[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for January 20, 2011

Thu Jan 20 20:29:09 EST 2011

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January 20, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * + FCC News : ARRL Files Petition for 
Partial Reconsideration with FCC Regarding Vanity, Club Call Signs
    * + BPL : IEEE EMC Society Standards 
Development Committee Withdraws as Cosponsor of IEEE BPL EMC Standard
    * + On the Air : Logbook of the World Now Supports VUCC
    * Amateur Radio in Space: NASA Seeks Amateur 
Radio Operators' Aid to Listen for Nanosatellite's Beacon Signal
    * + ARRL Board of Directors to Meet This Weekend
    * + Focus on Youth : ARRL Seeks New Youth Editor
    * + ARRL Foundation Scholarship Applications 
and Transcripts Due February 1
    * Solar Update
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>ARRL Audio News
+ FCC News: ARRL Files Petition for Partial 
Reconsideration with FCC Regarding Vanity, Club Call Signs

In October 2010, the FCC released a Report and 
Order, detailing rules changes to the vanity call 
sign system and call signs for Amateur Radio 
clubs. These new rules are scheduled to go into 
effect on February 14. The ARRL found that most 
changes made by the R&O are "reasonable 
codifications and clarifications of existing 
policies." But several amended Sections of Part 
97 -- including Â§Â§ 97.5 and 97.19 -- are 
unclear. As such, the ARRL filed a Petition for 
Partial Reconsideration, urging the FCC to 
reconsider and modify these portions "in order to 
reflect the intent of the Report and Order."

In the R&O, the FCC took into consideration some 
of the ARRL's comments, but not all. The ARRL 
found it "disappointing" that the Commission 
refused to consider in this proceeding "a series 
of reasonable proposals aimed at increasing the 
available pools of Group A call signs." The ARRL, 
in its comments, asked the FCC to consider 
several changes that could be made "that would 
increase the number of desirable call signs 
available for assignment, both sequentially and 
in the vanity call sign program, and which would 
provide greater flexibility in the temporary 
assignment of special-event call signs in the 
Amateur Service." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-files-petition-for-partial-reconsideration-with-fcc-regarding-vanity-club-call-signs>here. 

+ BPL: IEEE EMC Society Standards Development 
Committee Withdraws as Cosponsor of IEEE BPL EMC Standard

Citing concerns about parts of its technical 
content, the IEEE EMC Society Standards 
Development Committee (SDCom) has voted to 
withdraw as the cosponsor of IEEE Standard for 
Power Line Communication Equipment -- 
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Requirements 
-- Testing and Measurement Methods (IEEE Standard 
1775-2010). According to ARRL Laboratory Manager 
and BPL guru Ed Hare, W1RFI, this decision came 
about soon after the IEEE Standards Board 
approved publication of the standard over the 
technical concerns of the SDCom. Hare is an SDCom 
member and is a member of the IEEE Working Group 
that developed the standard. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ieee-emc-society-standards-development-committee-withdraws-as-cosponsor-of-ieee-bpl-emc-standard>here. 
<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-20&p=0>
+ On the Air: Logbook of the World Now Supports VUCC

ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) -- an online 
system for amateurs to confirm two-way contacts 
that can be used for various ARRL awards -- has 
been upgraded to support awards based on 
Maidenhead grid squares, such as VUCC and the 
Fred Fish Memorial Award. To take advantage of 
the new features, you need to log in to your LoTW 
account. VUCC is an open-ended award in that hams 
can work on throughout their lifetime, just like 
DXCC. But, like the Worked All States award, the 
VUCC rules require all the contacts to be made 
from a defined area. For VHF and UHF QSOs on 1296 
MHz and below, this distance must be within 200 
km. For SHF awards, contacts must be made from a 
single location, defined as within a 300 meter 
diameter circle. As such, the VUCC support in 
LoTW allows you to make the rule -- or rules -- 
necessary to find the QSLs in LoTW that satisfy 
the VUCC rules. Don't have an LoTW account? It's 
easy to sign up. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/logbook-of-the-world-now-supports-vucc>here.
Amateur Radio in Space: NASA Seeks Amateur Radio 
Operators' Aid to Listen for Nanosatellite's Beacon Signal

An artist's conception of NanoSail-D. [Image courtesy of NASA]

On Wednesday, January 19 at 1630 UTC, engineers 
at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, 
Alabama confirmed that the NanoSail-D 
nanosatellite ejected from Fast Affordable 
Scientific and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT). 
According to NASA, the ejection event occurred 
spontaneously; the ejection of NanoSail-D also 
has been confirmed by ground-based satellite 
tracking assets. NASA is asking radio amateurs to 
listen on 437.270 MHz for the signal and verify 
NanoSail-D is operating. Hams should send 
information to the NanoSail-D dashboard. As of 
Thursday, January 20, the NanoSail-D dashboard 
website is reporting that beacon data has been 
received, but NASA still wants amateurs to track 
and report the signals. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/nasa-seeks-amateur-radio-operators-aid-to-listen-for-nanosatellite-s-beacon-signal>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-20&p=1>
+ ARRL Board of Directors to Meet This Weekend

The ARRL Board of Directors will hold its 2011 
Annual Meeting on January 21-22 in Windsor, 
Connecticut. Directors, Vice Directors and ARRL 
Board Officers will be in attendance. The meeting 
will be preceded on Thursday, January 20 with 
meetings of the Board's Administration and 
Finance Committee and Programs and Services Committee.

The Administration and Finance Committee is 
chaired by Northwestern Division Director Jim 
Fenstermaker, K9JF. This committee reviews and 
makes recommendations for all administrative and 
financial matters of the League. Some of these 
duties include recommending the annual budget to 
the Board, making recommendations in regard to 
staff management and monitoring investment of 
ARRL funds. "The Administration and Finance 
Committee is involved in overseeing the 'business 
side' of Amateur Radio from the standpoint of the 
ARRL," Fenstermaker explained. "We are committed 
to ensuring that members' needs are being served 
while being fiscally prudent. This requires an 
understanding of the financial structure of the 
ARRL while, at the same time, working with the 
administration to implement cost effective and 
relevant programs. We are in a sound financial 
position and work to continue this status. Thanks 
to our headquarters staff for focusing on the 
trade-offs needed to foster this stability."

The Programs and Services Committee (PSC), headed 
by Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, 
studies, advises and makes recommendations for 
all programs and services provided by the League, 
including operating activities and the Field 
Organization. "In January, the Committee 
recommends to the Board who will receive various 
ARRL awards, such as the International 
Humanitarian Award and the George Hart 
Distinguished Public Service Award," Edgar said. 
"This year, we split the committee into two 
sub-committees. These two sub-committees are the 
Radiosport sub-committee and the Field Services 
sub-committee. The Radiosport sub-committee 
reviews the ARRL's contesting and awards 
programs, while the Field Organization 
sub-committee reviews the ARRL Field 
Organization, such as public service, education and other similar programs.

Edgar said that the PSC also oversees four 
advisory committees: the Contest Advisory 
Committee 
(<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-staff-vuac-cac>CAC), 
the DX Advisory Committee 
(<http://www.arrl.org/dx-advisory-committee>DXAC), 
the Emergency Communications Advisory Committee 
(<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ECAC%20Roster%20for%20Web%282%29.doc>ECAC) 
and the VHF UHF Advisory Committee 
(<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-staff-vuac-cac>VUAC). 
Each Division Director appoints a representative 
from their Division to participate on each 
advisory committee. To serve on an advisory 
committee, the representative must well-versed 
and respected in their particular area of expertise."

The agenda for the 2011 Annual Meeting is 
available 
<http://www.arrl.org/attachments/view/News/56557>here. 
Per the 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-articles-of-association>Articles 
of Association the ARRL Board of Directors meets 
twice a year, in January and July.
+ Focus on Youth: ARRL Seeks New Youth Editor

The three former ARRL Youth Editors (left to 
right): Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT (now ARRL Rocky 
Mountain Division Director), Andrea Hartlage, 
KG4IUM (now ARRL Southeastern Division Vice 
Director), and Duncan MacLachlan, KU0DM, at the 
2009 Dayton Hamvention. [Photo by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA]

The ARRL has a proud tradition of promoting youth 
involvement in Amateur Radio. One of the ways we 
involve young people in our hobby is through our 
Youth Editor. This person is responsible for 
writing a monthly column for the ARRL website 
about youth and youth activities within the 
Amateur Radio Service. We are looking for a new 
Youth Editor. Do you know of someone who would be 
a good fit for this position? Maybe they hold 
leadership positions either in their Section or 
in their local club. The candidate must be an 
ARRL member and must keep their membership 
current throughout their tenure in the position. 
He or she will be required to write a monthly 
column of at least 1000 words and provide a 
minimum of three pictures (with captions) for 
each. For this, they will receive a small stipend 
for each column. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-seeks-new-youth-editor>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-20&p=2>
+ ARRL Foundation Scholarship Applications and Transcripts Due February 1

Caption goes here

Students planning to apply for the more than 60 
scholarships administered by the ARRL Foundation 
should be aware that the deadline is fast 
approaching. All materials -- including 
transcripts -- are due February 1. Beginning this 
year, applicants must submit all material 
electronically. No paper forms will be accepted. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-scholarship-applications-and-transcripts-due-february-1>here.
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 20, 2011 
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=H5WNeBZ4rBU>Like 
a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a Sun" 
Cook, K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot 
numbers dropped from 50 to 38 on January 6-12 and 
now 21.3 on January 13-19. The average weekly 
solar flux over the same three periods dropped 
from 89.5 to 83.8 to 80.4 over this past week. 
The latest solar flux prediction shows a value of 
82 for January 20-26 and 88 on January 27-30, 
followed by 87, 85, 85 and 84 on January 
31-February 3. Geomagnetic predictions have the 
planetary A index at 5 over the next couple of 
weeks, except for a value of 7 on January 22 and 
February 2-4. Look for more information -- 
including updated indices, an article on a 3D 
model of the ionosphere and information on an 
online propagation prediction program using 
VOACAP for generating coverage maps and 
point-to-point MUF data -- on the ARRL website on 
Friday, January 21. 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 
Stephen Schwartz's 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5WNeBZ4rBU>For 
Good from the musical 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_%28musical%29>Wicked.
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * January 21 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
    * January 22-23 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint
    * January 22-24 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/january-vhf-sweepstakes>ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
    * January 26 -- SKCC Sprint
    * January 27 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

Next week:
    * January 28-30 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW)
    * January 29-30 -- REF Contest (CW); BA DX 
Contest (SSB); SPAR Winter Field Day
    * January 30-31 -- Classic Exchange (CW)

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
    * January 28-29 -- 
<http://www.msham.org/hamfest.php>ARRL 
Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
    * February 5 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-section-convention-1>ARRL 
South Carolina Section Convention, North 
Charleston, South Carolina; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/virginia-state-convention-frostfest-2011>ARRL 
Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia
    * February 11-13 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation>ARRL 
Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
    * February 18-19 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-emergency-preparedness-show>ARRL 
Arizona State Convention, Yuma, Arizona
    * February 26 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/vermont-state-convention-ham-con-1>ARRL 
Vermont State Convention, Colchester, Vermont

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

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