[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for March 14, 2013

Thu Mar 14 14:57:14 EDT 2013

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

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

March 14, 2013

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

- + Solar Cycle 24 May Have "Double Peaks," Says NASA Solar Physicist
- + Amateur Radio in the Classroom: DARA to Provide Financial Support
for Advanced Teachers Institute Session
- + Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, Takes APRS Underground
- + Amateur Radio in Space: Astronauts Return to Earth from ISS; Watch
Live on NASA TV
- Two New Books for Your Amateur Radio Library
- + W1AW Announces 2013 Spring Operating Schedule
- + ARRL, Microsoft Resolve E-mail Blockage
- Solar Update
- + US Postal Service Introduces Global Forever Stamp
- British Ham Receives 2012 Cass Award

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

There will be no ARRL Audio News on Thursday, March 21. The ARRL Letter
will be distributed on its regular schedule that day. The ARRL Audio
News will return March 28.

==> + SOLAR CYCLE 24 MAY HAVE "DOUBLE PEAKS," SAYS NASA SOLAR PHYSICIST

 <http://www.arrl.org/images/view/News/doublepeak.jpg>	 According to
NASA, the current solar cycle -- Solar Cycle 24 -- should hit its
"solar max" sometime in this year, but so far, solar activity has been
relatively low. According to an article by NASA's Dr Tony Phillips,
this period of quiet has led some observers to wonder if forecasters
missed the mark. But solar physicist Dean Pesnell of NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center has a different explanation: "This is solar
maximum. But it looks different from what we expected because it is
double peaked." Pesnell noted similarities between the current cycle
and Solar Cycle 14, which happened between February 1902 and August
1913 and experienced a double peak. If the two cycles are in fact
twins, he said that "it would mean one peak in late 2013 and another in
2015." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/solar-cycle-24-may-have-double-peaks-says-nasa-solar-physicist>.

==> + AMATEUR RADIO IN THE CLASSROOM: DARA TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOR ADVANCED TEACHERS INSTITUTE SESSION

   The ARRL is preparing to present the 2013 sessions of its popular
Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology this summer. For the fourth
year in a row, the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) will provide
financial support for the advanced session of the Teachers Institute
(TI-2). The TI-2 session -- Remote Sensing and Data Gathering -- will
be held July 22-25 at DARA's new classroom facility at their clubhouse
in Dayton, Ohio. In addition, there will be two basic Teachers
Institute sessions (TI-1) this summer: One at ARRL Headquarters in
Newington, Connecticut (July 8-11) and one at Parallax, Inc in Rocklin,
California (July 15-18). Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/dara-to-provide-financial-support-for-advanced-teachers-institute-session>.

==> + BOB BRUNINGA, WB4APR, TAKES APRS UNDERGROUND

   Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, led a group of radio amateurs earlier this
month to Mammoth Cave -- the world's longest known cave system -- at
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky to test how the Automatic Packet
Reporting System (APRS) can be used as a means to extend radio
communications underground. "When used underground, VHF and UHF radios
can only work within a few hundred feet of each other and only when in
the line of sight of another radio," Bruninga explained. "This makes
routine use of these radios of little value when underground; however,
when APRS radios act as packet digipeaters, these few hundreds of feet
can be extended by an order of magnitude." Bruninga, a senior research
engineer at the US Naval Academy, developed APRS as a global, on-air
protocol for supporting handheld position reporting and text messaging
via VHF radio. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/bob-bruninga-wb4apr-takes-aprs-underground>.

==> + AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: ASTRONAUTS RETURN TO EARTH FROM ISS;
WATCH LIVE ON NASA TV

   After spending 143 days in space, Expedition 34 Commander Kevin
Ford, KF5GPP, Russian Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Russian Flight
Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin (both of the Russian Federal Space Agency)
will begin their voyage home to Earth on Thursday, March 14, marking
the end of Expedition 34 on board the International Space Station
(ISS). The trio will undock their Soyuz spacecraft at 8:30 PM EDT (0030
UTC on Friday, March 15) for the flight home. They are scheduled to
arrive in Arkalyk, Kazakhstan almost four hours later at 11:57 PM EDT
(0357 UTC on Friday, March 15). NASA will televise the farewell
ceremony, as well as the undocking of the Soyuz craft, its launch and
its landing in Kazakhstan live on NASA TV. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/astronauts-return-to-earth-from-iss-next-week-watch-live-on-nasa-tv>.

==> TWO NEW BOOKS FOR YOUR AMATEUR RADIO LIBRARY

The ARRL has released two new books: Ham Radio for Arduino and PICAXE
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-for-Arduino-and-PICAXE/> edited by
Leigh L. Klotz Jr, WA5ZNU, and Radio Science for the Radio Amateur
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Radio-Science-for-the-Radio-Amateur/> by Eric
Nichols, KL7AJ.

Ham Radio for Arduino and PICAXE

   Microcontroller technology has exploded in popularity among ham
radio operators. The new generation of single-board microcontrollers is
easier than ever to use, bringing together hardware and software for
project building that radio amateurs can easily dive into. With
inexpensive microcontroller platforms -- such as the popular
open-source Arduino board -- readily available parts, components and
accessory boards, you can create beacon transmitters, keyers, antenna
position control, RTTY and digital mode decoders, waterfall displays
and more.

Editor Leigh L. Klotz Jr, WA5ZNU, has assembled this first edition of
Ham Radio for Arduino and PICAXE to help introduce radio amateurs to
the fun and rewards of experimenting with microcontrollers. Klotz and
other contributors have designed projects that will enhance your ham
radio station and operating capabilities, or you can use these projects
as a launch pad for creating your own projects.

Radio Science for the Radio Amateur

   In Radio Science for the Radio Amateur, Eric Nichols, KL7AJ,
explores and explains the often profound differences between science
and technology, dispelling the notion that we know all there is to know
about radio. Using a fresh, playful approach, Nichols guides readers
through some of the most fascinating "nooks and crannies" of the radio
universe. Along the way, you'll find out how solving long-standing
mysteries of radio -- of which there are still many -- doesn't require
expensive hardware, but merely a scientific mindset and attention to
detail.

These new publications are available from your ARRL Dealer
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-publication-dealers> or the ARRL Store
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-for-Arduino-and-PICAXE/>. Ham Radio
for Arduino and PICAXE
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-for-Arduino-and-PICAXE/> (ARRL
Order No. 3244), ISBN 978-0-87259-324-4, $34.95 retail, special ARRL
Member Price $29.95, plus shipping; Radio Science for the Radio Amateur
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Radio-Science-for-the-Radio-Amateur/> (ARRL
Order No. 3381), ISBN 978-0-87259-338-1, $27.95 retail, special ARRL
Member Price $24.95, plus shipping.

==> + W1AW ANNOUNCES 2013 SPRING OPERATING SCHEDULE

With the switch from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time this past
weekend, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, has updated the W1AW
operating schedule to reflect the change. Your local standard times
have not changed, but the UTC times they reference have. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/w1aw-announces-2013-spring-operating-schedule>.

==> + ARRL, MICROSOFT RESOLVE E-MAIL BLOCKAGE

   After more than 20,000 ARRL members had their arrl.net and arrl.org
e-mails blocked by Microsoft
<http://www.arrl.org/news/more-than-20-000-b-arrl-net-b-b-arrl-org-b-e-mail-addresses-blocked-by-microsoft>,
the issue has been resolved. According to ARRL Information Technology
Manager Michael Keane, K1MK, Microsoft told the ARRL that the mail
blockage from ARRL servers to Microsoft domains (including msn.com,
hotmail.com, live.com and outlook.com) was mitigated as of Sunday,
March 10.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar indicators were mixed this week, with
the average daily sunspot number down 8.4 points to 84.9, while the
average daily solar flux rose 5.9 points to 118.5. Geomagnetic indices
were much quieter, with the average planetary A index down 4.7 points
to 4.4 and the average mid-latitude A index down 5 points to 3.9. The
predicted solar flux for March 14-15 is 120, then 115 on March 16-17,
110 on March 18-20, 105 on March 21, 95 on March 22-24, 100 on March
25-26, 105 on March 27, 110 on March 28-31, 115 on April 1-3, and then
peaking around 120 on April 4-11. The predicted planetary A index on
March 14-16 is 8, 20 and 12, indicating more geomagnetic activity
similar to March 1-2. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on March
17-20, 8 on March 21, 5 on March 22-27, 18 and 10 on March 28-29, and
back down to 5 on March 30-April 16. Look for more on the ARRL website
on Friday, March 15. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> + US POSTAL SERVICE INTRODUCES GLOBAL FOREVER STAMP

   In addition to an increase
<http://www.arrl.org/news/postage-rates-to-rise-this-month> in postal
rates in January 2013, the US Postal Service introduced a new Global
Forever First-Class Mail International stamp
<http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_011.htm>.
Priced at $1.10 each and offered in a pane of 20, the new stamp offers
a single price for any First-Class Mail International 1-ounce letter to
any country in the world, as well as 2-ounce letters to Canada. The
stamp is available online <http://www.usps.com/stamps>, at post offices
in the US or by calling 1-800-782-6724. -- Thanks to ARRL Oklahoma
Section Manager Kevin O'Dell, N0IRW, for the information.

==> BRITISH HAM RECEIVES 2012 CASS AWARD

   Rob Chipperfield, M0VFC/ZD9UW, of Cambridge, England, received the
2012 Single-Operator Cass Award. The Cass Award
<http://www.cassaward.com/> -- a monetary award of $1000 -- is offered
as an incentive to encourage DXpedition operating excellence, and to
encourage DXpeditions to maximize the number of different DXers worked.
Chipperfield received the award for working 3362 unique stations over
his four-day DXpedition to Tristan da Cunha in October 2012. In order
to qualify for the award <http://www.cassaward.com/#rules>, he had to
use radio transmitting and receiving equipment that he brought to
Tristan da Cunha, as well as antennas that he either brought to Tristan
da Cunha or that he constructed from local materials. The Cass Award is
named in honor of Hugh "Cass" Cassidy, WA6AUD (SK), who published the
West Coast DX Bulletin from 1968-1979.

This Week in Radiosport

This week:

- March 15 -- NCCC Sprint
- March 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint; AGCW VHF/UHF Contest
- March 16-17 -- Virginia QSO Party; Russian DX Contest
- March 16-18 -- BARTG HF RTTY Contest
- March 17 -- North American Sprint (SSB)
- March 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
- March 21 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

Next week:

- March 22 -- NCCC Sprint
- March 24 -- UBA Spring Contest (SSB)
- March 27 -- SKCC Sprint
- March 27 28 -- 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

- March 16 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nebraska-state-convention-2>, Lincoln,
Nebraska; ARRL West Texas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-texas-section-convention-58th-annual-st-patrick-s-day-hamfest>,
Midland, Texas
- March 23 -- ARRL South Texas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-texas-section-convention-greater-houston-hamfest-3>,
Rosenberg, Texas
- March 29-30 -- ARRL Maine State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/maine-state-convention-3>, Lewiston,
Maine
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- April 13-14 -- Communications Academy
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/communications-academy-2013>, Seattle,
Washington
- April 19-20 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/svhfs-conference>, Cocoa Beach, Florida
- April 19-21 -- International DX Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/international-dx-convention-2>, Visalia,
California
- April 20 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/louisiana-state-convention-northeast-louisiana-regional-ham-radiofest>,
Monroe, Louisiana
- April 26-28 -- ARRL Idaho State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/idaho-state-convention-3>, Boise, Idaho
- May 4 -- ARRL South Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-section-convention-upstate-hamfest-1>,
Spartanburg, South Carolina
- May 17-19 -- Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-4>, Trotwood, Ohio
- June 1 -- ARRL Georgia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-atlanta-hamfest-1>,
Marietta, Georgia
- May 31-June 2 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northwestern-division-convention-seapac-4>,
Seaside, Oregon
- June 7-8 -- ARRL West Gulf Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-gulf-division-convention-35th-anniversary-ham-com>,
Plano, Texas
- June 8 -- ARRL Delta Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delta-division-convention-2>, Rogers,
Arkansas; ARRL Tennessee State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tennessee-state-convention-knoxville-hamfest-electronics-convention>,
Knoxville, Tennessee
- June 28-30 -- ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/rocky-mountain-division-convention-hamcon-colorado-2013>,
Estes Park, Colorado
- July 6 -- ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/eastern-pennsylvania-section-convention-firecracker-hamfest-electronics-expo>,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- July 25-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/central-states-vhf-society-2013-conference>,
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
- 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 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

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

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