HAM Toolkit/HAM Toolkit.iso/text/arrl/faq2.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-01-12 | 43KB

From arrl.org!psinntp!psinntp!uunet!olivea!sgigate.sgi.com!sgiblab!pacbell.com!amdahl!thunder!ikluft Tue Jan 11 13:58:15 1994
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From: [e-mail] (Ian Kluft)
Subject: rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions (Part 2 of 3)
Keywords: FAQ RADIO AMATEUR HAM
References: <[e-mail]>
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   is over 6 months old, please obtain a new one.  Instructions in Part 2
   indicate where to find them via NetNews, FTP, and e-mail.
Organization: Kluft Consulting
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Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.4
Archive-name: radio/ham-radio/faq/part2
Revision: 3.1 1993/11/07 21:28:33

Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently Asked Questions
Part 2 - Amateur Radio Organizations, Services, and Information Sources
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Questions discussed in Part 2: (dates indicate last modification)
**  Where can I find Ham Radio information with a computer? (11/92)
    * The rec.radio.* newsgroups (6/93)
    * The ARRL e-mail server (1/93)
    * The KA6ETB e-mail "HAM-server" (new 9/93)
    * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP) (9/93)
    * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail (1/93)
    * The Ham-Radio mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail (9/93)
    * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information (9/93)
    * Callsign servers and geographical name servers (11/92)
    * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools (9/93)
    * Lists of radio modifications and extensions (11/92)
**  Can I send ARRL or W5YI electronic mail? (11/92)
**  "Why doesn't the ARRL do...?" (11/92)
**  What magazines are available for Ham Radio? (pre-4/92)
**  How do I use the incoming and outgoing QSL bureau? (11/92)
**  Are there any news groups for CAP? (11/92)
**  What's the name of the QRP club that issues QRP numbers? (9/93)
**  How do I become a 10-10 member? (9/93)
**  How do I join MARS? (9/93)
**  How do I join RACES? (pre-4/92)
**  What organizations are available to help handicapped hams? (pre-4/92)
**  I am looking for a specific ham, can anyone help me find him? (6/93)
**  Can I post my neat new ham related program on rec.radio.amateur.misc?
    (pre-4/92)
**  Where can I get ham radio software for my computer? (9/93)
**  Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio? (4/92)
**  Where can I find VE sessions in my local area? (9/93)
**  Why isn't XXX available electronically? (4/92)

--Rec.radio.amateur.misc Frequently-asked Questions------------------Part 2--

**  Where can I find Ham Radio information with a computer?
    This question has many answers spanning several electronic media
    including UseNet, electronic mail, the Internet, dialup bulletin board
    systems (BBS) and others.  Various electronic information sources are
    summarized under the subheadings that follow.

    All electronic mail addresses listed are in Internet format.  If your
    site is not connected to the Internet and does not support Internet-
    style mail addresses, you will need to contact either your system
    administrators or a local "guru" to find out how or if you can send
    mail to the sites listed.  Ask them, "how can I get mail to the
    Internet?" and show them the address you're interested in.

    * The rec.radio.* newsgroups
    The primary distribution mechanism for this FAQ is UseNet.  There
    are several newsgroups dealing with Amateur Radio and other aspects
    of radio.  The full list is as follows:

    rec.radio.amateur.misc (*)     Ham Radio - misc/general topics
        rec.radio.amateur.antenna      Ham Radio - antenna construction/theory
        rec.radio.amateur.equipment    Ham Radio - manufactured equipment/mods
    rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc Ham Radio - digital radio modes: packet/
                     AMTOR/RTTY/etc (formerly r.r.a.packet)
        rec.radio.amateur.homebrew     Ham Radio - radio experimentation, kits
    rec.radio.amateur.policy       Ham Radio - policy & regulation
        rec.radio.amateur.space        Ham Radio - satellites, EME, shuttle/MIR
    rec.radio.broadcasting         public broadcast radio
    rec.radio.cb                   Citizens' Band Radio
    rec.radio.info (*)             periodic info from all rec.radio groups
    rec.radio.noncomm              misc non-commercial radio topics
    rec.radio.shortwave            Shortwave Radio
    rec.radio.swap                 radio equipment wanted and for sale

    Country- or region-specific newsgroups include the following:
    aus.radio                      Australia (misc radio topics)
    aus.radio.amsat                Australia (amateur satellites)
    aus.radio.packet               Australia (packet radio)
    de.comm.ham                    Deutschland/Germany
    fj.comm.ham                    Japan
    uk.radio.amateur               United Kingdom
    in.ham-radio                   USA, Indiana
    sbay.hams                      USA, CA, South Bay Area/Silicon Valley
    triangle.radio                 USA, NC, Research Triangle area

    This FAQ is cross-posted to the newsgroups marked with asterisks (*).
    It is also cross-posted to rec.answers (the archive for FAQs in the
    rec.* newsgroups) and to news.answers (UseNet's general repository for
    FAQs.)  These should be the first places to look for new current
    copies of the FAQ.

    Most of the rec.radio newsgroups have their own FAQs as well.

    * The ARRL e-mail server
    ARRL is the American Radio Relay League, representing and promoting
    Amateur Radio in the USA.  They have established an automated file
    server which responds to information requests via electronic mail.
    To use the server, send mail to [e-mail] with any number of
    one-line commands in your message.  Valid commands are as follows:

    help        sends more detailed instructions about the e-mail server
    index       sends a list of the files currently available
    send file   sends a file (replace "file" with the file's name)
            several files are referenced by name in parts of this FAQ
    quit        ends command processing - use it if a signature will be
            appended to your message

    The server program will respond to the commands, each in a separate
    message.  Among many other informative files, a current copy of the
    FAQ (updated monthly) can be obtained from the ARRL e-mail server.
    Other parts of this FAQ refer to specific files on the ARRL server.

    * The KA6ETB e-mail "HAM-server"
        Steve Harding KA6ETB has an e-mail server on his 386 PC at home with
    over 40 megabytes of Ham Radio-related files (at the time of this
    writing.)  You can request any of those files with an e-mail message
    to the HAM-server at [e-mail].  This site
    has a mostly-different selection of files than the ARRL, though some
    overlap is unavoidable.  The HAM-server seems to have more emphasis
    on MS-DOS programs and binary files though there are many plain-text
    articles as well.

    Use these commands to send requests to the KA6ETB HAM-server.
    HELP            instructions and info about the HAM-server
    INDEX           list of files available from the system
    GET <file>      send a file (see the HELP notes for more info on
            getting binary files in uuencode or xxencode format)
    NEWFILES <date> list of new files since the given date
    PING            used for testing your path to the HAM-server, it just
            sends a simple reply so you can look at the path data
    QUIT            makes the HAM-server stop reading the message (so it
            won't try to read your .signature)

    * The Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
    Sites connected to the Internet can access large amounts of data
    almost anywhere in the world, often at high speeds.  One common way
    to transfer the data you want is FTP.  Some sites offer a service
    called "anonymous FTP" which allows remote users to access a set of
    public files without requiring a password.

    Tom Czarnik coordinates a fairly definitive list of anonymous FTP
    sites, their IP numbers, time zones, general contents, and access
    policies which he posts to the comp.misc, comp.sources.wanted,
    alt.sources.wanted, and news.answers newsgroups.  It is itself
    available via anonymous FTP (how about that?? :-) from (among other
    places) rtfm.mit.edu under directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/ftp-list.

    For specific information about exact locations of files by name,
    the Archie database server may be of help.  First check if anyone has
    installed the "archie" program on your machine and use it.  Archie may
    also be accessed by telnetting to one of the following sites (use the
    one closest to you):

    Finland/Europe: archie.funet.fi
    Canada: archie.mcgill.ca
    Australia/New Zealand: archie.au
    Israel: cs.huji.ac.il
    UK/Ireland: raquel.doc.ic.ac.uk
    USA (Maryland): archie.sura.net
    USA (Nebraska): archie.unl.edu
    USA (New York): archie.ans.net
    USA (New Jersey): archie.rutgers.edu

    Login is archie.  Type "help" at the prompt for a description of all
    server commands.

    For those without telnet capability, the database may be accessed non-
    interactively via mail server.  Send E-mail with the word "help" to
    archie@host where host is one of the Archie sites above.

    The above two resources (the FTP list and the Archie server) are
    extremely powerful tools for finding out "what's out there" at various
    FTP sites around the world.  *PLEASE* exhaust their capabilities
    before posting requests to the net.

    The following is a brief summary of major ham-related FTP sites and
    places where you can obtain a current copy of this FAQ:

    ftp.cs.buffalo.edu
        (submissions to this ftp site should be made to
        [e-mail]) - contains many ham radio files,
        including the FAQs, Elmer list, SWL and scanner info, Packet
        FAQ, examination opportunities, information on various
        regulations, information on commercial radios (i.e. GE or
        Motorola), SSTV (slow-scan TV), HTs (handheld transceivers)
        and the KA2UGQ worldwide BBS list.  See ~pub/ham-radio.  This
        FAQ is updated monthly here.
    grivel.une.edu.au
        This site contains a mirror of ftp.cs.buffalo.edu's Ham Radio
        archives.  It provides a shorter distance if you're in
        Australia or if Australia is a shorter net.path for you than
        New York.
    nic.funet.fi
        This is one of the largest FTP sites in Europe and maybe the
        most popular.  There are many directories of Ham-related files
        in /pub/ham.  /pub/ham/info contains a mirror of Buffalo.
        Other topics available here include amiga, antenna, HF, packet,
        satellite, scanners, program sources, VHF and others.
    ftp.uu.net
        A large FTP site in the USA - UUNET contains sources and
        binaries for many different types of computers.
    wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
        Keith Peterson, W8SDZ, has apparently returned as the
        maintainer of this huge repository of ham-radio (software and
        modifications), MS-DOS, and CP/M files.  To find out how
        to submit files to this archive, please read his informational
        posts to the comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives newsgroup. If you
        cannot directly FTP from wsmr-simtel20, there is a mail server
        that can help.  Send mail with the text "help" to
        [e-mail].
    wuarchive.wustl.edu
        A "mirror" of the files available on Simtel20, plus a *LOT*
        more.  A more user-friendly Unix environment (plus a faster
        net connection) makes this site preferred over Simtel20.
        If you are on a Unix box locally, see if your system
        administrator will "NFS-mount" these files for faster/easier
        access.
    ucsd.edu
        The "home" site (with the most recent versions for the largest
        number of different computer platforms) of the KA9Q TCP/IP
        Network Operating System (NOS), other ham-related software,
        and the archives for the Info-Hams, Packet-Radio, Ham-Policy,
        Radio-Info and TCP-Group digests.
    uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
        cd pub/ham-radio - This site contains the HyperCard Hamstacks
        written by Diana Carlson as well as ASCII readable ham radio
        question pools.
    ftp.apple.com
        cd pub/ham-radio - Ham software and information, especially
        Macintosh software
    wolfen.cc.uow.edu.au
    athene.uni-paderborn.de
        ham radio files and software for the Amiga computer system
    rtfm.mit.edu
        cd pub/usenet/news.answers - all participating FAQs and
        periodic informational postings are archived here, including
        those from the rec.radio.* newsgroups which can be found in
        pub/usenet/news.answers/radio.  Participating FAQs are
        automatically archived here when they are posted on UseNet.
    ftp.amdahl.com
        cd pub/radio/amateur - the most up-to-date copy of the FAQ
        (updated nightly when changes are made)

    See also the file FTP-INFO on the ARRL e-mail server.

    If you experience difficulty connecting to the above FTP sites, some
    troubleshooting hints are shown below.  The unfortunate situation here
    is that Netnews is far more prevalent than direct Internet hookups,
    accurate name servers, smart mailers and routers, and of course,
    telnet and FTP client services.  What this means is that your trouble
    may be caused by MANY factors.

    Here's some hints to check what's wrong:
    * It may very well be that your newsfeed and email are via dialup line
      and UUCP (Unix-to-Unix copy) in the wee hours of the morning.  If
      this is the case, then you have no direct connection to the Internet
      and thus cannot use real-time interactive services like FTP and
      telnet.
    * If you are at a college or university, your host (ie, the computer
      you are logged onto) may be on the Bitnet network, which has an
      email gateway to the Internet, but no direct connect capability.
    * If you do have a direct connection to the Internet, does your host
      have telnet and/or FTP client programs?  (ie, if you type "ftp" or
      "telnet" at your command prompt, do you get anything?)  Many hosts,
      particularly IBM mainframes not running Unix, do not support these
      services!
    * Can you telnet to other hosts and get a login prompt?
      It may very well be that some hosts are "not recognized" due to
      misconfigured connections and inaccurate host tables/name servers
      (*.mil computers are *NOTORIOUS* for this!)
    * If you get "host not in host table" or "host unknown" or similar
      error, try telnetting via the IP number, a set of four 1-3-digit
      numbers separated by periods (eg, 198.137.220.1).  The exact IP
      number for the site can be obtained via the nslookup utility, if
      your computer supports it.  (The FAQ does not print IP addresses any
      more because they change so often.)  Your system may not recognize
      the "fully-qualified domain name" (like callsign.cs.buffalo.edu),
      but it should ALWAYS recognize an IP number if their network is
      reachable from yours.
    * If you get "network unreachable" check with some more knowledgeable
      users if your site is actually connected to the Internet.  If it is,
      a link in the network may be temporarily disconnected for maintenance
      (or by accident.)
    * In the case of telnetting to a non-default port (as in the case
      with the callbook servers), if telnet <host> <port#> doesn't work,
      but you can telnet to the default login port (ie, no qualifiers),
      then the manner at which the port qualifier is entered may be
      system dependent.
    * Syntax for telnetting from different operating systems differ.
      Some common command syntaxes are:  (angle brackets are for
      readability, do not type these in literally)
      Berkeley Unix or VMS with Wollongong TCP/IP uses syntax:
        telnet <host> <socket#>
      Other possibilities to try:
        telnet console <host> (for 2000 port)
        telnet <CR> open <host>:<port#>
        telnet <host>/<port#>
        telnet <host>/port=<port#> (for Multinet on VMS)
    * Compression techniques are different for different operating systems.
      However, these hints should help:
        foo.sit needs Macintosh UnStuffit to unstuff
        foo.hqx needs Macintosh BinHex to uncompress
        foo.tar needs Unix or GNU tar utility to extract archived files
        foo.Z needs Unix 'uncompress' to uncompress or VMS
           compress_vms.exe (on gatekeeper.dec.com) will work too.
        foo.z needs the GNU gzip utility (from prep.ai.mit.edu) to
           uncompress it.  gzip will also uncompress *.Z files.
      If more than one method was used,
      like for foo.hqx.Z, start at the outside and work in (so uncompress
      on Unix with 'uncompress' first, transfer to MacIntosh, then
      uncompress with BinHex to get uncompressed file).
    * There is an excellent introduction to FTP and archiving software
      regularly posted to comp.binaries.ibm.pc and news.answers.
    * If all else fails, ASK your system administrator or check system
      documentation.

    * Access to FTP archives via electronic mail
    ANY BITNET, EARN, or NorthNET site can access the Princeton mail
    server.  It will be most efficient if you know the complete path
    and filename for anything you wish to transfer, but you can use
    'cd' and 'ls -l' commands to move about and browse the remote site's
    directories.  The Archie database server may also be useful to search
    for files and their directory locations on FTP sites around the world
    (see below).  Please be patient when using non-interactive mail
    servers such as BITFTP as each request may take several hours (or
    longer) to be fulfilled.

    For access to the FTP server, send email to [e-mail] (for
    BITNET, EARN and NorthNET users ONLY!).  Subject doesn't matter.
    The text of the email is the FTP commands one after another.  For
    example, suppose you wanted to access the FTP site lcs.mit.edu:
        FTP lcs.mit.edu
        USER anonymous
        PASS yourname@yoursite    (not required)
        ASCII
        CD telecom-archives
        GET filenames
        BYE
    A help file is available giving detailed instructions by putting
    the single word HELP into the text of the email.

    For nonBITNET users, there is also a FTPMAIL server at
    [e-mail].  Commands include:  REPLY <mailaddr>,
    CONNECT [HOST [user [pass]]], ASCII, BINARY, COMPRESS, COMPACT,
    UUENCODE, BTOA, LS <directory>, DIR <directory>, GET <file>, QUIT,
    HELP.  Get the help file for more information by sending mail with
    the single line "help".  The ftpmail site may complain if you try
    try to get more than 1 file per email request.  Here is an example of
    a request:
        reply your_name@your_site
        connect uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
        binary
        uuencode
        get pub/ham-radio/Tech.v3.3.sit.hqx.Z
        quit

    A note on the use of FTP mailservers:  If you want to use FTP
    mailservers, like FTPMAIL, please be considerate of any systems that
    your mail must pass through.  The quickest way to find yourself cut
    off from the world is to make the admins of sites that pass your mail
    pass 60Mb of X11 graphics system source.  If you need large amounts
    of information from a mailserver, contact your admin for help -- it
    may already be available, or he may know a better way to get it.

    * The UCSD Ham-Radio mail list: rec.radio.amateur.misc by mail
    You can use rec.radio.amateur.misc even if your site has no NetNews
    feed.  To subscribe to rec.radio.amateur.misc, send email to:
        [e-mail]
    In the body of the message, write:
        subscribe Ham-Radio
    If your local e-mail software does not provide a valid return address
    (i.e. Bitnet, many Milnet sites, and many non-Unix e-mail packages)
    you can provide your return address between the "subscribe" and the
    name of the mailing list (i.e. "subscribe [e-mail] Ham-Radio".)

    Similarly, to subscribe to some other rec.radio.* newsgroups, use
    the following directions: (all addresses here are @ucsd.edu)
    Request address        List address    Newsgroup
    Ham-Radio-Request    Ham-Radio    rec.radio.amateur.misc
    Ham-Digital-Request    Ham-Digital    rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc
    Ham-Policy-Request    Ham-Policy    rec.radio.amateur.policy
    Ham-Equip-Request    Ham-Equip    rec.radio.amateur.equipment
    Ham-Ant-Request        Ham-Ant        rec.radio.amateur.antenna
    Ham-Homebrew-Policy    Ham-Homebrew    rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
    Ham-Space-Request    Ham-Space    rec.radio.amateur.space
    Radio-Info-Request    Radio-Info    rec.radio.info

    IMPORTANT NETIQUETTE NOTE: never ever send a request to subscribe
    or unsubscribe from *any* mail list to the list itself.  Always use
    the REQUEST address.  Otherwise you'll end up broadcasting your
    request to everyone on the list and getting lots of people angry at
    you.  (Seriously - this is a completely avoidable mistake and it
    does irritate a lot of people.)

    TO UNSUBSCRIBE, follow directions above, changing the command word
    "subscribe" to "unsubscribe"
       DON'T POST TO THE NEWSGROUP ITSELF!  USE THE REQUEST ADDRESS!
    Help is available by using the command word "help".  Note that command
    words MUST be the first word on each line of the message.

    You can post to rec.radio.amateur.* by sending your posting email to
    the mail list addresses at ucsd.edu.  Since rec.radio.info is a
    moderated newsgroup, requests to post to it may be sent to Radio-Info
    but they will be mailed to the moderator,
    [e-mail], for posting.

    All of the Amateur radio newsgroups are archived for FTP on ucsd.edu
    under subdirectory mailarchives/{mail-list-name}.  However, Radio-Info
    is not archived at UCSD because almost everything is either on one of
    the other lists or in the news.answers archives at rtfm.mit.edu.

    To subscribe to rec.radio.shortwave, send email to
    [e-mail], message is "subscribe swl-l (your name)"

    * Telephone BBS's with Ham-related information
    Among many, a large one is WB3FFV.  Use 8/N/1.  The phone numbers are
    (410)-661-2475 1200-38400/MNP5/V32bis/V42bis
    (410)-661-2598 1200-38400/MNP5/V32bis/V42bis/PEP
    (410)-661-2648 1200-19200/MNP5/V42bis/PEP
    Login is bbs, no password.  This BBS is also available via UUCP,
    login is uucpanon, no password.  For a list of available files, try:
    uucp wb3ffv!~/FILES /usr/spool/uucppublic

    Another one is N8EMR at phone [phone], login hbbs.  Data settings
    are 8 bits, NO parity, 1 stop bit.  N8EMR has a comprehensive list of
    other ham-related BBS's on-line.

    ARRL has a BBS called "HIRAM", named after the League's founder.
    The number is 203-666-0578.  More information can be obtained from
    the file ARRL-BBS on the ARRL e-mail server.

    For a more complete list of Ham Radio BBS's, see the file BBS on
    the ARRL server.  See also the file BBS_LIST.TXT on the KA6ETB
    HAM-server.  Also see many of the FTP sites listed earlier in this
    section.  There is now way to keep a list like this anywhere near
    up-to-date so giving you a lot of sources is the next-best thing!

    * Callsign servers and geographical name servers
    If you are at an Internet site you can connect using telnet to the
    following callbook server:
    callsign.cs.buffalo.edu

    There is also a general geographical name server at
    martini.eecs.umich.edu

    The callbook server sits on port number 2000 and the geographical
    name server sits on port 3000.  These are different port numbers
    than what telnet usually defaults to. So if you just telnet to these
    machines, you will get a login prompt instead of the server. How you
    tell your telnet program to connect to port 2000 or 3000 instead of
    the default port is operating system dependent but it is usually done
    with a line like

    telnet callsign.cs.Buffalo.EDU 2000

    If this doesn't work, check the telnet/FTP troubleshooting hints
    above or consult your local systems guru for the proper command string.

    The interactive servers are designed to be somewhat self-explanatory
    and they support fairly detailed help facilities. The first command
    you should execute when connecting to one of these servers is "info".
    This will list general info about that server and how to use it. You
    should then type "help" to list the various commands available.
    Typing "help" followed by a command name will give you a little more
    detail about that command. Servers allow searches by call, last name,
    zip code or city and also provide regular expression filters to trim
    your searches so you get a reasonable amount of output.

    Both these servers are built from a database distributed by Rusty
    Carruth, N7IKQ. This database currently contains US and Canadian
    callsigns and it does not contain club calls. A new version of the
    database is sent around approximately once a year.

    There is also an email callsign server at [e-mail]
    (The UUCP address is ...!uunet!dptspd!callbook).  In the body of the
    text, say "lookup" followed by callsigns you want to look up.  If
    your mailer appends signature files, you should put a line "quit" at
    the end of your request (before the signature file).  If you want
    help, put the word "help" on a line by itself.  Here is what a
    request might look like:
        help
        lookup kc1sp wn4bbj
        lookup n0fzd
        quit

    There is another email callsign server at [e-mail].
    The subject line is the list of callsigns to lookup.  All other lines
    are ignored.  This same callsign server can be accessed with packet
    radio via cbook@n8jyv.#cmh.oh.usa.na.  The body of the message should
    include "REPLY n8jyv!HOME_BBS!CALL" (where HOME_BBS is YOUR home BBS,
    and CALL is YOUR callsign), carriage return, "CALL call1 call2 ..."
    (where call1 call2 .... is space separated list of callsigns you want
    to lookup).

    If you are a packet radio station, callserver data is available from
    [e-mail], subject line should be up to 5 US callsigns,
    separated by spaces.  For Canadian calls, use the callserver at
    [e-mail].  Body of message is ignored.  The server is an
    OS interface to the MBL packet BBS using the Buckmaster CD-ROM
    callsign database.

    The REQQTH address is for the AX.25 radio-linked amateur packet
    network, *NOT* the Internet.  If you attempt to send Internet mail to
    this address, and use the old .NA suffix instead of the new .NOAM
    suffix, it will get routed to Nimibia (Internet suffix .na) which is
    currently paying a lot of money for misdirected ham mail.  Help
    maintain a positive example for amateur radio and please do not
    attempt this!

    The FCC "call sign hotline" at 717-337-1212 is available for those
    who wish to listen to the call signs allocated in each group for each
    district.  This requires only a touch-tone telephone to use.

    * FTP access to FCC Part 97 and FCC Amateur Radio question pools
    Part 97 is part of the FCC regulations and only applies to the USA.
    Since the latest changes to it, there are no known FTP sites with
    a current copy.

    An ASCII copy of the question pools are available by ftp from
    the ARRL e-mail server.

    * Lists of radio modifications and extensions
    [see also rec.radio.amateur.equipment]
    Some mods can be found on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil or
    the Simtel20 mirror directories on wuarchive.wustl.edu.

    There is a new server at [e-mail].  Some
    examples of main body email requests are as follows:
        HELP
        SENDME RADIO MODS
        SENDME TH215 MODS
        SENDME ALLBAND MODS

    There is a packet radio Mods Server.  To get the directories, send
    a packet as follows:
        SP [e-mail]
        Subject:  MODS\Dir.1
        /EX
    To get the mod, send to same place, with Subject MODS\Filename.ext.

    REMEMBER that any modification is likely to void your warranty and
    that these mods are NOT guaranteed to work.  This list is supplied
    here because it is sometimes a frequent question on the newsgroup.

**  Can I send ARRL or W5YI electronic mail?
    Several ARRL HQ staffers can be contacted via the net.  Their e-mail
    addresses are available from the ARRL e-mail file server in the
    file called "EMAIL".

        ARRL requests that you include your postal address (the slow kind) in
        case they need to send you nonelectronic material in answer to your
        request.

        W5YI, a large VEC, can be reached at the following address:
    Fred Maia, W5YI                               [e-mail]

**  "Why doesn't the ARRL do...?"
    If you want the ARRL to do something, tell them!  Direct input from a
    concerned member (or, actually, any concerned Ham) carries a lot more
    weight than hearsay from any source.  Their e-mail addresses are
    available from the ARRL e-mail file server (see above).  They want
    direct input - that's why those addresses are available.

**  What magazines are available for Ham Radio?
    Your local ham store may have some, but here's some popular ones
    (this is NOT a complete list!):
    QST, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 - basic projects and
        contesting
    CQ The Radio Amateur's Journal, 76 North Broadway, Hicksville, NY
        11801 - beginner ham radio articles
    73 Amateur Radio Today, WGE Center, Forect Rd, Hancock, NH 03449,
        FAX [phone], email: COMPUSERVE 70310,775 or Internet
        [e-mail] - more technical ham radio articles
    QEX, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 - more technical projects
    WorldRadio, 2120 28th St, Sacramento, CA 95818, [phone].
        Subscriptions to 201 Lathrop Way, Ste D, Sacramento, CA 95815,
        (800) 365-SUBS - lots of special interest columns, like QRP,
        ATV, YL, etc.
    W5YI Report, PO Box 565101, Dallas, TX 75356, 1-800-669-9594 -
        up-to-date information on Amateur Radio happenings, including
        VE information and statistics

**  How do I use the incoming and outgoing QSL bureau?
    To use the outgoing QSL bureau, you must be a member of ARRL.  In
    general, you send a bundle of foreign (not States!) QSL cards to
    the outgoing bureau in Newington, Connecticut, along with a label
    off of your QST magazine (which shows ARRL membership), along with
    $2 per pound of cards (approximately 150 cards) or $1 for 10 cards
    or less.

    To use the incoming QSL bureau, you do NOT have to be a member of
    ARRL.  Send one or more Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes (size 5x7
    or 6x9, NO BIGGER, NO SMALLER) with one ounce of postage attached
    and with your callsign in 3/4" letters in top left hand corner where
    the return address label would go.  If you expect a large quantity
    of foreign QSL cards, attach extra money or postage with a paper
    clip; do NOT affix extra postage to envelope.  Send the envelopes to
    the QSL bureau for your callsign area.    If your callsign is xx3xxx/5,
    you would send it to the 3rd call area, NOT the 5th call area.
    Addresses for QSL bureaus are listed in QST and on the ARRL e-mail
    server (see below); if you don't have access to a QST magazine, ask
    another ham.  IMPORTANT:  BE PATIENT!  Turnaround time for a US QSL
    bureau, not considering foreign QSL bureaus, is about 3 months.
    Foreign QSL bureaus and hams can be as fast as 2 months or as slow as
    TEN YEARS, while average is about 6-12 months.

    Addresses for the US incoming and outgoing QSL Bureaus are available
    from the ARRL e-mail server in the files called "QSL-IN" and "QSL-OUT".
    See the question above

**  Are there any news groups for CAP?
    There is no news group just for Civil Air Patrol discussions.  However,
    rec.aviation.misc is appropriate for CAP aviation discussions and for
    CAP radio information, these rec.radio.amateur.* groups are available.
    CAP-related files are also stored on the FTP site
    sunburn.cps.udayton.edu in pub/capital.

**  What's the name of the QRP club that issues QRP numbers?
    QRP Amateur Radio Club International, c/o Bill Harding K4AHK,
    10923 Carters Oak Way, Burke, VA 22015.

    See also the file QRP-ADDRESSES on the ARRL e-mail server.

**  How do I become a 10-10 member?
    10-10 is simply an organization to sponsor the use of the 10 meter
    band.  It was first conceived when propagation was poor on 10 meters,
    as a method to get more hams to use 10 meters.  The past few years
    have been great for 10 meters worldwide.  However, "the bands are
    closing down" again, and 10 meters will once again be limited more
    for local communications, except for sporadic band openings, until
    the next sunspot cycle.

    To join 10-10, work ten 10-10 members and LOG each 10-10 number, call
    sign, operator's name and location.  Send the list to your numeric
    call sign or DX area manager (as shown below), with $5.00 U.S. new
    membership registration fee ($6.00 for foreign addresses).

    10-10 International Area Managers:
    USA 1 - Al Kaiser N1API,       194 Glen Hills Rd, Meriden,     CT 06450
    USA 2 - Larry Berger WA2SUH,   9 Nancy Blvd,      Merrick,     NY 11566
    USA 3 - Chester Gardner N3GZE, 9028 Overhill Dr,  Ellicott Cty,MD 21042
    USA 4 - KY, TN, FL, VA, NC, SC only
        Rick Roberts N4KCC,    7106 Ridgestone Dr,Ooltewah,    TN 37363
    USA 4 - GA, AL, Puerto Rico only
            Jim Beswick W4YHF,     112 Owl Town Farm, Ellijay,     GA 30540
    USA 5 - Grace Dunlap K5MRU,*   Box 445,           LaFeria,     TX 78559
            *summer addr Jun-Oct   Box 13,            Rand,        CO 80473
    USA 6 - Dick Rauschler W6ANK,  4371 Cambria St,   Fremont,     CA 94538
    USA 7 - Willie Madison WB7VZI, 10512 W Butler Dr, Peoria,      AZ 85345
    USA 8 - John Hugentober N3FU,  4441 Andreas Ave,  Cincinatti,  OH 45211
    USA 9 - Jim Williams N9HHU,    240 Park Rd,       Creve Coeur, IL 61611
    USA 0 - Debbie Peterson KF0NV, RR 1 Box 35,       Duncombe,    IA 50532
    All DX- Carol Hugentober K8DHK,4441 Andreas Ave,  Cincinatti,  OH 45211

    For more info, see the file 10-10-INFO on the ARRL e-mail server.

**  How do I join MARS?
    To join MARS, you have to be 14 years or older (parental consent
    required under age 17), be a US citizen or resident alien, possess a
    valid Amateur Radio license, possess a station capable of operating
    on MARS HF frequencies, and be able to operate the minimum amount
    of time for each quarter (12 hours for Army and Air Force; 18 hours
    for Navy-Marines).  Novices must upgrade to Technician within 6
    months, else be dropped from MARS.  No-Code Techs can apply, provided
    they have transmit and receive HF capability for MARS frequencies
    (they don't need transmit capability for Amateur HF frequencies).  For
    application forms contact:

        Chief, Air Force MARS
        HQ AFC4A/SYXR
        203 W. Losey St.  Room 1020
        Scott AFB, IL 62225-5219
        [phone]   Fax:  [phone]

    Chief, US Army MARS
    HQ USA Information Systems Command
    ATTN:  ASOP-HF
    Ft. Huachuca, AZ 85613-5000
    800-633-1128

    Chief, Navy-Marine Corps MARS
    Naval Communication Unit
    Washington, DC   20397-5161

**  How do I join RACES?
    Contact your nearest Civil Defense or Emergency Management Agency.
    The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service is a part of a municipal,
    county, or state government.  This does not mean, however, that
    every such government has a RACES program.  If your government does
    not have a RACES, ask them to refer you to the nearest jurisdiction
    that does have a RACES program.

**  What organizations are available to help handicapped hams?
        Courage Center
        Handihams
        2915 Golden Valley Rd
        Golden Valley, MN  55422
        [phone]
    ARRL has a Handihams information package (get it by requesting it
    thru [e-mail]) and a book called "The ARRL Plan for the
    Disabled", available at no charge from the ARRL Regulatory
    Information Branch.

**  I am looking for a specific ham, can anyone help me find him?
    Rather than sending out a message on Usenet, you might first try the
    "Radio Amateurs on Usenet" listings, maintained and posted by Mark
    Salyzyn VE6MGS.  The articles can be found monthly on rec.radio.info
    and rec.radio.amateur.misc.  If the copy in your news spool has
    expired for some reason, you can look up an entry in the list by
    sending an e-mail to [e-mail] with either of the
    following commands in the body of the message:
      lookup keyword keyword keyword ...
      return [e-mail]
    (Fill in the proper info for the search keyword or e-mail address.)
    An automated server program will reply to your message.

    If you have his/her callsign or name, you should also try one of the
    on-line callservers shown above.  This works in most cases. (!!!)

    Also try directory assistance from the phone company or the locator
    service provided by the Salvation Army.  A Salvation Army post in your
    local area may be able to help you.  Also, the Quarter-Century
    Wireless Assn maintains a collection of callbooks going back to "the
    beginning of time".  Their address is: 1409 Cooper Drive, Irving, TX
    75061.  Also, the Callbook has a dial-in line for accessing new ham
    callsigns.  Try (1-708-234-8011) at 2400 baud.

**  Can I post my neat new ham related program on rec.radio.amateur.misc?
    This is really not a good idea, since many of the readers receive
    these newsgroups as mail digests.  Posting is also a one-shot thing.
    If you post and someone missed it, it is gone.  A better way would be
    to announce the existence of your program here, along with
    information on how to obtain a copy of your program.  You can also
    submit it to one of the FTP archive sites, which will allow the world
    to access it without you having to mail it to each requestor.  If you
    just GOTTA post it somewhere, post it to more appropriate groups,
    like comp.sources.unix or alt.sources or comp.binaries.ibm.pc.

** Where can I get ham radio software for my computer?
    See the information about Anonymous FTP, e-mail servers, and
    ham-related telephone BBS's above.  For PC-clones, see the KA6ETB
    HAM-server.  For Macintosh computers, see the file SOFTWARE-MAC on
    the ARRL e-mail server for locations to look.

**  Are there Dialup News services or BBSs for Amateur Radio?
    There are two major news services for ham radio.  Both are run by
    volunteer hams and provide bulletins of specific interest to amateurs,
    hence they are perfectly legal to rebroadcast on ham bands according
    to FCC Regulation 97.111B(6).  To lessen the load on the dialup lines,
    consider getting your local repeater operator to rebroadcast it, or
    tape record it to play at your favorite HF net.

    RAIN (Radio Amateur Information Network) is produced by Hap Holly,
    KC9RP, located in Illinois.  The news is typically updated 8am CST
    Fridays.  Phone numbers are 1-708-299-INFO (299-4636) and
    1-708-827-RAIN (827-7246).

    NEWSLINE is another, produced by Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.  Donations
    for NEWSLINE are accepted at Newsline Support Fund, c/o Dr. Norm
    Chalfin K6PGX, Pasadena, CA 91102.  Phone numbers are:
        Chicago        1-708-289-0423
        N.Florida    1-407-259-4479
        West Palm Beach    1-407-965-1234
        Los Angeles    1-805-296-2407 (Instant Update Line)
        Los Angeles    1-213-462-0008
        NYC        1-718-353-2801
        Ohio        1-513-275-9991
        Seattle        1-206-368-3969

**  Where can I find VE sessions in my local area?
    VE sessions are often announced in the local newspapers, but more
    often, they are announced by local radio bulletin boards.  The
    local packet BBS will most likely have a monthly updated schedule
    for VE sessions.  ARRL or W5YI can generally be called and asked for
    local VE sessions as well.  Don't forget that you will need the
    following when you go in for an upgrade:  a copy of your current
    Amateur license; your original Amateur license; any CSCEs (duplicate
    not required), if applicable and less than a year old; a picture ID,
    preferably a driver's license, passport or visa; and the VE test
    fee (approximately $5 right now).

    Bart Jahnke, KB9NM, the ARRL VEC Manager ([e-mail]) posts a
    listing of VE exams indexed by state (and some overseas sites, usually
    at embassies and military bases) to the net every 6 weeks or so.  The
    same list can be obtained from the ARRL e-mail server under the file
    EXAM-SCHEDULE.  Another file of interest is EXAM-INFO.

    The ARRL list is the definitive list for ARRL VEC sessions.  There
    are other smaller VECs around the USA.  ARRL includes their schedules
    when the info is available.  The other VECs phone numbers are listed
    with the ARRL info so you may wish to give them a call to check their
    schedule if they didn't provide it to ARRL.

**  Why isn't XXX available electronically?
        This is a theme for a lot of common questions.  For the "XXX" above,
        substitute any of the following:
       Callbooks
           DX QSL Lists
           Radio station lists
       various publications
           and more...

        Except for the Callbook (via callsign servers), these are not available
        because of any of several reasons.  Either there are copyright restric-
        tions, royalty fees, or the source just may not have done the work.
        Also, not everyone that has information has reliable UseNet access.

        In one example of someone's effort to bridge the information gap, there
    is a new repeater-mapping project which can automatically accept
    entries via e-mail.  If you can get enough details about a repeater
    for a complete listing, you may want to help by submitting an entry.
    For more information, use the following e-mail addresses:

    [e-mail]
        Just send a message with only the word "help" in the message
        body.  The project's software will reply with instructions.
    [e-mail]
        For other questions (Steve Watt KD6GGD)

    As soon as the list is big enough to be useful, the project will make
    it available electronically.  That will mean one less "why isn't it
    available electronically" question for the net.