[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for October 31, 2013

Thu Oct 31 17:12:05 EDT 2013

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

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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October 31, 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

- On the Air: ARRL November Sweepstakes Marks 80 Years!
- Regulatory: And Again There Were Five: FCC Back to Full Complement
- Regulatory: ARRL Supports FCC WRC-15 Advisory Committee
Recommendations Affecting Amateur Radio
- Regulatory: IARU Region 2 Publishes New Band Plan
- Regulatory: FCC Fines Former Radio Amateur for Unlicensed Operation
on 20 Meters
- Regulatory: RAC, Canadian Amateurs Favor New MW Amateur Band
- DX: K9W Wake Atoll DXpedition Team Gets Entry Okay
- DX: Easter Island DXpedition Set
- DX: Operation Approved for DXCC Credit
- Miscellany: Creepy Crawly Quad Just in Time for Halloween
- Events: "Hams in Space" Team to Appear at ARRL Midwest Division
Convention
- Events: Cal Poly ARC Records Big Boost in Exam Session Attendance
- Media: New E-Pub to Take Up Where Monitoring Times Leaves Off
- Media: Ham Radio (Friedrichshafen) 2013 Forum Presentations Available
on the Web
- Milestones: Power Line Noise Expert Marv Loftness, KB7KK, SK
- Solar Update
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

==> ON THE AIR: ARRL NOVEMBER SWEEPSTAKES MARKS 80 YEARS!

   When the 2013 ARRL November Sweepstakes
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> kicks into gear this weekend, it will
mark the 80th running of the oldest domestic ham radio contest, which
debuted in 1930. In case you're doing the math, Amateur Radio was
ordered off the air during World War II, so no Sweepstakes events took
place during those years. The Sweepstakes CW event is November 2-3,
while the phone event is the weekend of November 16-17. On both
weekends, the action gets underway at 2100 UTC Saturday and runs
through 0259 UTC Monday. The 2013 ARRL November Sweepstakes Operating
Guide
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Contest-Operating-Guides/2013/2013-ARRL-SS-OpGuide.pdf>
provides details. An ARRL November Sweepstakes webinar
<http://wwrof.org/category/webinar-archive/> by ARRL Contest Branch
Manager Mike DeChristopher, N1TA, has been posted to the World Wide
Radio Operators Foundation website.

A Sweepstakes Primer

An eHam article, "An Enticement for Contest Newbies
<http://www.eham.net/articles/31081>" by Sweepstakes Manager Larry
Hammel, K5OT, Ward Silver, N0AX, and Mike Gilmer, N2MG, helps explain
the intricacies of SS and offers tons of valuable tips to newcomers.
Unlike most other on-the-air competitions -- and adding to the
challenge -- SS has a somewhat lengthy exchange, which participants
must copy accurately to earn points. The exchange follows a pattern
that reflects the event's origins as a traffic-handling exercise and
borrows some radiogram vocabulary. For those unfamiliar with SS, the
exchange consists of a consecutive serial number; a "precedent" -- a
letter representing your entry category, eg "A" for single ops running
100 W; your call sign; a "check" consisting of the last two numerals of
the year in which you were first licensed, and your ARRL or Radio
Amateurs of Canada Section.

So, the first exchange handed out to K2RHJ by single op, low-power
W8EXK, first licensed in 1958 and living in West Virginia might look
like this: K2RHJ NR 1 A W8EXK 58 WV (the "NR" is optional).

Participants work each station once for contact points, and the score
multiplier is the number of ARRL/RAC sections worked (83 total).

The Big Eight-Oh!

For the 2013 running the number 80 comes into play for participants who
want to enhance the fun and the challenge by setting some individual
achievement goals this year -- for example, for working 80 contacts per
mode, scoring 80,000 points (total), running 80 W, and even for working
all ARRL sections traversed by Interstate 80 and all sections on 80Â° W
longitude. SS operators also can earn recognition for working all of
the ARRL Sections in place in 1930 -- there were 68 back then, as
opposed to 83 today. New this year are an 80 years T shirt and "Clean
Sweep" coffee mug, as well as participation pins and a special
certificate. Operators 80 years old or older will get special
recognition, as will participating clubs. There's more, and details
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> are on the ARRL November Sweepstakes
web page.

SS-80 Individual Recognition

Individual achievements are a bit of a do-it-yourself proposition.
Operators will be able to download a blank certificate and achievement
stickers (these will be on a standard Avery 5160 sticker form) as PDF
files. Then, after printing these out, participants can apply the
appropriate stickers to their certificates as they meet various
achievement levels.

Operators 80 years old or older are invited to e-mail
<contests at arrl.org> the details of their SS participation (and a photo,
if possible) for including on the ARRL website and in the online
writeup of the ARRL November Sweepstakes results. There's more
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> on the ARRL November Sweepstakes web
page.

SS-80 Club Recognition

Clubs reaching these totals on both modes will be listed on the ARRL
website and in the extended online contest results article.

- 80 logs submitted

- Total score of more than 800,000 points

- More than 8000 total contacts in the logs submitted logs.

Clubs don't have to do anything. These achievements will be noted
automatically.

Full information <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> on individual and
club SS-80 recognition is on the ARRL November Sweepstakes web page.

==> REGULATORY: AND AGAIN THERE WERE FIVE: FCC BACK TO FULL COMPLEMENT

   The Federal Communications Commission once again has its full
complement of five commissioners. On Tuesday, the US Senate confirmed
the White House nomination of venture capitalist and industry insider
Thomas Wheeler, a Democrat, to be FCC chairman. He succeeds former FCC
Chairman Julius Genachowski, who stepped down in June. The Senate also
confirmed Michael O'Rielly as a commissioner to one of the two
Republican seats on the Commission. O'Rielly, a New Yorker who is on
the staff of Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, will fill the
remainder of the term expiring June 30, 2014, that had been held by
Robert M. McDowell, who resigned in May. Acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon
L. Clyburn, who now will return to her seat as a commissioner,
congratulated Wheeler and O'Rielly on their confirmations.

"Tom brings a tremendous depth of experience, talent, and knowledge
that will serve him well as the leader of this critically important
agency," Clyburn said in a statement. "I have no doubt that he will be
an outstanding FCC Chairman. With his extensive public policy expertise
and understanding of the communications landscape, Michael will
certainly be an invaluable asset to the Commission."

Wheeler also served as a wireless and cable industry lobbyist. He was
president of the National Cable Television association from 1979 until
1984.

Senate politics had held the FCC to just three members since last
spring. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz had blocked Wheeler's
nomination vote over concerns that the FCC might adopt new political TV
advertising disclosure rules. Cruz says that Wheeler told him this week
that the issue was not a priority.

==> REGULATORY: ARRL SUPPORTS FCC WRC-15 ADVISORY COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECTING AMATEUR RADIO

   The ARRL has expressed its support for three recommendations
affecting Amateur Radio frequency allocations, which the FCC's World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 FCC Advisory Committee (WAC
<http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/world-radiocommunication-conference-wrc-15>)
has already approved. ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price,
N4QX, filed comments
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6017469345> on behalf of the
League on October 17 in IB Docket 04-286
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1937A1.docx>.
The League has concluded that the WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.1 recommendation
for 420-450 MHz "maintains a status quo that accommodates many users
and works well." The Amateur Service is secondary on the 70 centimeter
band in the United States. At least one administration has proposed to
introduce international mobile telecommunications (IMT) -- cellular
telephone and wireless broadband -- to the bottom 10 MHz of the band,
but the League said it agrees with the WAC and the NTIA that things are
just fine as they stand.

   "The status quo is successful and represents a success story for
spectrum management," the League said. "Introduction of IMT in the
420-430 segment of this band, as proposed by one administration, will
most assuredly upset this status quo." The ARRL pointed out that
although ham radio is secondary on the band, "radio amateurs have a
vested interest in maintaining their ability to use the band," and
Amateur Radio has been "a responsive and responsible sharing partner"
to the band's primary users.

For its part the WAC said
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520943831>, "The results
indicate that for most cases, sharing between IMT-2000 base/mobile
stations and the various types of radars when placed in adjacent
spectrum is not feasible in the absence of mitigation." Based on
information at hand, the committee said, "it is logical to conclude
that co-frequency sharing between IMT and the radiolocation service in
the 420-450 MHz bands is not feasible."

The League also said the WAC recommendation for WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.10
regarding 22 to 26 GHz "protects the only worldwide, primary Amateur
and Amateur-Satellite Service allocation between 146 MHz and 47.2 GHz."

"Sharing with incumbent services, including the Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite services at 24.-24.25 GHz will require technical and
operation constraints that will result in spectrum being impractical
for use by the MSS [Mobile Satellite Service]," the ARRL said. The
Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services are primary at 24-24.25 GHz.
"Radio amateurs have been responsible stewards of a band that is
difficult to use, and the WAC proposal of no change to the entire 22-26
GHz range is particularly applicable to the 24-24.25 GHz segment."

WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.18 considers a primary allocation to the
radiolocation service for automotive applications in the 77.5-78.0 GHz
frequency band in accordance with a resolution adopted at WRC-12. The
League suggested that the FCC support the WAC recommendations
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520943830> "as a base for
eventual reconciliation with an NTIA <http://www.ntia.doc.gov>
[National Telecommunications and Information Administration] position,"
or that the FCC not support any position on the agenda item, "as
conducted studies to not support a position more expansive than that
contained in the recommendation." The Amateur and Amateur-Satellite
services are now primary in the 77.5-78 GHz band, with Radio Astronomy
Service users secondary.

==> REGULATORY: IARU REGION 2 PUBLISHES NEW BAND PLAN

   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org/>)
Region 2 <http://www.iaru-r2.org/> (the Americas) has published a
revised IARU Region 2 Band Plan
<http://www.iaru-r2.org/documents/explorer/files/Plan%20de%20bandas%20|%20Band-plan/R2%20Band%20Plan%202013.pdf>
for all allocations from 137 kHz to 250 GHz, effective September 27,
2013. The member-societies of IARU Region 2 adopted the new plan during
their triennial General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico, in late September.
Delegates from 18 national Amateur Radio associations attended.
Representing the ARRL were President Kay Craigie, N3KN, as the voting
delegate; First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR; Chief Executive
Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Technical Relations Specialist Jonathan
Siverling, WB3ERA.

"For the first time in Region 2, band plans for the VHF, UHF, and
microwave bands were adopted to guide development of these bands,"
Sumner said. "HF band plans were reviewed with the objective of
improving terminology and aligning them more closely with those of the
other regions, particularly Region 1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East,
and the former Soviet Union)." The revised document earmarks a new
segment for the Amateur-Satellite Service from 144.000 to 144.025 MHz.

As it states in the plan's introduction, "The IARU Region 2 has
established this band plan as the way to better organize the use of our
bands efficiently. To the extent possible, this band plan is harmonized
with those of the other regions. It is suggested that member-societies,
in coordination with the authorities, incorporate it in their
regulations and promote it widely with their radio amateur
communities." The band plan includes definitions for the first time.
Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/iaru-region-2-publishes-new-band-plan>.

==> REGULATORY: FCC FINES FORMER RADIO AMATEUR FOR UNLICENSED OPERATION
ON 20 METERS

   The FCC has fined Jared A. Bruegman, ex-KC0IQN, of Bolivar,
Missouri, $500 for transmitting on 14.312 MHz
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-issues-10-000-fine-to-missouri-man-for-unlicensed-operation-on-14-312-mhz>
without a license. Last February, the FCC told Bruegman in a Notice of
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0225/DA-13-248A1.pdf>)
that it intended to impose a $10,000 fine, but in a Forfeiture Order
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db1023/DA-13-2049A1.pdf>
released October 23, the FCC reduced the fine.

"Based on the financial documents provided by Mr. Bruegman," the FCC
said in its Forfeiture Order, "we find that there is a sufficient basis
to reduce (but not cancel) the forfeiture to $500." Responding to the
earlier NAL, Bruegman had claimed the $10,000 forfeiture would
"bankrupt" him, and he requested the FCC cancel the sanction
altogether.

The FCC cautioned Bruegman that inability to pay is only one factor in
its forfeiture calculations. "In this regard, we have previously
rejected inability to pay claims in cases of repeated or otherwise
egregious violations," the Commission said. "Therefore, future
violations of this kind may result in significantly higher forfeitures
that may not be reduced due to Mr. Bruegman's financial circumstances."

The FCC said it affirmed the finding outlined in the earlier NAL that
Bruegman had violated Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934.
FCC agents in December 2012 observed an unlicensed radio transmitter
operating on 14.312 MHz from a residence in Bolivar. Bruegman, the only
person at home at the time, admitted to owning the radio transmitting
equipment. "Based on the record evidence, which Mr. Bruegman does not
dispute, we conclude that Mr. Bruegman willfully violated Section 301
of the Act by operating radio transmission equipment without the
required Commission authorization," the FCC concluded.

The FCC gave Bruegman 30 days to pay or make arrangements to pay the
fine or have his case referred to the US Department of Justice for
enforcement.

Bruegman had held a Technician class license from 2000 until 2010, when
it expired. Bruegman did not renew the license, and it was deleted in
2012.

==> REGULATORY: RAC, CANADIAN AMATEURS FAVOR NEW MW AMATEUR BAND

   Radio Amateurs of Canada has commented
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/SMSE-004-13_RAC_ENG_comments.pdf/$FILE/SMSE-004-13_RAC_ENG_comments.pdf>
in support of a proposal that would create a new secondary Amateur
Radio medium-wave allocation at 472 to 479 kHz. 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 MW band for US hams.

"RAC is pleased to see the department has included this allocation to
the amateur service on a secondary basis in Canada, consistent with
outcome of Agenda Item 1.23 at the World Radio Conference 2012," said
RAC President Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW, on behalf of RAC. "It is
acknowledged that amateur service use of this new...band will be
limited to 5 W effective radiated power relative to an isotropic
radiator," Bawden continued. In line with WRC-12, Industry Canada
proposed that stations in the Amateur Service "shall not cause harmful
interference to, or claim protection from, stations of the Aeronautical
Radionavigation Service."

Bawden said the addition of the MW band to the Amateur Service "will
give Amateur Radio operators in Canada an opportunity to participate
with other amateur operators in conducting short and long-range
propagation studies using very narrowband digital techniques. Such
communications will provide another path for emergency and disaster
relief communications, when necessary."

Several Canadian radio amateurs and other organizations also filed
comments favoring the new MW allocation.

   Low-frequency experimenter Joe Craig, VO1NA, writing on behalf of
the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland (MRCN
<http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~jcraig/mrcn.html>), added
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/SMSE-004-13_Marconi_comments.pdf/$FILE/SMSE-004-13_Marconi_comments.pdf>
that group's voice to those supporting the creation of the 472-479 kHz
band in Canada. "From 2009-2012 , we and other Canadian amateurs
conducted experiments between 504 and 509 kHz in support of a domestic
allocation to the Amateur Service in this portion of the radio
spectrum," Craig noted. "We have used Morse and digital transmissions
on 504.1, 507.77 and 508.5 MHz and were authorised to use up to 20 W
ERP. There were no reports of interference from these operations."

Utilities in Canada and the US have opposed the addition of a secondary
Amateur Radio allocation at 472-479 kHz as well as at 135.7 to 137.8
kHz. In its comments
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/SMSE-004-13_UTCC_comments.pdf/$FILE/SMSE-004-13_UTCC_comments.pdf>,
the Utilities Telecom Council of Canada (UTCC) urged IC not to
establish an Amateur Radio allocation at 472-479 kHz, saying that
interference to power line communication (PLC) systems operating in
that part of the spectrum is highly likely and would be difficult to
mitigate, since the PLC systems would have to avoid interfering with
amateur operations.

"If there was an amateur allocation at 472-479 kHz, amateurs could
freely operate in close proximity to transmission lines without the
utility knowing that they were there," the UTCC said in its comments.
"Utilities would probably only become aware of these operations when it
was too late, because they would experience unexplained outages or
mis-operation of PLC systems. Interference to PLC systems has to the
potential to cause widespread electrical outages."

Craig asserts that the utilities are using drama, conjecture and
"outright inaccuracies" to support their position, even citing what he
called "the unfortunate FCC decision to deny 137 kHz" to US hams. "We
can hope that reason will prevail, and that the new band will soon
become available to Canadian amateurs," he told ARRL.

==> DX: K9W WAKE ATOLL DXPEDITION TEAM GETS ENTRY OKAY

   The K9W Wake Atoll DXpedition <http://www.wake2013.org/>, which was
put on ice as a result of the partial government shutdown, now has US
Air Force permission to visit Wake. "Our equipment is already on Wake
and in safe storage awaiting our arrival," the team said in a media
release. The 12 operators plan to assemble in Hawaii on October 30,
leave November 1, arrive November 2 and "immediately erect antennas and
set up the stations."

The team expects to have two CW and two SSB stations on the air, and
current plans call for K9W to be active from November 3 through
November 15 (Wake Island time). The team has posted its operating plan
<http://wake2013.org/pages/bandplan.html> on its website.

The Wake Atoll Commemorative DXpedition is the recipient of an ARRL
Colvin Award <http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants> grant.

==> DX: EASTER ISLAND DXPEDITION SET

   Members of the Uruguay DX Group will be on the air from Easter
Island as XR0YY <http://easterisland2013.com/> November 1-7. A
seven-person team will operate from Hanga Roa, running three stations
simultaneously on 1.8 through 50 MHz, CW, SSB and digital modes. QSL
via EB7DX. Easter Island is number 107 on the ClubLog Most Wanted
<http://www.clublog.org/mostwanted.php> list. Operators include Jose,
CE0HYO; Gustavo, CX2AM; Humberto, CX3AN; Gustavo, CX3CE; Mario, CX4CR;
Gen, EA5HPX; Francisco, EA7FTR, and Carlos, LU2NI. -- The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/>

==> DX: OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT

The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the 2012 and 2013 operations of T6MH --
Afghanistan for DX Century Club credit. If a request for DXCC credit
for this operation has been rejected in a prior application, contact
ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore <bmoore at arrl.org>, NC1L, to be
placed on the list for an update to your record. Please note the
submission date and/or reference number of your application in order to
expedite the search for any rejected contacts.

DXCC is Amateur Radio's premier award that hams can earn by confirming
on-the-air contacts with 100 DXCC "entities
<http://www.arrl.org/country-lists-prefixes>," most of which are
countries in the traditional sense. You can begin with the basic DXCC
award and work your way up to the DXCC Honor Roll. Learn more
<http://www.arrl.org/rules>. -- ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore,
NC1L

==> MISCELLANY: CREEPY CRAWLY QUAD JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN

   John Parnell, K7HV, of Seattle, Washington, recently installed a 3
element quad. He explains the creepy part: "One of the folks helping me
with the install -- Jessica, W7EMF -- suggested that I put a giant
spider on it," Parnell says.

"So I ordered one online, installed it and put a picture of it up on my
Facebook page." Before installing the spider, Parnell used his new
antenna in the CQ World Wide DX phone contest and worked 107 entities
barefoot, although he gives some credit to the superlative conditions.

Parnell says the spider has steel wire in the legs, so he waited until
after the contest to install it. "[T]ests indicate that the arachnid
has not changed the SWR significantly," he reports, but allows that it
might make for an interesting EZNEC plot. -- Thanks to Ward Silver,
N0AX

==> EVENTS: "HAMS IN SPACE" TEAM TO APPEAR AT ARRL MIDWEST DIVISION
CONVENTION

   The "Hams in Space <http://hamsinspace.com>" team of Eddy Paul,
KY0F; Jeremy Widner, AC0DX, and Randy Schulze, KD0HKD, will appear at
the ARRL Midwest Division Convention
<http://www.arrlmidwestconvention.com>, Friday and Saturday, November 8
and 9, in Lebanon, Missouri. The Hams in Space presentation explains
how to successfully get on FM Amateur Radio satellites, in most cases
with equipment operators typically already own. Their emphasis is to
"keep it simple" and "have fun." The "Hams in Space" presentation will
take place Saturday at noon in Room A. A special guest will be NASA
Astronaut Steven Nagel
<http://www.arrlmidwestconvention.com/astro/default.html>, N5RAW. A
good pass of the SO-50 satellite may fit into the schedule, and plans
call for one or two hands-on demonstrations, weather permitting. --
AMSAT News Service via Randy Schulze, KD0HKD

==> EVENTS: CAL POLY ARC RECORDS BIG BOOST IN EXAM SESSION ATTENDANCE

When the Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club (CPARC <http://www.w6bhz.org/>)
hosted its quarterly Amateur Radio test session this month, 91
individuals turned up to earn their Technician tickets. That was an
increase of 71 percent over the club's previous record of 53 new
licensees in the fall of 2010. The October 19 session was the largest
in the history of San Luis Obispo County, California, the club says.
CPARC President and electrical engineering senior Shaun Koide, KH6EI,
credited the school's Electrical Engineering Department.

   "The Electrical Engineering Department has been instrumental in
making clubs like ours successful this year," he said. EE Deparment
Chair Dennis Derickson, AC0P, responded, "It's been wonderful to give
students access to such a great hobby that really exemplifies Cal
Poly's learn-by-doing philosophy."

Active in public service, the club maintains an emergency
communications station on campus for the San Luis Obispo Emergency
Communications Council (SLOECC
<http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/it/sloecc.htm>). The station is equipped
with emergency power and radio gear to support public safety agencies
for the event of a disaster.

==> MEDIA: NEW E-PUB TO TAKE UP WHERE MONITORING TIMES LEAVES OFF

When Monitoring Times <http://www.monitoringtimes.com/> publishes its
final issue in December, a new electronic publication, The Spectrum
Monitor <http://www.thespectrummonitor.com>, will follow in its
footsteps. Monitoring Times announced earlier this year that it was
ceasing publication after a 33 year run and the retirement of its
publisher, Bob Grove, W8JHD.

   Monitoring Times Managing Editor Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, will helm The
Spectrum Monitor, which will debut in January and, as he explained in
announcing the new publication, "will carry virtually all of the
current Monitoring Times columnists and feature writers." Reitz said
The Spectrum Monitor will be available only in Adobe PDF format, which
may be read on any desktop, laptop, iPadâ„¢, Kindle Fireâ„¢ or any other
device capable of opening a PDF file.

The Spectrum Monitor promises to cover radio listening and monitoring,
from Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio satellites to scanning;
aeronautical, utility, and government monitoring; Amateur Radio
astronomy; long-wave monitoring; short wave broadcasting; antennas, and
radio restoration.

==> MEDIA: HAM RADIO (FRIEDRICHSHAFEN) 2013 FORUM PRESENTATIONS
AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

The Documentary Archive for the History of Radio Communication and
Electronic Media (DokuFunk) has posted several PowerPoint lectures
<http://www.dokufunk.org/talk> from Ham Radio 2013, held in
Friedrichshafen, Germany. These include:

- Martti Laine, OH2BH: "50 Years of DXpeditioning"

- Veijo Kontas, OH6KN, and Juho Juopperi, OH8GLV: "Technology
Innovations Helping DXers"

- Two forums from the series "The Enigma and other Historic Cipher
Machines" -- Tom Perera, W1TP: "Introduction to the Enigma," and John
Alexander, G7GCT: "Small Cipher Machines"

- Martin Steyer, DK7ZB: "Development of Broadcasting in Germany
1923-2013" (in German)

- Chris Ducking, G3SVL: "100 Years of the RSGB and its International
Partners."

The presentations are designed for Microsoft Office 2010 version of
PowerPoint. If you have an earlier version of PowerPoint installed,
save the file(s), which you then can open (on Windows machines, they
will be in the "Downloads" folder) with an earlier version of
PowerPoint in "compatibility mode." From the top PowerPoint menu, click
"View" then "Slide Show." Use the space bar or Enter key to change
slides.

==> MILESTONES: POWER LINE NOISE EXPERT MARV LOFTNESS, KB7KK, SK

   Marvin O. "Marv" Loftness, KB7KK, of Olympia, Washington, died
October 17. He was 93. A power line noise expert, Loftness may be best
known in Amateur Radio circles for his book, AC Power Interference
Handbook, distributed by ARRL in its third edition, revised (ARRL is
the exclusive distributor.)

"His book is held in high regard by many EMC experts," said ARRL Sales
and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, "but he was also the
kindest man. I'll miss our contact with him." His wife, Nancy Loftness,
sent ARRL the manuscript of his book in January 2012, granting the
League permission to use it in perpetuity.

Loftness served as a US Army Air Corps radio instructor-technician
during World War II. After the war, he went to work with the Federal
Aviation Administration, where he suggested a modification to the
agency's instrument guidance-and-landing system that was adopted
nationwide. He also was as a design engineer for Boeing. In the late
1950s he went to work for the Bonneville Power Administration, retiring
in 1975.

After retirement, he continued as a consultant and research engineer.
Loftness was elected a Fellow of the Power Engineering Society of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his
"development of efficient means of locating and correcting high-voltage
power line noise."

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Solar Guru Tad "I'll Follow the Sunspots" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: It's been a lively couple of weeks, with plenty of
sunspots and great HF propagation. The average daily sunspot number for
the week was 161.6, essentially unchanged from last week's average of
162. Solar flux values were up quite a bit, though, rising from 139.6
to 158.3 -- a healthy jump.

Predicted daily solar flux:

- 140 on October 31

- 135 on November 1-3

- 130, 135, 140 and 145 on November 4-7

- 110, 105, 110 and 120 on November 8-11

- 125, 130 and 135 on November 12-14

- 140 on November 15-18

- 155 on November 22-25

Predicted planetary A index:

- 25 on October 31

- 15 on November 1

- 8 on November 2

- 5 on November 3-9

- 12, 15, 10 and 8 on November 10-13

- 5 on November 14-25

- 8 on November 26-27

On October 26 the Penticton solar flux reading was 171.8, but NOAA
downgraded it to 165, probably because the higher value was an outlier
caused by solar events overloading the receivers at Penticton.

You may recall the comment from VU2NS last week about HF contest
operations charging the ionosphere with all those high-powered stations
with big antennas on the air. It's an old joke, but K9LA ran the
numbers for us, just to see how farfetched the concept is. Look for it
in this week's bulletin. We'll also have an updated ARRL November
Sweepstakes forecast for this weekend, the CW portion of the contest.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

Nov 1 -- NS Weekly Sprint, CW

Nov 2-3 -- Ukranian DX Contest, SSB+CW

Nov 2-3 -- Himalayan Contest, SSB+CW

Nov 2-3 -- Radio Club of America QSO Party, SSB

Nov 2-4 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes, CW

Nov 3 -- DARC 10-Meter Digital "Corona"

Nov 4 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest, SSB+CW

Nov 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint, CW

Nov 9-10 -- Worked All Europe DX Contest, digital

Nov 9-10 -- 10-10 Fall Digital QSO Party, digital

Nov 9-10 -- Japan International DX Contest, SSB

Nov 9-10 -- OK-OM DX Contest, CW

Nov 9-10 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon, CW

Nov 9-10 -- Kentucky QSO Party, SSB+CW+digital

Nov 9-11 --CQ WE (Western Electric), SSB+CW+digital

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

November 2 -- Fall TechFest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/2013-fall-techfest>, Lakewood, Colorado

November 2-3 -- Georgia Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-section-convention-stone-mountain-hamfest-computer-expo-2013>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia

November 8-9 -- Midwest Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/midwest-division-convention-1>, Lebanon,
Missouri

November 9 -- Atlantic Division Virtual Convention
<http://www.atldiv.org/convention.htm> (Webinar)

November 9 -- All-Ohio ARES Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/all-ohio-ares-conference>, Reynoldsburg,
Ohio

November 16-17 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/indiana-state-convention-fort-wayne-hamfest-and-computer-expo-1>,
Fort Wayne, Indiana

December 6-7 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-3>,
Plant City, Florida

January 5 -- NYC/LI Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York

January 17-18 -- North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.cowtownhamfest.org/>, Fort Worth, Texas

January 19-26 - Quartzfest Convention <http://www.quartzfest.org/>,
Quartzite, Arizona

January 24-25 -- Mississippi State Convention
<http://hamfest.msham.org/>, Jackson, Mississippi

January 25-26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention <http://www.arrlpr.org/>,
Hatillo, Puerto Rico

January 31-February 1 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://hamboree.org/>, Miami, Florida

Find conventions and hamfests in your area
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

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