 
Do I think that NPRM 02-230 coupled with DMCA are good ideas? 
Definitely, no. But it is not a battle that it is appropriate for ARRL
to fight. We are not the ACLU or the Society of US Computer Users. 
Last time I looked we had another name. While I certainly think some
ARRL members may want to get involved with other groups who oppose these
measures, it is not appropriate for ARRL to take a stand. I feel
confident that there will be enough broadcaster, computer users, and
free speech advocates to make sure the rights of individuals are
protected here. There may be a threat here but it's not to ham radio.
 
Take a look at http://www.nyfairuse.org/ and decide if you want to get
involved as an individual. If you discover a way that this is going to
involve what you and I do with our computers on ham radio, please let me
know. If Jim Haynie, Joel Harrison, Chris Imlay, Dave Sumner, Tom
Frenaye, Rick Roderick, and Frank Butler (those were the other 2002
Executive Committee members) didn't see the connection either I feel I
am in very good company on this issue.
 
> WECA ON AIR GENERAL COURSE STARTS March 12
 
The Westchester Emergency Communications Association (WECA) will be
holding an on-the-air General Class license review course via the WECA 2
meter repeater. The course will cover the written portion of Element 3.
The course is open to all technicians who can access the repeater
whether they are WECA members or not. The WECA repeater is on 147.060
+600 Pl-114.8
 
The course will begin Wednesday, March 12 at 8:00pm and last for 1 hour.
It is expected the course will last 12 weeks.
 
All interested amateurs should have the ARRL General Class License
Manual 4th edition. Please read ahead and check into the repeater with
questions. The instructor and net control station will be Sandy Fried
N2SF. For information contact: Jeffrey Steinberg K2MIT k2mit@weca.org
or Sanford Fried N2SF n2sf@weca.org - submitted by W2CZ
 
>>>>>APPROVED HAMFESTS: 
 
23 Feb 2003 + Long Island Mobile ARC
http://www.limarc.org Hicksville, NY Sect: New York City-Long Island
 
Contact: Diane Ortiz, K2DO
PO Box 392
Levittown, NY 11756-0392
Phone: 631-286-7562 or 516-520-9311 
Email: hamfest@limarc.org
 
 
1 Mar 2003 + Splitrock ARA
http://www.splitrockara.org Parsippany, NJ Sect: Northern New Jersey
Contact: Bonnie Greenfeld, KC2JVS
PO Box 610
Rockaway, NJ 07866
Phone: 866-457-6687 
Email: hamfest@splitrockara.org
 
 
15 Mar 2003 + Cherryville Repeater Association
http://www.qsl.net/w2cra Clinton, NJ Sect: Northern New Jersey
Contact: Barry Campbell, W2CGX
91 Old Croton Road
Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: 908-788-9153 
Email: w2cra@qsl.net
 
 
5 Apr 2003 + Orange County ARC
http://www.bestweb.net/~ocarc/ New Windsor, NY Sect: Eastern New York
 
Contact: Ed Moskowitz, N2XJI
123 Harold Avenue
Cornwall, NY 12518
Phone: 845-534-3492 
Email: n2xji@arrl.net
 
 
26 Apr 2003 + Roseland ARC (IRAC)
http://www.qsl.net/k2gq West Orange, NJ Sect: Northern New Jersey
Contact: Harvey Moskowitz, W2YWC
7 Burlington Road
Livingston, NJ 07039
Phone: 973-994-0637 
Email: harvmosk@aol.com
 
 
27 Apr 2003 + Mt. Beacon ARC
http://www.qsl.net/mbarc Poughkeepsie, NY Sect: Eastern New York
Contact: Ken Akasofu, KL7JCQ
8C Hudson Harbor Drive, Apt. #8C
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-5367
Phone: 845-485-9617 
Email: kl7jcq@arrl.net
 
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ARRL Hudson Division
Director: Frank Fallon, N2FF
n2ff@arrl.org

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