[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for August 9, 2012

Thu Aug 9 15:14:25 EDT 2012

********************************************
            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

August 9, 2012

Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA <k1sfa at arrl.org>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- + On the Air: Perseids Should Be Fun for Meteor Scatter Enthusiasts
and Viewers Alike
- + Mars Rover Curiosity Successfully Lands on Red Planet
- + On the Air: ITU Assigns New Prefix for Niue: E6A-E6Z
- On the Air: Explore the Upper Reaches of the Amateur Radio Spectrum
in the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest
- + On the Air: RAC Announces New Ontario Section Boundaries,
Abbreviations
- + FCC News: Vanity Call Sign Fee to Increase September 4
- + FCC News: FCC Denies California Ham's Petition Regarding Vanity
Call Sign
- + NCVEC Holds 2012 Annual Meeting
- Solar Update
- New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>.

==> + ON THE AIR: PERSEIDS SHOULD BE FUN FOR METEOR SCATTER ENTHUSIASTS
AND VIEWERS ALIKE

On the night of Saturday, August 11 and well into the next day, Earth
will make its annual passage through the bulk of the debris shed by a
comet known as Swift-Tuttle
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/109P/Swift-Tuttle>. Much of the debris is
composed of dust-sized grains, but when these fragments come plunging
into our atmosphere they can create a dazzling meteor display. Not only
are the meteors fascinating to watch, they also leave short-lived
streams of ionized gas in their wake. As hams have known for years,
these meteor trails are excellent reflectors of radio waves. The
Swift-Tuttle meteor showers are known as the Perseids
<http://www.amsmeteors.org/2012/08/viewing-the-2012-perseid-meteor-shower/>
because they appear to come from a point in the sky that lies within
the constellation Perseus.

   This year's Perseid meteor shower occurs when the Moon is at a
waning crescent phase, which means bright moonlight won't diminish the
number of visible meteors. According to Spacedex.com
<http://www.spacedex.com/perseids/>, the lack of bright moonlight means
that the fainter meteors should not be concealed from view: "It is
advisable to observe the meteor shower during the predawn hours on the
mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. With up to 60-100 meteors per hour
predicted, observers may catch plenty of bright meteors streaking along
in the light of the Moon." As an added treat, the Moon will be sweeping
past Venus and Jupiter in the eastern predawn sky.

While the meteors are certainly bright, they are typically not much
larger than a grain of sand; however, as they travel at immense speeds,
these tiny particles put on an impressive show. Due to the way the
comet's orbit is tilted, dust from the Swift-Tuttle falls on Earth's
northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, this leads to extremely low
visibility for those in Australia, New Zealand and portions of South
America.

Amateur Radio and the Perseids

If you own a 6 or 2 meter SSB/CW transceiver, you can get in on the
action, bouncing your signals off Perseid meteor trails and making
quick meteor scatter <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_scatter>
contacts over hundreds of miles, and possibly even as much as 1200
miles. Meteor scatter operation is particularly easy on 6 meters where
100 W and an omnidirectional antenna will do the job. On 2 meters, a
directional antenna (such as a multielement Yagi) usually yields better
results.

   Some meteor scatter operators prefer to use SSB, making rapid
exchanges of signal reports and grid squares. In recent years, digital
meteor scatter has been increasing in popularity. With the free
sound-card-based WSJT <http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/>
software suite by Joe Taylor, K1JT, it is possible to make digital
meteor scatter contacts almost any time of the day or night, not just
during annual showers. Most WSJT scatter operators use a mode known as
FSK441 and center their activities on calling frequencies 50.260 and
144.140 MHz. They also announce their availability by using Web sites,
such as N0UK's Ping Jockey Central
<http://www.pingjockey.net/cgi-bin/pingtalk>.

Watching the Perseids

To get the most enjoyment while watching for Perseids, find a dark spot
with an open sky view, bundle up thoroughly in blankets or a sleeping
bag and lie back in a reclining chair. Spacedex.com
<http://www.spacedex.com/perseids/> recommends that once you have
settled down at your observation spot, look approximately half way up
the sky toward the northeast: "This way you can have the Perseids'
radiant within your field of view. Looking directly up at the sky or
into the radiant is not recommended since this is just the point in
which they appear to come from. You are more likely to see a trail when
looking slightly away from this point." Just gaze into the stars and be
patient. Any light pollution will cut down on the numbers, as will the
radiant's lower altitude earlier in the night. But the brightest few
meteors shine right through light pollution, and the few that happen
when the radiant is low are especially long, skimming the upper
atmosphere and flying far across the sky.

   Not all the meteors in the sky are Perseids. In addition to
occasional random, sporadic meteors, the weaker Delta Aquarid shower
<http://meteorshowersonline.com/showers/delta_aquarids.html> is also
active during Perseid season. The Delta Aquarids are slower, often
yellower and track away from a radiant point in eastern Aquarius.
Weaker still are the Kappa Cygnids
<http://www.astronomia.org/shower?la=en&s=KCG>, identifiable by their
flight direction away from Cygnus in an altogether different part of
the sky.

==> + MARS ROVER CURIOSITY SUCCESSFULLY LANDS ON RED PLANET

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) confirmed that the rover Curiosity,
after a 36 week space flight, landed successfully on Mars at 10:32 PM
PDT on August 5 (0532 UTC August 6). Built by JPL and launched on
November 26, 2011, the 2000 pound machine features something on its
wheels that radio amateurs are sure to appreciate: Morse code.

   If you look carefully at Curiosity's wheels, you might notice that
along with treads, there are square and rectangular holes that have an
interesting pattern. According to JPL Rover Mechanical Engineering Team
Manager Richard Rainen, these holes actually have a purpose: odometer
markers. "We will be looking at the visual odometer markers that we
have on the wheels," he explained in a video. "There are asymmetric
patterns, actually holes, inside the wheels of the rover that will
leave an imprint on the surface of Mars. We're going to be looking at
these imprints and verifying that it has traversed the distance it
expects to traverse. If it looks like it's not traversing, even though
the wheels are going, that is an indication that the vehicle is getting
stuck and it will stop and call back home." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/mars-rover-em-curiosity-em-successfully-lands-on-red-planet>.

==> + ON THE AIR: ITU ASSIGNS NEW PREFIX FOR NIUE: E6A-E6Z

   On August 3, the ITU updated its Table of International Call Sign
Series <http://www.itu.int/online/mms/glad/cga_callsign.sh?lng=E> to
reflect a call sign change for Niue. The island will now have the
entire E6 prefix block. Niue -- an island located approximately 1700
miles northeast of New Zealand -- is a self-governing island nation
that has been in free association with New Zealand since 1974. Prior to
the change, the island used ZK2. According to the CIA World Factbook
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ne.html>,
Niue is about 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC, and has a
population of almost 1300 people.

==> ON THE AIR: EXPLORE THE UPPER REACHES OF THE AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM
IN THE ARRL 10 GHZ AND UP CONTEST

   If you enjoy the technical side of Amateur Radio and being on the
cutting edge, you might want to take a look at the microwave bands. The
weekends of August 18-19 and September 15-16 give you a perfect chance
to explore this portion of the radio spectrum with the 2012 ARRL 10 GHz
and Up Contest. The contest period for both weekends starts at 6 AM
local time on Saturday and runs until midnight local time on Sunday.
Points are awarded based on the distance of each QSO, and operating
from several locations during the contest period is not only allowed,
it's encouraged. According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko,
KX9X, most participants use SSB, although some choose to operate using
CW. "Power levels are relatively low compared to HF," he explained.
"Most stations only run several hundred milliwatts, and a station
running just a few watts is considered a 'big gun.' Antennas are
usually dishes, such as those used for receiving satellite TV." Read
more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/explore-the-upper-reaches-of-the-amateur-radio-spectrum-in-the-arrl-10-ghz-and-up-contest>.

==> + ON THE AIR: RAC ANNOUNCES NEW ONTARIO SECTION BOUNDARIES,
ABBREVIATIONS

   In March 2012, the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) announced that it
would split its Ontario Section into four new Sections "to create a
management model that better communicates with, and represents the
interests of, the overall Ontario amateur population." The new Section
boundaries go into effect as of September 1, 2012. On August 8, RAC
Chief Field Services Officer Doug Mercer, VO1DTM/VO1DM, announced the
new Section boundaries, names and abbreviations. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/rac-announces-new-ontario-section-boundaries-abbreviations>.

==> + FCC NEWS: VANITY CALL SIGN FEE TO INCREASE SEPTEMBER 4

On August 3, the FCC announced via a Final Rule in the Federal Register
that the cost of an Amateur Radio vanity call sign will increase 80
cents, from to $14.20 to $15. The new fees take effect 30 days after
publication, making September 4, 2012, the first day the new fee is in
effect. Earlier this year, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking and Order, seeking to raise the fee for Amateur Radio vanity
call signs. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only
when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a
vanity call sign for a new 10 year term. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/vanity-call-sign-fee-to-increase-september-4>.

==> + FCC NEWS: FCC DENIES CALIFORNIA HAM'S PETITION REGARDING VANITY
CALL SIGN

Two years after Marvin Gin, W6VM, passed away on January 13, 2010, his
call sign became available in the FCC's vanity call sign system and
eligible for reassignment to those radio amateurs who hold an Amateur
Extra class license. According to the FCC
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0808/DA-12-1281A1.pdf>,
Mario Vesnaver, W6EX, of Laguna Niguel, California, Steven Greathouse,
AC6EA, of Akron, Ohio, and others "filed timely applications requesting
modification of [their] amateur licenses to reflect call sign W6VM."
Greathouse's application was randomly selected and granted on February
4, 2012.

According to paragraph 32 in a 2006 Report and Order (WT Docket 04-140
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=6518531249>), whenever the
FCC receives an application from more than one amateur on the same day
requesting a vanity call sign, the FCC uses a lottery mechanism to
select the first application to be processed. Via this method,
Greathouse's application was the first one selected and he received
W6VM.

   Vesnaver filed a Petition for Reconsideration with the FCC,
requesting that the Commission review its decision regarding its
assignment of W6VM. "When an amateur is initially licensed, the
Commission assigns the station the next available call sign based on
the licensee's geographic region and license class [as affirmed in WT
Docket 09-209 <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7021755180>]"
the FCC stated in denying Vesnaver's Petition. "You argue that Mr
Greathouse's application should not have been granted because, at the
time he requested call sign W6VM, he lived in Ohio, which is in the
sequential call sign system's 8th call sign district."

The FCC stated that when it adopted the rules for the vanity call sign
system, it addressed whether a vanity call sign applicant should be
limited to requesting only those call signs for the region where the
licensee resides. The FCC chose not adopt such a restriction, noting in
PR Docket 93-305
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-94-343A1.pdf>
that "'the applicant's choice of vanity call signs would be reduced to
ten percent or less of the call signs that would otherwise be
assignable to the station. A limitation based upon the person's place
of residence, moreover, could easily be circumvented by using a mailing
address in another call sign region.' Other than a call sign in Alaska,
Hawaii, the Caribbean Insular Areas and the Pacific Insular areas, the
licensee of an amateur station with a mailing address in the United
States may apply for any available call sign corresponding to an
appropriate license class."

Based upon its procedures, the FCC concluded that its assignment of
W6VM was "proper" and denied Vesnaver's Petition.

==> + NCVEC HOLDS 2012 ANNUAL MEETING

   Larry Pollock, NB5X, Chairman of the National Conference of
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, presided over the NCVEC's 27th annual
meeting, held via teleconference on July 20. The meeting offered an
opportunity for representatives of the VECs to discuss issues facing
the volunteer examination program and interact with FCC staff members.
Representatives from 13 of the nation's 14 VECs took part in the
teleconference. ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, and ARRL VEC
Assistant Manager Perry Green, WY1O, represented the ARRL VEC. Read
more here <http://www.arrl.org/news/ncvec-holds-2012-annual-meeting>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad "Sunrise, sunset <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLEBAQLZ3Q>"
Cook, K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot numbers rose more than
20 points this week -- or about 20 percent -- to 119.4, while the
average daily solar flux was up 3 points to 134.7. Geomagnetic activity
was quiet, with unsettled conditions around August 2. The NOAA/USAF
prediction has solar flux at 130 on August 9-10, 125 on August 11-13,
then 115, 110, 105, 90 and 95 on August 14-18, back up to 100 on August
19-20, then 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140 and 145 on August 21-28,
then 140 on August 29-31. The predicted planetary A index is 10 on
August 9, 5 on August 10-18, 8 on August 19-20, and 5 on August 21-23,
and 8 on August 24-25, and 12 on August 26. Look for more on the ARRL
website on Friday, August 10. For more information concerning radio
propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation
page <http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof>.

==> NEW QUICKSTATS POLL NOW AVAILABLE ON ARRL WEBSITE

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

   Questions in this month's QuickStats poll:

- How often do you use EchoLink or IRLP?
- What is your favorite HF band?
- How many Amateur Radio books do you own?
- Do you prefer to send paper QSLs to your DX contacts directly or via
the QSL Bureau system?

Visit the QuickStats page <http://www.arrl.org/quickstats> and be sure
to bookmark it in your browser. Results from this QuickStats poll will
be published in the November 2012 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.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- August 10 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 11-12 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party; WAE DX Contest (CW)
- August 12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon; Feld Hell Sprint
- August 15 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

Next week:

- August 17 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 18-19 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (local time)
<http://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up>; SARTG Worldwide RTTY Contest; North
American QSO Party (SSB)
- August 19 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (RTTY)
<http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup>
- August 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
- August 22 -- SKCC Sprint
- August 22-23 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test

All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest
Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests>, the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update> and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more
information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out
the ARRL Special Event Stations web page
<http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations>.

==> UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS

- August 11 -- ARRL Ohio State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ohio-state-convention>, Columbus, Ohio
- August 18 -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-virginia-state-convention-2>,
Weston, West Virginia
- August 18-19 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-huntsville-hamfest>,
Huntsville, Alabama
- August 19 -- ARRL Kansas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/kansas-state-convention-2>, Salina,
Kansas
- August 24-26 -- ARRL New England Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/new-england-division-convention-1>,
Boxboro, Massachusetts
- August 26 -- ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/western-pennsylvania-section-convention-2>,
New Kensington, Pennsylvania
- September 14-15 -- W9DXCC Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/w9dxcc-convention-2>, Elk Grove Village,
Illinois
- September 15 -- ARRL Virginia Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/virginia-section-convention-virginia-beach-hamfest>,
Virginia Beach, Virginia
- September 22 -- ARRL Washington State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/washington-state-convention-36th-annual-spokane-hamfest>,
Spokane Valley, Washington
- September 22-23 -- ARRL Illinois State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/illinois-state-convention-peoria-superfest-2012>,
Peoria, Illinois
- September 28-29 -- SEDCO/W4DXCC VIII Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sedco-w4dxcc-viii-convention>, Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee
- October 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-national-convention-pacificon-2012>,
Santa Clara, California
- October 13 -- ARRL Iowa State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-state-convention-hamboree-2012>,
Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
- October 13-14 -- ARRL Florida State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/florida-state-convention-melbourne-hamfest-1>,
Melbourne, Florida
- November 3-4 -- ARRL Georgia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-stone-mountain-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia
- November 4 -- ARRL Iowa Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-section-convention-41st-annual-drac-hamfest-computer-show%27>,
Davenport, Iowa
- November 10 -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-1>, Montgomery,
Alabama
- November 17-18 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/indiana-state-convention-fort-wayne-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida

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

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