[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for October 14, 2010

Thu Oct 14 18:11:55 EDT 2010

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October 14, 2010
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * + Public Service : Amateur Radio Operators 
Provide Communications Support During Chilean Mine Rescue
    * + DXCC News : Four New Entities Placed on DXCC List
    * + International Spotlight : ARRL Marks 27th 
Year of Hosting USTTI Amateur Radio Administration Course
    * International Spotlight : Dr Hamadoun 
TourÃ©, HB9EHT, Re-elected ITU Secretary-General
    * + ARRL VEC Links Up with South Pole to Administer Technician Exams
    * Fifth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction Begins Next Week
    * + On the Air : Jamboree on the Air
    * + On the Air : ARRL's Logbook of The World: 
300 Million QSOs -- And Counting!
    * + Club News : IRS Offers Tools for Small 
Organizations in Danger of Losing Tax Exempt Status
    * + Solar Update
    * This Week on the Radio

+ Available on <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>ARRL Audio News
+ Public Service: Amateur Radio Operators Provide 
Communications Support During Chilean Mine Rescue

Chilean president Sebastian PiÃ±era (right) hugs 
Luis Urzua, the last miner out of the rescue hole 
at the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile on 
October 13, 2010. [Photo courtesy of Hugo Infante/Government of Chile]

As the last of the 33 miners who were trapped 
2300 feet deep inside the San JosÃ© Mine -- 
located about 27 miles from the Chilean town of 
CopiapÃ³ in the Atacama Desert -- rose to the 
surface at 0055 UTC on October 14, the world 
cheered in unison. The miners, who were 
underground for 69 days -- the longest time ever 
for miners to be trapped and survive -- all 
emerged relatively healthy. Amateurs with the 
Radio Club CopiapÃ³, CE1CPI, provided 
communication support between the authorities and 
emergency equipment operators inside the San Jose 
Mine complex, as well as with family of the 
trapped miners in the complex and authorities in 
CopiapÃ³. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-operators-provide-communications-support-during-chilean-mine-rescue>here.
+ DXCC News: Four New Entities Placed on DXCC List

With the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles 
on October 10, two now-deleted DXCC entities are 
now four new DXCC entities, effective October 10, 
2010. The island pair of Bonaire and CuraÃ§ao 
(PJ2 and PJ4, the Leeward Islands) and the 
three-island group of Sint Maarten, Saba and St 
Eustatius (PJ5, PJ6 and PJ7, the Windward 
Islands) have been deleted from the DXCC list of 
active entities and replaced with four new 
entities. Not since the aftermath of World War II 
-- with so many new European entities -- and the 
break-up of the French colonies in Africa in the 
early 1960s -- have so many new DXCC entities come into existence all at once.

On October 10, the US Department of State 
recognized the dissolution of the Netherlands 
Antilles, placing the new entities on its 
Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty 
List, saying that "CuraÃ§ao and Sint Maarten (the 
Dutch two-fifths of the island of Saint Martin) 
became autonomous territories of the Kingdom of 
the Netherlands. Bonaire, Saba, and St Eustatius 
now fall under the direct administration of the Netherlands."

According to the 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/DXCC%20Rules.pdf>DXCC 
rules, entities may be added or removed from the 
<http://www.arrl.org/country-lists-prefixes>DXCC 
List as a result of political or geographic 
change. These new entities qualified to be listed 
on the DXCC List under Section 2, Rule 1(b) of 
the DXCC rules: "The entity contains a permanent 
population, is administered by a local government 
and is located at least 800 km from its parent. 
To satisfy the 'permanent population' and 
'administered by a local government' criteria of 
this sub-section, an Entity must be listed on 
either (a) the US Department of State's list of 
'Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty' 
as having a local 'Administrative Center,' or (b) 
the United Nations list of 'Non-Self-Governing Territories.'"

The PJ2T station, located at Signal Point, 
CuraÃ§ao. [Photo courtesy of the PJ2T Team]

With so many DXCC entities all coming into being 
at the same time, many amateurs made their way to 
CuraÃ§ao (PJ2T, PJ2/OH1VR, PJ2/PB2T, PJ2A and 
PJ2MI), Sint Maarten (PJ7E, PJ7MF), Bonaire 
(PJ4B, PJ4D, PJ4I, PJ4LS and PJ4W), Saba (PJ6A) 
and St Eustatius (PJ5/AA4NC, PJ5/AH6HY and 
PJ5/K1XM) to put these new ones on the air. 
Beginning at 0400 UTC on October 10, the airwaves 
were filled with those looking to snag these new 
entities; just days after the entities became 
"live," stations on the islands had made more than 15,000 QSOs on SSB and CW.

Per the ARRL DXCC Desk, no confirmations for 
these new entities will be accepted until after 
January 1, 2011; other administrative changes 
will be announced as they are finalized. Look for 
more information on the ARRL Web site, in 
upcoming editions of The ARRL Letter and in the December 2010 issue of QST.
+ International Spotlight: ARRL Marks 27th Year 
of Hosting USTTI Amateur Radio Administration Course

The USTTI ARAC course, led by ARRL Chief 
Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX (left), 
brought six international students made their way 
to ARRL HQ for the four-day course. Executive 
Officer and Meeting Planner Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ 
(far right), coordinated the ARRL's participation 
with USTTI. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

Students from the Philippines, Ethiopia, Ghana, 
Brazil and Nigeria attended the United States 
Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) 
Amateur Radio Administration Course at ARRL 
Headquarters September 27-October 1. ARRL Chief 
Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, 
coordinated the session and led the course. ARRL 
Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer and 
Meeting Planner Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, 
coordinated ARRL's participation with USTTI. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-marks-27th-year-of-hosting-ustti-arac-course>here. 
<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-10-14&p=0>
International Spotlight: Dr Hamadoun TourÃ©, 
HB9EHT, Re-elected ITU Secretary-General

On October 7 during the morning session of the 
18th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference -- held in 
Guadalajara, Mexico -- Member States of the 
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 
re-elected Dr Hamadoun TourÃ©, HB9EHT, of Mali, 
as ITU Secretary-General. This will be his second 
four-year term. Dr TourÃ©, who ran unopposed, won 
the position with 151 votes, with 157 countries present and voting.

The next day, 
<http://www.itu.int/plenipotentiary/2010/elections/results/index.html#br>FranÃ§ois 
Rancy of France was elected as Director of the 
ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau (BR), capturing 
90 of 157 votes. The BR plays a key role in 
global communications, managing the distribution 
of international frequency spectrum and the 
allocation of satellite orbits. According to the 
ITU, Rancy will face several challenges, 
including WRC-12. The conference will tackle 
issues that include a review of the international 
framework for radiocommunication (including 
Amateur Radio), the identification of appropriate 
mechanisms to address what the ITU called "the 
so-called digital dividend of radio spectrum" 
freed up by the switch to digital TV and the 
identification of spectrum resources for 
maritime, aeronautical, meteorological and 
climatology. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/itu-secretary-general-deputy-secretary-general-elected-today-by-plenipotentiary-conference>here.
+ ARRL VEC Links Up with South Pole to Administer Technician Exams

Six men and two women took and passed their 
Technician exam at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole 
Station in via video link with the ARRL VEC In 
Newington. [Ernie Gray, W1MRQ, Photo]

While much of the United States was enjoying a 
beautiful autumn day on October 8, those who 
winter over at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole 
Station were experiencing a typical day for their 
clime, a day in the -70s (yes, you read that 
right -- 70 below 0 degrees Fahrenheit). But 
though the day was indeed frigid, six men and two 
women at Amundsen-Scott didn't feel the cold as 
they were too excited (and maybe just a touch 
nervous), knowing they were going to be part of 
the first Amateur Radio license exam session ever 
held at the South Pole. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-weather-outside-was-frightful-during-first-antarctic-ve-session>here.
Fifth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction Begins Next Week

The Fifth Annual 
<http://www.arrl.org/auction>ARRL On-Line Auction 
will be open for preview beginning at 10:15 AM 
(EDT) on Friday, October 15, and will open for 
bidding at 10 AM (EDT) on Wednesday, October 20. 
According to Business Services Manager and 
Auction Coordinator Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, there is a 
large assortment of ARRL Product Review items, 
donated new and vintage equipment, rare books, 
one-of-a-kind items and more. "If readers are 
interested in some great bargains and some great 
fun, you really need to check this out," she 
said. Jahnke also encouraged visitors to visit 
the site to preregister and scope out those 
"must-have" items. She expressed gratitude to the 
ARRL Business Partners and individual donors who 
have contributed items to this event. The 2010 
ARRL On-Line Auction runs through 11:59 PM (EDT) 
October 25, 2010.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-10-14&p=1>
+ On the Air: Jamboree on the Air

The 53rd Annual Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) will 
once agian provide an opportunity for Scouts to 
get on the air and get a taste of the fun and 
magic of radio. JOTA is an international scouting 
event organized by the World Scouting Bureau. 
While JOTA officially starts at 12 midnight local 
time Friday night/Saturday morning and goes until 
midnight Sunday local time, there will be plenty 
of stations on the air Friday evening. The 
official Scouting frequencies will be the center 
of operations. A listing of those frequencies, 
information about third party traffic 
restrictions and other details can be found on 
the ARRL Web site or on the World Scouting site. 
Each JOTA event provides an opportunity for a 
local club or Scout troop to get something 
started that can result in the beginning of a 
tradition of fun-filled activities. JOTA takes 
place starting Saturday at midnight local time, 
Saturday, October 16 and goes to 11.59 PM local 
time on Sunday, October 17. Some activity 
continues over from Friday to Monday to take 
advantage of long distance (DX) time differences 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/jamboree-on-the-air-coming-this-weekend-to-a-radio-near-you>here.
+ On the Air: ARRL's Logbook of The World: 300 Million QSOs -- And Counting!

Congratulations to Victor Morozov, RD3PQ, for 
submitting QSO number 300 million to the ARRL 
Logbook of The World (LoTW)! His QSO with Ivan 
Gombos, SV2/OM3CGN, on October 5, 2010 did the 
trick. To date, Morozov has submitted nearly 6300 
contacts to LoTW and will receive free DXCC and 
Worked All States awards for his well-placed log.

"We're very pleased with the high level of use 
and acceptance of LoTW from operators around the 
world," said ARRL Membership and Volunteer 
Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "January 2011 
marks the 10 year anniversary of the ARRL's 
announcement of the LoTW system. While it has 
taken longer than anyone expected to return to 
building-out the system, progress is being made. 
ARRL's programmers are working hard to improve 
usability and to add support for the VUCC award, 
and we have received valuable assistance from 
volunteers in the development of the system and 
software." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/logbook-of-the-world-300-million-qsos-and-counting>here.
+ Club News: IRS Offers Tools for Small 
Organizations in Danger of Losing Tax Exempt Status

Back in May, we told you that 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/many-radio-clubs-could-lose-tax-exempt-status-in-2010>the 
IRS could revoke the non-profit status of small 
organizations -- including Amateur Radio clubs -- 
that have failed to file annual returns or 
reports for three years. According to ARRL 
Southwestern Division Director Marty Woll, N6VI, 
many clubs have, at some time in the past, 
applied for tax-exempt status as charitable 
organizations under 
<http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html>Section 
501(c)(3), as civic leagues under 
<http://www.irs.gov/charities/nonprofits/article/0,,id=96178,00.html>Section 
501(c)(4) or as recreational clubs using 
<http://www.irs.gov/charities/nonprofits/article/0,,id=96189,00.html>Section 
501(c)(7): "Years ago, any club with gross 
receipts averaging less than $25,000 per year was 
not required to file annual returns with the IRS; 
however, after 2006, such clubs had to file a 
<http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=169250,00.html>Form 
990-N, a simple 'electronic postcard' with 
minimal information, by the 15th day of the fifth 
month after the close of each fiscal year. Some 
clubs may not have been aware of this new 
requirement or didn't bother to comply. Even 
those that filed in a prior year may have 
neglected to keep up with the required filings as 
officers changed from year to year." Now the IRS 
is making several tools available to these 
organizations to help them maintain their 
tax-exempt status. Check out 
<http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=227435,00.html>this 
page on the IRS Web site for links to a series of 
resources that clubs may find 
useful.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-10-14&p=2>
+ Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, October 14, 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.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7DGPYzAvg>For 
tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the Sun" Cook, 
K7RA, reports: Solar activity was down this week, 
although it is now gradually strengthening. The 
average daily sunspot numbers dropped nearly 16 
points to 11.7, and the average daily solar flux 
declined more than 5 points to 75.8. Over the 
next two weeks, the solar flux is expected to 
gradually increase to 80 on October 14-16, 82 on 
October 17-21, 80 on October 22-25 and 85 on 
October 26-29. The increase is expected from 
sunspot group 1112 -- emerging on October 9 -- 
and group 1113 that appeared on October 13, 
rotating over the Sun's eastern limb. The 
<http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/>STEREO mission 
shows a series of magnetically active areas on 
our Sun's far side, which should rotate into 
view. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be 
stable, with the planetary A index moving between 
5 and 8. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on 
October 14-15, 8 on October 16-17, 5 on October 
18-20, 8 on October 21-22, 5 on October 23, 8 on 
October 24-25 and 5 on October 26-29. Over the 
past week, the geomagnetically active day was 
Monday, October 11, when the planetary A index 
was 20 and the planetary K index went as high as 
5. Alaska's College A index was 49, based on a 
College K index as high as 7. This activity was 
pushed by a strong solar wind. Look for more 
information -- including a look at some methods 
for taking these numbers and predicting 
propagation for yourself from your location to 
any other worldwide location of interest, on any 
day or band -- on the ARRL Web site on Friday, 
October 15. 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" is brought to you by 
Paul McCartney's 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7DGPYzAvg>I'll Follow the Sun.
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * October 16 -- Iowa QSO Party; Feld Hell 
Sprint; Microwave Fall Sprint (local time)
    * October 16-17 -- New York QSO Party; JARTS 
WW RTTY Contest; ARCI Fall QSO Party; Worked All 
Germany Contest; PODXS 070 Club 160 Meter Great Pumpkin Sprint (local time)
    * October 17 -- Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW)
    * October 17-18 -- Illinois QSO Party; Run for the Bacon QRP Contest

Next week:
    * October 23 -- FOC QSO Party
    * October 23-24 -- Stew Perry Topband 
Challenge; 10-10 International Fall Contest (CW); 
W/VE Islands QSO Party; Araucaria VHF Contest; SYLRA Contest
    * October 27 -- SKCC Sprint

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 Events Station Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Division Conventions and Events
    * October 15-17, 2010 -- 
<http://www.pacificon.org/>ARRL Pacific Division 
Convention, San Ramon, California
    * May 20-22, 2011 -- 
<http://www.hamvention.org/>Dayton HamventionÂ® 
featuring ARRL EXPO, Trotwood, Ohio
    * June 10-11, 2011 -- ARRL National 
Convention and ARRL EXPO at the 
<http://www.hamcom.org/>ARRL West Gulf Division Convention, Plano, Texas

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