IARU REGION II NEWS

May 2001 # 2001/02

Revista de la Union Internacional de Radioaficionados IARU Region II
--------------------------------------------
Journal of the International Amateur Radio Union IARU Region II

THE FIRST "SPACE TOURIST" IS A HAM

As this issue of Region II News is being finalized Dennis Tito, KG6FZX is
the first tourist to ever go into space. The International Space Station
Partnership has granted an exemption for the flight of American businessman
Dennis Tito, KG6FZX, to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz 2 taxi mission.
Russia already had given Tito the go ahead to visit the ISS as part of a
three-man team on the 10-day Soyuz mission, scheduled to begin April 28.
NASA has extended the shuttle Endeavour visit to the ISS by at least a day
as the space station crew resolves computer problems.
Tito has been in Russia training to go into space. He took and passed the
USA Technician exam during early April in Russia. The FCC then issued Tito
the call sign KG6FZX on April 11

Tito, 61, reportedly has agreed to pay the Russian space program $20 million
for the privilege of becoming the first "space tourist." During Tito's
visit, the crew of Russian Commander Yury Usachev, UA9AD, and US astronauts
Susan Helms, KC7NHZ, and Jim Voss, is expected to adopt a minimal work
routine and maintenance schedule.

NASA sources have said that Tito will have access to the ARISS amateur gear
on a "non-interference basis"-- meaning that he must not interfere with the
crew's work or sleep schedules. At this point, the ham gear is installed in
the module that doubles as sleeping quarters for some of the crew. Tito is
not scheduled to be involved in any ARISS school contacts--such QSOs
normally are not scheduled during docked operations anyway, because the crew
is too busy--but it's expected that he may use ham radio to keep in touch
with his family. He's also indicated a preference for packet over FM voice.

NOTICE OF THE XIV ASSEMBLY OF IARU REGION II

Notice is hereby served to all parties interested in participating in the
Extraordinary General Assembly and the XIV Assembly of Delegates of IARU R
II, that the Guatemala City Marriott has been selected as the Conference
Hotel. These meetings will be held between the 30th of September and the 5th
of October 2001.

The price of the room is US $65 per day + taxes. Reservations with this
price will only be accepted until July 3, 2001.
It is important to stress that the price obtained by the Conference
organizers is extraordinary and that reservations made after July 3 will not
qualify for the special rate but the normal one that exceeds US$100 per day.

It must also be stressed that all reservations have to be made through CRAG
as the special rate has been given to them and won't apply to reservations
made directly by interested parties. Furthermore, reservations made directly
may affect the organization's reservations adversely.

Updated addresses for the organizing committee are notified in DOC-TG-I-03E.
These addresses can be used for reservations purposes.

The e-mail addresses for the Club de Radioaficionados de Guatemala, CRAG,
organizing committee are: -
iaru-r2@guate.net or crag@guate.net
gudiel@guate.net Marco Tulio Gudiel, TG9AGD, President
arevalo@guate.net Samuel Arévalo, TG9CC, Secretary

IARU REGION II SECRETARY RESIGNS

Following the resignation of Region II Secretary Eduardo Estrada, HC2EE,
effective March 1,2001 the Region II Executive Committee confirmed the
appointment of Vice-President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH as Region II
Secretary, for the interim period between now and the XIV General Assembly
in Guatemala City. At that time the customary elections for the 2001/2004
Region II Executive Committee will be held. The Executive Committee thanks
HC2EE for his contribution to IARU Region II

All future communications should be directed to Region II
Vice-President/Secretary Reinaldo Leandro. YV5AMH at his present mailing
address of - PO Box 2285, Caracas.1010A, Venezuela. E-mail address
rleandro@cantv.net:" of the Region II Office is iaru-r2@cantv.net

The Region II Web site will be managed by Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG former
Region II President and Secretary. Please send all communications to his
e-mail address: pseidemann@it.com.ve

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE IARU REGION II MONITORING SYSTEM

An HF radar which had been operating in the 12m band from a transmitter site
in Honduras has moved outside the Amateur band following complaints from
ARRL and the U.S. government. The sweeping signal covered the entire 12 m
band almost exactly twice each second and was identified as a Coastal Ocean
Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR), used to study ocean surface currents in
coastal areas. Unfortunately a similar signal is still being heard on 12 m
in Region III, possibly from a location in Australia. The 12m band is
allocated exclusively to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services
worldwide.

A spurious emission on 14215 kHz from the Voice of America transmitters in
the Philippines has been eliminated after complaints were made directly to
VOA staff. A big Thank You to VOA for responding to this problem. Illegal
"CB" interference - A report on the results of the questionnaire on
interference in the Amateur bands from illegal "CB" and other pirate
operators, which was sent out last Autumn, is now finished and is being sent
to EC members, MS co-ordinators, and IARU Liaison representatives in each
member society. The "CB" interference problem is caused by lax enforcement
of existing radio regulations and the ease of obtaining or modifying,
without an Amateur licence, equipment to transmit on the Amateur bands.

Details can be obtained from your national monitoring system co-ordinator,
or from the IARU Region 2 MS Co-ordinator (ve3oat@rac.ca).

FCC BEGINS WRC-2003 PREPARATIONS

In preparation for the next World Radiocommunication Conference in 2003, the
FCC's WRC-03 Advisory Committee met for the first time January 30 at FCC
Headquarters in Washington. The FCC International Bureau's Planning and
Negotiations Division has primary responsibility for guiding the FCC's
WRC-03 efforts.

A WRC-03 Web site has been set up at http://www.fcc.gov/wrc-03 along with a
mailbox for the committee, wrc03@fcc.gov .

The Advisory Committee provides an opportunity for interests outside the
federal government to develop and debate US draft proposals for possible
adoption by the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information
administration and the US Department of State.

WRC-03 will deal with wide-ranging telecommunications issues, including
IMT-2000 or so-called "third-generation" or "3G" cellular telephone devices,
fixed services, mobile and fixed-satellite issues, HF broadcasting,
satellite broadcasting, and regulatory matters.

Amateur Radio-related issues on the WRC-03 agenda include the revision of
Article S25 of the international Radio Regulations--the basic rules for the
Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services. This includes the issue of whether
to retain the treaty requirement to demonstrate Morse code proficiency for
access to amateur bands below 30 MHz.

WRC-03 also will review the terms and definitions of Article S1 to the
extent required as a consequence of any changes made in Article S25. Among
other things, Article S1 contains the definition of the Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite services. In addition, WRC-03 participants are expected to
review the provisions of Article S19 concerning the formation of call signs
in the amateur services, in order to provide flexibility for
administrations.

WRC-03 will consider realignment of amateur and broadcasting bands around 7
MHz on a worldwide basis. The long-standing problem was identified in a
WARC-92 recommendation that called for realignment at a future conference.
The International Amateur Radio Union is committed to supporting a
"harmonized" worldwide 300-kHz allocation in the vicinity of 7 MHz.

An examination of the adequacy of HF broadcasting allocations from
approximately 4 to 10 MHz also is on the agenda. Conference participants
also will consider abandoning an earlier commitment for HF broadcasters to
shift from double to single-sideband AM modulation and move instead to
digital modulation.

Among other issues that could affect Amateur Radio, WRC-03 will consider
allocations for non-geostationary, non-voice mobile satellites (the
so-called "Little LEOS") below 1 GHz, as well as spectrum above 1 GHz for
feeder links. In addition, the conference will consider Earth
Exploration-Satellite Service in the 420 to 470-MHz band.

ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, says that most of the
issues of concern to amateurs have been assigned to the WRC-03 Advisory
Committee's Informal Working Group 6. ARRL Technical Relations Specialist
Walt Ireland, WB7CSL, has been appointed as vice chairman of IWG-6. Rinaldo
says Ireland's presence "will be key in seeing that amateur issues have fair
treatment." He said Ireland's experience with the Voice of America would
also be helpful in dealing with HF broadcasting issues being considered by
the panel.

Expected to take place in Venezuela, WRC-03 is scheduled to begin June 9,
2003, and continue until July 4, 2003.

VA3LK & G3AQC TO RECEIVE TRANSATLANTIC CHALLENGE PLAQUE

For their efforts in completing the first two-way Amateur Radio
low-frequency contact between the UK and Canada, Larry Kayser, VA3LK, and
Laurie Mayhead, G3AQC, will receive a special Transatlantic Challenge
plaque. The plaque is dedicated to the memory of LF pioneer Peter Bobek,
DJ8WL, and sponsored by the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, the Radio Society
of Great Britain and AMRAD.

Kayser and Mayhead in February completed a two weeklong QSO on 136 kHz using
very slow-speed CW and spectral software for receiving. Another plaque will
go to Dave Bowman, G0MRF, John Currie, VE1ZJ, Jack Leahy, VE1ZZ, for
completing a crossband HF/LF QSO last September. "We were impressed by the
dedication, skill and perseverance that was shown in each case," said John
Gould, G3WKL, on behalf of the Transatlantic Challenge partners. "The
contacts were so incredible that we had not anticipated the ways in which
they were achieved when we devised the rules!"

YU1RL NAMED AMBASSADOR TO BRAZIL

Radivoje " Rasa" Lazarevic,YU1RL has been named as Yugoslav Ambassador to
Brazil and confirmation on this appointment will be made shortly,

AO-40 TRANSPONDER OPERATION POSSIBLE THIS SUMMER

AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, this week raised the possibility
that AO-40 could inaugurate transponder operation this summer, if tests and
orbital maneuvers between now and then go as planned. "We are learning how
to fly this thing," Haighton said. "But I still think we're going to end up
with a darned good satellite."

The most likely initial transponder configurations, Haighton said, would be
Mode L/S--1.2 GHz up and 2.4 GHz down, Mode U/S--435 MHz up and 2.4 GHz
down, and possibly Mode V/S--145 MHz up and 2.4 GHz down.

Recent data suggest that the mid-December incident that silenced AO-40 for
two weeks and rendered some systems unusable also might have blown a hole on
the 400-newton motor side of the spacecraft. "Speculation is there could be
damage, and sunlight is getting right in," Haighton said. He noted that
ground controllers have detected a distinct rise in temperature when
sunlight strikes that side of the satellite. The speculated opening was not
causing any major problems, he said, but it could explain why efforts to
adjust AO-40's attitude via magnetorquing have been unpredictable.

As the AO-40 recovery effort continues, Haighton said, ground controllers
plan to raise the height of the perigee in the very near future. That
process, using the onboard arc-jet motor, could take up to several weeks.
The AO-40 team hopes the maneuver will minimize or eliminate possible
effects on the satellite's orbit caused by atmospheric expansion at the peak
of the solar cycle.

AO-40 currently is approximately 320 km--almost 200 miles--above Earth at
perigee--its closest point--and some 51,000 km--some 31,600 miles--at
apogee. Plans call for raising the orbit at perigee to around 520 km, or
some 320 miles. The maneuver would "hardly affect" the satellite's apogee,
Haighton said. The arc-jet would be operated without electrically igniting
it, using the pressure of the ammonia fuel alone.

Once the orbit has been adjusted, ground controllers would orient the
spacecraft's attitude and check out the various onboard transmitter and
receiver systems to see what works and what does not. "We're still pretty
confident that the 2 meter and 70 cm transmitters are not there," Haighton
said, "but we're equally confident that the receivers for those bands still
are."

The satellite has been transmitting telemetry on the 2.4 GHz (S-2) beacon,
and signals reportedly have continued to improve--although the beacon has
been out from time to time as needed to conserve power during eclipse
periods.

MAY PCCII MEETING IN EL SALVADOR

Arrangements have been concluded with Francisco Fischnaler,YS1FAF, CRAS
President, for attendance by their Society at the PCCII (broadcasting)
meeting.

Jon Siverling, WB3ERA of the ARRL Washington office was also in attendance
in his capacity as a member of the US delegation, and is scheduled to give a
special presentation "Amateur Radio - a Disaster Communications Resource".
This is a most timely item in view of the significant emergency
communications activity by CRAS in the recent earthquake disasters in El
Salvador.

WRTC 2002 TO BE HELD IN FINLAND

The next World Radiosport Team Championship--which some characterize as the
"Olympics of Amateur Radio"--will be held next year in Finland. A formal
announcement came April 21 during the International DX Convention in
Visalia, California.

WRTC 2002 will be jointly organized by Contest Club Finland and the Finnish
Amateur Radio League (SRAL). The on-air competition will take place July
13-14, 2002, in conjunction with the IARU HF Championship.

Last held in Slovenia in July 2000, the WRTC involves on-air contest-style
competition among two-person teams operating from the same geographical
vicinity at stations having equivalent capabilities. All operation is done
at 100 W with modest antennas.

The WRTC 2002 Organizing Committee Chairman is Jouko Häyrynen, OH1RX.
Sharing duties in chairing the competition will be Martti Laine, OH2BH, and
Pasi Luoma-aho, OH2IW, both world-class contesters. Ari Korhonen, OH1EH,
who's handling WRTC 2002 publicity, was paired with OH1NOA on Team Finland,
which finished fifth at WRTC 2000.

Team selection will begin soon. Considered likely contenders next year are
WRTC 96 and WRTC 2000 winners Dan Street, K1TO, and Jeff Steinman, N5TJ.
Participants from all continents will be selected based on their track
records in past contests. Korhonen said every effort would be made to
provide teams with comparable operating conditions. "Our plan is to have 45
to 50 station sites set up in locations around Helsinki, each equipped with
identical antenna systems," he said.

The WRTC 2002 Web site is http://www.wrtc2002.org.

NEW OFFICERS FOR URAGUY

President - Ing. Q. Oscar RUFENER CX 2 ACB
Vice-President - Sr. Pablo VIDAL CX 7ACH
Secretary - Sra. Andrea BOTTA CX 4CAY
Asst. Secretary - Sr. Daniel MUIÑOS CX 1AK
Treasurer - Sr. Héctor OTERO CX 8CO
Asst. Treasurer - Sr. Edgar BEUX CX 1TD
Vocal: Sr. Guillermo SANCHEZ CX9CM
Other Officers are: -
Dr. Daniel SOSA DIAS CX 1RG
Sr. Raúl ROJI CX 7BY
Sr. Raúl BARBITA CX 1BL

MISSIONARY-HAM DIES WHEN PLANE IS DOWNED IN PERU

Another story that became international news recently. A missionary from
Michigan, killed after the plane in which she was a passenger was shot down
last week in Peru, was an Amateur Radio operator. The Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania-based Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, identified
the dead as Veronica "Roni" Bowers, 35, and her infant daughter, Charity,
seven months. Roni Bowers was KD4CKM, a Tech Plus licensee.

The Cessna 185 float plane ditched in the Amazon River after being fired
upon. Bowers' husband, Jim, and their son, Cory, 6, were not seriously
injured in the incident. Jim Bowers is KD4CKN, a General licensee. Pilot
Kevin Donaldson was shot in the leg in the incident but survived.

The Bowerses, from Muskegon, Michigan, had been serving in Peru since July
1993. News accounts say the Peruvian Air Force shot down the plane carrying
the missionaries in the Amazon jungle April 20. The Peruvian military said
it opened fire after the pilot ignored warnings to land, but that claim is
disputed.

A communiqué from the Peruvian Ministry of Defense said that the Peruvian
Air Force "deeply regrets the loss of human life." It said its actions were
part of its anti-drug operations procedures. Reports say a US military
aircraft associated with anti-drug trafficking operations first spotted the
Cessna but told the Peruvians the plane might be legitimate.

An investigation continues. Funeral services for the mother and infant were
set for April 27 in Michigan.

SETI LEAGUE BOUNCING SIGNALS OFF THE MOON

With financial assistance from the American Astronomical Society, The SETI
League Inc (Search for Extra Terrestrial Life) has placed on the air a
transmitter that bounces microwave signals off the moon's surface for use in
testing Earth-based radio-telescopes. Operating on 1296 MHz under the call
sign W2ETI, the EME beacon enables amateur and professional radio
astronomers to calibrate their receiving systems by providing a stable
reference signal from a known point in the sky.

The SETI League's EME beacon received its first shakedown in March,
providing scientists at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico with a weak,
well-calibrated test signal for use in conjunction with the Project Phoenix
targeted search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Project Phoenix
scientists had formerly used a microwave transmitter aboard the Pioneer 10
spacecraft for this purpose. Twenty nine years after its launch, Pioneer 10
is now outside our solar system, seven billion miles from Earth, and its 8 W
beacon is too weak to be received--even by Arecibo. The SETI League promotes
a privatized search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. The organization
boasts more than 1200 members in 60 countries, many of the Amateur Radio
operators. Its executive director is Paul Shuch, N6TX. For more information,
visit the SETI League Web site, http://www.setileague.org/

TRINIDAD HAM PROVIDES NEW DETAILS OF PIRATE SHOOTING

A Swedish sailboat skipper was shot when pirates accosted his vessel March
20 off the coast of Venezuela, remains hospitalized in Trinidad. The victim
has been identified as Bo Altheden, SM7XBH, of Bjärred, Sweden. Hams on the
Maritime Mobile Service Net assisted Altheden and his wife, ViVi-Maj Miren,
after Miren put out a call for help on 20 meters.

One of the hams who assisted in coordinating the rescue, Eric Mackie, 9Z4CP,
of Trinidad, met late last week with Miren aboard the couple's vessel in
Trinidad and was able to learn additional details about what happened.
According to what Miren told Mackie, the couple was en route to Trinidad and
Tobago and having lunch around 12:30 PM Atlantic Standard Time when their
44-foot-ketch Lorna was approached by six men in a fishing boat. "The vessel
approached from behind, pulled alongside and Bo went out on deck to see what
they wanted," Mackie related. "They asked for cigarettes, and Bo said they
did not smoke."

Sensing trouble, Altheden started back toward the helm with the intention of
pulling away from the other vessel--a fishing boat. But as he turned away,
the intruders shot him once in the back. Miren told Mackie that the bullet
wound caused considerable internal damage and bleeding. At that point, the
pirates boarded the Lorna and helped themselves to what was on board.

According to Mackie, the pirates' booty amounted to less than $20 in cash
and a few miscellaneous items. Before leaving, the pirates destroyed two VHF
radios but missed the HF radio--an SGC SG-2020. Miren fired up the
transceiver and found her way to 20 meters, where she located the Maritime
Mobile Service Net on 14.300 MHz. Her calls for help eventually were heard,
although some on frequency later said they'd worried that her pleas might be
overlooked. Mackie and others broke in to alert the Net to her calls--made
nearly three hours after the shooting.

Mackie also was able to contact the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, which
came on frequency to speak with the Lorna directly, he said. As it worked
out, vessels from the Venezuelan Navy and the Trinidadian Coast Guard
arrived on scene at approximately the same time. While a medical team from
Trinidad was able to board the Lorna, it was decided to wait until the
vessel was in calmer waters before attempting to transfer Altheden to the
Coast Guard vessel. Altheden remains in critical, but stable, condition at
St Clair Medical Center, a private hospital set up to deal with trauma
cases.

The shooting was an eerie reminder of a similar pirate attack one year ago
in the Caribbean. In that incident, March 28, 2000, armed marauders shot
young Willem van Tuijl from the Netherlands, who was sailing with his
parents at the time.

NEW EMERGENCY CENTRE IN EL SALVADOR

The new address and contact information for the emergency centre in El
Slavador is: -
Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia
Cruz Roja Salvadoreña
17 Calle Poniente. y Avenida. Henrry Dunnant
Centro de Gobierno, San Salvador, El Salvador C.A.
Web addresses: -
http://www.cruzrojahumanidad.org/elsalvador
http://www.cruzrojahumanidad.org/elsalvador>

Telephone: (503) 265-0166, (503) 265-0167 or (503) 221-0675
FAX: (503) 221-0719.
ICQ: 76400801

E-mail: operaciones-crs@navegante.com.sv or
mailto:operaciones-crs@navegante.com.sv>

ARRL PRESIDENT HAYNIE ADDRESSES AMATEUR RADIO INDUSTRY GROUP

For the third year in a row, the ARRL has joined Amateur Radio equipment
manufacturers and publishers to exchange ideas and discuss issues facing the
ham radio industry. As the guests of AES owner Phil Majerus, the industry
representatives gathered last weekend near Milwaukee in conjunction with
Amateur Electronic Supply's "Superfest 2001."

ARRL president Jim Haynie, W5JBP, spoke to the group about ARRL activities
to promote Amateur Radio. Calling it "an exciting time in Amateur Radio,"
Haynie outlined plans for expansion of youth recruitment activities in
schools, involvement with ham radio aboard the International Space Station
and increased ARRL membership. He also highlighted ARRL's ongoing efforts in
Washington, DC, to protect the interests of the Amateur Radio Service.

Among those attending from ARRL Headquarters were Advertising Manager John
Bee, N1GNV, and ARRL Marketing Coordinator Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R.

During his stay in Wisconsin, Haynie was interviewed by a Milwaukee
television station April 5 for the station's morning news show. Joining
Haynie during the interview was Chip Margelli, K7JA, of Yaesu USA, and
Gordon West, WB6NOA, of the Gordon West Radio School. As several ham radio
industry representatives looked on, the three answered general questions
about Amateur Radio, demonstrated equipment, and invited viewers to attend
Superfest 2001. AES Manager Ray Grenier, K9KHW, organized the interview,
which Haynie touted as a "great recruitment opportunity."

Superfest 2001, an ARRL-sanctioned hamfest, was held at the AES store in
Milwaukee April 6 and 7.

NEW BVI QSL BUREAU ADDRESS

The British Virgin Islands has a new QSL Bureau address effective
immediately. It's BVI QSL Bureau, PO Box 4, West End, British Virgin
Islands.

ARISS PACKET SYSTEM IS 'SORT Of' WORKING

ARISS Board Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, says the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station packet system is operational, but because of a
failed RAM backup battery, the system at present has no call sign. "We have
been waiting for the crews to connect a laptop to the packet module to check
out the packet system and re-install the packet parameters," he said. Some
tests were run to see if the system worked with only PROM parameters. "We
have determined from our ground tests that one can connect to the packet
system using 'nocall' and digi through it." Bauer said he recently ran tests
on two passes to validate that the packet system was still operational, but
with a dead battery. He was able to successfully connect to "nocall" on one
pass and digipeat on a second pass. Bauer says the ARISS team will continue
to work with the Expedition 2 crew to get the packet parameters installed,
so that the packet system fully configured.

NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR RSB

The new e-mail address for the Radio Society of Bermuda is
region2@dunkerley.com This address automatically sends a copy of incoming
items to the President of RSB, Eugene Rayner and the Secretary, John
Stevens.

DAYTON HAMVENTION MAY 2001

The Dayton Hamvention is the largest annual gathering of radio amateurs in
North America. This year's event will be the 50th anniversary of this most
popular Hamvention. Carl Nichols, N8WFQ, will be back this year as Banquet
Master of Ceremonies for the 2001 Dayton Hamvention. Nichols is Chief
Meteorologist for WDTN Channel2 news in Dayton.
The featured banquet speakers are Bob Heil, K9EID, of Heil Sound Ltd; FCC
Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH,
and Space Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) Working Group Chairman Roy Neal,
K6DUE. Their topic will be "Amateur Radio, Past, Present and Beyond."
Post-banquet entertainment will be provided by Jim Whitter and Jude Johnson
of Canada - The Hammer Band.

Dayton Hamvention has named broadcasting engineer and propagation guruGeorge
Jacobs, W3ASK, as its Amateur of the Year. Hamvention also announced the
winners of its Special Achievement and Technical Excellence awards.

Frank Bauer KA3HDO, has been chosen to receive Dayton Hamvention's Special
Achievement award for 2001. Bauer's countless hours of behind-the-scenes
work with the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment and Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) programs have made these very
high-profile activities worldwide successes. Bauer, who chairs the ARISS
Board, organized and led the teams that provided the links to schools so
that students could talk with astronauts as they orbited the earth. He
developed band plans for spectrum utilization for Amateur Radio space
operations and continues his leadership role as a technical liaison between
the Amateur service and NASA.

Peter Martinez, G3PLX, has been chosen to receive Dayton Hamvention's
Technical Excellence award for 2001. Martinez, active on RTTY since the
1960s, is recognized as the father of PSK31, an increasingly popular mode of
digital communication. PSK31's elegant and effective design has helped
revitalize interest in HF digital modes.

For more information, visit the Hamvention Web site,
http://www.hamvention.org/ .--Dayton Hamvention

BRIEF REPORT OF THE REGION 1 EC MEETING IN OMAN

Region II President Tom Atkins, VE3CDM recently attended the Region 1 EC
meeting in Oman April 20/25. He reports that a very full agenda over the
three day period covered plans and strategies for the forthcoming WRC 2003,
now scheduled for Venezuela and an extensive list of ongoing operational
matters with particular reference to the ongoing African Development
Program. IARU Region III was represented by Chairman Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ
The IARU Region I Conference is scheduled for San Marino Sept
14/21,2002. ....

EUROPE ADOPTS 5 WPM MORSE CODE STANDARD

The Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT),
which represents most European Countries, has effectively lowered the
Amateur Radio Morse code test speed to 5 WPM for all European countries. The
CEPT Radio Regulatory Working Group (WGRR), meeting last month in The Hague,
adopted a revision of Recommendation 61-02 to include the 5 WPM standard.
The European Radiocommunication Office published the revised version of T/R
61-02 this month. The revision, which establishes requirements for the
issuance of a Harmonized Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (HAREC),
reduces the Morse requirement from 12 WPM. "In revising what is known as the
CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-02, it has in effect recommended to 44 European
countries to adopt the 5 WPM standard," said Wireless Institute of
Australia-Victoria President Jim Linton, VK3PC, who closely follows global
developments in Amateur Radio Morse code trends. Additional information is
available on Linton's Morse code watch site, http://www.wiavic.org.au/mcw .
More information on CEPT is on the ERO Web site, http://www.ero.dk .

WORLD LIGHTHOUSE AWARD

The "World Lighthouse Award", WLH, is an award created and inspired by two
open sea navigational enthusiasts and amateur radio operators from Brittany,
F5SKJ and F5OGG. They appreciate and recognize the importance of offshore
lighthouses. The WLH Award was developed to promote radio expeditions that
operate from lighthouses. They wanted to pay tribute to those isolated
lighthouse keepers who sacrificed their lives while being buffeted by storms
and difficult seas. Since the advent of radio, the improvements in
navigation and digital electronics, man's presence as lighthouse keepers on
those isolated islets has become less important. This should not diminish
the significance of their contributions or the importance of this award.

The WLH (World Lighthouse Award) has been developed by F5OGG, F5SKJ, F6DGT,
F-17511 and W9DC and provides a worldwide award for confirming contacts by
Amateur Radio with approved lighthouses effective from July 1, 1997. For
more information the website is http://wlh.free.fr or http://wlh.online.fr
The e-mail address is wlha@free.fr or wlha@online.fr.

AMSAT-NA 2001 SYMPOSIUM - CALL FOR PAPERS

The first call for papers has been issued for the AMSAT-NA 2001 Annual
Symposium, set for October 5-6 in Atlanta, Georgia. Papers may be presented
by the author during the symposium or simply offered for inclusion in the
Symposium Proceedings. Subject matter should be of general interest to
Amateur Radio operators involved in satellite communications. Suggested
topics include operating techniques, antenna design and construction,
spacecraft design and construction, current mission status, proposed
satellite missions, telemetry acquisition and relay, satellite microwave
projects, etc. An outline abstract of the proposed paper should be submitted
as soon as possible. The final date for abstracts is June 30, 2001.
Completed papers must be received no later than August 15. Electronic
submittal is preferred. The format must be either MS Word-compatible or
plain text. For security purposes, Symposium Chairman Steve Diggs, W4EPI,
asks authors to send files as e-mail attachments to w4epi@amsat.org.--AMSAT
News Service

NEW DISTANCE RECORD ON 76 GHZ

A new world distance record on 76 GHz is being claimed by Palo Alto Amateur
Radio Association member Bob Johnson, KF6KVG, and his partner, Will Jensby,
W0EOM, of the 50MHz and Up Group. The new claimed record for 76 GHz was set
February 1. Johnson was located southwest of San Jose, California, on Mount
Loma Prieta running 1mW to a 12-inch dish antenna. Jensby was located on
Mount Vaca near Vacaville running 5 mW to an 18-inch dish. The total
distance covered was 145 kilometers based on the "center of grid square to
center of grid square" measurement approach.

LAKE CONSTANCE CONVENTION

This year's Lake Constance Convention (previously known as the
Friedrichshaven Hamfest) takes place from Friday 29 June to Sunday 1 July.
This event is the largest and most popular in Europe. Further information
from the DARC homepage: http://www.darc.de/referate/ausland/hamradio/

THE VII FRIEDNDSHIP RADIOSPORT GAMES

The Friendship Amateur Radio Society (FARS) of Canada is pleased to announce
the Sister City Society of Suzhou China has accepted an invitation to
participate in the VII Friendship Radio Sport Games being held in Victoria
British Columbia, Canada, August 6-10, 2001. The Chinese Team will join
similar groups from Khabarovsk Russia, Portland Oregon, Tokyo Japan, and
Victoria BC, in four days of friendly competition. FARS is still awaiting
decisions from invited groups in Napier, New Zealand, and Morioka Japan.
The schedule of events will be: -

August 7, Opening ceremonies
August 8, 2M ARDF Competition
August 9, HF DX Competition
August 10, CW Competitions,
Awards Presentation Banquet,
Announcement of Venue for 2003 Games.

Further information available at www.islandnet.com/~jyoung/FRG01 or direct
to VA7PC (va7pc@rac.ca) who is the director of FARS Canada.

USA ARDF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2001 USA ARDF championships that will be held in Albuquerque N.M. the
first week of August. Further information from Chairman Jerry Boyd, WB8WFK
or on their web-site at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abqardf/files/web/index.html

NEW ADDRESS FOR W1 INCOMING QSL BUREAU

The new address change for the ARRL W1 Incoming QSL Bureau is "ARRL W1
Incoming QSL Bureau" YCCC, P.O. Box 7388, Milford, MA, 01757.

SUNSAT OSCAR 35 GOES SILENT

Sunsat Oscar 35 has gone silent. The last communication with South Africa's
first satellite was on Friday 19 January 2001 at 15:22 when the ground
control station at the University of Stellenbosch was engaged in routine
maintenance on the satellite.

The ground control station made this announcement yesterday after two weeks
of intense recovery action. All efforts to make contact with SUNSAT have
failed.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2001
May - Dayton Hamvention
May - Lake Constance (Freidrichschafen) Hamfest

June - PCC III CITEL Meeting. Ottawa

September - 30 Region II Extraordinary General Assembly & Constitution
changes.

October - 1-5 XIV General Assembly, Guatemala City.
October - 6-8 - IARU Administrative Council

2002
April - Region I EC meeting - San Marino, Italy
September - Region I General Conference.

EDITORIAL BY VE6DXX

One of the challenges of WRC 2003 will be that vital question of the 300 KHz
allocation at 7 MHz in Region II. We certainly cannot afford to lose this
allocation, while at the same time we want our fellow amateurs in Regions I
and III to fully share in this key part of the spectrum.

This year's Region II Assembly in Guatemala will be the last opportunity for
all National Societies in the region to discuss 7 MHz and the many other
issues facing amateur radio at WRC 2003.

The amateur community in Region II needs to demonstrate that it is united on
the issues. What more can demonstrate this than your country's attendance at
the Assembly in Guatemala. By all accounts the organizing committee is doing
a first-class job and have secured a most attractive hotel rate for those
that book early.

Each country - large and small - has one vote at its Region's triennial
conferences. The active participation of each National Society in Guatemala
is needed. Another vital activity for all National Societies is to continue
to work closely with your own Administration to ensure that ALL Region 2
Member States are unanimous in their support of the global IARU amateur
position for a 300 KHz worldwide amateur allocation at 40 metres.

IARU Region II News wishes to thank the following organizations and
individuals who have contributed information, which has made this issue of
the Region II Newsletter possible: ARRL, K6DUE, AMSAT News Service, RAC,
VP9IM, AMSAT UK, RSGB, WB8WFK, HC2EE, SETI, YS1FAF, DJ5DJ, VE3CDM, VA7PC,
CEPT, K1ZZ, & VE3OAT.

ITEMS OF NEWS FOR REGION II NEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED AND SHOULD BE SENT TO
THE EDITOR - DAVID EVANS VE6DXX BY E-MAIL
TO IARU-R2-NEWS@ATTCANADA.NET OR FAX TO (780) 922 0881. WE ENCOURAGE ALL
REGION II IARU LIAISON OFFICERS TO MAKE REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO REGION II
NEWS SO THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF THEIR SOCIETIES CAN BE GIVEN A WIDER
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE.
THE INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO UNION REGION II ORGANISATION WAS FORMED IN
1964 TO PROMOTE THE SPECIAL INTERESTS OF MEMBER SOCIETIES IN THE ITU REGION
II (NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA)
AND TO REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS AT ITU RADIO CONFERENCES.

REGION II EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT: Thomas B J Atkins VE3CDM - ve3cdm@pathcom.com
VICE-PRESIDENT/SECRETARY Reinaldo Leandro YV5AMH
PO Box 2285, Caracas.1010A, Venezuela. E-mail address rleandro@cantv.net:"
or the Region II Office is iaru-r2@cantv.net
TREASURER: Noel E Donawa 9Y4NED - 9y4ned@tstt.net.tt
DIRECTOR: Rod Stafford W6ROD - w6rod@arrl.com
DIRECTOR: Reinaldo Szama LU2AH - rszama@szama.com
DIRECTOR: Jorge Luiz Vescia Lunkes PT2HF - jlunkes@zaz.com.br
DIRECTOR: Dario Jurado A HP1DJ - hp1dj@sinfo.net
DIRECTOR: Guillermo Nuflez XE1NJ - xe1nj@supernet.com.mx

REGION II OFFICIALS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Cesar Rodriquez HC2RB - crodrigu@gu.pro.ec
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Carlos Narvaez XE1FOX - xe1fox@supernet.com.mx
R II BEACON CO-ORDINATOR: Bob Fabry N6EK - fabry@verio.com
R II MONITORING SERVICE: Martin Potter VE3OAT - ve3oat@rac.ca
REGION II NEWS
EDITOR: David Evans VE6DXX (G3OUF) - iaru-r2-news@attcanada.net
EDITORIAL STAFF: Thomas B Atkins VE3CDM
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Rosemary Evans VE6/G0NDB
IARU REGION II OFFICIAL WEB SITE - http://www.iaru-r2.org
Web Master: Pedro Seidemann,YV5BPG: Email; seidemann@it.com.ve

AREA DIRECTORS FOR IARU REGION II
AREA A - CANADA & BERMUDA - VE3CDM
AREA B - UNITED STATES - W6ROD
AREA C - MEXICO & 16 CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES - XE1NJ
AREA D - NICARAGUA, PANAMA, COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR,
GUATEMALA & HONDURAS - HP1DJ
AREA E - TRINIDAD, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES, SURINAME,
COLOMBIA & VENEZUELA, ARUBA - 9Y4NED
AREA F - PERU, ECUADOR, BRAZIL & BOLIVIA - PT2HF
AREA G - ARGENTINA, URUGUAY, CHILE & PARAGUAY - LU2AH
REGION II NEWS IS PUBLISHED ELECTRONICALLY BY THE INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR
RADIO UNION REGION II EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND DISTRIBUTED TO OFFICERS AND
MEMBER SOCIETIES WITHIN REGION II. REGION II NEWS IS ALSO CIRCULATED TO
INTERESTED PARTIES IN REGIONS I AND III ON REQUEST. THE STATEMENTS AND
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN REGION II NEWS DO NOT, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED,
NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE OFFICERS/DIRECTORS OR THE SECRETARIAT
OF IARU REGION II.