Ham Radio Operators to Skip Rose Parade
Ham Radio Operators won't be helping the annual Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California this year.
Nextel is a corporate sponsor of the parade, and has donated a number of phones to the Tournament.
Most parade organizers now have cell phones, and don't need a radio operator shadowing their every move.
Over the years, the radio amateurs have tracked floats with GPS devices, installed a dozen video cameras
up and down the parade route and provided valuable communications for both the parade and viewers. But
negotiations with the radio amateurs broke down Sunday, and the radio amateurs' board voted to back out
of the Jan. 1, 2005, parade.
Senate confirms Adelstein for new FCC term
The US Senate has confirmed the White House nomination of FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to
remain on the FCC until June 30, 2008. Adelstein said he was gratified to have the opportunity to continue
to serve. "The issues before us are critical to our economy and touch people in deeply personal ways," he
said in a statement following his November 20 confirmation. "I will continue to promote the interests of the
American public in having access to the best possible communications opportunities in the world."
Adelstein, one of two Democrats on the five-member FCC, joined the FCC in November 2002. A protégé
of and former aide to US Sente Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), Adelstein is the first South Dakotan
ever to serve on the FCC. The term of the FCC's other Democrat, Commissioner Michael J. Copps, does
not expire until next year.
Foundation For Amateur Radio solicits scholarship applications
The Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc (FAR), a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC,
plans to administer more than 55 scholarships for the 2005-2006 academic year to assist radio amateurs.
Awards range from $500 to $2500. Comprised of approximately 50 member organizations, FAR fully funds
several of these scholarships with income from grants and the annual F.A.R.Fest. FAR administers the
remaining grants without cost to the donors. FAR invites Amateur Radio licensees planning to pursue a
full-time course of study beyond high school and now enrolled in or accepted for enrollment at an
accredited university, college or technical school to compete for these scholarships. Preference in some
cases goes to residents of specific geographical areas or to those pursuing certain programs of study.
Additional information and an application form is available by sending a letter or QSL card postmarked
prior to April 30, 2005, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. The Foundation for
Amateur Radio is an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
It is devoted exclusively to promoting the interests of Amateur Radio and those scientific, literary and
educational pursuits that advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.
Martin's moonmobile on the roll
Concert pianist and ham radio operator Martin Berkofsky, KC3RE, says his busy performance schedule,
with concerts in Armenia, Poland, Russia and elsewhere, has not kept him off the air. "It has been a busy
time," he told ARRL, "but I have started operating 144 MHz EME from the car." An ARRL member home-based in
Virginia, Berkofsky completed his 880-mile "Celebrate Life Run" from Tulsa to the Chicago area in 2003
to raise money for cancer research and celebrate his recovery from the disease. He says he's
available for EME moonrise/moonset skeds. "Operation is QRP -- 160W and 18 elements -- but I have made
two contacts so far: W5UN and I2FAK," he notes. He's only operating on CW at the moment but says he
plans to be up and running with digital modes in the future.
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