[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for July 8, 2010

Thu Jul 8 20:47:13 EDT 2010

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July 8, 2010
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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Archive<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>Audio 
News<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2010-07-08&t=t>

    * + Can I Have Amateur Radio for $1000, 
Alex?: Young Amateur Makes Her Mark on Jeopardy!
    * + On the Air : ARRL's 500 kHz Experiment Shows Slight Growth
    * + ARRL Now on Facebook!
    * + Coming Up in QST : Check out the August Issue of QST
    * + Solar Update
    * + Silent Key : Former ARRL Staffer Mike Kaczynski, W1OD (SK)
    * This Week on the Radio
    * ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

+ Available on <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>ARRL Audio News
+ Can I Have Amateur Radio for $1000, Alex?: 
Young Amateur Makes Her Mark on Jeopardy!

Thirteen year old Andrea Salt, KE7OPV, of 
Gilbert, Arizona, was a contestant on the highly 
popular television game show Jeopardy! earlier 
this week. [Screenshot from Sony Pictures]

For hams who are fans of the television quiz show 
Jeopardy! -- where contestants have to answer in 
the form of a question -- the July 6 show was a 
real treat: Andrea Salt, KE7OPV, of Gilbert, 
Arizona, was a contestant. But what makes 
Andrea's time on Jeopardy even more special is 
that she is only 13. All this week, Jeopardy! is 
hosting their annual Kids' Week. To be eligible 
to participate in Kids' Week, all contestants 
must be between the ages of 10-13 and pass an 
online test consisting of 30 questions. The 
questions cover a variety of categories and the 
kids must answer each question within 20 seconds. 
And yes, spelling does count! Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/can-i-amateur-radio-for-1000-alex-young-amateur-makes-her-mark-on-jeopardy>here.
+ On the Air: ARRL's 500 kHz Experiment Shows Slight Growth

Locations and status of the 500 kHz experimental 
stations in the United States. Click 
<http://www.arrl.org/images/view/News/WD2XSH_Map0310-0510.JPG>here 
for a larger image.

In the quarterly report for the ARRL's 500 kHz 
Experimental Station for the period ending May 
2010, Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, 
reported that since the experiment began in late 
2006, 20 of the 32 participating stations are 
currently active. The FCC's Office of Engineering 
and Technology granted the WD2XSH experimental 
license to the ARRL in September of that year. 
"Our present license grant expires on August 1," 
Raab said. "We are planning to do an 'as-is' 
renewal this month." Raab said that during the 
quarter, one additional QSO was made, bringing 
the total number of WD2XSH contacts to 405. The 
WD2XSH Web site has received 511 reports since 
the end of February, bringing the total number of 
reports to 11,234 since the beginning of the 
issuance of the experimental license. Raab said 
more than 60,000 hours of activity has been 
logged on the Web site since September 2006. 
Stations do not have to be members of the 
experimental team to post reception reports. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-s-500-khz-experiment-shows-small-growth>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-07-08&p=0>
+ ARRL Now on Facebook!

With more than 400 million active users, 
<http://www.facebook.com/>Facebook is the most 
popular social network site on the Internet. And 
since radio amateurs are generally a social 
bunch, many hams are active on Facebook. Thanks 
to Herman May, KE5HYW, the 
<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#%21/pages/ARRL-the-National-Association-for-Amateur-Radio/20069212407?ref=ts>ARRL 
has its own Facebook page. Check out the page to 
see a lot of features you won't find anywhere 
else, such as pictures from ARRL events and 
interactive status updates. We invite hams to 
"like" the ARRL Facebook page and leave 
productive comments. Joining Facebook is free, 
and you just might be surprised at who you'll find on the site.
+ Coming Up in QST : Check out the August Issue of QST

The August issue of QST is jam-packed with all 
sorts of things today's Amateur Radio operator 
needs. From product reviews to experiments to 
contesting -- including April's EME event from 
the Arecibo Observatory at the National 
Astronomical and Ionospheric Center in Puerto 
Rico -- the upcoming issue of QST has something for just about everyone.

One of the joys of Amateur Radio is building your 
own equipment; there's nothing like putting 
something on the air that you've built with your 
own two hands -- and a little solder and sweat. 
Not only is it fun, it's a good way to not spend 
a lot of money. In his article "Build a Two 
Finger Key," Burt VanderClute, N4ERM, explains 
how he put together an effective dual-lever 
paddle at practically no cost using only common 
household tools. In the television series Star 
Trek, Captain Kirk was always asking Scotty for 
more power (and Scotty usually replied that he 
was utilizing all the power available). Many hams 
like using power, too, but what if we got rid of 
some of that power? Phil Salas, AD5X, finds that 
sometimes throwing away power is better than 
trying to reduce it in his article "Simplify 
Transceiver to Amplifier Interfacing with an In-Line Attenuator."

Proving that you don't have to be a big gun with 
big antennas on a big lot to work top band, Greg 
Crossman, WE0D, shows it can be done. In his 
article "Earning 160 Meters WAS in 117 Days," 
Crossman relates how he was able to work all 50 
US states on topband from a lot with limited 
space in a community with antenna restrictions. 
QST<http://www.arrl.org/multimedia> Editor Steve 
Ford, WB8IMY, takes a look at how to make 
connections for your iPhone, iTouch, iPod and 
iPad in his monthly column "Eclectic Technology." 
This month, he builds on his April 2010 column 
that discussed Amateur Radio apps for these 
devices. Now he explains how to make the proper 
connections between your "iDevice" and your transceiver.

Click <http://www.arrl.org/multimedia>here to go 
to the QST multimedia page. Scroll down to the 
Product Review video and watch a preview of 
what's coming up in the August issue of QST.

QST Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, takes a 
look at accessories for the Elecraft K3 HF/VHF 
modular transceiver in this month's Product 
Review. "The K144XV internal 2 meter transverter, 
KDVR3 voice recorder and KAT3 internal automatic 
antenna tuner integrate seamlessly and add even 
more functionality to the versatile K3," he 
reports. Hallas also checked out a pair of Mirage 
2 meter amplifiers for use with the K3. "Either 
the Mirage B-310-G or the slightly larger 
B-2518-G can follow the K3 with its internal 
transverter and deliver 75 W PEP SSB with 
reasonable distortion," he said. "The smaller 
unit can also provide 100 W on CW or FM. The 
latter can do better with a transverter that can 
put out a bit more power, such as the external 
Elecraft XV144, delivering up to 110 W PEP on SSB 
and 160 W on CW or FM. The preamps will only help 
with the K3 if you have considerable line loss between amplifier and radio."

The results from February's ARRL DX CW Contest 
are also in the August issue. There were a few 
upsets, as well as some new records set in this 
ever-popular contest. Speaking of contests, you 
will also find official announcements for the 
2010 ARRL International EME Competition, the ARRL 
August Rookie Roundup, the ARRL 10 GHz and Up 
Contest and the 2010 ARRL September VHF QSO 
Party. You will also find the results from the 
2010 ARRL Photo Contest spread out over three pages in the August QST.

Of course, there are the usual columns you know 
and expect in the August QST: Happenings, Hints & 
Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Vintage Radio, 
Hamspeak and more. Look for your August issue of 
QST 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 
<https://www.arrl.org/join-arrl-renew-membership/>ARRL 
Web page.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-07-08&p=1>
+ Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, July 8, 2010 from 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>NASA's 
SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This 
image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright 
material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.

Tad 
"<http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Byron/charold2.html>Till 
the broad Sun withdraws his lessening ray" Cook, 
K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot numbers 
for this week rose from 11.7 to 16, back to the 
level that we saw two weeks ago. The geomagnetic 
indices have quieted down, with average 
mid-latitude A index dropping more than five 
points from the previous week. The latest 
NOAA/USAF forecast shows a rising solar flux for 
July 8-10 of 74, 75 and 76 and then 78 for July 
11. This is accompanied by a low planetary A 
index of 5 on July 8, 8 on July 9, followed by 5 
for July 10-13 and then 8, 15, 8 and 5 for July 
14-17. Look for more information, including some 
6 meter double-hop sporadic-E reports, on the 
ARRL Web site on Friday, July 9. For more 
information concerning radio propagation, visit 
the 
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>ARRL 
Technical Information Service Propagation page. 
This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by 
George Gordon, Lord Byron's 
<http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Byron/charoldt.html>Childe 
Harold's Pilgrimage 
(<http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Byron/charold2.html>Canto 
II, Verse XX).
+ Silent Key: Former ARRL Staffer Mike Kaczynski, W1OD (SK)

Former ARRL staffer Mike Kaczynski, W1OD, delighted in amateur astronomy.

Michael B. Kaczynski, W1OD, of Bristol 
Connecticut, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 
6, 2010 at Bristol Hospital. He was 51. An ARRL 
Life Member, Kaczynski worked at ARRL 
Headquarters from 1979-1987 starting off at the 
DXCC Desk, then becoming a Communications 
Assistant, Technical Information Specialist, Lab 
Technician and eventually an Assistant Technical 
Editor and Contest Manager; at the time of his 
death, he was employed at ESPN. While at the 
ARRL, he authored almost 50 articles in QST, 
including contest results and product reviews. He 
was also President of the Newington Amateur Radio 
League (<http://www.narl.net/>NARL) from 
1991-1992 and a member of the ARRL's 
<http://www.arrl.org/a-1-op>A-1 Operator Club. 
Kaczynski enjoyed and was a member of many 
organizations related to bowling, sport shooting, 
model airplanes, astronomy and geocaching. He 
also held a private pilot's license. Funeral 
services will be held on Saturday, July 10 at 
10:30 AM at Funk Funeral Home in Bristol, 
followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St 
Stanislaus Church. Relatives and friends may call 
at the funeral home on Friday between 4-8 PM. In 
lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made 
to the Kaczynski Scholarship Fund, c/o St 
Stanislaus Church, 510 West St, Bristol, CT 06010 
or to Special Olympics, 2666 State St, Suite 1, 
Hamden, CT 06517-2232. Kaczynski's family has set 
up a 
<http://www.funkfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Michael-B.-Kaczynski1811410971/>memorial 
Web site where friends may leave 
condolences.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-07-08&p=2>
This Week on the Radio

This week, the FISTS Summer Sprint is July 10 and 
the IARU HF World Championship is July 10-11. 
Next week, North American QSO Party (RTTY), the 
DMC RTTY Contest and the CQ Worldwide VHF Contest 
are July 17-18. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest 
is July 19. All dates, unless otherwise stated, 
are UTC. See the 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests>ARRL Contest Branch 
page, the 
<http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update>ARRL 
Contest Update and the 
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>WA7BNM 
Contest Calendar for more info. Looking for a 
Special Event station? Be sure to check out the 
<http://www.arrl.org/special-events>ARRL Special Event Station Web page.
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

Registration remains open through Sunday, July 
25, 2010, for these 
<http://www.arrl.org/online-course-registration>online 
course sessions beginning on Friday, August 6, 
2010: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications 
Level 1. To learn more, visit the 
<http://www.arrl.org/online-courses>CEP Course 
Listing page or contact the 
<mailto:cep at arrl.org>Continuing Education Program 
Coordinator<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2010-07-08&t=r&p=0>.

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