The ARRL Letter
Vol. 13, No. 13
July 12, 1994

Hams aid Cuban refugee boat
Amateurs in four countries help relay an SOS
                       
By Jorge L. Martinez,  WP4KTF
                                                                  
	Early on the morning of June 4, 1994, 61 Cubans left the 
port at Mariel in a commandeered Cuban vessel, bound for the 
United States. About 20 minutes after setting sail a Cuban gunboat 
came into view, then was joined by two more gunboats and a 
patrol boat. The refugees were fired on and four men were shot.
	According to the Miami Herald, a mayday call went out at 
about 4 AM. The call was made by  an amateur named Juanito, 
CO2PJ,* on the amateur transceiver he had brought on board with 
him. The call was picked up on 7.118 MHz by Pedro Rodriguez, 
YV5JCB, who was soon joined on frequency by Carlos Chang, 
HP8DCF, and Alvaro Andrade, HP1DAV.
	Andrade then telephoned his friend Jorge L. Martinez, 
WP4KTF/HP1XZQ, stationed with the US Army at Ft. Davis, 
Panama. Martinez tells the story:
	Alvaro, in Panama City, and Carlos, in Agua Dulce, heard 
desperate cries for help from Juanito, who said he was on board a 
Cuban vessel, the Rene Heredia, accompanied by 100 men, women 
and children (later reported by the press as the Rene Bedia 
Morales, a state-owned dredging craft).
	While attempting to escape from Cuba, they were spotted, 
pursued and shot at by a Cuban gunboat, only eight miles from the 
port of Mariel. Four persons were wounded; the vessel continued 
moving slowly north-northeast at about eight knots.
	Aware of the importance of the situation, Alvaro 
immediately called the Panamanian National Police, but was 
promptly referred to the US Southern Command (Southcom) 
Headquarters at Quarry Heights, Panama City. A switchboard 
operator promised that she would get someone to call him back. 
When the return call did come, Alvaro, a close friend since I 
arrived in Panama in April 1992, telephoned me at home.
	At home in Fort Davis, a US Army post 50 miles away in 
Panamas province of Colon, my wife and I were just arriving from 
our weekly workout at the base club when the phone rang. It was 
2:30 AM in Panama. I immediately recognized the voice as 
Alvaros and when I understood his message I sat down next to my 
beat-up, nontransmitting Kenwood TS-520S, while he stayed on 
the line, and I tuned in to 7.118 MHz.
	Juanitos call for help came through loud and clear. Alvaro 
explained everything he had done before he called me and, 
knowing I am in the Army, asked me if I knew anyone I could call 
for help. With a quick sure I do I hung up and continued to 
monitor in disbelief, until I was positive that it was a real 
emergency.
	Before I  had contacted anyone, I was jolted back to reality 
as I heard Alvaro tell Juanito that the US Southcom is aware of 
the situation, and they are already mobilizing.
	One staff  sergeant does not Southcom make, I thought. 
Alvaro and Carlos repeated this message several times, so I 
decided that maybe the best option was, indeed, to call Southcom 
Headquarters. At 0730 UTC I had the Southcom Staff Duty Officer 
on the line. His reaction must have been similar to mine when 
Alvaro called me!
	I continued to monitor and suggested to Alvaro, now back 
on the telephone, that Juanito should stay calm and continuously 
report his position and  any further actions by the gunboats. 
Maybe, if the gunboat crew became aware of the Amateur Radio 
operators listening in several countries, they would give up their 
aggressive chase.
	Unfortunately, that was not the case, and at 0815 UTC, the 
Heredia was reportedly under attack, now by two or possibly three 
Cuban gunboats. The vessel, 16 miles north of Cuba, reported 
seven wounded on board, with the captain bleeding heavily from a 
gunshot wound to the neck. 
	Forty-five minutes had passed since I joined the mayday 
net, and Alvaro, Carlos and Pedro continued to calm Juanito down 
by repeating that the US Southcom was working on it. Then, 
someone mentioned the words International Waters, and I 
reacted instinctively by calling the US embassy in Panama City.
	A bewildered, but very helpful, US Marine guard quickly 
connected me to a US Coast Guard representative, and after giving 
him all the information I had on the situation, he said that another 
person would call me back shortly. At approximately 0825 UTC I 
received a call from US Coast Guard Commander Karmarski, a 
military attache, who thanked me for the initial call and confirmed 
that the Coast Guard in Miami had been notified. CDR Karmarski 
also said that another representative would be calling back.
	I called Alvaro and told him about my conversation with 
the military attache at the embassy, which he relayed to Juanito on 
the Heredia. Less than 10 minutes later, he received a call from a 
Sgt Richards at Ft Clayton, a US Army post in Panama City, 
followed by a call from Guillermo Castrillo, with the US Coast 
Guard in Miami.
	I anxiously continued to listen in, as the Coast Guard 
relayed information through the phone link with Alvaro. 
Propagation was such that at one point information was relayed 
from the Coast Guard in Miami (US) to Alvaro (Panama), to 
Nelson Perez, KC4CLO, also in Miami, to Carlos (Panama), and to 
the Heredia, now on a four hour odyssey.
	The vessels pursuers were so close at times (10 meters, 
according to Juanito), that their crews even threw heavy ropes in 
the water, in an apparent attempt to tangle the Heredias propellers. 
The second in command aboard the Heredia, who had been 
wounded, tried to navigate the vessel with one arm, while the 
captain lay unconscious. Another man, hit in a leg, also was nearly 
unconscious, and Juanito feared that they would not receive 
medical attention in time.
	Meanwhile, at 0933 UTC, an aircraft joined the chase. The 
Heredia crew, believing it to be a US Coast Guard helicopter, said 
they were about to turn on the vessels running lights and fire a 
flare. Luckily, Alvaro quickly confirmed, through his phone link, 
that the Coast Guard did not have any helicopters in the area yet, 
and the aircraft continued west.
	While Juanito described the Heredia as a 60-meter gray 
and white vessel with a crane in the front, Nelson contacted the 
organization Hermanos al Rescate (Brothers to the Rescue) and 
the Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, to assist in the operation. 
Guido, AB6MO, also assisted. Juanito added that the vessel had 
received so many bullet impacts below deck that all of its 
occupants had moved upstairs and now lay exposed on deck.
	The Heredia continued to slowly plow its way north and 
was now more than 20 miles from the Cuban coast. At 1009 UTC, 
Juanito expressed his concern about daylight exposing the vessel 
to the gunboats. Fortunately, less than 30 minutes later, the 
pursuers gave up their chase and turned away. A strong 
thunderstorm moved into northern Panama prior to 1100 UTC and, 
after a power supply exploded under my feet, I was forced to give 
up my listening post. As I attempted in vain to get some sleep, I 
hoped that our effort would not be futile and that our prayers 
would not go unanswered.
	Nelsons calls also alerted Osvaldo Pla, KB4TFF, and Luis 
Cruz, N4LDG, members of the rescue organization. While the US 
Coast Guard continued to search for the Heredia, Juanito reported 
seeing the Del Monte, a cargo ship loaded with containers and 
several other ships in the area, but they were unable to relay his 
desperate call for help. The Heredia, no longer under pressure from 
the Cuban gun boats, now said only 59 people were on board, 
while continuing pleas for its injured. 
	Changing propagation, daylight static, and many other 
hams wanting to assist, all made communication with the 
Panamanian stations impossible. However, this was effectively 
handled by Nelson, who took over as net control from Alvaro and 
Carlos, and asked all operators to stand by. He also had Juanito 
give long tuning counts  to assist the Coast Guard in locating 
their vessel.
	The Coast Guard instructed Nelson to have the Heredia 
follow a heading of 040 degrees. Additionally, the vessels deck 
was cleaned, to make way for the injured  who would be taken 
there to be airlifted by the helicopter. Shortly afterward, the 
Heredia was instructed to shoot one of the three emergency flares 
available on board, off the ships bow. At about 1300 UTC, Coast 
Guard craft sighted the Heredia. At approximately 1330 UTC, the 
situation was under control by the Coast Guard, the wounded were 
on their way to a hospital on Stock Island, Florida, and the Heredia 
was under tow to Key West.
	Unable to contact Alvaro since 0845 UTC, I tried to call 
him at 1800, to no avail. Calling other friends, hoping that maybe 
they had seen anything in the news, also proved unsuccessful. 
Finally, at about 2300 UTC, I tuned in to a Colombian ham, as he 
thanked all the hams involved in the rescue. About an hour later, 
my wife came running to the shack as I let out a scream, when 
CNN Headline News said The US Coast Guard, alerted by a ham 
radio report, rescued 59 Cuban refugees, 65 miles south of Key 
West...
	My log book reads in red ink THE FOLLOWING IS MY 
BEST DAY AS A HAM RADIO OPERATOR!!
	Because of people like Chuck Ward, KJ4RV, my Elmer, 
who inticed me into such an extraordinary hobby, and because of 
ham brothers such as Alvaro, who have kept the hobby as 
exciting as the first day for me, our prayers were answered.
------
	Staff Sergeant Jorge L. Martinez, WP4KTF/HP1XZQ, a 14 
year active duty Army veteran, and a ham since December 1991, is 
currently assigned to the 747th Military Intelligence Battalion at 
Ft Davis, Panama.

	* CO2PJ is not listed in the Radio Amateur Callbook, as 
are many Cuban licensees. We were not able to reach him for this 
story but understand that he is staying in the Miami area. -- Ed.
NASA Operations to mark moon landing        

	At least 12 amateur stations associated with the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration will be active July 19 to 22 
to commemorate the 25th anniversary of humans landing on the 
moon, on July 20, 1969, on Apollo 11.  The operations will begin 
at 1700 UTC July 19 and end at 0500 UTC July 22, coinciding 
with the time the Apollo Moon Lander (the Eagle) was on the 
moons surface in 1969.  
	* Dryden Amateur Radio Club, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California:  KF7GD (NASA DFRC, Attn: Dryden ARC, POB 273, Edwards CA  93523).
	* Goddard Amateur Radio Club, NASA Goddard Space 
Flight Center, Greenbelt MD:  WA3NAN (GARC, PO Box 86, 
Greenbelt, MD  20768-0086).
	* Guam Contingency Landing Site Amateur Radio Group:  
KC4YDP/KH2 (NASA  RADIO,  Kennedy Space Center FL  
32899).
	* NASA Headquarters Amateur Radio Group, Washington, 
DC:  N4ZR  (2003 Sarazen Place, Reston VA  22091-3809).         
	* Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club and 
Goldstone Amateur Radio Club,  Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 
Pasadena, California: W6VIO (JPLARC, M/S 168-327,  4800 Oak 
Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109).
	* Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club, NASA 
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX:  W5RRR (JSC 
ARC/W5RRR,  Johnson Space Center, Houston TX  77058).
	* Kennedy Space Center Amateur Radio Group, Kennedy 
Space Center, Florida: KC4TCV (NASA  RADIO,  Kennedy Space 
Center FL 32899).
	* NASA Lewis Amateur Radio Club (NLARC), NASA 
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio: AK8Y (NASA Lewis 
Amateur Radio Club, 21000 Brookpark Rd, MS 54-6, Cleveland 
OH 44135).
	* Marshall Amateur Radio Club, NASA Marshall Space 
Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama: WA4NZD (Marshall Amateur 
Radio Club, CM21X,  MSFC AL  35812).
	* Stennis Space Center Amateur Radio Club, NASA 
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi: K5GY (Stennis Space Center 
Amateur Radio Club,  Bldg 1201, Stennis Space Center MS 
39529).
	* Wallops Island Amateur Radio Club, NASA Wallops 
Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia: KE3ND (Wallops Island 
ARC,  NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Building E-134, Wallops 
Island VA  23337).
	* White Sands Complex Amateur Radio Group, NASA 
White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New Mexico: KF7E (P.O. 
Box 627,  Organ NM 88052).

FCC COMPUTER GIVES
NEW LOOK TO LICENSES

	Amateurs receiving new or modified FCC licenses after 
June 8, 1994, should carefully note their expiration date. Only new 
(first) licenses or specific renewals have a full 10-year term.  
	Amateur license upgrades and changes of address, call sign, 
or name, are processed with the original expiration date intact.  
That is, they are not automatically renewed for a new 10-year term.
	The FCC, using newly installed computer software, is 
processing amateur licenses in this manner to conform with the 
way in which it processes all other Private Radio Service licenses.
	The FCC currently recommends that amateurs submit 
license renewal applications 60 to 90 days before their expiration 
date.  The Commission said it intends eventually to mail license 
expiration notices to amateurs.  In the meantime, the ARRL is 
sending license expiration notices to ARRL members, along with 
an FCC Form 610 and a return envelope addressed to the FCCs 
licensing division in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
	Another difference in these new licenses is the new "TECH 
PLUS" category for those who have qualified.  Persons upgrading 
from Novice, or those who upgrade from codeless Technician by 
passing a Morse code exam, or persons who pass the Novice and 
Technician written tests -- plus a Morse code test -- will receive a 
license that reads "TECH PLUS" under Operator Privileges.  
	Persons who became a Technician with HF privileges with
a license begin date prior to June 8, 1994 must continue to retain 
their "Technician" license and "Certificate of Successful 
Completion of Examination" (CSCE) in order to show that TECH 
PLUS privileges are held.
	Other changes include the look of the amateur license itself. 
More information will appear in Exam Info in August QST.

11 VECs MEET FOR
ANNUAL CONFERENCE

	Representatives of 11 Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, a 
number of FCC staff, and several guests attended the National 
Conference of VECs Annual Meeting in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 
on June 23 and 24.
	The VEC representatives held meetings on the 23rd 
followed by discussions that included FCC staff on the 24th.
	The VECs discussed matters such as plans for future 
updates of question pools, VEC guidelines,  the future of the VEC 
system, whether to charge for Novice exams, identifying possible 
exam irregularities, and funding of the annual conference.
	FCC staff present on Friday included Ralph Haller,  chief of 
the Private Radio Bureau; Bob McNamara, chief of the Special 
Services Division; John Johnston, chief of the  Personal Radio 
Branch; and Larry Weikert, of the FCCs Licensing Division.
	Haller spoke to the group on several topics, including the 
future of personal communications technologies (Haller heads the 
FCC's PCS Task Force); staffing needs of the Private Radio 
Bureau;  the anticipated use of electronic filing of Amateur license 
applications (perhaps by late 1994); and the concept of an FCC 
BBS for license-status inquiries from the public.
	Johnston talked about the VEC system in terms of statistics 
(at the current rate it will administer its two-millionth exam 
element by the year 2001);  VEC finances; status of rule changes 
under consideration; enforcement matters; and international 
licensing issues.
	More information is in August QST.

WORKSHOPS PROMOTE
CONTINUING EDUCATION

	The ARRL Educational Activities Department will sponsor 
the second and third in its series of continuing education 
workshops. The two new topics for workshops are 
Electromagnetic Interference and the Radio Amateur and 
Computer-Aided Design of HF Antennas. For the past two years, 
the very popular Digital Signal Processing Workshop has been 
held in four locations around the US, and was taught by ARRL 
Senior Engineer Jon Bloom, KE3Z.  
	The workshop, Electromagnetic Interference and the 
Radio Amateur, to be taught by Ed Hare, KA1CV, will cover 
electromagnetic compatibility fundamentals, sources of help, and 
solutions. This all-day workshop will be held Friday, August 26, at 
the ARRL Southwestern Division Convention in San Diego.  
Participants will receive materials and six hours of practical 
instruction.  Cost is $10 for ARRL members and $15 for 
nonmembers. This workshop will be repeated at the New England 
Division Convention in Boxborough, Massachusetts, in October.
	The workshop on computer-aided design of HF antennas 
will cover propagation, antenna selection, transmission line 
selection, and putting it all together.  The workshop will be 
taught by Dean Straw, N6BV, ARRL Senior Assistant Technical 
Editor; Roy Lewallen, W7EL, and Ray Gaschk, KD6BLS, will 
also make presentations. This all-day workshop will be held on 
Friday, October 21, at the ARRL Pacific Division Convention in 
Concord, California.  	Participants will receive a workbook and six 
hours of practical instruction that will allow them to design their 
own antennas. Cost, which includes a convention ticket, is $20 for 
ARRL members and $25 for nonmembers.
	ARRL offers these continuing education workshops as a 
service to Amateur Radio operators, to encourage them to hone 
their skills and to learn the latest techniques. ARRL also wants to 
encourage hams to pursue two of the principles that FCC lists in its 
rules (Part 97.1) for our hobby: Continuation and extension of the 
amateurs proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the 
radio art, and expansion of the existing reservoir within the 
Amateur Radio service of trained operators, technicians and 
electronics experts.  
	Workshop participants earn Continuing Education Units for 
attending the entire workshop.
	If you are interested in these workshops, remember that 
space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged.  For more 
details on workshops, particularly the upcoming EMC workshop, 
contact Rosalie White, WA1STO, at ARRL HQ.

BRIEFS

	* Correction: In our story last issue about Oregon amateur 
Scott Diamonds role in foiling an apparent auto theft attempt, we 
misidentified his call sign. It is KB7ZHB.	

	* New FCC Commissioner Susan Ness has named David 
Siddall as legal advisor. Siddall, 44, is K3ZJ. He will concentrate 
on mass media and wireless matters. Since 1991 he has been Chief, 
Frequency Allocation Branch, and he was with the Mass Media 
Bureau from 1988 to 1991. He joined the FCC in 1985 in the 
Common Carrier Bureau following work at the Library of 
Congress. He is an active amateur.

	* The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for 
$20,000 to Ace Communications of Fishers, Indiana, for marketing 
illegal scanner radios. Ace, the FCC said, advertised two different 
unauthorized scanners in magazines including  73 Amateur Radio 
Today, CQ, and Popular Electronics. Both the models cover 
cellular telephone frequencies. The FCC based the fine on Aces 
apparent ignoring of warning letters from the Commission and 
called the violation intentional.

	* Proving that QSLs always lag sunspots, so far this year 
the ARRL DXCC Desk has received 13% more applications and 
25% more individual QSLs than for the first half of 1993. Summer 
staff have been added to help handle the increased workload.

	* Heres something different to try in the way of a low key 
operating event: the Hiram Percy Maxim 125th Anniversary 
Celebration September 2 to 11. Listen for ARRL volunteers and 
officials of all stripes signing /125.  Details are on page 46 of 
August QST.

 	* Hot on the heels of ON4UNs revised  Antennas and 
Techniques for Low Band DXing, which debuted in April, comes 
the new edition of The ARRL Antenna Book. Its extensively 
revised and updated, and includes a diskette of software (IBM 
format) for antenna design, propagation forecasting, and more. 
More information is in August QST.

	* An opening exists for a W1AW station operator. Radio 
and computer skills are a must, as well as a General (or, preferably, 
higher) class amateur license and the ability to work without 
supervision. Starting pay range is $17,400 to $20,900 per year. 
Send resumes to W1AW Chief Operator Jeff Bauer, WA1MBK.

	* A recent visitor to HQ was Shiro Nomura, JA1CB, who 
has just retired as Chief Engineer and Manager of Research and 
Development for Kenwood. After six years at the companys 
California facility, OM Shiro will return to Japan. Many things 
have happened  (to me) while living in this beautiful and  spirited 
country, he said. My stay here has really been the most 
challenging experience I have ever had. Nomuras successor is 
Mickey Hatori, JA1MZX.

	* Five locals operated W1AW  during Field Day to the tune 
of almost 2,900 contacts, including four with western Europe on 6 
meters (about 2100Z on Saturday, June 25), running 80 watts to a 
6-ele yagi at 65 ft. The station did not use its back-up 60-kW diesel 
generator (which can supply the entire W1AW building)  because 
its pretty noisy and would annoy the neighbors. Rest assured, 
though -- if commercial power goes off, the generator comes on!

	*  The first 10-GHz moonbounce contact between two 
British stations took place on June 19, when G4RFR in Wimborne, 
Dorset, worked G3WDG in Rushden, Northants. Good reports 
were exchanged and both stations were able to hear their own 
echoes, the Radio of Society of Great Britain news service said.  
G4RFR is the club station of the Flight Refueling Amateur Radio 
Society. The moonbounce system was built by members as a club 
project, and includes a 12-ft dish, a 15-watt transmitter and a  
receiving system with a 2-dB noise figure. G3WDG's station was 
operated by G3WDG and G4KGC, and comprised a 3-meter dish, 
a 40-watt transmitter, and a 1.2-dB noise figure receiver. 
	* Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA, appeared on the Ham 
Radio & More AM radio show on June 26, and was sensational, 
as usual, according to the shows producer, Len Winkler, 
KB7LPW. Senator Goldwater answered callers questions ranging 
from MARS to SDI military hardware. Much praise was given to 
Senator Goldwater for his time given to the country, Winkler said.
	Some quotes of interest included his support of the no-code 
license, and he said that since code is outdated and not so widely 
used in the military today, he believes the time has come to do 
away with the code requirements, even though he thoroughly 
enjoys code and can be found on CW many times each week. He 
also believes that "our" ability to handle national emergencies is 
justification in itself for our existence, and he is very opposed to 
charging for amateur licenses, Winkler said.
	Ham Radio & More can be heard Sundays at 6 PM EST on 
the Talk America Network in 23 cities and via satellite on Spacenet 
3, transponder 9, 6.8 audio.
10 years ago in The ARRL Letter

	Amateur Radio will be represented at the 1984 Olympic 
Games in Los Angeles, which run from mid-July to mid-August. 
The primary purpose of NG84O will be to send messages home for 
Olympic participants from countries with third-party traffic 
arrangements with the US. The station will be located at the 
Olympic Village on the UCLA campus in Westwood, California. 
The station will also be operated when time permits for general 
contacts. Four countries arrange temporary third-party agreements 
with the US for the Games: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Romania, and 
Zimbabwe.
	The ARRL in late June files a proposal with the FCC to 
become a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, expecting that the FCC 
will soon make an announcement regarding the long-awaited cost 
recoupment situation. The League also continues to contact 
organizers of upcoming ARRL conventions to tentatively arrange 
ARRL-VEC exam sessions. The League says exam sessions under 
the ARRL-VEC should be available September 1. And the FCC 
announces that it will cease to give Amateur Radio exams at its 
field offices at the end of 1984.
	Ron Parise, WA4SIR, is selected by NASA to fly on a 
Space Shuttle mission in 1986. Hes an astronomer and a real 
ham, licensed since age 11.
	The ARRL and FCC agree to develop an Amateur 
Auxiliary to the FCCs Field Operations Bureau. It will use 
volunteers to assist the FOB in monitoring and other projects as 
the need arises.
	And The ARRL is now accessible via computer! The 
ARRL Letter of July 5, 1984 exclaims. MCI Mail customers can 
send a message to Headquarters for a dollar, and CompuServ users 
can read The ARRL Letter on the HamNet database. 
