From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 1 19:13:57 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 19:13:57 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Rusty Guy Wires In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <547D0445.5030303@bellsouth.net> An interesting observation on guy wires on a 33 year old Rohn 25 tower from the TowerTalk List: Bill W2CQ I just finished replacing the top level guy wires on my 33 y.o. 127 ft Rohn 25. I was nervous because some of the 3/16 EHS guy cable had become very rusty, and the outer strands appeared to be heavily pitted, to the point that I was crossing my fingers at every significant wind storm. Following the replacement, I examined the old guy wire; using a set of bolt-cutters, I cut through it at several points where the cable appeared to be in the worst shape. I was amazed at how good a condition that cable still is. The rust appears to be almost entirely at the surface with all seven of the strands of EHS still mostly sound steel. The inner strand still has the majority of its galvanising intact. To make sure I wasn't smearing sound metal over deeply rusted ends at the cut, I ground away at several of the ends using a fine-grit emery wheel, and still found each strand to be almost entirely sound other than a thin layer of surface rust. I suspect those rusty cables would have lasted for years to come. I still plan to replace the rest of the guy wires when good weather returns, since once the protective coat of zinc is gone, the invasion of rust will only accelerate, and if I waited till the cables did become dangerously rusty, I might no longer be physically able to climb (I'm already 72 now). Something else that amazes me is how non-uniform the rusting process is. From the ground, the top two of the four sets of guys looked to be heavily rusted, but the lower two hardly showed any deterioration at all. When I climbed the tower the first time on my initial inspection tour, it appeared that all four sets of guys were still in fairly good condition where they are attached to the tower. But I had to lower one of the bottom guy wires because of a careless goof-up when I let the hoisting rope that was pulling up one of the replacement guys get hopelessly tangled in one of the bottom guys. Luckily, that also happened to be the guy wire having a broken insulator for several years, so I temporarily guyed at that point, dropped the guy cable, untangled the rope and replaced the damaged insulator. Lo and behold, that guy, which appeared in very good condition at the ground end and in pretty good condition at the top, was just as badly rusted in the mid-section as were the top two cables that had me worried. I would never have guessed that cable to be in such poor condition had I not lowered it, since the rust wasn't visible from the ground, even using binoculars. So now, all three of the remaining sets of guys are slated for replacement as soon as I can do it. When I erected the tower in 1981, someone at Rohn told me its life expectancy should be about 40 years. It has seven years to go, but I believe by replacing the guys and perhaps painting the tower, it should last for many more years, and probably out-last me. It would probably be in much better shape than it is, if it weren't for the acid rain, particularly with a coal-burning power plant about 15 miles from here spewing out corrosive sulphur compounds for the past 5 or 6 decades. A friend of mine put up a similar tower on the other side of town about the same time as I put up mine, and his hardly shows any signs of rust. Don k4kyv From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Dec 2 17:47:32 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:47:32 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Ham College 'The Pilot' Episode In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <547E4184.3080503@bellsouth.net> From Tony N2MFT: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Ham College 'The Pilot' Episode* Ham College is a show for those new to the hobby and those wishing to get into Amateur Radio. But us old guysshould find it a good review and probably learn some things we missed (or forgot) the first time around. We'll help you study for your Amateur license exam and cover topics to get you up to speed and having fun. If the pilot turns out good and draws enough interest, this show will be coming in 2015. 1:06:30 Download or YouTube From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Dec 3 10:39:22 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:39:22 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] A Message from Section Manager: Jeff Beals, WA4AW In-Reply-To: <20141203151033.44DBA26CDB7@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20141203151033.44DBA26CDB7@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <547F2EAA.4020203@bellsouth.net> Holiday greetings to all, We hope you and your family had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. No hamfests to report on in December in SFL, however, many clubs hold their annual holiday parties this month. Join with your fellow club members and their families for a festive evening to celebrate the holiday season. Mark your 2015 calendars for the upcoming Fort Myers Regional Hamfest on Jan.16 & 17 and the Miami Tropical Hamboree on Jan. 30 & 31. More info in the January newsletter or the ARRL website hamfest page: http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar If you need to satisfy your hamfest cravings this month, visit our friends in the West Central Florida Section at their convention at Plant City on Dec. 12 & 13. Looks like we got by another hurricane season unscathed. Makes you wonder how long our luck will hold out. Not that I?m complaining, however, as we have said many times before; Don?t become complacent. Continue to be active with your ARES groups, practice your skills and be ready for what might come our way throughout the year. A message from our Official Observer Coordinator Al Flapan, KN4FA As you are aware our section is quite large and consists of the following 14 counties in Southern Florida. They are Brevard, Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach and St. Lucie. As of now we have 16 OO?s spread out as follows throughout the section. Broward 10, Lee 1, Miami-Dade 1, Okeechobee 1, Osceola 1, Palm Beach 1 and St Lucie 1. We would like to fill in the counties that are currently void of an OO and to also increase the count in the other counties so that there will be more than one OO in each county. If you have time to monitor the amateur frequencies on a regular basis and would be interested in becoming an OO ( Official Observer ) please let our Official Observer Coordinator Al Flapan KN4FA know that you are interested and he will begin the process of having you certified. He can be reached at kn4fa at arrl.net. SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 6 The annual SKYWARN ? Recognition Day (SRD) will be on Saturday, December 6, 2014. This is the day when Amateur Radio operators visit National Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the world. The purpose of the event is to recognize the vital public service contributions that Amateur Radio operators make during National Weather Service severe weather warning operations. It also strengthens the bond between Amateur Radio operators and the local National Weather Service. The event is co-sponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service. Please remember that this is not a contest, so no scoring will be computed. Object: For all radio amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many National Weather Service stations as possible on 80 through 10 meters, including 6 and 2 meters bands and the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. Date: National Weather Service stations will operate December 6, 2014, from 0000 ? 2400 UTC. Exchange: Call sign, signal report, QTH, and a one or two-word description of the weather occurring at your site. Modes: National Weather Service stations will work various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append ?NWS? to their call sign (e.g. N?A/NWS). Station Control Operator: It is suggested that during SRD operations, a non-National Weather Service volunteer who is a licensed radio amateur serve as a control operator for the station that is set up at a NWS office. More details about this event may be found at www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio. SFL 2014 Field Day Results Call Score Category QSOs Power Mult GOTA Call Section Participants Club 1 W4UH 10,990 2D 3,795 2 SFL 2 2 K4LM 9,374 4A 2,753 2 SFL 20 Lighthouse AR Alliance 3 W4MLB 5,674 2A 1,427 2 AF4Z SFL 30 Platinum Coast ARS 4 N4BP 5,008 1D 1,600 2 SFL 2 5 W4F 4,742 5F 1,220 2 K4YHB SFL 36 ARA SW FL 6 W5F 4,742 5F 1,220 2 K4YHB SFL 36 ARASWF 7 W8HW 4,570 1E 450 5 SFL 1 8 W4B 4,482 9A 835 2 W4SVI SFL 30 9 N4BRF 3,474 3A 882 2 SFL 7 Boca Raton ARA 10 W4LX 3,422 5A 704 2 KM4CGS SFL 22 Ft Myers ARC 11 W4J 3,228 3A 1,025 2 SFL 45 Jupiter Tequesta Rep Group 12 N4FL 3,090 2A 772 2 SFL 54 Gold Coast ARA 13 K4ZK 2,980 2A 819 2 WX4MC SFL 30 Martin Cty Ares/Races 14 W4SS 2,804 2A 699 2 SFL 33 Palms West ARC 15 K4HRS 2,406 1A 454 2 SFL 9 Harris-Intersil ARC 16 W4SLC 2,286 2A 608 2 KK4WCA SFL 32 St Lucie Cty AR Em Serv 17 K4WRC 2,154 2A 752 2 AJ1Q SFL 60 Wellington RC 18 W4L 2,024 3A 427 2 SFL 15 Jupiter Lighthouse Rad Group 19 KG4EOC 734 3F 59 2 SFL 19 Osceola Cty ARES 20 KJ4LQX 726 1B1C 101 2 SFL 1 21 N1ZX 690 1D 160 2 SFL 1 22 K2UGH 630 1D 258 2 SFL 2 23 AJ4IR 540 2F 195 2 SFL 5 24 W4BFL 404 1B2 77 2 SFL 2 25 KK4YEL 310 1D 124 2 SFL 1 26 N0ADF 304 2A 23 2 SFL 3 Poor Busters 27 WD8JPX 220 1D 110 2 SFL 1 28 N9SRO 162 1D 6 2 SFL 1 29 KD4BTD 152 1C 1 2 SFL 1 30 NM1A 58 1D 4 2 SFL 1 October ARES Report from SEC Larry, W4LWZ Total number of ARES members: 394 Change since last month (+, -, same): +1 Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 10 Number of ARES nets active: 10 Number of nets with NTS liaison: 8 Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 53 Person hours: 478 Number of public service events this month: 1 Person hours: 2 Number of emergency operations this month: 0 Person Hours: 0 Total number of ARES operations this month: Total Person hours: 480 Comments: We had a number of counties run SET exercises in October. I hope to have the rest of the section complete their annual SET exercise in November. October Traffic Report from STM Mike, KM2V SAR - OCTOBER 2014 WA4BAM 235, KE4CB 052, KM4DUA 001, NC3F 052, KA4FZI 186, K9GZT 006, KK4KAH 009, W4LWZ 010, KA3PYO 006, NT4TS 007, KM2V 068, W4ZE 012 PSHR - OCTOBER 2014 WA4BAM 100, KE4CB 160, NC3F 115, KA4FZI 110, KM2V 135 NETS- NET ABB. QNI QTC QND SESS MGR All Florida CW Traffic Net QFN 360 155 582 31 WA4BAM Florida Medium Speed Net FMSN 256 128 591 31 AG4RJ/AB4XK Southeast Florida Traffic Net SEFTN 726 93 1257 31 KM2V Southwest Florida Traffic Net SWFTN 485 105 1425 27 KE4CB/N9WS Broward County Emer Prep Net BCEPN 65 5 185 5 K2MOL Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group W4JUP 48 0 180 8 KV4MS Jupiter Farms CERT JFCERT 12 0 60 4 AG4BV Palm Beach District Ares North PBDAN 55 0 150 10 KB2BX Silent Keys- It is with deep regret that we report the passing of the following SFL members: Sheldon ?Shelly? Weil, K2BS (ex-W2GQN), of Delray Beach, Florida, died October 29, following complications resulting from serious injuries sustained in a fall. He was 81. Weil, an ARRL member, was legendary within Scouting?s Amateur Radio community, and regularly attended National and World Jamborees, helping to staff the Amateur Radio station and sharing his affection for ham radio with the Scouts on hand Darrell Day, KB4ONU of Homestead. Darrell was a member of ARRL and the Everglades ARC. Robert W. ?Bob? Mc Dow, W4KOG of North Palm Beach. Bob was a long time member of ARRL, the Jupiter-Tequesta RG, West Palm Beach ARC and past President of QCWA Palm Beach Chapter 111. Well, I guess that's about it for now. My thanks for all that you do for Amateur Radio. Get on the air, Elmer a new ham, support your local club and ARES group but most of all, have fun with ham radio. On behalf of the entire SFL volunteer Field Organization team, Myra and I wish you all the very best of the holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year. Vy 73, Jeff, WA4AW -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southern Florida Section Section Manager: Jeff Beals, WA4AW wa4aw at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Dec 3 15:32:32 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:32:32 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Point Values - SFDXA Members - ARRL Volunteers.Staff etc In-Reply-To: <1389548854.94693.YahooMailNeo@web184303.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> References: <1389548854.94693.YahooMailNeo@web184303.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <547F7360.3020804@bellsouth.net> I sent this out in January of this year...We have many points available among the members. Those who are chasing Points can contact all these Members, or we can designate one night for all to gather perhaps for various times to make sure that chase points maximize the points from the Club Members, or anyone else on this reflector. Your thoughts as to how to do this? Bill Marx W2CQ (14 Points) Here is the SFDXA Point Value UPDATE for the Centennial... SFDXA Club Members that are worth more than 1 point: Dave W4DN - 100 Points PSM(Past Section Manager) Maxim Society - 50 Points We have two Maxim Society Members who will remain anonymous. Working all SFXDA Members will probably net you at least one. ARRL does the scoring so it won't be missed. Chuck W4ROA - 40 Points AD(Assistant Director) Kai KE4PT - 35 Points RF(Safety Committee) Don N4TZH - 30 Points TC(ARRL Technical Coordinator) Bill W2CQ - 12 Points OO(Official Observer) Mark K2AU - 12 Points PIO(Public Information Officer) Mickey N4MB - 12 Points TS(Technical Specialist) Lou W9IL - 12 Points OO(Official Observer) Al - N3EA - 12 Points OO(Official Observer) John K2SHA - 5 Points VE(Volunteer Examiner) We have several VE's but I don't know all of them - 5 Points Don W3AZD - 5 Points CC(Card Checker) ARRL Life Members LM - 2 Points Members(we have quite a few in the SFDXA) K4FK - 1 Point AFF (ARRL Affiliated Club Call Sign) Repeater QSO's do not count. Please let us know who I have missed and I will add to the list... Bill W2CQ ________________________________ ARRL Designated Pint Values Abbreviation Full Position/Title Name Point value PRES ARRL President 300 PE President Emeritus 275 PP Past President 275 HVP Honorary Vice President 250 VP ARRL Vice President 250 DE Director Emeritus 225 DIR Director 225 PVP Past Vice President 225 VD Vice Director 200 SM Section Manager 175 OFF Staff Officer, Treasurer, Counsel 150 PD Past Director 150 PV Past Vice Director 125 ARRL W1??AW ARRL HQ Station 100 CLM ARRL Charter Life Member 100 PSM Past Section Manager 100 DM ARRL HQ Department Manager 75 HQ ARRL HQ Staff Member/Volunteer 50 MAX Maxim Society Member 50 AC CAC/DXAC/ECAC Advisory Members 40 AD Assistant Director 40 ARDF Direction Finding Coordinator 35 ASM Assistant Section Manager 35 EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility Committee 35 LOTW Logbook of the World Committee 35 PRC Public Relations Committee 35 RF RF Safety Committee 35 YC Youth Committee 35 ACC Affiliated Club Coordinator 30 DEC District Emergency Coordinator 30 NCJ NCJ Editor 30 OOC Official Observer Coordinator 30 PIC Public Information Coordinator 30 QST QST Columnist 30 SEC Section Emergency Coordinator 30 SGL State Government Liaison 30 STM Section Traffic Manager 30 TC Technical Coordinator 30 LAB W1INF Lab Museum Operations 25 CM Contest Managers/Log Checkers 20 QSM Incoming QSL Bureau Manager 20 LC W1HQ HQ Ops 15 VC Volunteer Counsel 15 VCE Volunteer Consulting Engineer 15 ADC Area Digital Coordinators 12 ADEC Assistant District Emergency Coordinator 12 ANM Area Net Manager 12 ASEC Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator 12 EC Emergency Coordinator 12 LGL Local Government Liaison 12 OBS Official Bulletin Station 12 OES Offical Emergency Station 12 OO Official Observer 12 ORS Official Relay Station 12 PIO Public Information Officer 12 RNM Region Net Manager 12 TCC Transcontinental Corps Directors 12 TS Technical Specialist 12 TA Technical Advisor 10 NM Net Manager 7 AM Awards Manager 5 CC Card Checker 5 RI Registered Instructor 5 State Abbrev W1AW/x around the USA 5 VE Volunteer Examiner 5 MS Monitoring System Volunteer 3 QSL Incoming QSL Bureau Sorters 3 LM ARRL Life Member 2 AFF ARRL Affiliated Club Call Sign 1 MEM ARRL Member 1 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 4 16:12:41 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:12:41 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Pile Up Busters In-Reply-To: <547F9C6F.8030308@comcast.net> References: <547F9C6F.8030308@comcast.net> Message-ID: <5480CE49.9040800@bellsouth.net> The Original Remote Radio Station: From the Kansas City DX Club in the mid 1980's... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQcF7CU2IEU From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 5 07:29:52 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 07:29:52 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Why ADIF? - Amateur Data Interchange Format In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <5481A540.7040902@bellsouth.net> From Tony N2MFT: Many folks may not understand what ADIF is or why it exists. I was recently asked to help merge two existing logs in the same contest program. Many of us already send a file to ARRL for LOTW and this is in fact an ADIF file with a few extra parameters thrown in - like date of upload. ADIF stands for Amateur Data Interchange Format and was invented shortly after computers first entered the ham shack. This was because there arose several different programs and there needed to be a common frame of reference to the logged data. Nowadays, the most common use is to export those contacts made in a specialized contest program such as N1MM, N3AJP specific contest programs or Writelog, and send them to your daily log program such as AClog, LOGic, etc., so as to track awards, send to LOTW, etc. The actual ADIF file is actually written in HTML and is a text file with the suffix ADI. A newer format will be coming out which makes use of XML and will have the suffix ADX. All will be backwardly compatible. Importing and exporting between different programs an ADIF file is simple. It is even more simple when you combine two logs in the SAME program. A good primer on this ishttp://www.xmlog.com/help/Import.htm. 73, Jamie WB4YDL From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 5 17:14:54 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:14:54 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP049 Propagation de K7RA In-Reply-To: <20141205220550.1352426A4D@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20141205220550.1352426A4D@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <54822E5E.60301@bellsouth.net> SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP049 ARLP049 Propagation de K7RA ZCZC AP49 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 49 ARLP049 >From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA December 5, 2014 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP049 ARLP049 Propagation de K7RA Average daily sunspot numbers rose substantially over the past week, from 97.4 in the previous seven days to 152 for the most recent. Average daily solar flux rose from 168.9 to 172.1. Predicted solar flux is currently 150 on December 5 and 6, 145 on December 7, 140 on December 8 to 12, 180 on December 13 and 14, 185 on December 15 to 19, 170 on December 20 to 23, 175 on December 24 to 27, 180 on December 28 to 30, 170 on December 31 through January 1, then 165, 160, 170 and 175 on January 2 to 5, and 180 on January 6 to 10. Predicted planetary A index is 5 on December 5 to 12, 20 on December 13, 10 on December 14 and 15, then 8, 10 and 12 on December 16 to 18, 10 on December 19 to 20, 8 on December 21, 5 on December 22 to 27, then 15 and 12 on December 28 and 29, 8 on December 30 and 31, and 5 on January 1 to 6. Petr Kolman, OK1MGW sent us his latest geomagnetic stability forecast. This might be important for this weekend's ARRL 160 Meter Contest. Petr says to expect mostly quiet conditions December 5, quiet to active December 6 and 7, quiet to unsettled December 8, mostly quiet December 9 and 10, quiet to unsettled December 11, quiet to active December 12 and 13, quiet to unsettled December 14 and 15, quiet to active December 16 and 17, quiet to unsettled December 18 to 20, mostly quiet December 21, quiet December 22, mostly quiet December 23 and 24, quiet on December 25 and 26, quiet to unsettled December 27 and 28, and mostly quiet December 29 to 31. Petr also expects increased solar wind on December 5 to 7, 11 to 13 and 16 to 18. Note that OK1MGW has quiet to active conditions December 6 and 7, the days for the 160 Meter Contest, but the NOAA USAF prediction says an A index of 5 (which is quiet) for all of December 5 to 12. The Space Weather Prediction Center warns that although their websites will remain up, the data will be stale from 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM MST on Saturday, December 13 due to system maintenance. In addition, on December 2 SWPC posted this information: "SWPC is pleased to announce that it will be switching to our new website on December 9th. When the site change is implemented www.spaceweather.gov and www.swpc.noaa.gov will link to the new website that is currently in final beta release at origin-www.swpc.noaa.gov. SWPC's legacy website will be available to all users for a transition period of at least 60 days (with the exception of POES satellite products which will be discontinued December 31). The legacy website will be located at legacy-www.swpc.noaa.gov. Please note that if you have bookmarks or automatic links to pages on the old website, these links will no longer work. Most of the content will be available on the new site under new links and we will work with customers who bring up specific content issues to ensure that their links are re- established on the new site. Since April 2014, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has sought feedback from stakeholders and customers via a survey on the beta release of the new website. We will continue to respond to feedback from stakeholders and customers regarding issues of content or behavior of the new site as we go through this transition to operational status. For questions or feedback regarding this action, please use our feedback form: http://origin-www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/contact-us " Now let us examine some recent averages and trends for daily sunspot numbers. The average for the month of October was 92.1 and it was 101.9 for November. Our three month moving averages of daily sunspot numbers centered on January through October were 138.5, 146.4, 148.2, 129.6, 118.4, 112.8, 109.2, 115.6, 108.4 and 107. The reason it ended in October is because this is the month the average is centered on, so the number for October consists of all the data for September, October and November, and the number centered on September is all the data for August, September and October. Ken Gordon, W7EKB of Moscow, Idaho sent in a suggestion for a propagation program he likes, which is a part of the free Airmail Pactor software package, which you can download from http://siriuscyber.net/ham/ . He likes it better than the W6ELprop program, which is also free. I had a couple of confusing issues to work out to get it running, but Ken cleared things up. Paging back through correspondence, I see that he also suggested it in June 2013, but I was slow to act on it. It gives you a nice percentage rating on the viability of the path, and the resolution is in one degree steps. You can enter the default geographic coordinates for your station, but you actually need to pre-program the coordinates for every location you want to target. Ken says to edit some system files which were not apparent when I hunted for them, but you can actually edit a station list by clicking View, Station List, then click on the Ham folder and click the New button. The simplest way I found to do this was get the grid square from WM7D.net for domestic call signs, and you can enter this and the program will calculate the geographic coordinates. Then to calculate path reliability or signal strength (I think based on 100 watts and a dipole), click View, Propagation or hit F8 and your station list comes up, and the option to enter either solar flux or sunspot numbers. I just averaged solar flux for the past 3 days and used that. Then in the top Frequency window I enter the frequency in KHz. Remember it is KHz, so the low end of 20 meters might be 14020, but never 14.02. There is also a way to have a list of frequencies shown for each station, but I am not that far along with it to describe it here. To run the calculation, just hit the update button over on the right. The ARRL Ten Meter Contest is next weekend, December 13 and 14. Find details at http://www.arrl.org/10-meter . Note this event runs from 0000 UTC Saturday through 2359 UTC on Sunday. For most of us the start of the contest will be late afternoon or early evening on Friday. Fortunately the Geminid meteor shower should peak on December 14, so ten meter propagation may be aided by ionization from meteor trails. NASA has detected meteor fireballs beginning two weeks before the peak, according to Spaceweather.com. Spaceweather.com also reported an M-6 class solar flare at 1825 UTC on December 4, and this caused a brief HF radio blackout in the Western Hemisphere. There was no CME. Forecasters estimate a forty-percent chance of additional M-flares over the next day or so. We have all enjoyed the all-over real-time views of the sun at http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . But Don Kalinowski, NJ2E of Cary, North Carolina reports that contact with the STEREO B spacecraft has been lost. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/stereo-b-contact-lost-11212014/?et_mid=706619&rid=246428211 View a series of solar images at http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/sunspot-pictures/ and http://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=105003PHPSESSID=2vpvkjg2rm771nb6726mhql492 . For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service 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 November 27 through December 3 were 155, 166, 156, 153, 160, 146, and 128, with a mean of 152. 10.7 cm flux was 178.8, 181.4, 177.3, 177.3, 168.1, 167.7, and 154.2, with a mean of 172.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 5, 5, 9, 10, 12, and 8, with a mean of 8.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 5, 5, 6, 9, 9, and 7, with a mean of 6.9. NNNN /EX  From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 6 07:20:38 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 07:20:38 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] DX Engineering Aquires Butternut and Bencher Antenna Companies In-Reply-To: <000801d01104$1551ad00$3ff50700$@net> References: <000801d01104$1551ad00$3ff50700$@net> Message-ID: <5482F496.2040504@bellsouth.net> From QRZ: Full Story http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?459904-DX-Engineering-Aquires-Butternut-and-Bencher-Antenna-Companies DX Engineering Aquires Butternut and Bencher Antenna Companies *DX Engineering Acquires Bencher Skyhawk and Skylark Antennas, Plus Butternut Antennas * High-performance Amateur Radio antennas, now with unmatched customer support. In a move that will delight Ham Radio enthusiasts, DX Engineering welcomes Bencher's Skyhawk and Skylark Antennas, plus Butternut Antennas to its exclusive family of brands. For years, Amateur Radio operators have relied on Bencher Antennas and Butternut Antennas for both HF contesting and DXing. Now, the Skyhawk and Skylark antennas, as well as every Butternut antenna model, will be manufactured and sold exclusively by DX Engineering. DX Engineering also carries all the service, repair, and replacement parts required to keep these antennas in good operating condition. *Two New Additions to the DX Engineering Antenna Line * The DX Engineering *Skyhawk Tri-Band Yagi Antenna* offers over 7 dB of gain on the 20 and 15 meter bands, plus over 9 dB on the 10 meter band. A trap-free design ensures the best bandwidth possible. The use of aluminum and stainless steel hardware keeps the antenna's overall weight down to around 75 pounds. The antenna has a 23 foot boom, which results in less strain on the rotator and tower assembly. It is easy to build and tune, and comes with a 2,500 watt balun. TheDX Engineering *Skylark Dual-Band Yagi Antenna *delivers close to 8 dB of gain on the 17 and 12 meter bands. The antenna also provides an SWR under 1.3 to 1 across each band, plus a front-to-back over 20 dB. It handles up to 5,000 watts (continuous). The Skylark's simple design eliminates any moving parts, which contributes to all-weather reliability. Aluminum elements and stainless steel hardware also promote corrosion resistance. With a boom length of just 16 feet, the Skylark can handle winds up to 90 mph. A balun is included. *DX Engineering has also acquired Butternut HF Vertical Antennas * Butternut HF Vertical Antennas are easy to install and tune, and they handle 2,000 watts. The *9-Band Vertical* covers 80 through 6 meters and stands just 26 feet tall. The *6-Band Vertical* covers 80 through 10 meters and is also just 26 feet tall. For exceptional 80 and 40 meter HF performance, the Butternut *2-Band Vertical *is an excellent choice. It stands just 32 feet high. Accessory/add-on kits, repair parts, radial systems, and mounting solutions will continue to be available separately. *SEE THE DX ENGINEERING SKYHAWK AND SKYLARK ANTENNAS AT DXENGINEERING.COM* *SEE THE BUTTERNUT 2-, 6- AND 9-BAND VERTICAL ANTENNAS AT DXENGINEERING.COM* **This acquisition by DX Engineering does not include other Bencher products such as Keys, etc. which will continue to be sold through Bencher dealers worldwide.* Yesterday, DX Engineering announced the above acquisitions. Apparently the Bencher acquisition involved their antenna line only (Bencher keys were excluded). 73, Ray - N4RU From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 6 16:14:47 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:14:47 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Study: Astronauts face a growing peril from space radiation In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <548371C7.20708@bellsouth.net> Space Weather News for Dec. 6, 2014 http://spaceweather.com SPACE RADIATION: According to a new study just published in the research journal Space Weather, astronauts face a growing peril from space radiation. Rising fluxes of cosmic rays inside the solar system place increasingly strict limits on the amount of time explorers can safely travel through interplanetary space. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and links to the complete study. AURORA WATCH: Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend. Earth is passing through a fast-moving stream of solar wind, and this is causing geomagnetic unrest around the poles. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 11 16:43:44 2014 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:43:44 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for December 11, 2014 In-Reply-To: <20141211212631.EB1DA2DBB0D@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20141211212631.EB1DA2DBB0D@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <548A1010.4020301@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-12-11 The ARRL Letter December 11, 2014 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * ARRL's Logbook of The World Tops 100 Million QSL Records! <#toc01> * /QST/ Celebrates Its Centennial in 2015 <#toc02> * Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ, Appointed ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director <#toc03> * Preliminary ARRL November Sweepstakes CW Results Posted <#toc04> * ARRL CW Rookie Roundup Returns on December 21! <#toc05> * W1AW Centennial Operations Up Next in Maryland, Hawaii, and Georgia <#toc06> * Financial Woes Reported at Dayton Hamvention^? Venue, Hara Arena <#toc07> * Boy Scouts 2014 Jamboree On The Air Report Shows Drop in Participation <#toc08> * Philippine Hams Support Emergency Communication for Typhoon Hagupit <#toc09> * IARU Region 3, Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Formalize Relationship <#toc10> * WRTC-2018 Announces Team Selection Criteria <#toc11> * SSTV Transmissions from the International Space Station Set <#toc12> * ARISS Discusses Ham TV, Elects New International Officers <#toc13> * In Brief... <#toc14> * A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL <#toc15> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc16> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc17> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events<#toc18> ARRL's Logbook of The World Tops 100 Million QSL Records! The ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW ) online "card-less" contact-confirmation service this week recorded a new milestone -- 100 million QSL records out of some 630 million uploaded contacts. That's an increase of more than 18 million QSL records since the end of last year. First described conceptually in the October 2001 /QST/ "It Seems to Us..." editorial, Logbook of The World launched in September 2003. Since then, it has become an accepted Amateur Radio institution -- perhaps not at the same level of traditional QSL cards, but close and gaining. The 100 million contact confirmations, ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, pointed out, is the equivalent of 200 million QSL cards. "If placed end to end, that many QSLs would reach more than 17,000 miles -- not quite all the way around the world, but enough to qualify as a 'long-path' QSO," he quipped. ARRL CEO Harold Kramer, WJ1B, pointed out that using LoTW can mean a considerable saving in postage for DXers and others over the expense of exchanging QSL cards. LoTW was an instant success. Within 2 weeks of its debut, the service already had some 2200 registered users and had confirmed some 51,000 contacts out of more than 8 million uploaded. The number of users today number more than 72,000 -- up by nearly 10,000 this year alone. Over LoTW's 11-year lifetime, many logging programs have incorporated features to enable them to interface smoothly with LoTW. Several awards programs, starting with the ARRL DX Century Club (DXCC ) award, now rely largely on LoTW to determine whether an applicant has met the award's requirements. It's also made it easier for award seekers to track their progress. LoTW is the only means to confirm ARRL Centennial QSO Party contacts. The service also supports VUCC , WAS , and WPX . Read more . /QST/ Celebrates Its Centennial in 2015 Although the ARRL celebrated its centennial this year, 2015 will be the centennial year for /QST/ magazine. First published in December 1915, /QST /is not only the official membership journal of the ARRL, it is also the most widely read Amateur Radio magazine in the world. /QST/ kicks off its celebration with a photo contest, which was announced in the January 2015 issue as well as online. Winning photos will appear on several /QST/ covers throughout 2015 and each winning photographer will receive $250. "We're hoping to showcase a number of member photos on 2015 covers," said /QST/ Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY. "We've also planned a few 'surprise' covers that I think readers will enjoy." Each 2015 issue of /QST/ will also contain articles and columns republished from vintage issues. "The January issue reprinted the special declaration from the January 1942 issue of /QST/ concerning the cessation of amateur operations at the start of the US entry into World War II," Ford said. "The statement was originally printed on yellow stock, to make sure readers wouldn't miss it. We duplicated that background color in our version as well." Vintage articles will be reprinted exactly as they appeared originally. "We chose articles based on either historical relevance or nostalgia value," Ford said. "For instance, we'll be reprinting one of the first /QST/ articles to describe the use of transistors in Amateur Radio applications. For the April Fool theme, readers should beware the reappearance of the infamous Larson E. Rapp." Ford went on to say that observant readers would be finding other treats in 2015 /QST/s. "As space permits, we will be reprinting some vintage Gil Gildersleeve cartoons. I'd advise readers to also be on the lookout for occasional appearances of the beloved 'Stray' kitties. Long-time /QST/ readers will know what I mean." Read more . Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ, Appointed ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, has appointed Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ, of Lincoln, Nebraska, as Midwest Division Vice Director. He will fill the vacancy created when incumbent Vice Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS, was elected Midwest Division Director. Zygielbaum said that when it was first suggested that he consider the appointment, he hesitated because of his already-full schedule of teaching, research, and volunteer activities. *Midwest Vice Director-Designate Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ. [Photo courtesy of Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ]* "But, Amateur Radio has given me a focus that informed and provided technical resources for my entire career," he said. "The skills I learned, the people I met, and the spirit I inherited from my Elmers have served me well. Accepting the Vice Director position is another way that I can give back to the hobby." An ARRL Life Member, Zygielbaum served as Nebraska Section Manager from 2009 to 2013. He has been a Midwest Division Assistant Director since 2013. He is also a member of the Air Force Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) and serves as Nebraska Deputy State AF MARS Director. He has been licensed since 1961. His 3-year term as Midwest Division Vice Director will begin at noon Eastern Time on January 1, 2015. Read more . Preliminary ARRL November Sweepstakes CW Results Posted Some preliminary results of the 2014 ARRL November Sweepstakes CW have been posted to the ARRL website contest results page as a PDF document. The results do /not/ include line scores -- only category winners and Top 10 lists. The results are pending final review. Contributing Editor Kelly Taylor, VE4XT, who is compiling the statistics and authoring the article for this year's event, noted that the 2014 running of the November CW Sweeps was remarkable for how rare it was to make a "clean sweep." "Only 102 stations worked all 83 sections, down from 258 sweeps in 2012," he reported. Northern Territories (NT) was even more rare than usual. Only two NT stations entered, and they made just 210 contacts between them. Of the eight entry category winners, just five made a clean sweep this year, although the other three came /very/ close. "No SS CW records were harmed in the running of the 2014 contest," Taylor quipped. Ad ARRL CW Rookie Roundup Returns on December 21! Recently licensed radio amateurs who have been working hard to improve their Morse code proficiency will have a great opportunity to put their improved skills to use on December 21, when the CW edition of the ARRL Rookie Roundup returns to the airwaves. A Rookie is any radio amateur who has been licensed for 3 years or less, regardless of license class. If you received your license in 2012, 2013, or 2014, you're eligible to compete as a Rookie. Operators licensed before 2012 may compete and will be recognized in the final results, but they may only submit check logs. Old Timers are encouraged to get on the air and work Rookies. *Jeff Howington, AD0AK, will return for his final year as a Rookie in the December CW Rookie Roundup. [Jeff Howington, AD0AK, photo]* There are many ways for Rookies to participate. They can enter in the Single Operator category on their own, or they can compete in the Multioperator category and join a group of other Rookies at one station, taking turns at the key. Up to five Single Operator Rookies can operate from separate stations and combine their scores as a team. Stations are allowed a maximum of 100 W, Elmering is encouraged, and the use of spotting networks is permitted (but, please, no self-spotting). Rookies call "CQ RR" (CQ Rookie Roundup), while veteran ops call "CQ R" (CQ Rookies). Rookies can work anyone, but non-Rookies can only work Rookies. Exchange the call sign of the station you're working, your call sign*, *your first name, the two-digit number of the year first licensed, and your state, Canadian province, Mexican call area, or DX. You need not send any faster than you can copy. Other operators should slow down (QRS) for you, and you /will/ work stations. If you're a veteran operator or a member of a club that promotes CW activity, break out your straight key or paddle, send slowly, and work some Rookies. You can show them how much fun CW can be! Three Rookie Roundups -- SSB, RTTY, and CW -- are held each calendar year. The CW Rookie Roundup will take place on Sunday, December 21, from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC. Find ARRL on Facebook . Follow us on Twitter ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ W1AW Centennial Operations Up Next in Maryland, Hawaii, and Georgia The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states are now in Indiana and Montana. They will transition at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, December 17 (the evening of December 16 in US time zones), to Maryland (W1AW/3), Hawaii (W1AW/KH6), and Georgia (W1AW/4). By December 31 W1AW will have been on the air from every state at least twice. The ARRL Centennial QSO Party is open to all. Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact, even when working the same state during its second week of activity. ARRL members, appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL Centennial QSO Party points as well. To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does /not/ count for Connecticut. Participants must work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available. An ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board shows participants how many points they have accumulated in the Centennial QSO Party and in the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your Logbook of The World (LoTW ) username and password. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Financial Woes Reported at Dayton Hamvention^? Venue, Hara Arena Hara Arena -- for many years the home of Dayton Hamvention ^? -- is facing some financial issues and has cut back on its full-time staff to save money, according to a WDTN-TV "2 News" account . The Dayton TV station reported on December 2 that the Trotwood, Ohio complex now has a full-time staff of only 12 employees. Karen Wampler, Hara's Director of Marketing, told the TV station that it's difficult for Hara Arena to compete with other Miami Valley venues, such as the Nutter Center at Wright State University, but she hinted at a positive announcement next year. Hara Arena in Trotwood, Ohio, has been the home of the Dayton Hamvention for decades. "As taxpayers, we're competing against facilities that are subsidized by tax dollars, and because of that, we are struggling to compete," Wampler said. "The primary challenges are that we need renovation dollars, and the ownership model needs to be changed." The Wampler family has owned and operated Hara Arena since its humble origins in the 1950s, when Wampler Ballarena -- then a dance hall, now an exhibit hall familiar to Hamvention visitors -- was built in what had been a family-owned orchard. Hara Arena has since expanded to a 165,000-square-foot, six-building complex. Last year Hara Arena hosted 239 events, including Hamvention, generating an estimated $34 million in community revenue. Wampler told 2 NEWS that the arena is working with a company called VenuWorks , which specializes in restoring event venues, and she anticipated some "very, very, good news in 2015." Hara Arena has hosted everyone from The Rolling Stones and Kid Rock to President George W. Bush over the years. It is home to the Dayton Demonz hockey team. "There's a lot of history," Wampler said. Last year, Dayton Hamvention, sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, attracted nearly 25,000 visitors. Ad Boy Scouts 2014 Jamboree On The Air Report Shows Drop in Participation The Boy Scouts of America 2014 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA ) -- the 57th such event -- reported an overall decline in JOTA participation from 2013 to 2014 by Boy Scout Councils, individual Scouts, and stations. The drop may be due in part to the failure of some participating stations to file reports. JOTA takes place each year on the third full weekend of October. The BSA also provided a video report . Participation in the 2012 JOTA made a big jump, with 18,566 Scouts and visitors. In 2013, however, participation was down by nearly 4700 to 13,866, and this year it dropped by another 540 to 13,326. The BSA report broke down that participation into 7208 Scouts and 5589 visitors in 2014. "Our key concern is that roughly 40 percent of the stations that register prior to the event fail to file a report after the event, a percentage that has remained consistent over the past few years," National Jamboree on the Air Organizer Jim Wilson, K5ND, told ARRL. "We are now conducting a survey with the 130 stations that did not file a report in 2014 to see what we can do better next year." According to the report, 354 stations registered to participate, but only 205 filed reports. Wilson said another concern is the drop-off in local Scout Council participation, from 180 in 2012 to 148 in 2014. "The missing reports can no doubt help somewhat with this, but we recognize that we need to do a better job promoting the event to Scout Council staff and volunteers," he added. "We've done a much better job getting the word out to the Amateur Radio community, with some great assistance from the ARRL." Read more . Philippine Hams Support Emergency Communication for Typhoon Hagupit Amateur Radio volunteers in the Philippines activated emergency nets on HF and VHF as Typhoon Hagupit -- called Typhoon Ruby locally -- raked slowly across the islands over several days, weakening as it went. Before the typhoon (hurricane) was downgraded to a tropical storm, though, upward of 3 dozen people died, many as a result of drowning. Authorities took advantage of advance weather warnings to evacuate up to 1 million residents from areas prone to storm surges and flooding, likely minimizing the death toll. More than half the population of Albay province was evacuated. The eastern island of Samar was hardest hit, although the typhoon caused far less damage than had initially been predicted. "As Typhoon Hagupit entered its third day, ham operators continue to provide essential traffic as the storm progresses through Philippine territory," Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA ) Chief Operating Officer Thelma Pascua, DU1IVT, reported over the weekend, while the storm was still raging. She had expressed confidence that all emergency traffic would be "adequately serviced." The typhoon made several landfalls before eventually exiting the Philippines. Members of the Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) -- the PARA equivalent of the US Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) -- monitored 7.095 MHz on HF and 144.740 MHz on VHF. Operators were able to support essential traffic as the storm progressed. The typhoon's unhurried pace enabled HERO volunteers to consolidate their communication assets. HERO volunteer (and RADNET-5 president) Ronald Madera, DW5NLH, on December 6 reported that an elementary school building being used as an evacuation center in Oras, Eastern Samar, had collapsed, injuring some evacuees. Since it was the height of the typhoon, there was no volunteer in the provincial capital of Borongan. Amateur Radio was used to send a rescue team request, which ended up being relayed from station to station until it reached its intended recipients. Some 150 stations checked into the emergency nets. At the request of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), a station, DX1NTC, was set up at the NTC headquarters. A PARA-affiliated club was tasked with providing operators. Regional NTC offices also set up Amateur Radio stations, which were operated by other PARA members. In addition to emergency traffic, the radio amateurs also reported weather conditions and related developments when the checked into the net. Other hams were embedded in various disaster and risk-reduction operations centers and, as the storm passed through, radio amateurs were helping civil defense authorities with damage assessment. /-- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC (Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee), and various news media/ IARU Region 3, Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Formalize Relationship International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 (IARU-R3 ) and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT ) have concluded a /Memorandum of Understanding/ (MOU ) aimed at establishing collaboration between the two bodies in areas of mutual interest. IARU Region 3 Chairman Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, and APT Secretary-General Toshiyuki Yamada signed the /MOU/ on their respective organizations' behalf. Headquartered in Thailand, APT is one of the six regional telecommunication organizations involved in spectrum-allocation policy, as well as in fostering development of telecommunication services and information infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific Region. As do CEPT in Europe and CITEL in the Americas, APT's 38 member administrations hold a series of meetings in advance of a World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) to develop a regional perspective on the conference agenda items. WRC-2015 will be held in Geneva next fall. IARU Region 3 has been sending a representative and submitting information documents to APT meetings for a number of years. The new /MOU/ formalizes the working relationship between the two regional entities and ensures that the IARU, through its Region 3 organization, will be able to make its positions known to APT. Read more . WRTC-2018 Announces Team Selection Criteria The WRTC-2018 Organizing Committee has announced the team selection criteria for the next World Radiosport Team Championship. Ulf Ehrlich, DL5AXX, spearheaded the development of the selection rules for the international competition, which Germany is hosting. A World Radiosport Team Championship features approximately 50 two-person Amateur Radio teams competing in a test of operating skill. The event takes place during July, concurrent with the IARU HF Championship . For WRTC-2018, a total of 49 team leaders will be selected through qualifying events between February 2015 and November 2016. The first qualifying event will be the 2015 ARRL International DX Contest (CW). "As a special highlight, we want to give three youth teams the chance to fight the battle together with the big ones," the WRTC-2018 organizers said in announcing the selection criteria. The organizers said that based on feedback received from previous competitors, they opted for fewer qualifying events and a shorter qualification period. There are 32 qualifying events -- 30 for Germany, 28 for the rest of Europe, and 26 for the rest of the world. A total of the 12 best event scores will be used for qualifying. WRTC-2018 organizers have added the Worked All Germany and IARU Region 1 Field Day as new qualifying events, and have reduced Single-Operator categories to SO HP and SO LP. Read more . /-- Thanks to /The Daily DX Ad SSTV Transmissions from the International Space Station Set The Russian Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) team members plan to activate slow-scan television (SSTV) from the ISS on December 18 and December 20. Several passes will be over North America. The expected SSTV mode will be PD180 on a frequency of 145.800 MHz with 3-minute off periods between transmissions. Twelve different photos will be sent during the operational period. Transmissions will begin at around 1420 UTC on December 18 and 1240 UTC on December 20. The transmissions should terminate around 2130 UTC each day. Read more ./-- Thanks to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, ARISS-Europe Chairman/ ARISS Discusses Ham TV, Elects New International Officers Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) is continuing to explore the possibility of establishing a network of ground stations to enable the use of the Ham TV video system during ARISS school contacts. Mark Steiner, K3MS, updated the ARISS International team on the topic during its November meeting, conducted by teleconference. Kerry Banke, N6IZW, who works on ARISS hardware issues, reported that a document under development will describe just what is required to build a ground station. He and ARISS International *ARISS 2015-2016 Officers (L-R) ARISS Vice-Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE; ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO, and ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO.* Project Selection & Use Committee representative Lou McFadin, W5DID, have successfully received Ham TV transmissions. ARISS-EU President Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, has been working with European Space Agency (ESA ) management to finalize the agreement that transfers custody of the Ham Video transmitter from ESA to ARISS. Steiner told the teleconference that more "blank" test transmissions could take place, once the custodial agreement is finalized. NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, successfully installed and commissioned the ARISS Ham Video system last March. The system can transmit video of the crew and the interior of the /Columbus/ module on the 2.4 GHz band (S-band). During the November 18 teleconference, ARISS International delegates re-elected the current slate of officers for new 2-year terms starting on January 1, 2015. The incumbents are ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO; ARISS Vice-Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE, and ARISS Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO. In keeping with tradition, Canada's ARISS delegate Ian MacFarquhar, VE9IM, handled the election logistics. Read more . In Brief... * *For a Good Time, Check Out the ARRL 10 Meter Contest December 13-14:* Conditions on 10 meters have been hot in recent weeks, and that may hold for the 2014 ARRL 10 Meter Contest on December 13-14. New this year: Single Operator stations using assistance will no longer be categorized as Multioperator entries. Also, nine new Unlimited categories have been added: Single Operator QRP, Low and High Power CW Only, Phone Only, or Mixed Mode. The action gets under way at 0000 UTC on Saturday, December 13 (Friday, December 12, in US time zones) and wraps up at 2359 UTC on Sunday, December 14. * *Geminid Meteor Shower to Peak December 13-14:* Earth is moving deeper into the debris stream of rock comet 3200 Phaethon, source of the annual Geminid meteor shower. The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR ) has been monitoring a "hot spot" in the sky where Geminid meteoroids are hitting Earth's atmosphere at 78,000 MPH. Visibility will improve in the nights ahead as the Moon wanes and Earth moves deeper into the Geminid debris stream. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on December 13-14, with as many as 120 meteors per hour. The best time to look is between midnight and dawn on Saturday and Sunday. /-- Thanks to Spaceweather.com / * *Radio Amateur Copies Signals from ARTSAT2:DESPATCH, Shin'en 2 Satellites:* Michal Zawada, SQ5KTM, in Warsaw, Poland, received signals from the ARTSAT2:DESPATCH and Shin'en2 spacecraft on December 5 at a distance of nearly 700,000 miles from Earth. The two spacecraft were launched into deep space on December 3. Shin'en 2 identifes as JG6YIG, while ARTSAT2:DESPATCH uses the call sign JQ1ZNN. Shin'en2 carries a 0.1 W CW beacon on 437.505 MHz and telemetry on 437.385 MHz (0.8 W) using a mode similar to /WSJT/. It will also carry a F1D digital store-and-forward transponder with an uplink of 145.942 MHz and a downlink at 435.270 MHz (0.4 W). /-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, AMSAT-UK/ * *Signal One Transceiver Co-Developer Eugene Chenette, N5YJ, SK:* ARRL member Eugene Richard Chenette, N5YJ (ex-W0LNE, W4TLN), of Allen, Texas, died December 7. He was 86. Licensed in 1948, Chenette and Signal/One founder Dick Ehrhorn, W4EA (ex-W4ETO), designed, manufactured, and marketed the then-state-of-the-art, high-end Signal/One CX7 multiband Amateur Radio transceiver in the late 1960s. It remains a collector's item./-- Thanks to /The Daily DX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL In early 1999, PSK31 was becoming very popular, with many users considering it to be a replacement for good old RTTY as a keyboard-to-keyboard mode. Also by 1999, amateurs had developed automated meteor-scatter stations for VHF use -- thanks to APRS, good computers, high-speed Morse, innovative software, and ham ingenuity. On December 30, 1999, FCC issued its /Report and Order/ on Amateur Radio license restructuring. Beginning on April 15, 2000, the FCC would issue just three license classes -- Technician, General, and Amateur Extra -- and impose a single 5 WPM Morse code requirement for General and Amateur Extra applicants. No then-current license holders lost any privileges, and "old" Technician licensees were able to apply for a General license with no further testing. And then came Y2K...with none of the breakdowns of society, communications systems, ATMs, aircraft, /ad nauseum/. Everything kept running smoothly. But ARRL used the occasion to revamp /QST/. The editorial staff had spent months developing a profile of the typical ham in order to guide them in making /QST/ the magazine that members wanted. In January 2000, /QST/ began publishing new columns about QRP, mobile and portable operation on HF and VHF, vintage radio gear, and the "/QST/ Workbench." This was in addition to formatting changes to make the magazine more attractive. Starting with the December 2000 issue, all editorial content was printed in full color. *The Phase 3D satellite being readied for space: The satellite promised to be the most sophisticated Amateur Radio satellite ever. [AMSAT-DL photo]* By 2000, several states had proposed bans on cell phone use while driving. ARRL began carefully monitoring the various pieces of proposed legislation, to be sure that operating Amateur Radio equipment while driving would not be included among the prohibitions. On November 16, 2000, AMSAT-OSCAR 40 -- Phase 3D -- was successfully launched into orbit. Initial testing began, but the spacecraft suddenly fell silent. Following many unsuccessful recovery attempts, AO-40 came to life on Christmas Day, with many of its capabilities restored. During the early 1990s, the ARRL sought to convince the FCC to address the problem of Amateur Radio antenna restrictions and prohibitions by CC&Rs. The FCC declined, so the League then began efforts to convince Congress to direct FCC to do so. /-- Al Brogdon, W1AB/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, reports: Compared to the previous 7 days, solar activity dropped over the December 4-10 period, with average daily sunspot numbers down 63.6 points to 88.4, and average daily solar flux off 32.5 points to 139.6. The latest forecast has solar flux at 155 and 165 on December 11-12, 170 on December 13-17, 175 on December 18-19, then 170, 165, and 150 on December 20-22, 155 on December 23-27, 150 on December 28-29, 145 and 140 on December 30-31, 135 on January 1-4, then 140, 145, 150, 155, and 160 on January 5-9, and 165 on January 10-12. It then is predicted to reach a peak of 175 on January 14-15. Predicted planetary A index is 6 and 5 on December 11-12, 12 on December 13-15, then 6, 10, and 12 on December 16-18, 10 on December 19-20, 5 on December 21-27, 8 on December 28-30, 10 on December 31 through January 1, then 12, 25, 15, and 10 on January 2-5, 8 on January 6-7, 10 on January 8-9, 8 on January 10-12, 10 and 12 on January 13-14, and 10 on January 15-16. This weekend is the annual ARRL 10 Meter Contest , a really fun event that, due to the nature of 10 meters, always holds many surprises. The Geminids meteor shower also peaks this weekend, so ionized meteor trails could enhance propagation at the high end of the HF spectrum. My prediction is that conditions during the ARRL 10 Meter Contest should be slightly better than they were for last year's event, with solar activity somewhat higher and geomagnetic instability about the same. In other words, not bad. In 2013 the solar flux for the contest weekend averaged 154. This weekend, the predicted solar flux averages out at 168.3, about 9 percent higher. Last year the planetary A index averaged 8.7. This year's forecast calls for an average of 9.7. To compare propagation predictions for last year's contest weekend, see 2013 bulletins ARLP051 and ARLP052 . This weekly "Solar Update" in /The ARRL Letter/ is a preview of the "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website. In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from readers. Send me /your/ reports and observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * December 12 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW) * December 13 -- UBA Winter Contest (SSB, CW, digital) * December 13-14 -- 28 MHz SWL Contest * *December 13-14 -- **ARRL 10 Meter Contest (SSB, CW)* * December 14 -- Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint (CW) * December 15 -- Run For the Bacon (CW) * December 17 -- NAQCC Milliwatt Sprint (CW) * December 18 -- Russian 160 Meter Contest (SSB, CW) * December 20 -- Feld-Hell Rudolf Hell Sprint * December 20-21 -- OK DX RTTY Contest * December 20-January 4 -- Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party (CW, SSB, Digital) * December 20-21 -- Croatian CW Contest * *December 21 -- **ARRL Rookie Roundup**(CW)* See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events * December 12-13 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida * January 4 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention , Bethpage, New York * January 10 -- TECHFEST , Lawrenceville, Georgia * January 16-17 -- North Texas Section Convention , Forest Hill, Texas * January 18-24 -- Quartzfest , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 23-24 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 23-25 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 7 -- South Carolina State Convention , North Charleston, South Carolina * February 7 -- Virginia State Convention , Richmond, Virginia * February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention , Orlando, Florida * February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 28 -- Vermont State Convention , S Burlington, Vermont Find conventions and hamfests in your area .* * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ** *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information * * Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes /QST/ , Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. * Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ , available every Friday. Subscribe to... * /NCJ / /-- National Contest Journal/ . Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties. * /QEX/ *//*/-- A Forum for Communications Experimenters/ . Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members... * Subscribe to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update/ (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more! * Find ARRL on Facebook ! Follow us on Twitter ! Ad Ad Ad Ad Ad ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/. Copyright ? 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From n8pr at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 12 09:36:10 2014 From: n8pr at bellsouth.net (Pete Rimmel N8PR) Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 09:36:10 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Fw: Schedule W1AW/9 Message-ID: From: Mike Tessmer Sent: Friday, December 12, 2014 9:01 AM To: Pete Rimmel N8PR Subject: Re: Scheduel Hi Pete Check out: http://www.w1srd.com/w1aw-indiana-2 It's a fluid schedule and ops will add stuff over time as their schedules permit. Be sure to refresh your browser each time you check it out. (Unfortunately, two ops have had to drastically cut back their planned participation due to medical issues.....but we carry on.) Thanks! Mike K9NW From: Pete Rimmel N8PR Mike, Is there any place on the web I can find the operating schedule for W1AW/9 ? From wa4aw at juno.com Sat Dec 13 12:33:12 2014 From: wa4aw at juno.com (wa4aw) Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 17:33:12 GMT Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] QCWA Chapter 111 HOLIDAY MEETING & LUNCH Message-ID: <20141213.123312.21965.0@webmail11.vgs.untd.com> QCWA Palm Beach Chapter # 111 Hello, This is friendly reminder that our Palm Beach Chapter meeting is the last Tuesday of each month. We will be meeting at the Golden Corral Buffet, 10100 Fox Trail Rd., on the service road behind the SW corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach at 11:30 AM. This month our meeting date is Dec. 16th. Hope you can join us for fellowship, rag chews & information. Disregard any automated notice for our December meeting at the regular date of Dec. 30th I encourage everyone who has not been to the Golden Corral to call for info on either the Palms West repeater 147.045 or the AREC repeater on 146.670. Both repeaters have a 110.9 PL. Everyone is welcome to join us. We meet in the private dining room in the back of the restaurant. QCWA Chapter 111 webpage link: www.qcwa.org/chapter111.htm Chapter YahooGroup website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qcwa111 Happy Holidays & a very Happy New Year from your Chapter 111 officers. Hope to see you this Tuesday. 73, Jeff WA4AW, Secretary QCWAQuarter Century Wireless AssociationJeff Beals, WA4AWNational Director &QCWA Historian QCWA Palm Beach Chapter 111Secretary-TreasurerPO Box 1584Loxahatchee, FL 33470-1584561-252-6707 wa4aw at qcwa.org www.qcwa.org ____________________________________________________________ Apple's Crazy New Gizmo Forget the iPhone 6. Next hit Apple product leaked. 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