[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for March 31, 2011

Thu Mar 31 17:46:51 EDT 2011

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2011-03-31>http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2011-03-31

March 31, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
Page<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>ARRL 
Letter<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> 
Archive<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>Audio 
News<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2011-03-31&t=t>

    * + Public Service: Hams Help When Phones 
Fail at Southern California Hospital
    * Public Service : Western Pennsylvania Hams 
Respond as Tornado Sweeps Through Area
    * + Amateur Radio in Space: Two Astronauts Get Their Ham Ticket
    * + NCVEC Deletes Question from Amateur Extra Question Pool
    * + ARRL Nebraska Section Introduces "Elmer Squad"
    * + New Mars Rover to Feature Morse Code
    * On the Air : NIST to Conduct Time and Frequency User Survey
    * Solar Update
    * + Silent Key: Internet Pioneer Paul Baran, W3KAS (SK)
    * + Silent Key: Owner of Industrial 
Communication Engineers Mike Koss, W9SU (SK)
    * 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
+ Public Service: Hams Help When Phones Fail at Southern California Hospital

When nurses and other caregivers picked up their 
phones at Children's Hospital of Orange County in 
California in the early morning on March 21, 
there was no dial tone. A power surge caused the 
central processor in the hospital's phone switch 
to fail. Following established procedures, the 
lead operator at the hospital switchboard 
immediately activated the Hospital Disaster 
Support Communications System, using an 
off-switch tie-line to reach April Moell, WA6OPS, 
head of this ARESÂ® group that specializes in 
helping hospitals when their communications fail. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hams-help-when-phones-fail-at-southern-california-hospital>here.
Public Service : Western Pennsylvania Hams 
Respond as Tornado Sweeps Through Area

This tornado -- as seen just outside of 
Pittsburgh -- swept through Western Pennsylvania 
on March 23, destroying at least 30 homes and 
damaging another 90. [Photo courtesy of Rebecca Mink and Rabe Marsh, W3TNU]

At approximately 4:30 on the afternoon of 
Wednesday, March 23, severe thunderstorms started 
to roll into Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 
producing golf ball-sized hail and heavy winds. 
Members of the Westmoreland County Public 
Service/ARESÂ® group began to meet on the W3CRC 
repeater in Derry, Pennsylvania, which serves as 
the main ARESÂ®/SKYWARN repeater in Westmoreland 
County. Soon after, the National Weather Service 
issued a tornado warning for the area and the 
Public Service Net was opened formally at 5 PM. 
Walter Bashaw, W3ZEH, began taking check-ins and 
reports of severe weather, relaying them to the 
NWS in Pittsburgh. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/western-pennsylvania-hams-respond-as-tornado-sweeps-through-area>here.
+ Amateur Radio in Space: Two Astronauts Get Their Ham Ticket

Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR (left), and Luca Parmatano, 
KF5KDP, will journey to the International Space Station in 2013.

Even though they aren't scheduled to go to the 
International Space Station until 2013, two 
astronauts -- Chris Cassidy and Luca Parmitano -- 
are now licensed amateurs. Cassidy, who received 
the call sign KF5KDR, is scheduled to head to the 
ISS in March 2013 as part of Expedition 35. 
Parmitano -- an Italian from the European Space 
Agency -- is KF5KDP; he goes to the ISS three 
months later in May, as part of Expedition 36.

"Our aim is to have at least one crew member 
licensed and trained in on-air protocol, who is 
somewhat excited about ham radio and the Amateur 
Radio on the International Space Station program, 
per expedition," explained ARRL ARISS Program 
Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. NASA ISS Ham Radio 
Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, told the 
ARRL that both Cassidy and Parmitano are "excited 
and interested in the educational aspects of 
Amateur Radio on board the ISS." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/two-astronauts-get-their-ham-ticket>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-03-31&p=0>
+ NCVEC Deletes Question from Amateur Extra Question Pool

Due to the FCC revising the rules concerning 
Spread Spectrum, the Question Pool Committee of 
the National Council of Volunteer Examiner 
Coordinator ( NCVEC) has decided to delete a 
question from the Amateur Extra class question 
pool. According to QPC Chairman Rol Anders, K3RA, 
as of April 29 when the new Spread Spectrum rule 
change goes into effect, the answer to question 
E1F13 in the Amateur Extra class question pool 
will no longer be correct . Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ncvec-deletes-question-from-amateur-extra-question-pool>here.
+ ARRL Nebraska Section Introduces "Elmer Squad"

The Nebraska Elmer Squad made its first official 
appearance earlier this month at the ARRL 
Nebraska State Convention in Lincoln. Darwin 
Piatt, W9HZC, and Darrel Swenson, K0AWB, were on 
hand to answer questions about the Squad's 
mission and plans. According to ARRL Nebraska 
Section Manager Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ, the Squad 
is gathering a list of volunteer Elmers 
throughout the state who are willing to assist 
not only new Amateur Radio operators, but current 
operators who need some technical assistance.

Darwin Piatt, W9HZC (left) and Darrel Swenson, 
K0AWB, discuss the ARRL Nebraska Section's "Elmer 
Squad" with ARRL Field Organization Supervisor 
Steve Ewald, WV1X (standing) at the ARRL Nebraska 
State Convention earlier this month. [Barry Buelow, W0IY, Photo]

"Mentoring of new or prospective hams will be an 
ongoing part of the mission," Zygielbaum told the 
ARRL. "The intent is to have Elmers participate 
in their local area radio clubs and give 
presentations on various subjects relating to 
Amateur Radio." Nearly a dozen hams signed up at 
the State Convention to be a part of the Elmer Squad.

Piatt and Swenson said that they believe that 
people should remember that Amateur Radio is a 
hobby -- and it should be fun. Both men are QRP 
operators and builders; part of their enjoyment 
comes from passing on the fun of building to others.

The Elmer Squad will be traveling around Nebraska 
this summer and fall, giving presentations and 
signing up more Elmers. In addition, Piatt and 
Swenson are working on a Nebraska Elmer Squad 
website. Zygielbaum said that this will provide a 
central contact point to match Elmers with those 
who would like assistance. Once the site is up 
and running, the URL will be posted on the 
<http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/nebraska>ARRL Nebraska Section website.

"Our motto is 'Hey, this is a hobby -- it is 
supposed to be fun!'" Zygielbaum explained. 
"We're looking for good people to help us keep it that way."
+ New Mars Rover to Feature Morse Code

As the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
(<http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/>JPL) 
builds the next Mars rover -- this one is named 
Curiosity -- to deploy to the red planet in the 
fall of 2011, they're having a little fun with 
it. Back in 2007 when the Curiosity team was 
putting together the rover, its wheel cleats had 
a raised pattern with the letters "JPL," leaving 
a little stamp of the rover's birthplace 
everywhere it rolled. "At the time, I asked 
whether the real rover would have those wheels, 
and they said, no, they weren't going to get to 
advertise JPL with each turn of each of the 
rover's six wheels; the real rover would have 
some other pattern," said Emily Lakdawalla of 
<http://www.planetary.org/>The Planetary Society 
in her 
<http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002967/>blog. 
Lakdawalla is the organization's Science and Technology Coordinator.

JPL's Mars Science Laboratory Lead Engineer Jaime 
Waydo with Curiosity -- and the rover's old wheels. [Emily Lakdawalla, Photo]

Lakdawalla said that there is nothing special 
about the shapes of the markers in Opportunity's 
wheels; they are just square holes through the 
wheels through which the wheels were bolted to 
the lander during cruise and landing." 
Opportunity is the name of the rover that went to 
Mars back in 2003. "But Curiosity didn't need 
holes in its wheels for attaching to any lander 
-- there isn't one. So the engineers got to make 
the markers in any shape they wanted to."

But in March 2011, she saw a 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G019Jci0abs>video 
of the rover as it is today: "I had to chuckle at 
those 'visual odometry markers' [on its tires]. 
Before I explain why, I'll point out that they 
really are useful things to have in rover wheels. 
The repeating pattern of the 'visual odometry 
markers'...makes it fairly easy for both the 
rover and human operators to determine visually 
how far the rover has roved using rear-view imagery."

The tires on the new Mars rover -- set to launch 
in November or December 2011 -- will display the 
letters JPL in Morse code. [Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL]

So what pattern did JPL choose to put on 
Curiosity's wheels? One that Lakdawalla called 
"very amusing. The holes are in a pattern of 
short squares and longer rectangles -- almost 
like dots and dashes. Morse code." And what does 
it spell out in Morse code? JPL.

According to JPL, Curiosity is about the size of 
a small SUV -- 10 feet long (not including the 
arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall -- or about the 
height of a basketball player -- and weighs 2000 
pounds. It features a geology lab, rocker-bogie 
suspension, a rock-vaporizing laser and lots of 
cameras. Curiosity will search areas of Mars for 
past or present conditions favorable for life and 
for conditions capable of preserving a record of 
life. It is set to launch between November 
25-December 18, 2011 from Cape Canaveral, Florida 
and will arrive on Mars between August 6-20, 
2012. The prime mission will last one Mars year, 
or about 23 Earth 
months<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-03-31&p=1>
On the Air : NIST to Conduct Time and Frequency User Survey

The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology's (NIST) Time and Frequency Division 
is conducting a survey to learn more about its 
users, seeking to determine how the agency can 
make its services more useful in the future. NIST 
services include WWV, WWVH and WWVB, which 
provide reference time and frequency signals via 
radio. The NIST also provides the Internet Time 
Service -- which provides accurate time 
synchronization to computer systems -- and 
several other services to offer accurate time 
information via telephone or web pages. Radio 
amateurs are encouraged to complete the survey. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/nist-to-conduct-time-and-frequency-user-survey>here.
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, March 31, 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=z36r2fmutXQ>The 
Sun is shining, it's a lovely day" Cook, K7RA, 
reports: The activity we could see recently on 
our Sun's far side -- thanks to the 
<http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/>STEREO mission -- 
has been rotating into view, producing some nice 
sunspot activity, resulting in improved upper-HF 
propagation. Compared to the previous week (March 
17-23), the past week (March 24-30) showed 
average daily sunspot numbers up more than 61 
points to 102.1, while the average daily solar 
flux was up nearly 20 points to 114.7. 
Geomagnetic conditions were quieter as well, and 
reports from readers show greatly improved 
propagation on 20, 15 and 10 meters. This 
<http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/DSD.txt>table 
shows a new sunspot group on March 23, two more 
groups appeared March 24, two more on March 25 
and another two more on March 27. The latest 
prediction from USAF/NOAA sees improving 
conditions, with the projected solar flux for 
March 31-April 1 at 125 and 130, then 135 on 
April 2-7. The predicted planetary A index is 10 
and 8 on March 31 and April 1, followed by 5 on 
April 2-7 and 8 on April 8. Conditions should be 
very good for the next week, especially when 
compared to this time last year. Look for more 
information on the ARRL website -- including an 
updated forecast and reports from readers, as 
well as the latest 3-month moving average of 
sunspot numbers -- on Friday, April 1. 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 song 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z36r2fmutXQ>Avenue 
Q Theme from the musical <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_Q>Avenue Q.
+ Silent Key: Internet Pioneer Paul Baran, W3KAS (SK)

Paul Baran, W3KAS (SK)

Paul Baran, W3KAS -- an engineer who helped 
create the technical underpinnings for the 
ARPANET, the government-sponsored precursor to 
today's Internet -- died March 27 at his home in 
Palo Alto, California. He was 84. According to 
his son David, the cause of death was related to 
complications from lung cancer. Baran was one of 
the three inventors of packet-switched networks.

In the early 1960s, Baran was working on a 
"survivable" communications system when he 
thought up one of its core concepts: Breaking up 
a single message into smaller pieces, having them 
travel different, unpredictable paths to their 
destination and only then putting them back 
together. It's called packet switching and it's 
how everything still gets to your e-mail inbox. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/internet-pioneer-paul-baran-w3kas-sk>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-03-31&p=2>
+ Silent Key: Owner of Industrial Communication Engineers Mike Koss, W9SU (SK)

Mike Koss, W9SU (left), receives the IRCC 
Technical Excellence Award in 2005 from Jack 
Parker, W8ISH. [Photo courtesy of the ARRL Indiana Section]

Mike Koss, W9SU, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed 
away Monday, March 28. He was 57. According to 
his friend Brian Smith, W9IND, Koss was found on 
his workshop floor and paramedics were unable to 
revive him. Industrial Communications Engineers 
(ICE) is well known in the amateur community for 
surge protectors, line filters, RF switches and more.

On March 31, ICE released the following statement 
concerning the company: "Industrial Communication 
Engineers (ICE), Ltd, its employees and the 
Indianapolis Amateur Radio community mourn the 
passing of company founder Mike Koss, W9SU, on 
March 28, 2011. Due to Mike's sudden and 
unexpected death, ICE has temporarily suspended 
accepting new orders. We are in the process of 
reorganizing the company, as well as identifying 
and fulfilling current open orders and products 
returned for repair. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/owner-of-industrial-communication-engineers-mike-koss-w9su-sk>here.
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * April 2-3 -- Missouri QSO Party; QCWA 
Spring QSO Party; ARCI Spring QSO Party; SP DX Contest; EA RTTY Contest
    * April 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint

Just as in this Gil cartoon from the March 1965 
issue of QST, we, too, must show some patience 
for sunspots. The way Solar Cycle 24 is coming 
along, we are sure to be in for some exciting times on the higher bands!

Next week:
    * April 9 -- PODXS 070 Club PSK 31 Flavors 
Contest (local time); EU Spring Sprint (CW)
    * April 9-10 -- Montana QSO Party; New Mexico 
QSO Party; Georgia QSO Party; JIDX CW Contest
    * April 10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprint; UBA Spring Contest (SSB)
    * April 11 -- 144 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)
    * April 13 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
    * April 13-14 -- 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 2-3 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/new-jersey-state-convention-1>ARRL 
New Jersey State Convention, Ewing, New Jersey
    * 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/northwestern-division-convention-seapac-1>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.

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
    * <http://www.arrl.org/join>Join or Renew 
Today! ARRL membership includes 
<http://www.arrl.org/qst>QST , Amateur Radio's 
most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
    * Subscribe to 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>NCJ<http://www.arrl.org/ncj> 
-- the National Contest Journal . Published 
bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, 
letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
    * Subscribe to 
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>QEX<http://www.arrl.org/qex> 
-- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. 
Published bi-monthly, features technical 
articles, construction projects, columns and 
other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
    * Free of charge to ARRL members: 
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>Subscribe 
to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and 
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest 
Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division 
and Section news alerts -- and much more!
    * Find us on <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>Facebook!
    * ARRL offers a wide array of 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>products to 
enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
    * 
<https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form>Donate 
to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!

Click 
<mailto:ads at arrl.org>here<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2011-03-31&t=r&p=0> 
to advertise in this newsletter.

----------
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times 
each year. ARRL members and registered guests may 
subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing 
their <http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>profile.