[CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 23 (Friday, June 12, 2009)
ARRL Letter Mailing List
letter-dlvy at arrl.org
Fri Jun 12 20:31:08 EDT 2009
***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 23
June 12, 2009
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* + Fun, Fresh Air, Friends and Food: It Must Be Time for ARRL Field Day!
* + Changes Coming for ARRL November Sweepstakes Contest Log Submissions
* + Alabama Hams Assist During Statewide Emergency Drill
* + Look for the July Issue of QST in Your Mailbox
* Join the Fun in the ARRL VHF QSO Party This Weekend
* + National Hurricane Center Predicts "Near-Normal" Hurricane Season
* + QEX: The July/August 2009 Issue
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This Week on the Radio
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
+ Two New Co-sponsors Pledge Support for HR 2160
+ Don Tunstill, W4NO (SK)
Central States VHF Society Seeks Presentations for Annual Conference
From the DXCC Desk
+ Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
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==>Editorial questions or comments only: S.
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===========================================================
==> FUN, FRESH AIR, FRIENDS AND FOOD: IT MUST BE TIME FOR ARRL FIELD DAY!
The 2009 ARRL Field Day will be here before you
know it, so now is the time to grab your rig,
grab your friends, grab some grub and get ready
to get outside June 27-28
<http://www.arrl.org/fieldday>. If you haven't
yet started planning for this year's Field Day,
it's not too late -- Field Day packets are
available for download from the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/fd-2009-packet.pdf>.
ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND,
reminds clubs and groups that the deadline to
order exhibit kits and ham radio recruitment
handouts is drawing near. "We need to have all
orders for kits and brochures no later than
Wednesday, June 17. If we have your order by
then, we will be able to package your order and
get it to you in time for Field Day. Any orders
received after June 17 will be fulfilled and they
might make it to recipients before Field Day," he
explained. Exhibit kits can be ordered online at
no cost; there is a small shipping and handling
fee <http://www.arrl.org/brochures/>.
If you are looking for a Field Day site to
attend, or are looking to publicize your Field
Day site, be sure to check out the Field Day Site
Locator
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php>.
For more information on this service, please
check out the Locator Site Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/06/03/10021/?nc=1>.
"More than 1000 Field Day sites have been
registered on the Locator, with more being added every day," Henderson said.
ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air
operating event in Amateur Radio. On the fourth
full weekend in June, tens of thousands of
Amateur Radio operators gather for a
demonstration of our service. Field Day is part
educational event, part operating event, part
public relations event -- and all about fun!
"We all became hams for our own reasons,"
Henderson said. "Some of us were interested in
public service and helping others in times of
need. Many discovered the hobby as an outlet to
their curiosity about electronics and
communications. Still others joined our ranks
because of the quest to meet new people and
expand their own personal bank of knowledge.
Whatever the reason you became an amateur, there
is one compelling thread that brought us all
together. It is as simple as can be: We became hams for the fun of the hobby!"
Henderson said that while Field Day serves a wide
array of interests and purposes, "there is no
greater 'fun-damental' goal for Field Day than to
have fun! While it encompasses a broad range of
Amateur Radio interests -- CW, Phone, Digital,
emergency preparedness, public service,
satellites, recruitment, antennas, new and
vintage equipment and so many more -- Field Day
is, above all else, a chance for us to have some fun with our hobby."
Henderson reminded hams that fun is where you
find it: "Some will discover the fun by operating
overnight, building up their club's total number
of QSOs. Others will never make a single Field
Day contact, but will derive their fun by helping
set up antennas and generators. The joy of
sharing your radio knowledge with a newcomer will
be fun for many old-timers, while other
old-timers will experience the 'Field Day high'
when they make their very first QSO using a new
digital mode or via one of the Amateur Radio
satellites. The camaraderie of the annual club
Field Day picnic or covered dish supper will be a
fun highlight for many, while still others will
find the joy in the hobby by simply being able to
spend a couple of hours from home on an otherwise
busy weekend, tuning the bands and making a few contacts."
If you want to be one of the best-dressed hams at
your Field Day event, be sure to pick up the 2009
ARRL Field Day T shirt, hat and pin
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=&words=field+day&SearchWords.x=0&SearchWords.y=0>.
Featuring a woodsy, outdoor scene, these items
are a great way to recognize your involvement in
the excitement and fun of this annual operating
event. ARRL is also offering Get On The Air
(GOTA) pins
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=8911>. It's a
great idea to have your GOTA station operators
wear these attractive pins. Pins from previous
Field Days are also available -- make your
collection complete with this year's pin.
According to ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, a new shipment of 2009 Field
Day T shirts has just arrived, so be sure to order yours today.
==> CHANGES COMING FOR ARRL NOVEMBER SWEEPSTAKES CONTEST LOG SUBMISSIONS
ARRL Sweepstakes Contest Manager Ken Adams, K5KA,
said he and the ARRL Contest Branch intend to
"dramatically reduce the timeframe for producing
results that are available to all ARRL
Sweepstakes participants." According to Adams,
the contesting community has requested that
results be made available more quickly.
Currently, Sweepstakes results are published six
months after the contest has taken place.
"To facilitate this request, we would like to
make the 2009 ARRL Sweepstakes final results
available on the Web in 60 days in the form of a
PDF file," he said. "If this effort proves
successful, we plan to shorten this window to 30
days in 2010. This PDF would simply be the scores
in each category -- full write-ups and detailed
analysis of the Sweepstakes contest would still
appear in QST and on the Web at a later time."
To meet this aggressive schedule, Adams said that
the log submission deadline will be reduced from
30 days to 15 days. For the 2009 Sweepstakes, the
deadline for CW Sweepstakes logs will be 0300 UTC
on Monday, November 23, 2009. The deadline for
the Phone Sweepstakes will be 0300 UTC on Monday, December 7, 2009.
"The number of non-Cabrillo logs received at ARRL
HQ must be reduced," Adams explained. "By
receiving logs 15 days earlier, we can begin the
log checking process that much faster, but we
will we need your help on the paper log issue. In
2008, the ARRL Contest Branch received more than
300 paper logs for the Sweepstakes contests.
These paper logs were converted to Cabrillo
format by a dedicated, yet small, group of
volunteers. This took several hundred person-hours of time."
Adams said that there are plans to contact as
many paper log submitters as possible and point
out resources they can use to generate Cabrillo
logs: "I am asking that every club have a special
project and meeting this year to insure that 100
percent of their members submit Cabrillo logs for
Sweepstakes. If you have club members who don't
have computers, please form your own volunteer
teams to convert their logs after the contest.
This would be a great excuse for a big
post-Sweepstakes club pizza party, combining data entry with club camaraderie."
While the ARRL will never turn away a paper log,
Adams said that the advantages of electronic log
submission are critical to the success of the
accelerated presentation of the Sweepstakes
results. "Numerous software contest loggers exist
for Windows and DOS, including the free packages
CT <http://www.k1ea.com/> and N1MM
<http://pages.cthome.net/n1mm/>," he said.
Entrants are also able to manually convert their
own paper logs to a Cabrillo log at the WA7BNM
Cabrillo Web site" <http://www.b4h.net/cabforms/arrlsscw_cab.php>.
"You, the members of the contesting community,
have requested faster turnaround of contest
results for some time," Adams said. "With every
contester's help, we can achieve this goal of
dramatically reducing the time between contest
and results. We have identified several other
areas we hope to improve in the future, such as
simplified Web access for Sweepstakes
information, historical log search capability,
easy access to FAQs, records and the like. We
will continue to work on those goals. Thank you
for your continued participation and help with
the ARRL November Sweepstakes, the greatest domestic contest out there."
==> ALABAMA HAMS ASSIST DURING STATEWIDE EMERGENCY DRILL
During the week of May 4-8, emergency responders
and support personnel gathered in Robertsdale,
Alabama for a communications interoperability
training and full-scale exercise, sponsored by
the Alabama Department of Homeland Security
(ADHS)
<http://www.homelandsecurity.alabama.gov/>.
Gathering in a field near the Baldwin County
Emergency Operations Center, responders came
together to test the quality and effectiveness of
communications between various State agencies and
support personnel. The exercise simulated a
Category 5 hurricane that entered Mobile Bay,
causing damage throughout the state.
According to ARRL Alabama Section Manager Jay
Isbell, KA4KUN, the Alabama DHS has come to
recognize the role that Amateur Radio operators
play in emergencies and natural disasters; based
on this, the Alabama DHS chose to include Amateur
Radio in the exercise. "During Hurricane Katrina,
Amateur Radio volunteers played a key part in
making sure that communications between agency
personnel continued uninterrupted and the public
received the help and the timely response needed
in this type of catastrophic event," Isbell
explained. ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) operators from SEMA Region 1 and other
regions throughout Alabama were on site to support communications.
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency, the
Alabama National Guard, the Alabama Department of
Public Safety, Region IV of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) <http://www.fema.org/>,
Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Virtual
Alabama, Alabama Civil Air Patrol, local
sheriffs' office, as well as eight Alabama
Regional Communication vehicles also participated in the exercise.
ARRL Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt,
W4OZK, together with Alabama Region 1 District
Emergency Coordinator Patti Link, KI4JEO, worked
diligently with both amateur volunteers and
professional partner agencies to coordinate and
facilitate the role of Amateur Radio during the
exercise. According to Isbell, Sarratt was the
liaison at the Incident Command Point, while Link
-- working in the Baldwin County EOC --
coordinated amateurs throughout the area,
dispatching them with Alabama DHS Regional
Communication vehicles and to other locations in
the nine-county affected area. Isbell was
dispatched to a mock reception center site 60
miles north of the incident, and Section
Emergency Coordinator Les Rayburn, N1LF, manned
the radio at the State Emergency Operations Center.
"Since the major hurricanes of recent years, the
State of Alabama and the Southeast Region of FEMA
have really accepted Amateur Radio as a prime
player in any major disaster," Isbell told the
ARRL. "SEC Les Rayburn has grown Alabama ARES
from several independent groups into a
well-organized first responder team. Amateur
Radio is being accepted as a critical tool during
times that the daily manpower and technical
resources are stretched beyond their design."
Sarratt said that the Amateur Radio participants
learned a lot during the week-long exercise:
"This was a good test of the ARES processes and
improvements in a full-scale exercise with other
agencies since Katrina. Everyone shared and
learned about each other's communications
capabilities. The relationships built and lessons
learned here are invaluable to the Amateur Radio Service."
==> LOOK FOR THE JULY ISSUE OF QST IN YOUR MAILBOX
The July issue of QST is jam-packed with the news
and information today's Amateur Radio operator
needs. From product reviews to experiments to
contesting, the upcoming issue of QST has something for just about everyone.
Al Yerger, WA2EHI, shows you how to take
advantage of the multiple leads on a parallel
port to control all of your remote operations in
his article "A Parallel Port Interface for Your
Shack." Follow Richard Kriss, AA6VU, as he solves
a pesky TVI problem at his home in Texas. ARRL
News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, along with
QST Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, give
their take on the sights, sounds and smells -- as
well as the new radio gear -- of the 2009 Dayton
Hamvention in "Dayton DREAM Believer: The 2009
ARRL National Convention and Dayton Hamvention."
ARRL Technical Relations Manager Brennan Price,
N4QX, reviews Yaesu's VX-8R handheld transceiver.
According to Price, "Yaesu incorporates GPS and
APRS capabilities into its new top-of-the-line,
feature-packed handheld." ARRL Chief Executive
Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, reviews Array
Solution's QSK-MASTER external QSK TR switch for
HF amplifiers. Sumner said that the QSK-MASTER
"offers owners of older RF power amplifiers a way
to add flawless full break-in (QSK) operation without equipment modification."
If it's July, it must be time for the IARU HF
World Championships
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/iaru.html>.
This is a great opportunity to contact many
stations all over the world, especially the
headquarters station of IARU Member Societies,
including W1AW. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean
Kutzko, KX9X, takes a look multipliers -- what
are they, why are they important and how do they
work -- in "This Month in Contesting." The
results of the 2008 ARRL 10 Meter Contest, the
2009 ARRL RTTY Roundup and the 2009 ARRL January
VHF Sweepstakes are in. Did you top your score
from last year? How did your closest rival do?
Also, find out about upcoming contests in Contest Corral.
Of course, there are the usual columns you know
and expect in July QST: Hints & Kinks, The Doctor
Is IN, How's DX, Vintage Radio, Field
Organization Reports, Hamspeak and more. Look for
your July issue in your mailbox. QST is the
official journal of ARRL, the national
association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of
the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or
renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL
Web page <http://www.arrl.org/join>.
==> JOIN THE FUN IN THE ARRL VHF QSO PARTY THIS WEEKEND
VHF enthusiasts will be generating lots of RF on
6 meters and up this weekend (June 13-15 UTC)
during the 2009 ARRL VHF QSO Party
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/june-vhf.html>.
While many amateurs think of the VHF+ bands as a
"local" band used primarily for public service,
emergency communications or fun on FM repeaters,
weak-signal VHF+ enthusiasts know better.
According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean
Kutzko, KX9X, even hams who have a modest station
can work hundreds -- or even thousands -- of
miles on the VHF bands during a good opening.
Kutzko is a big VHF enthusiast: "In my more than
25 years of Amateur Radio, weak-signal work on 6
and 2 meters remains the most fun and intriguing
activity I do. There is nothing like a good VHF
opening; with interesting propagation
characteristics like sporadic-E, tropospheric
ducting, aurora and even meteor scatter and
moonbounce, VHF offers QSO opportunities that HF can never satisfy."
Kutzko said this weekend is a great time to try 6
or 2 meters. "The June VHF QSO Party occurs at
the beginning of the summer sporadic-E season,
and can produce strong openings on 6 meters and
in some cases up to 2 meters," he said. There
have been moderate openings on 6 meters in some
part of the United States almost nightly for the
last two weeks, and southern California enjoyed a
brief sporadic-E opening on 2 meters into Texas
this past Tuesday evening, over an average path
of 1100 miles. "That's fun any way you slice it,"
Kutzko said. "Because of the contest, many
stations will be on. This, coupled with the
interesting propagation possibilities, makes for a great weekend."
Getting on the VHF bands is easy, he said. While
there will be some contest activity on FM simplex
(especially near large population centers), most
long-distance VHF+ QSOs are conducted on CW or
SSB; that means horizontally polarized antennas.
You will also need a radio that can transmit in
those modes. Most of the newer HF transceivers
have 6 meters built in, and several come with 2
meters and 70 cm, too. "A dipole on 6 meters will
work quite well during a decent opening," Kutzko
said. "They're easy to make and less than 10 feet
long. Throw it up in a tree as high as you can
and you'll be in business. For 2 meters and 70
cm, a horizontal loop will work nicely for SSB
and CW contacts." You can find plans for simple
VHF antennas at the Technical Information Service
area of the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/other-v.html>, in
the Antennas chapter of the ARRL Handbook, or in
the VHF and UHF Antenna Systems chapter of the ARRL Antenna Book.
Because VHF antennas are generally smaller than
their HF counterparts, portable operation is
easy. "You can operate from your favorite
hilltop, camp site or any location with high
terrain and make many QSOs," Kutzko said. All you
need to know is the Maidenhead grid square of
your operating location; this is the contest
exchange. Find your Maidenhead grid square here
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/grid.html>.
For SSB QSOs on 6 meters, tune between
50.100-50.200 MHz; 50.125 is the W/VE calling
frequency, so listen there for band openings. If
the band starts to open up, move off the calling
frequency and start working folks! Keep in mind
that 50.100-50.125 is reserved for
intercontinental QSOs, so don't transmit there
unless you are trying to work DX. For the CW
operators, you will find CW between 50.080-50.100
MHz. Activity on 2 meters will center around the
calling frequency of 144.200. Again, monitor the
calling frequency for band openings, but move off
when activity starts to pick up. Kutzko advises
that most activity on 2 meter SSB/CW will be
found between 144.170-144.230 MHz, while 70 cm
activity will center around 432.100 MHz.
"This weekend promises to be a tremendous amount
of fun on the VHF and UHF bands so don't miss
out!" Kutzko said. "All amateurs -- from
Technicians to Extras, experienced VHF operators
to the first-time VHF dabblers -- are welcome to
participate." The ARRL June VHF QSO Party runs
this weekend from 1800 UTC Saturday until 0300
UTC Monday (Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening
for most of the US and Canada). Complete rules
and entry forms may be found here. All logs must
be e-mailed <JuneVHF at arrl.org> or postmarked no
later than 0300 UTC Wednesday, July 15. If you
have any questions about the ARRL June VHF QSO
Party or any other ARRL contest, please contact
the Contest Branch via e-mail <contest at arrl.org>.
==> NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER PREDICTS "NEAR-NORMAL" HURRICANE SEASON
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center
(NHC) are calling for a "near-normal" Atlantic
hurricane season this year. In its initial
outlook for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season --
which runs from June 1-November 30 -- the
National Weather Service's Climate Prediction
Center (CPC) <http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/> is
calling for a 50 percent probability of a
near-normal season, a 25 percent probability of
an above-normal season and a 25 percent
probability of a below-normal season. According
to the CPC, global weather patterns are imposing
a greater uncertainty in the 2009 hurricane
season outlook than in recent years.
Forecasters say there is a 70 percent chance of
having nine to 14 named storms, of which four to
seven could become hurricanes, including one to
three major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5).
Tropical systems acquire a name -- the first for
2009 will be Ana -- upon reaching tropical storm
strength with sustained winds of at least 39 MPH.
Tropical storms become hurricanes when winds
reach 74 MPH and become major hurricanes when
winds increase to 111 MPH. An average season has
11 named storms, including six hurricanes with two becoming major hurricanes.
"This outlook is a guide to the overall expected
seasonal activity. However, the outlook is not
just about the numbers, it's also about taking
action," said Dr Gerry Bell, lead seasonal
hurricane forecaster at the CPC. "Prepare for
each and every season regardless of the seasonal
outlook. Even a near- or below-normal season can
produce landfalling hurricanes, and it only takes
one landfalling storm to make it a bad season."
Rick Palm, K1CE, editor of the ARRL's ARES
E-Letter
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/>,
warns that now is the time for ARES members to
assess their portfolio of communications
equipment and disaster response knowledge. Palm
gives several tips for amateurs involved with hurricane operations:
Monitor major HF hurricane networks during events
this season. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on
14.325 MHz is one of several key players
<http://www.hwn.org/>. It serves either the
Atlantic or Pacific during a watch or warning
period and coordinates with the National
Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>. Frequent, detailed
information is issued on nets when storms pose a
threat to the US mainland. In addition to
hurricane spotting, local communicators may
announce that residents have evacuated from
low-lying flood areas. Other amateurs across the
country can help by relaying information, keeping
the net frequency clear and by listening. See the
HWN's Web site for more information. The net
works closely with the hams at the NHC's Amateur
Radio station WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.com/>.
The SATERN Net (Salvation Army Team Emergency
Radio Network) <http://www.satern.org/> provides
emergency communication support to the Salvation
Army and populations at large. They also handle
health-and-welfare traffic. SATERN holds high
profile nets on 20 meters (14.265 MHz) during
major hurricanes and has a long history of
excellence, discipline and service. Refer to the
SATERN Web site for more information.
The Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN)
<http://www.mmsn.org/> meets on 14.300 MHz and is
composed of hams who serve and assist those in
need of communications on the high seas.
According to its Web site, the primary purpose of
the net is for handling traffic from maritime
mobile stations. The network is recognized by the
United States Coast Guard and has an excellent
working relationship with that agency. The MMSN
has handled hundreds of incidents involving
vessels in distress and medical emergencies in
remote locations, as well as passing health and
welfare traffic in and out of affected areas.
They also work closely with the NWS and NHC by
relaying weather reports from maritime stations.
The VoIP SKYWARN and Hurricane Net
<http://www.voipwx.net/> operates by combining
both the EchoLink and IRLP linked repeater
networks, while handling critical wide area
communications during major severe weather and
tropical events. These operations have gained
national stature in recent years, making the Net
a critical partner with WX4NHC. Whenever tropical
weather is posing a threat to the US mainland and
certain other areas of interest, the VoIP WX net
will be fully operational. See the VoIP SKYWARN
and Hurricane Net Web site for more information.
Palm said that during hurricane events, there are
usually two or three regional nets (usually on 40
or 20 meters) that spring to prominence as major
key assets to the disaster response on an ad hoc
basis. "Watch for these nets, as well as the
nationally recognized networks described above,
this season. Don't transmit on their frequencies
unless you are absolutely sure you have something
substantive to add, and then only under the
direction of the net control station," Palm advised.
ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager
Dennis Dura, K2DCD, added that when ARES
activates in response to any tropical event, it
is crucial that information flows up through the
Section and is reported to Headquarters. "These
reports allow us to develop the situational
awareness and disaster intelligence that is
required for us as an organization to support the
Sections that are impacted" he explained. "In
this way, we are able to respond to relevant
requests from the media and finally to coordinate
with the governmental and non-governmental
organizations. This information also allows us to
make the decision at Headquarters on whether to
stand up our Incident Management Team to support
and coordinate the operations."
If you are interested in Emergency
Communications, please be sure to check out the
monthly ARES E-Letter
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/>. You
can elect to receive this newsletter free of
charge via e-mail by going to the Member Data
Page on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>.
==> QEX: THE JULY/AUGUST 2009 ISSUE
The July/August issue of QEX is coming soon, and
it is full of theoretical and practical technical
articles and columns that you won't want to miss <http://www.arrl.org/qex>.
In this issue, Gary Steinbaugh, AF8L, presents
Part 3 of "A Cybernetic Sinusoidal Synthesizer."
This installment describes some limitations of
proportional control systems and explains the
advantages of adding integration and
differentiation steps to proportional
controllers. Steinbaugh also describes the
construction of the RF power meter circuit used in the project
John Magliacane, KD2BD, and Bill Walker, W5GFE,
describe "SPLAT!: An RF Signal Propagation and
Terrain Analysis Tool." In addition to VHF/UHF
line-of-sight paths, this program includes the
Longley-Rice propagation model to predict path
loss across irregular terrain. A Web interface
provides a convenient way to use the extensive
geographic terrain database in the calculations.
Rudy Severns, N6LF, presents more of his research
in "Experimental Determination of Ground System
Performance for HF Verticals." Part 5 focuses on
the effects of different numbers of radials on
received signal strength for 160 meter vertical antennas.
Tom Warnagiris, K3GSY, introduces the Tapered
Area Small Helix (TASH) antenna in "The Chicken
Wire Wonder." Chances are, this unique broadband
vertical antenna does not look like any antenna
you have ever seen! An 80 meter version is 14
feet high and covers an area of about 4 × 5 feet
on the ground. Maynard Wright, W6PAP, provides
information on several "Alternatives to Octave"
for various electronics calculations. ARRL
Technical Advisor Robert J. Zavrel Jr, W7SX,
presents the case for "Maximizing Radiation
Resistance in Vertical Antennas" to increase the efficiency of our antennas.
John S. (Jack) Belrose, VE2CV, another ARRL
Technical Advisor, presents a brief discussion
"On Elevated Radials" after reading earlier
installments of Rudy Severns' series about his
experiments with HF vertical antenna radial
systems. Ray Mack, W5IFS, continues his software
defined radio column. In this installment of
"SDR: Simplified," he builds an SDR that will
tune a single AM broadcast band station.
Would you like to write for QEX? It pays
$50/printed page. Get more information and an
Author's Guide <http://www.arrl.org/qex/#aguide>.
If you prefer postal mail, send a business-size
self-addressed, stamped envelope to QEX Author's
Guide, c/o Maty Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111-1494. QEX is edited by Larry
Wolfgang, WR1B <lwolfgang at arrl.org>, and is
published bimonthly. The subscription rate (6
issues) for ARRL members in the US is $24. For
First Class US delivery, it's $37; in Canada and
internationally by airmail it's $31. Nonmembers
add $12 to these rates. Subscribe to QEX today.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "Rejoicing in the Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week
reports: Sunspot numbers from May 31-June 5
ranged from 13 to 23, then the Sun was blank for
two days, followed by sunspot numbers of 12 for
both June 8 and 9. This fleeting sunspot was
number 1020, and like last week's spot, 1020 had
the magnetic signature of a new Solar Cycle 24
spot. Alas, it was another of the frequent
sunspots we've seen lately that appear briefly,
and then vanish. The last Solar Cycle 23 spot was
number 1016 that appeared April 29-30. Sunspot
numbers for June 4-10 were 17, 13, 0, 0, 12, 12
and 0 with a mean of 7.7. The 10.7 cm flux was
71, 70.1, 69, 68.9, 69, 69.1 and 69.2 with a mean
of 69.5. The estimated planetary A indices were
6, 6, 5, 6, 4, 3 and 5 with a mean of 5. The
estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 5, 2, 3,
2, 2 and 2 with a mean of 3. For this week,
geomagnetic conditions should remain very quiet.
Solar flux is estimated to be about 68, rising
above 70 June 24-July 1. For more informati
on concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety,
check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. This week's
"Tad Cookism" brought to you by Christina
Rossetti's "A Summer Wish" <http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/15719/>.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This Week on the Radio: This week is the ARRL
June VHF QSO Party on June 13-15. The
Asia-Pacific Sprint is June 13. The GACW WWSA CW
DX Contest and the ANARTS WW RTTY Contest are
June 13-14. Next week, look for the ARRL Kids Day
Contest on June 20. The NCCC Sprint Ladder and
the Digital Pentathlon are June 19. The Feld Hell
Sprint and the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest are June 20.
One June 20-21, look for the West Virginia QSO
Party and the All Asian DX Contest (CW). The Run
for the Bacon QRP Contest is June 22 and the SKCC
Sprint is June 24. All dates, unless otherwise
stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest
Update <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>
for more info. Looking for a Special Event
station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special
Event Station Web page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.
* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday, June
28, 2009, for these online course sessions
beginning on Friday, July 10, 2009: Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna
Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna
Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician)
License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics,
and Digital Electronics. Each online course has
been developed in segments -- learning units with
objectives, informative text, student activities
and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some
include direct communications with a
Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a
particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks
(depending on the course) and they may access the
course at any time of day during the course
period, completing lessons and activities at
times convenient for their personal schedule.
Mentors assist students by answering questions,
reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing
helpful feedback. Interaction with mentors is
conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed
time the student must be present -- allowing
complete flexibility for the student to work when
and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit
the CCE Course Listing page
<http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact the
Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.
* Two New Co-sponsors Pledge Support for HR 2160:
Earlier this week, HR 2160 -- The Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009
-- gained two new Congressional co-sponsors:
Republican Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) and Democrat
Bart Gordon (TN-6). Originally sponsored by
Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, a Democrat
representing Texas' 18th District, HR 2160 is
also sponsored by Madeleine Bordallo (Guam),
Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15),
Zoe Lofgren (CA-16), Blaine Luetkemeyer, (MO-9)
and Bennie Thompson (MS-02). Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/12/10818>
for information on how to encourage your
Congressional representative to sponsor HR 2160
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2160ih.txt.pdf>.
* Don Tunstill, W4NO (SK): Don Tunstill, W4NO,
founder of the Central America VEC, passed away
at his home in Huntsville, Alabama on Monday,
June 9. He was 69. Tunstill, an ARRL Life Member,
was a charter member of Huntsville Amateur Radio
Club and served as president of Huntsville
Hamfest <http://www.hamfest.org/> for more than
30 years. With the FCC, Tunstill assisted with
the formulation and implementation of the
Volunteer Examiner Coordinator program and the
vanity call sign system. He founded the Central
America VEC, one of the first VE programs in the
state of Alabama. A memorial service is planned
for 10 AM on June 13 at Berryhill Funeral Home in Huntsville.
* Central States VHF Society Seeks Presentations
for Annual Conference: The Central States VHF
Society (CSVHFS) <http://www.csvhfs.org/> is
soliciting presentations and poster displays for
their 43rd Annual Conference this summer -- July
23-26 -- at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village,
Illinois
<http://www.csvhfs.org/conference/index.html>.
Possible presentation topics on all aspects of
weak-signal VHF and above include, but are not
limited to, antennas (modeling, design, arrays
and control), equipment construction,
propagation, test gear, regulatory issues,
operating, digital signal processing and
software-defined radio. The submission deadline
for presentations and poster displays is June 29;
bring posters for display with you to the
conference. For more information, visit the
CSVHFS 2009 conference Web page
<http://www.csvhfs.org/conference/index.html> or
contact Kermit Carlson, W9XA <w9xa at yahoo.com>.
* From the DXCC Desk: According to ARRL DXCC
Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, questions have been
coming into DXCC regarding the status of 5N/LZ1QK
in Nigeria. "DXCC is currently working with his
QSL manager to resolve the status of this
operation," Moore said. "At this time, DXCC
accreditation is on hold pending the outcome of the review."
===========================================================
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