[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for September 26, 2013

Thu Sep 26 16:47:26 EDT 2013

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

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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September 26, 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

- Public Service: "Amazing Help" -- Hams Play Critical Role in Colorado
Flood Evacuation
- Public Service: White House Recognizes California Radio Amateur as
"Champion of Change"
- Technology: ARISS Looks Forward to Installation of "Ham Video" on
Space Station
- Technology: MARS Okays HF Transmission Methods Study for Propagation
Failures
- Technology: PSK31 Linear Transponder Wanted for Satellite Launch
Opportunity
- Events: WRTC2014 Announces Team Leader Invitations
- Events: WRTC Sanctioning Committee Seeks Sponsor for WRTC2018
- Events: Special Event to Commemorate 90th Anniversary of ZL DX
- DX: Republic of Kosovo is Re-Establishing a Ham Radio Presence
- Events: CQ World Wide DX Contest Rules Webinar Announced
- On the Internet: National Silent Key Archive Includes Unique Call
Sign Lookup
- Solar Update
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

==> PUBLIC SERVICE: "AMAZING HELP" -- HAMS PLAY CRITICAL ROLE IN
COLORADO FLOOD EVACUATION

   Amateur Radio volunteers assisting with communications in the
aftermath of the devastating Colorado flooding came in for high praise
recently for their role in helping to safely evacuate youngsters and
others from a mountain environmental education center threatened with
being cut off by road washouts. In an Op-Ed piece
<http://www.timescall.com/columnists/opinion-local/ci_24133608/sandra-harem-amazing-help-evacuation>
last week in the Longmont Times-Call, Sandra Harem, the executive
director of the JPII Outdoor Lab <http://outdoorlab.jp2adventures.com/>
in Estes Park, Colorado, cited the "amazing help" from hams and others
in getting the students, school staff and Lab staff out of harm's way
on September 12.

"The staff of the JPII Outdoor Lab would like to extend our heartfelt
gratitude to the volunteers of the Mountain Emergency Radio Network
<http://bouldercountyares.org/mountain-emergency-radio-network-mern/>
[MERN] and so many others who helped the seventh-grade students,
chaperones and staff of St Vincent De Paul Catholic School and staff of
the JPII Outdoor Lab get home safely to their families," Harem said.

   On September 12, Harem called the Larimer County Sheriff's Office to
inquire about road conditions. Because of the heavy rainfall, she and
the school's assistant principal were getting a group of seventh
graders ready to leave as soon as possible. "The sheriff's office said
Highways 34 and 36 were closed," she recounted. "We worked on
alternative routes."

An hour later, the director of the affiliated High Peak Camp told Harem
that they needed to relocate in case power went down. The sheriff's
office advised relocating to a Red Cross evacuation center in
Allenspark, which subsequently invited the group.

Hearing the call, MERN volunteer Karel Kosman, KD0RFT, contacted fellow
MERN member Steve Coles, KD0RFQ, that the group needed help evacuating.
Coles deployed to the JPII Outdoor Lab and helped relocate the
students, staff and chaperones safely, Harem said.

After Coles left to help others, communication was cut off, so the
assistant principal and Harem drove to the Allenspark Fire Station and
to the Estes Park Police Station hoping to get better information. "It
took us until 9 PM to return to our group at Highlands [the shelter
site] by hiking and a few helpful car rides, because Highway 7 had
ruptured in two places," Harem said.

Early the next morning, Coles was back to help with communication with
the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management. According to Harem,
Coles advised the OEM to ask the Colorado Department of Transportation
if it might be possible to take buses on the Peak to Peak Highway. A
plan evolved to have the buses meet the group at the point of a highway
washout near the junction of Highways 72 and 7, then walk the students
across the compromised road to the buses. The Archdiocese of Denver,
the superintendent of Catholic Schools and the Boulder County OEM
okayed the plan.

That afternoon, buses arrived on Highway 7. "We transported the
students, chaperones, St Vincent staff and JPII Outdoor Lab staff to
the meeting point, and all students were reunited with their families
at St Vincent De Paul Catholic School that evening," Harem said.

Among others, Harem praised Coles for "his tireless patience,
persistence and care of all of the students, chaperones and staff," and
Kosman "for radioing on our behalf to Steve Coles." She also thanked
all MERN members "for making it possible to have such effective
communication during an emergency."

   ARRL Colorado Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, says MERN is an
Amateur Radio repeater system built by members of the Boulder County
(BCARES <http://bouldercountyares.org/>) group and was the brainchild
of BCARES Emergency Coordinator Allen Bishop, K0ARK.

"The two MERN ham radio operators that were involved in this rescue,
Steve Coles, KD0RFQ, and Karel Kosman, KD0RFT, are two of some 60
mountain residents who attended the ham radio classes put on by BCARES
members in the mountain communities over the last year and were
recently licensed after taking the FCC exam given by ARRL Volunteer
Examiners who are also members of BCARES," Ciaccia pointed out.

He notes that the hams at the Boulder OEM and the EOC were BCARES
operators who were monitoring all traffic from the MERN repeaters as
well as from other EOCs on the air from flooded counties along the
Front Range as well as communications from the state EOC. "The hams who
happened to be monitoring at the Boulder EOC at the time were George
Weber, KA0BSA, and Dave Sharpe, KI0HG," Ciaccia said. "These two hams,
coincidentally, had been Steve and Karel's MERN ham radio license
instructors and Volunteer Examiners as well as part of the BCARES group
who built and installed the MERN repeaters."

Ciaccia said it was Weber and Sharpe who coordinated with the Boulder
OEM and Transportation Group to arrange for the buses, then got them on
their way by relaying communications from the MERN radio operators in
the flood-stricken zones.

==> PUBLIC SERVICE: WHITE HOUSE RECOGNIZES CALIFORNIA RADIO AMATEUR AS
"CHAMPION OF CHANGE"

The White House this week recognized Matt Brisbois, KI6RBS, of Newport
Beach, California, as part of its Champions of Change
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions> program. The Newport Beach
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT
<http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams>) program
coordinator "has trained and mentored more than 1000 residents,
business and community leaders, and educators, resulting in the highest
per-capita volunteer-to-resident ratio for CERT programs in all of
California," a City of Newport Beach news release
<http://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=99&recordid=2835&returnURL=%2Findex.aspx>
said. CERT, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA
<http://www.fema.gov/>) program, seeks to train members of the
community to prepare for and assist in the event of an emergency or
disaster; Amateur Radio training and communications are among the
Newport Beach CERT activities. Brisbois, a Newport Beach Fire
Department <http://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=58> life
safety specialist, was one of 18 individuals selected this year as
"Champions of Change for Community Preparedness and Resilience."

   "On behalf of the Newport Beach Fire Department and its Community
Emergency Response Team program, it's a true honor to be here among all
these award recipients and be recognized as a Champion of Change,"
Brisbois said at the ceremony, headed by FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate, KK4INZ. "I really wish I could have all 1000 of my volunteers
here today..." Brisbois said the volunteers in his city of 88,000
"believe in what they're doing," and "really should be up here" at the
ceremony. "If we can develop a culture of preparedness in Newport Beach
and with our residents," he concluded, "I really believe anyone in the
United States can."

The White House Champions of Change program recognizes individuals,
businesses, and organizations doing "extraordinary things to empower
and inspire members of their communities." Newport Beach Fire Chief
Scott Poster commented, "To have Matt recognized as a Champion of
Change for his efforts is a well-deserved commendation for Matt, our
program and all of the volunteers."

While in the nation's capital Brisbois and CERT board member Karen
Tringali also will pick up the Individual and Community Preparedness
Award for Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives
that the city won from FEMA last year.

A life safety specialist since 2007, Brisbois has been the recipient of
several awards, grants and honors over the years, including a Bravo for
Bravery Award. The one-time lifeguard, coach, and substitute teacher
once served as a Congressional intern and holds master's degrees in
education and politics.

==> TECHNOLOGY: ARISS LOOKS FORWARD TO INSTALLATION OF "HAM VIDEO" ON
SPACE STATION

   The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://ariss.rac.ca/>) program is hoping its "Ham Video" digital
television transmitter, now stowed onboard the International Space
Station (ISS), will be installed and commissioned this fall. US
Astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, is scheduled to handle the tasks
involved with getting the S Band Ham Video DATV setup on the air from
the ISS Columbus Laboratory. He and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and
Sergey Ryzanskiy headed into space September 25 aboard a Soyuz
spacecraft to join their Expedition 37 crewmates on the ISS. The Ham
Video project has a low priority, however, and it could be a while
before live digital TV images show up from the ISS. ARISS-EU
<http://www.ariss-eu.org/> Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, said live
commissioning will take place in stages, each during a full pass of the
ISS over the Italian Space Agency's Very Long Baseline Interferometry
station near Matera in southern Italy. That station will be used to
receive the DATV signal from the ISS.

   "It is not yet known if these passes will be chosen in close
succession, or if they will cover several weeks," Bertels said in a
recent Ham Video update. ARISS has proposed that the European Space
Agency (ESA <http://www.esa.int/%E2%80%8E>) transmit over all
continents, with the camera turned off between commissioning passes.
The camera operates from batteries, and having to service it could
require a prohibitive amount of crew time, always at a premium.

"During commissioning activities, the astronaut will activate the Ham
Video transmitter with the camera live in all possible configurations
-- two antennas, four frequencies and two symbol rates," Bertels told
ARRL. "This will be done during three or four passes of the ISS over
southern Italy, where the operating ground station is located."

   Bertels said the transmitter typically would be activated only
during passes over the ground station and shut down after each
activity. "What we are asking ESA to do is to leave the transmitter on,
without camera, between commissioning passes," he said. "Once
commissioning is complete, the Ham Video transmitter will be shut down,
and how it's used after that is still under discussion. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ariss-looks-forward-to-installation-of-ham-video-on-space-station>.
-- ARISS-Europe <http://www.ariss-eu.org> Chair Gaston Bertels, ON4WF

==> TECHNOLOGY: MARS OKAYS HF TRANSMISSION METHODS STUDY FOR
PROPAGATION FAILURES

   At its meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, September 17-19, US Army MARS
<http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/> national leadership approved a study
of HF transmission methods for use in extreme propagation failures, and
it invited nominations for an IT specialist to coordinate such a
project. Program Officer Paul English, WD8DBY, who presided, addressed
the need for an HF mode capable of high penetration through adverse
conditions, such as an extreme solar event or other potentially
catastrophic situation in which HF reception suddenly blacked out.

A leader, hearing no radio activity anywhere, would need to launch a
beacon signal informing anyone who manages to hear it where an
emergency net would be called up once propagation returned. Some
discussion involved existing weak-signal digital modes such as JT65
<http://hflink.com/jt65/> and WSJT
<http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/> and possible limitations
under disaster conditions with unstable power sources. The region
directors voted to pursue a solution.

The Atlanta gathering of region directors and HQ staff adjourned after
three days that included installation of a new headquarters training
coordinator and preparation for a major national exercise
<http://www.arrl.org/news/mars-branches-to-join-in-national-communication-exercise>
November 3-5 with participation by Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS
members. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/mars-okays-hf-transmission-methods-study-for-propagation-failures>.
-- US Army MARS via Bill Sexton, N1IN

==> TECHNOLOGY: PSK31 LINEAR TRANSPONDER WANTED FOR SATELLITE LAUNCH
OPPORTUNITY

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS <http://www.aprs.org>)
developer Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, is looking for someone who will build a
linear satellite transponder for PSK31.

   "If someone will build a linear PSK31 transponder, I have a launch
opportunity in 9 months," Bruninga said in a posting to the AMSAT
Bulletin Board <http://ww2.amsat.org/amsat/archive/amsat-bb>. "All it
needs to be is a PSK31 linear receiver on 28.120 MHz (3 kHz bandwidth)
with AGC coupled to a downlink UHF FM transmitter of about 1 W," and
the transponder should be able to fit on a 3.5 inch square card.

Bruninga points out that this is the same as devices the Brno
University of Technology <http://www.vutbr.cz/en/> has built for prior
missions of PCSAT2
<http://www.usna.edu/Users/aero/bruninga/pcsat2.html>. Two are on the
shelf, he says, but the university may not have the people to construct
a third one for the new flight opportunity. He, PSK31 developer Peter
Martinez and Mirek Kasal, OK2AQK, have posted a PSK31 Transponder
Concept <http://www.usna.edu/Users/aero/bruninga/psk31uplink.html> on
his website. -- AMSAT News Service

==> EVENTS: WRTC2014 ANNOUNCES TEAM LEADER INVITATIONS

   World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 (WRTC2014
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/>) organizers have announced the operators
(listed below) who have been invited to form teams for the competition
to be held in New England during July 2014. In addition to the 51 team
leaders who emerged from the qualifying process, the announcement
includes two "wild card" selections, a youth team, and the defending
champion from WRTC2010. WRTC is a competition among two-operator teams.
Team leaders must accept their invitations and nominate teammates by
October 15. If a team leader is unable to accept, the invitation will
go to the next-highest qualifying applicant from the selection area.
Managing the selection process
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/qualifying/team-selection/> was Dan Street,
K1TO, a three-time competitor and winner of the event.

"The competition for a place at WRTC2014 was very close," Street said.
"With qualifying points available from an unprecedented 55 events, it
was terrific that a number of the selection area races came down to the
very final qualifying event -- the ARRL DX SSB 2013." Two wild card
teams were selected from among the remaining applicants. The youth team
is a special category created by WRTC2014 organizers to recognize
contesters younger than 25. By tradition, the prior WRTC champion is
automatically invited to defend the title. Vladimir, RW1A, winner of
WRTC2010 in Moscow, had already indicated his desire to compete in New
England.

The maximum possible qualifying score was 11,600 points. "It is
impressive that more than 25 applicants scored over 11,000!" WRTC2014
Chair Doug Grant, K1DG, said. "WRTC2014 will have the highest-qualified
team leaders ever."

World Radiosport Team Championship events are held every four years.
The competition consists of approximately 50 two-person teams of
Amateur Radio operators from around the world, going head to head in a
test of operating skill. All stations operate from the same geographic
region with equivalent antennas and 100 W output, eliminating all
variables except operating ability.

Once all team leader invitations have been accepted, only one other way
will remain to gain entrance to the competition -- through a team
sponsorship. A team sponsor donation earns the right to select a team,
and only two team sponsorships are available. Contact Doug Grant
<k1dg at wrtc2014.org>, K1DG, or Randy Thompson <k5zd at wrtc2014.org>, K5ZD,
for details. Sponsored teams will be announced later. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/wrtc-2014-announces-team-leader-invitations>.

 WRTC2014 Team Leaders

Area Team Leader

AF -- Achraf Chaabane, 3V/KF5EYY

AS1 -- Vadim Ovsyannikov, R9DX

AS2 -- Anatoly Polevik, RC9O

AS3 -- Marios Nicolaou, 5B4WN

AS4 -- Jie Zheng, BA4ALC

AS5 -- Katsuhiro "Don" Kondou, JH5GHM

EU1 -- Filipe Monteiro Lopes, CT1ILT

EU1 -- Sebastien Le Gall, F8DBF

EU1 -- Kazunori Watanabe, M0CFW

EU1 -- Olof Lundberg, G0CKV

EU1 -- Stephane Van Langhenhoven, F4DXW

EU2 -- Philippe Lutty, LX2A

EU2 -- Luca Aliprandi, IK2NCJ

EU2 -- Manfred Wolf, DJ5MW

EU2 -- Carlo De Mari, IK1HJS

EU2 -- Sandy Raeker, DL1QQ

EU3 -- Tonno Vahk, ES5TV

EU3 -- Toni LindÃ©n, OH2UA

EU3 -- Gediminas Lucinskas, LY9A

EU3 -- Kaspars Uztics, YL1ZF

EU4 -- Ivan Dobrocky, OE3DIA

EU4 -- LÃ¡szlÃ³ "Laci" VÃ©gh, OM2VL

EU4 -- Rastislav Hrnko, OM3BH

EU4 -- Wolfgang "Wolf" Klier, OE2VEL

EU4 -- Tine Brajnik, S50A

EU5 -- Emir "Braco" Memic, E77DX

EU5 -- Andriy Kotovsky, UU4JMG

EU5 -- Ranko Boca, 4O3A

EU5 -- Roman Tkachenko, UR0MC

EU5 -- Hrvoje Horvat, 9A6XX

EU6 -- Iurii Khmelenko, RL3FT

EU6 -- Sergey Dyachenko, RX3APM

EU6 -- Andrey Melanin, UA3DPX

NA1 -- Krassimir Petkov, K1LZ

NA2 -- Ray Higgins, W2RE

NA3 -- Ken Low, KE3X

NA4E -- Richard DiDonna, NN3W

NA4W -- Julio Henriquez, AD4Z

NA5 -- Kevin Stockton, N5DX

NA6 -- Daniel Craig, N6MJ

NA6 -- John Barcroft, K6AM

NA7 -- Mitch Mason, K7RL

NA8 -- Jim Stahl, K8MR

NA9 -- Michael Wetzel, W9RE

NA10 -- Alex Tkatch, KU1CW

NA11 -- Jeffrey Briggs, VY2ZM

NA12 -- Lee Sawkins, VE7CC

NA13 -- Fred Kleber, K9VV

OC -- Michael Gibson, KH6ND

SA1 -- Hamilton Oliveira Martins, PY2YU

SA2 -- Jorge Diez, CX6VM

Wild -- Alexander Avramov, LZ4AX

Wild -- Suad Zukic, DK6XZ

Youth -- Filippo Vairo, IZ1LBG

Champ -- Vladimir Aksenov, RW1A

==> EVENTS: WRTC SANCTIONING COMMITTEE SEEKS SPONSOR FOR WRTC2018

Even as preparations continue apace for World Radiosport Team
Championship 2014 (WRTC2014 <http://www.wrtc2014.org/>) next July in
New England, the World Radiosport Team Championship Sanctioning
Committee <http://www.wrtc2014.org/wrtc-sanctioning-committee/> is
seeking a sponsor for the 2018 competition.

   "Like the International Olympics, it is important to provide
continuity for the WRTC program and give the radiosport community as
much time as possible to prepare for each event," the committee
announced recently. "Thus, it is appropriate at this time to begin the
process of considering where WRTC2018 will be held and who will make up
the organizing committee." The Sanctioning Committee evaluates requests
to host a WRTC and selects the winning applicant.

The WRTC Sanctioning Committee is asking potential sponsors to send
letters of intent to its chairman, Tine Brajnik, S50A, Velike Lipljene
24, 1311 TURJAK, Slovenia. Letters should identify the group's primary
leaders and contact information, along with the general time frame and
location for the event. The committee then will respond with the WRTC
requirements document, from which a formal proposal can be created. The
deadline to submit letters of intent is December 31, 2013. Formal
proposals will then be accepted until March 1, 2014.

The WRTC Sanctioning Committee plans to announce the selected hosts for
WRTC2018 at the closing banquet for WRTC2014 next July. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/wrtc-sanctioning-committee-seeks-sponsor-for-wrtc-2018>.

==> EVENTS: SPECIAL EVENT TO COMMEMORATE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZL DX

Special event station ZM90DX <http://www.zm90dx.com/> will be on the
air from New Zealand for 13 months, from October 1, 2013, until October
31, 2014, to mark the 90th anniversary of that country's first DX
activities on the amateur bands and to commemorate the DX pioneers who
made them happen.

   The first New Zealand-to-Australia contact took place in April 1923,
followed by then-world record contacts between New Zealand and
Argentina the following May, and between New Zealand and California the
following September. The first contact between New Zealand and
California happened in September 1924, and just a few weeks later came
the first contact between New Zealand and the US East Coast
(Connecticut).

Organizers say "the ultimate" contact
<http://www.zl4aa.org.nz/frank-bell-trans-world-radio-contact/> between
Frank Bell, Z4AA, and Cecil Goyder <http://gb2nz.com/?page_id=11>,
G2SZ, took place in October 1924.

Activated by the Kiwi DX Group, ZM90DX will operate from locations
around New Zealand on all bands and modes from 1.8 MHz to 1.2 GHz and
beyond. A commemorative QSL card will be available, and there is an
award program for contacts with New Zealand during the event period as
well. Further details are on the ZM90DX website
<http://www.zm90dx.com/>.

In a related event, GB2NZ <http://www.gb2nz.com/> will be on the air
from October 5 to October 25, 2013, to mark the New Zealand-to-UK
contact in 1924 from that end of the circuit. Activity will be
predominantly on 80 meters, since the original contact between G2SZ and
Z4AA took place on 90 meters (3.3 MHz). -- Thanks to Bill Carney,
ZL3NB/Kiwi DX Group

==> DX: REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO IS RE-ESTABLISHING A HAM RADIO PRESENCE

Well-known DXer Martti Laine, OH2BH, reports that the first Amateur
Radio licensing course in the Republic of Kosovo is nearing its end;
passing the license exam will pave the way for 10 Technical University
of Pristina <http://www.uni-pr.edu/> students to become licensed
Amateur Radio operators. The course was supported by the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org/>) Region 1, and it used
both Croatian and UK course material. Radio equipment is in place for
students and local amateurs at the Amateur Radio Association of Kosovo
(SHRAK), currently located on the university. The Yasme Foundation
<http://www.yasme.org> helped the new association to get started.

   "We had a superb field day with the students up at the mountain with
generators and more," Laine told ARRL. "We also set up few new stations
with locals. Great bunch!"

Amateur Radio in the former Serbian province fell victim to civil
unrest and war during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, and hams
were forced to go dark for more than 20 years. It's been a year since
any substantive operation from Kosovo, which is not a DXCC entity,
although Laine, operating as Z68BH, was active this month during the
Worked All Europe DX Contest, for which Kosovo counts as a multiplier,
and he reported making more than 100 contacts.

   The equipment Laine used was given September 16 to Vjollca Belegu,
Z61VB (ex-YU8AW), and she is expected to be the first female licensee
active from the fledgling republic. Other licensees who had been active
years ago using YU8 prefixes when Kosovo was still a part of
Yugoslavia, have adopted Z6 prefix call signs, often using their former
YU8 suffixes. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Serbia had dropped its
opposition to assigning international telephone area code to its former
province. The move marks the latest concession by the Balkan country as
it seeks to start membership talks with the European Union in January.
According to The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> Editor Bernie
McClenny W3UR, "[T]his usually follows or precedes issuance of an ITU
call sign block. If so, this would finally qualify Kosovo for DXCC."

Under current DXCC rules <http://www.arrl.org/dxcc-rules>, Kosovo does
not qualify as a DXCC entity. For that to happen, Kosovo must become a
UN member or be assigned an official ITU prefix. Kosovo's
telecommunications regulatory authority will issue Z6-prefix call signs
to visiting radio amateurs for a fee. Kosovo also counts as a "country
multiplier" for the CQ World Wide DX contests. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/republic-of-kosovo-is-re-establishing-a-ham-radio-presence>.

==> EVENTS: CQ WORLD WIDE DX CONTEST RULES WEBINAR ANNOUNCED

The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF <http://wwrof.org/>)
will host a webinar Sunday, October 6, 1900 UTC, to review the updated
rules for the CQ World Wide DX Contest <http://www.cqww.com/>. The
presenter, CQ WW DX Contest Director Randy Thompson, K5ZD, will take
questions from the audience following the presentation. Register
<https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/123442226> online. The CQ WW DX
phone is October 26-27, and the CW is November 23-24. -- Ken Claerbout,
K4ZW, via The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>

==> ON THE INTERNET: NATIONAL SILENT KEY ARCHIVE INCLUDES UNIQUE CALL
SIGN LOOKUP

Mike Carroll, N4MC, who operated the "Vanity HQ" website for 14 years
before taking it dark earlier this year, says the National Silent Key
Archive <http://www.silentkeyhq.com/>â„¢ of Amateur Radio Operators that
he founded remains up and running. "The only thing that was carried
over from Vanity HQ would be the unique call lookup," Carroll told
ARRL. On the "Tools" menu, click on "Research Hams" to enter a name or
a call sign.

   The National Silent Key Archive provides an opportunity to add
Silent Keys (all submissions are reviewed prior to incorporation into
the Archive) and for friends and family of radio amateurs who have
passed on to create memorial pages that may include photographs and
text. Carroll points out that the National Silent Key Archive has been
up and running for 2 years or so and functioned separately from Vanity
HQ, which, he reiterated, he has no plans to resurrect. According to
the site, "The purpose of the National Silent Key Archive is to collect
and preserve photographs, life event narratives, and data artifacts of
deceased Amateur Radio operators, and to make the Archive's digital
library available to anyone wishing to view its contents online.

The National Silent Key Archive is a wiki
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki>, which means anyone can contribute
contents or to add a member to The Archive, and without first obtaining
a login ID or password." All content submitted is reviewed by the
Archive and edited, if necessary, before being added to its digital
library. Each day the site features Silent Keys from a different call
district. -- Thanks to Dick, N6AA

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad "Ain't No Sunspots" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
Our sun is still very quiet, but solar flux and sunspot numbers were
higher this week than the week previous. Average daily sunspot numbers
rose from 42.3 to 75.6, and average daily solar flux rose from 95.3 to
109.6. There were no big geomagnetic events this week.

Predicted solar flux:

- 110 on September 26-October 1

- 105 on October 2

- 95 on October 3-5

- 100, 105 and 100 on October 6-8

- 95 on October 9-10

- 100, 105 and 100 on October 11-13

- 95 on October 14-15

- ...and all the way down to 90 on October 16-19.

Predicted planetary A index:

- 5 on September 26-28

- 8, 10, 12 and 8 on September 29-October 2

- 5 on October 3-9

- 8 on October 10-11

- 5 on October 12-13

- 8, 10 and 8 on October 14-16

- 5 on October 17-19.

In the Friday bulletin, look for an updated forecast, and at least one
reader report of on-the-air activities.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

- Sep 26 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint, CW

- Sep 27 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder

- Sep 27 -- NCCC Sprint

- Sep 28 -- Texas QSO Party

- Sep 28 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest

- Sep 28-29 -- ARRL EME Contest

- Sep 28-29 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, RTTY

- Oct 1 -- 222 MHz Fall Sprint

- Oct 3 -- German Telegraphy Contest

- Oct 3 -- NRAU 10 Meter Activity Contest

- Oct 3 -- SARL 80 Meter QSO Party

- Oct 5 -- TARA PSK Rumble Contest

- Oct 5 --EU Autumn Sprint, SSB

- Oct 5-6 -- 15 Meter SSTV Dash Contest

- Oct 5-6 -- Oceania DX Contest, Phone

- Oct 5-6 -- California QSO Party

- Oct 6 -- UBA ON Contest, SSB

- Oct 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint

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

- September 27-28 -- SEDCO/W4DXCC Convention <http://w4dxcc.com/>,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

- September 27-29 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference
<http://www.packratvhf.com/>, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

- 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

- October 6 -- Maryland State Convention <http://carafest.org/>, West
Friendship, Maryland

- October 12 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pnwvhfs-conference>, Moses Lake,
Washington

- October 11-13 -- Pacific Division Convention
<http://www.PACIFICON.org> Pacificon 2013, Santa Clara, California

- October 12-13 -- Florida State Convention <http://www.pcars.org/>,
Melbourne, Florida

- October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/connecticut-state-convention-nutmeg-hamfest-1>,
Meriden, Connecticut

- October 13 -- Iowa State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-state-convention-sioux-city-ham-convention>,
Sergeant Bluff, Iowa

- October 18-19 -- Microwave Update Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/microwave-update-2013-conference>,
Morehead, Kentucky

- October 26 -- Delaware State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delaware-state-convention-delmarva-radio-electronics-expo>,
Georgetown, Delaware

- 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 -- 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

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

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