[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for March 3, 2011

Fri Mar 11 20:57:13 EST 2011

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March 3, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
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    * + Legislative News: ARRL Members Respond to HR 607
    * + Get Ready for the April Issue of QST!
    * The Doctor Is IN : Measuring a Meter's Tolerance
    * + Public Service: No HF Frequencies Being 
Used in New Zealand Earthquake Operations
    * + ARRL in Action : What Have We Been Up to Lately?
    * ARRL Field Day: 2011 Field Day Packets Available
    * Solar Update
    * + Silent Key: Eugene Pressler, W3ZXV (SK)
    * + ARRL Recognizes: Lou Burke, W7JI, Wins February QST Cover Plaque Award
    * DX News: Spratly Islands DXpedition Postponed to 2012
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Legislative News: ARRL Members Respond to HR 607

ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan 
Henderson, N1ND, gives some hints for how to 
draft a letter to your Representative in opposition to HR 607.

Last month, a bill was introduced in the US House 
of Representatives that addresses certain 
spectrum management issues, including the 
creation and maintenance of a nationwide Public 
Safety broadband network. This bill -- HR 607, 
known as The Broadband for First Responders Act 
of 2011 -- if passed, also calls to auction off 
parts of the 70 cm band, namely 420-440 and 
450-470 MHz. As such, the ARRL asked its members 
to write their Representative, asking them to not 
support HR 607 in its current form.

According to ARRL Regulatory Information Manager 
Dan Henderson, N1ND, Chwat & Co -- the ARRL's 
legislative relations firm in Washington, DC -- 
received almost 1000 letters from League members 
in opposition to HR 607. "This is a great start 
and many thanks to the diligent members who have 
risen to the challenge; however, it cannot stop 
there. As long as HR 607 is in its current form, 
we must continue this campaign." He clarified 
that the ARRL opposes HR 607 in its present form: 
"We do not oppose the concept of dedicated 
spectrum for the development of a Public Safety 
infrastructure and wireless network. We object to 
the bill because of the inclusion of 420-440 MHz 
as part of the spectrum to be swapped and 
auctioned to commercial users." Click 
<http://www.arrl.org/sample-letters>here for some 
pointers for writing letters in opposition to HR 607.
+ Get Ready for the April Issue of QST!

No foolin' -- the April issue of QST is 
jam-packed with all sorts of things that today's 
Amateur Radio operator needs. From product 
reviews to experiments to contesting -- including 
articles featuring a homebrew 40 meter 
transmitter, ground radials, digital modes and 
the 2011 ARRL Board of Directors Annual Meeting 
-- this issue of QST has something for just about everyone.

Who says life's too short for QRP? Not Lou Burke, 
W7JI. Following up on his February 2011 QST 
article about a homebrew QRP superhet receiver, 
Burke brings us "The W7JI Low or Lower Power 40 
Meter Transmitter," a companion to that receiver. 
This transmitter features a VFO, CW keyer and 
automatic antenna switching. Ron Harger, WD8BCS, 
shows readers an inexpensive and easy-to-build 
radial system for temporary vertical antenna 
installations in his article "Does Your Ground 
Radial Kit Measure Up?" When you keep your audio 
controls in check, it really does make a 
difference in how your station sounds. QST 
Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, demonstrates 
how to set up your SSB transceiver with the 
proper audio levels in "Sounding Good on the Air 
-- Setting Your Audio Controls."

Amateur Radio is all about experimentation. One 
of the newer ways for hams to have fun and play 
around on the bands is via the digital modes. QST 
editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, takes a look at one of 
the newer digital modes in "JT65 -- The 'Musical' 
Mode." In January, the ARRL Board of Director met 
in Connecticut for its Annual Meeting. Join ARRL 
News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, and QST 
Managing Editor Joel Kleinman, N1BKE, as they 
take you inside the meeting room as the Board 
charts the course for the coming year and beyond. 
Keane also tells of the recipients of the ARRL 
International Humanitarian Award, the George Hart 
Distinguished Service Award and the print, video 
and audio winners of the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award.

Take a look at the Elecraft P3 panadapeter and 
Uniden HomePatrol-1 scanning receiver (pictured, 
with ARRL Lab Test Engineer Bob Allison, WB1GCM), 
featured in the April 2011QST product review. 
Click <http://www.arrl.org/multimedia>here to go 
to the QST Multimedia page and scroll down to the 
Product Review video. Click the "Play" button to watch the video.

QST Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, takes a 
look at the Elecraft P3 panadapter in this 
month's Product Review. He says this add-on to 
Elecraft's popular K3 rig "adds high performance, 
stand-alone functionality. If you want to see 
what's happening on the band, this will provide 
the needed view, as well as another way to 
control radio tuning, if you wish." ARRL 
Contributing Author Curt Phillips, W4CP, checks 
out the Uniden HomePatrol-1 scanning receiver. He 
says that it "brings user friendliness to a new 
level. It performs complicated scanning functions 
with ease, and loading local frequencies is a snap."

Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, delivers the results of 
the 2010 IARU HF World Championship, held this 
past July. What makes this 24 hour contest so 
much fun? "Everyone works everyone, we get to 
operate both CW and phone, the exchange is simple 
and we get to work HQ stations and receive their 
nifty QSLs," said one participant. "It's also 
during the summer break, which allows busy 
college students to take it seriously." ARRL 
Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, 
N1ND, tells about the 2011 ARRL Straight Key 
Night. As one participant described it, Straight 
Key Night participants appreciate "the 
opportunity it affords us Old Timers to relive 
the past in such a wonderful way."

Of course, there are the usual columns you know 
and expect in the April QST: Happenings, Hints & 
Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Vintage Radio 
and more. Look for your April issue in your 
mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the 
national association for Amateur Radio. QST is 
just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. 
To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see 
the <https://www.arrl.org/join>ARRL Web page.
The Doctor Is IN : Measuring a Meter's Tolerance

David Van Doorn, W9WEL, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, 
wrote to the ARRL's Doctor, asking about his 
analog meter's tolerance. He wanted to know if 
the tolerance is listed as 10% of full scale, 
does that actually mean Â±10% of full scale? For 
example, a meter with a 300 unit full scale would 
have a specified accuracy of the measured value 
of Â±30. Thus, a reading of 40 could actually be 
anywhere from 10 to 70. Or does that mean Â±10% 
at full scale? For example, at 300 full scale, an 
actual value of 300 could read 270 or 330 and 
every other reading on that scale would read 
Â±10%? So an actual value of 40 could read 36 or 44?

Here's what the Doctor had to say:

I'm afraid it is the former. This suggests that 
the scale selected be one with the reading near 
the top of the range for maximum accuracy. Keep 
in mind that the actual accuracy could be -- and 
often will be -- much better than that specified, just not worse.

Thanks Doctor! Do you have a question or a 
problem? Send your questions via 
<mailto:doctor at arrl.org>e-mail or to The Doctor, 
ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 (no phone 
calls, please). Look for "The Doctor Is IN" every 
month in <http://www.arrl.org/qst>QST, the official journal of the ARRL.
+ Public Service: No HF Frequencies Being Used in 
New Zealand Earthquake Operations

The ARRL has received word from the New Zealand 
Association of Radio Transmitters 
(<http://www.nzart.org.nz/>NZART) -- that 
country's <http://www.iaru.org/>IARU 
Member-Society -- that amateurs there providing 
communications support in the 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/new-zealand-amateurs-assist-in-earthquake-s-aftermath>aftermath 
of the 6.3 earthquake are using 2 meters (144 
MHz). No HF frequencies are being used. If this 
changes, the information will be posted on the ARRL website.
+ ARRL in Action : What Have We Been Up to Lately?

Compiled by ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA

This feature is a concise monthly update of some 
of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its 
members. This installment -- which covers the 
month of February -- looks at how the ARRL is 
responding to HR 607, a new Memorandum of 
Understanding between the ARRL and the Boy Scouts 
of America, improvements at W1AW and in the ARRL 
Lab, reports from the Official Observer Desk and 
more . Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-in-action-what-have-we-been-up-to-lately-31>here.
ARRL Field Day: 2011 Field Day Packets Available

It's that time of year again -- time to start 
gearing up for ARRL Field Day, June 25-26, 2011! 
ARRL's flagship operating event -- always held 
the fourth full weekend in June -- brings 
together new and experienced hams for 24 hours of 
operating fun. Field Day packets are now 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2011/2011_FD_Packet.pdf>available 
for download and include the complete rules 
(including a change for 2011), as well as other 
reference items such as forms, ARRL Section 
abbreviation list, entry submission instructions, 
a Frequently Asked Questions section, guidelines 
for getting bonus points, instructions for GOTA 
stations and a kit to publicize your event with 
the local press. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/2011-field-day-packet-now-available>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-03-03&p=1>
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, March 3, 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=A0kypyGSKsE>Waiting 
for the Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity 
is on the rise again, but the average sunspot and 
solar flux numbers are down, compared with last 
week. This week, the average daily sunspot number 
declined more than 14 points to 50.9, and the 
average daily solar flux was off 7 points to 
96.8. The average daily planetary A index rose 
from 6.1 to 9, and the average mid-latitude A 
index was about the same, declining from 5.4 to 
5.1. The most active day for geomagnetic indexes 
was March 1, with a planetary A index of 31. The 
planetary K index rose as high as 6 on that day. 
NOAA and USAF predict solar flux at 115 on March 
3, 120 on March 4-10, 110 on March 11-15 and 105 
on March 16-17. The planetary A index is forecast 
at 15, 12 and 10 on March 3-5, 5 on March 6-13 
and 7 on March 14-15. The monthly average of 
sunspot numbers for December through February was 
22, 32.2 and 53.5. Look for more information -- 
including a take on why Solar Cycle 24 has been 
so weak -- on the ARRL website on Friday, March 
4. 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 
The Doors' <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kypyGSKsE>Waiting for the Sun.
+ Silent Key: Eugene Pressler, W3ZXV (SK)

Gene Pressler, W3ZXV (SK)

Eugene "Gene" Pressler, W3ZXV, of Gwynedd, 
Pennsylvania, passed away February 22. He was 80. 
Pressler, who served as an Assistant Director in 
the ARRL Atlantic Division, also served as the 
Public Information Coordinator and Assistant 
Section Manager for Eastern Pennsylvania, as well 
as the Division's representative on the Public 
Relations Advisory Committee for several years. 
In 1996, Pressler was honored by the Atlantic 
Division as its Amateur of the Year for a 
"lifetime of service to Amateur Radio." He 
co-founded and served as Director Emeritus of the 
Area Repeater Coordination Council, the regional 
Amateur Radio repeater frequency coordinator for 
Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/former-atlantic-division-assistant-director-eugene-pressler-w3zxv-sk>here.
+ ARRL Recognizes: Lou Burke, W7JI, Wins February QST Cover Plaque Award

The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for 
February is Lou Burke, W7JI , for his article "A 
Compact 40 Meter Receiver. " Congratulations Lou! 
The QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author 
or authors of the best article in each issue -- 
is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the 
<http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll>QST Cover 
Plaque Poll Web page . Cast a ballot for your 
favorite article in the March issue 
today.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-03-03&p=2>
DX News: Spratly Islands DXpedition Postponed to 2012

In the March 3 edition of 
<http://www.dailydx.com/>The Daily DX, Editor 
Bernie McClenny, W3UR, reports that the planned 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-spratly-islands-dxpedition-gets-wings>DXpedition 
to the Spratly Islands has been postponed until 
April 2012. According to DX0DX Team Leader Chris 
Dimitrijevic, VK3FY, the postponement is due to 
circumstances beyond the control of the DX0DX 
Team and "in the best interests of the Team of 
Operators." The DX0DX DXpedition was originally 
scheduled to run January 6-February 1, 2011. 
Spratly currently sits at #32 on 
<http://www.dxpub.com/dx_news.html>DX Magazine's "Most Wanted" List.
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * March 5 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint
    * March 5-6 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx>ARRL International 
DX Contest (SSB); Open Ukraine RTTY Championship
    * March 6 -- DARC 10 Meter Digital Contest
    * March 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
    * March 9-10 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test

Next week:
    * March 12 -- AGCW QRP Contest
    * March 12-13 -- Idaho QSO Party
    * March 13 -- North American Sprint (RTTY); 
SKCC Weekend Sprint; UBA Spring Contest (CW)
    * March 13-14 -- Wisconsin QSO Party; EA PSK31 Contest
    * March 15-16 -- CLARA HF Contest

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
    * March 5 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-texas-section-convention-greater-houston-hamfest-1>ARRL 
South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-section-convention-birminghamfest>ARRL 
Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
    * March 11-12 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest>ARRL 
Oklahoma Section Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
    * March 12-13 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-section-convention-charlotte-hamfest>ARRL 
North Carolina Section Convention, Concord, North Carolina
    * March 19 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-texas-section-convention-56th-annual-st-patrick-s-day-hamfest>ARRL 
West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nebraska-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
    * March 25 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/maine-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
    * March 26 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/maryland-state-convention-greater-baltimore-hamboree-computerfest>ARRL 
Maryland State Convention, Timonium, Maryland

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

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