[OFARC] Fwd: The ARRL Letter for April 20, 2023

Fri Apr 21 06:46:01 EDT 2023

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2023-04-20

[image: The ARRL Letter]
April 20, 2023
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <news 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/> [image: Ad]
<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=t>

   - Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test <#m_1633010907538516691_toc01>
   - 2023 Online Ham Bootcamp <#m_1633010907538516691_toc02>
   - Dr. Ulrich Rohde Receives IEEE Award <#m_1633010907538516691_toc03>
   - Ohio NVIS Day 2023 is Set for April 22 <#m_1633010907538516691_toc04>
   - EME: Pandemic and Patience <#m_1633010907538516691_toc05>
   - Amateur Radio in the News <#m_1633010907538516691_toc06>
   - ARRL Podcasts <#m_1633010907538516691_toc07>
   - Announcements <#m_1633010907538516691_toc08>
   - In Brief... <#m_1633010907538516691_toc09>
   - The K7RA Solar Update <#m_1633010907538516691_toc10>
   - Just Ahead in Radiosport <#m_1633010907538516691_toc11>
   - Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
   <#m_1633010907538516691_toc12>

Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test

The US Department of Defense (DoD) will host this year's Armed Forces Day
(AFD) Crossband Test on May 13, 2023. This annual event is open to all
licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or private
communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have
taken part in this event.

The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way
communications between military communicators and radio stations in the
Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests
provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate
individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario.

Military stations will transmit on selected frequencies and will announce
the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All of the times are Zulu (Z), and
all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The
frequencies used for the test will not stray outside the confines of the
exercise.

A complete list of frequencies, time periods, QSL cards, and other
information can be found at DoD MARS - Armed Forces Day.
<https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day>

AFD is a time of honor. It will be celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
The first AFD was celebrated with parades, open houses, receptions, and air
shows. Today, many events and activities take place and may include
multi-service military displays in areas open to the public, various
educational activities that teach children about the armed forces, and
large parades with local celebrations.

The longest running AFD parade in the United States is held in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. Certain types of music will be played at AFD 2023 events to show
respect to those in the armed forces who died for their country.
2023 Online Ham Bootcamp

The Nashua Area Radio Society's <https://www.n1fd.org/> spring 2023 online
Ham Bootcamp will be held on Saturday, May 13, from 10 AM to 6 PM Eastern
Time. Access to the session will be provided via Zoom. <https://zoom.us/>

Ham Bootcamp includes a series of demonstrations and tutorials designed to
help newly licensed Technician-, General-, and Extra-class license holders
get on the air. Ham Bootcamp is also a great opportunity for hams who are
interested in seeing what the hobby has to offer.

The online Ham Bootcamp program is available to all licensed and
prospective amateur radio operators. You can register for the next Ham
Bootcamp session here <https://www.n1fd.org/register-ham-bootcamp/>. For
additional information, contact Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB, of the Nashua Area
Radio Society at ab1qb at arrl.net.

The Nashua Area Radio Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2023-04-20&p=0>
Dr. Ulrich Rohde Receives IEEE Award

Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, received the 2023 Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) <https://www.ieee.org/> Communications Society
Distinguished Industry Leader Award.

The award recognizes an industry executive whose leadership has resulted in
major and outstanding advances and new directions in the information and
communications business.

According to the IEEE, Dr. Rohde won the award "for contributions and
leadership in radios and electronic test-measurement equipment that has
supported the design of modern communication systems and their industrial
implementations."

Dr. Rohde has been an avid amateur radio operator with licenses in the
United States and Germany. He has been licensed since 1956 and involved
mostly in technology and systems. In 2015, he won first place in the ARRL
International DX Contest in the Northern New Jersey Section. He also
operates as N1UL/MM on his yacht, the Dragonfly, and is the trustee of the
Marco Island Radio Club, K5MI.

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio <http://www.arrl.org/>®
recognized Dr. Rohde as the recipient of the IEEE Photonics Society
Engineering Achievement Award in 2022. In November 2022, he was inducted to
the Indian National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Rohde is an ARRL Maxim
Society and Life Member.
Ohio NVIS Day 2023 is Set for April 22

Ohio Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Day 2023 will be held Saturday
April 22, from 10 AM to 4 PM EDT. This is a non-contest event and all
amateur radio operators are invited to participate.

The purpose of NVIS day is to construct and try various working NVIS
antenna ideas. These antennas are low to the ground and provide coverage
generally within a 400-mile radius, which is extremely important for
regional HF communications in an emergency.

Take a step forward and answer the question, "How would we actually use
these antennas?" For 2023, two operating scenarios have been added to make
your day more fun and provide a learning experience for actual disaster
communications. There will be a commercial power blackout, and participants
will need to communicate within their ARES district and to "The Sarge" at
the Ohio Emergency Operations Center in Columbus.

Stations will construct and test NVIS antennas with transmit power limited
to 100 W. Power for the NVIS station will be any form of off-grid supply,
like a generator, battery, or solar. Stations may test antenna coverage by
contacting as many different locations as possible.

This year, they are collecting grid squares and s-meter readings as part of
the exchange.

Stations should originate a message to their ARES district, local net,
OHDEN, OSSBN, and W8SGT, to report their location and county and alone with
whether they are participating or not participating. WinLink may also be
used, as long as it is sent via RF, local node (VHF, UHF), or an HF node to
KD8SCL or W8SGT. For more information on node locations, visit Winlink.org.
<https://winlink.org/>

Operating frequencies are proposed to be on the 80- and 40-meter bands.
Voice is the preferred testing format. Submit your results to
contest at n8ara.org and be sure to include a photo of your group or your
antenna! For more information on Ohio NVIS day, visit Ohio ARES
(arrl-ohio.org) <https://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/nvis_day.html>.
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2023-04-20&p=1>
EME: Pandemic and Patience

Doug Hansel, AA1UI, found himself with some extra time during the pandemic
and thought that it might be the right time to learn how to make
Earth-moon-Earth (EME) contacts.

"First, I did a lot of reading and talking to other amateurs. Then, I
realized I needed better equipment, software, and a lot of patience," said
Hansel.

Hansel was gifted a 15-element Yagi but had to sell some older equipment to
upgrade to a better amplifier and equipment.

After many attempts, his first contact was in 2021. He kept at it and was
thankful for all of the help he received. Hansel stressed the need for
patience, stating, "What's fun is that I really didn't know what I was
doing, but the EME community was very generous with their time and advice
in helping me tick this off my bucket list."

He made a detailed video of his experience that can viewed here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2n4rlnoh37rmgt7/EME%20Project%20short%20FB720-FINAL.mp4?dl=0
.

Hansel was first licensed in 1977 and now holds an Amateur Extra-class
license. He is an ARRL member.
------------------------------
Amateur Radio in the News

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news
<http://www.arrl.org/media-hits>.

"40-year-old radio society wants to get more involvement in public
activities
<https://enquirerjournal.com/enquirer_journal/40-year-old-radio-society-wants-to-get-more-involvement-in-public-activities/article_0cdab2ce-ca76-5dfb-ae67-555c7634a6f1.html>"
/ The Enquirer Journal (North Carolina), April 14, 2023 -- *The **Union
County Amateur Radio Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club.*

"Meteorologist featured speaker at amateur radio association meeting
<https://romesentinel.com/stories/meteorologist-featured-speaker-at-amateur-radio-association-meeting,175966>"
/ Daily Sentinel (New York), April 15, 2023 -- *The Fort Herkimer Amateur
Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.*

Share <newsmedia at arrl.org> any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.
------------------------------
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2023-04-20&p=2>
ARRL Podcasts

*On the Air*
* Sponsored by **Icom* <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>

The March/April 2023 issue of *On the Air* featured an article on "The
Incident Command System and Amateur Radio," that introduced the Incident
Command System (ICS), an emergency management system that public safety
agencies use to respond to everything from small incidents to large-scale
emergencies. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV,
joins this episode of the podcast to share more about the system's origins
and uses, where and how amateur radio operators fit into the system, and
where to get ICS training.

*ARRL Audio News *Listen to ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>, available every Friday. ARRL Audio
News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur
radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.

The On the Air podcast is available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android).
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on blubrry -- On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News
<https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.
------------------------------
Announcements

*The National Council of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC)* *has
released a 2nd Errata for the 2023 - 2027 General Class Element 3 Question
Pool. *The *NCVEC* <http://www.ncvec.org/> Question Pool Committee (*QPC*
<http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=333>) has released the *second revision*
<http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=369> of the 2023 - 2027 General Class
element 3 Question Pool. This revision supplants the question pools
released on December 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023. The changes are
reflected in the new General pool downloadable files, dated April 15, 2023.
Three questions have been withdrawn from use and removed from the pool:
G6B09, G9C06, and G9D13. Most of the other questions had minor changes.
ARRL VEC teams are advised to check the *NCVEC website*
<http://www.ncvec.org/> or the *ARRL website*
<http://www.arrl.org/withdrawn-questions> regularly for updates to the
question pools, which may include errata and withdrawn questions. The new
General Class Element 3 Question Pool goes into effect on July 1, 2023.
------------------------------
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2023-04-20&p=3>
In Brief...

*ARRL Life member Richard L. King, K5NA, passed away on **Wednesday April
12, **2023*. King held an Amateur Extra-class license and was a well-known
and respected member of the amateur radio community. King's contributions
to radiosport will be greatly missed. First licensed in 1958, King was a
skilled operator, a longtime DXer, and contester, and had been selected as
a referee for the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) 2022, which
will be held in Italy in July 2023. A tribute is posted on the WRTC 2022
website <https://www.wrtc2022.it/en/news-11.asp?idnews=76>. King had
340/374 (current/total) entities confirmed in the ARRL DXCC Mixed
Standings. He had 3,167 confirmed entities in the ARRL DXCC Challenge, of
which 321 were on 160 meters. A memorial service will be held later in the
year, according to his widow.
------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL
Propagation Bulletin.

For this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP016:

This week's sunspot numbers and solar flux were higher than the week before.

Solar disk image taken April 20, 2023, courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI.

Average daily sunspot numbers were more than doubled, from 70.6 to 146.9,
and average daily solar flux increased from 141 to 164.5. Both figures
represent a substantial increase in solar activity.

Planetary A index averages went from 7.6 to 8.1, while middle latitude A
index advanced from 6.4 to 7.3.

Predicted solar flux over the next few weeks is 145, 140, and 135 on April
20 - 22; 130 on April 23 - 24; 125 on April 25 - 26; 160 on April 27 - 29;
165 on April 30; 172 on May 1 - 3; 170 on May 4; 172 on May 5 - 7; 178 on
May 8; 182 on May 9 - 12, then 175, 178, and 170 on May 13 - 15; 168 on May
16 - 17; 175 on May 18, and 172 on May 19 - 21.

Predicted planetary A index is 20, 16, 12, and 10 on April 20 - 23, then 8,
5, 15, and 18 on April 24 - 27; 15 on April 28 - 30, then 12 and 10 on May
1 - 2; 8 on May 3 - 4; 5 on May 5 - 6; 12 on May 7; 5 on May 8 - 10, then 8
on May 11 - 12; 5 on May 13 - 18, then 10, 8, 5, and 5 on May 19 - 22.

Dan Handa, W7WA, commented on the news item last week about the current
solar cycle reaching a peak earlier than predicted, perhaps by the end of
this year.

I told him I hope it will not peak early because I want to see several more
years of increasing activity.

Dan sent a detailed graph of Solar Cycle 19, from 1954 to 1966, and wrote,
"I have read more than once [that] a slow rise means a low sunspot max. The
previous [Solar] Cycle 24 took 5 years to reach a relatively low maximum. A
rapid increase can mean a high sunspot maximum. The granddaddy of our
lifetime, [Solar] Cycle 19, peaked in three years!" I was unaware of this.

Sunspot numbers for April 13 - 19, 2023, were 154, 153, 151, 155, 162, 140,
and 113, with a mean of 146.9. 10.7-centimeter flux was 159.5, 171.3,
175.8, 177.8, 166.6, 153.2, and 147, with a mean of 164.5. Estimated
planetary A indices were 6, 7, 9, 4, 6, 13, and 12, with a mean of 8.1.
Middle latitude A index was 5, 10, 8, 4, 6, 9, and 9, with a mean of 7.3.

Send your tips, reports, observations, questions, and comments to
k7ra at arrl.net. When reporting observations, don't forget to tell us which
mode you were operating.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website.
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit
<http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals> the ARRL Technical Information
Service, read <http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere> "What the
Numbers Mean...," and check out <http://k9la.us/> the Propagation Page of
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive
<http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available. For
customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio
<https://www.voacap.com/hf/> website.

Share <k7ra at arrl.net> your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News <http://www.arrl.org/news>.
------------------------------
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2023-04-20&p=4>
Just Ahead in Radiosport

Yearlong -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/> (VOTA). See
the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable Operations
<https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including:

   -

   April 19 - April 25 North Dakota W1AW/0
   -

   April 19 - April 25 Nevada W1AW/7
   -

   April 26 - May 2 New Jersey W1AW/2
   -

   April 26 - May 2 New Hampshire W1AW/1

Upcoming Contests:

   -

   April 22 -- QRP to the Field (CW, phone)
   -

   April 22 - 23 -- SP DX RTTY Contest (digital)
   -

   April 23 -- North American SSB Sprint Contest (phone)
   -

   April 23 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (digital)
   -

   April 24 -- RSGB FT4 Contest FT4 (FT4)
   -

   April 26 -- 432 MHz Spring Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more events and information.

------------------------------
Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

   -

   May 7 | Warminster Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/warminster-arc-hamfest-arrl-eastern-pennsylvania-section-convention-1>,
   hosting the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Bristol,
   Pennsylvania
   -

   May 13 | ARRL Nebraska State Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-nebraska-state-convention-2>,
   Lincoln, Nebraska
   -

   May 19 - 21 | Dayton Hamvention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-arrl-great-lakes-division-convention>,
   hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Xenia, Ohio
   -

   June 2- 4 | SEA-PAC
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sea-pac-arrl-northwestern-division-convention-1>,
   hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
   -

   June 3 | Atlanta Hamfest
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlanta-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,
   hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia
   -

   June 4 | BreezeShooters Hamfest
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/breezeshooters-hamfest-arrl-western-pennsylvania-section-convention>,
   hosting the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect,
   Pennsylvania
   -

   June 17 | Knoxville Hamfest and Electronics Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/knoxville-hamfest-and-electronics-convention-arrl-tennessee-state-convention-1>,
   hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests> to find events in your area.
------------------------------
Have News for ARRL?

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news at arrl.org.
-- *John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor <news at arrl.org>*
------------------------------

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

   -

   *Join or Renew Today!*
   <https://home.arrl.org/action/Membership/Join-ARRL> Eligible US-based
   members can elect to receive *QST* <http://www.arrl.org/qst> or *On the
   Air* <http://www.arrl.org/on-the-air-magazine> magazine in print when
   they join ARRL or when they renew their membership. All members can access
   digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: *QST*, *On the Air, QEX*,
   and *NCJ*.
   -

   Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
   available every Friday.
   -

   *The ARRL Letter* is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to
   the Blind-hams Groups.io <https://groups.io/g/blind-hams> email group.
   The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns
   blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive
   technology.

Subscribe to...

   - *NCJ -- National Contest Journal* <http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published
   bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics,
   scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.

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

Free of charge to ARRL members...

   - Subscribe <https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out> to
the *ARES
   Letter* (monthly public service and emergency communications news),
the *ARRL
   Contest Update* (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news
   alerts, and much more!

   - Find ARRL on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org/>! Follow us
   on *Twitter* <https://twitter.com/arrl> and *Instagram*
   <https://www.instagram.com/arrlhq>!

[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=0>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=1>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=2>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=3>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=4>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=5>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=6>
[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2023-04-20&t=r&p=7>

------------------------------

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members
may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page
at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out
<https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out>.

Copyright © 2023 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.

[image: www.arrl.org] <http://www.arrl.org/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/ofarc/attachments/20230421/b648f723/attachment-0001.html>