-- from: AR Newsline #1011 In DX, the Radio Society of Great Britain reports that GM0MUV, is currently active as VP8CME from Antarctica. This, as part of Sir Ranulph Fiennes's cross Antarctic solo walk expedition. GM0MUV is Morag Howell. She is the Antarctic base leader for Fiennes' expedition, which is being done to raise money for breast cancer research in Great Britain. She has been reported on 14.270 MHZ looking for European stations on Wednesdays and Sundays between 16:00 and 18:00 UTC. (Via RSGB, ARRL) TS-440 REPAIRS COMPLETED ------------------------- From ZL1AMW Further to my item of last week, where I carried out a repair on my TS-440 transceiver, following a technical bulletin by Kenwood, unfortunately the set started exhibiting the same symptoms again during the week, prompting a further investigation. Armed with the understanding found while digging into the radio last time, I found that when cold, VCO1 was going out of lock on some frequencies. The oscillator for this VCO is actually a set of four switched oscillators, and located on the RF board, not the PLL board where all the other problems had been located. Once located, though, the tell-tale signs of the same brown `` gunk'' that had to be removed from VCO5 were noted. It appears that Mr Kenwood made a serious mistake a few years back by pouring some rubber compound over some of the components in the TS440 to reduce microphonics, and that the compound chosen, after a few years of heat, becomes brittle and conductive! I have now carefully picked the stuff away from the VCO1 components, and with a small tweak on the oscillator coils, all is well. The radio spent some time in our deep freezer (that surprised the wife!) and still started every time on all bands, so I now pronounce it fixed at cold temperatures. If anyone is suffering from the same problems, you may wish to drop me a note, and I will send details of the work I carried out. 73 de Alan ZL1AMW ----------------------------- from: AR Newsline #1011 The American Radio Relay League says that the Morse code must stay. A special committee created by the ARRL to study issues relating to the 1999 World Radiocommunication Conference has recommended that the ARRL Board of Directors not support changing the treaty requirement for Morse code testing to operate below 30 MHZ. The committee submitted its final report to the leagues Board last week. The Committee's findings could wind up playing an important role in whether the U.S. recommends keeping Morse code as a requirement for amateur radio license privileges below 30 MHz. The U.S. will make its recommendation during the World Radio Conference '99. At the same time, other countries are already on record as wanting the Morse Code requirement removed. According to surveys conducted by a special ARRL Committee, U.S. radio amateurs want to keep the code. The Committee counted responses from about 10,000 League members answering the survey in QST magazine. A second survey, this one targeted at about 2,000 amateurs was also conducted. Tod Olson, K0TO, is the League's Dakota Division Director and Survey Committee Chairman: "We compared the results of the 2 surveys to see how well they matched and this gave us a fix on what members thought and what amateurs at large thought." Tod Olson Olson says the results of both surveys matched closely. Among League members, 62% say keep the code, while 30% say drop it. Olson says the surveys covered hams in all license classes, including VHF only users. It was that category of hams, Olson says, that yielded an amazing result: "I'll call them the people that entered ham radio via no-code. Still, more than a tiny amount, approximately half felt that we should retain the CW qualification exam." Tod Olson David Sumner, K1ZZ, is Executive Vice-President of the ARRL: "The fact that the recommendation is consistent with members views on the subject shouldn't be a surprise to anybody." Dave Sumner With just three years left in a century filled with amazing technological advances, Olson says it's clear that hams still feel strongly about keeping Morse Code, even though other radio services have abandoned code as a practical means of communications. "There's a feeling that if you're really intense on being a player in the hobby that going through the test of can you learn the letters for the code; can you manage to read Morse at 5 words per minute sort of signifies that you are willing to sacrifice a lot. That you are willing to put up with a lot in order to become an amateur and go places from there. There is less of a clear feeling about how fast you ought to be able to copy code." Tod Olson Some hams want to keep the code to preserve what they see as the integrity of the amateur radio service. But in the eyes of CQ Magazine Editor Allan Dorhoffer, K2EEK, that's not a valid argument: "I got my license in '53 and there's nothing around today that really resembles what was going on in 1953. So what do we mean by integrity?" Alan Dorhoffer Among those amateurs surveyed, Olson says there were only slight differences in opinions about Morse Code among League and non-League members. (ARRL release and other sources) ARRL SUPPORTS PROPOSAL ON RECIPROCAL OPERATING ---------------------------------------------- from:AR Newsline #1011 The ARRL also says that its time to make it simpler for hams to operate worldwide and its asking the FCC to act. In comments filed in response to a commission proposal to ease restrictions for visiting foreign hams to operate in the United States, the ARRL said it "heartily supports" the plan. Earlier this year, the FCC proposed amending its rules to make it easier for hams holding a European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations -- or CEPT radio amateur license -- or an International Amateur Radio Permit from certain countries in the Americas to operate during short visits to the U.S. If approved, hams would be able to operate for short periods in participating countries without first obtaining another license or permit from the host country. This arrangement would make it easier for United States licensed radio amateurs to operate stations temporarily in several countries in Europe, Central and South America. But the ARRL has also suggested some changes to the FCC proposal. The principal one recommended involves the length of time foreign holders would be allowed to operate in the U.S. The FCC had proposed extending operating authority for up to 180 days within the preceding five years. The League says that this limitation unnecessarily restrictive. It suggests that such reciprocal licenses be valid for use by the holder for a period up to one year. This, from the date of arrival in the United States but not beyond the expiration date of the ham license issued by the visitor's home country. (Via ARRL) - Note that with the New Zealand Licence compliance to CEPT, this shoudl be good news for ZL Operators wishing to operate in teh US- de ZL1AMW That concludes the Data News for this week, this sheet is prepared at the shack of ZL1AMW from contributions sent by post, RTTY and packet. Text is also obtained from packet BBS stations, and the internet. This news is transmitted weekly on Sunday mornings at 0930hrs (local) and repeated at 1900hrs. Both transmissions are on 3545khz. It is first sent in Baudot at 75 baud, then repeated in AMTOR mode B (FEC), then Pactor FEC 200 baud on both occasions. 73 to all from Alan, ZL1AMW, 20 Lorne St., Hamilton. PACKET BID: NWS9701051 (page 1) to NWS9701053 (page 3) NNNNN