[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for October 21, 2010

Thu Oct 21 15:59:29 EDT 2010

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            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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October 21, 2010

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

- + IARU News: Information Exchange and Camaraderie Highlight IARU
Region 2 Conference
- + ARRL Executive Committee to Meet this Weekend
- + Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Tops Agenda at AMSAT-NA's Annual
Meeting
- Support ARRL: ARRL Annual On-Line Auction Now Open for Bidding
- + Defending the Amateur Radio Spectrum: Everyone's Responsibility
- + ARRL HQ News: Dewey Rykard, KI4RGD, Joins ARRL Staff as Instruction
and Resource Coordinator
- + Solar Update
- This Week on the Radio
- Upcoming ARRL Division Conventions and Events

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

==> + IARU NEWS: INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND CAMARADERIE HIGHLIGHT IARU
REGION 2 CONFERENCE

   The 58 delegates and observers who gathered in Salinitas, Sonsonate,
El Salvador for the 17th General Assembly of IARU Region 2 experienced
a busy and enjoyable week. The conference began on October 4 and
concluded on October 8. Twelve IARU Member-Societies in the Americas
were represented in person, with another seven represented by proxy.
President Kay Craigie, N3KN, served as the voting delegate for the ARRL
and was assisted by International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows,
K0QB, and Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ. Observers from
IARU Regions 1 and 3 and the International Secretariat were present to
assist and to learn from the conferees. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/information-exchange-and-camaraderie-highlight-iaru-region-2-conference>.

==> + ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO MEET THIS WEEKEND

At its January 2010 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors decided to
make the agendas of Board and Executive Committee meetings available on
the ARRL Web site. The agenda for the October 23 meeting of the
Executive Committee is now available
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-executive-committee-to-meet-in-st-louis-this-weekend>.

==> + AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: ARISSAT-1 TOPS AGENDA AT AMSAT-NA'S
ANNUAL MEETING

   The development and next year's scheduled launch of ARISSat-1 were
the main topics of discussion at the 2010 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and
Annual Meeting, held October 8-10, 2010, in Elk Grove, Illinois.
ARISSat-1 has been delivered to NASA to undergo final preparations for
delivery to the International Space Station. ARISSat-1 is scheduled to
be manually released into orbit during an ISS spacewalk early next
year. The ARISSat-1 project began when plans for SuitSat-2 had to be
shelved for lack of a space suit
<http://www.arrl.org/news/suitsat-2-now-called-arissat-1>. The
development team undertook the task of housing the payload planned for
SuitSat-2 in a more traditional housing adapted for manual deployment.
A few units were developed to have on standby for future launch
opportunities; one of these units was on display at the Symposium. Read
more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arissat-1-tops-agenda-at-amsat-na-s-annual-meeting>.

==> SUPPORT ARRL: ARRL ANNUAL ON-LINE AUCTION NOW OPEN FOR BIDDING

   The Fifth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction <http://www.arrl.org/auction>
opened for bidding at 10 AM (EDT) on Wednesday, October 20. According
to Business Services Manager and ARRL On-Line Auction Coordinator Deb
Jahnke, K1DAJ, there is a large assortment of ARRL Product Review
items, donated new and vintage equipment, rare books, one-of-a-kind
items and more. "If readers are interested in some great bargains and
some great fun, you really need to check this out," she said. She
expressed gratitude to the ARRL Business Partners and individual donors
who have contributed items to this event. The 2010 ARRL On-Line Auction
runs through 11:59 PM (EDT) October 25, 2010.

==> + DEFENDING THE AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM: EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY

The second edition of Spectrum Defense Matters -- a newsletter aimed at
keeping ARRL members updated on issues related to the protection of
Amateur Radio frequencies -- has just been released on the ARRL Web
site. This newsletter covers both domestic and international topics
related to the Amateur Radio spectrum. Your financial support is vital
to continue the ARRL's work to protect your operating privileges. You
can do this by contributing generously to the ARRL Spectrum Defense
Fund <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form>.

   "We are facing very real and immediate challenges [to the amateur
spectrum]," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "Over
the past couple of months, we have addressed FCC spectrum management
issues affecting our 430 MHz and 2.3 GHz bands, as well as interference
from unlicensed stations operating in the lower part of 10 meters." But
Sumner said that opportunities lurk among the challenges: "A possible
new amateur band just below the AM broadcast band is on the agenda of
the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference. We face significant
hurdles in getting what would be at best a secondary allocation, but
we're working hard to persuade the radio services in this part of the
spectrum that an amateur allocation is compatible with their future
requirements. We recently gained crucial support [for this allocation]
in the United States."

Sumner said that it takes what he called "a concerted global effort to
protect Amateur Radio's access to the radio spectrum and guard against
interference that reduces our ability to communicate." You can take an
important step right now to support ARRL's commitment to defending the
Amateur Radio Spectrum. According to ARRL Chief Development Officer
Mary Hobart, K1MMH, the ARRL is almost $194,000 shy of its Spectrum
Defense Fund goal of raising $325,000 by the December 31 deadline.

"Please make a generous contribution to the Spectrum Defense Fund by
mail, on the Web <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form> or by phone,"
she said. "Perhaps you'll consider a very easy way to contribute by
pledging $10 or $20 or $100 a month. Your financial commitment, over
and above your annual dues, will ensure that ARRL has the resources to
represent you and protect your operating frequencies." To make a
donation via mail, please send to Spectrum Defense Fund, ARRL, 225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111. To make a contribution over the phone, or to
discuss other giving options, please call 860-594-0397. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/defending-the-amateur-radio-spectrum-everyone-s-responsibility>.

==> + ARRL HQ NEWS: DEWEY RYKARD, KI4RGD, JOINS ARRL STAFF AS
INSTRUCTION AND RESOURCE COORDINATOR

   The ARRL is pleased to welcome Instruction and Resource Coordinator
Dewey Rykard II, KI4RGD, to the Headquarters staff in Newington.
Rykard, who will be working in the League's Education Services
Department, will focus on developing and identifying resources for ARRL
instructors. He also will play an integral role in the annual series of
Teachers Institutes in Wireless Technology, sponsored by the ARRL and
held every spring and summer around the country.

In his position at ARRL HQ, Rykard will be assisting Education Services
Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ. His responsibilities will include
reviewing and organizing resources needed by instructors, teachers and
Scout leaders, developing lesson plans to be utilized by ARRL
Registered Instructors and for the ARRL's Education & Technology
Program (ETP), providing guidance in the development of ARRL license
study manuals and coordinating the ARRL's educational award program. In
addition, Rykard will provide support for the ETP, participate in the
Teachers Institute trainings, help to provide ongoing resource support
for teachers and assist with administration of the ETP. You may meet
him at the ARRL booth at conventions where he will represent ARRL
Education Services programs. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/dewey-rykard-ki4rgd-joins-arrl-staff-as-instruction-and-resource-coordinator>.

==> + SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad "The Sun is up, the sky is blue; it's beautiful and so are you
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-2lMstw6qs>" Cook, K7RA, reports: The
average sunspot numbers for the week were up nearly 44 points to 55.6,
but the average solar flux readings were unchanged, at 84.9. A few days
ago, the solar flux values rose above 90, but currently the projection
from USAF and NOAA for solar flux over October 21-31 is 84, 83, 82, 82,
82, 80, 78, 80, 85, 80 and 80. Seven new sunspot groups arrived since
October 9: group 1112 came on October 9; group 1113 on October 13; 1114
and 1115 on October 14; 1116 on October 17, and 1117 and 1118 on
October 19. While the average sunspot number for the past week was
55.6, the greatest sunspot activity was over the past few days, with
the daily sunspot numbers on October 17-20 at 61, 69, 65 and 61. Look
for more information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, October 22. For
more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by John Lennon's  Dear Prudence
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Prudence>.

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

This week:

-  October 23 -- FOC QSO Party
-  October 23-24 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge; 10-10 International
Fall Contest (CW); W/VE Islands QSO Party; Araucaria VHF Contest; SYLRA
Contest
-  October 27 -- SKCC Sprint

Next week:

- October 30-31 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>;
CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB); 10-10 International Fall Contest
(Digital); 50 MHz Fall Sprint
- November 2 -- ARS Spartan Sprint

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
info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Events Station Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/special-events>.

==> UPCOMING ARRL DIVISION CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS

- May 20-22, 2011 -- Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/>®
featuring ARRL EXPO, Trotwood, Ohio
- June 10-11, 2011 -- ARRL National Convention and ARRL EXPO at the
ARRL West Gulf Division Convention <http://www.hamcom.org/>, Plano,
Texas

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