“Rippers Rule!!”
RVWARS HF Contestors Tromp TARA For Second Straight Year
 
We’re sure many of you are now aware that TARA has again been thoroughly trashed  by the Ripper’s in the Annual ARRL November Sweepstakes. This marks the second year  in a row that they’ve dealt TARA an embarrassing blow. 
 In what used to be a closely fought battle for “bragging rights” between our clubs, has now become a  lopsided  rout! 
For some of our newer folks let us point out  that the road to success hasn’t been all that rosy for 
 		 RVWARS. You see, they too were the recipients of several thrashings by TARA’s HF contesters. But after working hard  together over the last 2 years RVWARS contesting efforts have now been transformed into a finely tuned “contesting  machine,” one which deserves a lot of  respect. 
All of us from TARA wish to congratulate each of the members of the RVWARS contesting team on their stunning victory, great job! 
 
 
ARIZONA QRMer TO PAY UP

Hams in Arizona are cheering, now that a man fined by the FCC for malicious interference and other rules violations has finally agreed to pay up. Last year, the FCC fined Timothy Harold Hoffman of Phoenix $6,000 for repeated violations, including interference to Phoenix-area repeaters. The violations were called to the Commission’s attention by the Arizona Repeater Association’s ARRL-sanctioned Local Interference Committee. Hoffman was cited for five specific violations, including transmitting on ham frequencies without a valid operator or station authorization, and willfully and maliciously interfering with ham radio communications. But, as Lance Halle, KW7LH, tells it, “it took a multitude of long distance calls by committee members, support from FCC personnel, input from Congress, and the White House, to get a Notice of Forfeiture and then a federal court judgment” against Hoffman, which he called  “one of the major interferers.”
“The system does work,” Halle said in alerting the ARRL to the October 26 judgment by US District Court judge Robert C. Broomfield. Hoffman will pay off his fine in increments of $200 per month. “Spread the word! Maybe this will deter some of the would-be interferers.”
 
 
Upcoming DX Events

OPDX has received the latest update from the CDXC (Chiltern DX Club) on the DXpedition to the Spratly Islands which will take place February 12-24th. OPDX InterNet Subscribers will receive the complete press release (long) as an additional bulletin. In short, a multinational group of DXpeditioners, primarily members of the UK’s CDXC (Chiltern DX Club), the UK DX Foundation, will operate from Layang Layang Island. The operation is timed to take place soon after the island re-opens to visitors following the typhoon season in order to maximize the opportunities for good LF propagation. The team is expected to include G3NUG, G3OZF, G3SED, G3WGV, G3XTT, G4JVG, G0OPB, K5VT, VK2BEX, 9M2OM(G3NOM) and 9M6SU. It is planned to keep four stations on the air round the clock to maximize band openings. All HF bands will be activated on SSB, CW and RTTY, and the group will also  have equipment for 6 meters. The callsign will be 9M0C.

POSSIBLE PREFIX CHANGE?
 UK amateurs on Pitcairn Island using the VR6 prefix may be switching to VP6. Reportedly, the VR6 prefix now belongs to People Republic of China since the handover of Hong Kong.

Ohio/Penn Dx Bulletin, check it out!
 http://www.en.com/users/k8yse/opdx.html