Hilites from the ARRL's THE ARRL LETTER, April 13 1994


* FCC ORDERS RE-TESTS OF 59 AMATEURS - The FCC has ordered 59
amateur licensees to be re-examined on examination elements
passed at examination sessions coordinated by the ARRL-VEC in
southern Californin between late 1992 and mid-1993.

The FCC told all 59 that apparent irregularities indicated that
the exam sessions were compromised.

"Specifically", the FCC said, "the irregularities on your
examination papers indicate that you were apparently given access
to the exact (answer) key used by the volunteer examiners."

The FCC gave the 59 amateurs 60 days in which to re-take the
exams, at any session coordinated by the Greater Los Angeles
Amateur Radio Group, and said that no VE present at the suspect
sessions was allowed to administer a re-examination.

Failure to pass the re-exams will result in license class change,
loss of call sign, or loss of license entirely, as appropriate,
the FCC said.

In the course of cooperating with the FCC's Private Radio Bureau
in its investigation, the ARRL-VEC suspended the accreditation of
16 volunteer examiners.


* WASHINGTON GETS LAW ON TOWERS AND ANTENNAS - Washington State
has new legislation to protect amateurs.  On March 23, the
governor signed Senate Bill 5697, a bill that will, according to
its backers, limit the ability of municipalities to enact antenna
and tower regulations, by pointing out the federal pre-emptions
of the FCC's PRB-1.  Credited with promoting this legislation
were Dr. Ralph Shumaker, WX7T, and members of the Mike and Key
Club of Seattle, acording to ARRL State Government Liaison Frank
Price, KD7AC.


* Again this year the new edition of the ARRL REPEATER DIRECTORY
will debut at the Dayton HamVention.  The 1994-95 edition has
been reorganized for easier use "on the run," and has more than
20,000 listings of FM repeaters, packet systems, and propagation
beacons.


* Check those DXCC application forms; the current form is MSD-505
(194) for all new and endorsement applications.  Please DO NOT
use older formas, as they lack spaces for critical information
needed for processing at HQ.  And business is up again in the
ARRL DXCC Branch.  In March, 1127 applications for new awards and
endorsements were received, and for the first three months of
1994 applications are up by 18%, QSLs by 48%, over 1993. Turn-
around time is about three and a half weeks.


*  ARRL affiliated clubs are asked to PLEASE advise HQ (or your
local Affiliated Club Coordinator, ed) when your club officers or
their adresses change, so we can effectively support your
efforts.  We can't help you if we can't find you!


*  The Amateur license application backlog is on the rise again
at the FCC: on Feb 1, 8543 were pending, and on Feb 28 there were
12,868 awaiting action, according to ARRL-VEC Manager Bart
Jahnke, KB9NM, who also says turnaround time in Gettysburg is
hovering around the FCC's self-imposed maximum of 90 days.


*  The FCC has reaffirmed a $17,500 fine against a Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania man Andrew R. Yoder who the Commission says
"willfully and repeatedly" operated an unlicensed broadcast
station on 7415 KHz in 1990 and 1991.  Yoder had filed an
application for review of the May 1992 FCC forfeiture order; in
March the FCC denied the application and gave Yoder 30 days to
pay the fine.

In Florida, the FCC issued Notices of Apparent Liability to three
Citizen's Band operators, for violations including using illegal
power amplifiers. The fines were for $1000, $1500, and $4000.

The FCC also released a list of eight individuals cited recently
for violations including "operating radio stations without proper
authorization and operating on unauthorized frequencies." The
fines ranged from $250 to $6400. No other details were given.