ARRL NEWS - Continued Timely ARRL news items for all members -  from sources as noted at end of each article,
Page 7 Previous     Return Pg 4                                   AMATEUR STATION AT SMITHSONIAN QRT AFTER 32 YEARS

After more than 30 years on the air from the nation's capital, NN3SI < http://americanhistory.si.edu/events/programdetail.cfm?newskey=48 >, the Amateur Radio station at the National Museum of American History < http://americanhistory.si.edu/index.cfm > -- part of the Smithsonian Institution < http://www.si.edu/ > -- became silent on Thursday, July 31. Originally located in the Nations of Nations exhibit, the station first went on-the-air in 1976 in celebration of the US Bicentennial. The FCC caught the patriotic spirit, giving the station a temporary call sign -- NN3SI -- standing for Nation of Nations, Smithsonian Institution. The Commission later made the call sign allocation permanent.  According to NN3SI volunteer Carl Lagoda, W3CL, a Special Event operation was planned for earlier this week, with certificates available to those who contacted NN3SI. DX Summit < http://www.dxsummit.fi/ > spotted NN3SI on 75, 40 and 20 meters SSB.  
NN3SI has been situated in several different exhibitions in the Museum; it was most recently housed in the former Information Age exhibit. This exhibit chronicled the birth and growth of the electronic information age -- from Samuel Morse's invention of a practical telegraph in the 1830s through the development of the telephone, radio, television and computer. The Museum has been closed since 2006 while undergoing a major renovation and is scheduled to reopen to the public this fall.   (Excerpt from the ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 30, dated August 1, 2008)
                                     HIRAM PERCY MAXIM'S TELEGRAPH KEY RETURNS TO ARRL HQ

At the ARRL Board of Director's meeting this past weekend, the telegraph key that once belonged to Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, was returned to ARRL Headquarters. According to ARRL First Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, the key had been in the collection of the Antique Wireless Association's Electronic Communication Museum near Rochester, New York for more than 20 years.  Craigie said that the AWA decided to return Maxim's key to the organization he co-founded almost 100 years ago. At the ARRL Atlantic Division Convention in May 2008, the museum's former curator, Ed Gable, K2MP, presented the key to Craigie and Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR. Craigie and Edgar then presented the key to ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, on Friday, July 18.  "The key will find a prominent place in the League's collection of historical artifacts," Craigie said. "The Old Man's key has come home".   (Excerpt from the ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 29, dated July 25, 2008)
                                 KANSAS TEEN NAMED 2008 YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

Emily Stewart, KC0PTL, a 17 year old from Leavenworth, Kansas, has been named the 2008 Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY), announced YHOTY Award Administrator Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. Emily was selected based on her commitment to Amateur Radio, along with leadership, outreach, and her technical and public service achievements of the Amateur Radio Service to others. She will receive her award as part of the Huntsville Hamfest. More than two dozen young people were nominated for this award, now in its 22nd year   (Excerpt from the ARRL Letter, Vol 27, No. 27, dated July 11, 2008) Back Next