[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for April 14, 2011

Tue Apr 19 01:47:06 EDT 2011

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April 14, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * + Public Service: Hams Provide 
Communications Support During West Texas Wildfires
    * + On the Air: World Amateur Radio Day Set for Monday, April 18
    * + On the Air: Ofcom to Issue Special 
Temporary Call Signs for Royal Wedding
    * + From the Hearts: Providing a Way for 
Others to Communicate with the ISS
    * + ARRL West Gulf Division to Host Webinar on Antenna Zoning
    * ARRL to Change Insurance Company for 
Equipment Protection, Club Liability Services
    * Solar Update
    * Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
    * ARRL Seeks Book Editor
    * + Silent Key: Legendary Recording Engineer Roger Nichols, KE4BDA (SK)
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on ARRL Audio News
+ Public Service: Hams Provide Communications 
Support During West Texas Wildfires

When wildfires swept across the West Texas towns 
of Fort Davis and Marfa, hams were on hand to 
provide communications support. [B. John McDaniel, KE5PL, Photo]

On April 9 at 4:15 PM (CDT), ARRL West Texas 
District 5 Emergency Coordinator Bob Ward, 
WA5ROE, received a call from Jeff Davis County 
(Texas) Fire Marshal Stewart Billingsley, N5HXZ. 
Billingsley informed Ward that a fire had begun 
in the West Texas town of Marfa and was rapidly 
approaching Fort Davis, 22 miles to the northeast.

"Stewart asked me to call the National Weather 
Service to get it on the alert system, as well as 
the AM and FM radio stations in Alpine," Ward 
told the ARRL. "He wanted it broadcast over the 
radio stations that he needed the Mano Prieto and 
Fort Davis Estates sub-divisions evacuated. 
People in the area know that when an emergency 
happens, they need to tune into these stations 
for the latest information. This was the Rock 
House Fire. At the same time, another fire, the 
Roper Fire, had started on the eastern edge of 
Alpine." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hams-provide-communications-support-during-west-texas-wildfires>here.
+ On the Air: World Amateur Radio Day Set for Monday, April 18

The International Amateur Radio Union and its 
more than 160 Member-Societies that represent 
countries around the world will celebrate World 
Amateur Radio Day on April 18. The theme for this 
year's celebration is Amateur Radio: The First 
Technology-Based Social Network. Long before the 
Internet and smart phones, Amateur Radio 
operators have been talking, texting and sharing 
for decades. But unlike those commercial 
services, Amateur Radio continues to attract 
people worldwide by providing international 
communications for free. And because it does not 
need pre-established supporting infrastructure, 
these radio-savvy "amateurs" can reach out to 
friends in every corner of the world, as well as 
into space. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/world-amateur-radio-day-set-for-monday-april-18>here.
+ On the Air: Ofcom to Issue Special Temporary Call Signs for Royal Wedding

Ofcom is issuing special temporary call signs to 
British amateurs to commemorate the April 29 
nuptials of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton.

If you are a prefix hunter -- or you just get 
caught up in the pageantry that a 
<http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/>Royal 
Wedding can bring -- then take note: Ofcom, at 
the request of the Radio Society of Great Britain 
(<http://www.rsgb.org/>RSGB), will issue special 
temporary call signs that British amateurs may 
use from April 29 through May 9, 2011, 
commemorating the marriage of HRH Prince William 
of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton. Amateurs 
in the United Kingdom who choose to apply for 
these special call signs will be using GR, MR and 
2R prefixes during this time to commemorate the 
wedding.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-14&p=0>
+ From the Hearts: Providing a Way for Others to Communicate with the ISS

These Sacred Hearts students download information 
and confirm radio frequencies to prepare for a 
telebridge contact with the International Space 
Station. [Photo courtesy of Sacred Hearts Academy and NASA]

In America and around the world, students use 
Amateur Radio to talk to astronauts on the 
International Space Station, orbiting high above 
the Earth -- and it's the students at an 
all-girls school in Honolulu, Hawaii who help 
make the connection. Sacred Hearts Academy is a 
telebridge station for the Amateur Radio on the 
International Space Station program (ARISS). 
ARISS is a NASA-sponsored education activity 
where astronauts and cosmonauts use Amateur Radio 
equipment aboard the ISS to talk with students 
around the world. Telebridge stations, like the 
one at Sacred Hearts, connect schools, museums 
and others without their own Amateur Radio 
equipment to astronauts in space. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/from-the-hearts-providing-a-way-for-others-to-communicate-with-the-iss>here.
+ ARRL West Gulf Division to Host Webinar on Antenna Zoning

Periodically, ARRL Divisions will host a 
"webinar" -- an interactive Web-based seminar, 
designed to facilitate communication between a 
small number of presenters and a large remote 
audience using the Internet -- for interested 
amateurs. On Wednesday, April 27 at 9 PM (EDT), 
ARRL West Gulf Division Director David 
Woolweaver, K5RAV -- along with ARRL General 
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and noted antenna 
zoning lawyer Fred Hopengarten, K1VR -- will 
present Antenna Ordinances, You and the ARRL. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-west-gulf-division-to-host-webinar-on-antenna-zoning>here.
ARRL to Change Insurance Company for Equipment 
Protection, Club Liability Services

On May 1, 2011, the ARRL will begin a new 
partnership to provide its ARRL-sponsored 
Equipment Insurance and Club Liability Insurance 
plans. The League has signed an agreement with 
Hays Affinity Group to serve as the program 
administrator to provide equipment insurance to 
its members who choose to elect coverage. In 
addition, Hays will also provide club liability 
insurance to ARRL Affiliated Clubs for those 
clubs that wish to take advantage of that 
program. Hays will be replacing Marsh Affinity 
Group Services as the program's administrator and 
will be introducing new policies for both plans, 
underwritten by the Hanover Insurance Company. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-to-change-providers-for-equipment-protection-club-liability-insurance-plans>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-14&p=1>
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, April 14, 2011 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=zM1sVapgUCs>She 
has burst like the music of angels, the light of 
the Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: On Wednesday, April 
13, we saw a new high in the daily sunspot 
numbers for Solar Cycle 24 when it hit 153. Seven 
new sunspot groups emerged over the past week, 
and sunspot activity (in terms of daily sunspot 
numbers) hasn't been this high since the 
declining side of Solar Cycle 23 in mid-2005. The 
average daily sunspot numbers rose 21.6 points 
this week to 89.9. The predicted solar flux 
values from NOAA/USAF for the near term are 120 
on April 14-16, 125 on April 17-20, 120 on April 
21 and 115 on April 22-23. The planetary A index 
for the same period is predicted to be 5 on April 
14-17, 7 and 10 on April 18-19 and 5 on April 
20-23. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts 
quiet geomagnetic conditions April 15-17, quiet 
to unsettled April 18, active conditions April 19 
and unsettled conditions April 20-21. Considering 
that the predicted solar flux for today of 125 is 
higher than yesterday's reported value of 117.8, 
it is possible that the sunspot number will also 
be higher, although these numbers don't always 
move in tandem. Look for more information on the 
ARRL website on Friday, April 8. 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 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM1sVapgUCs>In My 
Life/Heart Full of Love from the musical 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables_%28musical%29>Les 
MisÃ©rables.
Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website

Four new poll questions have just been published 
on the <http://www.arrl.org/quickstats>QuickStats 
page on the ARRL website. Let your voice be heard!

Questions in this month's QuickStats poll:
    * Do you operate HF portable while camping or hiking?
    * Have you earned an ARRL Worked All States award?
    * How old is your oldest transceiver?
    * Do you monitor W1AW transmissions?

Visit the 
<http://www.arrl.org/quickstats>QuickStats page 
and be sure to bookmark it in your browser. 
Results from this QuickStats poll will be 
published in the July 2011 issue of QST on the 
QuickStats page, located in the rear advertising 
section of the magazine. Along with monthly poll 
results, QST QuickStats offers colorful charts 
and graphs that highlight interesting Amateur Radio statistics.
ARRL Seeks Book Editor

The ARRL is seeking a Book Editor to manage the 
production of ARRL books and other publications, 
ensuring that they meet ARRL standards. The 
successful applicant will be responsible for 
managing the progress of all book materials 
through the production process, tracking current 
book inventory and scheduling reprints or new 
editions as needed, authoring new books and other 
materials, and editing and formatting manuscript 
materials provided by authors to ensure correct 
grammar, punctuation and style. Applicants must 
hold an Amateur Radio license, a Bachelor of Arts 
degree in English, Journalism or equivalent, and 
5 to 10 years of experience as a professional 
newspaper, book or magazine editor, or corporate 
technical writer. For more information, including 
a complete job description and application 
details, please see the 
<http://www.arrl.org/employment-opportunities>Employment 
Opportunities page on the ARRL 
website.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-14&p=2>
+ Silent Key: Legendary Recording Engineer Roger Nichols, KE4BDA (SK)

Roger Nichols, KE4BDA (SK)

Roger Nichols, KE4BDA, of Jupiter, Florida, 
passed away on April 9 due to complications from 
pancreatic cancer. He was 66. Nichols was best 
known for his work with Steely Dan, whose albums 
were noted for their pristine sonic clarity. He 
collected three Grammy Awards -- including one 
for Album of the Year -- for his work on the 
duo's 2000 album Two Against Nature. He also 
received the Grammy for Best Engineered Recording 
for Steely Dan's albums Aja in 1977, Gaucho in 
1981 and their film theme FM (No Static at All) 
in 1978. Nichols collected another Grammy for his 
board work on John Denver's All Aboard!, named 
Best Children's Album for 1997. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/legendary-recording-engineer-roger-nichols-ke4bda-sk>here.
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * April 15 -- NCCC Sprint
    * April 15-16 -- Holyland DX Contest
    * April 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint; TARA Skirmish 
Digital Prefix Contest; ES Open HF Championship; EU Spring Sprint (SSB)
    * April 16-17 -- Michigan QSO Party; Ontario 
QSO Party; YU DX Contest; CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest; EA-QRP CW Contest
    * April 16-24 -- ARLHS Annual Spring Lites QSO Party
    * April 17 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup>ARRL Rookie Roundup (SSB)
    * April 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
    * April 19 -- 222 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)

Next week:
    * April 22 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder 0230Z-0300Z, Apr 22
    * April 23-24 -- South Dakota QSO Party; 
10-10 International Spring Contest (Digital); SP 
DX RTTY Contest; Helvetia Contest
    * April 25 -- Low Power Spring Sprint
    * April 27 -- SKCC Sprint; 432 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)
    * April 27-28 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test

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-event-stations>ARRL 
Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    * April 22-24 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/idaho-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho
    * April 23 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/louisiana-state-convention-twin-city-ham-radio-fest>ARRL 
Louisiana State Convention, Monroe, Louisiana; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest>ARRL 
North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
    * May 7 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-upstate-hamfest>ARRL 
South Carolina State Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina
    * June 3-5 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northwestern-division-convention-seapac-1>ARRL 
Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac), 
Seaside, Oregon; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wyoming-state-convention>ARRL 
Wyoming State Convention, Cheyenne, Wyoming
    * June 4 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlantic-division-convention-rochester-hamfest-1>ARRL 
Atlantic Division Convention, Rochester, New 
York; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/east-bay-section-convention>ARRL 
East Bay Section Convention, Berkeley, 
California; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-atlanta-hamfest>ARRL 
Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia
    * June 10-11 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-national-convention-ham-com-2011>ARRL 
National Convention, Plano, Texas
    * June 11 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tennessee-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

To find a convention or hamfest near you, click 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>here.

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