[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for October 21, 2010

Thu Oct 21 16:56:39 EDT 2010

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October 21, 2010
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * + IARU News : Information Exchange and 
Camaraderie Highlight IARU Region 2 Conference
    * + ARRL Executive Committee to Meet this Weekend
    * + Amateur Radio in Space : ARISSat-1 Tops 
Agenda at AMSAT-NA's Annual Meeting
    * Support ARRL : ARRL Annual On-Line Auction Now Open for Bidding
    * + Defending the Amateur Radio Spectrum: Everyone's Responsibility
    * + ARRL HQ News : Dewey Rykard, KI4RGD, 
Joins ARRL Staff as Instruction and Resource Coordinator
    * + Solar Update
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>ARRL Audio News
+ IARU News: Information Exchange and Camaraderie 
Highlight IARU Region 2 Conference

The 58 delegates and observers who gathered in 
Salinitas, Sonsonate, El Salvador for the 17th 
General Assembly of IARU Region 2 experienced a 
busy and enjoyable week. The conference began on 
October 4 and concluded on October 8. Twelve IARU 
Member-Societies in the Americas were represented 
in person, with another seven represented by 
proxy. President Kay Craigie, N3KN, served as the 
voting delegate for the ARRL and was assisted by 
International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, 
K0QB, and Executive Vice President David Sumner, 
K1ZZ. Observers from IARU Regions 1 and 3 and the 
International Secretariat were present to assist 
and to learn from the conferees. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/information-exchange-and-camaraderie-highlight-iaru-region-2-conference>here.
+ ARRL Executive Committee to Meet this Weekend

At its January 2010 meeting, the ARRL Board of 
Directors decided to make the agendas of Board 
and Executive Committee meetings available on the 
ARRL Web site. The agenda for the October 23 
meeting of the Executive Committee is 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-executive-committee-to-meet-in-st-louis-this-weekend>now 
available.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-10-21&p=0>
+ Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Tops Agenda at AMSAT-NA's Annual Meeting

This spaceframe and payload was one of several 
identical units produced by the ARISSat-1 
development team and was on display at the 2010 
AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting in 
Elk Grove, Illinois, October 8-10. A twin unit is 
scheduled to be manually released from the 
International Space Station in early 2011. [Brennan Price, N4QX, Photo]

The development and next year's scheduled launch 
of ARISSat-1 were the main topics of discussion 
at the 2010 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual 
Meeting, held October 8-10, 2010, in Elk Grove, 
Illinois. ARISSat-1 has been delivered to NASA to 
undergo final preparations for delivery to the 
International Space Station. ARISSat-1 is 
scheduled to be manually released into orbit 
during an ISS spacewalk early next year. The 
ARISSat-1 project began when 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/suitsat-2-now-called-arissat-1>plans 
for SuitSat-2 had to be shelved for lack of a 
space suit. The development team undertook the 
task of housing the payload planned for SuitSat-2 
in a more traditional housing adapted for manual 
deployment. A few units were developed to have on 
standby for future launch opportunities; one of 
these units was on display at the Symposium. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arissat-1-tops-agenda-at-amsat-na-s-annual-meeting>here.
Support ARRL: ARRL Annual On-Line Auction Now Open for Bidding

The Fifth Annual 
<http://www.arrl.org/auction>ARRL On-Line Auction 
opened for bidding at 10 AM (EDT) on Wednesday, 
October 20. According to Business Services 
Manager and ARRL On-Line 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. 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=2010-10-21&p=1>
+ Defending the Amateur Radio Spectrum: Everyone's Responsibility

The second edition of Spectrum Defense Matters -- 
a newsletter aimed at keeping ARRL members 
updated on issues related to the protection of 
Amateur Radio frequencies -- has just been 
released on the ARRL Web site. This newsletter 
covers both domestic and international topics 
related to the Amateur Radio spectrum. Your 
financial support is vital to continue the ARRL's 
work to protect your operating privileges. You 
can do this by 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form>contributing 
generously to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund.

"We are facing very real and immediate challenges 
[to the amateur spectrum]," said ARRL Chief 
Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "Over the 
past couple of months, we have addressed FCC 
spectrum management issues affecting our 430 MHz 
and 2.3 GHz bands, as well as interference from 
unlicensed stations operating in the lower part 
of 10 meters." But Sumner said that opportunities 
lurk among the challenges: "A possible new 
amateur band just below the AM broadcast band is 
on the agenda of the 2012 World 
Radiocommunication Conference. We face 
significant hurdles in getting what would be at 
best a secondary allocation, but we're working 
hard to persuade the radio services in this part 
of the spectrum that an amateur allocation is 
compatible with their future requirements. We 
recently gained crucial support [for this allocation] in the United States."

Sumner said that it takes what he called "a 
concerted global effort to protect Amateur 
Radio's access to the radio spectrum and guard 
against interference that reduces our ability to 
communicate." You can take an important step 
right now to support ARRL's commitment to 
defending the Amateur Radio Spectrum. According 
to ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, 
K1MMH, the ARRL is almost $194,000 shy of its 
Spectrum Defense Fund goal of raising $325,000 by the December 31 deadline.

"Please make a generous contribution to the 
Spectrum Defense Fund by mail, on the 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form>Web or by 
phone," she said. "Perhaps you'll consider a very 
easy way to contribute by pledging $10 or $20 or 
$100 a month. Your financial commitment, over and 
above your annual dues, will ensure that ARRL has 
the resources to represent you and protect your 
operating frequencies." To make a donation via 
mail, please send to Spectrum Defense Fund, ARRL, 
225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. To make a 
contribution over the phone, or to discuss other 
giving options, please call 860-594-0397. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/defending-the-amateur-radio-spectrum-everyone-s-responsibility>here.
+ ARRL HQ News: Dewey Rykard, KI4RGD, Joins ARRL 
Staff as Instruction and Resource Coordinator

ARRL Instruction and Resource Coordinator Dewey 
Rykard, KI4RGD [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

The ARRL is pleased to welcome Instruction and 
Resource Coordinator Dewey Rykard II, KI4RGD, to 
the Headquarters staff in Newington. Rykard, who 
will be working in the League's Education 
Services Department, will focus on developing and 
identifying resources for ARRL instructors. He 
also will play an integral role in the annual 
series of Teachers Institutes in Wireless 
Technology, sponsored by the ARRL and held every 
spring and summer around the country.

In his position at ARRL HQ, Rykard will be 
assisting Education Services Manager Debra 
Johnson, K1DMJ. His responsibilities will include 
reviewing and organizing resources needed by 
instructors, teachers and Scout leaders, 
developing lesson plans to be utilized by ARRL 
Registered Instructors and for the ARRL's Education & Technology
Program (ETP), providing guidance in the 
development of ARRL license study manuals and 
coordinating the ARRL's educational award 
program. In addition, Rykard will provide support 
for the ETP, participate in the Teachers 
Institute trainings, help to provide ongoing 
resource support for teachers and assist with 
administration of the ETP. You may meet him at 
the ARRL booth at conventions where he will 
represent ARRL Education Services programs. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/dewey-rykard-ki4rgd-joins-arrl-staff-as-instruction-and-resource-coordinator>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-10-21&p=2>
+ Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, October 20, 2010 
from 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>NASA's 
SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This 
<http://soi.stanford.edu/>MDI (Michelson Doppler 
Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the 
Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent 
features are the sunspots. This is very much how 
the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.

Tad 
"<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-2lMstw6qs>The 
Sun is up, the sky is blue; it's beautiful and so 
are you" Cook, K7RA, reports: The average sunspot 
numbers for the week were up nearly 44 points to 
55.6, but the average solar flux readings were 
unchanged, at 84.9. A few days ago, the solar 
flux values rose above 90, but currently the 
projection from USAF and NOAA for solar flux over 
October 21-31 is 84, 83, 82, 82, 82, 80, 78, 80, 
85, 80 and 80. Seven new sunspot groups arrived 
since October 9: group 1112 came on October 9; 
group 1113 on October 13; 1114 and 1115 on 
October 14; 1116 on October 17, and 1117 and 1118 
on October 19. While the average sunspot number 
for the past week was 55.6, the greatest sunspot 
activity was over the past few days, with the 
daily sunspot numbers on October 17-20 at 61, 69, 
65 and 61. Look for more information on the ARRL 
Web site on Friday, October 22. 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 
John Lennon's <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Prudence>Dear Prudence.
This Week on the Radio

This 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

Next week:
    * October 30-31 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>ARRL EME 
Contest; CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB); 10-10 
International Fall Contest (Digital); 50 MHz Fall Sprint
    * November 2 -- ARS Spartan 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
    * 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

Click <mailto:ads at arrl.org>here to advertise in this newsletter.

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