November 2003 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[ARRL-ODV:9757] BPL du Canada
by James Weaver 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

I wonder if our Maple Leaf colleagues are following this situation. http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/11/21/Consumers/power_lines031121 AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communications system in the world. ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio is! Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040-9660, Tel. 513-459-0142, E-mail k8je(a)arrl.org

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[ARRL-ODV:9759] Re: Background American Samoa
by James Weaver 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Dave, Thanks for the information and perspective. As to your later message on this subject, I agree with considering a fix. Jim W. AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communications system in the world. ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio is! Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040-9660, Tel. 513-459-0142, E-mail <mailto:k8je@arrl.org> k8je(a)arrl.org

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[ARRL-ODV:9756] Re: Background American Samoa
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Kay, I've told Wayne Mills that we should develop a strategy for changing the rule. The problem with the status quo is that it leads to undesirable and unnecessary distractions. There has already been discussion about something similar hapening with regard to Easter Island, for example. 73, Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: Craigie, Kay (2nd Vice President) Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 11:04 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9755] Re: Background American Samoa Dave, Thank you for the background information. Since you believe it's a flaw in the DXCC rules that "if a DXCC entity has its own IARU member-society, it is treated as if it were sovereign for the purposes of measuring distance to an island ...," do you believe the Board should consider changing the DXCC rules to eliminate this provision? Or is "Just say no" the better way to proceed? 73 - Kay N3KN

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[ARRL-ODV:9755] Re: Background American Samoa
by Kay Craigie 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Dave, Thank you for the background information. Since you believe it's a flaw in the DXCC rules that "if a DXCC entity has its own IARU member-society, it is treated as if it were sovereign for the purposes of measuring distance to an island ...," do you believe the Board should consider changing the DXCC rules to eliminate this provision? Or is "Just say no" the better way to proceed? 73 - Kay N3KN

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[ARRL-ODV:9754] Re: Background American Samoa
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Well, Rick, I agreed with your originally expressed concern and am not surprised that the chickens are now coming home to roost. I agree with you that in other respects the new rules are working well. Dave -----Original Message----- From: Roderick, Rick (aol.com) Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 11:00 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9753] Re: Background American Samoa In a message dated 11/24/2003 10:19:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, dsumner(a)arrl.org writes: > A few years ago we made what I believe was a mistake in rewriting the DXCC rules in such a way that, if a DXCC entity has its own IARU member-society, it is treated as if it were sovereign for the purposes of measuring distance to an island > to see if the island is a separate DXCC country. _____________________ Dave: Thanks info. I recall that I specifically raised that concern at the Board meeting years ago when we passed the news rules. As I recall, the Int'l VP, Price then, not Rod, said, "Oh, don't worry, I assure you it is a difficult hurdle for someone to try." Or, something to that effect. That aside, and I was one of the authors of those new DXCC rules, I can say they have been working well since we cleaned the rules up. We certainly have not had those horrible new country battles like we use to years ago. 73, K5UR

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[ARRL-ODV:9753] Re: Background American Samoa
by K5ur＠aol.com 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

In a message dated 11/24/2003 10:19:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, dsumner(a)arrl.org writes: > A few years ago we made what I believe was a mistake in rewriting the DXCC rules in such a way that, if a DXCC entity has its own IARU member-society, it is treated as if it were sovereign for the purposes of measuring distance to an island > to see if the island is a separate DXCC country. _____________________ Dave: Thanks info. I recall that I specifically raised that concern at the Board meeting years ago when we passed the news rules. As I recall, the Int'l VP, Price then, not Rod, said, "Oh, don't worry, I assure you it is a difficult hurdle for someone to try." Or, something to that effect. That aside, and I was one of the authors of those new DXCC rules, I can say they have been working well since we cleaned the rules up. We certainly have not had those horrible new country battles like we use to years ago. 73, K5UR

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[ARRL-ODV:9752] Re: Background American Samoa
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

While this is a matter that primarily affects the Pacific Division, others of you may have seen various items in the DX press about the formation of the American Samoa Amateur Radio Association (ASARA). This is a positive development with one exception: the idea that the new association should apply for IARU membership. Briefly, Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK, likes to "invent" DXCC countries. A few years ago we made what I believe was a mistake in rewriting the DXCC rules in such a way that, if a DXCC entity has its own IARU member-society, it is treated as if it were sovereign for the purposes of measuring distance to an island to see if the island is a separate DXCC country. This becomes important when islands are between 350 and 800 km away. Kan used this provision to engineer a new DXCC entity, Ducie Island, by getting the Pitcairn Island Amateur Radio Association (PIARA) admitted to the IARU. There is such an island in American Samoa: Swain's Island. If American Samoa is separately represented in the IARU, Swain's Island will qualify as a separate DXCC entity. In pursuit of that objective, apparently Kan has persuaded some people that American Samoa ought to have its own IARU member-society. Other than Swain's Island, there is no reason for American Samoa to be separately represented in the IARU. It has always been represented in the IARU by the ARRL, and is part of the reason why the ARRL is a member of IARU Region 3 (the rest being Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, and Wake Islands, Palmyra Atoll, and Kingman Reef) as well of IARU Region 2. American Samoa is of course not separately represented in the UN system, so adding it to the list of IARU member-societies would buy us nothing at the ITU. Its amateur licensees are licensed by the FCC, so having it separately represented in the IARU would create a situation whereby the ARRL would no longer be recognized by the IARU as exclusively representing amateur radio to the FCC. Under the IARU Constitution, there can be only one IARU member-society per "country or separate territory." The "separate territory" provision allows, for example, for the Radio Society of Great Britain not to have to represent Bermuda in the IARU. (Bermuda is separately represented and in times past has been a very active member of IARU Region 2.) However, the provision does not require separate representation; for example, the Azores and Madeira are autonomous regions of Portugal but are represented in the IARU by REP in Lisbon. Because Pitcairn Island is a British territory, the application of PIARA for admission to the IARU had to be accompanied by a letter from the Radio Society of Great Britain stating that it had no objection to the application. (Even so, PIARA was barely admitted; there were 57 affirmative votes required and they only received 58.) Such a letter would be required from the ARRL in order for an application for IARU membership from ASARA to be considered. While it is a policy question that ultimately is up to the Board, it is my strong recommendation that the ARRL should continue to represent American Samoa in the IARU. Licensed amateurs in American Samoa are eligible to be Full Members of the ARRL and to participate fully in Pacific Division and Pacific Section affairs. Apparently the ASARA is a brand new organization. The best way forward for them would be to apply for ARRL affiliation and drop the idea of separate IARU representation, but of course that would not suit Kan's purposes. I hope this background is helpful in case any question comes up. 73, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ

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[ARRL-ODV:9751] Re: Fwd: Congressional Letters
by James Weaver 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Tom, >From the feedback I received from the members who told me they wrote, I'd have to say this particular Congressman had to have received something greater than 25 letters. This is an estimate based upon known amounts plus what I know about folks who I've learned indirectly that wrote but didn't tell me. 73, Jim Happy Thanksgiving to all. AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communications system in the world. ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio is! Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040-9660, Tel. 513-459-0142, E-mail k8je(a)arrl.org

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[ARRL-ODV:9750] Re: Fwd: Congressional Letters
by Tom Frenaye 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

At 04:15 PM 11/18/2003, K8JE forwarded a note from Derek Riker/KB3JLF that said: >In recent meetings with House members' staff from Ohio and Michigan, at least 3 have commented to me on the increasing numbers of correspondences they have received from amateurs. In fact I had met personally with Rep. Rogers' (R-MI) Legislative Director. When she called to say they would co-sponsor HR 713, she said the reason was because of the constituent mail they had received. Do we have any idea what the "magic number" of letters appears to be? 10? 50? 1000? -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki(a)arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444

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[ARRL-ODV:9749] Re: Election Results
by Frank Fallon - N2FF 23 Nov '03

23 Nov '03

Dick, Thanks. The important thing is they made the right choice. HI. I am sure glad the process is finally over. Frank Fallon........ N2FF ARRL Hudson Division Director ----- Original Message ----- From: <dick(a)pobox.com> To: "arrl-odv" <arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 6:28 PM Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9743] Re: Election Results > 21 NOV, 2003 - 1220 CST > > The Hudson Division voters had to make a tough choice this time around. > > Congratulations Frank! > > 73 - Dick, W9GIG > > >

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