From ARRL.org

The term of FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican from Tennessee, came to an end on January 3 as the 111th Congress convened for the first time. Originally selected by President Bush to fill the unexpired term of then-Chairman Michael Powell, Tate joined the Commission in 2005. In June 2007, Bush announced his intention to nominate Tate to a full five year term, but when the Senate failed to confirm her nomination by the close of the 110th Congress, Tate’s tenure as a Commissioner came to a close.

“My term as a commissioner is at an end,” Tate said, “and I would like to express what a great privilege and honor it has been to serve our country and the Federal Communications Commission over the past three years. I am grateful to President Bush for his appointment and for his confidence in my ability to make important decisions on behalf of the American people.”

Tate said that she plans on advocating for children and families both in this country and abroad. She said she will also dedicate herself “to protecting our stories and storytellers, and to opposing the economic and moral harm of piracy.” She also plans on launching a formal mediation practice “that will utilize the skills I have practiced daily at the Commission to develop resolution, consensus and collaboration in the communications sector and beyond.”

Chairman Kevin Martin thanked Tate for her service to the Commission, saying her “good nature and distinct personality” will be missed. “Based on her experience as an effective state commissioner,” Martin said, “Commissioner Tate demonstrated strong leadership during her tenure as Chair of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, and the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations. As Chair, she led the effort to address [these two] critical components of the telecommunications framework set forth by Congress. Commissioner Tate embraced the difficult task of trying to reach consensus between federal and state members on these very technical and complex issues.”

Tate thanked the Commission’s professional staff, calling them “the finest, most honorable group of civil servants in our government. They are viewed as the ‘gold standard’ by our international colleagues and I appreciate their dedication, integrity and commitment. All Americans should be proud of their work.”

From ARRL.org

Six members of the February 2009 KP5 Desecheo DXpedition team met in Puerto Rico the week of December 17-21. According to team co-leader Bob Allphin, K4UEE, the team visited US Fish and Wildlife Headquarters in Boqueron and met with the Chief Refuge Manager and law enforcement personnel in preparation for the DXpedition, set to start February 12.

Desecheo currently sits at number 7 on DX Magazine’s Most Wanted list; the island is the second most-wanted DXCC entity in Asia and third most-wanted in Europe. Desecheo is a small uninhabited island in the Mona Passage, 14 miles off the western coast of Puerto Rico. It is part of the USFWS’s national wildlife refuge system administered by the Caribbean National Wildlife Refuge Complex (CNWR).

“After an evening with local DXers and members of the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio League for dinner and a night of fellowship, DXpedition team members underwent UXO (unexploded ordnance) training,” Allphin said. “On December 19, we accompanied US Fish and Wildlife law enforcement and UXO personnel to Desecheo Island. In the three hours we were there, the campsite and antenna fields were thoroughly swept for UXO and several areas were found suspicious. These areas were clearly marked, mapped by GPS and declared off limits for the DXpedition.”

Allphin said that the USFWS will allow antennas on the ridge above the helicopter pad, providing a clear shot to Europe, North America and Japan. Other antennas will be located on the beach below the helicopter pad. While on Desecheo, the team conducted a test for the 2 meter link to Puerto Rico.

“Logistics and staging of equipment is ongoing and will be complete before the team arrives in Puerto Rico on February 7.” Allphin said. “The team will transit to Desecheo on February 12 to begin the two week operation. Eight HF stations, plus 6 meters, will be operational. We have planned an incredible array of antennas. Transportation and logistics have been arranged for a fast deployment and quick appearance on the air. As soon as we land on Desecheo, two stations will be immediately activated. Stations will continue to operate until the final moments of departure on February 26.”

Allphin told the ARRL that stepping onto Desecheo for the first time “was a dream come true. After working on this project for so many years — to actually be there and with the blessing of the USFWS — was truly emotional for me. The recon trip to the island was absolutely invaluable: We were able to see exactly what terrain issues we were faced with and be able to design the antenna types and locations to maximize our signals into the target areas. The amateurs in Erope and Asia will be pleased with our signals. The cooperation of the USFWS has been extremely cooperative and helpful.”

Per USFWS rules, only 15 operators will be allowed on the island at one time. “We have arranged with USFWS to allow a shift change about half way through the DXpedition,” Allphin told the ARRL. “This has allowed a number of hams on our waiting list an opportunity to participate in this DXpedition.”

DXpedition co-leader Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, said the team will be running CW, SSB and RTTY on 160-6 meters. “We’ve had tremendous support from DX organizations all over the world and from numerous equipment and antenna manufacturers,” he told the ARRL. “We are diligently working on the propagation studies to reach our hard-to-work areas of Asia and Europe. This plus our planned antennas, we should knock Desecheo off of the Most Wanted List for a long time to come.”