From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sun Sep  1 17:32:37 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx)
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 17:32:37 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] SFDXA Meeting September 4th
References: <6C66247A-9EE9-44BE-813D-52FED2CECD6A@bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <098A2819-E1C7-45FB-BE56-660C04CE1F44@bellsouth.net>


> The SFDXA September Meeting is this Wednesday.

> We are proud to announce our speaker is Ed N4II. He will give a presentation on Propagation. Ed did considerable research with some very interesting results. 
> 
> The title is, "Grayline Propagation, or Florida to Cocos (Keeling) on 80m".
>>>> 
>>>> The VK9CZ DXpedition to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands made 51 QSOs with US Zone 5 on 80m.  21 of these QSOs - more than 40 percent - were with stations in Florida.  He will talk about how this happened, and the surprising physics of gray line propagation on the low bands.
> 
> The Meeting is at the Florida Medical Center next to the Turnpike on Oakland Park Blvd. Note there is no exit on Oakland to the Turnpike. 
> 
> Join us for Dinner at the cafeteria at about 6:30. A $7.00 donation to the club is the charge. Any amount over that will be charged at the register. Bring your trays across to the auditorium and meet your friends for a brag session, and make new ones. 
> 
> Meeting will begin at 7:33 PM.
> 
> Please join us, all are welcome. Membership is not needed. Bring a friend. 
> 
> Bill Marx W2CQ

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep  2 15:24:26 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx)
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 15:24:26 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Sad news from Cyprus: ZC4LI,
	Silent Keyboard
References: <5224A062.5070703@optonline.net>
Message-ID: <B3607319-C371-4C88-B18C-11F0EAFE49D5@bellsouth.net>

Sad News
> 
> It is with deep regret that I wish to inform you of the passing of Mr.
> Steve Hodgson, ZC4LI on Saturday afternoon, 31st August. He was 69. He had
> been ill for some time. Steve and I shared something of a common background,
> we both worked for 'The Firm' in the 60s and 70s, as well as being fellow
> hams. He was an enthusiastic contest operator and had won many awards. I'm
> sure his call will be sorely missed.
> 
> 
> 
> Adrian, 5B4AIY

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep  5 09:36:19 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 09:36:19 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] =?utf-8?q?Ham_Radio_Community_Invit?=
 =?utf-8?q?ed_to_Say_=E2=80=9CHI=E2=80=9D_to_Juno_Spacecraft?=
In-Reply-To: <393c4.7e3d652a.3f594fbc@aol.com>
References: <393c4.7e3d652a.3f594fbc@aol.com>
Message-ID: <522888D3.5020309@bellsouth.net>

Ham Radio Community Invited to Say ?HI? to Juno Spacecraft
*
*
NASA?s Juno spacecraft will fly past Earth on October 9 to receive a 
gravity assist, putting it on course for Jupiter. To celebrate, the Juno 
mission is *inviting* <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno/> Amateur Radio 
operators around the world to say ?HI? to Juno in a coordinated Morse 
code message. If enough operators participate, Juno?s ?Waves? radio and 
plasma wave experiment should be able to detect the message. The *Say 
?HI? to Juno* <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno/> web page will be updated 
with additional information as the event approaches. All transmissions 
will take place on 10 meters, with the precise (suggested) frequency 
determined by the last letter of your call sign (see Juno Flyby Table in 
?Photo Gallery? below).
Sponsors say Juno will have a better chance of detecting signals from 
many operators if the transmissions are spread out across the spectrum. 
The Juno Waves instrument is a broadband receiver, and the detector 
being used for this event has a passband that?s 1 MHz wide.
While the Waves instrument is sensitive to radio signals in all amateur 
bands below 40 MHz, sponsors chose 10 meters, because experience with 
the University of Iowa instruments on the Galileo and Cassini Earth 
flybys showed significant ionospheric shielding at lower frequencies. 
Sponsors actually are hoping for poor band conditions on October 9, so 
an appreciable fraction of the radiated energy can escape the ionosphere 
into space.
Indicators on the *Say ?HI? to Juno* <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno/> 
web page will instruct participants when to transmit and when to stop 
transmitting. Each will have a timer to indicate how long until you 
switch from one mode to the other mode. Stations should transmit a legal 
station identification as the FCC or non-US regulators require.
Stations with directional antennas should check the web site for 
information on what headings to use during the event. Visit the *Say 
?HI? to Juno* <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/hijuno/> web page for full 
details and to obtain the latest information. The activity begins 
October 9 at about 18:01 UTC and continue until about 20:41 UTC. 
Operators taking part should make sure their computer clocks are 
synchronized to network time prior to the event. The web page will 
indicate when you start or stop transmitting (key down/key up).
Participants can receive a QSL card for contacting Juno. *E-mail* 
<mailto:juno_outreach at jpl.nasa.gov> your call sign and mailing address. 
Additional information is available at *NASA?s Juno* 
<http://www.nasa.gov/juno> web site and the *Mission Juno* 
<http://missionjuno.swri.edu/> web site. /? NASA Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory; thanks to John Andrews, AC?XY/



From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep  5 16:46:45 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 16:46:45 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for September 5, 2013
In-Reply-To: <20130905200037.A337526BC4@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130905200037.A337526BC4@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <5228EDB5.9000708@bellsouth.net>


Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2013-09-05

The ARRL Letter

September 5, 2013
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <mailto:ww1me at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/> 	
	/ARRL Letter/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> 	
	Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2013-09-05&t=t>

  * /Public Service/: ARES-RACES Volunteers Conclude Rim Fire Activation
    <#toc01>
  * North Carolina to Host 2013 US Direction Finding Competition <#toc02>
  * /Events/: EuroBasket 2013 Award Slovenia Offered <#toc03>
  * /Events/: TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications Conference to Offer
    Wide-Ranging Forum Schedule <#toc04>
  * /Events/: AMSAT Space Symposium 2013 Set for November <#toc05>
  * /Technology/: US "Space Fence" Shut Down <#toc06>
  * /People/: New Air Force MARS Chief Takes Reins of Command <#toc07>
  * /People/: Well-known DXer and DX Steve Hodgson, ZC4LI, SK <#toc08>
  * Digital /QST/ Access Using /Adobe AIR/ 3.8 Restored <#toc09>
  * Getting It Right! <#toc10>
  * Solar Update <#toc11>
  * This Week in Radiosport <#toc12>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc13>

/Public Service/: ARES-RACES Volunteers Conclude Rim Fire Activation

Amateur Radio volunteers supporting the Red Cross and local government 
in the wake of the gigantic Rim Fire, in and near California's Yosemite 
National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest, have stood down after 
16 days on duty. The initial callout on August 19 responded to a request 
to assist the Red Cross in setting up an evacuation center in Groveland, 
California. Shelter operations relocated the following day to the 
Tuolumne County Fairgrounds in

The Rim Fire as seen from the International Space Station in late August 
(NASA photo)

Sonora, Tuolumne County ARES Emergency Coordinator Carl Croci, NI6Z, 
reported. Also on August 20, the Tuolumne County Office of Emergency 
Services requested Amateur Radio assistance to staff the Sonora Red 
Cross shelter and the community information telephone system at the 
Tuolumne County emergency operations center. Croci and Tuolumne County 
RACES Radio Officer Phil Fish, WB6GGY, handled the callout and soon had 
volunteers for both locations as well as some on standby. On September 
4, Croci announced the end of the ARES-RACES activation.

"This morning, I learned the Rim Fire was considered 80 percent 
contained," he said. "The community information phones have been 
secured. All evacuations have been lifted, the Red Cross is dismantling 
the shelter, and we ham radio operators are trying to get our stations 
back in working order." At one point the Tuolumne County Fairgrounds was 
sheltering some 100 evacuees.

Croci said that in the Groveland area, where he lives, residents are 
still dealing with morning smoke, which he anticipates will remain for a 
while. "Estimates are the fire will /not/ be considered out until the 
first rain or snow," he added.

The Rim Fire as seen from Highway 120 East [Mark V. Thornton, photo]

More than two dozen radio amateurs were involved in the Rim Fire 
callout. Croci said the US Forest Service Type One Team told him that 
the combined operation conducted by Tuolumne County OES, ARES-RACES, the 
Tuolumne chapter of the Red Cross and the cooperation of the people of 
Tuolumne County will serve as an example for future operations."

Croci expressed his thanks to all volunteers, and cited Fish "for his 
extraordinary operation and scheduling of personnel during the Rim Fire 
and Barbara Fish, KE6RGP, for leading the PIO operation." Volunteers 
from Calaveras County ARES also participated in the activation.

KI6WJT monitors Rim Fire radio traffic.

To the south, Fresno County ARES assisted the Central Valley Red Cross 
with communications, relaying information from a shelter to the Red 
Cross headquarters in Fresno. For a time Mariposa County ARES staffed a 
shelter at Greeley Hills Community Center, ready to pass traffic to Red 
Cross Headquarters. Fresno County EC Dan Pruitt, AE6SX, said volunteers 
set up August 26 at the Red Cross office in Fresno, where they installed 
a station capable of operating on emergency power. "We made contact with 
Mariposa County ARES at the Greeley Hill shelter," Pruitt said. "We 
passed traffic until we were asked to shut down for the night." 
Volunteers returned early the next day. They dismantled the station on 
August 27. Pruitt said eight volunteers turned out for that activation.

During the activation, Fresno County ARES used /Fldigi/ 
<http://www.w1hkj.com/FldigiHelp-3.21/index.html> and /Flmsg/ 
<http://www.w1hkj.com/flmsg-help/> -- a forms management editor -- on 
PSK125 to pass traffic from the shelter and the Red Cross Headquarters. 
"We found that the faster speed and wider signal [resulted in] fewer 
errors." Pruitt said, adding that the Red Cross "was very impressed" 
with their ability to send and receive traffic in the Incident Command 
System general message form <http://www.ics213.com/> (ICS-213), filled 
out and printed.

As of September 4, the Rim Fire had claimed nearly 236,000 acres and 
more than 100 structures, including a few homes. The cost to date of 
battling the fire was estimated at more than $77 million.

North Carolina to Host 2013 US Direction Finding Competition

The Uwharrie Mountains <http://www.uwharries.com/> of North Carolina 
will provide the locale for the 13th USA Amateur Radio Direction Finding 
(ARDF) Championships of on-foot hidden transmitter hunting. Fans of this 
international sport, also known as "foxtailing" or "radio-orienteering,"

are making travels plans now. Backwoods Orienteering Klub (BOK 
<http://backwoodsok.org/>) will host the event, which will be held 
October 8-13. This year's USA Championships are being combined with the 
Seventh ARDF Championships of International Amateur Radio Union (IARU 
<http://www.iaru.org/>) Region 2 (the Americas).

On October 9 are optional practice sessions on 2 meters and 80 meters. 
October 10 brings model events of two activities introduced last year -- 
sprints and foxoring <http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html> -- followed 
that afternoon by the championship foxoring event. The sprint 
championship event takes place on October 11.

Classic transmitter hunting <http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html> 
championship competition is held Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13. 
Transmitters will be on 2 meters and 80 meters the afternoon of October 
11 for last-minute practice and equipment testing, with a procedures and 
safety briefing afterward.

All ages and levels of experience are represented at the USA ARDF 
Championships. These participants are waiting for the signal to head 
onto the 80 meter course at the 2010 championships in Ohio. [Joe Moell, 
K?OV, photo]

Saturday morning will be the full-course 2 meter main event, followed in 
the evening by the banquet and awards presentation. The full-course 80 
meter main event takes place Sunday morning, with awards presented 
afterwards.

In the classic ARDF championships, competitors start in small groups 
made up of different age/gender categories 
<http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#categories>. As they seek the 
hidden transmitters, they navigate through the forest from the starting 
corridor to the finish line -- a distance of 4 to 10 kilometers. They 
plot their direction-finding bearings on orienteering maps that show 
terrain features, elevation contours, and vegetation type.

The USA ARDF Championships are open to /anyone/ who can safely navigate 
the woods. A ham radio license is /not/ required. Each participant 
competes as an individual, and any teamwork or GPS use are forbidden. 
Competitors bring their own direction-finding gear to the events, 
although extra gear is sometimes available for loan from other 
attendees. Competitors may not transmit on the course, except in 
emergencies.

ARDF equipment need not be expensive. Yagis made from measuring tapes 
and PVC pipe are very popular for direction finding on 2 meters with a 
hand-held transceiver. Here, Dan Slater, AG6HF (left), tests an antenna 
he built. [Joe Moell, K?OV, photo]

Registration is now open, and an online entry form, detailed schedules, 
frequencies, lodging information and registration forms are on the BOK 
website <http://backwoodsok.org/ardf2013>. Competitors can avoid late 
fees by signing up no later than September 15. An e-mail reflector 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/usa2013ardf/info> is available for 
Q&A with the organizers as well as for coordinating transportation and 
arranging equipment loans.

Basic information on international-style transmitter hunting is on the 
Homing In <http://www.homingin.com/> website, including rules 
<http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#rules> and signal parameters. The 
site includes equipment ideas for 2 meters 
<http://www.homingin.com/equipment.html> and 80 meters 
<http://www.homingin.com/joemoell/80intro.html>, plus photos from 
previous championships. Information about the Amateur Radio Direction 
Finding Fund <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-direction-finding> are 
on the ARRL website. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/north-carolina-to-host-2013-usa-ardf-championships>. 
/-- //Joe Moell, K?OV, ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator/

/Events/: EuroBasket 2013 Award Slovenia Offered

To mark the occasion of the EuroBasket 2013 
<http://www.eurobasket2013.org/> basketball competition 2013 in Slovenia 
September 4-22, ZRS <http://www.hamradio.si/>, the Association of Radio 
Amateurs of Slovenia, is offering an award to all radio amateurs and

SWLs for contacting/monitoring S5 special event stations with 
three-digit prefix and EB suffixes (eg S513EB, S541EB) and stations from 
the 24 countries fielding EuroBasket teams, between August 1 and 
September 22, 2013. All bands and modes may be used, but cross-mode, 
cross-band, repeater or VoIP contacts are invalid.

Count each special S5 station once, regardless of the band/mode used. 
European stations qualify by working stations from at least 18 
qualifying countries plus five special S5 stations. Non-European 
stations qualify by working stations from at least 15 qualifying 
countries plus two special S5 stations.

Countries participating in EuroBasket 2013 are 4L, 4O, 4X, 9A, DL, E7, 
EA, F, G, I, LY, OH, OK, ON, S5, SM, SP, SV, TA, UA, UR, YL, YU, and Z3.

The award is free via electronic PDF download. Send your application 
with your call sign, full name, e-mail address, and contact details via 
e-mail to ZRS Award Manager Milos Oblak, S53EO 
<mailto:s53eo.milos at gmail.com>. The application deadline is December 31, 
2013. /-- The Daily DX via Milos Oblak, S53EO/

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2013-09-05&p=0>
/Events/: TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications Conference to Offer 
Wide-Ranging Forum Schedule

A preliminary schedule <http://www.tapr.org/pdf/DCC_2013_Schedule.pdf> 
has been posted for the 32nd annual TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications 
Conference in Seattle later this month. Among the forum topics: 
"Raspberry Pi Applications in Digital Communications: A Mobile 
Xastir-Based APRS Station," "High Performance BPSK31: Ideas for a New 
Generation," "Narrowband IP over Amateur Radio Networks (NIPARnets): 
Next-Generation Networking for Amateur Radio," and "Noise Power Ratio 
(NPR) Testing of HF Receivers."

This year's banquet speaker will be Tom Van Baak, on the topic "Passion 
and Precision: Adventures of a Time Nut." Van Baak is a retired 
operating systems software engineer with a serious amateur interest in 
precision timekeeping. Rob Frohne, KL7NA, will present the Sunday 
Seminar, "A Tutorial on Android Programming." The DCC takes place at the 
Cedarbrook Lodge <http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html#hotel> in Seattle, Friday 
through Sunday, September 20-22.

The early bird discount for advance registration has been extended to 
midnight Friday, September 13. The Cedarbrook Lodge is sold out for DCC 
Friday, but other hotels with rooms available are within walking distance.

Attendees are invited to bring and show their demos in the DCC demo 
room, which will be open Friday and Saturday of the DCC. The TAPR Board 
of Directors will meet Thursday, September 19, 9 AM to 5 PM at The 
Cedarbrook Lodge (room TBA). Full information 
<http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html> is on the TAPR website.

/Events/: AMSAT Space Symposium 2013 Set for November

The 2013 AMSAT Space Symposium will take place in Houston, Texas, 
November 1-3 at the Marriott Hobby Airport Hotel. Hosted by the Johnson 
Space Center Amateur Radio Club <http://www.w5rrr.org/>, this year's 
Symposium will feature presentations on satellite construction and 
operation as well as on other space-related subjects.

The AMSAT Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the Space Symposium, 
provides AMSAT members an opportunity to learn about AMSAT's future 
plans and voice opinions to the AMSAT Board of Directors and AMSAT 
officials.

A downloadable registration form 
<http://ww2.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/AMSAT-2013-Registration-Form-7_13.pdf> 
now is available via the AMSAT website. Online registration is expected 
to be available in late August. For hotel reservations visit the 
Marriott Hobby Airport Hotel website 
<http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/houhh-houston-hobby-airportmarriott/?aff=MARUS&affname=6149980&co=US&nt=CJ> 
or call 713-943-7979. Use the code AMSAMSA or ask for the AMSAT block.

/Technology/: US "Space Fence" Shut Down

The Air Force Space Surveillance System (AFSSS) -- the "Space Fence" -- 
used to detect objects in orbit, was turned off September 1. Three 
transmitter sites operate on 216.983, 216.97, and 216.99 MHz, and there 
are six receiving stations. Some Amateur Radio meteor scatter 
enthusiasts enjoyed monitoring the VHF transmissions for indications of 
activity.

The "Space Fence" radar antenna in Texas

Attributed to the automatic budget cuts known as "sequestration," the 
shutdown came a month earlier than anticipated. Early in August /Space 
News/ reported 
<http://www.spacenews.com/article/military-space/36655shelton-orders-shutdown-of-space-fence> 
that Gen William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, had 
directed the AFSSS, located in Texas, "be closed and all sites vacated" 
effective October 1, the start of the new US government fiscal year.

Air Force Space Command Public Affairs reported 
<http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/466832/air-force-space-command-to-discontinue-space-surveillance-system.aspx> 
August 13, "AFSPC officials have devised modified operating modes for 
the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Characterization System at Cavalier Air 
Force Station, North Dakota, and for the space surveillance radar at 
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, allowing discontinuation of AFSSS 
operations while still maintaining space situational awareness."

A new Space Fence radar is planned for Kwajalein Island in the Marshall 
Islands./-- SatWatch; USAF Public Affairs/

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2013-09-05&p=1>
/People/: New Air Force MARS Chief Takes Reins of Command

David J. Stapchuk is the new chief of Air Force MARS. He assumed command 
August 23 from outgoing chief Richard S. Jenson, who has taken on a new 
assignment. Stapchuk is the director of operations at the 92nd 
Information Operations Squadron Detachment 1 at Scott Air Force Base in 
Illinois. In that role he oversees cyber operations in support of the 
detachment's communications security mission.

"I am excited about my new role as chief, Air Force MARS, and look 
forward to advancing the Air Force MARS program in fulfillment of the 
MARS mission to provide contingency radio communications support to US 
government operations," Stapchuk said.

Stapchuk spent 28 years on active duty as an electronics technician and 
is currently an information technology specialist. He has supported a 
variety of Air Force missions over the last 34 years. /-- Air Force MARS 
news release/

/People/: Well-known DXer and DX Steve Hodgson, ZC4LI, SK

A familiar DX and contesting call sign has gone quiet. Steve Hodgson, 
ZC4LI, of Cyprus died August 31 of cancer. He was 69. Hodgson also was 
on the air over the years as 5B4AHA, C4C, G?LII, G6G, and ZD8LII, and 
was active until a few weeks ago. Adrian, 5B4AIY, called him "an 
enthusiastic contest operator [who] had won many awards. I'm sure his 
call will be sorely missed." Mark, N2QT, said ZC4LI was a familiar call 
sign to any RTTY contester. Hodgson will be buried in the Military 
Cemetery in Cyprus.

Digital /QST/ Access Using /Adobe AIR/ 3.8 Restored

Adobe has restored access to downloaded issues of digital /QST/ using 
the latest /Adobe? AIR?/ ver 3.8 on /Windows/ operating systems. To 
download the latest /Adobe? AIR?/ version, visit the Adobe AIR 
<http://get.adobe.com/air/> web page.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2013-09-05&p=2>
Getting It Right!

In the article "Australia Ends Higher Power Trial for Radio Amateurs," 
which appeared in /The ARRL Letter/, August 29, 2013, we erroneously 
identified the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART 
<http://www.nzart.org.nz>).

Solar Update

/Sun watcher Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, Washington, reports:/ 
Conditions were quieter again this week. Average daily sunspot numbers 
declined from 77 to 69, and average daily solar flux was off by 9.5 
points to 106.9, when compared to the previous 7 days, August 22-28.

*Predicted solar flux for the near term:*

  *

    110 on September 5

  *

    105 on September 6-10

  *

    100 and 110 on September 11-12

  *

    120 on September 13-15

  *

    115 on September 16-17

  *

    110 on September 18

  *

    105 on September 19-20

  *

    110 on September 21-22

  *

    105 on September 23-24

  *

    100 on September 25-28

*Predicted planetary A index:*

  *

    8 on September 5-6

  *

    5 on September 7-8

  *

    10 on September 9-11

  *

    18 on September 12

  *

    8 on September 13-14

  *

    5 on September 15-16

  *

    12, 18 and 15 on September 17-19

  *

    5 on September 20-22

  *

    8 on September 23-24

The autumnal equinox (September 22 at 2044 UTC) is a little over two 
weeks away. Fall is always a great time for HF DX, when the sun casts an 
even face over the northern and southern hemispheres. If this is the 
peak for cycle 24, although solar activity is weak, this may be the best 
time for enjoying HF propagation for some years to come.

In tomorrow's bulletin, we'll have some averages for the past month and 
three months, and perhaps some reports from readers.

This Week in Radiosport

  *

    Sep 5 -- NRAU 10 Meter Activity Contest

  *

    Sep 6 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)

  *

    Sep 6-7 -- 070 Club KA3X Memorial Sprint (Digital)

  *

    Sep 7 -- Russian Radio RTTY WW

  *

    Sep 7 -- Straight Key Party

  *

    Sep 7 -- DARC 10 Meter Digital "Corona"

  *

    Sep 7-8 -- All-Asian DX Contest (SSB)

  *

    Sep 7-8 -- IARU Region I Field Day (SSB)

  *

    Sep 7-8 -- QCWA Fall QSO Party

  *

    Sep 8 -- North American Sprint (CW)

  *

    Sep 8 -- QRP ARCI Two Sidebands Sprint

  *

    Sep 9 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest

  *

    Sep 11 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Test

  *

    Sep 14 -- Ohio State Parks On the Air

  *

    Sep 14-15 -- Worked All Europe DX Contest (SSB)

  *

    Sep 14-15 -- FOC QSO Party

  *

    Sep 14-15 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon

  *

    Sep 14-15 -- CIS DX PSK Contest

  *

    Sep 14-15 -- Arkansas QSO Party

  *

    Sep 14-16 -- ARRL September VHF Contest

  *

    Sep 15 -- North American Sprint (SSB)

  *

    Sep 15-16 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)

  *

    Sep 16 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)

  *

    Sep 19 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)

Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

  *

    September 6-8 -- Southwestern Division Convention (SWHAMCOM)
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southwestern-division-convention-swhamcon>,
    Buellton, California

  *

    September 14 -- Roanoke Division Convention <http://vbhamfest.com/>,
    Virginia Beach, Virginia

  *

    September 20-21 -- W9DXCC Convention <http://www.w9dxcc.com/>, Elk
    Grove Village, Illinois

  *

    September 20-22 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
    <http://www.tapr.org/dcc>, Seattle, Washington

  *

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

  *

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

  *

    September 28 -- North Dakota State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-dakota-state-convention>, West
    Fargo, North Dakota

  *

    September 28 -- Washington State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/washington-state-convention-spokane-hamfest>,
    Spokane Valley, Washington

  *

    September 29 -- EmComm East Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/emcomm-east-convention-2>, Rochester,
    New York

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

    November 2 -- Fall TechFest
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/2013-fall-techfest>, Lakewood, Colorado

  *

    November 2-3 -- Georgia Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-section-convention-stone-mountain-hamfest-computer-expo-2013>,
    Lawrenceville, Georgia

  *

    November 8-9 -- Midwest Division Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/midwest-division-convention-1>,
    Lebanon, Missouri

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

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

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




From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep  5 19:46:43 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 19:46:43 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] For Sale: 225 feet of Cable Experts
	CXF1318FX coax
In-Reply-To: <37FE88BC-E06C-43FD-9566-3BC5E0FAC5AB@icloud.com>
References: <37FE88BC-E06C-43FD-9566-3BC5E0FAC5AB@icloud.com>
Message-ID: <522917E3.9090608@bellsouth.net>

Contact Wayne not me...

I have about 225 feet of Cable Experts CXF1318FX coax. It is new and on 
the reel.  I am asking $150 and I am very open to offers. My 
Information: Cell: 561-735-1976 Call: WY4F Name: Wayne Nusbaum And I 
live at 8142 Springtree Road in Boca. Thanks for your Help! 73 Wayne



From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Fri Sep  6 14:11:15 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 14:11:15 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP036 Propagation de K7RA
In-Reply-To: <20130906151815.EDE1C25500@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130906151815.EDE1C25500@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <522A1AC3.4010605@bellsouth.net>


SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP036
ARLP036 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP36
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 36  ARLP036
>From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  September 6, 2013
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP036
ARLP036 Propagation de K7RA

Conditions were quieter again this week. Average daily sunspot
numbers declined from 77 to 69, and average daily solar flux was off
by 9.5 points to 106.9, when compared to the previous seven days,
August 22-28.

Predicted solar flux for the near term is 105 on September 6-10, 100
on September 11-12, 110 on September 13, 120 on September 14-15, 115
on September 16-17, 110 on September 18, 105 on September 19-20, 110
on September 21-22, 105 on September 23-24, and 100 on September
25-28. It then is expected to reach a minor peak of 115 on October
4-5, then 120 on October 9-12.

These predictions come from a 45-day forecast. Yesterday, September
5, the solar flux was 110.1. The first prediction for that date in
this series pegged it at 135, which maintained from July 22-28, then
105 on July 29 through August 4, 115 on August 5-11, 105 on August
12-18, 110 on August 19-28, 112 on August 29, 115 on August 30, 118
on August 31, 112 on September 1-2, and then they nailed it at 110
again on September 3-4. Note that these aren't the flux readings on
those dates. They are the predicted values for September 5, as they
varied from day to day in the daily forecast for the previous 45
days.

You can see those daily forecasts here:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpmenu/forecasts/45DF.html

The planetary A index is in the same forecast. The latest has
predicted planetary A index at 5 on September 6-8, 10 on September
9-10, 12 on September 11, 8 on September 12-14, 5 on September
15-16, then 12, 18 and 15 on September 17-19, 5 on September 20-22,
and 8 on September 23-24.

The Autumnal Equinox (September 22 at 2044 UTC) is a little over two
weeks away. Fall is always a great time for HF DX, when the sun
casts an even glow over our northern and southern hemispheres.
Although solar activity is weak, if this is Cycle 24's peak, now may
be the best time for enjoying HF propagation for some years to come.
Or the Sun could fool us again. Remember that day-to-day variations
in solar activity can swing wildly above and below any predicted
smoothed or averaged sunspot or solar flux number. But we haven't
seen much of that lately.

F.K. Janda, OK1HH offers his geomagnetic forecast. Mostly quiet
conditions September 6-7, quiet to unsettled September 8, quiet to
active September 9, quiet to unsettled September 10, quiet to active
September 11, active to disturbed September 12, quiet September 13,
mostly quiet September 14, quiet September 15-16, quiet to active
September 17, active to disturbed September 18, quiet to unsettled
September 19-21, mostly quiet September 22, quiet to active
September 23, quiet September 24-25, mostly quiet September 26,
active to disturbed September 27, quiet to active September 28,
mostly quiet September 29, quiet September 30, quiet to active
October 1, and quiet on October 2.

Last week's Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP035 mentioned average
sunspot numbers, but we were missing two days of data (from August
30-31) to get the complete average.  As it turns out, those two days
had low enough sunspot numbers that it actually dragged the 3-month
moving average and the monthly average for August lower.

So the three month moving averages of sunspot numbers for periods
ending in January through August 2013 were 82.8, 73.6, 80.7, 85.2,
106.4, 106.4, 97.5 and 85.6. The average daily sunspot number for
the month of August was 90.2, up from 80.2 and 86.2 in June and
July.

Thanks so much to Scott Bidstrup, TI3/W7RI in Costa Rica who sent a
link to a fascinating article in Phys.Org News and Astronomy and
Astrophysics about yet another failure to replicate earlier studies
claiming a correlation between planetary positions and solar
activity. In this case, the authors found several serious
statistical errors in the earlier analysis. Read the article and
abstract at,
http://phys.org/news/2013-09-evidence-planetary-solar.html and
http://www.aanda.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=966&Itemid=277.
Note that for a limited time, the full text of the paper is
available for free by clicking on the "Register Now" button on that
last page.

NASA has an updated prediction for sunspot Cycle 24, and like last
month, they predict the peak for Summer 2013 (that's now!) but they
have downgraded the expected smoothed sunspot number from 67 to 66.
Read it and weep at,
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml. They do not have
any archive of past predictions, but never fear, I have been keeping
careful track.

A year ago, they sounded an optimistic note, when the September 2012
update changed from a peak of 60 in Spring 2013 to a peak of 76 in
Fall 2013.

A month later in October it changed to a peak of 75 in Fall 2013,
then in November it dropped to 73 in Fall 2013. In December the
number was revised to 72, and in January 2013 the predicted peak was
changed to 69. February's prediction was unchanged, then March 2013
revised the peak down again to 66. April and May were unchanged, and
in June the prediction was revised upward from a peak of 66 in Fall
2013 to a peak of 67 in Summer 2013. July and August were unchanged,
and now we have the number back down a point in again to 66 in
September.

Lawrence, GJ3RAX sent us more nice VHF reports from the British
Isles. The first, in an email on August 30:

"Sporadic-E openings on 6 m are starting to become quite rare at
this time of year. I thought that the one on August 12 was going to
be the last one. I had some nice QSOs that day with IS0, OE1, F4,
HA5, OK2 and EA6. After that I did not catch any more until last
Wednesday August 28 when 6 m opened again. I then had 8 QSOs into
Germany, 3 into OK, one each with OE and SP. Those were between
1430-1545 GMT. A friend of mine told me afterwards that he was also
getting some good ones on 4 m which I did not bother to check. I
would probably have missed the opening if I was not using my IC-756
Pro 2 which I had left on 6 m with the panoramic display visible
when I glanced at it. Any signals that are strong enough to work
with SSB show up well. I do not use any of the other modes.

"The next two days also showed propagation at times. On August 29 I
had one QSO with CT1EUB at 1200 GMT. On August 30 I was in QSO with
EA7/G0WHX at 1030 GMT. The band opened again later after a QSO with
F6HRP, who is relatively local, at 1720 GMT followed by CT1FJC.

"I have not had any QSOs on the HF bands recently. I listen at times
but rarely hear anything on the bands from 17 m to 10 m which seems
very strange considering that we are at about the peak of this solar
cycle. I used to keep skeds on 17 m with friends in the USA and
Canada. My antenna on those bands is an old Cushcraft R5 at only 10
feet above the ground. On 20 m I usually hear some European activity
but often without hearing anyone speaking English. Even 40 m seems
quieter that it used to be as I used to use it as a chat band during
daytime with those in other parts of the British Isles. I have not
been on 80 m recently, even at night, and it seems to be years since
I used Top Band.

"Thanks for mentioning our VHF and Microwave groups on Yahoo. After
that both gained new members from the USA. The VHFandUHF group is
now up to 125 members."

And on September 6, another report:

"Every Tuesday evening there is a short VHF contest, organized by
the RSGB, on a different band each week. They run from 8 pm to 10:30
pm local time, now still BST. This week, on September 3, it was on 2
m and conditions were interesting. I only come on for part of the
contest each week as I never take them seriously from the
competitive point of view. This time I started shortly after 9 pm
and started with a QSO with an EI station, then G, GW and GD. My QSO
with GD8EXI was my best DX that evening at about 356 miles,
according to QRZ. After that it was all G stations apart from
exchanging notes with some of the others here in GJ. One of them had
worked up to GM but that might have been on CW. I only use SSB.

"I had heard reports of some of the more northern stations working
down to EA8. I did hear weak signal from the north of England,
towards the end of the contest, working an EA8 so I turned my beam
south but did not hear anything.

"The contest next Tuesday evening will be on 70 cm:
http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/.

"Wednesday morning, September 4, it was still good on 2 m and I
worked 4 stations in the south of EI where it was mostly a sea path
between us apart from a bit of Cornwall to get over. They were
between 320 and 370 miles away. I also worked into the south of GW
and a French station at about 200 miles near Paris. One of the EI
stations wanted to try 70 cm as well although he knew that he had an
antenna problem. We made it although it was rather marginal. Later
he was able to fix the problem with his antenna so we tried again in
the evening but nothing was heard. The region of high pressure had
moved and it was raining at his end.

"I have heard nothing on 6 m since the QSOs on August 30 so it looks
as if the Sporadic-E season is over and we are getting into the
tropo season.

"There is the 144 MHz Trophy Contest this weekend on Saturday and
Sunday. I am not expecting conditions to be good for that one but I
will be on for some of the time but not while I am watching the F1
motor racing from Monza."

Thank you Lawrence.

Not hearing anything on 10 meters? Check out "Tony's 10 Metre Band
Report" from G4CJC:

http://www.southgatearc.org/bands/10metres/september2013/september_05.htm#.UimEfD_VV9M.

If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,
email the author at, k7ra at arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL
Technical Information Service web page at,
http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the
numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past
propagation bulletins is at
http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good
information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve
overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL
bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for August 29 through September 4 were 55, 62, 60,
71, 84, 74, and 77, with a mean of 69. 10.7 cm flux was 108.8,
107.5, 107.5, 103.8, 105.6, 106, and 109.3, with a mean of 106.9.
Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 8, 11, 9, 10, 7, and 6, with a
mean of 7.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 7, 11, 10, 11,
8, and 9, with a mean of 8.6.
NNNN




From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sun Sep  8 08:38:16 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 08:38:16 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] 9/11 is coming upon 12 years. Listen
 to the FDNY & Now FAA/NORAD Tapes
Message-ID: <522C6FB8.3070203@bellsouth.net>

 From QRZ - W5TXR. Not ham radio related except for the fact a ham is 
posting it.

It seems like just yesterday that 9/11 happened. We are coming upon 12 
years now.
Every year I have the FDNY logging recorder tapes and NOW I also have 
the FAA/NORAD Tapes to listen to.
WARNING! These tapes are graphic!

Listen to the 9/11 terror attack on the NY WTC as it unfolds!
Turn up your volume.

The link for the FDNY recording: http://www.w5txr.net/Audio-Archive--01.html

The link for the FAA/NORAD recording: 
http://www.w5txr.net/Audio-Archive-NORAD-FAA-Tapes.html

My website www.w5txr.net <http://www.w5txr.net>

Remember those that lost their lives and family members in 9/11.

God Bless FDNY, NYPD, Transit Police and other LE agencies involved and 
NY EMS workers

73's Mark

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep  9 15:22:21 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 15:22:21 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Koch to Buy Molex For $7.2 Billion -
	The Wall Street Journal.
In-Reply-To: <6574CCAE-22B0-4D11-BA95-C13B6CF9C7CE@bellsouth.net>
References: <6574CCAE-22B0-4D11-BA95-C13B6CF9C7CE@bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <522E1FED.9050209@bellsouth.net>


 From The Wall Street Journal.

Koch to Buy Molex For $7.2 Billion

http://on.wsj.com/1evCFgV





From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Wed Sep 11 07:57:11 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 07:57:11 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Contest Update for September
	11, 2013
In-Reply-To: <20130911042919.9CBDB24286@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130911042919.9CBDB24286@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <52305A97.9060408@bellsouth.net>



Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2013-09-11

The ARRL Contest Update

September 11, 2013
Editor: Ward Silver, N?AX <mailto:rate-sheet at arrl.org>
/Contest Update/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/>
Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2013-09-11&t=t>
IN THIS ISSUE

  * Kings of the Hilltops - ARRL September VHF and 10 GHz Cumulative
    Contests <#Contests>
  * And They're Off! - Salmon Run and Run for the Bacon <#Contests>
  * VanityHQ Website Bids Adieu <#News>
  * CQ Juno - 10 Meter Flyby <#Newsweek>
  * Teardowns and Tearups <#Sights>
  * NAQP August SSB Preliminary Results <#Results>
  * Online Intermod Calculator <#Tech>
  * Ambient Backscatter <#Techweek>
  * Radiosport to a Spectator <#Conversation>

NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO

As the fall equinox approaches, new HF operators should be noticing the 
improved conditions over the poles. This is a great time to try out the 
polar paths that have been diminished all summer. To that end, try the 
Scandinavian Activity Contests (CW - 21 Sep and SSB - Oct 12) and put 
some OH/LA/SM/OZ contacts in your log!

BULLETINS

There are no bulletins in this issue.

BUSTED QSOS

No uproarious pratfalls were reported in the previous issue.

CONTEST SUMMARY

Complete information <#Contests> for all contests follows the 
Conversation <#Conversation> section

*Sep 14-15*

  * */ARRL September VHF Contest/*
  * */North American Sprint--Phone/*
  * CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Test (Sep 11)
  * Worked All Europe DX Contest--Phone
  * FOC QSO Party--CW
  * Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
  * CIS DX PSK Contest
  * Arkansas QSO Party
  * Classic Exchange--Phone
  * Run For the Bacon--CW (Sep 16)

*Sep 21-22*

  * */ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest/*
  * NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW (Sep 19)
  * Scandinavian Activity Contest-- CW
  * South Carolina QSO Party
  * Feld-Hell Hell on Wheels Sprint
  * Washington State Salmon Run
  * Classic Exchange--CW
  * BARTG Sprint 75--Digital
  * 144 MHz Fall VHF Sprint (Sep 23)

NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST

After providing all of us with 14 years of looking up our favorite 
calls, helping us get new calls, and generally making the vanity-call 
process a whole lot more fun, Michael N4MC has called it a day and site 
operations have been terminated. In the future, the RadioQTH service 
<http://www.radioqth.net/> may provide the call sign lookup service that 
you need. (Thanks, Dick N6AA and the Daily DX <http://dailydx.com>)

Just one of the many graphic outputs of your log statistics from XV4Y's 
new Qscope <http://qscope.org>service.

Yan XV4Y has released version 1.00 of his free online contest log 
analyzer, QScope.org <http://qscope.org/>. The service provides a number 
of statistics on single logs or groups of logs in ADIF or Cabrillo 
format. The chart at right shows a typical pie chart breaking down QSOs 
by band. There are many other statistics available, such as uniques 
(one-time contacts - the service does not validate calls), CQ and ITU 
zones worked, QSO rates, maximum rates, QSO points, etc. There is a 
statistic for every need, it seems. (Thanks, Jim VE7FO and Steve K6AW)

The 2013 USA Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Championships 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/north-carolina-to-host-2013-usa-ardf-championships> 
will be held in North Carolina's Uwharrie Mountains on October 8-13. 
(No, that's not a way of saying, "You Hurry!" which would be appropriate 
for a competition, I admit.) ARDF events take place on the 2 meter and 
80 meter amateur bands but are open to anyone, since no transmitting 
takes place. The courses cover 4 to 10 km and there are various age and 
gender categories making the competition attractive to beginners as well 
as experienced "DF-ers".

WRTC-2014 Co-Chair, Randy K5ZD has broadcase a reminder that all Team 
Leader applications 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/qualifying/team-leader-application/> must be 
submitted by September 13 - two days from this issue's publication. More 
than 100 applications have been received. Also, a new rules FAQ page 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition/wrtc-rules-faq/> has been posted to 
answer questions that have been received about the rules for the 
WRTC2014 competition. Not everyone who qualifies 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/qualifying/qualification-standings/> will 
choose to submit an application. If the top qualifier(s) do not apply, 
the next eligible qualifier application that has been received will earn 
the spot. There are also two Wild Card slots that will be selected from 
the remaining applications after the top qualifiers are selected. /*You 
must submit an application to be considered.*/

It's probably safe to say that Scouting introduces Amateur Radio to more 
young people than any other single youth organization. To that the end, 
the K2BSA team <http://www.k2bsa.net/> is doing outstanding service in 
attempting to get 4,000 Scouts on the air during the current BSA 
National Jamboree. In addition, they're taking advantage of the event to 
educate even more Scouts and Scouters across the country about Amateur 
Radio. They even got the editor of /Scouting Magazine/ (which goes to 
all 900,000 registered Scout Leaders across the country ) to blog about 
Foxhunting <http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/>. (Thanks, Gary K2GW)

Do you think this might be the license plate of one of them 
"corn-testers"? If so, you would be right - this is N5QQ's truck as 
photographed by ARRL Sweepstakes Manager, Larry K5OT.

Midwest Mania <http://w9fz.com/midwestmania13/> is coming to the 
"ultra-highs". If you are a VHF/UHF weak-signal op from North Texas 
northward to southern Manitoba or from the Rockies Front Range eastward 
to about the Mississippi River, Bruce W9FZ/R urges you to get on for 
this weekend's September VHF Contest. If you know you'll be on, email 
Bruce <mailto:w9fz at w9fz.com> your call, grid, bands, and plans. He'll 
take what you send and add it to the website. There is also a 
spreadsheet you can edit yourself and tabs on the website for fixed 
stations, rovers, and portables. Bruce's goal is to get every possible 
op on-the-air and turn what can be a sometimes quiet area into a bedlam 
of activity.

 From around the web via the Daily DX <http://dailydx.com/>, we find 
that Michael G7VJR of ClubLog has ascertained how many DXers there are 
<http://g7vjr.org/2013/04/how-many-dxers-are-there-in-the-world/> in the 
world. Elsewhere in the world of DX, Wayne N7NG has updated his popular 
booklet "DXpeditioning Basics - 2013", available from the DX University 
website. <http://www.dxuniversity.com/> With so much overlap between 
DXpeditions and contest expeditions and contesting, this is a must-read!

The Pacific Northwest VHF Conference 
<http://www.pnwvhfs.org/conference.html> is coming up on October 12-13 
in Moses Lake, WA. You can still take advantage of the early bird rates 
and the special hotel rate until September 18th.

Jukka OH6LI has been getting himself in good physical condition for the 
upcoming contest season by climbing his tower! "My training program has 
been to climb minimum 60m (200ft) per day at my home for the past 
two-three weeks, four or five days a week. I carry the safety harness 
and some tools with me to increase the power out through proper load 
setting. I have measured heart rates exceeding 160 before I start to 
feel I should slow down." Tony K4QE points out that with so much 
pointing and clicking during the contest, maybe that mouse finger needs 
a little exercise 
<http://www.ehow.com/how_5514624_exercise-mouse-finger.html>, too!

One good thing about low solar flux is the ability to make contacts 
beyond the ionosphere - like the Juno spacecraft that will fly by Earth 
on Oct 9. (Graphic courtesy of NASA)

*Web Site of the Week* - Does your 10 meter antenna farm have enough 
horsepower to say hello to the Juno spacecraft 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-community-invited-to-say-hi-to-juno-spacecraft>? 
NASA researchers will be listening for ham signals as Juno rockets past 
the Earth on Oct 9 on its way to a Jovian rendezvous in 2016. As HF 
operators well know, due to low solar flux the ionosphere hasn't been 
reflecting 10 meter signals back to Earth very well. Why not take 
advantage of that window to space and sign up to contact an 
interplanetary mission? With humans expected to be traveling to the Moon 
or beyond in the next decades, this could be a good "warm up" for future 
ham radio QSOs with astronauts.

WORD TO THE WISE

*/Catnap/* - while much is made of the 90-minute sleep cycle, a great 
deal of alertness can be restored by a short bit of shut-eye. Or just a 
walk in the fresh air. Or maybe a shower? Take a break!

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2013-09-11&p=0>
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Teardowns, tearaparts, tearing into...all part of workbench fun that 
Brian N9ADG discovered on the YouTube channel Mike's Electric Stuff 
<http://www.youtube.com/user/mikeselectricstuff>. I wonder if he went on 
a tear after watching?

RESULTS AND RECORDS

NAQP SSB Manager, Bill AC?W <mailto:ssbnaqpmgr at ncjweb.com> writes in to 
say, "Thanks to the hard work of the NAQP log checking team we now have 
the August NAQP SSB preliminary results available on the NCJ website 
<http://www.ncjweb.com/naqpssbprelim.php>. Please verify your results, 
especially making sure you are listed in the right category. Remember 
most logging software is now defaulting to High Power and Assisted, 
which will move you out of the Single-Operator category into either the 
Multi-Two category or (being) listed as a check log."

2012 Japan International DX Phone contest results 
<http://jidx.org/2012ph.html> are now available. (Thanks, Tack JE1CKA)

Andy NY7N shows the big smile that keeps him in the game as he receives 
a plaque at the recent Arizona Outlaws Contest Club 
<http://www.arizonaoutlaws.net/%E2%80%8E> meeting. (Photo by N7RQ)

The full result for the 2013 CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest 
<http://www.cqmmdx.com/> are published, including 815 participants from 
95 DXCC entities in all continents, totaling 104,000 QSOs. 94 percent of 
the contacts were cross-checked among the 7000 different call signs. 
(Thanks, CWJF President, Ed PY4WAS)

Valery R5GA is at it again with another analysis package - this time 
showing the best QSO rates during the 2013 CW WPX SSB contest 
<http://rate.pileup.ru/qso.php?contest=CQ-WPX-SSB&year=2013>. (Thanks, 
Randy K5ZD)

The New Jersey QRP Club's "Skeeter Hunt 
<http://www.qsl.net/w2lj/index%20page%205>" was popular this year - the 
results show they were biting! Soapbox comments and photos should be 
posted soon. Along with the Flight of the Bumblebees 
<http://arsqrp.blogspot.com/2012/07/adventure-radio-society-2012-flight-of.html> 
and the Locust QSO Party <http://www.k6vva.com/lqp/%E2%80%8E>, what 
insect-themed contest will take wing next - and would I have to use a 
Spider Beam and a bug? (Thanks, Larry W2LJ)

OPERATING TIP

K2AV, Guy, notes there are a lot of changes in the CQ World Wide Contest 
rules <http://www.cqww.com/rules.htm>. With the contest weekends not far 
away (CQ WW RTTY is Sep 28/29) it would be a /good/ idea to make sure 
you have read the current versions of the rules before the starting 
bell! (Thanks, Daily DX <http://dailydx.com/>)

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2013-09-11&p=1>
TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION

If you are trying to track down some pesky intermodulation distortion 
(IMD) products, the online intermod calculator 
<http://radiomobile.pe1mew.nl/?RF_Aids:On-Line_calculators:Intermodulation> 
at RadioMobile is a very helpful tool. IMD is by no means just a VHF+ 
problem as multi-transmitter HF contest operators well know!

Maxwell's equations -- which form the foundation of our understanding of 
electromagnetic phenomena -- are often shown as four separate equations 
using the notation of vector calculus. But few know that those equations 
were actually created by Oliver Heaviside who reworked Maxwell's 
original /twenty/ equations into the four we use today. For those 
interested in how this transformation was made, see if you can find a 
copy of the article "The Evolution of Maxwell's equations from 1862 to 
the Present Day" by John Arthur in the June 2013 issue of /IEEE Antennas 
and Propagation Magazine/. Some math is involved! You may be surprised 
at some of the names of those who were involved in the work.

 From the "Why Didn't I Think of This? Department, here is a workbench 
accessory we all need - the workbench Electrical Tape Dispenser 
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrical-Tape-Dispencer/>!

Ricardo PU2CLR is developing an Arduino-controlled antenna tuner. You 
can watch his progress in this YouTube video 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwl3G2ET7Jw>. The latest addition is a 
homebrew butterfly-style capacitor. English subtitles are provided for 
better understanding by English speakers.

No foot switch up here! Even though he keeps busy managing the world's 
largest contest, CQ WW Director (and WRTC-2014 Co-Chair) Randy K5ZD has 
to fix bad coax connectors just like everybody else! (Photo by K5ZD)

Where */_IS_/__* that footswitch? They seem to have quite a knack of 
slowly migrating to the most inconvenient possible location during the 
contest. Hans K?HB says his seamstress wife, Colleen K?CKB pointed him 
in the direction of Pedal Sta II 
<http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/pedal+sta+ii.do> to keep that 
switch where it belongs. Solving the same problem, Tad K3TD recommends 
the widely available Linemaster Clipper 642-S. He says "It is heavy and 
heavy-duty and will not move around."

How much basic science do you know? It is reported that only 7% of the 
adult population in the U.S. gets all 13 questions correct on this 
current science quiz <http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/science-knowledge/>.

In discussing how to keep hardware from seizing and corroding, there is 
no end of suggestions. Jon W4ABC, residing between the Gulf of Mexico 
and Tampa Bay, recommends "Never-Seez Regular Grade 
<http://www.bostik-us.com/sites/default/files/NSRegular.pdf>." It comes 
with a brush-on applicator that is a little easier to use for coatings 
than a squeeze tube.

*Technical Web Site of the Week* - A new communication technique 
explored by University of Washington which the researchers call "ambient 
backscatter 
<http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/08/13/wireless-devices-go-battery-free-with-new-communication-technique/>," 
takes advantage of the TV and cellular transmissions already present. 
Two devices communicate with each other by reflecting the existing 
signals to exchange information. Quoted in the online article, "Our 
devices form a network out of thin air," said co-author Joshua Smith 
<http://sensor.cs.washington.edu/jrs.html>, a UW associate professor of 
computer science and engineering and of electrical engineering. "You can 
reflect these signals slightly to create a Morse code of communication 
between battery-free devices." Imagine what it could do in the near 
field of a big multi-multi station!

CONVERSATION

Radiosport to a Spectator

This issue begins a multi-part conversation about visualization and ham 
radio - both contesting and non-contesting and both for hams and 
non-hams. I've been thinking about the "spectator" aspect of ham radio 
ever since being a part of the 1990 WRTC organizing committee. WRTC-1990 
was held in Seattle, WA at the same time as the Goodwill Games 
<http://www.goodwillgames.com/html/past_1990frame.html>, creating a 
great demand for stories in the news. WRTC was fortunate to receive 
quite a bit of coverage from local stations that described radiosport 
and the basics of the competition.

An unexpected question was frequently received from members of the 
public who asked, "This sounds really interesting - where can I watch?" 
We had no answer for them in those days of faxes and phone calls. There 
were no websites or email or cell phone messaging services to use. Folks 
were quite disappointed! In the aftermath of the competition, this 
subject was discussed at length - how can we make the excitement of 
radiosport available to the public? The question remains open.

The thrill of victory! Gary N7IR is receiving his Arizona Outlaws 
Contest Club plaque from Mike KC7V. (Photo by NY7N)

We are not the only sport with a spectator deficit, it turns out. A good 
example is round-the-world yacht races that take place mostly out of 
view. The recent article, "The Annotated America's Cup 
<http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/the-augmented-reality-americas-cup>" 
in the September 2013 issue of /IEEE Spectrum/ set me back a little. 
With all that money and all that coverage, they still have a spectator 
problem? Apparently! The article talks about how they put computer 
technology to work on the craft and in the production studio to make the 
race "come alive" for the viewer without requiring an intimate knowledge 
of sailing.

Although we can't match that budget, we can certainly think about how to 
present what we do on contest weekends to the non-ham. They can get the 
basics pretty quickly - we've all explained it before - the goal is to 
make contacts as fast as you can in as many different places as you can 
during the contest period. This is not hard to communicate but it's 
rather dispassionate. One could just as well describe auto racing - the 
cars go as fast as they can for as long as they can and the first car 
over the finish line wins. Whoopee. Where's the excitement?

The excitement is in the skill and the challenges, enabled by 
technology, and described by a master sportscaster who knows the game, 
the players, the history, and the techniques. The successful sports 
program combines coverage of the action with a whole host of other 
content - interviews, diagrams, history and statistics - and strives to 
not let the focus dwell too long on any single aspect.

In this sense, presenting a radio contest would be somewhat like golf. 
In a match, there are many players on different holes taking their shots 
in differing circumstances. Every player has various strengths and 
weaknesses. There are statistics for both the current match and the 
history of the player. But watching just one player (think "web cam in 
the shack") would be quite boring. After all, when watching golf you 
never see more than 30 seconds of anybody actually playing the game. An 
announcer calls the shot and then the director cuts to someplace else on 
the course. Hmmm...with enough announcers...we could do that!

Who's calling the game? NCJ Editor Kirk K4RO (foreground) and Gary K4UU 
are shown working the crowds at K4TCG in the recent Tennessee QSO Party. 
(Photo by WF7T)

"Hiram Maxim here at Radiosport Central, welcome back to World Wide 
Weekend. The contest is about half over as we approach 0000 UTC on 
Sunday. At the turning point, the leaderboard is looking like several 
stations are making their move and...we've got some breaking action at 
W1AW, let's cut to Howard Kyoosell 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Cosell>...Howard?"

"Hiram, I'm here at the W1AW multi-multi, where the 15 meter operator is 
about to attempt busting a HUGE JA pileup - the likes of which I have. 
Never. Heard. Before. He's needs to work XW8KPL in Cambodia for a double 
multiplier. And need I say, ladies and gentlemen, this will be via the 
long path. Let's listen in...

"He's calling, did he make it through? NO, it looks like the XW8 came 
back to JA8RWU. Akira is just awfully tough to beat on 15.

"Here he goes again, he's trying the two-second delay technique 
and...there it goes...did he get through? YES!!! He's done it, he's 
cracked that. Enormous. Pileup. Of. Screaming. Operators! You can hear 
the double mult ringing on the bell and we are happy here in Newington, 
Connecticut.

"This is Howard Kyoosell at W1 Alpha Whiskey, back to you, Hiram..."

We'll be right back after these messages...

73, Ward N?AX

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2013-09-11&p=2>
CONTESTS

*11 September through 24 September*

An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral in PDF format 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> is available. Check the sponsor's 
Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other 
instructions.

*HF CONTESTS*

*/North American Sprint/*/--Phone, from Sep 15, 0000Z to Sep 15, 0400Z. 
Bands (MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Call signs, serial, name, and state. Logs 
due: 7 days. Rules <http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintrules.php> /

CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Test--CW, from Sep 11, 1300Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Twice monthly on 2nd and 4th 
Wed, 18 to 28 kHz above band edge. Exchange: Name and member number or 
S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules <http://www.cwops.org/onair.html>

Worked All Europe DX Contest--Phone, from Sep 14, 0000Z to Sep 15, 
2400Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: 2 weeks. 
Rules <http://waedc.de/>

FOC QSO Party--CW, from Sep 14, 0000Z to Sep 14, 2359Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-28. Exchange: RST, name, FOC nr if member. Logs due: 7 days. Rules 
<http://www.g4foc.org/>

Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Sep 14, 1200Z to Sep 15, 
2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if 
member. Logs due: 5 days. Rules 
<http://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/>

CIS DX PSK Contest--Digital, from Sep 14, 1200Z to Sep 15, 1200Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RST and DXDA code. Logs due: 15 days. Rules 
<http://www.eupsk.com/>

Arkansas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 14, 1400Z to Sep 15, 
0200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 144, CW--40 kHz above band edge; 
Phone--3.85, 7.18, 14.28, 21.38, 28.38, 146.55; PSK31--3.58, 7.08, 
14.07015, 21.08, 28.08 MHz. Exchange: RS(T), county or S/P or "DX". Logs 
due: Oct 10. Rules <http://www.arkanhams.org/>

Classic Exchange--Phone, from Sep 15, 1300Z to Sep 16, 0700Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, SSB--1.885, 3.87, 7.28, 14.27, 21.37, 28.39; 
AM--1.89, 3.88, 7.16, 7.29, 14.286, 21.42, 29.0 MHz. Exchange: Name, RS, 
S/P/C, type of equipment. Logs due: 60 days. Rules 
<http://www.classicexchange.org/>

Run For the Bacon--CW, from Sep 16, 0100Z to Sep 16, 0300Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-28. Monthly on 3rd Sunday night (local); CW--1.812, 3.562, 7.044, 
7.104. 14.062, 21.062, 27.185, 28.062 MHz. Exchange: RST, S/P/C, Flying 
Pig nr or power. Rules <http://www.fpqrp.org/>

NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint--CW, from Sep 19, 0030Z to Sep 19, 0230Z. Bands 
(MHz): 3.5-14. Monthly on 2nd Tuesday or 3rd Wednesday local time 
(alternating). Exchange: RST, S/P/C, and NAQCC mbr nr or power. Logs 
due: 4 days. Rules <http://naqcc.info/>

Scandinavian Activity Contest--CW, from Sep 21, 1200Z to Sep 22, 1159Z. 
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST and serial. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules 
<http://www.sactest.net/>

South Carolina QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Sep 21, 1400Z to Sep 22, 0300Z. 
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50+, CW--1.815, 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.045, 
28.045, 50.095; Phone--1.865, 3,810, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.450, 
50.135 MHz. Exchange: RS(T) and county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 18. Rules 
<http://scqso.com/>

Feld-Hell Hell on Wheels Sprint--Digital, from Sep 21, 1600Z to Sep 21, 
1800Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Monthly on 3rd Saturday. Exchange: RST, 
S/P/C, Feld-Hell member nr. Logs due: 7 days. Rules 
<http://www.feldhellclub.org/>

Washington State Salmon Run--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 21, 1600Z to Sep 
22, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, See website. Exchange: RS(T) and 
county or S/P/C. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules <http://www.wwdxc.org/>

Classic Exchange--CW, from Sep 22, 1300Z to Sep 23, 0700Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-28, 50,144, 1.820, 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.135, 28.05, 50.1, 144.1 
MHz. Exchange: Name, RS, S/P/C, type of equipment. Logs due: 60 days. 
Rules <http://www.classicexchange.org/>

BARTG Sprint 75--Digital, from Sep 22, 1700Z to Sep 22, 2100Z. Bands 
(MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: Serial. Logs due: Nov 1. Rules 
<http://www.bartg.org.uk/>

*VHF+ CONTESTS*

*/ARRL September VHF Contest/*/--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 14, 1800Z to 
Sep 16, 0259Z. Bands (MHz): 50+. Exchange: Grid square. Logs due: Oct 
10. Rules <http://www.arrl.org/contests> /

*/ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest--/*/Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 21, 6 AM 
to Sep 22, 12 mid. Bands (MHz): 10G+. Exchange: 6-character grid 
locator. Logs due: Oct 16. Rules <http://www.arrl.org/contests> /

144 MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 23, 7 PM to Sep 23, 
11 PM. Bands (MHz): 144. Exchange: 4-character grid square. Logs due: 4 
weeks. Rules <http://www.svhfs.org/2013fallsprintrulesv1.pdf>

Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon--CW, from Sep 14, 1200Z to Sep 15, 
2359Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: RST, QTH, name, member nr if 
member. Logs due: 5 days. Rules 
<http://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/>

Arkansas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 14, 1400Z to Sep 15, 
0200Z. Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 144, CW--40 kHz above band edge; 
Phone--3.85, 7.18, 14.28, 21.38, 28.38, 146.55; PSK31--3.58, 7.08, 
14.07015, 21.08, 28.08 MHz. Exchange: RS(T), county or S/P or "DX". Logs 
due: Oct 10. Rules <http://www.arkanhams.org/>

Classic Exchange--Phone, from Sep 15, 1300Z to Sep 16, 0700Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, SSB--1.885, 3.87, 7.28, 14.27, 21.37, 28.39; 
AM--1.89, 3.88, 7.16, 7.29, 14.286, 21.42, 29.0 MHz. Exchange: Name, RS, 
S/P/C, type of equipment. Logs due: 60 days. Rules 
<http://www.classicexchange.org/>

South Carolina QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Sep 21, 1400Z to Sep 22, 0300Z. 
Bands (MHz): 3.5-28, 50+, CW--1.815, 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.045, 
28.045, 50.095; Phone--1.865, 3,810, 7.190, 14.250, 21.300, 28.450, 
50.135 MHz. Exchange: RS(T) and county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 18. Rules 
<http://scqso.com/>

Washington State Salmon Run--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 21, 1600Z to Sep 
22, 2400Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, See website. Exchange: RS(T) and 
county or S/P/C. Logs due: 2 weeks. Rules <http://www.wwdxc.org/>

Classic Exchange--CW, from Sep 22, 1300Z to Sep 23, 0700Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-28, 50,144, 1.820, 3.545, 7.045, 14.045, 21.135, 28.05, 50.1, 144.1 
MHz. Exchange: Name, RS, S/P/C, type of equipment. Logs due: 60 days. 
Rules <http://www.classicexchange.org/>

LOG DUE DATES

*11 September through 24 September***

  * September 11 - 50 MHz Fall Sprint
    <http://www.svhfs.org/2013fallsprintrulesv1.pdf>
  * September 14 - North American Sprint, CW
    <http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintrules.php>
  * September 14 - Wake-Up! QRP Sprint
    <http://qrp.ru/contest/wakeup/333-wakeup-eng>
  * September 14 - QRP Fox Hunt <http://www.qrpfoxhunt.org/summer_rules.htm>
  * September 14 - CWops Mini-CWT Test <http://www.cwops.org/onair.html>
  * September 14 - NAQCC-EU Monthly Sprint
    <http://naqcc-eu.org/sprints/rules/current.pdf>
  * September 15 - SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
    <http://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/>
  * September 15 - NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder
    <http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html>
  * September 15 - CVA DX Contest <http://www.craec.org/>
  * September 15 - MMMonVHF/DUBUS 144 MHz Meteorscatter Sprint Contest
    <http://www.mmmonvhf.de/ctestinfo.php>
  * September 15 - NCCC Sprint <http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html>
  * September 18 - Keyman's Club of Japan Contest
    <http://www.kcj-cw.com/contest/13_kcj_contest_rule_e.pdf>
  * September 18 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, SSB
    <http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2013/rsprint.shtml>
  * September 19 - NRAU 10m Activity Contest
    <http://www.nrau.net/activity-contests/below-30mhz.html>
  * September 20 - PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80m Sprint
    <http://www.podxs070.com/80-meter-jay-hudak-memorial-sprint>
  * September 20 - CWOps CW Open <http://www.cwops.org/cwopen.html>
  * September 20 - CIS DX QPSK63 Contest
    <http://www.epc-ru.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1371&Itemid=282>
  * September 21 - North American Sprint, SSB
    <http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintrules.php>
  * September 21 - Ohio State Parks on the Air
    <http://www.ospota.org/ospota/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ospota-rules-13June2013.pdf>
  * September 22 - Run for the Bacon QRP Contest <http://fpqrp.org/pigrun/>
  * September 23 - DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest
    <http://www.darc.de/referate/ukw-funksport/corona/teilnahmebedingungen/>
  * September 23 - Ohio QSO Party <http://www.ohqp.org/adminRules.htm>
  * September 24 - YO DX HF Contest <http://www.yodx.ro/en/english>
  * September 24 - RSGB SSB Field Day
    <http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2013/rssbfd.shtml>

ARRL Information

Click here <mailto:ads at arrl.org> to advertise in this newsletter, space 
subject to availability.

Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

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Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox 
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Subscribe to /NCJ/ - the National Contest Journal 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>. Published bimonthly, features articles by top 
contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.

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<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bimonthly, features technical 
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal> and SM3CER's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.sk3bg.se/contest>.

	Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2013-09-11&t=r&p=0>
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The ARRL Contest Update is published every other Wednesday (26 times 
each year). ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by 
editing their Member Data Page as described at 
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/.

Copyright ? 2013 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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




From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Wed Sep 11 20:34:08 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 20:34:08 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Space Weather News for Sept. 11, 2013
In-Reply-To: <LYRIS-775776-1798069-2013.09.11-17.51.31--bmarx#bellsouth.net@www.spaceweather2.com>
References: <LYRIS-775776-1798069-2013.09.11-17.51.31--bmarx#bellsouth.net@www.spaceweather2.com>
Message-ID: <52310C00.4000609@bellsouth.net>


Space Weather News for Sept. 11, 2013
http://spaceweather.com

METEOR NEWS: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from an unknown comet or asteroid.  It happens every year around this time and produces a minor shower known as the "September epsilon Perseids."  This year, Earth ran into an unusually dense patch of meteoroids, which produced an outburst of meteors over Europe near midnight on Sept. 9-10.  The event is highlighted on today's edition ofhttp://spaceweather.com.

CHANCE OF STORMS:  NOAA forecasters estimate a 45%-50% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept. 12-13 in response to an incoming solar wind stream.  This is not a major event, but it could produce bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Geomagnetic storm alerts are available fromhttp://spaceweathertext.com



From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep 12 19:07:31 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 19:07:31 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Virtual hamfest
In-Reply-To: <1379024952.75755.YahooMailNeo@web181504.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
References: <1379024952.75755.YahooMailNeo@web181504.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <52324933.6060501@bellsouth.net>

 From Norm W4QN

A few items that may be of interest ...

http://www.aesham.com/virtual-hamfest/
__
__,_._,___





From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Fri Sep 13 17:30:16 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:30:16 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP037 Propagation de K7RA
In-Reply-To: <20130913182521.D4E47271760@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130913182521.D4E47271760@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <523383E8.10802@bellsouth.net>


SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP037
ARLP037 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP37
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 37  ARLP037
>From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  September 13, 2013
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP037
ARLP037 Propagation de K7RA

Solar activity was very, very quiet over the past week. For the
reporting period September 5-11, the average daily sunspot number
was only 37.7. Average daily sunspot numbers as reported in this
bulletin have not been nearly this low since Propagation Forecast
Bulletin ARLP024, reporting for June 6-12 of this year, when it was
39.6. The last time it was lower was June 21-27 of last year, when
it was 26.3, as reported in Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP026 in
2012.

Australia's IPS Radio and Space Services issued a geomagnetic
disturbance warning at 2330 UTC on September 11. They expect
increased geomagnetic activity due to a high speed solar wind stream
spewing forth from a coronal hole. Coronal holes are magnetic gaps
in our Sun's corona which allow some of the Sun's tremendous energy
to blast out into space. Occasionally some of it reaches our planet,
depending on which way the hole points.

Australia's IPS expects unsettled to active conditions on September
12, with a chance of isolated minor storm levels, unsettled to
active conditions again on September 13, and quiet to unsettled
conditions on September 14.

Predicted planetary A index from NOAA/USAF is 15 and 8 on September
13-14, 5 on September 15-16, 15 and 10 on September 17-18, 15 and 8
on September 19-20, 5 on September 21-25, 10 and 15 on September
26-27, 10 on September 28-29, and 5 on September 30 through October
5.

Predicted solar flux is 95 on September 13, 100 on September 14-17,
105 on September 18-20, 120 on September 21-22, 115 on September
23-30, then 110, 105 and 100 on October 1-3. It then goes to a
minimum of 95 on October 4-5, and rises to a maximum of 120 on
October 18-19.

F.K. Janda, OK1HH of the Czech Propagation Interest Group predicts
geomagnetic conditions will be quiet today on September 13, mostly
quiet September 14, quiet again on September 15-16, quiet to active
September 17, active to disturbed September 18, quiet to unsettled
September 19-21, mostly quiet again on September 22, quiet to active
September 23, quiet again on September 24-25, mostly quiet September
26, active to disturbed September 27, quiet to active September 28,
mostly quiet September 29, quiet again on September 30, quiet to
active October 1, and quiet again on October 2.

A fascinating article appears this weekend concerning reconciliation
of various sunspot records, on the http://HispanicBusiness.com web
site, which might seem a little odd, but of course we welcome good
verifiable information wherever we can find it. Read it at
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/9/12/spot_of_bother.htm
but note that you may have to click on the URL twice. First time for
me, I saw it redirect to another page on the site, but a second
click goes to the article, "Spot of Bother," by Brian Owens, dated
September 14, 2013.

Another interesting article, this time (yet again) concerning our
Sun's shifting polarity:

http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2013/09/the_suns_poles_are_switching_p.html.

Jeff Hartley, N8II wrote on September 11 from West Virginia
(FM19cj): "Back on August 30 there was some Es excitement with
unusual openings into Bear Island, JW9JKA (Svalbard, see
http://dx-world.net/2013/jw9jka-bear-island-svalbard/) on 12 meter
phone at 1823 UTC, then around 2100 UTC S5 (Slovenia) and F (France)
were worked on 12 meter phone as well as EI6JK (59) and DL5RBW (2212
UTC) on 10 meter phone with good signals as well as DL5AXX on
scatter over the South Atlantic and IZ3NYG direct path on 10 CW.
Also logged on 10 meters was EA8YB S9+ on SSB.

"15 meters in the past 10 days has been open well to EU between
about 1300-2000 UTC, sometimes much later and to Asia well after
sunset on good days as well as to Indonesia in our mornings along
with SE Asia.

"12 meters has been in and out to EU with 10 meters mostly only open
to SA and the south Pacific in the evening and late afternoon. On
Sept 5, 12 meters opened well to all of EU except Russia logging YL,
4Z, 9A, S5, EG9 (Ceuta),and DL between 1528-1834 UTC. XW8XZ was
worked on 15 phone earlier at 1336 UTC with an S5 signal.

"HS0 and XW0YJY were loud on 15 phone around 0050 UTC on the
September 8.

"On the September 10, I had a nice run of stations on 12 CW from
1427-1452 UTC including many fairly weak Russians south of Moscow in
the third call area.

"FO/KH0PR has been worked several times on 10 CW making a rare IOTA
tour including today, September 11 at 1846 UTC.

"12 meters seems to open well to EU some days and poorly others when
the SFI is around 100 and K index is low, very difficult to predict.
If the flux jumps up to around 120, 10 meters should come to life."

Note we are only nine days away from the Autumnal Equinox, on
September 22, 2013, at 2044 UTC. As we move from Summer toward Fall,
HF propagation generally improves. For example, if we run a
projection using W6ELprop for two months earlier on August 22 using
a smoothed sunspot number of 100 from Central California to Japan,
10 meters looks marginal from 2130-0130 UTC. But with the same
sunspot number on September 22, conditions look excellent at
2100-0100 UTC and very good from 0100-0300 UTC.

Similarly, on the same dates, from Atlanta, Georgia to Spain on 12
meters on August 22, conditions on 12 meters look fairly good at
1430-2300 UTC. But two months later, signals should be excellent
from 1230-2200 UTC on 12 meters over the same path.

If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,
email the author at, k7ra at arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL
Technical Information Service web page at,
http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the
numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past
propagation bulletins is at
http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good
information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve
overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL
bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for September 5 through 11 were 75, 41, 35, 24, 13,
23, and 53, with a mean of 37.7. 10.7 cm flux was 110.1, 101.3,
98.5, 95.7, 94.3, 94.9, and 92.8, with a mean of 98.2. Estimated
planetary A indices were 4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 7, and 6, with a mean of
5.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 5, 4, 6, 4, 6, and 6,
with a mean of 4.9.
NNNN
/EX





From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sat Sep 14 13:33:24 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:33:24 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The Sun Goes Strangely Quiet
In-Reply-To: <LYRIS-775776-1798564-2013.09.14-12.10.53--bmarx#bellsouth.net@www.spaceweather2.com>
References: <LYRIS-775776-1798564-2013.09.14-12.10.53--bmarx#bellsouth.net@www.spaceweather2.com>
Message-ID: <52349DE4.1020802@bellsouth.net>


Space Weather News for Sept. 14, 2013
http://spaceweather.com

QUIET SUN: Right in the middle of Solar Max, the sun has entered one of its deepest quiet spells in years. Flare activity has subsided and the sun's x-ray output has flatlined.  This event highlights the unpredictability of the solar cycle.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates and commentary.

AURORAS ANYWAY: Even during a period of low solar activity, geomagnetic storms and auroras are possible as solar wind streams buffet Earth's magnetic field. Earth is inside such a stream right now. Geomagnetic storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sun Sep 15 08:18:50 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 08:18:50 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] W2NSD (Never Say Die) Wayne Green SK
In-Reply-To: <523593E9.3030306@bellsouth.net>
References: <523593E9.3030306@bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <5235A5AA.1030107@bellsouth.net>

  From his Blog:
http://www.waynegreen.com/wayne/news.html

Wayne Green passed away this morning in a peaceful, painless transition 
from this life on Earth. An eternal optimist, and one who loved to share 
his never ending zest for life, he was a friend to many and will be 
missed greatly. Wayne was not afraid of dying and was very much ready to 
embark on his next great adventure to the afterlife.

73,
W2NSD (Sept 3, 1922 - Sept 13, 2013)

This was posted on YouTube in April.
The World's Most Interesting Man: Wayne Green 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIHa8_JHeA


On 9/15/2013 7:03 AM, Richard M. Gillingham wrote:
> Wayne Green passed away W2NSD (Sept 3, 1922 - Sept 13, 2013)


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sun Sep 15 12:06:51 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:06:51 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] =?windows-1252?q?Limited_Space_Ante?=
 =?windows-1252?q?nnas_=96_The_Small_Transmitting_Loop_Antenna?=
Message-ID: <5235DB1B.3060102@bellsouth.net>

All you ever wanted to know about Magnetic Loops. Lots of information 
and links.

http://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/limited-space-antennas-the-small-transmitting-loop-antenna/ 


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sun Sep 15 12:28:05 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:28:05 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Magnetic Loop Antennas
In-Reply-To: <5235DB1B.3060102@bellsouth.net>
References: <5235DB1B.3060102@bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <5235E015.7000705@bellsouth.net>

If you liked that email, I did a search on YouTube for Videos...

Magnetic Loop Antennas
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=magnetic+loop+antenna&oq=magnetic+loop+antenna&gs_l=youtube.3..0j0i5l6.205741.211116.0.211421.21.19.0.2.2.0.164.1630.17j2.19.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.qOEmK3kDfZE

All you ever wanted to know about Magnetic Loops. Lots of information 
and links.

http://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/limited-space-antennas-the-small-transmitting-loop-antenna/ 



From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep 16 06:30:40 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 06:30:40 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Who was Wayne Green W2NSD? (it is now
 pouring in from other sites and lists)
In-Reply-To: <523657C6.5070404@optonline.net>
References: <523657C6.5070404@optonline.net>
Message-ID: <5236DDD0.3030602@bellsouth.net>

Who was Wayne Green W2NSD? Most do not even address his Ham Radio History.

 From Other Lists:

Wayne Green is an American publisher and writer, and consultant. He was
formerly editor of CQ magazine before he went on to found 73, 80 Micro,
Byte, CD Review, Cold Fusion, Kilobaud Microcomputing, RUN, InCider, and
Pico, as well as publishing books and running a software company. In the
early 1980s, he assisted in the creation of the groundbreaking Brazilian

Many of us remember him as W2 Never Say Die

73, Wayne, N4FP

[link to waynegreen.com}

Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio
Service with the callsign W2NSD, he was involved in a number of
controversies and disputes in the Ham Radio world, notably with the ARRL and
CQ magazines.

Who is Wayne Green?

piloted a nuclear attack submarine 800 feet under the Pacific ocean.
piloted an Air Force C5B (it's bigger than a 747).
climbed the Great Wall of China
visited the Chinese terra cotta army in Xian.
operated a ham station from the famed American Embassy in Tehran.
operated from the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
operated for two weeks from King's Hussein's palace in Amman, Jordan.
visited the lost city of Petra in Jordan.
scuba dived in the Red Sea.
visited 140 countries (so far).
helped new technologies such as cellular telephones. personal computers, and
compact discs to grow into major industries.
represented the US at an international communications conference.
represented New Hampshire for Governor Sununu at a governor's conference in
Halifax.
served on the New Hampshire Economic Development Commission.
been a president of the Peterborough NH Chamber of Commerce.
been on the board of directors of billion dollar IDG corporation.
been a professional psychologist.
had over 1,000 (long) editorials published - so far.
started first digital communications magazine in 1951, (Amateur Radio
Frontiers).
started the first microcomputer magazine (Byte). ) started the first
computer magazine devoted to a single computer (80 Micro - for the TRS-80)
started the first Apple magazine (InCider).
started the first Commodore magazine (Run).
started the first laptop computer magazine (Pico).
started one of the first personal computer software companies (Instant
Software).
opened computer software stores - eventually sold a national chain of 58
stores.
while in college started a broadcasting station (WRPI) which is now the
largest student activity.
served on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Board of Overseers and RPI
Council.
served as the First Executive in Residence at RPI.
served as a consultant for the RPI Business Incubator - which won the 1996
prize as the best in the country.
been a licensed amateur radio operator as W2NSD since 1940.
pioneered amateur radio repeaters since 1969, starting with WRLAAB on Mt.
Monadnock NH.
established amater radio in Jordan in 1970 and wrote their rules and
regulations.
supplied and installed the first repeater in Jordan, J-Y73, in 1973.
helped radio amateurs pioneer FM, radio Teletype, single sideband, and slow
scan TV.
bounced amateur radio signals off the Moon from the big dish at the Arecibo
Observatory, PR.
been editing and publishing amateur radio magazines for 47 years.
a state-of-the-art digital recording studio.
four record labels and produced over 150 CDs.
helped re-popularize ragtime music and personally knows all of the top
ragtime performers.
started 25 successful publications in the radio, computer and music fields.
published over 100 books.
wrote one of the first books on digital communications.
been on an African hunting safari.
visited the ruins of Ba'albek in Lebanon, the Queen of Sheba's water
catchments in Aden.
visited the Pyramids, the Sphynx. the ruins in Athens, the Taj Mahal and
Katmandu.

read more at link:

[link to www.waynegreen.com]


Obit on ARRL web site:
http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-publications-pioneer-visionary-iconoclast-wayne-green-w2nsd-sk

From fishflorida at gmail.com  Mon Sep 16 11:56:47 2013
From: fishflorida at gmail.com (Mickey Baker)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 11:56:47 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] [SFDXA] Who was Wayne Green
 W2NSD? (it is now pouring in from other sites and lists)
In-Reply-To: <5236DDD0.3030602@bellsouth.net>
References: <523657C6.5070404@optonline.net> <5236DDD0.3030602@bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <CAOB+T5a97Vm-QJN_kz5Z+ub25O=su5=efpRHKybAr3MFRXSMUw@mail.gmail.com>

Wayne Green was in his heyday when I was a young ham going to high school
in 1969-1972. I couldn't afford both an ARRL membership and 73
subscription, so I talked the local library into subscribing to 73 (and Ham
Radio).

Wayne loved to attack the ARRL - from the QSL buro to the field
organization, he made some good points in his editorials and (IMO) made the
ARRL more responsive to members.

Most issues of 73 Magazine are available for you to read at:
http://archive.org/details/73-magazine
- check out W2NSD/1's editorials, Leaky Lines.

73... and goodbye, Wayne. You left amateur radio a number of years back,
but amateur radio will never forget you.

Mickey N4MB



On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 6:30 AM, Bill <bmarx at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Who was Wayne Green W2NSD? Most do not even address his Ham Radio History.
>
> From Other Lists:
>
> Wayne Green is an American publisher and writer, and consultant. He was
> formerly editor of CQ magazine before he went on to found 73, 80 Micro,
> Byte, CD Review, Cold Fusion, Kilobaud Microcomputing, RUN, InCider, and
> Pico, as well as publishing books and running a software company. In the
> early 1980s, he assisted in the creation of the groundbreaking Brazilian
>
> Many of us remember him as W2 Never Say Die
>
> 73, Wayne, N4FP
>
> [link to waynegreen.com}
>
> Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio
> Service with the callsign W2NSD, he was involved in a number of
> controversies and disputes in the Ham Radio world, notably with the ARRL
> and
> CQ magazines.
>
> Who is Wayne Green?
>
> piloted a nuclear attack submarine 800 feet under the Pacific ocean.
> piloted an Air Force C5B (it's bigger than a 747).
> climbed the Great Wall of China
> visited the Chinese terra cotta army in Xian.
> operated a ham station from the famed American Embassy in Tehran.
> operated from the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
> operated for two weeks from King's Hussein's palace in Amman, Jordan.
> visited the lost city of Petra in Jordan.
> scuba dived in the Red Sea.
> visited 140 countries (so far).
> helped new technologies such as cellular telephones. personal computers,
> and
> compact discs to grow into major industries.
> represented the US at an international communications conference.
> represented New Hampshire for Governor Sununu at a governor's conference in
> Halifax.
> served on the New Hampshire Economic Development Commission.
> been a president of the Peterborough NH Chamber of Commerce.
> been on the board of directors of billion dollar IDG corporation.
> been a professional psychologist.
> had over 1,000 (long) editorials published - so far.
> started first digital communications magazine in 1951, (Amateur Radio
> Frontiers).
> started the first microcomputer magazine (Byte). ) started the first
> computer magazine devoted to a single computer (80 Micro - for the TRS-80)
> started the first Apple magazine (InCider).
> started the first Commodore magazine (Run).
> started the first laptop computer magazine (Pico).
> started one of the first personal computer software companies (Instant
> Software).
> opened computer software stores - eventually sold a national chain of 58
> stores.
> while in college started a broadcasting station (WRPI) which is now the
> largest student activity.
> served on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Board of Overseers and RPI
> Council.
> served as the First Executive in Residence at RPI.
> served as a consultant for the RPI Business Incubator - which won the 1996
> prize as the best in the country.
> been a licensed amateur radio operator as W2NSD since 1940.
> pioneered amateur radio repeaters since 1969, starting with WRLAAB on Mt.
> Monadnock NH.
> established amater radio in Jordan in 1970 and wrote their rules and
> regulations.
> supplied and installed the first repeater in Jordan, J-Y73, in 1973.
> helped radio amateurs pioneer FM, radio Teletype, single sideband, and slow
> scan TV.
> bounced amateur radio signals off the Moon from the big dish at the Arecibo
> Observatory, PR.
> been editing and publishing amateur radio magazines for 47 years.
> a state-of-the-art digital recording studio.
> four record labels and produced over 150 CDs.
> helped re-popularize ragtime music and personally knows all of the top
> ragtime performers.
> started 25 successful publications in the radio, computer and music fields.
> published over 100 books.
> wrote one of the first books on digital communications.
> been on an African hunting safari.
> visited the ruins of Ba'albek in Lebanon, the Queen of Sheba's water
> catchments in Aden.
> visited the Pyramids, the Sphynx. the ruins in Athens, the Taj Mahal and
> Katmandu.
>
> read more at link:
>
> [link to www.waynegreen.com]
>
>
> Obit on ARRL web site:
> http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-**radio-publications-pioneer-**
> visionary-iconoclast-wayne-**green-w2nsd-sk<http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-publications-pioneer-visionary-iconoclast-wayne-green-w2nsd-sk>
> ______________________________**______________________________**__
> South Florida DX Assoc.
> SFDXA WebSite: http://www.SFDXA.com
> SFDXA Repeater 147.33+ 103.5 Tone
> To Post: mailto:SFDXA at mailman.qth.net
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or Subscribe:
> http://mailman.qth.net/**mailman/listinfo/sfdxa<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/sfdxa>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>



-- 
Mickey Baker, N4MB
Fort Lauderdale, FL
*?Tell me, and I will listen. Show me, and I will understand. Involve me,
and I will learn.? *Teton Lakota, American Indian Saying.

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep 16 15:31:16 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:31:16 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] [SFDXA] Who was Wayne Green
 W2NSD? (it is now pouring in from other sites and lists)
In-Reply-To: <CAOB+T5a97Vm-QJN_kz5Z+ub25O=su5=efpRHKybAr3MFRXSMUw@mail.gmail.com>
References: <523657C6.5070404@optonline.net> <5236DDD0.3030602@bellsouth.net>
	<CAOB+T5a97Vm-QJN_kz5Z+ub25O=su5=efpRHKybAr3MFRXSMUw@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <52375C84.6030404@bellsouth.net>

Wayne Green was indeed a character and at the same time a Champion of 
Ham Radio. Sometimes to the dismay of the ARRL. His RTTY pioneering is 
always referred to. When as Editor of CQ magazine he brought thought 
provoking Editorials as well as wonderful articles. My Favorite growing 
up in Ham Radio in the 50's and 60's, was the Hashafisti Scratchi 
column. I never missed aword, and bugged all my older friends for their 
copies so I could read the Column. Another ham was reported to be the 
author but Wayne made it happen.
Bill Marx W2CQ

On 9/16/2013 11:56 AM, Mickey Baker wrote:
> Wayne Green was in his heyday when I was a young ham going to high 
> school in 1969-1972. I couldn't afford both an ARRL membership and 73 
> subscription, so I talked the local library into subscribing to 73 
> (and Ham Radio).
>
> Wayne loved to attack the ARRL - from the QSL buro to the field 
> organization, he made some good points in his editorials and (IMO) 
> made the ARRL more responsive to members.
>
> Most issues of 73 Magazine are available for you to read at: 
> http://archive.org/details/73-magazine
> - check out W2NSD/1's editorials, Leaky Lines.
>
> 73... and goodbye, Wayne. You left amateur radio a number of years 
> back, but amateur radio will never forget you.
>
> Mickey N4MB
>
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 6:30 AM, Bill <bmarx at bellsouth.net 
> <mailto:bmarx at bellsouth.net>> wrote:
>
>     Who was Wayne Green W2NSD? Most do not even address his Ham Radio
>     History.
>
>     >From Other Lists:
>
>     Wayne Green is an American publisher and writer, and consultant.
>     He was
>     formerly editor of CQ magazine before he went on to found 73, 80
>     Micro,
>     Byte, CD Review, Cold Fusion, Kilobaud Microcomputing, RUN,
>     InCider, and
>     Pico, as well as publishing books and running a software company.
>     In the
>     early 1980s, he assisted in the creation of the groundbreaking
>     Brazilian
>
>     Many of us remember him as W2 Never Say Die
>
>     73, Wayne, N4FP
>
>     [link to waynegreen.com <http://waynegreen.com>}
>
>     Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio
>     Service with the callsign W2NSD, he was involved in a number of
>     controversies and disputes in the Ham Radio world, notably with
>     the ARRL and
>     CQ magazines.
>
>     Who is Wayne Green?
>
>     piloted a nuclear attack submarine 800 feet under the Pacific ocean.
>     piloted an Air Force C5B (it's bigger than a 747).
>     climbed the Great Wall of China
>     visited the Chinese terra cotta army in Xian.
>     operated a ham station from the famed American Embassy in Tehran.
>     operated from the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
>     operated for two weeks from King's Hussein's palace in Amman, Jordan.
>     visited the lost city of Petra in Jordan.
>     scuba dived in the Red Sea.
>     visited 140 countries (so far).
>     helped new technologies such as cellular telephones. personal
>     computers, and
>     compact discs to grow into major industries.
>     represented the US at an international communications conference.
>     represented New Hampshire for Governor Sununu at a governor's
>     conference in
>     Halifax.
>     served on the New Hampshire Economic Development Commission.
>     been a president of the Peterborough NH Chamber of Commerce.
>     been on the board of directors of billion dollar IDG corporation.
>     been a professional psychologist.
>     had over 1,000 (long) editorials published - so far.
>     started first digital communications magazine in 1951, (Amateur Radio
>     Frontiers).
>     started the first microcomputer magazine (Byte). ) started the first
>     computer magazine devoted to a single computer (80 Micro - for the
>     TRS-80)
>     started the first Apple magazine (InCider).
>     started the first Commodore magazine (Run).
>     started the first laptop computer magazine (Pico).
>     started one of the first personal computer software companies (Instant
>     Software).
>     opened computer software stores - eventually sold a national chain
>     of 58
>     stores.
>     while in college started a broadcasting station (WRPI) which is
>     now the
>     largest student activity.
>     served on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Board of Overseers
>     and RPI
>     Council.
>     served as the First Executive in Residence at RPI.
>     served as a consultant for the RPI Business Incubator - which won
>     the 1996
>     prize as the best in the country.
>     been a licensed amateur radio operator as W2NSD since 1940.
>     pioneered amateur radio repeaters since 1969, starting with WRLAAB
>     on Mt.
>     Monadnock NH.
>     established amater radio in Jordan in 1970 and wrote their rules and
>     regulations.
>     supplied and installed the first repeater in Jordan, J-Y73, in 1973.
>     helped radio amateurs pioneer FM, radio Teletype, single sideband,
>     and slow
>     scan TV.
>     bounced amateur radio signals off the Moon from the big dish at
>     the Arecibo
>     Observatory, PR.
>     been editing and publishing amateur radio magazines for 47 years.
>     a state-of-the-art digital recording studio.
>     four record labels and produced over 150 CDs.
>     helped re-popularize ragtime music and personally knows all of the top
>     ragtime performers.
>     started 25 successful publications in the radio, computer and
>     music fields.
>     published over 100 books.
>     wrote one of the first books on digital communications.
>     been on an African hunting safari.
>     visited the ruins of Ba'albek in Lebanon, the Queen of Sheba's water
>     catchments in Aden.
>     visited the Pyramids, the Sphynx. the ruins in Athens, the Taj
>     Mahal and
>     Katmandu.
>
>     read more at link:
>
>     [link to www.waynegreen.com <http://www.waynegreen.com>]
>
>
>     Obit on ARRL web site:
>     http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-publications-pioneer-visionary-iconoclast-wayne-green-w2nsd-sk
>     ______________________________________________________________
>     South Florida DX Assoc.
>     SFDXA WebSite: http://www.SFDXA.com
>     SFDXA Repeater 147.33+ 103.5 Tone
>     To Post: mailto:SFDXA at mailman.qth.net <mailto:SFDXA at mailman.qth.net>
>     To UNSUBSCRIBE or Subscribe:
>     http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/sfdxa
>     This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>     Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Mickey Baker, N4MB
> Fort Lauderdale, FL
> /?Tell me, and I will listen. Show me, and I will understand. Involve 
> me, and I will learn.? /Teton Lakota, American Indian Saying.


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep 16 16:11:46 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:11:46 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLX011 Wayne Green, W2NSD (SK)
In-Reply-To: <20130916194430.C540126CFBA@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130916194430.C540126CFBA@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <52376602.5060506@bellsouth.net>


SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX011
ARLX011 Wayne Green, W2NSD (SK)

ZCZC AX11
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 11  ARLX011
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  September 16, 2013
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX011
ARLX011 Wayne Green, W2NSD (SK)

Wayne S. Green II, W2NSD ("Never Say Die"), of Hancock, New
Hampshire, died September 13. He was 91. A well-known and often
outspoken figure during what some consider Amateur Radio's golden
years in the 1950s and 1960s, Green helmed CQ Magazine for 5 years
before becoming the self-proclaimed "El Supremo and Founder" in 1960
of 73 magazine, which he published until 2003.

"The purpose of [73] at that time was to get more hams building
equipment," Green recounted in a radio interview several years ago.
A hallmark of 73 was Green's iconic, rambling, and wide-ranging
"Never Say Die" editorials, in which he rarely missed an opportunity
to tweak the ARRL and his magazine competitors for their perceived
shortcomings. In 2012 Green contributed back issues of 73 to
Internet Archive.

"Wayne will be remembered in many different ways by many different
people, but he will be long remembered," said ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ. "He maintained his membership in the ARRL despite being a
persistent critic. In the early days of packet radio he gave me some
good advice as to how the ARRL should promote the new technology:
'Talk about it as if everybody's doing it, and eventually they will
be."'

Indeed, Green often was ahead of the curve in promoting such
technologies as single-sideband phone, solid-state, FM, and the
marriage of computers and ham radio, and he went on to found and
publish Byte and other computer-oriented publications. "I live
mostly in the future," Green was quoted as saying.

Former ARRL Contributing Editor Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, once wrote in
his "Surfin"' web column, "We take computers and the Internet for
granted today. I first became interested in computers when Wayne
Green, W2NSD, started writing about them in 73 magazine in the
1970s. Back then, you had to build your own from scratch or from
kits."

Green maintained a larger-than-life presence, even in the years
after he faded from the Amateur Radio spotlight, and he never did
really retire. "Hey old buddy, I will miss you," radio talk show
host Art Bell, W6OBB, posted to Wayne Green's blog. "NEVER SAY DIE
is a phrase that will be with me till it's my time." Green was an
occasional guest on Bell's "Coast to Coast AM" overnight talk
program. There hardly was an issue that Green would not confront,
and he expounded a variety of unconventional science, health, and
medical theories - from cold fusion and the moon landing to AIDS and
cancer cures. He continued to write and speak frequently on these
topics and others, as well as on public policy, even at hamfests
where he was a guest.

The "Final" in his blog sums up Green's overarching philosophy.
"Wayne Green passed away September 13, 2013 in a peaceful, painless
transition from this life on Earth. An eternal optimist, and one who
loved to share his never-ending zest for life, he was a friend to
many and will be missed greatly. Wayne was not afraid of dying and
was very much ready to embark on his next great adventure to the
afterlife."
NNNN
/EX


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Mon Sep 16 16:42:00 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:42:00 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Amateur Radio Provides Critical
 Communication in Colorado Flooding Response
Message-ID: <52376D18.7030008@bellsouth.net>

Amateur Radio Provides Critical Communication in Colorado Flooding Response

09/13/2013

[Updated Sep 14, 2220 UTC] More than five dozen Amateur Radio Emergency 
Service (ARES) volunteers have deployed in and around flood-stricken 
counties of Colorado, providing critical communication for Red Cross 
shelters and state and local emergency operation centers. Recent heavy 
rains have caused veritable mountainside tsunamis that have caused 
rivers and streams to overflow their banks, ravaged roads and property 
and displaced an undetermined number of residents. At least three people 
are known to have died. ARRL Colorado Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, 
WM?G, says that with power cut off to affected communities and many cell 
telephone towers along the Big Thompson River toppled by the flooding, 
ham radio is providing medical and health-and-welfare traffic between 
evacuation centers and the EOCs.

?Every EOC is being staffed by ARES people,? Ciaccia told ARRL. ?Almost 
every evacuation center has an ARES communicator, doing either voice or 
packet communications between EOCs and shelters.?

The isolated towns of Estes Park, Lyons, and Jamestown were or still are 
relying solely on ham radio for contact with the outside. Jamestown has 
since been evacuated. ?Everybody was huddled into the high school 
there,? Ciaccia told ARRL. He was in contact with the mayor there and 
trying to get the community needed resources as soon as possible. Hams 
in Estes Park have been working out of the EOC in the Town Hall, which 
is on high ground. ?There?s no place to go. Everything?s flooded,? 
Ciaccia said. ?The only ham in Lyons was working out of an evacuation 
center at the local elementary school.? He said the National Guard has 
been relocating some evacuees, as the shelter has become overcrowded.

On Saturday, September 14, US Congressman Cory Gardner (R-4) visited the 
state emergency operation center to express his appreciation to the 
Amateur Radio operators responding to the historic flooding disaster. 
Rep Gardner asked Colorado Section Emergency Coordinator Robert Wareham, 
N?ESQ, to extend his thanks to all ARES members staffing positions in 
the field as well.

Boulder County has deployed miniature drone aircraft carrying Amateur TV 
cameras to survey the affected, more remote regions, for now to spot 
individuals who may need to be rescued. ?We?re still in a 
search-and-rescue mode,? Ciaccia said, ?not really in a 
damage-assessment mode.?

Ciaccia said the drones ? a fixed-wing aircraft and a hybrid 
gas/electric-powered helicopter ? have been transmitting ATV video via 
UHF to the ground and simultaneously recording the video on a memory 
stick. The helicopter can remain in the air for more than 5 hours at a 
clip, recording images for officials at the EOC to evaluate. Ciaccia 
said Boulder County Emergency Coordinator Al Bishop, K?ARK, owns 
Reference Technology, the company providing the drones.

Eyes and Ears

Ciaccia said that during the past year the Boulder County ARES team 
created the Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN) on its own time and 
money and put up two repeaters ? one at Allenspark and another in Gold 
Hill. ?The intent was to start educating people in the mountain regions 
to become hams,? Ciaccia said. Some 65 individuals have gotten their 
licenses, and the team provided each with a radio. ?Those radios and 
those people ? they became the eyes and ears for their communities,? 
Ciaccia explained.

As power was lost, the only remaining means of communication were the 
two repeaters operating on propane-powered generators. ?The system 
worked,? Ciaccia added, ?and we were able to utilize it for emergency 
communication purposes.? Those communities have since been evacuated.

Threat Remains

News media accounts citing the state Office of Emergency Management say 
19 Colorado counties remain under a high threat of flooding. These 
include Boulder, Arapahoe, Weld, Park, Jefferson, Larimer, Clear Creek, 
Adams, Douglas, Broomfield, Gilpin, Denver, Logan, Morgan, Washington, 
El Paso, Teller, Pueblo and Elbert.

State authorities are warning residents in the hard-hit counties to stay 
off the road. Interstate 25 from the Wyoming line to Denver has been 
closed, along with part of Interstate 70.

The Colorado Section Facebook page includes updates on the ARES activation.

http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-provides-critical-communication-in-colorado-flooding-response

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep 19 15:57:03 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:57:03 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Sun Mysteriously Goes All Quiet Just
 When Its Activity Should Be Highest
Message-ID: <523B570F.10902@bellsouth.net>

Almost every measure of solar activity flatlined over the weekend. The 
event, though not unprecedented, is odd considering that our local star 
has just passed what is supposed to be the peak of its solar cycle, when 
activity is at its highest.

"It really underscores this solar cycle playing out as being pretty 
benign," said Robert Rutledge, lead of the forecast office at the 
NOAA/National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center 
<http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/>. "This has been by any measure a really 
pretty quiet cycle, and I think we shouldn't expect the second half to 
be any different."

Measurements of the sun's X-ray activity flatlined over the weekend. 
/NOAA/GOES 15/

The sun goes through a natural 11-year variation called the solar cycle 
<http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/rethinking-space-weather/>. 
Periods of high activity generally coincide with increased numbers of 
sunspots and energetic bursts such as flares and coronal mass ejections 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/spaceweather/index.html#.UjdKBWR4YzU>. 
Before it started, scientists' predictions for this solar cycle ranged 
from very eventful to rather lackluster.

"Quite frankly, we're not very good at solar cycle predictions," said 
Rutledge.

Considering that this solar cycle is the weakest in more than a century 
<http://www.space.com/21937-sun-solar-weather-peak-is-weak.html>, some 
researchers are already predicting that it could be the start of an ebb 
in overall activity, with several more low cycles ahead. The website 
spaceweather.com, which monitors the sun's activity, also suggested that 
this lull could signal a double-peaked solar cycle 
<http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=16&month=09&year=2013> 
whose valley we are currently experiencing. But Rutledge pointed out 
that our fundamental understanding of how the sun works is still 
incomplete. The sun could remain quiet or an uptick in activity, 
including the possibility of extreme space weather 
<http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/massive-solar-flare/>, could 
come at any time.

This weekend's low activity is within the variation that the sun 
normally experiences and scientists don't really know what its 
underlying cause might be. A particular snow storm on Earth can be 
attributed to moving weather fronts, said Rutledge, but we don't have 
that detailed of an understanding of what drives changes on the sun. 
Within a week or so, solar activity should return to normal.


http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/sun-all-quiet/

From w4vz at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep 19 09:24:47 2013
From: w4vz at bellsouth.net (Arthur R. Rauch)
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:24:47 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Andy Clark Chapter 12 QCWA Meeting
	Notice
Message-ID: <0671121879804F219B8430D44A2EF53F@arthur9252b9ef>

The next regular monthly of  The Andy  Clark  Chapter # 12 QCWA will be this  Saturday  September 21st at 1 pm.

at IHOP Restaurant 9696 SW 72nd Street (Sunset Drive) Miami FL.

Bring a friend.  Visitors are always  welcome.

Art  Rauch  W4VZ

Secretary

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Fri Sep 20 14:46:12 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 14:46:12 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] 2013 Simulated Emergency Test
In-Reply-To: <20130920172834.94ADD26E74@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130920172834.94ADD26E74@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <523C97F4.1070300@bellsouth.net>


It is time again for the Southern Florida Section to participate in the
ARRL nationwide Simulated Emergency Test (SET).  This year's theme is
an unspecified terrorist event that left your county without most power
and conventional phone and cell service.  Maybe power plants and
telecommunications companies were targeted.   In addition, several
areas of your county are being evacuated and shelters are being opened
for some reason.  Maybe there were radiological incidents such as dirty
bombs going off.  Your county has activated the amateur radio operators
to help out.

Of course, each Emergency Coordinator can choose an alternate scenario
if they want to.

October 5 - 6 is the official date for the SET.  While Saturday October
5th is strongly recommended so that countes can work togehter and
cross-communicate, each ARES group my pick an alternate date as
explained below.

  
The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is a nationwide exercise in emergency
communications, administered by ARRL Field Organization Leaders
including Emergency Coordinators, District Emergency Coordinators,
Section Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers. Many other Section
Leaders like the Section Manager and the Section Traffic Manager may
have a hand in planning the exercises and/or reviewing the results.
Amateur Radio Emergency Service ? (ARES?), National Traffic System
(NTS), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and other
public-service oriented groups can be involved. The SET weekend gives
communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications
capability within your community while interacting with NTS nets.
Although the main SET weekend this year is October 5 -6, local and
section-wide exercises may be held throughout the fall season.
  
During September, the ARRL will be among dozens of organizations and
agencies taking part in National Preparedness Month. "The Ready
Campaign," produced by the Ad Council in partnership with the US
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is aimed at making citizen
preparedness "a priority for every city, every neighborhood and every
home" in the US. The ARRL encourages you to consider this year's
Simulated Emergency Test and preparations for it as a demonstration of
Amateur Radio's readiness.
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to Join the SET

To participate in this year?s emergency test, contact your local ARRL
emergency coordinator or net manager to find out the details. ARRL
Sections, ARES teams and nets may conduct their exercises anytime
during September through December. If you don?t know who to call, go
to the Southern Florida Section Website at WWW.SFLARRL.ORG, click on
the Section tab, then click on your county.
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Purpose of SET
  
1.      To find out the strengths and weaknesses of ARES, NTS, RACES
and other groups in providing emergency communications.
  
2.      To provide a public demonstration--to served agencies such as
the American Red Cross, the emergency management agency and through the
news media--of the value to the public that Amateur Radio provides,
particularly in time of need.
  
3.      To help radio amateurs gain experience in communications using
standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated-emergency
conditions.

  
We encourage all Amateur Radio operators to participate (ARRL members
or not).

David Fowler, K4DLF, Secton Manager
Jeff Beals, WA4AW, Assistant Section Manager

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: David L Fowler, K4DLF
k4dlf at arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------


From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Fri Sep 20 15:12:30 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:12:30 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP038 Propagation de K7RA
In-Reply-To: <20130920191034.05F022788F@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130920191034.05F022788F@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <523C9E1E.1070306@bellsouth.net>


SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP038
ARLP038 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP38
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 38  ARLP038
>From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  September 20, 2013
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP038
ARLP038 Propagation de K7RA

Solar activity continues to be weak, although there was an uptick on
September 18-19 when solar flux rose to 104.1, then 107.9. September
18 was the first day with solar flux above 100 since September 6.
Average daily sunspot number for the reporting week (September
12-18) rose to 42.3, up from 37.7 for the previous seven days. The
daily sunspot number on September 18-19 rose from 59 to 85.

Average daily solar flux dipped slightly, from 98.2 to 95.3 over the
same seven day period. Average daily planetary A index and
mid-latitude A index were both 6.3.

For the near term, solar flux is predicted at 110 on September
20-22, 105 on September 23-24, 100 on September 25-30, 95 on October
1-13, and 100 on October 14-27. Over the past few days all of the
short term predictions for solar flux have been adjusted downward.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 20, 5 on September
21-22, 8 on September 23-24, 5 on September 25-26, 8 on September
27, 12 on September 28, 5 on September 29 through October 9, then
10, 8, 5, 15, 10 and 8 on October 10-15, followed by 5 on October
16-18.

OK1HH sent us another geomagnetic forecast, and he thinks the
geomagnetic field will be quiet to unsettled on September 20-21,
mostly quiet September 22, quiet to unsettled on September 23, quiet
on September 24-25, mostly quiet September 26, active to disturbed
September 27, quiet to active September 28, mostly quiet September
29, quiet on September 30, quiet to active October 1, quiet on
October 2-5, quiet to unsettled October 6-7, mostly quiet October 8,
and active to disturbed October 9.

OK1HH also says a growing solar wind may cause "remarkable changes"
in the magnetosphere and ionosphere on September 20-21, and on
September 24.

The Autumnal Equinox is just a couple of days away. Fall officially
begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, September 22 at 2044
UTC.

Check out this science blog, with observation about the current weak
cycle at,
http://www.science20.com/news_articles/solar_activity_smallest_sunspot_cycle_1906-120785.

The following interesting article has a lot of good information,
surprising (to me) for an article from a financial and markets
analyst who is not a science reporter.

The only minor quibble I have is with his apparent confusion between
number of sunspots and sunspot number, which are very different, but
otherwise this article is quite a good effort:

http://www.trust.org/item/20130918115439-cn7ub/?source=hpbreaking

Howard Lester, N7SO sent this article from Sky & Telescope.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/Glimpse-of-Suns-Interior-Befuddles-Theorists-223291961.html.

Jon Jones, N0JK commented on N8II's recent report, and says that 10
meters has been good in Kansas as well, with F0/KH0PR on
Disappointment Island worked on September 11 at 1955 UTC from his
mobile using a modified CB mag mount on the roof.

Roland Anders, K3RA also commented on N8II's experience, "Jeff's
excellent report about 12 meters prompts me to pass along that there
was some 12 meter excitement in Maryland on Sept 10 around noon. I
worked 9M6XRO at 1538Z on CW, and E20WKA on SSB at 1603Z. VOACAP
modeling shows that possibility. European stations were coming
through at the same time."

Larry Godek, W0OGH sent these links for checking sunrise/sunset
times around the world: http://www.gaisma.com/en/ and
http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/us-country.html .

If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,
email the author at, k7ra at arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL
Technical Information Service web page at,
http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the
numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past
propagation bulletins is at
http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good
information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve
overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL
bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for September 12 through 18 were 58, 40, 24, 12, 23,
80, and 59, with a mean of 42.3. 10.7 cm flux was 92.9, 91.6, 92.5,
92.8, 94.5, 98.7, and 104.1, with a mean of 95.3. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 9, 6, 2, 5, 8, and 7, with a mean of
6.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 10, 6, 3, 6, 8, and 6,
with a mean of 6.3.
NNNN





From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Sat Sep 21 08:17:28 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 08:17:28 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Special Event Operation - 80th
	Anniversary of the Collins Radio Company
Message-ID: <523D8E58.3030309@bellsouth.net>

For Those Who Enjoy Special Events Station Chasing...

 From their website :http://www.w0cxx.org/

Special Event Operation80th Anniversary of the Collins Radio Company
Sep 21 -- Sep 23, and Sep 28 -- Sep 30, W0CXX and N0CXX Cedar Rapids, 
IA; W5ROK Richardson, TX; W4CRC Melbourne, FL; and W6CXX Tustin, CA; 
Collins Amateur Radio Club. Also, a club member in NY will participate 
as W0CXX/2.  Non-WARC HF, CW, AM and SSB.

Certificate and QSL. 80th Anniversary of the Collins Radio Company. Work 
three different stations for a certificate. Primary operating hours are 
0900 to 2400 LOCAL time for each station when operators are available. 
For all stations QSL via N3SL.
On phone listen for "CQ Collins Radio 80th Anniversary Special Event"
On CW listen for: "CQ CR80"

QSL Instructions
All QSL and certificate requests for ALL stations will be handled 
through N3SL

See the website for more information...
Steve Larson
22 N Hidden Acres Dr
Sioux City, IA  51108
USA

From fishflorida at gmail.com  Mon Sep 23 16:56:40 2013
From: fishflorida at gmail.com (Mickey Baker)
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:56:40 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] [SFDXA] Searching for info about
	Power Sensor
In-Reply-To: <5240A7D0.7010108@ieee.org>
References: <5240A7D0.7010108@ieee.org>
Message-ID: <CAOB+T5bXPrzWomi8o7+w+L9GGP8Sk5g7m1=poy+wtmdTzmgjgg@mail.gmail.com>

Does this help?
http://www.testmart.com/webdata/mfr_pdfs/BIR/4421b.pdf


On Mon, Sep 23, 2013 at 4:42 PM, Kai <k.siwiak at ieee.org> wrote:

> I am looking for hook-up information for a Thruline Power Sensor that I
> picked up at an estate sale. The specs are:
> Thruline Power Sensor Model 4142B
> RFL power 1200 W
> FWD power 1200W
> 2-30 MHz frequency range.
>
> The unit has two RF connectors for the thru-line RF power, plus two
> additional BNC outputs (F and R) signal from internal sensor diodes. I need
> to know how the dc voltage/current on those BNC ports relates to the F and
> R power.
>
> The unit looks like the the picture of the Bird 4192-010 Thruline Power
> Sensor 225-400 MHz 50 WATTS
> when you search e-bay for "Bird-4192-010-Thruline-Power-**Sensor"
>
> Any help will be appreciated.
>
> 73,
> Kai, KE4PT
> ______________________________**______________________________**__
> South Florida DX Assoc.
> SFDXA WebSite: http://www.SFDXA.com
> SFDXA Repeater 147.33+ 103.5 Tone
> To Post: mailto:SFDXA at mailman.qth.net
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or Subscribe:
> http://mailman.qth.net/**mailman/listinfo/sfdxa<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/sfdxa>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>



-- 
Mickey Baker, N4MB
Fort Lauderdale, FL
*?Tell me, and I will listen. Show me, and I will understand. Involve me,
and I will learn.? *Teton Lakota, American Indian Saying.

From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Wed Sep 25 09:25:24 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 09:25:24 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Contest Update for September
	25, 2013
In-Reply-To: <20130925043054.5D98524EB5@bmail.arrl.org>
References: <20130925043054.5D98524EB5@bmail.arrl.org>
Message-ID: <5242E444.2020103@bellsouth.net>



Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/?issue=2013-09-25

The ARRL Contest Update

September 25, 2013
Editor: Ward Silver, N?AX <mailto:rate-sheet at arrl.org>
/Contest Update/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/>
Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&i=2013-09-25&t=t>
IN THIS ISSUE

  * Round the World RTTY - CQ WW RTTY <#Contests>
  * Three Corner Contest - ME, TX, CA QSO Parties <#Contests>
  * Sweepstakes Specials <#News>
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  * CW NAQP and NA Sprint Scores <#Results>
  * Catch a DesignSpark <#Tech>
  * A Whole Box of Matches <#Techweek>
  * The Map Is Not The Territory <#Conversation>

NEW HF OPERATORS - THINGS TO DO

If you want to hear how big a state QSO party can be, try the California 
and Texas contests, with a bit of Maine's QSO party sprinkled in for 
good measure. All 58 California counties 
<http://www.cqp.org/Counties-Plan-2013.html> (says N6TV) and all 254 
Texas counties <http://txqp.net/%E2%80%8E> (K5IID claims) will be 
active. Try to work those rare ones - it may be a while before you get 
another chance!

BULLETINS

There are no bulletins in this issue

BUSTED QSOS

Their where know misteaks lassed thyme.

CONTEST SUMMARY

Complete information <#Contests> for all contests follows the 
Conversation <#Conversation> section

*September 28-29*

  * */ARRL EME Contest /*
  * SKCC Straight Key Sprint (Sep 25)
  * CQ WW RTTY Contest
  * Texas QSO Party
  * Maine QSO Party
  * 222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint (Oct 1)

*October 5-6*

  * NS Weekly Sprint--CW (Oct 4)
  * DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party (Oct 4)
  * TARA PSK Rumble
  * EPC Russia DX Contest--Digital
  * Oceania DX Phone Contest
  * Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone
  * California QSO Party
  * EU Autumn Phone Sprint
  * RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest
  * OK1WC Memorial Contest (Oct 7)
  * ARS Spartan Sprint--CW (Oct 8)

NEWS, PRESS RELEASES, AND GENERAL INTEREST

Ready for Sweeps? Lots of fun stuff is in the works to make the 80th a 
memorable contest!

Sweepstakes is approaching and this year is special - the 80^th running 
of this oldest of all domestic contests! Now is the time to start 
planning because there will be a few new corners to "Sweep" this year:

  * A new web-based log submission page
  * Individual operating achievement awards
  * Special club participation awards
  * Commemorative 80^th Running Sweepstakes tee-shirts
  * Clean Sweep mugs and participation pins with SS80 logo

Are you or do you know an operator 80 years old or older? There will be 
special recognition of our "four-score" operators this year! Watch the 
Sweepstakes web page <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> for updates, 
announcements, and more information about this special running of the 
contest.

WRTC-2014 <http://wrtc2014.org> Team Leader applications have been 
closed after 121 applied to be a Team Leader. 54 Team Leaders will be 
announced -- 51 who qualified by scoring highest in their Selection Area 
plus 2 Wild Cards and 1 Youth. Six of the top qualifiers were unable to 
apply for Team Leader status for various reasons so Selection Manager, 
Dan Street K1TO says, "...there may be a few surprises ahead!"

How come the NA Sprint <http://ncjweb.com> operators send their call 
signs in different orders from QSO to QSO? This is always confusing at 
first to casual participants. Because of the Sprint's QSY rule (the 
search-and-pounce station gets the frequency after the QSO, basically) 
it's very helpful for potential callers to be able to tell who is 
staying around and who will disappear. Thus, the station who will tune 
away after the QSO begins the exchange with both call signs. The station 
that will be inheriting the frequency ends the exchange with their call 
sign. In a contest as fast-paced and short as NA Sprint, this saves a 
lot of time. (Don't forget to let the receiving station acknowledge they 
copied everything!)

If this screen looks familiar to CT logging software fans, it should. 
DXLog <http://www.dxlog.net> emulates a great deal of CT - you'll feel 
right at home!

Dave W9PA writes with news of /DXLog/ <http://www.dxlog.net>, a free 
contest logging program being developed by Chris 9A5K. "Like /Win-Test/ 
<http://www.win-test.com/%E2%80%8E>, /DXLog /supports the /CT/ command 
set. In fact /DXLog/ looks and feels a LOT like /Win-Test/! Some 
features are identical." A list of currently supported contests 
<http://dxlog.net/docs/index.php/Features#Supported_contests> can be 
found on the website. For defining contests, rule sets are defined in 
plain text files. Along with CW and phone support, /DXLog /also supports 
/MMTTY /for use with RTTY.

Exposing the maker-hacker community to ham radio is a good thing, such 
as the "Guest Rant 
<http://hackaday.com/2013/09/23/guest-rant-ham-radio-hackers-paradise/>" 
column on the Hackaday website for 23 September. Of course, as with most 
things on the Internet, the comments immediately devolve into obscure 
squabbles about call signs. Perhaps we could be a little less tribal in 
our responses to non-hams?

While I'm not sure if it's Amateur (Radio Astronomers) or (Amateur 
Radio) Astronomers, their society is making a call for papers 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/society-of-amateur-radio-astronomers-issues-call-for-conference-papers>. 
If your antenna is often pointed overhead, this may be a conference you 
don't want to miss!

Digitize the entire HF spectrum? Sure, why not? Having more data is 
great but as this EDN article 
<http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/test-voices/4421043/Broadband-signal-capture-is-big-data> 
on SDRs explains, "On the other hand, "sometimes enough is too much," a 
quote variously attributed in different contexts to Mark Twain and 
Groucho Marx, is equally fitting today, especially in some of the more 
obscure areas of test and measurement, and especially as it applies to 
bandwidth."

AMSAT-SM has published a comparison of the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ 
<http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/> and the RTL TV 
<http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/realtek-sdr-pc-dongle-for-under-20-pounds.html> 
dongle-based software defined radio. While the FCD Pro+ has a far wider 
frequency coverage enabling reception of LF, MF and HF, it costs about 
10 times more than the RTL TV unit. What other differences are there? 
You can find out in the AMSAT comparison 
<http://tinyurl.com/FUNcubeDongle-RTL-Comparison>. The SDRs work with 
popular SDR programs such as:
? SDR Sharp <http://sdrsharp.com/%20> (SDR#)
? SDR-Radio <http://www.sdr-radio.com/%20>
? HDSDR <http://www.hdsdr.de/>
(From AMSAT-UK and AMSAT <http://amsat.org> bulletin AMS-265)

*Web Site of the Week* - The Scandinavian Activity Contest - CQ World 
Wide issue of Contest Club Finland's PileUP! 
<http://contestclubfinland.com/documents/PileUP2_13.pdf> is ready for 
you to download. The issue opens with a nice photo of ES5TV's enormous 
15 meter H-frame array and other "big boys". (Thanks, Timo OH1NOA)

WORD TO THE WISE

Why are the traditional amateur HF bands harmonically related? K.B. 
Warner W1EH answers the question in the December 1924 issue of /QST/. 
Page 17 explains, "The Washington Radio Conferences (of the early 
1920s), encouraged by the interest of Herbert Hoover, gradually aligned 
the amateur frequencies to a series of harmonically related bands, so 
that harmonic interference from the amateur service would fall on other 
members of the same service ("each service should be charged with the 
duty of consuming its own harmonic excrescences" Kennelley, pg. 18) or 
more colloquially "Everybody must eat his own mush."

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2013-09-25&p=0>
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation <http://wwrof.org> (WWROF) is 
pleased to present Randy Thompson K5ZD, Director of the CQWW DX Contest 
for a review of the 2013 contest rules on Sunday, October 6 at 1900 UTC. 
Questions will be taken from the audience following the presentation. 
Register <https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/123442226> now (it's 
free as always) and use this opportunity to get prepared for the world's 
biggest DX contest. (Thanks, Ken K4ZW)

Jeff K8ND has recorded a short (90 second) video 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZarmnghuQK8> of /CW Skimmer/ operation 
during the 2009 CQWW 160 CW Contest at PJ2T (#3 that year), as a 
demonstration of the value of /CW Skimmer/ to the Multi-Op or Single-Op 
Assisted contester. Viewing in 'Fullscreen' is strongly recommended! The 
90-second segment was recorded on January 24 starting at 0514Z, as 
sunrise was moving across Central Europe. For more on PJ2T's top band 
capabilities, check out Jeff's planning document 
<http://www.k8nd.com/Radio/Planning/CQWW160/PJ2T_CW_Skimmer_CQWW160CW_2013.pdf>. 


How about those merit badges? Adafruit 
<http://www.adafruit.com/category/70%20> has a whole series of them to 
encourage beginners to try new things. Sometimes, when even a veteran 
lets the fabled blue smoke out of a component (or two), when something 
goes "Bang!" or "Fisst!" or even "Wheeeeee..." there's a badge to let 
the discouraged builder know we've all done it and to get back on that 
workbench and ride on!

Randy K5ZD says, "This is the way to work on 80 meter beams. If only you 
could do this much work in 5 minutes!" He's referring to this video 
<http://youtu.be/l2EQ-GFz_jU> of the SK?UX antenna farm as a crane makes 
short work of a big project.

Have you ever looked wistfully at the light standards in a parking lot 
and thought, "If I could only climb up there..." Getting an antenna "up 
there" turned out to be a great application 
<http://wc2fd.com/index.php?title=Emergency_Antenna_Platform_System> for 
robotics!

David VK2DMH and QRZ.com relayed a website illustrating ham radio in 
China 
<http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/2057/an-intimate-look-at-ham-radio-in-china/> 
- the BY hams seem to be a lot like hams everywhere!

JC N4IS sends a link to a video 
<http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?398944-K7AGE-posts-video-of-WLW-s-1932-500-000-Watt-AM-transmitter> 
of WLW's 1932 500,000-watt AM transmitter posted by K7AGE. Just remember 
that as loud as it was, the station couldn't hear squat!

RESULTS AND RECORDS

The August NAQP CW Preliminary Results 
<http://www.ncjweb.com/naqpcwprelim.php> are now available. If you have 
any questions, please contact the contest manager, Chris KL9A. 
Preliminary results from the September CW Sprint 
<http://www.ncjweb.com/sprintcwprelim.php> are now available, too, says 
contest manager Tree, N6TR.

The Maritime QSO Party results 
<http://maritimecontestclub.com/maritimeqsoparty.htm> have also been 
published. Mike VE9AA wishes to thank Bruce VE1NB for compiling all of 
the scores.

The results of the 2013 UBA DX Contest CW 
<http://www.uba.be/en/hf/contest-results> have been published on the UBA 
website. For 2014 there is only one change: Croatia, 9A entered the 
European Union so 9A will be an extra multiplier and more points for 
foreign stations. (Thanks, Marc ON7SS/OO9O)

Final results of 2013 SP DX Contest 
<http://www.spdxcontest.pzk.org.pl/res/2013/index.php> are now 
available, including updated statistics and all-time records 
<http://spdxcontest.pzk.org.pl/res/records/index.php>. (Thanks, Tom SP7UWL)

The results from the Spring EU Sprint <http://rk3awl.ru/eusprint/> 
contests are now online. Contest managers are looking for a volunteer to 
create a permanent website for the contest, as well. (Thanks, Dave G4BUO 
and Dima RW3FO)

Bob N6TV checks in to let us know there is a small "Search" box in the 
upper left corner of the new 3830 score reporting page 
<http://www.3830scores.com/>. You can enter any call sign and quickly 
find every score that's ever been posted to 3830 going back to 2002, by 
year, in alphabetical order. "Very impressive work by WA7BNM!" says Bob.

OPERATING TIP

At the end of the contest, when you've gotten the pre-programmed 
messages set just the way you want, the windows are all arranged 
properly, and the configuration settings all "just-so", that is the time 
to save the program configuration. Many programs store the settings and 
other information in a single file - look for it in the folder from 
which your logger runs. For example, /N1MM Logger/ users can save the 
"N1MM Logger.ini" file. To restore the configuration, copy the saved 
file into the program directory. No reason not to have several of them! 
(Thanks, Bob K?RC)

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TECHNICAL TOPICS AND INFORMATION

/DesignSpark PCB/ is a free printed-circuit board layout software 
package that now has a mechanical drawing sibling,/DesignSpark 
Mechanical/. Learn more about the growing popularity of these two 
toolsets and the /ModelSource /online library of electrical and 
mechanical models in this online EDN article 
<http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4421141/2/Allied-Who--RS-Who--DesignSpark-What->.

Scott N7SS notes that, "The new EZ style [RJ-45 network] connectors 
allow you to strip the network cable long and unevenly and push the wire 
all the way through the connector. If you use the cool crimper with the 
proper cutter, it will crimp and flush cut the wires at the same time. 
If not, you just crimp and flush-cut with a utility knife."

Here's a very interesting Q-meter design 
<http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4420157/Novel-Q-meter> from EDN that 
is purely analog - except for the digital voltmeter readout! Elsewhere 
on the EDN site is a web page 
<http://www.edn.com/design/components-and-packaging/4421194/Resistor-combinations--How-many-values-using-1kohm-resistors--> 
that answers the question, "How many different values of resistance can 
I create using only 1 kohm resistors?"

W?BTU's omega match fits very nicely in this weatherproof ammunition 
carrier. These make great outdoor-proof enclosures and are for sale at 
your nearby camping and hunting supplier. (Photo from W?BTU)

Mike W?BTU <http://www.w0btu.com/> reminds us that there is a good 
alternative to using a matching coil across a ground-plane vertical's 
feed point. For his 160 meter inverted-L (155' long with a pair of 
?-wavelength long elevated radials 10 feet off the ground), he matches 
the feed point impedance with a variable capacitor in series with the 
coax center conductor to the feed point and a second variable across the 
feed point from the antenna to the radials and coax shield. This is 
called an omega match <http://www.w8ji.com/omega_and_gama_matching.htm>, 
a type of L-network. Mike's method of building and housing the network 
is shown in the photo.

This interesting article 
<http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/Glimpse-of-Suns-Interior-Befuddles-Theorists-223291961.html> 
on the Sky & Telescope website suggests issues with current models that 
predict sunspot cycles. And we all know this cycle has been strange from 
the git-go. From the article, "David Hathaway (Marshall Space Flight 
Center), who has done extensive research on the meridional flow and its 
role in predicting the solar cycle, says the results are "catastrophic" 
for current theory. "It indicates the need for revolutionary changes in 
our dynamo models for the sunspot cycle." At any rate, our Sun's current 
"slacker star 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/science/space/the-sun-that-did-not-roar.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1&>" 
status certainly has confused the scientists. (Thanks, Tom N5EG and Doug 
KR2Q)

Instructables offers a practical way to mount LCD monitors 
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Inexpensive-PVC-ABS-Monitor-Arm/> over 
your operating desk without using a pivoting flex arm. I particularly 
liked the description of "wandering around a home improvement store" 
during the design phase of the project - been there, done that!

Those pesky local noise sources can drive a ham batty! To help his 
friends find them, Jim K9YC gave this recent presentation 
<http://www.nccc.cc/pdf/CQP-RFI2013-2.pdf> on the subject to the 
Northern California Contest Club. Jim recommends the Tecsun PL-380 
<http://www.amazon.com/TECSUN-stereo-Receiver-Display-Function/dp/B004H912FC> 
or PL-660 
<http://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-PL-660-Portable-Shortwave-Single/dp/B004H9C4JK> 
portable HF receivers to track down the noise. As Bob N6TV observes, 
"/Now/ I know what those strange fuzzy lines on my P3 (K3 panadaptor) 
represent." The growing amount of e-smog seems to be catching the 
attention of professionals 
<http://mwrf.com/commercial/manage-growing-em-radiation-levels> on both 
sides of the issue.

Veteran broadcast band DXer, Mark WA1ION, offers the following "magic 
bullets" for good reception when hunting BC DX and that also apply to 
receiving on the low bands:

(a) Select a site with salt water and a clear horizon view towards what 
you want to hear. Poor ground (rocks, sand, hills/mountains, tall 
buildings/vegetation) towards side and rear interference directions can 
help too.

(b) Stay away from power lines.

(c) Do most listening to the east at sunset before interference from the 
west builds up.

(d) Look at the weather maps to make sure any lightning is a long way off.

He has been using a Perseus SDR receiver 
<http://microtelecom.it/perseus/> on his seaside listening sessions and 
reports that the ability to store spectrum for later playback 
<http://www.qsl.net/wa1ion/dx_audio.htm> is an obvious killer-app. His 
latest car roof receiving antenna might inspire Top Band mobilers and 
portable operators. Mark notes that on 160, "I would advise a larger 
size antenna than the 2m by 2m square one I use on the car. You're 
dealing with smaller signals: sub-100 watt up to 1.5 kW stations instead 
of multi-kilowatt up to megawatt-plus ones you'd find on the AM 
broadcast band. Even if you have little interest in broadcast-band DX as 
a standalone hobby, checking that frequency range does offer 
propagational clues that can help coordinating 160 meter operation, 
antenna design, location evaluation, and so on.

Spotted on the ARI website by K8VK, a ham's son, Davide, was asked about 
his drawing by his teacher, "What was that thing in the middle of the 
garden?" and he answered, "My daddy's antenna (l'antenna di pap?)!" One, 
two, three... "Awwww...!" (Thanks, Eric W3DQ)

Version 2 of AC6LA's /EZNEC/ automation program /AutoEZ 
<http://ac6la.com/autoez.html>/ is now available, including an 
optimizer, new dialog windows for building common antenna 
configurations, and it's faster. Note that the program requires Excel 
with up-to-date service packs installed - no substitutes or older 
versions will work.

Remember the carrier pigeon hauling a thumb drive that transferred data 
faster than a British telecomm link? Here's an updated story about 
bandwidth 
<http://tidbitsfortechs.blogspot.com/2013/09/never-underestimate-bandwidth-of.html> 
to surprise you!

*Technical Web Site of the Week* - Tom G3OLB refers us to an excellent 
web site for calculating matching network values 
<http://home.sandiego.edu/%7Eekim/e194rfs01/jwmatcher/matcher2.html>. 
Enter your source and load impedances, enter Q, pick a frequency, and 16 
different matching networks are designed on the spot! Note that some 
network configurations won't be able to match your entered data - those 
component values will show "NaN", meaning "Not A Number" which is a 
standard math routine response that means "You've Got To Be Kidding!"

CONVERSATION

The Map Is Not The Territory

There are many references to that quote but few include the entire quote 
by Alfred Korzybski, a Polish scientist from the first half of the 20^th 
century, "Two important characteristics of maps should be noticed. A map 
is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar 
structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness." More 
succinctly, "Having a map beats not having a map," assuming the map is 
reasonably accurate. That is true both for those on the ground and those 
trying to figure out what's happening on the ground, whether spectator 
or general.

This live grey-line map is available on the QSL.net 
<http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/greyline.html> website and updates every 
5 minutes.

/*Information */- Ham generally and practitioners of radiosport 
specifically depend greatly on maps. In the simplest case, a map is used 
in place of a table - of prefixes, abbreviations, zones, continents, 
etc. By presenting information on a map, the connection between place 
and data is reinforced and eventually committed to memory.

/*Tactics*/ - The next step is as an operating aid that is used in 
support of tactics during the event (whether contest or conflict). An 
azimuthal equidistant map is used to figure out where to point a beam 
(or not point it as the case may be). A gray-line map showing day and 
night tiptoeing across the planet helps an operator think about band 
strategies. And who among us has not colored or placed pins in states or 
counties or countries or zones in pursuit of an award?

Where does an antenna put your signal? VOACAP <http://www.voacap.com>and 
VOAAREA <http://www.voacap.com/voaarea.html%E2%80%8E> can give you a 
pretty good idea! Both are favorites of propagation and antenna guru, 
Dean Straw N6BV.

*/Strategy /*- Maps are also of great value in devising strategies, 
particularly in support of antenna selection, installation, and 
selection. The radiation patterns of an antenna generated by a modeling 
program are useful, certainly, but they only imply what the antenna will 
accomplish. The designer has to know other things that affect what is 
desired of the model - such as probable angles of arrival from the 
target region, likely sources of interference, the effects of local 
terrain, variations with time of day and time of year, the state of the 
solar cycle, and more.

Given that radiosport is not a visual "action" activity in the sense of 
athletics or racing, maps are key to explaining the game. What are we 
doing? Who are we calling? Why are we pointing our beams in that 
direction? Where are the other competitors? What was neat about that 
last contact and why did we ring the bell afterwards, not once but 
twice? At first, a map explains. When understanding becomes deep enough, 
the map becomes an integral part of the contest.

Where is everybody? DXLabs <http://www.dxlabsuite.com/%E2%80%8E> by 
AA6YQ can show you on an as-spotted basis all of the active stations 
around the world.

Certainly, I've emphasized the geography of radiosport because so much 
of what we do is related to or depends on where we are located and the 
geophysical world in which radio exists. A lot of radiosport's structure 
is predicated on geography. But "map" has a broader meaning - to 
establish a correspondence between one set of information and another. 
For example, a scatter chart showing latitude versus score might 
identify high-performing high-latitude stations otherwise unnoticed 
among their lower-latitude competitors. A graphic of volume and 
direction of contacts over time might be a good way to visualize and 
compare strategies. We have not yet begun to scratch the surface of the 
visual relationships that are inherent in radiosport. We know them - 
that's what makes good operators and stations - but we don't know yet 
how to share them.

Once a spectator understands what the game is - knock the ball from here 
to that hole in the ground over there in the minimum number of attempts 
- then they can participate. More important to contesters since the 
quality of the game depends on participation, the spectators might then 
want to join the fun and play! Why? Because the map helped them 
understand why this is a neat and challenging activity! Logs and scoring 
tables and write-ups just won't get the job done. They have to see it to 
believe it.

Next time - what happens when visualization creates abstractions? Can 
the map become the game? Well, you got to know the territory!

73, Ward N?AX

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=cu&t=i&i=2013-09-25&p=2>
CONTESTS

*25 September through 8 October*

An expanded, downloadable version of QST's Contest Corral in PDF format 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> is available. Check the sponsor's 
Web site for information on operating time restrictions and other 
instructions.

*HF CONTESTS*

SKCC Straight Key Sprint--CW, from Sep 25, 0000Z to Sep 25, 0200Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50, Monthly on the 4th Wednesday UTC. Exchange: RST, QTH, 
name, SKCC nr or power. Logs due: 5 days. Rules 
<http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/>

CQ WW RTTY Contest--Digital, from Sep 28, 0000Z to Sep 29, 2359Z. Bands 
(MHz): 3.5-28. Exchange: RST, CQ zone and State/VE area (US/VE). Logs 
due: Nov 1. Rules <http://www.cqwwrtty.com>

Texas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 28, 1400Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--20 to 50 kHz 
above band edge; Phone--25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: 
RS(T), county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules <http://www.txqp.net>

Maine QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Sep 29, 0000Z to Sep 29, 2359Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS(T), county or "DX". Logs due: Oct 15. Rules 
<http://www.maineqsoparty.com>

NS Weekly Sprint--CW, from Oct 4, 0230Z to Oct 4, 0300Z. Bands (MHz): 
1.8-14. Weekly on Thursday evenings local time. Exchange: Serial, name, 
and S/P/C. Logs due: 2 days. Rules <http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html>

DX/NA YLRL Anniversary Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 4, 1400Z to Oct 
6, 0200Z. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: Serial, RST, and 
section/province/country. Logs due: 30 days. Rules <http://www.ylrl.org>

TARA PSK Rumble--Digital, from Oct 5, 0000Z to Oct 5, 2400Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: 
Oct 31. Rules <http://www.n2ty.org>

EPC Russia DX Contest--Digital, from Oct 5, 0400Z to Oct 6, 0359Z . 
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: EPC member nr or serial and grid square. 
Logs due: Oct 22. Rules <http://www.epc-ru.ru>

Oceania DX Phone Contest--Phone, from Oct 5, 0800Z to Oct 6, 0800Z. 
Bands (MHz): 1.8-28. Exchange: RS and serial. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules 
<http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com>

Worked All Britain HF Contest--Phone, from Oct 5, 1200Z to Oct 6, 1200Z. 
Bands (MHz): 14-28. Exchange: RS, serial, DXCC entity or WAB area. Logs 
due: Oct 28. Rules <http://www.worked-all-britain.co.uk>

California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 5, 1600Z to Oct 6, 2200Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA 
county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules <http://www.cqp.org>

EU Autumn Phone Sprint--Phone, from Oct 5, 1600Z to Oct 5, 1959Z. Bands 
(MHz): 3.5-14. Exchange: Both call signs, serial, name. Logs due: 15 
days. Rules <http://www.eu-sprint.com>

RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 6, 0700Z to Oct 6, 1900Z. 
Bands (MHz): 21,28. Exchange: Serial and UK district. Logs due: 16 days. 
Rules <http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2013/rsprint.shtml>

OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 7, 1600Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 50, 144, First through fourth 
Monday of each month; see website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. 
Logs due: 7 days. Rules <http://www.hamradio.cz/ok1wc>

ARS Spartan Sprint--CW, from Oct 8, 0200Z to Oct 8, 0400Z. Bands (MHz): 
3.5-28. Monthly on the first Monday evening local time. Exchange: RST, 
S/P/C, and power. Logs due: 2 days. Rules <http://www.arsqrp.blogspot.com>

*VHF+ CONTESTS*

ARRL EME Contest--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 28, 0000Z to Sep 29, 2359Z. 
Bands (MHz): 2.3G+. Exchange: Call signs, sig rpt, acknowledgement. Logs 
due: Jan 1. Rules <http://www.arrl.org/contests>

222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint--Phone,CW,Digital, from Oct 1, 7 PM to Oct 1, 11 
PM. Bands (MHz): 222. Exchange: 4-character grid square. Logs due: 4 
weeks. Rules <http://www.svhfs.org>

Texas QSO Party--Phone,CW,Digital, from Sep 28, 1400Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144, CW--20 to 50 kHz 
above band edge; Phone--25 kHz above edge of General segment. Exchange: 
RS(T), county or S/P/C. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules <http://www.txqp.net>

TARA PSK Rumble--Digital, from Oct 5, 0000Z to Oct 5, 2400Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50. Exchange: Name and call area (see website). Logs due: 
Oct 31. Rules <http://www.n2ty.org>

California QSO Party--Phone,CW, from Oct 5, 1600Z to Oct 6, 2200Z. Bands 
(MHz): 1.8-28, 50,144. Exchange: Serial and state/prov/"DX" or CA 
county. Logs due: Oct 31. Rules <http://www.cqp.org>

OK1WC Memorial Contest--Phone,CW, from Oct 7, 1600Z - See website. 
Multiple time periods. Bands (MHz): 3.5, 50, 144, First through fourth 
Monday of each month; see website for bands. Exchange: RS(T) and serial. 
Logs due: 7 days. Rules <http://www.hamradio.cz/ok1wc>

LOG DUE DATES

*25 September through 8 October*

  * September 28 - Feld Hell Sprint
    <https://sites.google.com/site/feldhellclub/Home/contests/sprint-rules>
  * September 28 - FOC QSO Party
    <http://g4foc.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1143601>
  * September 28 - CWops Mini-CWT Test <http://www.cwops.org/onair.html>
  * September 29 - NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder
    <http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html>
  * September 29 - Kulikovo Polye Contest
    <http://www.kpctest.ru/?pg=content/ruleen>
  * September 29 - NCCC Sprint <http://www.ncccsprint.com/rules.html>
  * September 29 - SKCC Sprint <http://www.skccgroup.com/sprint/sks/>
  * September 30 - Hawaii QSO Party
    <http://www.earchi.org/qsoparty/Rules/2013/HIQSOPartyRules-2013.html>
  * September 30 - WAE DX Contest, SSB
    <http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/contest/waedc/en/rules/>
  * October 1 - Colorado QSO Party
    <http://ppraa.org/downloads/coqp/2013%20COQP%20Rules%2013-1.pdf>
  * October 1 - Kansas QSO Party <http://www.ksqsoparty.org/rules/>
  * October 2 - Tennessee QSO Party <http://tnqsoparty.wordpress.com/rules/>
  * October 3 - MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint
    <http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub/contest.html>
  * October 3 - RSGB 80m Club Sprint, CW
    <http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2013/rsprint.shtml>
  * October 4 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY
    <http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_contests/cq_ww_rtty_dx_contest/cq_ww_rtty_dx_contest_rules/2013_cq_ww_rtty_dx_contest_rules.pdf>
  * October 6 - WAB 144 MHz QRO Phone
    <http://wab.intermip.net/Contest%20Rules.php#OtherRules>
  * October 6 - Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW
    <http://www.sactest.net/blog/rules/>
  * October 6 - Washington State Salmon Run
    <http://www.wwdxc.org/images/stories/SalmonRun/2013rules.pdf>
  * October 7 - SARL VHF/UHF Analogue/Digital Contest
    <http://www.sarl.org.za/Documents/SARL_Contest_Manual_2013_Issue_11.pdf>
  * October 7 - Russian RTTY WW Contest
    <http://www.qrz.ru/contest/detail/93>
  * October 8 - QCWA Fall QSO Party <http://www.qcwa.org/2013qso-party.htm>
  * October 8 - G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest
    <http://www.fists.org/operating.html>

ARRL Information

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ARRL Contest Update wishes to acknowledge information from WA7BNM's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal> and SM3CER's 
Contest Calendar <http://www.sk3bg.se/contest>.

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




From bmarx at bellsouth.net  Thu Sep 26 11:05:50 2013
From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill)
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:05:50 -0400
Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] National Silent Key Archive Lives On
In-Reply-To: <e7477.4b64ad92.3f75a26d@aol.com>
References: <e7477.4b64ad92.3f75a26d@aol.com>
Message-ID: <52444D4E.1040007@bellsouth.net>


        National Silent Key Archive Lives On

    Mike Carroll, N4MC, who operated the ?Vanity HQ? website for 14
    years before taking it dark earlier this year, says the*National
    Silent Key Archive* <http://www.silentkeyhq.com/>?of Amateur Radio
    Operators that he founded remains up and running.

    ?The only thing that was carried over from Vanity HQ would be the
    unique call lookup,? Carroll told ARRL.On the ?Tools? menu, click on
    ?Research Hams? to enter a name or a call sign.

    The National Silent Key Archive provides an opportunity to add
    Silent Keys (all submissions are reviewed prior to incorporation
    into the Archive)and for friends and family of radio amateurs who
    have passed on to create memorial pages that may include photographs
    and text.

    Carroll points out that the National Silent Key Archive has been up
    and running for 2 years or so and functioned separately from Vanity
    HQ, which, he reiterated, he has no plans to resurrect. According to
    the site, ?The purpose of the National Silent Key Archive is to
    collect and preserve photographs, life event narratives, and data
    artifacts of deceased Amateur Radio operators, and to make the
    Archive's digital library available to anyone wishing to view its
    contents online.

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



