[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for January 27, 2011

Thu Jan 27 16:04:46 EST 2011

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January 27, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * Board of Directors : ARRL Board Holds 2011 Annual Meeting
    * Board of Directors : ARRL Hudson Division 
Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, Retires from ARRL Board of Directors
    * ARRL Recognizes : ARRL Board Bestows Awards at 2011 Annual Meeting
    * Amateur Radio in Space : NASA's Nanosatellite Heard by Hams
    * Amateur Radio in the Classroom : ARRL 
Teachers Institute Now Accepting Applications for 2011 Sessions
    * Legislative Matters : ARRL Legislative Newsletter to Be Launched
    * 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

There will be no ARRL Audio News this week. The 
ARRL Audio News will return on Thursday, February 3, 2011.
Board of Directors: ARRL Board Holds 2011 Annual Meeting

The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2011 Annual 
Meeting January 21-22 in Windsor, Connecticut. At 
the meeting, the Board set its new legislative 
objectives for the 112th Congress, re-elected the 
ARRL Executive Committee, bestowed various 
technical and service awards, approved the 
organization's financial plan for 2011, set 
timelines for the ongoing consideration of 
digital periodicals and more. A detailed look at 
all the Board's actions, including the official 
minutes from the meeting, will be forthcoming.
Board of Directors: ARRL Hudson Division Director 
Frank Fallon, N2FF, Retires from ARRL Board of Directors

ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF 
(left), retired after more than 14 years of 
service to the ARRL Board of Directors at the 
conclusion of its 2011 Annual Meeting. Hudson 
Division Vice Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF 
(right), now moves into the Director position.

After more than 14 years as the ARRL Hudson 
Division Director, Frank Fallon, N2FF, announced 
his retirement from the Board at the conclusion 
of the 2011 Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of 
Directors. Per the ARRL's Articles of 
Association, Hudson Division Vice Director Joyce 
Birmingham, KA2ANF, immediately moved up to the 
Director position to fill the remainder of 
Fallon's unexpired three year term, which runs 
through December 2012. In the coming days, ARRL 
President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will appoint a new 
Vice Director to fill Birmingham's unexpired 
three year term, also running through December 
2012. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-hudson-division-director-frank-fallon-n2ff-retires-from-arrl-board-of-directors>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-27&p=0>
ARRL Recognizes: ARRL Board Bestows Awards at 2011 Annual Meeting

The ARRL Board of Directors had the pleasure and 
distinction of bestowing three annual awards at 
its 2011 Annual Meeting -- the ARRL International 
Humanitarian Award, the George Hart Distinguished 
Service Award and the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, 
Professional Media Award. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-board-bestows-awards-at-2011-annual-meeting>here.
Amateur Radio in Space: NASA's Nanosatellite Heard by Hams

When a NASA nanosatellite -- 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/nanosaild.html>NanoSail-D 
-- ejected unexpectedly on January 17 from the 
Fast Affordable Scientific and Technology 
Satellite 
(<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/fastsat/10-156.html>FASTSAT), 
the agency called upon Amateur Radio operators to 
help track it. 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/nasa-seeks-amateur-radio-operators-aid-to-listen-for-nanosatellite-s-beacon-signal>NASA 
asked radio amateurs to listen on 437.270 MHz for 
the signal and verify that NanoSail-D was 
operating. NASA received almost 470 telemetry packets from 11 countries.

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

The NanoSail-D beacon sent an AX.25 packet every 
10 seconds; the packet contained data about the 
spacecraft's systems operation. Listen 
<http://nanosaild.engr.scu.edu/nanosaild2_pa3guo_20jan2011.mp3>here<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1vZfm500hE> 
for a recording of the nanosatellite's beacon, 
made by Hank Hamoen, PA3GUO, on January 21.

Once the NanoSail-D team received confirmation 
that the nanosatellite did indeed ejcect, 
NanoSail-D principal investigator Dean Alhorn 
quickly enlisted Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, and Stan 
Sims, N4PMF, to try to pick up NanoSail-D's radio 
beacon. Both hams work at the Marshall Space 
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

"The timing could not have been better," Sieg 
said. "NanoSail-D was going to track right over 
Huntsville, and the chance to be the first ones 
to hear and decode the signal was irresistible." 
Right before 2300 UTC on January 17, they heard a 
faint signal. As the spacecraft soared overhead, 
the signal grew stronger and the operators were 
able to decode the first packet: NanoSail-D was 
alive and well. "You could have scraped Dean off 
the ceiling. He was bouncing around like a new father," Sieg recalled.

Click 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1vZfm500hE>here 
to watch a video of Dutch ham Hank Hamoen, 
PA3GUO, tracking NanoSail-D via Software Defined Radio.

According to NASA, the nanosatellite was last 
heard at 1354 UTC on January 21. Telemetry 
indicates that the sail deployed on schedule and 
the satellite is now believed to be out of power, 
which NASA said was to be expected. NASA is now 
asking for visual tracking and sighting reports 
of NanoSail-D, which is about 650 km above the 
Earth. According to the agency, when the 
nanosatellite's sail reflects off the Sun, it 
could be up to 10 times as bright as the planet 
Venus -- especially later in the mission when the 
sail descends to lower orbits. You can track 
NanoSail-D on the 
<http://spaceweather.com/flybys/>web or on your 
<http://simpleflybys.com/>smart phone. NASA 
estimates that NanoSail-D will remain in low 
Earth orbit (LEO) between 70 and 120 days, 
depending on atmospheric 
conditions.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-27&p=1>
Amateur Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Teachers 
Institute Now Accepting Applications for 2011 Sessions

The ARRL Education Services Department has 
announced the 2011 schedule for the Teachers 
Institute on Wireless Technology (TI) workshop. 
Offered through the ARRL's Education & Technology 
Program, the Teachers Institute is a four-day, 
expenses paid, in-residence learning opportunity 
designed for motivated teachers and other school 
staff who want to learn more about wireless 
technology and bring that knowledge to their 
students. A variety of topics are covered during 
the TI, including basic wireless technology 
literacy, electronics, the science of radio, 
radio astronomy, how to bring space into the 
classroom, ham radio operation, introduction to 
microcontrollers and basic robotics. While 
participants do not need to have an Amateur Radio 
license to attend the basic TI sessions, one is 
required for the advanced (TI-2) session. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-teachers-institute-now-accepting-applications-for-2011-sessions>here.
Legislative Matters: ARRL Legislative Newsletter to Be Launched

The inaugural issue of the ARRL Legislative 
Update -- an HTML newsletter focusing on the 
ARRL's legislative and advocacy efforts at the 
national level -- will launch the week of January 
31. According to ARRL Regulatory Information 
Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, this is not a 
monthly newsletter, but rather a timely 
newsletter with the goal to convey important 
information to the ARRL family. "The legislative 
process is a fickle thing, Henderson said. 
"Sometimes it moves as slow as molasses in a New 
England winter, while at other points, time is of 
the essence. Developing a newsletter designed to 
be e-mailed to interested ARRL members is a good 
way to provide important news and calls for 
action expediently." The ARRL Legislative Update 
is an "opt-in" newsletter available to ARRL 
members. To receive it, go to your 
<http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit>Member Profile on 
the ARRL website and select the tab for "Edit 
Email Subscriptions." To receive the ARRL 
Legislative Update, simply check the appropriate 
box on that page then click "Save" at the bottom. 
To unsubscribe, follow the same process, but 
uncheck the box for this 
newsletter.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-01-27&p=2>
Focus on Youth: ARRL Seeks New Youth Editor

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.
ARRL Foundation Scholarship Applications and Transcripts Due February 1

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 27, 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 were up for the past week (ending January 
26) by more than 11 points to 32.6, compared to 
the previous week. The average daily solar flux 
rose more than 3 points to 83.5. The planetary A 
index average was down 2 points to 2.9, and 
mid-latitude A index was down 1.5 points to 2.4. 
The latest prediction from NOAA/USAF shows lower 
solar activity with solar flux for January 27-28 
at 79 and 78, then 76 for January 29 through 
February 2, 78 on February 3-4 and 80 on February 
5-6. They show planetary A index at 5 on January 
27-February 2, then 10 on February 3-4 and 7 on 
February 5. Geophysical Institute Prague sees 
quiet conditions January 28 through February 1, 
quiet to unsettled February 2 and unsettled 
February 3. Look for more information on the ARRL 
website on Friday, January 28. 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 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)

Next week:
    * February 4 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
    * February 5 -- Minnesota QSO Party; FYBO 
Winter QRP Sprint; AGCW Straight Key Party
    * February 5-6 -- Delaware QSO Party; 10-10 
International Winter Contest (SSB); British 
Columbia QSO Party; Mexico RTTY International 
Contest; YL-ISSB QSO Party (CW); EPC WW DX Contest
    * February 5-7 -- Vermont QSO Party
    * February 6 -- North American Sprint (CW)
    * February 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
    * February 9 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
    * February 9-10 -- 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
    * 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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