Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club  

The June BAARC Membership Meeting was held at the Brainerd Public Library.  

Skip's qualifications include forty years as a successful manager, electrical engineer, and electronics technician.  He worked 34 years for 3M and is now retired.  Skip was first licensed as a Novice in 1955 and loves the hobby.  He asked for the group's support in the upcoming election.  More details at: http://www.skipforhams.com 

Election ballots are being mailed to ARRL members late in June or early in July.  The winner of the election will replace Randy "Max" Wendell KMØD who is retiring from the job of Section Manager after eight years of service.  See: http://www.arrl.org/sections/MN.html

BPL is a technology that promises to provide high-speed Internet to people in rural areas.  In order to do that, broadband spread-spectrum signals will be put on existing electrical power lines.  Those signals will cover frequencies from 1.8 to 30 MHz.  The ARRL feels that H.F. ham bands, and other H.F. spectrum users will suffer severe interference from BPL.  See http://www.arrl.org for more details.  

Jay pointed out that power lines are, in essence, long wire antennas. Feeding them with RF will cause them to radiate. In fact, they perform better as antennas than as transmission lines. The ARRL is fighting a battle with the Federal Communications Commission to keep BPL from becoming a reality. See http://www.arrl.org for more details.

Jack Miller, BAARC V.P. and Program Chairman.