[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for December 10, 2009

Thu Dec 10 15:48:06 EST 2009

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            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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December 10, 2009

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

- + Public Service: Utah Hams Coordinate Rescue
- + Spotlight on Amateur Radio: Major Computer Publication Devotes
January 2010 Issue to Amateur Radio
- + Scott Robbins, W4PA, to Purchase Vibroplex
- + Organizational: Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, Appointed South Carolina
Section Manager
- The Doctor Is IN: Focusing on 10 Meters
- + Regulatory: FCC Dismisses Two Petitions
- + Now You Know!: The ARRL 10 Meter Contest and Satellites
- + Silent Key: Ambassador William A. Wilson, K6ARO (SK)
- Solar Update
- This Week on the Radio

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

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: UTAH HAMS COORDINATE RESCUE

   In areas where cell phone signals just won't work, Amateur Radio
gets through. That's what Brent Yeates, KA7FAP, of North Logan, Utah,
found out just before noon on Wednesday, December 2: He came across a
dairy truck that had crashed and rolled over in the Logan River as he
drove on Route 89 through Logan Canyon. As 38,000 pounds of dairy
products were spilling into the Logan River, Yeates waded through the
cold river to help get the driver out of the truck's cab and then put
out a call on his handheld transceiver. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/07/11235/?nc=1>.

==> + SPOTLIGHT ON AMATEUR RADIO: MAJOR COMPUTER PUBLICATION DEVOTES
JANUARY 2010 ISSUE TO AMATEUR RADIO

   Emergencies may get all the attention in the press, but lately, the
technological side of Amateur Radio has been showing up a lot in places
that are read by the people who make next year's trends. Hams indeed
are technical and creative people, consummate MacGyvers. To kick off
the new year, the computer magazine Linux Journal has come out with an
entire issue dedicated to Amateur Radio and the creative uses of open
source computer programs. This 80 page issue features Tux, the Linux
mascot on its cover wearing a pair of headphones, holding a microphone
-- and even sporting an Emergency Coordinator badge around his neck --
hooked up to an HF transceiver. The issue has headlines on the cover
such as "Amateur Radio and Linux -- Open Source for the New
Generation," and "Get Started with Amateur Radio," and includes
articles like "When All Else Fails -- Amateur Radio, the Original
Open-Source Project" by David Lane, KG4GIY. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/12/09/11239/?nc=1>.

==> + SCOTT ROBBINS, W4PA, TO PURCHASE VIBROPLEX

Scott Robbins, W4PA, of Knoxville, Tennessee, told the ARRL that he has
signed an agreement to purchase The Vibroplex Company, Inc from present
owner Felton "Mitch" Mitchell, W4OA, effective December 21, 2009.
"Vibroplex represents the great tradition of CW operation in Amateur
Radio going back many, many years," Robbins told the ARRL. "I'm tickled
to be able to continue the more than 100 years of history that has gone
into this company." Robbins -- who has been employed with Ten-Tec Inc
since 1995 (he has been Product Manager for Ten-Tec's Amateur Radio
equipment line since 1997) -- will leave his position in mid-December
to take over full-time management and ownership of Vibroplex. "It's a
great opportunity to continue the more than 100 years of tradition that
the Vibroplex name represents," Robbins said. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/07/11233/?nc=1>.

==> ARRL PUBLICATIONS: ARRL LICENSING STUDY GUIDES -- COMING TO AN
EBOOK READER NEAR YOU

   ARRL is pleased to announce that owners of Kindle
<http://www.amazon.com/Kindle> -- an electronic book reader sold by
Amazon.com <http://www.amazon.com/> -- can now download ARRL's Tech Q&A
<http://www.amazon.com/ARRLs-Tech-Q-A-ebook/dp/B002YNSBNE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259944328&sr=8-2-catcorr>
directly from the online bookseller for use on their Kindle. Kindle is
shaped much like a book with a paper-like screen that displays text and
pictures. Those who have the Kindle application installed on their
Apple <http://www.apple.com/> iPhone <http://www.apple.com/iphone/> or
iPod touch <http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/> can also download the book
for use on these devices. When you download the Tech Q&A, you can gain
access quickly and easily, smoothing the path to your first ham radio
license. This ideal study tool -- whether you're at home, in the
office, traveling or just on the go -- lets you review the questions
and answers from the entire Technician question pool so you can pass
the 35-question exam. Kindle versions of the General Q&A and the
Amateur Extra Q&A will be available sometime in January. All three can
be purchased from Amazon.com for $9.99 each.

==> + ORGANIZATIONAL: MARC TARPLEE, N4UFP, APPOINTED SOUTH CAROLINA
SECTION MANAGER

   Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, of Rock Hill, has been appointed the new ARRL
South Carolina Section Manager. He will complete the term of Jim
Boehner, N2ZZ, who was elected ARRL Roanoke Division Vice Director last
month. When Boehner announced that he was stepping down from the
Section Manager post he has held since January 2003, he recommended
Tarplee, the South Carolina Section Technical Coordinator, for the
position. Tarplee and Boehner both take on their new positions January
1, 2010. According to the Rules and Regulations of the ARRL Field
Organization, when a vacancy in the office of Section Manager occurs
between elections, the position is filled by appointment by the
Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager in consultation with that
Division's Director. MVP Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, consulted with
Roanoke Division Director Dennis Bodson, W4PWF. Tarplee has been South
Carolina's Technical Coordinator for almost seven years, first
appointed by Boehner in January 2003. Tarplee's term of office as
Section Manager will continue through December 31, 2010.

==> THE DOCTOR IS IN: FOCUSING ON 10 METERS

By ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA

   Now with the ARRL 160 Meter Contest come and gone, it's time for me
to focus on the opposite end of the HF spectrum: 10 meters. You guessed
it -- I'm gearing up for the 37th running of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest.
This contest has a bit of a twist to it: Operators have the choice of
using CW only, SSB only or they can mix it up and use both. So as I
prepare this week for the 'test, I went to ask the Doctor what is so
special about 10 meters. Is there anything I need to be aware of and
watch out for this weekend? Check up on what the Doctor has to say here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/12/09/11238/?nc=1>.

==> + REGULATORY: FCC DISMISSES TWO PETITIONS

   On Wednesday, December 9, the Federal Communications Commission
dismissed two separate Petitions for Rulemaking. The first Petition was
filed by Murray Green, K3BEQ, concerning the operation of repeater
stations in the Amateur Service. The other Petition, filed by Glen
Zook, K9STH, requested amending Section 97.119(a) to change how often
stations must identify themselves. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/10/11241/?nc=1>.

==> + NOW YOU KNOW!: THE ARRL 10 METER CONTEST AND SATELLITES

By ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA

This weekend marks the 37th running of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-meters.html>. Back in
November 1973 when the contest was first announced in QST
<http://p1k.arrl.org/cgi-bin/topdf.cgi?id=62388&pub=qst>, the rules
differed slightly from how they stand now. This event began due to the
interest that radio amateurs showed in the 10 meter band, thanks to the
5-band awards offered by the ARRL. "Occupancy is an important issue of
the day as is proof that there's life in the old band yet," the article
stated. "At a recent convention the matter was raised and met with
enthusiastic response. Rather than postpone the idea for another year,
the consensus was 'let's give it a try for '73,' prompting a
recommendation by the Contest Advisory Committee."

<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=29&returl=satellites/history.php>
  In 1973, each completed two-way QSO was worth 2 points, except QSOs
with a US Novice were worth double that. The article pointed out that
certain FCC-issued Novice call signs look a little strange: "Novices in
KZ5 and KG4 have strange call signs -- a Canal Zone Novice has an 'N'
at the end of the call, such as KZ5AAN. A Novice in Guantanamo Bay has
an 'N' after the number, such as KG4NAA. All others replace the K with
a W (i.e. WL7, WH6, etc.). If you work a station once on cw you can
work him again on phone. Oscar QSOs also count."

Oscar QSOs? As in the satellite? Yes! The 1973 rules stated that "Oscar
6 contacts may be counted. All cw QSOs must take place between
28.0-28.5 MHz except those made though Oscar 6." The article also
advised contest participants to stay clear of 29.45-29.55 MHz, as these
were the Oscar downlink frequencies. Beginning in 1973 and continuing
through 1979, QSOs made via the Oscar satellites counted for credit in
the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Beginning in 1980, after 10 meters had
seemingly come back to life, the CAC no longer accepted the QSOs for
credit in the contest. Now you know!

==> + SILENT KEY: AMBASSADOR WILLIAM A. WILSON, K6ARO (SK)

   William A. "Bill" Wilson, K6ARO -- the first US Ambassador to the
Holy See (the Vatican) -- passed away from cancer early on the morning
of Saturday, December 5. He was 95. First appointed as presidential
envoy to Rome in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan, Wilson was appointed
the first full ambassador to the Holy See in 1984, once official
relations were established, serving until 1986. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/07/11234/?nc=1>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

 <http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>
Tad "When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face
<http://englishhistory.net/keats/poetry/whenihavefears.html>" Cook,
K7RA, reports: Finally! A sunspot appeared on Wednesday, December 9,
giving us a daily sunspot number of 13 -- this followed 16 days of no
sunspots. The new group is number 1034, and need we say it is a Solar
Cycle 24 spot? Cycle 24 spots were news at one time, but we haven't
seen a Solar Cycle 23 spot since number 1016 on April 29-30, 2009.
Solar Cycle 23 peaked around 8-9 years ago. Excitement builds for this
weekend's ARRL 10 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-meters.html>. Will sunspot
activity amount to enough to enhance 10 meter propagation? The latest
prediction shows a rising solar flux, 74 and 75 on December 10-11 and
77 from December 12-16; this must correspond to the new sunspot
swinging into view, instead of peeking over the horizon as it did on
Wednesday. Even without sunspots, Geminids meteor showers
<http://meteorshowersonline.com/geminids.html> have intensified with
each passing year as Earth moves deeper into the debris stream from
extinct comet 3200 Phaethon
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon>. The predicted peak of the
meteor shower is about five hours after the end of the contest and
there is a good chance that ionized comet trails could enhance 10 meter
propagation this weekend. Look for more information in the Solar
Update, available on the ARRL Web site on Friday, December 11. For more
information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" brought to you by John Keats' When I Have Fears That I May
Cease to Be
<http://englishhistory.net/keats/poetry/whenihavefears.html>.

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

This week, the ARRL 10 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/10-meters.html> is December
12-13. The Feld Hell Sprint is December 12. The MDXA PSK DeathMatch and
the International Naval Contest are December 12-13. The NA High Speed
Meteor Scatter Winter Rally is December 12-16. The SKCC Weekend Sprint
and the CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe Run are December 13. Next week, the
Russian 160 Meter Contest is December 18. The OK DX RTTY Contest is
December 19. The Croatian CW Contest is December 19-20 and the
Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party Is December 19-January 3. The
ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint is December 20, the Run for the
Bacon QRP Contest is December 21 and the SKCC Sprint is December 23.
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/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.
Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL
Special Event Station Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.

==> + ARRL HEADQUARTERS CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAYS

   ARRL Headquarters will be closed Friday, December 25, 2009 and
Friday, January 1, 2010 in observance of Christmas and New Year's Day.
There will be no W1AW bulletins <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/> or code
practice transmissions <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html#w1awsked> those
days. There will be no ARRL Letter <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> or
ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> on Thursday,
December 24 and 31. We wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season
and a prosperous 2010.

==> ARRL CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE REGISTRATION

Registration remains open through Sunday, December 27, 2009, for these
online course sessions <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student/> beginning on
Friday, January 8, 2010: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and
Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation;
Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. To learn more, visit the
CEP Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
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