From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Nov  1 21:14:19 2012
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu,  1 Nov 2012 21:14:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for November 1, 2012
Message-ID: <20121102024453.11F8227CDE6@bmail.arrl.org>

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

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

November 1, 2012

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: As Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc on East Coast, Hams
Heed the Call to Help
- + Public Service: Hawaii Hams Activate for Tsunami Warning
- + Robin Walbridge, KD4OHZ, Missing at Sea after Sinking of Tall Ship
Bounty; Ship's Electrician Doug Faunt, N6TQS, Rescued
- Nominations Now Open for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award
- ARRL Invites Nominations for 2012 International Humanitarian Award
- Solar Update
- + ARRL Recognizes: James Klitzing, W6PQL,  Wins October QST Cover
Plaque Award
- + 2012 ARRL Field Day Results Now Online
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

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

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: AS HURRICANE SANDY WREAKS HAVOC ON EAST COAST,
HAMS HEED THE CALL TO HELP

   Even though Hurricane Sandy was declared a post-tropical cyclone by
the time it made its final landfall -- just 5 miles southwest of
Atlantic City, New Jersey at about 8 PM EDT on Monday, October 29 --
the storm still had winds in excess of 80 miles per hour. Hams across
the region, from the Carolinas to Maine, responded to requests for
assistance and activated local nets, supported the Hurricane Watch
Net's and the VoIP Hurricane Net's operations, assisted their local and
state Emergency Operations Centers and provided assistance at shelters
and wherever needed. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/as-hurricane-sandy-wreaks-havoc-on-east-coast-hams-heed-call-to-help>.

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: HAWAII HAMS ACTIVATE FOR TSUNAMI WARNING

   On Saturday, October 27, radio amateurs in Hawaii responded to a
tsunami warning, providing valuable and timely information to emergency
management officials. The tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 7.7
earthquake which struck at struck at 5:04 PM HST (0304 UTC on Sunday,
October 28) in the Queen Charlotte Islands, located off the coast of
British Columbia, Canada.

At 7:14 PM HST, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent out a tsunami
warning and said that the tsunami had an estimated wave arrival time of
10:28 PM. After being notified, Hawaii State Civil Defense RACES
Coordinator Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, began notifying Oahu leaders via cell
phone while ARRL Hawaii Section Emergency Coordinator Kevin Bogan,
AH6QO, began activating the ARES Emergency Coordinators on each island.
Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hawaii-hams-activate-for-tsunami-warning>.

==> + ROBIN WALBRIDGE, KD4OHZ, MISSING AT SEA AFTER SINKING OF TALL
SHIP BOUNTY; SHIP'S ELECTRICIAN DOUG FAUNT, N6TQS, RESCUED

Every DXer knows the story of the HMS Bounty and Pitcairn Island, VP6:
In 1789, the HMS Bounty -- a small three-masted sailing vessel sent by
Britain's Royal Navy to the Pacific on a supply expedition -- was
roiled by tension between its crew and its captain, William Bligh.
After landing in Tahiti and taking on a cargo of breadfruit, the Bounty
set sail for the West Indies; it never reached that destination.
Instead, Master's Mate Fletcher Christian led the men in a mutiny,
eventually allowing Bligh and his loyalists to sail off in a longboat.
After an arduous journey, they reached safety at the Dutch-owned port
of Kupang. Christian and his followers ended up on Pitcairn Island
where they burned the Bounty and settled on the island. Passing ships
did not discover the enclave until after the turn of the century.

   On Monday, October 29, a replica of the Bounty
<http://www.tallshipbounty.org/> -- built in 1960 for a remake of the
1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty -- sank off the coast of North Carolina
as Hurricane Sandy made its way toward New Jersey. Of its 16 crew
members, 14 were rescued by the US Coast Guard. Bounty Captain Robin
Walbridge, KD4OHZ, never made it to one of the two deployed life rafts
and is presumed dead. Claudene Christian, who claimed to be a direct
descendent of Fletcher Christian, was unresponsive and passed away at a
North Carolina hospital on Monday evening.

Doug Faunt, N6TQS, of Oakland, California, was one of the 14 who was
rescued by the Coast Guard; Faunt served as a deckhand and was also the
ship's electrician. A noted DXer and ARRL Life Member, he was part of
the FO0AAA DXpedition crew in 2000 to Clipperton Island. He was also a
member of the VP6DIA DXpedition to Ducie Island, and in 2007, he was
part of the DXpedition to Lakshadweep. According to Spud Roscoe, VE1BC,
Faunt had satellite communications equipment and Winlink capabilities
on board the Bounty, but he was not the ship's radio officer. "Sailing
on replica ships was a hobby of Doug's," Roscoe told the ARRL. "He had
previously sailed across the Great Australian Bight on a replica of the
HMB Endeavour <http://www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1437>, Captain
Cook's ship. He was an able seaman of the watch." Roscoe was the radio
officer on the replica Bounty for its original voyage to France in
1962.

   Faunt told the ARRL that the Bounty crew tried various methods,
including a satellite phone, to call for help, "but we got nothing when
tried calling out on HF. We tried calling the Maritime Mobile Net, but
nothing was out there. We had Winlink on the ship that we used for
e-mail and accessing the Internet to post to blogs and to Facebook, and
we finally found an e-mail address for the Coast Guard. As a last-ditch
effort, we used Winlink to e-mail the Coast Guard for help. Within an
hour, we heard a C-130 plane, and later, a helicopter overhead."
According to Faunt, it was Walbridge, as master of the ship, who sent
out the distress messages.

"I don't know how I made it off the ship," Faunt recalled. "I had
finished serving a long watch, and then we started going down. I was
exhausted. I had to swim to get to the life raft. The water was full of
rigging, and here I am, in my Gumby suit, trying to swim. It was so
difficult. While swimming to the raft, I came up for air and a spar was
coming at me. I finally found a raft and tried to climb into it, but I
almost didn't make it, tired as I was. Through the help of my shipmates
who were already aboard the raft, I got on." The two life rafts were
out about 100 miles from shore when they were rescued.

The vessel left Connecticut on Thursday, October 25 with a crew of 11
men and five women, ranging in age from 20-66. After being treated at a
hospital in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Faunt arrived back home in
California on Wednesday, October 31. "I'm looking for a new boat to
sail and a DXpedition to go on," Faunt told the ARRL. "Ham radio got me
into my position on the Bounty, and ham radio got me out alive!"

==> NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR THE GEORGE HART DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
AWARD

Each year at its Annual Meeting in January, the ARRL Board of Directors
bestows the George Hart Distinguished Service Award to a League member
whose service to the ARRL's Field Organization is of the most exemplary
nature. This award is named in honor of George Hart, W1NJM, long-time
Communications Manager at ARRL Headquarters and chief developer of the
National Traffic System.

Selection criteria for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award
include:

- Operating record with the National Traffic System, or
- Participation within the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), or
- Station appointments and/or leadership positions held within the
Field Organization.

Nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award shall be
accepted from anyone and shall be submitted to the Membership and
Volunteer Programs Manager at ARRL Headquarters by November 1.
Nominations should document as thoroughly as possible the nominee's
lifetime activities and achievements within the ARRL Field
Organization. It is expected that nominated candidates will have 15 or
more years of distinguished service. The Programs and Services
Committee will serve as the Review Committee, with the Board of
Directors making the final determination at its Annual Meeting in
January. Recipients will be given an engraved plaque and cover letter,
and will be profiled in QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst>.

Nominations for the 2013 George Hart Distinguished Service Award,
including any related supporting material and letters of
recommendation, may be e-mailed to ARRL Headquarters to the attention
of ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N
<nn1n at arrl.org>, or to ARRL Field and Public Service Team Supervisor
Steve Ewald, WV1X <wv1x at arrl.org>. Nominations and supporting materials
must be received no later than November 1, 2012 to be considered.

==> ARRL INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD

   Nominations are open for the 2012 ARRL International Humanitarian
Award. This award is conferred upon an amateur or amateurs who
demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace and international
understanding through Amateur Radio. The League established the annual
prize to recognize those radio amateurs who have used ham radio to
provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster.
As one of the few telecommunication services that allow people
throughout the world from all walks of life to meet and talk with each
other, Amateur Radio spreads goodwill across political boundaries. The
ARRL International Humanitarian Award recognizes the Amateur Radio
Service's unique role in international communication and the assistance
amateurs regularly provide to people in need. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-invites-nominations-for-2012-international-humanitarian-award>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity quieted this week, with the
average daily sunspot numbers down nearly 37 points to 58.4 and the
average daily solar flux declining 27 points to 116.9. The predicted
solar flux values are 105 and 100 for November 1-2, 95 on November 3-4,
100 on November 5-6, 105 on November 7, 120 on November 8-11, 125 on
November 12-13, 130 on November 14 and peaking at 135 on November
15-20. It then drops to a minimum of 100 on November 29-December 1,
then back to a high of 135 by mid-December. The predicted planetary A
index is 20, 10 and 8 on November 1-3, 5 on November 4-5, 7 on November
6-7, then 10, 20 and 15 on November 8-10, back down to 5 on November
11-December 4, and 10, 20 and 15 again on December 5-7. A coronal mass
ejection (CMA) hit the Earth's magnetic field at 1530 UTC on October
31. This contributes to the prediction of a planetary A index of 20 on
November 1. Look for more on the ARRL website on Friday, November 2.
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> + ARRL RECOGNIZES: JAMES KLITZING, W6PQL,  WINS OCTOBER QST COVER
PLAQUE AWARD

   The winner of the October QST Cover Plaque award is James Klitzing,
W6PQL, for his article "Solid State 1 kW Linear Amplifier for 2
Meters." Congratulations James! The QST  Cover Plaque Award -- given to
the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is
determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll web
page <http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll>. Cast a ballot for your
favorite article in the November issue today.

==> + 2012 ARRL FIELD DAY RESULTS NOW ONLINE

   If you can't wait for your December issue of QST
<http://www.arrl.org/qst> to arrive in the mail to see how you did in
the 2012 ARRL Field Day, don't worry! The results -- including a copy
of the QST article
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ContestResults/2012/2012-FD-QST.pdf>
(with line scores) and a results database
<http://www.arrl.org/results-database?event_id=37444> -- are now
available on the ARRL website. Be sure to also check out the 101
comments in the Field Day Soapbox
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox>. It's not too soon to start
making plans for next year -- the 2013 ARRL Field Day is scheduled for
June 22-23, 2013. Just a note: The results from Wyoming are missing in
print edition of QST; they will appear in the digital edition of QST,
as well as online.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- November 2 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 3 -- IPARC Contest (CW)
- November 3-4 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>;
Ukrainian DX Contest
- November 3-5 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>
- November 4 -- IPARC Contest (SSB); High Speed Club CW Contest; DARC
10 Meter Digital Contest
- November 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint

Next week:

- November 9 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 10-11 -- Kentucky QSO Party; WAE DX Contest (RTTY); 10-10
International Fall Contest (Digital); JIDX Phone Contest; OK/OM DX
Contest (CW)
- November 10-11 -- CQ-WE Contest
- November 11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
- November 12 -- NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint
- November 14-15 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
- November 15 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug 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
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

- November 3-4 -- ARRL Georgia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-stone-mountain-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia
- November 4 -- ARRL Iowa Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-section-convention-41st-annual-drac-hamfest-computer-show'>,
Davenport, Iowa
- November 10 -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-1>, Montgomery,
Alabama
- November 17-18 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/indiana-state-convention-fort-wayne-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida
- January 18-19 -- ARRL North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-texas-section-convention-cowtown-hamfest-1>,
Fort Worth, Texas
- January 19 -- ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southern-florida-section-convention-3>,
Fort Myers, Florida
- January 25-26 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest>,
Jackson, Mississippi
- January 26-27 -- ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention>, Hatillo,
Puerto Rico
- February 2 -- ARRL South Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-2>, North
Charleston, South Carolina
- February 8-10 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation-1>,
Orlando, Florida
- February 15-16 -- ARRL Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-1>,
Yuma, Arizona
- March 8-9 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest-1>,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- 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

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

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From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Nov  8 13:24:22 2012
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu,  8 Nov 2012 13:24:22 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for November 8, 2012
Message-ID: <20121108184413.AF92C26D875@bmail.arrl.org>

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

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

November 8, 2012

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

- + FCC News: FCC Rejects Maryland Ham's Plan for Amending Message
Forwarding System Rules
- + Public Service: Do Not Self-Deploy to Areas Affected by Hurricane
Sandy
- + IARU: IARU Administrative Council Plans for WRC-15 at Annual
Meeting
- + W1AW Announces 2012-2013 Winter Operating Schedule
- + Logbook of The World Expected to Be Back Online on November 9
- ARRL Executive Committee Examines Regulatory Matters, Organizational
Issues and More at September Meeting
- ARRL in Action: What Have We Been Up to Lately
- ARRL Atlantic Division Presents "Virtual" Convention
- + ARRL Says "Thank You" to Veterans
- + USPS Seeks to Phase Out IRCs
- Solar Update
- New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

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

==> + FCC NEWS: FCC REJECTS MARYLAND HAM'S PLAN FOR AMENDING MESSAGE
FORWARDING SYSTEM RULES

   On Monday, November 5, the FCC issued a letter dismissing a Petition
for Rulemaking filed in February 2012 by Rolan Clark, W3FDK, of
Adamstown, Maryland. In his Petition, Clark had asked the FCC to amend
Section 97.219, specifying that control operators of the first
forwarding station in a message forwarding system of stations should
not be obligated to authenticate the identity of a station from which
the message forwarding system accepts messages, and that the first
forwarding station should not accept accountability for any violative
content of the messages put into the system, Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-rejects-maryland-ham-s-plan-for-amending-message-forwarding-system-rules>.

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: DO NOT SELF-DEPLOY TO AREAS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE
SANDY

Amateur Radio operators who want to assist those Sections affected by
Hurricane Sandy should not self-deploy to those areas. "There are many
ARRL Sections involved in the impact area, and each has different
requirements on how they locate, credential and deploy volunteers,"
explained ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U. "If a
need for manpower is identified that cannot be met locally or in the
Section, Section leadership may contact other Sections for assistance.
If the need is still not met, Section leadership may then contact ARRL
HQ for assistance."

==> + IARU: IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL PLANS FOR WRC-15 AT ANNUAL
MEETING

   The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) held its Annual Meeting November 2-4 in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam. The AC -- which consists of the three IARU International
Officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional
organizations -- is responsible for the policy and management of the
IARU and. According to IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, the meeting
was a somber occasion due to the passing of IARU Region 3 Chairman
Michael J. Owen, VK3KI. Owen had been a member of the Administrative
Council for most of its existence, and had been a longtime contributor
to the efforts of IARU to promote and preserve Amateur Radio. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/iaru-administrative-council-plans-for-wrc-15-at-annual-meeting>.

==> + W1AW ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 WINTER OPERATING SCHEDULE

With the switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time this past
weekend, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, has updated the W1AW
operating schedule to reflect the change. The standard times have not
changed, but the UTC times have. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/w1aw-announces-2012-2013-winter-operating-schedule>.

==> + LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD EXPECTED TO BE BACK ONLINE ON NOVEMBER 9

   ARRL Information Technology Manager Michael Keane, K1MK, is
reporting that while Logbook of The World (LoTW
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>) system is currently down,
it is expected to be back up by 9 AM EST (1400 UTC) on Friday, November
9. "While the system is temporarily down, radio amateurs are not able
to access LoTW or upload their logs," Keane explained. "No data has
been lost, and everyone's records are intact. We understand the problem
and we are in the process of restoring service to LoTW. Since both the
Logbook of The World service and the Online DXCC
<http://www.arrl.org/news/online-dxcc-application-to-debut-april-2>
service are connected to the ARRL Awards System, radio amateurs are not
able to access either service until the system is restored. We
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and want to assure the
amateur community that the ARRL is working diligently to restore
service to these popular programs."

==> ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EXAMINES REGULATORY MATTERS,
ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES AND MORE AT SEPTEMBER MEETING

   The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) held its second 2012 meeting
Saturday, September 29 in Denver, Colorado. The EC is responsible for
administering the League's affairs in between Board meetings. According
to the ARRL Articles of Association, the EC meets during the intervals
between meetings of the Board of Directors. It meets at the call of the
President, but no less often than semi-annually; the last meeting of
the EC was March 24, 2012.

At the meeting, the EC discussed the lack of visibility of Amateur
Radio enforcement actions, the FCC's study of the Amateur Radio study
mandated by Congress, the status to the followup of the report of the
ARRL's National Broadband Plan Committee, the future implementation of
the secondary MF allocation of 472-479 kHz and the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking -- expected, but yet not released at the time of the meeting
-- that seeks to change the way Amateur Radio licenses are administered
and granted, as well as a change to the TDMA rules. The Committee also
discussed the upcoming Centennial Celebration and voted to approve
conventions and affiliated radio clubs, and recognized new ARRL Life
Members. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-executive-committee-examines-regulatory-matters-organizational-issues-and-more-at-september-mee>.

==> ARRL IN ACTION: WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO LATELY

   This feature is a concise monthly update of some of the things that
the ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment -- which
covers the month of October -- takes a look how affected ARRL Sections
handled the effects of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 ARRL National
Convention in California, the annual ARRL On-Line Auction, new ARRL
publications, W1AW activities during JOTA, reports from the Official
Observer Desk and more. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-in-action-what-have-we-been-up-to-lately-51>.

==> ARRL ATLANTIC DIVISION PRESENTS "VIRTUAL" CONVENTION

   The Atlantic Division Leadership is turning the traditional
convention model on its head! This year -- through the use of
multimedia -- the Division will host its convention on the Internet
<http://www.atldiv.org/convention> on Saturday, November 10. ARRL
President (and former Atlantic Division Director) Kay Craigie, N3KN,
will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 Atlantic Division Convention!
"We will be doing the convention as an educational event," explained
ARRL Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR. "We have some
world-class presenters and topics for the convention, including NBEMS;
an emergency communications discussion panel, information on stealth
antennas, a DX forum and a forum on RF propagation." Find information
and the presentations schedule for the convention here
<http://www.atldiv.org/convention>. There is no cost for registration
and Edgar said that there are still some seats available, but
registration will close when there are no more seats available.

==> + ARRL SAYS "THANK YOU" TO VETERANS

On Sunday, November 11, here in the US and abroad, we will celebrate
Veterans Day, also called Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. Originally
a holiday that marked the end of World War I -- the "War to End All
Wars" -- this day has been set aside to honor all who have served their
country. It was on November 11, 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day
of the 11th month, that Germany signed the Armistice, formally ending
the hostilities that had been ongoing since 1914.

   The ARRL would like to take this opportunity to thank our service
veterans. Whether they served on active duty or reserve, during
peacetime or time of conflict, they served their county with honor. We
also would be remiss if we did not remember the families of those
veterans who kept the home fires burning bright; without their love and
support, our veterans would have indeed been alone.

ARRL Headquarters has its share of service veterans: Assistant VEC
Manager Perry Green, WY1O (Army); Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR
(Army); News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA (Coast Guard);
Instruction and Resource Coordinator Nathan McCray, K9CPO (Navy); DXCC
Manager Bill Moore, NC1L (Army); Reprints Specialist Tony Nesta, AA1RZ
(Navy); Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N
(Navy); Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA (Army);
Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG (Air Force),
and Education & Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME
(Air Force).

Thank you for your service -- your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your
fellow service members is not forgotten.

==> + USPS SEEKS TO PHASE OUT IRCS

   If the US Postal Service (USPS <https://www.usps.com/>) gets its
way, it will no longer sell International Reply Coupons (IRCs) after
January 27, 2013. According to the October 23 edition of the Federal
Register
<https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/10/23/2012-25992/international-mailing-services-proposed-product-and-price-changes#h-88>,
there is not sufficient demand for the USPS to continue offering IRCs
to customers; however, per the Universal Postal Union (UPU
<http://www.upu.int/en.html>) regulations, the USPS must continue to
exchange and redeem IRCs that have been purchased in foreign countries
and presented at USPS facilities. Comments on this proposed change will
be accepted
<http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=USPS-2012-0101-0001>
through November 23, 2012. IRCs provide foreign addressees with a
prepaid means of responding to inquiries, solicitations or other types
of communications -- such as QSL cards -- that are initiated by US
senders. IRCs are exchangeable for postage stamps by postal
administrations in member countries of the UPU. Each IRC is equivalent
in value to the destination country's minimum postage price for an
unregistered airmail letter. The purchase price is in the US is
currently $2.20 per IRC. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/> for some information.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity retreated again this week,
with the average daily sunspot numbers declining 8.7 points to 49.7,
while the average daily solar flux was down nearly 20 points to 97.2.
The latest forecast shows solar flux at 100 on November 8-9, 105 on
November 10-11, 100 on November 12-13, 95 on November 14-15, 115 on
November 16-17, and 110 on November 18-20. The planetary A index
forecast predicts an index of 9 on November 8, 5 on November 9-10, 7 on
November 11-12, 5 on November 13-18, 8 on November 19, and back down to
5 on November 20-December 10. Look for more on the ARRL website on
Friday, November 9. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> NEW QUICKSTATS POLL NOW AVAILABLE ON ARRL WEBSITE

Four new poll questions have just been published on the QuickStats page
<http://www.arrl.org/quickstats> on the ARRL website. Let your voice be
heard!

   Questions in this month's QuickStats poll:

-  Will you be participating in the ARRL 160 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/160-meter> on November 30?
- Do you make a special effort to perform maintenance on your antenna
system in preparation for winter?
-  How many computers do you own (desktop, laptop or tablet)?
- How long do you keep your print editions of QST?

Visit the QuickStats page <http://www.arrl.org/quickstats> and be sure
to bookmark it in your browser. Results from this QuickStats poll will
be published in the February 2013 issue of QST on the QuickStats page,
located in the rear advertising section of the magazine. Along with
monthly poll results, QST QuickStats offers colorful charts and graphs
that highlight interesting Amateur Radio statistics.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- November 9 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 10-11 -- Kentucky QSO Party; WAE DX Contest (RTTY); 10-10
International Fall Contest (Digital); JIDX Phone Contest; OK/OM DX
Contest (CW)
- November 10-11 -- CQ-Western Electric Contest
- November 11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
- November 12 -- NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint
- November 14-15 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
- November 15 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

Next week:

- November 16 -- NCCC Sprint; YO International PSK31 Contest
- November 17 -- CQ SA SSB Contest; Feld Hell Sprint
- November 17-18 -- LZ DX Contest; All Austrian 160 Meter Contest; RSGB
2nd 1.8 MHz Contest (CW)
- November 17-19 -- ARRL Sweepstakes Contest (SSB)
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>; North American Collegiate ARC
Championship (SSB)
- November 18 -- EPC PSK63 QSO Party; Homebrew and Old Time Equipment
Party
- November 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest

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

- November 10 -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-1>, Montgomery,
Alabama
- November 17-18 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/indiana-state-convention-fort-wayne-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida
- January 18-19 -- ARRL North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-texas-section-convention-cowtown-hamfest-1>,
Fort Worth, Texas
- January 19 -- ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southern-florida-section-convention-3>,
Fort Myers, Florida
- January 25-26 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest>,
Jackson, Mississippi
- January 26-27 -- ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention>, Hatillo,
Puerto Rico
- February 2 -- ARRL South Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-2>, North
Charleston, South Carolina
- February 8-10 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation-1>,
Orlando, Florida
- February 15-16 -- ARRL Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-1>,
Yuma, Arizona
- March 8-9 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest-1>,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- 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

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

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> ARRL membership
includes QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur Radio's most popular
and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.

Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>. Published bi-monthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO
Parties.

Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bi-monthly, features technical
articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to
radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!

Find us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>. Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>.

ARRL offers a wide array of products <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>
to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio.

Donate <https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form> to the fund of your
choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!

Click here <ads at arrl.org> to advertise in this newsletter.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe
by editing their profile
<http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>.

 Copyright (c) 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All
Rights Reserved

 <http://www.arrl.org/>


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Nov 15 15:02:00 2012
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:02:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for November 15, 2012
Message-ID: <20121115200200.0C8BC21A22@bmail.arrl.org>

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

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

November 15, 2012

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

- + QST -- There's an App for That!
- + FCC Denies ARRL Petition to Deny ReconRobotics Licenses, But Limits
Devices to 100 kHz Bandwidth
- IARU: Ho Chi Minh City Hosts IARU Region 3 Conference
- + Check Out the December Issue of QST
- + Dayton Hamvention Announces DX Theme for 2013
- + Be a Star! Enter the Third Annual ARRL Video Contest
- W1AW Announces 2012-2013 Winter Operating Schedule
- Solar Update
- + ARRL Headquarters to Close for Thanksgiving Holidays
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

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

==> + QST -- THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!

   ARRL members who use Apple iOS mobile devices -- iPhone, iPad and
iPod Touch -- can now download a new dedicated app
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qst/id531766442?mt=8> to access and
browse all issues of the digital edition of QST. This app allows ARRL
members to read QST online or download individual issues of the journal
for offline reading. This free app is available
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qst/id531766442?mt=8> to ARRL members
in the Apple App Store.

Using the New QST App:

- From your iOS device, go to the Apple App Store to search for and
install the free QST app. Or simply click here
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qst/id531766442?mt=8> to download the
app now.
- Verify your Apple ID password.
- Open the app and go to the "QST Catalog" to browse available digital
issues.
- Tap on the cover of an issue and select "Read" or "Download."
- Log in with your ARRL website username and password. If you do not
have an ARRL website username and password, please register here
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl>.
- Each time you download an issue in the app, it is added to the "My
QST Library" to view offline. Note: Before viewing issues offline, you
must first initialize each issue online using your ARRL website login.
- To stream embedded video and audio, you must be connected to the
Internet.
- This app may send anonymous usage statistics to ARRL and our service
providers to help us improve QST and to better meet the needs of our
members. To disable sending usage information, turn ON the "Disable
Tracking" feature for the QST app in your iOS device settings. For more
information, visit the Digital QST FAQ page
<http://www.arrl.org/digital-qst-faq> and the ARRL Online Privacy
Policy <http://www.arrl.org/online-privacy-policy>.

Using an Android or Windows Mobile Device?

 <http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qst/id531766442?mt=8>	 At this time,
a native app is only available for Apple iOS devices. Users with
Android or Windows devices can access the digital edition of QST from a
web browser
<http://www.nxtbook.com/fx/archives/view.php?id=4d8f3fb65736c8b1e83e4879a8b0ef57>.
The web version runs in an Internet browser on nearly any device,
including desktop or laptop computers, smartphones, tablets and e-book
readers.

==> + FCC DENIES ARRL PETITION TO DENY RECONROBOTICS LICENSES, BUT
LIMITS DEVICES TO 100 KHZ BANDWIDTH

   On November 14, the FCC issued an Order on Reconsideration
dismissing a March 2010 Petition for Reconsideration filed by the ARRL
that asked the Commission to deny pending Public Safety Pool license
applications associated with the ReconRobotics Video and Audio
Surveillance System; however, in doing so, the FCC made it clear that
the devices may not exceed 100 kHz of bandwidth. The Recon Scout --
manufactured by ReconRobotics -- is a remote-controlled, maneuverable
surveillance robot that transmits real-time video surveillance data
that operates by FCC waiver in the 70 centimeter band. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-denies-arrl-em-petition-em-to-deny-reconrobotics-licenses-but-limits-devices-to-100-khz-bandwidt>.

==> IARU: HO CHI MINH CITY HOSTS IARU REGION 3 CONFERENCE

   Officials from 16 IARU Member Societies in Region 3 attended the
IARU Region 3 15th Triennial Conference. Hosted by the Vietnam Amateur
Radio Club, the conference took place November 5-9 in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam. The delegates elected a new Region 3 leadership team,
appointed regional coordinators and formed two working groups to focus
on policy matters and operational and technical matters. These two
groups acted on more than 60 documents and recommendations during the
conference. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ho-chi-minh-city-hosts-iaru-region-3-conference>.

==> + CHECK OUT THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF QST

Between tiny tots with their eyes all aglow and Jack Frost nipping at
your nose, it's good to escape from all the holiday hullabaloo and open
up the latest issue of QST. Whether you're looking for a project that
takes you to your workbench, fantasizing of journeys to far-away DX or
even dreaming about all the new radio gear that you hope to find under
the tree, the December issue of QST has it all. So relax, get out your
QST, put your feet up and enjoy all that the holiday season -- and
Amateur Radio -- have to offer.

Jack Morgan, KF6T, knows a thing or two about Amateur Radio contests --
especially how tired and sore your voice can be after a 48-hour SSB
contest! In his article "Super Simple Digital Voice Keyer," Morgan
explains how you can save your voice by using your PC's sound card, a
potentiometer and an audio transformer. If you can only have one HF
antenna, how do you choose the best one? QST Technical Editor Joel R.
Hallas, W1ZR, attempts to demystify the age-old conundrum in his
article "Vertical or Horizontal Antennas -- What's Best for You?"

   In January 2009, Laura Smith was sworn in as Special Counsel at the
FCC, replacing Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, who had retired a few months
earlier after overseeing Amateur Radio enforcement actions for several
years. ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, sat
down and talked with Smith in "An Interview with FCC Special Counsel
Laura Smith" and found out where we stand with Amateur Radio
enforcement today.

Many hams spend all year gearing up for ARRL Field Day, the most
popular on-the-air operating event in all of Amateur Radio. For those
hardcore Field Day aficionados, the December issue of QST is one of the
most anticipated issues all year -- this is the issue with the Field
Day results! This year, join ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson,
N1ND, as he travels through the funny pages to bring readers the annual
Field Day results article. You'll also find announcements for upcoming
radiosport events, such as the 2012 Straight Key Night, the 2013 RTTY
Roundup and the 2013 ARRL International DX Contest (both CW and SSB).

QST Technical Editor Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR, takes a look at the Elecraft
KX3 HF and 6 meter QRP transceiver in this month's Product Review. He
says this radio "offers a large measure of performance and features in
a compact but workable enclosure. While it's a wonderful addition to a
campsite or picnic table, the KX3 can also form the basis of a
competent home or mobile station with the addition of appropriate
accessories."

Of course, there are the usual columns you know and have come to expect
in the December QST: Amateur Radio World, Happenings, Hints & Kinks,
The Doctor is In, Short Takes, Vintage Radio, How's DX? and more,
including lots of new books and products, just in time for the
holidays. Look for your December issue in your mailbox. QST is the
official journal of the ARRL, the national association for Amateur
Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To
join, or to renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL web page
<https://www.arrl.org/join-arrl-renew-membership/>.

==> + DAYTON HAMVENTION ANNOUNCES DX THEME FOR 2013

   Throughout its 62 years, the Dayton Hamvention? has showcased the
best that Amateur Radio has to offer. Each year, a specific theme --
such as Amateur Radio clubs, global friendship or the advent of digital
modes -- spotlights one of the many facets of the Amateur Radio
Service. And when Hamvention opens on May 17, 2013, at Hara Arena, the
2013 theme DX Hamvention will reflect an important part of ham radio:
the distant contact. "Hamvention is often an important DX destination
for amateurs from all over the globe," Hamvention General Chairman
Charles Kaiser, KD8JZR, explained. "Working DX is often a mix of magic,
conditions and the diligent application of radio theory."

ARRL's large exhibit area at Hamvention, ARRL EXPO, has always included
significant attention for on-air DX activities and the participation of
many international visitors. "In addition to our many activities at
ARRL EXPO -- such as hands-on kit building, forums and membership
services -- we are proud to support DXers from all over the world,"
said ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. "We know hams
appreciate our on-site QSL card checking services and enjoy being able
to drop off their cards for the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau. In recent
years, the ARRL exhibit area has included representatives from the
International Amateur Radio Union and from our partner radio societies
in the UK, Germany, Japan and Qatar." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/dayton-hamvention-announces-dx-theme-for-2013>.

==> + BE A STAR! ENTER THE THIRD ANNUAL ARRL VIDEO CONTEST

 <http://www.arrl.org/winners>	 If you've ever wanted a way to show
the world how exciting Amateur Radio can be, here's your chance: The
ARRL is sponsoring its Third Annual Video Contest! Here's a chance to
put that video camera to use: Shoot a ham radio-related video and send
it our way. If your video takes first, second or third place, we'll
post it on the ARRL website for everyone to see. We're looking for a
few good videos (but only one per ARRL member, please) on any tasteful
subject relating to Amateur Radio. Videos will be judged on overall
quality and composition, and prizes will be awarded for first, second
and third place. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/be-a-star-enter-the-third-annual-arrl-video-contest>.

==> W1AW ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 WINTER OPERATING SCHEDULE

With the switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time earlier this
month, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, has updated the W1AW
operating schedule to reflect the change the W1AW operating schedule.
The standard times have not changed, but the UTC times have. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/w1aw-announces-2012-2013-winter-operating-schedule>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: There is an exciting and dramatic rise in
sunspot activity this week. The daily sunspot number was 188 on Monday,
November 12 -- higher than it has been in more than a year. The last
time the daily sunspot number was as high was on November 9, 2011, when
it was 208. Prior to last November, we have to go back nine years --
November 26, 2003 -- into the previous solar cycle to find a number as
high. On that date the sunspot number was 209. A coronal mass ejection
(CME) on November 13 caused a geomagnetic storm on November 13-14,
driving the planetary A index to 33 on November 14. Aurora was visible
across Northern United States. The NOAA/USAF prediction on Wednesday,
November 14 shows the solar flux at 145 on November 15-18, 140 on
November 19-20, down to 135 and 125 on November 21-22, 105 on November
23-24, 100 on November 25-26, and then dropping below 100 until
December 3. The predicted planetary A index is 12 on November 15, 10 on
November 16-17, 8 on November 18, 5 on November 19 through December 4,
and rising to 10 on December 5-8. Look for more on the ARRL website on
Friday, November 16. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> + ARRL HEADQUARTERS TO CLOSE FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS

   ARRL Headquarters will be closed November 22 and 23 in observance of
Thanksgiving. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice
transmissions <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule> those days.
The ARRL Letter <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> will be published a
day early on Wednesday, November 21, but there will be no ARRL Audio
News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news> on Thursday, November 22.
ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, November 26 at 8 AM Eastern
Standard Time. We wish everyone a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving
holiday.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- November 16 -- NCCC Sprint; YO International PSK31 Contest
- November 17 -- CQ SA SSB Contest; Feld Hell Sprint
- November 17-18 -- LZ DX Contest; All Austrian 160 Meter Contest; RSGB
2nd 1.8 MHz Contest (CW)
- November 17-19 -- ARRL Sweepstakes Contest (SSB)
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>; North American Collegiate ARC
Championship (SSB)
- November 18 -- EPC PSK63 QSO Party; Homebrew and Old Time Equipment
Party
- November 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest

Next week:

- November 23 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 24-25 -- CQ WW DX Contest (CW)
- November 28 -- SKCC Sprint
- November 28-29 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
- November 29 -- QRP ARCI Top Band 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
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

- November 17-18 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/indiana-state-convention-fort-wayne-hamfest-computer-expo-1>,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida
- January 18-19 -- ARRL North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-texas-section-convention-cowtown-hamfest-1>,
Fort Worth, Texas
- January 19 -- ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southern-florida-section-convention-3>,
Fort Myers, Florida
- January 25-26 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest>,
Jackson, Mississippi
- January 26-27 -- ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention>, Hatillo,
Puerto Rico
- February 2 -- ARRL South Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-2>, North
Charleston, South Carolina
- February 8-10 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation-1>,
Orlando, Florida
- February 15-16 -- ARRL Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-1>,
Yuma, Arizona
- March 8-9 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest-1>,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- 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

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

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> ARRL membership
includes QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur Radio's most popular
and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.

Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>. Published bi-monthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO
Parties.

Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bi-monthly, features technical
articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to
radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!

Find us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>. Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>.

ARRL offers a wide array of products <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>
to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio.

Donate <https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form> to the fund of your
choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!

Click here <ads at arrl.org> to advertise in this newsletter.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe
by editing their profile
<http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>.

 Copyright (c) 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All
Rights Reserved

 <http://www.arrl.org/>


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Wed Nov 21 13:05:08 2012
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:05:08 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for November 21, 2012
Message-ID: <20121121185200.0550C23187@bmail.arrl.org>

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

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

November 21, 2012

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

- ARRL Members in Hudson Division Elect New Director; Northwestern
Division Re-elects Director
- FCC Seeks to Assign Entire Amateur Portion of 160 Meter Band to
Primary Status to Amateur Radio Service, Proposes New LF Amateur Band
at 135.7-137.8 kHz
- Amateur Radio in Space: Three Hams Return to Earth from ISS
- On the Air: Top Off the Year on Top Band in the ARRL 160 Meter
Contest
- Silent Key: Former "How's DX?" Conductor Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (SK)
- Section Manager News: Monte Simpson, K2MLS, Appointed ARRL Western
Washington Section Manager
- Solar Update
- Be a Star! Enter the Third Annual ARRL Video Contest
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

ARRL Headquarters will be closed November 22 and 23 in observance of
Thanksgiving. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice
transmissions <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule> those days.
The ARRL Letter <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> will be published a
day early on Wednesday, November 21, but there will be no ARRL Audio
News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news> on Thursday, November 22.
ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, November 26 at 8 AM Eastern
Standard Time. We wish everyone a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving
holiday.

==> ARRL MEMBERS IN HUDSON DIVISION ELECT NEW DIRECTOR; NORTHWESTERN
DIVISION RE-ELECTS DIRECTOR

   On November 16, ballots were counted in the races for Director in
the Hudson Division and for Director and Vice Director in the
Northwestern Division. This year, there were only three contested races
for Director or Vice Director in the five Divisions holding elections.
In the Hudson Division, Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, defeated incumbent Joyce
Birmingham, KA2ANF, for the top slot in that Division. In the
Northwestern Division, Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF, defeated William
Balzarini, KL7BB, for Director, while James Pace, K7CEX, was elected
Vice Director in a three-way race. Terms for Directors and Vice
Directors begin at noon on January 1, 2013 and run for three years.
Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-members-in-hudson-division-elect-new-director-northwestern-division-gets-new-vice-director>.

==> FCC SEEKS TO ASSIGN ENTIRE AMATEUR PORTION OF 160 METER BAND TO
PRIMARY STATUS TO AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE, PROPOSES NEW LF AMATEUR BAND
AT 135.7-137.8 KHZ

   On Tuesday, November 20, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (ET Docket No. 12-338) that proposes to amend Parts 1, 2,
74, 78, 87, 90 and 97 of the Commission's rules. Part 97 governs the
Amateur Radio Service. These changes will implement allocation
decisions from the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07)
that concern those portions of the radio frequency spectrum between 108
MHz and 20.2 GHz and make certain updates to the rules in this
frequency range. Most of the NPRM does not concern the Amateur Radio
Service, but the FCC is requesting comments on the three parts that do:
changing the allocation to the amateur portion of the 160 meter band,
allocating a new Amateur Service band at 135.7-137.8 kHz and cleaning
up the rules for the 10.0-10.5 GHz band. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-seeks-to-assign-entire-amateur-portion-of-160-meter-band-to-primary-status-to-amateur-radio-serv>.

==> AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: THREE HAMS RETURN TO EARTH FROM ISS

   Shortly before 9 PM EST on Sunday, November 18 (0200 UTC Monday,
November 19), a Soyuz spacecraft carrying Expedition 33 Commander
Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP,
and Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI, landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan, returning
them safely to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after
127 days in space.

While aboard the ISS, Williams, Malenchenko and Hashide completed 39
contacts with schools via the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) project. According to NASA ISS Ham Radio Project
Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, this ties with Expedition 15 for the
fourth highest number of contacts. In 2011, Expedition 26 -- led by
Scott Kelly -- set the record for having the most ARISS contacts at 73.
Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/three-hams-return-to-earth-from-iss>.

==> ON THE AIR: TOP OFF THE YEAR ON TOP BAND IN THE ARRL 160 METER
CONTEST

While Solar Cycle 24 is making the high bands the focal point for HF
operators, 160 meters -- Top Band -- is still chock full of DX. There's
no better time to get on 160 meters than the ARRL 160 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/160-meter>, November 30-December 2.

The ARRL 160 Meter Contest is an all-CW event, with ARRL/RAC Sections
and DXCC entities used as multipliers. If you live in a rare Section --
such as North Dakota, Nebraska or any of the rare Sections from the
November Sweepstakes contests -- everyone will be seeking you. Hams in
Ontario (VE3) will have a new role in this year's contest: The split of
Ontario into four new sections -- Ontario East (ONE), Ontario North
(ONN), Ontario South (ONS) and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) -- will
give everybody a few new multipliers to hunt for on Top Band.

   In this contest, Alaska (KL7) and Hawaii (KH6) can be worked by both
DX and US/Canadian stations, as can the Caribbean US possessions
(KP1-KP5) and all of the Pacific Ocean territories (KH0-KH9). No
antennas for 160? Don't be discouraged! According to ARRL Contest
Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, if you don't have an antenna for 160,
put up a temporary length of wire or try to load up whatever you have
through an antenna tuner; even a 40 meter dipole through a tuner will
make some QSOs.

Since ARRL and RAC Sections are worth 2 points each and count as
multipliers, the ARRL 160 Meter Contest is a good way to begin working
-- or finishing up! -- your Worked All States Award (WAS
<http://www.arrl.org/was>). But don't forget about those DX stations --
each DXCC entity is a multiplier and is worth 5 points.

The 2012 ARRL 160 Meter Contest <http://www.arrl.org/160-meter> runs
from 2200 UTC Friday, November 30 through 1559 UTC Sunday, December 2.
Complete rules and entry forms may be found here
<http://www.arrl.org/contests>. Logs must be e-mailed
<160meter at arrl.org> or postmarked no later than 1600 UTC Tuesday,
January 1, 2013. Paper logs should be sent to ARRL 160 Meter Contest,
225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

==> SILENT KEY: FORMER "HOW'S DX?" CONDUCTOR ROD NEWKIRK, W9BRD (SK)

   Rod Newkirk, W9BRD/VA3ZBB, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- who penned
the QST column "How's DX?" from 1947-1978 -- passed away on Monday,
November 19 after a long illness. Newkirk was credited with coining the
term "Elmer," as well as for his humorous take on DX in his column,
especially with limericks in his DX Hoggery and Poetry Depreciation
Society and the accompanying cartoons of Jeeves by Phil "Gil"
Gildersleeve, W1CJD (SK).

The term "Elmer" -- meaning someone who provides personal guidance and
assistance to would-be hams -- first appeared in QST in Newkirk's March
1971 "How's DX?" column, where he wrote that "[t]oo frequently one
hears a sad story in this little nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket,
too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.' Sure,
the guy could have burned through on his own, maybe, but he, like
others, wound up an almost-ham. No more Elmer. We need those Elmers.
All the Elmers, including the ham who took the most time and trouble to
give you a push toward your license, are the birds who keep this great
game young and fresh." Newkirk was probably not trying to coin a term
at the time, but the name stuck, becoming a general term for the
mentors Newkirk called "the unsung fathers of ham radio." Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/former-how-s-dx-conductor-rod-newkirk-w9brd-sk>.

==> SECTION MANAGER NEWS: MONTE SIMPSON, K2MLS, APPOINTED ARRL WESTERN
WASHINGTON SECTION MANAGER

   Monte Simpson, K2MLS, of Bremerton, has been appointed ARRL Western
Washington Section Manager, effective December 31, 2012. Membership and
Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment
after current Western Washington Section Manager Jim Pace, K7CEX, was
elected as ARRL Northwestern Division Vice Director on November 16.
Pace has served as Western Washington Section Manager since October
2007. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/monte-simpson-k2mls-appointed-arrl-western-washington-section-manager>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: The strong solar activity continued this
week. In last week's bulletin, the average daily sunspot number on
November 8-14 was 104.9, but in the six days since then -- November
15-20 -- the average was 135.5, making for a nice increase. With the
solar flux, the average over the previous period was 129.5, and in the
six days since then, it increased to 138.6. The latest prediction from
NOAA/USAF on Tuesday, November 20, has the solar flux at 140 on
November 21, 135 on November 22-23, 130 on November 24-25, 125 on
November 26-27, 120 on November 28, and back down to 110 on November
29-December 1. The planetary A index is predicted to be 5 on November
21-22, 10 on November 23-24, 7 on November 25-26, and down to 5 on
November 27-December 4. On November 19, Jon Jones, N0JK, in Wichita,
Kansas reported fun on 6 and 10 meters: "I heard the W4CHA/b in grid
square EL88 on 50.079 MHz via E skip around 1740 UTC. No live ops
around. About 10 minutes earlier, I worked the PT0S DXpedition while on
fixed mobile on 10 meters SSB. I was running 100 W and a mag mount whip
antenna on the car. PT0S peaked up to 10 over S-9. I was on a high
ridge with a clear shot to PT0S across the Wakarusa River Valley, which
helped." Look for more on the ARRL website on Monday, November 26. For
more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> BE A STAR! ENTER THE THIRD ANNUAL ARRL VIDEO CONTEST

   If you've ever wanted a way to show the world how exciting Amateur
Radio can be, here's your chance: The ARRL is sponsoring its Third
Annual Video Contest! Here's a chance to put that video camera to use:
Shoot a ham radio-related video and send it our way. If your video
takes first, second or third place, we'll post it on the ARRL website
for everyone to see. We're looking for a few good videos (but only one
per ARRL member, please) on any tasteful subject relating to Amateur
Radio. Videos will be judged on overall quality and composition, and
prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/be-a-star-enter-the-third-annual-arrl-video-contest>.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- November 23 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 24-25 -- CQ WW DX Contest (CW)
- November 28 -- SKCC Sprint
- November 28-29 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
- November 29 -- QRP ARCI Top Band Sprint

Next week:

- November 30 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 30-December 2 -- ARRL 160 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/160-meter>
- December 1 -- TARA RTTY Melee; Wake-Up! QRP Sprint; TOPS Activity
Contest
- December 1-2 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>
- December 2 -- 10 Meter RTTY Contest; SARL Digital Contest
- December 4 -- 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
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

- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida
- January 18-19 -- ARRL North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-texas-section-convention-cowtown-hamfest-1>,
Fort Worth, Texas
- January 19 -- ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southern-florida-section-convention-3>,
Fort Myers, Florida
- January 25-26 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest>,
Jackson, Mississippi
- January 26-27 -- ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention>, Hatillo,
Puerto Rico
- February 2 -- ARRL South Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-2>, North
Charleston, South Carolina
- February 8-10 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation-1>,
Orlando, Florida
- February 15-16 -- ARRL Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-1>,
Yuma, Arizona
- March 8-9 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest-1>,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- 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

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

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 <http://www.arrl.org/>


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Nov 29 14:39:23 2012
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:39:23 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for November 29, 2012
Message-ID: <20121129210641.D3A4726D32A@bmail.arrl.org>

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

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

November 29, 2012

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: The 14th Annual SKYWARN Recognition Day Set for
December 1
- + Amateur Radio in Space: Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF, and Scott Kelly
to Spend One Year on International Space Station
- + ARRL's Logbook of The World: Bug Fix Is in Place
- + Ham Radio in Hollywood: Morse Code Plays Role in New Spielberg
Movie
- + On the Air: The ARRL 10 Meter Contest: The Band Is Hot!
- + On the Air: ARRL UHF/Microwave Band Plan Committee Seeks Input 6
and 3 Centimeter Bands
- Solar Update
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

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

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: THE 14TH ANNUAL SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY SET FOR
DECEMBER 1

   The 14th Annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) Special Event will
take place Saturday, December 1, 2012. SRD is co-sponsored by the ARRL
and the National Weather Service (NWS) as a way to recognize the
commitment made by Amateur Radio operators in helping to keep their
communities safe. According to SRD Coordinator David Floyd, N5DBZ,
Amateur Radio operators can visit their local participating NWS office,
working as a team to contact other hams across the world throughout the
24-hour event on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meters, as well as 70
centimeters. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-14th-annual-skywarn-recognition-day-set-for-december-1>.

==> + AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: MIKHAIL KORNIENKO, RN3BF, AND SCOTT KELLY
TO SPEND ONE YEAR ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

   Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF, of the Russian Federal
Space Agency and NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly have been selected for a
one-year mission aboard the International Space Station in 2015.
According to NASA, the mission will include collecting scientific data
important to future human exploration of our solar system and to
understand better how the human body reacts and adapts to the harsh
environment of space as NASA plans for missions around the Moon, an
asteroid and ultimately Mars. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/mikhail-kornienko-rn3bf-and-scott-kelly-to-spend-one-year-on-international-space-station>.

==> + ARRL'S LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD: BUG FIX IS IN PLACE

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, reports on a bug fix
for Logbook of The World.

The fix for the Logbook of The World (LoTW
<https://p1k.arrl.org/lotwuser/default>) bug was implemented at 2103
UTC on November 28. Full credit goes to ARRL Information Technology
Manager Michael Keane, K1MK, for figuring out what was happening and
how to correct it.

   There are two ways of uploading logs: via the LoTW website and by
e-mail. LoTW users should note that e-mailed logs were not affected by
the bug, so no e-mailed logs will need to be resubmitted.

At the time the fix was implemented, LoTW processing was running almost
exactly three days behind. If a user's most recent upload was made
before 2100 UTC on November 25 and it has not yet been processed the
file should be resubmitted. There should be no need to resubmit logs
uploaded since 2100 UTC on November 25, which would include all CQWW CW
DX Contest logs submitted after the end of the contest.

There is, however, a very slight chance that logs uploaded after this
date might have been overwritten. If you find that your logs that were
uploaded after November 25 are not appearing in your LoTW account,
please wait until after December 3 to upload them again.

Thanks to everyone who has been patient while we grappled with this
bug. The issue of slow processing speed is also being addressed, but it
requires a hardware upgrade that will take several weeks to implement.
Your continued patience and understanding will be appreciated.

==> + HAM RADIO IN HOLLYWOOD: MORSE CODE PLAYS ROLE IN NEW SPIELBERG
MOVIE

   Producer Steven Spielberg has used Amateur Radio or Morse code in
three of his last four movies: Super 8 (2011), The Adventures of Tin
Tin (2011) and Lincoln (2012). Members of the Morse Telegraph Club --
an association of retired railroad and commercial telegraphers,
historians, radio amateurs and others with an interest in the history
and traditions of telegraphy and the telegraph industry -- played an
integral part in the production of Lincoln.

"Nine of the 16 telegraph stations depicted in the War Department were
fully operational," explained Morse Telegraph Club International
President James Wade, WB8SIW. "These instruments could be operated in
any combination through the use of a specialized computer program and
custom-built terminal units for the process. When necessary, a hand key
could be inserted in the individual telegraph loops so messages could
be improvised." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/morse-code-plays-role-in-new-spielberg-movie>.

==> + ON THE AIR: THE ARRL 10 METER CONTEST: THE BAND IS HOT!

 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5xJjThOlic>	Will it be possible to
beat the 2011 running of the ARRL 10 Meter Contest? With more than 5300
logs received and worldwide openings last year, that may be a tall
order. This past weekend during the CQ WW CW Contest, 10 meters was in
great shape, despite a coronal mass ejection that hit on Friday
evening. But according to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko,
KX9X, one thing's for certain: There's going to be a ton of activity,
as hams from all around the world look to work some DX on the band!
Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-arrl-10-meter-contest-the-band-is-hot>.

==> + ON THE AIR: ARRL UHF/MICROWAVE BAND PLAN COMMITTEE SEEKS INPUT 6
AND 3 CENTIMETER BANDS

   Last year, in recognition of the need to update the published band
plans for our UHF and microwave bands, the ARRL Board of Directors
formed the UHF/Microwave Band Plan Committee to develop revised
national plans for the amateur bands between 902 MHz and 3.5 GHz. After
receiving extensive user input, the committee completed its task and
the resulting band plans were approved by the Board in July 2012. The
committee has now received an additional assignment to conduct a
similar update to the 6 and 3 centimeter bands. In order to do this
effectively, the committee needs to know how various segments of these
bands are now being utilized around the country. You can help them by
sharing what you know about local usage in your area and by asking
other users -- both individuals and groups -- to do the same. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-uhf-microwave-band-plan-committee-seeks-input-on-6-and-3-centimeter-bands>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad Cook, K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot number for the
week was down nearly 38 percent to 78.9, compared to last week's
average. The average daily solar flux dropped nearly 13 percent, to
121. The seven-day reporting period for these data ran from November
22-28. The predicted solar flux for the near term is 110 on November
29, 105 on November 30-December 1, 100 on December 2-4, 105 and 115 on
December 5-6, 130 on December 7-11, 135 on December 12-15, 140 on
December 16-17, 135 on December 18-19, 130 on December 20-22, 120 on
December 23-24, 115 on December 25, 110 on December 26-28, and rising
again to 115 on December 29-30. The predicted planetary A index is 11,
15 and 8 on November 29-December 1, 5 on December 2-5, 10 on December
6-8, then 5 and 8 on December 9-10, 5 on December 11-15, 8 on December
16, and back down to 5 on December 17-31. The new year is expected to
begin with slightly unsettled conditions, with a predicted planetary A
index at 10 on January 1-4. Look for more on the ARRL website on
Friday, November 30. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>.

==> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT

This week:

- November 30 -- NCCC Sprint
- November 30-December 2 -- ARRL 160 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/160-meter>
- December 1 -- TARA RTTY Melee; Wake-Up! QRP Sprint; TOPS Activity
Contest
- December 1-2 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>
- December 2 -- 10 Meter RTTY Contest; SARL Digital Contest
- December 4 -- ARS Spartan Sprint

Next week:

- December 7 -- NCCC Sprint
- December 8-9 -- ARRL 10 Meter Contest <http://www.arrl.org/10-meter>;
International Naval Contest
- December 9 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon; CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe
Run
- December 12 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint; NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint
- December 12-13 -- 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

- December 1-2 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-2>,
Palmetto, Florida
- January 18-19 -- ARRL North Texas Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-texas-section-convention-cowtown-hamfest-1>,
Fort Worth, Texas
- January 19 -- ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southern-florida-section-convention-3>,
Fort Myers, Florida
- January 25-26 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest>,
Jackson, Mississippi
- January 26-27 -- ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention>, Hatillo,
Puerto Rico
- February 2 -- ARRL South Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-2>, North
Charleston, South Carolina
- February 8-10 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-orlando-hamcation-1>,
Orlando, Florida
- February 15-16 -- ARRL Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-yuma-hamfest-1>,
Yuma, Arizona
- March 8-9 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-green-country-hamfest-1>,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 30 -- ARRL North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest-2>,
Raleigh, North Carolina
- 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

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

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