[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for July 11, 2013

Thu Jul 11 13:52:01 EDT 2013

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

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

July 11, 2013

Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww1me 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

- Regulatory: ARRL to FCC: Changes to Encryption Rules Not Necessary
- Radiosport: IARU 2013 Contest Features "HQ" Stations, WRTC-2014
Station Test
- Radiosport: CQ World Wide DX Contest Rules Get Complete Rewrite
- Emergency Radio: New Mexico ARES Units Support Wildfire
Communications
- Emergency Radio: ARRL to Host Hurricane Season Webinar
- International: HAM RADIO 2013 Draws 15,300 Visitors
- International: India Flooding Renews Community Interest in Amateur
Radio for Emergencies
- International: Canada Seeks New 472-479 kHz Ham Band
- DX: ARRL Announces Colvin Awards to DXpeditions
- APRS: "Golden Packet" Volunteers Wanted
- ARRL Board of Directors to Meet
- Wayne Smith, VO1TA/VO1WET, SK
- Getting It Right
- Solar Update
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

==> REGULATORY: ARRL TO FCC: CHANGES TO ENCRYPTION RULES NOT NECESSARY

The ARRL is calling on the FCC to deny a Petition for Rule Making
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022424684> (RM-11699)
seeking to permit the encryption of certain amateur communications
during emergency operations or related training exercises. Don Rolph,
AB1PH, of East Walpole, Massachusetts, petitioned the Commission in
March to suggest an additional exception to §97.113, which currently
prohibits "messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their
meaning."

"While Mr Rolph has concisely stated his argument, it is ARRL's
considered view that there is no factual or legal basis for the
assumption that encryption of transmissions...is necessary in order to
continue and enhance the utility of Amateur Radio emergency and
disaster relief communications," the League said in its comments
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/FCC%20Documents/Comments%20RM-11699%20FINAL%20Version%202.pdf>
filed July 8 with the FCC. The ARRL also turned away Rolph's assertion
that the current prohibition in §97.113 "has impacted the relationship
of

   Amateur Radio volunteers and served agencies and significantly
limited the effectiveness of amateurs in supporting emergency
communications." The League said it's unaware of any evidence that
served agencies have been reluctant to utilize Amateur Radio as part of
their emergency or disaster relief communications plans because of the
encryption restrictions in Part 97. The Amateur Service rule is based
on a similar prohibition in international telecommunication law, the
ARRL noted.

The League characterized as "erroneous" and "unfounded" Rolph's
assumption that encryption of certain information may be required under
the provisions of HIPAA -- the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. The League also said it was unaware of any instance
in which state statutes have been cited by any served agency or group
as a reason not to employ Amateur Radio for emergency communication.

Radio amateurs, the ARRL countered, are not "covered entities" under
HIPAA, which applies only to health care providers, health plans and
health care clearinghouses. And, the League added, there is no
expectation of privacy in Amateur Radio communications.

More than 200 comments were filed on RM-11699, most of them tending to
support the ARRL's arguments. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-urges-denial-of-petition-to-permit-encryption-of-some-emergency-communications>.

==> RADIOSPORT: IARU 2013 CONTEST FEATURES "HQ" STATIONS, WRTC-2014
STATION TEST

Participants in the 2013 the IARU HF World Championship
<http://www.arrl.org/iaru-hf-championship> this weekend, July 13-14,
not only will be looking to work "HQ" or headquarters station this year
but WRTC-2014 test stations. The contest starts at 1200 UTC and ends 24
hours later. The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC
<http://www.pvrc.org/>) will field "headquarters" stations W1AW and

   NU1AW on behalf of the ARRL and the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org>), respectively. Working headquarters
stations of IARU member-societies around the world provide additional
scoring multipliers. Steve Bookout, NR4M, heads the W1AW/4 team, while
Frank Donovan, W3LPL, leads the NU1AW/3 team. Operations will be spread
among more than a dozen stations in the club's coverage area, all
staffed by PVRC members. W1AW/4 and NU1AW/3 will be active on all
modes, 160 through 10 meters.

Active IARU member-society HQ stations will send signal report and
official IARU member-society abbreviation, such as "ARRL" or "IARU."
Participating members of the IARU Administrative Council will send
"AC," while members of the three IARU regional executive committees
will send "R1," "R2" or "R3" as appropriate. All other participants
will send signal report and ITU zone
<http://www.iaru.org/regions.html>. As ARRL Contest Branch Manager Mike
DeChristopher, N1TA, points out, the IARU contest is the only one to
use ITU zones in the exchange, and the only event to count IARU
member-society stations and IARU officials as multipliers.
DeChristopher says the IARU is a fun contest for the beginners and
veterans alike. "The short format of the contest means a fast-paced
weekend," he adds.

As part of the run-up to World Radio Team Championship 2014 (WRTC-2014
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/>), the international event's organizing
committee will have 25 "future WRTC" stations on the air during the
IARU contest for a capability and training test
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition/2013-station-test/>. WRTCs run
concurrently with the IARU HF World Championship, and the 2014 event
will see 65 stations on the

   air from various locations in New England. Organizers say the goals
of the 2013 station test are to expand the pool of experienced teams
for station setup, evaluate proposed site locations, confirm logistics
and procedures and gather log data under competition conditions. A
similar test was conducted in 2012. The WRTC test stations will be
active on 80 through 10 meters, CW and SSB, and many will use WRTC-2014
equipment configuration and scoring rules.

WRTC-2014 Co-Chair Randy Thompson, K5ZD, says one goal of the station
test is to make sure that the signals of all competitor stations
compare favorably with one another. Organizers will compare the test
stations' signals via the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN). "We are asking
all of our 25 stations to be on CW on certain bands and times with
their beams in a specific direction," Thompson said. WRTC-2014 has
posted a schedule
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/station-test-schedule-for-signal-testing/> of
times, bands and beam heading as well as a list of active test stations
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition/2013-station-test/>. -- Thanks to
PVRC, The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> and WRTC-2014

==> RADIOSPORT: CQ WORLD WIDE DX CONTEST RULES GET COMPLETE REWRITE

The sponsor of the CQ World Wide DX Contest, arguably the premier
events of the contest season, has completely rewritten the contest
<http://www.cqww.com/rules.htm>

   rules <http://www.cqww.com/rules.htm>, effective with this fall's
SSB and CW weekends (RTTY is not affected)s. "The CQ WW DX Contest
rules have evolved for over 50 years," said Contest Manager Randy
Thompson, K5ZD, in announcing <http://cqww.com/blog/?p=178> the updates
July 1.

"Changes in technology, operating practices and enforcement efforts
caused the rules to become increasingly complex." The primary goal of
the rewrite, he said, was "to make the rules simpler and easier to
understand." The rewrite already has generated considerable online
discussion.

One change offers a "Classic Overlay" category for single-operator,
all-band entries. "The Classic Overlay category is intended for the
radio purists who want to participate in the most traditional way,"
Thompson explained. Entrants will use a single radio and operate
without outside assistance, and only the first 24 hours of actual
operating time will count toward the operator's score. Also new is a
"Rookie Overlay" category for operators licensed 3 years or less. The
CQ WW is doing away with the "Xtreme Contesting" and "Team Competition"
categories, and "Checklog" is now listed as a noncompetitive entry
category.

The rewrite creates two categories of Club Competition -- US and DX.
Entrants must log contacts as they occur and may not edit their logs
after the contest ends. The updated rules also address "unsportsmanlike
conduct," such as having an excessive bandwidth, and disqualifications.
"Red and Yellow cards have been removed in favor of one action --
disqualification," Thompson noted.

==> EMERGENCY RADIO: NEW MEXICO ARES UNITS SUPPORT WILDFIRE
COMMUNICATIONS

New Mexico Amateur Radio operators assisted local government officials
in the wake of the Tres Lagunas wildfire in steep, rugged terrain 15
north of Pecos. The San Miguel, New Mexico, Amateur Radio Emergency
Service (ARES <http://www.arrl.org/ares>) team activated May 31 in
response to a request from the county's emergency manager to support
communication for the San Miguel County EOC in Pecos. The blaze, aided
by high winds and dry conditions, covered more than 10,200 acres and
the cause was attributed to a downed power line.

"San Miguel ARES provided communications support for 5 days at the
county communications trailer at Pecos High School," reported New

   Mexico ARRL SEC Michael Scales, K5SCA. "Ten San Miguel ARES hams
were involved." ARES team members operated radios in the EOC,
maintained a relay station in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and traveled with
three volunteer fire departments in the county, Scales added, while
Santa Fe ARES remained on standby during the period, in case additional
resources were needed.

Scales says ARES also provided communication support to the San Miguel
County emergency operations in Pecos, the New Mexico State EOC
operations in Pecos, the county evacuation shelter at Pecos High School
and three volunteer fire departments conducting patrols near the Tres
Lagunas fire looking for spot fires and assisting people with
respiratory problems. Responding to a request from the county emergency
manager, San Miguel ARES offered communication support to state police
in the Pecos area, since cell phone service was down in, although the
assistance was not needed. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/new-mexico-ares-units-support-wildfire-communications>.
-- Michael A. Scales, K5SCA; InciWeb.org

==> EMERGENCY RADIO: ARRL TO HOST HURRICANE SEASON WEBINAR

The ARRL will host a webinar
<https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/249211478> Monday, July 15,
8-9:30 PM EDT [July 16, 0000-0130 UTC] to present information about the
2013 hurricane season and the Amateur Radio response. The program will
offer presentations from representatives from the National Hurricane
Center <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov>

   and WX4NHC <http://www2.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw/>, the VoIP Hurricane Net
<http://www.voipwx.net/>, the Hurricane Watch <http://www.hwn.org/> Net
and the ARRL. Webinar registration is open to all, but will be of
particular interest to radio amateurs in hurricane-prone areas. If you
are interested in emergency communication and hurricane preparedness
and response, you are invited to attend this online presentation.

Topics will include a meteorological overview of the upcoming season,
Amateur Radio station WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org/> at the National
Hurricane Center: Who We Are and What We Do, ARRL Media and Public
Relations, the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane Watch Net, the
VoIP <http://www.voipwx.net/> Hurricane Net, and ARRL coordination and
interface. The session will conclude with a Q&A session. Register
online <https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/576734926>. -- Mike
Corey, KI1U, ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager

==> INTERNATIONAL: HAM RADIO 2013 DRAWS 15,300 VISITORS

The 2013 HAM RADIO
<http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en/index.php> international
Amateur Radio exhibition June 28-30 in Friedrichshafen, Germany,
reports a count of 15,300 attendees, up from 14,800 visitors in 2012.
"Ham Radio riding on a wave of success," trumpets a "Final Report,"
released this week. The theme of the 38th "Friedrichshafen," as the
event is familiarly known, was "The Amateur Radio Adventure:
DXpedition." Some 200 exhibitors and organizations from 33 countries
were on hand to display and demonstrate their latest products. "This
gratifying trend underscores the interest in a hamfest that didn't see
the participation of some of the larger dealers this year," remarked
the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC <http://www.darc.de/>) on its
website. DARC is the noncommercial sponsor of the international Amateur
Radio exhibition. Europe's largest ham radio gathering, the DARC said,
offers "last but not least the best opportunity to meet Amateur Radio
friends from around the world."

"It was a great show," said ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob

   Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who posted photos and comments
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151542482817408.1073741834.20069212407&type=1&l=e6ea4ceaef>
on Facebook. "Crowds seemed very good -- representing a broad
demographic of men and women and plenty of young adults." Inderbitzen
said his favorite part of the convention was the exhibit area occupied
by many of the IARU member-societies. He characterized it as "a melting
pot of people, cultures, and language, all drawn together by their
common interest in Amateur Radio."

Also attending HAM RADIO 2013 on the behalf of the League were ARRL
International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB, and HQ staff
members Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and Dave Patton, NN1N.

==> INTERNATIONAL: INDIA FLOODING RENEWS COMMUNITY INTEREST IN AMATEUR
RADIO FOR EMERGENCIES

The Times of India <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com> reports
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Ham-radio-in-Valparai-likely-in-a-months-time/articleshow/20903725.cms>
that the recent monsoon flooding disaster in the northern India state
of Uttarakhand has prompted officials in other flood-prone regions to
establish Amateur Radio facilities to provide emergency communication.
In the Coimbatore sub-district (taluk) of Valparai in the state of
Tamil Nadu, recent rain damage led to a decision to install a ham radio
station to link local government with officials further up the
administrative hierarchy in Coimbatore and Pollachi. The Amateur Radio
Club in Pollachi, the Times reports, has said it would establish the
station free of cost, to support emergency communication in disasters.

"The Uttarakhand <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Uttarakhand>
disaster has prompted us to approach the authorities

   with such a proposal. The permission is expected to be granted soon
and the radio station will be a reality in another month," the paper
quotes K. Ibrahim, VU3IRH, of the Pollachi Amateur Radio Club.

Kasi Viswanathan, VU2FFM, from Udumalpet, who is also part of the
project, said, "In Uttarakhand, ham radio operators are playing a
pivotal role in coordinating rescue works as normal telecommunication
gave way in several places. Effective and fast communication is
necessary to deal with emergencies." He said Valparai officials have
shown great interest in learning about Amateur Radio. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/india-flooding-renews-community-interest-in-amateur-radio-for-emergencies>.
-- Times of India <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com>; Jim Linton,
VK3PC

==> INTERNATIONAL: CANADA SEEKS NEW 472-479 KHZ HAM BAND

Canada has proposed creating a new MF Amateur Radio band at 472-479
kHz. The 7 kilohertz sliver of spectrum would be available to hams on a
secondary basis. The new 630 meter band was proposed in a Consultation
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10592.html> released in
June by Industry Canada <http://www.ic.gc.ca/Intro.html>, the nation's
radiocommunication regulator. It proposed numerous revisions to

   Canada's table of allocations warranted in the wake of World
Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC-12). Last year the ARRL asked
the FCC in 2012 to carve out the same band for US hams.

"It is good to see the progress that our neighbors to the north are
making in implementing the new 472-479 kHz amateur allocation," said
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We hope the FCC will act soon on the
petition <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022073018> that
the ARRL filed on November 29, 2012, to achieve this goal for amateurs
in the United States."

Newfoundland LF/MF enthusiast Joe Craig, VO1NA, says he's looking
forward to making many domestic and even transatlantic contacts -- and
eventually American amateurs -- on 630 meters. "I am happy to learn
that we are a step closer to getting the new 472-479 kHz band," he told
ARRL. Craig believes the new band will appeal to a wider group of hams
than the more-demanding LF allocations. "Transatlantic QSOs, though
challenging, should be fairly common using conventional CW and digital
modes," he predicted. "You will probably have to homebrew your
transmitter, but many new HF transceivers can receive on 472 kHz."

Last November the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making and
Order
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db1119/FCC-12-140A1.pdf>
(ET Docket 12-338) proposing the creation of a new LF ham band at 135.7
to 137.8 kHz. Canadian hams already have such an allocation. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/canada-seeks-new-472-479-khz-ham-band>.

==> DX: ARRL ANNOUNCES COLVIN AWARDS TO DXPEDITIONS

The ARRL has made Colvin Award
<http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants> grants to help support three
upcoming DXpeditions. Recipients are the K9W Wake Atoll
<http://wake2013.org/>, T33A Banaba Island <http://www.t33a.com/> and
FT5ZM Amsterdam Island
<http://www.mdxc.org/04/ft5zm-%E2%80%93-amsterdam-island-dxpedition-2014/>
DXpeditions. The K9W DXpedition is scheduled for September-October
2013, the T33A DXpedition for November 2013 and the FT5ZM DXpedition
for January-February 2014.

The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment established by Lloyd

   Colvin, W6KG (SK), who, with his wife Iris, W6QL (SK), logged more
than 1 million contacts during their world travels, assembling one of
the largest QSL collections in the world. Approximately $6000 in annual
investment income is available.

The Colvin Award is conferred in the form of grants in support of
Amateur Radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field
of DX. Applicants must be groups with a favorable track record in the
field of DX and with experience that is directly related to the project
being proposed. Proposed projects must have as a goal a significant
achievement in the field of DX.

==> APRS: "GOLDEN PACKET" VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, is seeking volunteer mountaintop packet operators
for the Golden Packet <http://aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html> event
Saturday, July 20, noon until 4 PM. Primary needs are in New Hampshire,
Massachusetts (Mount Greylock), New York (Sam's Point), and North
Carolina/Tennessee (Clingmans Dome, Roan Mountain). "Think of this as
packet radio Field Day!" says Bruninga, who developed the Automatic
Packet Reporting System (APRS <http://www.aprs.org>).

The Golden Packet event is an annual attempt to send an APRS packet
message from Georgia to Maine along the Appalachian Mountain Chain.
"All you need is an APRS radio that can digipeat, a power source and an
antenna." Bruninga says all of the sites are accessible by vehicle
except Sam's Point in New York. Volunteers who can activate one of the
five locations should visit the Golden Packet
<http://aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html> site. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/golden-packet-volunteers-wanted>. -- AMSAT
<http://www.amsat.org> BB

==> ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO MEET

The ARRL Board of Directors will meet July 19-20 in Windsor,
Connecticut. Attending as guests will be International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org>) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC <http://www.rac.ca>) President Geoff
Bawden, VE4BAW. The Board will hear reports of officers and of several
committees.

==> WAYNE SMITH, VO1TA/VO1WET, SK

Contester and DXer Wayne Smith, VO1TA/VO1WET, of Heart's
Delight-Islington, Newfoundland, died unexpectedly July 1. He was 59.
Smith was a contester and ARRL DXCC Honor Roll DXer, who operated from
1.8 to 50 MHz, CW and SSB. He served in the Radio Amateurs of Canada
Newfoundland-Labrador Field Organization. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/contester-and-dxer-wayne-smith-vo1ta-vo1wet-sk>.
-- The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>, Joe Craig, VO1NA

==> GETTING IT RIGHT

To clarify the association memberships of DXCC Honor Roll Member Ivy
"Keith" Luke, W5AV, who died April 11 (The ARRL Letter, July 4, 2013),
Luke was a former member of the Magnolia DX Association and a current
member of the 599 DX Association. -- Thanks to Floyd Gerald, N5FG

==> SOLAR UPDATE

Solar sage Tad Cook, K7RA <k7ra at arrl.net>, reports: Average daily
sunspot numbers over the past week rose by more than 23 points to
109.4. Average daily solar flux was up nearly 21 points to 127.9. Two
days, July 6 and July 10, had the most geomagnetic activity, with a
planetary A index of 25 on July 10.

   July 7 had a solar flux forecast of 145 on July 11-12, and 150 on
July 13-15, but, alas, this was scaled back. The latest forecast calls
for solar flux at 115 on July 11-14, then 120, 125 and 120 on July
15-17, 125 on July 18-20, then 120, 110 and 105 on July 21-23, 100 on
July 24-25, 105 on July 26, and 110 on July 27-28.

Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 12, 20, 12, 8 and 10 on July
11-17, then 15 on July 18-21, 8 on July 22, and 5 on July 23 to August
3.

On July 10 at 0710 UTC Australia's IPS Radio and Space Services
<http://www.ips.gov.au/> issued a geomagnetic disturbance warning for
July 10 noting a coronal mass ejection and that the Bz component of the
interplanetary magnetic field was pointing south.

In Friday's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from
readers. For more information about solar phenomena and an explanation
of terms, see "Understanding Solar Indices
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/0209038.pdf>,"
by Ian Poole, G3YWX, which appeared in the September 2002 issue of QST.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

- July 13-14 --IARU HF World Championship
- July 13-14 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
- July 14 -- CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush
- July 18 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
- July 18 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship, Data
- July 19 -- QRP Fox Hunt

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

- July 19-21 -- Montana State Convention <http://www.gwhamfest.org/>,
East Glacier, Montana
- July 25-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
<http://www.csvhfs.org/2013conference/>, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
- July 26-27 -- ARRL Oklahoma State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-state-convention-ham-holiday-1>,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- August 2-3 -- ARRL Texas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/texas-state-convention-austin-summerfest-2013>,
Austin, Texas
- August 2-4 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacific-northwest-dx-convention-2>,
Spokane Valley, Washington
- August 3 -- Great Lakes Division Convention
<http://arrl-greatlakes.org/convention.html>, Columbus, Ohio
- August 9-11 -- New Mexico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/Events/view/21836>, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- August 17 -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-virginia-state-convention-3>,
Weston, West Virginia
- August 17-18 -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-huntsville-hamfest-1>,
Huntsville, Alabama
- August 18 -- ARRL Kansas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/kansas-state-convention-3>, Salina,
Kansas
- August 25 -- ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/western-pennsylvania-section-convention-3>,
New Kensington, Pennsylvania
- August 31-September 1 -- North Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-section-convention-shelby-hamfest>,
Shelby, North Carolina
- September 6-8 -- Southwestern Division Convention (SWHAMCOM)
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southwestern-division-convention-swhamcon>,
Buellton, California
- September 14 -- Roanoke Division Convention <http://vbhamfest.com/>,
Virginia Beach, Virginia
- September 20-21 -- W9DXCC Convention <http://www.w9dxcc.com/>, Elk
Grove Village, Illinois
- September 27-28 -- SEDCO/W4DXCC <http://w4dxcc.com/> Convention,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- September 28 -- North Dakota State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-dakota-state-convention>, West
Fargo, North Dakota
- September 28 -- Washington State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/washington-state-convention-spokane-hamfest>,
Spokane Valley, Washington
- September 29 -- EmComm East Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/emcomm-east-convention-2>, Rochester, New
York

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

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