From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 1 18:07:11 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2016 18:07:11 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLB044 ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act In-Reply-To: <20161201195620.ECDCB21665E6@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20161201195620.ECDCB21665E6@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: SB QST @ ARL $ARLB044 ARLB044 ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act ZCZC AG44 QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 44 ARLB044 >From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT December 1, 2016 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB044 ARLB044 ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act It's now down to the wire: ARRL has issued a last call for members to urge their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301) when it comes up during the "lame duck" session of Congress that adjourns in a couple of weeks. The House of Representatives approved the bill in September, and the Senate must follow suit if the bill is to succeed. If it fails in the Senate, the entire process will have to be repeated in the new Congress. The legislation is now in the Senate in two forms - as H.R. 1301 and alternately in the packaged bill S. 253 "We are on our final push for the Amateur Radio Parity Act before Congress adjourns," said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. "The grassroots effort by the Amateur Radio community has been outstanding. Since September, over 110,000 emails have been sent to legislators in Congress. Thanks to everyone who has helped, but we can't stop now. Please, keep the e-mails coming and also work the phones down the stretch. Call your Senators! We are almost there. Let's get it done!" ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board's Legislative Advocacy Committee and has been heavily involved in efforts to move H.R. 1301 forward, echoed President Roderick's sentiments. He said the bill was just starting to build momentum in the Senate following its unanimous passage in the House, when Congress shut down for the 4 weeks prior to Election Day. He pointed out that H.R. 1301 has received broad support from both parties. Lisenco had a special request of Florida radio amateurs. "Please write and call Sen. Bill Nelson and demand that he remove his hold on H.R. 1301 and support passage of this critical legislation." Urging your US Senators' support is simple: Go to our Rally Congress page at, https://arrl.rallycongress.net/ctas/urge-us-senate-to-pass-amateur-radio-parity-act , enter your ZIP code, fill in your name and address, press enter, and e-mails will go directly to your Senators. Members may do this even if they have already contacted their US Senators for support. There are no guarantees, Lisenco has pointed out. "In order to have a chance at overcoming political obstacles that have little or nothing to do with the legislation, we need our voices to be heard," he said. "And we need that input today!" President Roderick urged members to "reach out one more time to your Senators today! Right away Right now!" September's victory in the US House culminated many years of effort on ARRL's part to gain legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities to erect efficient outdoor antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules "to prohibit the application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and for other purposes." While similar bills in past years gained some traction on Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301, and ARRL's relentless and strident efforts on Capitol Hill that this bill made it this far. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 1 18:18:08 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2016 18:18:08 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for December 1, 2016 In-Reply-To: <20161201225602.C11E421559C6@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20161201225602.C11E421559C6@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <645a4c43-1738-b664-791e-83009671f319@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-12-01 The ARRL Letter December 1, 2016 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act <#toc01> * Transatlantic Reception Anniversary Special Event Set for December 11 <#toc02> * Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Shelter Communication Support in Tennessee <#toc03> * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc04> * National Parks on the Air Update <#toc05> * ARRL Expands Initiative to Fire Up Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs <#toc06> * FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith Says Amateur Enforcement Will Be Aggressive <#toc07> * Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Hurricane Otto <#toc08> * Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, Overcomes Challenge to Win Election <#toc09> * Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals! <#toc10> * SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3 <#toc11> * ARRL Seeks Nominations for Six Awards <#toc12> * Hamvention^? Solicits Nominations for 2017 Awards <#toc13> * In Brief... <#toc14> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc15> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc16> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc17> ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act It's now down to the wire: ARRL has issued a last call for members to urge their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301 ) when it comes up during the "lame duck" session of Congress that adjourns in a couple of weeks. The House of Representatives approved the bill in September, and the Senate must follow suit if the bill is to succeed. If it fails in the Senate, the entire process will have to be repeated in the new Congress. The legislation is now in the Senate in two forms -- as H.R. 1301 and alternately in the packaged bill S. 253. "We are on our final push for the Amateur Radio Parity Act before Congress adjourns," said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. "The grassroots effort by the Amateur Radio community has been outstanding. Since September, over 110,000 e-mails have been sent to legislators in Congress. Thanks to everyone who has helped, but we can't stop now. Please, keep the e-mails coming and also work the phones down the stretch. Call your Senators! We are almost there. Let's get it done!" ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board's Legislative Advocacy Committee and has been heavily involved in efforts to move H.R. 1301 forward, echoed President Roderick's sentiments. He said the bill was just starting to build momentum in the Senate following its unanimous passage in the House, when Congress shut down for the 4 weeks prior to Election Day. He pointed out that H.R. 1301 has received broad support from both parties. Lisenco had a special request of Florida radio amateurs. "Please write and call Sen. Bill Nelson and demand that he remove his hold on H.R. 1301 and support passage of this critical legislation." Urging your US Senators' support is simple: Go to our Rally Congress page, enter your ZIP code, fill in your name and address, press enter, and e-mails will go directly to your Senators. Members may do this even if they have already contacted their US Senators for support. There are no guarantees, Lisenco has pointed out. "In order to have a chance at overcoming political obstacles that have little or nothing to do with the legislation, we need our voices to be heard," he said. "And we need that input today!" President Roderick urged members to "reach out one more time to your Senators /today/! Right away. Right now!" Read more . Transatlantic Reception Anniversary Special Event Set for December 11 An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between Greenwich, Connecticut , and Scotland. A school near the original site is hosting the event. ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB ), and the Radio Club of America (RCA ), are partnering in sponsoring the activity. The Greenwich Historical Society will also participate. On December 11, 1921, reception in Ardrossan, Scotland, of a radio signal transmitted from the official test station of Minton Cronkhite, 1BCG, in a small shack on the corner of Clapboard Ridge Road and North Street in Greenwich, helped to usher in the age of global communication. The special event will use N1BCG , the call sign of Clark Burgard of Greenwich, who obtained that call sign to commemorate this bit of radio history. Burgard was instrumental in making arrangements for the event. The N1BCG special event will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. It will include an attempt at a two-way contact between N1BCG and GB2ZE, operated by Jason O'Neill, GM7VSB, in Ardrossan. *The 1BCG 1 kW CW transmitter.* Reception in Scotland of the 1BCG signal was part of the second series of ARRL transatlantic tests. For the receiving end, the ARRL Board had selected a receiver designed by Paul Godley, 2ZE, and Godley traveled to the UK to oversee that end of the circuit. Joining Godley in a field in Ardrossan, southwest of Glasgow, was Marconi Company District Inspector D.E. Pearson. As the /QST/ article, "The Transatlantic Tests" (/QST/ Dec. 2014) by Michael Marinaro, WN1M, recounted, "The two attempted to keep out of the driving wind and rain by sheltering themselves -- and their equipment -- in a tent. This rough listening post was comprised of a (superheterodyne and regenerative) receiver, a 1,300-foot Beverage antenna suspended 12 feet above ground, batteries, and auxiliary equipment." *January 1922 /QST/ trumpeted the success of the transatlantic tests.* On the morning of December 10, CW signals of 1BCG, which had been designed and constructed by Radio Club of America members -- were solidly copied on 230 to 235 meters (about 1.3 MHz). They were the only signals heard that morning in Ardrossan. By the end of the test, eight spark and 18 CW stations had been heard as well. N1BCG operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 meters; CW and SSB on 40 meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 meters. Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM), 7.235 (SSB), 7040 (CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125 (SSB), and 18.088 MHz CW. Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Shelter Communication Support in Tennessee Amateur Radio volunteers this week provided communication support to American Red Cross shelters in Sevier County, Tennessee, where area residents fleeing wildfires took refuge. At the peak, an estimated 1,300 evacuees occupied six Red Cross or independently operated shelters, state authorities said. Wind-driven flames and embers from the Chimney Top Fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, now closed, spread on November 28 to threaten the communities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in East Tennessee. Highway 441 into Gatlinburg remains open only to emergency traffic and outbound evacuation traffic. The fire caused considerable destruction in Gatlinburg. "At this point, no additional Amateur Radio support has been requested," ARRL Tennessee Section Manager Keith Miller, N9DGK, said on Tuesday evening. "Members of nearby ARES^? groups should remain aware of the potential for this situation to change rapidly." Miller said no amateurs had been requested to support fire teams, law enforcement, EMS, or the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). "Unless conditions begin to deteriorate, we expect not to be asked to fully activate but rather continue to monitor the situation and be ready to support when and if asked to do so," Miller said. "/Do not self-deploy/," he stressed. "If you show up uninvited, you will be sent home." TEMA said on November 30 that rain has provided some relief in Sevier County. "Gatlinburg reports all wildfires out, though some are still smoldering," TEMA said. Gatlinburg remains under a mandatory evacuation order and a 6 PM to 6 AM curfew remains in effect. In Pigeon Forge -- home to the Dollywood theme park -- officials estimate that 500 residents and visitors were evacuated on Monday. "State agencies and local officials likely evacuated thousands of residents and visitors from Sevier County [Tuesday] night, due to devastating wildfires in and around the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge," TEMA estimated on November 29. "It is very likely that 14,000+ residents and visitors evacuated from Gatlinburg alone." The Doctor Will See You Now! "Yagi Antennas" is the topic of the latest (December 1) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In " podcast. Listen...and learn! Sponsored by DX Engineering , "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor at arrl.org , and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes , or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry , or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide . Ad National Parks on the Air Update ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA ) program is down to its final month. Over 460 of the 489 NPOTA units have been activated, with over 15,500 visits to eligible sites. With 30 days to go, there is a big push to cross the 1 million contact threshold. This past week saw nearly 30,000 contacts uploaded to Logbook of The World, bringing the year-to-date total to more than 915,000 contacts. There will be plenty of NPOTA activity in December; how many stations can you work in the final month? Seventeen activations are scheduled for the week of December 1-7, including Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial in Washington, DC, and Sitka National Historical Park in Alaska. Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar. Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook . Follow NPOTA on Twitter (@ARRL_NPOTA). ARRL Expands Initiative to Fire Up Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs A growing number of campus radio clubs and student radio amateurs have begun to share ideas and suggestions on the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative (CARI ) Facebook page, which is aimed at sparking renewed participation, activity, and idea-sharing among this special sector of the Amateur Radio community. The now-expanded initiative stemmed from two well-attended ARRL New England Division Convention forums for radio amateurs attending college, one hosted by the Amateur Radio clubs at Harvard (W1AF) and Yale (W1YU). As the forum explained, the activity level at campus Amateur Radio club stations can vary wildly from one year to the next, as students graduate and newcomers arrive. "The most common difficulty stems from uneven interest over time," said ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, in his "Second Century" editorial, "Cheers for College Amateur Radio: Sis-boom-bah!" in the December 2016 issue of /QST/. "Even the strongest leaders in college Amateur Radio graduate every 4 years, sometimes leaving their clubs without adequate continuity or leadership succession." Gallagher pointed out that "recognized" student activities require /students/ in order to maintain that status. However, even officially recognized college club stations may find themselves at the mercy of administrations in terms of space for a station and antennas, and some clubs have had to move more than once to accommodate their schools' space requirements. Issues involving safety and security can also affect college radio clubs. In a recent post, Kenny Hite, KE8CTL, a graduate teaching assistant at West Virginia University, said the university's Amateur Radio club, W8CUL, has been unable to participate in recent on-the-air events "due to lack of working equipment and questionable antenna setups," as he put it. Another poster, Dennis Silage, K3DS, who's associated with the Temple University Amateur Radio Club (K3TU ), said, "A key to a successful and long-running college club seems to be faculty involvement for stability and recognition." He invited other CARI participants to check out the club's website. "It occurred to us that, if college Amateur Radio could galvanize [mutual interests], then colleges might just provide the ideal bridge between youthful interest in the subject and lifelong participation in our community," Gallagher wrote. Read more . FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith Says Amateur Enforcement Will Be Aggressive FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith told a standing-room-only audience at the ARRL Pacific Division Convention (Pacificon) in October that, despite FCC cutbacks, Amateur Radio enforcement will not be compromised. Smith spoke for nearly an hour and a half on a variety of FCC issues related to Amateur Radio, and the entire presentation is available on YouTube, thanks to Bob Miller, WB6KWT, and his son Robert, KA7JKP, who recorded the forum. Smith said that with the FCC set to shut down 11 field offices across the country in January, the Enforcement Bureau has reorganized into three US regions, and she does not anticipate any significant issues for the Amateur Service as a result. *FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith at Pacificon. [Courtesy of HamRadioNow]* "The amateur community will go forward," she said, noting that amateurs have "an incredible ability to self-police." In light of the field office closings, she has been working with ARRL to revamp the Official Observer (OO ) program. "We are going to redo the entire program," she told the Pacificon forum. Given that the field office cutbacks have left the FCC short staffed, the OO program will step into the gap, with OOs serving as the first line of defense in Amateur Radio enforcement, she explained. Working more closely with the OOs, Smith said, will get information on problems to the field staff more quickly, so they can follow up. Smith praised the OOs for contributing their time and effort to monitor the bands and to alert licensees both to problematic and positive behavior on the air. She also said the FCC is more aggressively policing the Amateur Radio bands. /HamRadioNow/'s Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, used Smith's talk as the centerpiece of his episode 281 . Read more . Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Hurricane Otto The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN ) activated on Thanksgiving Day for Hurricane Otto. The Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 MPH made landfall on the southern Nicaraguan coast on November 24 and passed over Central America with no reported fatalities, but it generated flooding. The net stood down at 2200 UTC. Amateur Radio emergency nets also convened in Central America on 40 and 75 meters in anticipation of Tropical Storm Otto, which was the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record this late in the year. "All members of HWN gave their best effort to obtain weather data from the affected areas of Nicaragua and Costa Rica," said Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. He said that, with poor propagation on both 20 and 40 meters, the only station in the affected region the HWN was able to contact was in Costa Rica. Graves said that during the off-season, he would reach out to /all/ hurricane-prone countries in the Atlantic Basin, to encourage their radio amateurs to participate in the net during hurricane emergencies. The HWN meets on 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz, depending upon conditions. Graves thanked the amateur community for cooperating in keeping those frequencies open. "Your help in keeping the frequency clear allows us to hear those affected by hurricanes," he said. "For instance, when commercial power goes out, some reporting stations have to revert to battery backup and perhaps operate at QRP power, as was the case [on November 24]." Ad Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, Overcomes Challenge to Win Election *ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD.* ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, has won election to a 3-year term. As Vice Director, Allen assumed the Director's seat last January, after the Board of Directors elected former Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, as Second Vice President. Allen outpolled challenger Garth Crowe, WY7GC (ex-N7XKT), 1,112 to 528 votes, to win the seat in his own right. Ballots were counted November 18 at ARRL Headquarters. The Rocky Mountain Division Director's seat was the only contested election for the 2017-2019 cycle. Allen served previously as Wyoming Section Manager, from 2005 until 2007. New terms of office begin on January 1, 2017, at 12 noon Eastern Time. Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals! We're making a list and checking it twice. Beginning Thursday, December 1, 2016, ARRL will be offering 12 days of deals. Subscribe by entering your name, call sign, and e-mail address in the fields provided. You'll receive an e-mail a day for 12 days with a special online deal. Each deal is valid for 1 day only at www.arrl.org/shop , and concludes Friday, December 16, 2016. Sign up now and unwrap a new deal every day! SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3 The annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD ) on-the-air activity will take place Saturday, December 3, from 0000 until 2400 UTC (starts on the evening of Friday, December 2, in US time zones). Developed by ARRL and the National Weather Service (NWS) in 1999, SKYWARN Recognition Day honors the contributions that SKYWARN volunteers make to the NWS mission -- the protection of life and property during threatening weather. During the SKYWARN Special Event, hams will operate from several NWS offices. W1AW will take part in the event. So will WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center, on HF, VHF, and UHF, plus APRS and /WinLink/ /./ WX4NHC activity will center on the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN ) frequency, 14.325 MHz. The object of the event is for all participating Amateur Radio stations to exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters, plus 70 centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. Stations will exchange call signs, signal reports, locations, and a one or two-word description of the weather at their respective locations (e.g., "sunny," "rainy," "partly cloudy," "windy"). NWS stations will use various modes, including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, and PSK31. While using digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call signs (e.g., N0A/NWS). Event certificates will be electronic and printable from the main website after the conclusion of SRD. An online submission form is available to submit your log summary for SRD. ARRL Seeks Nominations for Six Awards The ARRL is inviting nominations for awards that recognize educational and technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. Nominations are also open for the League's premier award to honor a young licensee. *The Hiram Percy Maxim Award* recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL member under age 21, whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities. Nominations for this award need to be made through your ARRL Section Manager, who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2017. *The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award* honors an ARRL volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or an ARRL professional classroom teacher who uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest values of the Amateur Radio community. The award highlights quality of and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations are due by March 15, 2017. *The ARRL Microwave Development Award* pays tribute to a radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017. *The ARRL Technical Service Award* recognizes a licensed radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017. *The ARRL Technical Innovation Award* is granted to a radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017. *The Knight Distinguished Service Award *was established to recognize exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2017. The ARRL Board of Directors selects all award recipients. Read more . Ad Hamvention^? Solicits Nominations for 2017 Awards The 2017 Hamvention *^? * Awards Committee, chaired by Frank J. Beafore, WS8B, has announced that nominations are open for 2017 awards, sometimes considered the Academy Awards of Amateur Radio. The program will bestow awards for Amateur of the Year, Technical Achievement, Special Achievement, and Club of the Year. "The Hamvention Awards event has been held since 1955," a Hamvention news release said. "Over these years, many amateurs have been honored for their dedication and selfless contributions to our avocation and to mankind." Nominees are invited for these awards. *Technical Achievement Award:* Given to a selected Amateur Radio operator who has achieved technical excellence within the realm of Amateur Radio. Examples are inventions, processes, discoveries, experiments, other technical accomplishments, or any other outstanding technical achievement that contributed to Amateur Radio. *Special Achievement Award:* Presented to a deserving radio amateur who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the radio art and/or science. This award is usually given to a respected amateur who has spearheaded a single significant project. *Amateur of the Year Award:* Honors a radio amateur who has made a long-term commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio. This individual will have a history of contribution to ham radio and will be dedicated to service, professionalism, and the advancement of Amateur Radio avocation. *Club of the Year:* Recognizes a club that clearly demonstrates its involvement in varied aspects of Amateur Radio for the greater good of their community and/or the nation. Below are links to forms dedicated to the appropriate award nomination. At a minimum, each form should be completed with the information indicated. Please make sure that the nominating person is identified with a method to reach them in the case of questions from the nomination committee. Separate nomination forms are provided for individual awards and for the club award . Submit forms via e-mail to awards at hamvention.org or via USPS to Hamvention Awards Committee, Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401-0964. The nomination period closes on February 1, 2017. Read more . In Brief... *JOTA 2016 Report Shows Participation was Up:* The Boy Scouts of America has released the final report on the 2016 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), and the news is good. Participation was up from 2015, despite what the report called "terrible propagation." According to the report, 10,761 Scouts took part, an increase of more than 50% from a year earlier, and the number of stations filing reports, at 267, jumped by 28% from 2015 (the record was 271 in 2013). The number of Amateur Radio operators was up by 14% to 1,120, although the number of radios reported in use dropped by 25% to 631. Total JOTA 2016 contacts remained flat at 8,254. Over the next several months, the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee will review various suggestions to determine improvements that can be made for JOTA 2017. These include concerns over conflicting on-the-air activities and the need for better advance publicity./-- Thanks to JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND/ *Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Offering Complete Ham Station to Essay Contest Winner:* The Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) has announced an exciting essay competition for young radio amateurs. Due to the generosity of the 2016 raffle winner Paul Ewing, N6PSE, and the co-founders of the YDXA, the winner of the essay contest will receive a complete Amateur Radio station. The prize includes an Alinco SR8T HF, a 12 V, 30 A power supply (Jetstream or equivalent), vertical antenna (Jetstream JTV680 or equivalent), and 100 feet of coax feed line fitted with PL-259 connectors. Eligibility is limited to Technician class or higher US licensees 12 to 18 years old, residing in the 48 contiguous US states. Entrants are to submit an essay of up to 500 words describing their involvement in, personal future plans for, and importance of Amateur Radio. All entries must be postmarked (or system dated, in the case of e-mail entries) by December 23, 2016. The winner will be announced no later than January 31, 2017. Entrants should adhere to all contest rules . *NCVEC Question Pool Committee Seeks Comments on the Technician Question Pool: *The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC ) Question Pool Committee (QPC) is reviewing the 2014-2018 Technician question pool for revisions and updates. The QPC will accept comments and suggestions from the Amateur Radio community via e-mail through March 31, 2017. The NCVEC QPC will take all comments and suggestions into consideration as it updates the Technician question pool for 2018-2022. Input from the Amateur Radio community may include suggestions for new questions, changes to the topic areas, or changes to existing questions in /any/ of the current Amateur Radio examination question pools. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ . . . . . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 28.7 to 32.9 over the November 24-30 reporting week. Average daily solar flux rose from 78.5 to 82.6. Geomagnetic indicators rose only slightly, with average planetary A index changing from 12.7 to 13.6, and average mid-latitude A index rising from 10.1 to 10.3. Predicted solar flux is 85 on December 1-3; 80 on December 4-8; 78 on December 9-11; 80 on December 12-13; 82 on December 14-15; 80 on December 16-17; 78 on December 18-19; 80 on December 20-22; 82 on December 23-24; 84 on December 25; 83 on December 26-27; 80 on December 28-29; 82 on December 30-31; 80 on January 1-2; 78 on January 3-7, and 80 on January 8-9. Predicted planetary A index is 6 on December 1-6; 15, 12, 18, 20, and 10 on December 7-11; 5 on December 12-17; 8, 12, 16, and 22 on December 18-21; 30, 12, and 10 on December 22-24; 8 on December 25-27; 5 on December 28-January 2, and 15, 12, 18, 20, and 10 on January 3-7. Sunspot numbers for November 24 through 30 were 12, 12, 13, 31, 44, 43, and 75, with a mean of 32.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 79, 80.9, 81.2, 82.6, 85.2, 85.5, and 83.6, with a mean of 82.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 24, 33, 12, 10, 8, 5, and 3, with a mean of 13.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 17, 24, 9, 9, 7, 4, and 2, with a mean of 10.3. Here is an interesting chart from London's /Daily Mail/. The blue line is an average of Solar Cycles 1 through 23. The red line is the current cycle 24, and the gray line is Solar Cycle 5, which may be similar to the current cycle. Send me your reports or observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * December 1 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital) * *December 2-4 -- **ARRL 160 Meter Contest* *(CW)* * December 3 -- TARA RTTY Melee * December 3 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW) * December 3-4 -- TOPS Activity Contest (CW) * December 4 -- 10 Meter RTTY Contest * December 4 -- SARL Digital Contest * December 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW) * *December 10-11 -- **ARRL 10 Meter Contest* *(CW, phone)* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions * December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida * January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention , Bethpage, New York * January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention , Lawrenceville, Georgia * January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention , Forest Hill, Texas * January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention , Forsyth, Georgia * January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention , Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * February 4 - South Carolina State Convention , North Charleston, South Carolina * February 4 -- Virginia State Convention , Richmond, Virginia * February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention (HamCation), Orlando, Florida * February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention , Hoxie, Arkansas February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference , Sarasota, Florida 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 bimonthly, 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 and Instagram ! 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 ? 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 2 14:18:53 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2016 14:18:53 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] A Message from Jeff In-Reply-To: <20161202185857.E385420E1539@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20161202185857.E385420E1539@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: Holiday greetings to all, We hope you and your families had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday as we have much to be thankful for. 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 2017 calendars for the upcoming Southwest FL Hamfest in Fort Myers on January 20 & 21 and our Southern Florida Section Convention in Fort Lauderdale on February 3 & 4. Southwest Florida Regional Hamfest Start Date: 01/20/2017 End Date: 01/21/2017 Location: Gulf Coast Church of Christ 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway Fort Myers, FL 33901 Website: http://fmarc.net/hamfest Sponsor: Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club Type: ARRL Hamfest Talk-In: 146.345 (PL 136.5) Public Contact: Lawrence Zimmer , W4LWZ 1719 NW 21st Street Cape Coral, FL 33993 Phone: 239-282-1526 Email: W4LWZ at arrl.net Southern Florida Section Convention Start Date: 02/03/2017 End Date: 02/04/2017 Location: War Memorial Auditorium 800 NE 8th Street Ft. Lauderdale, FL Website: http://hamboree.org Sponsor: Dade Radio Club of Miami, Inc. Type: ARRL Convention Talk-In: 147.000 (PL 94.8) Public Contact: Lloyd Kurtzman , N4LJK 8266 Mills Drive PO Box 835367 Miami, FL 33283 Phone: 305-332-9142 Email: LLOYD0703 at gmail.com 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 December 9 & 10. West Central Florida Section Convention Start Date: 12/09/2016 End Date: 12/10/2016 Location: Strawberry Festival Agriculture Center 2508 East Oak Avenue Plant City, FL 33564 Website: http://www.tampabayhamfest.org Sponsor: Florida Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Council Type: ARRL Convention Talk-In: 145.410 (PL 131.8) Public Contact: Bill Williams , AG4QX 3215 West Tambay Avenue Tampa, FL 33611-1539 Phone: 813-837-3833 Email: ag4qx at arrl.net And don?t forget the 2017 ARRL Southeastern Division Convention in Orlando. Hope to see you at these events next year. Southeastern Division Convention Start Date: 02/10/2017 End Date: 02/12/2017 Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32801 Website: http://www.hamcation.com Sponsor: Orlando Amateur Radio Club Type: ARRL Convention Talk-In: 146.760 (no PL tone) Public Contact: Lidy Meijers , KJ4LMM PO Box 574962 Orlando, FL 32857 Phone: 407-841-0874/800-214-7541 Email: info at hamcation.com On December 7th the Martin County Amateur Radio Association and Martin County ARES/RACES will hold a special event station using call K4ZK from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Road to Victory Military Museum, 319 SE Stypmann Blvd, Stuart, FL. Another successful ARISS contact was held at the Boca Raton Christian School on November 7th. The school partnered with members of the West Palm Beach ARC assisted by SFL ARISS mentors Ryan, W4NTR and Steve, W1HQL and SFL ASM Barry, KB1PA. Congratulations to all ! December Youngsters on the Air Event Set The annual Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) event takes place during the entire month of December, with YOTA stations attempting to contact many other young radio amateurs around the world. The event offers an excellent opportunity for get radio amateurs in their teens and early 20s to get together on the air. ?The idea of this is to show the Amateur Radio hobby to youth and to encourage youngsters to be active within the hobby,? said International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU-R1) Youth Working Group Chair Lisa Leenders, PA2LS. ?Consider giving a demonstration at a school or local club, gather together with your friends, grab a pizza, and make some QSOs, or enjoy a great pile-up. Let?s show this great hobby to the world!? This is not a formal contest but a way to get young people on the air with their peers. Numerous participating stations, primarily in Region 1, will be sporting YOTA call sign suffixes. 2016 SFL Field Day Results # Call Score Category QSOs Power Mult GOTA Call Section Participants Club 1 K4LRA 8,120 4A 2,205 2 SFL 13 Lighthouse AR Alliance 2 W4MLB 7,104 2F 1,786 2 AF4Z SFL 38 3 W4SS 5,348 2A 1,383 2 SFL 20 Palms West ARC 4 W8HW 5,000 1E 485 5 SFL 1 5 N4BP 4,846 1D 1,199 2 SFL 1 6 N4UM 3,570 1E 352 5 SFL 2 7 W4LX 3,450 7A 544 2 SFL 20 Fort Myers ARC 8 N4BRF 3,126 3E 680 2 SFL 15 9 W4J 2,986 2A 823 2 SFL 50 Jupiter Tequesta Rep Group 10 WX4MC 2,728 2A 539 2 SFL 24 Martin Cty ARES 11 W4HAW 2,584 4A 467 2 N4NAQ SFL 615 West Palm Beach ARG 12 W4AB 2,472 2A 554 2 NA4DC SFL 48 Broward ARC & Davie Cooper City ARC 13 W4SLC 2,406 2A 462 2 SFL 27 St. Lucie Cty ARES/ FP ARC/PSL ARA Combined FD 14 W4OT 2,140 3A 489 2 KC2LXV SFL 25 Vero Beach ARC 15 W4BUG 2,078 2A 437 2 N4FL SFL 40 Gold Coast ARA 16 W4F 2,024 4F 837 2 SFL 20 ARA of SW FL 17 K4HRS 1,470 1A 308 2 SFL 10 Harris - Intersil ARC 18 N1KSC 1,144 2A 197 2 SFL 6 Kennedy Space Center ARC 19 K4FAU 1,024 2A 287 2 SFL 18 Florida Atlantic Univ ARC 20 AJ4IR 674 2A 135 2 SFL 8 Indian RIver ARC 21 NK4DX 600 1B1B 50 5 SFL 1 22 WA1LBG 534 1E 96 2 SFL 1 23 K4RUM 518 1D 240 1 SFL 1 24 KG4EOC 486 3F 57 2 SFL 14 Osceola Cty ARES 25 WB4CPJ 408 1E 79 2 SFL 1 26 K3QC 338 1D 72 2 SFL 1 27 WC4H 276 1D 59 2 SFL 1 28 KA4PNE/M 142 1C 21 2 SFL 1 29 N2NYR 116 1E 8 2 SFL 1 30 AJ4PN 68 1D 9 2 SFL 1 31 NP2OR 16 1D 8 2 SFL 1 My thanks to all of you who answered the call to contact Senators Nelson and Rubio. For those of you who have not done so, please go to the Rally Congress page at the ARRL website. We have worked too hard on this legislation to lose out at the end of the trail due to lack of support on our part. ARRL Calls on Members to Press for US Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act ARRL once again is calling on its members to urge their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301) when it comes up in the Senate during the ?lame duck? session of Congress that adjourns in mid-December. The House of Representatives approved the bill in September, but if the Senate does not follow suit, the bill will die, and the entire process will have to be repeated. ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board?s Legislative Advocacy Committee and has been heavily involved in efforts to move H.R. 1301 forward, said today, ?The clock is ticking!? ?We begin the e-mail campaign once again, as the US Senate returns to work this week after a month-long hiatus,? Lisenco said. ?We were just beginning to build momentum in the Senate following the unanimous passage of the Parity Act in the House when Congress shut down for the 4 weeks prior to Election Day.? The task is simple: Go to our Rally Congress page, enter your ZIP code, fill in your name and address, press enter, and e-mails will go directly to your Senators. Members may do this, even if they have already contacted their US Senators for support. ?We have to remind our legislators that we are still here and that we need the Amateur Radio Parity Act to become law,? Lisenco stressed. ?We must to do this now as we have, at most, only 4 weeks left in the session to get the bill passed this year. Otherwise, we will have to begin the entire process in 2017 with a new 115th Congress.? There are no guarantees, Lisenco said, and we are subject to the political bickering that goes on daily between the parties, despite the fact that the bill is truly a bipartisan effort. ?In order to have a chance at overcoming political obstacles that have little or nothing to do with the legislation, we need our voices to be heard,? he said. ?And we need that input today!? September?s victory in the US House was the culmination of many years of effort on ARRL?s part to gain legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities to erect efficient outdoor antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules ?to prohibit the application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and for other purposes.? While similar bills in past years gained some traction on Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301, and ARRL?s relentless and strident efforts on Capitol Hill that this bill made it this far. As the amended bill provides, ?Community associations should fairly administer private land-use regulations in the interest of their communities, while nevertheless permitting the installation and maintenance of effective outdoor Amateur Radio antennas. There exist antenna designs and installations that can be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the Amateur Radio services.? SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3 The annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) on-the-air activity will take place Saturday, December 3, from 0000 until 2400 UTC (starts on the evening of Friday, December 2, in US time zones). SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and ARRL to honor the contributions that SKYWARN volunteers make to the NWS mission ? the protection of life and property during threatening weather. During the SKYWARN Special Event, hams will operate from several NWS offices. W1AW will take part in the event. The object of the event is for all participating Amateur Radio stations to exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters plus 70 centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. Stations will exchange call signs, signal reports, locations, and a one or two-word description of the weather at their respective locations (e.g., ?sunny,? ?rainy,? ?partly cloudy,? ?windy?). NWS stations will use various modes, including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, and PSK31. While using digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call signs (e.g., N0A/NWS). Event certificates will be electronic and printable from the main website after the conclusion of SRD. An online submission form is available to submit your log summary for SRD. SRD Webinar Set A webinar will be offered on November 30 at 0100 UTC (the evening of November 29 in US time zones) in advance of the 18th SKYWARNRecognition Day (SRD) on December 3. Register for the webinar online. The pre-event webinar will cover SKYWARN Recognition Day basics, explain how to participate, and alert participants to a few changes in store for 2016. The webinar will be recorded and posted to the ARRL YouTube channel. ARRL Seeks Nominations for Six Awards The ARRL is inviting nominations for awards that recognize educational and technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. Nominations are also open for the League?s premier award to honor a young licensee. The Hiram Percy Maxim Award recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL member under age 21, whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities. Nominations for this award need to be made through your ARRL Section Manager, who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2017. The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award honors an ARRL volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or an ARRL professional classroom teacher who uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest values of the Amateur Radio community. The award highlights quality of and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations are due by March 15, 2017. The ARRL Microwave Development Award pays tribute to a radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017. The ARRL Technical Service Award recognizes a licensed radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017. The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted to a radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017 The Knight Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2017. The ARRL Board of Directors selects all award recipients. Winners are typically announced following the Board?s July meeting. More information about these awards on the ARRL website, or contact Sean Kutzko, KX9X (860-594-0328) at ARRL Headquarters. JOTA 2016 Report Shows Participation was Up The Boy Scouts of America has released the final report on the 2016 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), and the news is good. Participation was up from 2015 despite what the report called ?terrible propagation.? According to the report, 10,761 Scouts took part, an increase of more than 50% from a year earlier, and the number of stations filing reports, at 267, jumped by 28% from 2015 (the record was 271 in 2013). The number of Amateur Radio operators was up by 14% to 1,120, although the number of radios reported in use dropped by 25% to 631. Total JOTA 2016 contacts remained flat at 8,254. Over the next several months, the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee will review various suggestions to determine improvements that can be made for JOTA 2017. These included concerns over conflicting on-the-air activities and the need for better advance publicity. The 15th running of the Miami Marathon will take place on January 29, 2017, and we urgently need amateur radio operators. Thanks to those of you who have already confirmed, either as a new or returning communications volunteer. If you have not yet confirmed, please let me know as soon as possible if you will be able to help again in January. I will hold all of last year's posts (subject to possible changes in the race route) until the end of November, and will do everything possible to accommodate any special requests or locations. We are expecting more than 25,000 runners and thousands of kids in the fantastic Run for Something Better Program. By volunteering, you are helping our community raise millions of dollars for a wide range of critical charities, and also promoting health and fitness in our schools. Please call or email Ben Nemser WA4DZS at 305-439-7190 or bnemser at nemal.com Silent Keys- It is with deep regret that we report the passing of the following SFL members: Southern Florida Assistant Section Manager Ray Kassis, N4LEM, SK ARRL Southern Florida Assistant Section Manager Ray Kassis, N4LEM, of Cocoa, Florida, died unexpectedly on November 9. He was 69. Licensed as WB4CTZ in 1966, he served the ARRL Southern Florida Section for many years in various capacities, most recently as Space Coast District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) and Assistant Section Manager (ASM). Kassis had been the Brevard County Emergency Coordinator (EC) since 1991, and he was instrumental in constructing several mobile communications units in the area. He was the owner of, and air personality on, WWBC radio, where he maintained a second ham station. ?We have suffered a great loss in our Section family with Ray?s passing,? said Southern Florida Section Manager Jeff Beals, WA4AW. ?Ray was a dear friend and a valued member of my section staff.? 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from messages, go to: http://p1k.arrl.org/oo/ba6cccfbc9d6df906e3267d4d90ab8e0 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 3 13:46:00 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2016 13:46:00 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] What is the "Da Vinci Glow"? You can see it this weekend... In-Reply-To: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085dd71faae82a.20161203174925@mail205.atl121.mcsv.net> References: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085dd71faae82a.20161203174925@mail205.atl121.mcsv.net> Message-ID: *Space Weather News for Dec. 3, 2016* http://spaceweather.com https://www.facebook.com/spaceweatherdotcom *WHAT IS THE DA VINCI GLOW?* Five hundred years ago, Leonardo da Vinci proposed an outlandish theory explaining why the Moon's surface glows during the lunar night. Turns out, his idea was correct. This weekend is a great time to see the "Da Vinci Glow" for yourself. Observing tips and the full story of da Vinci's imaginative leap are highlighted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com . *LARGE CORONAL HOLE TURNING TOWARD EARTH:* A large hole in the sun's atmosphere has formed and it is turning toward Earth. Solar wind emerging from the opening could reach Earth as early as Dec. 6-7 and influence the space environment of our planet for several days. Visit Spaceweather.com for more information and updates. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Dec 4 11:02:51 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2016 11:02:51 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Building Simple Bench Power Supplies from Your Old PC's Message-ID: Convert your old PC Power Supply for use as a Power Supply for your Shop. This guide has almost every ATX computer power supply to bench power supply published to date on Instructables ( as of Dec 2014, about 70 unique instructables). It should be interesting to both those who want to do a conversion, and to those interested in the evolution of a popular topic that has been done over and over on the site. Sometimes the new projects had something to add sometimes not so much. http://www.instructables.com/id/Encyclopedia-of-ATX-to-Bench-Power-Supply-Conversi/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Dec 4 17:18:44 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2016 17:18:44 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Try This For W.A.S. In-Reply-To: <158cb5dca90-6709-5dab@webprd-m48.mail.aol.com> References: <158cb5dca90-6709-5dab@webprd-m48.mail.aol.com> Message-ID: http://jimspages.com/States.htm From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 5 12:34:07 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2016 12:34:07 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] NI4BK Battleship North Carolina Message-ID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY6haEeNPOg NI4BK will be on the air from BB-55, the USS North Carolina, a WW II battleship. To mark the anniversary of the December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attack, Operator WD4OIN, Jack, says this station will be on the air December 7 from 1400-2100Z, 20 meters. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 5 12:38:57 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2016 12:38:57 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Battleship Iowa Special Event to Commemorate Pearl Harbor Attack Message-ID: From ARRL.org Battleship Iowa Special Event to Commemorate Pearl Harbor Attack 12/01/2016 Members of the Battleship /Iowa/ Amateur Radio Association (*BIARA* ) will mark the 75th anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Wednesday, December 7, 1600-2359 UTC, operating shipboard from the /Iowa/ as NI6BB. The primary BIARA team will staff SSB and CW stations on 20 through 10 meters, commensurate with conditions. Suggested frequencies are 14.041, 18.078, 21.041, 24.896, and/or 28.041 MHz on CW, and 14.341, 18.141, 21.441, 24.941, and/or 28.441 MHz on SSB. The ?gray radio gang? will operate the ship?s c1980s radio gear on 40 meters, SSB, 1800-2300 UTC, on 7.241 MHz. The transmitters are on Deck 3, and the receivers are on the Main Deck, so stations should ensure they are on frequency before call in. There will be a delay between transmit and receive, due to the receiver recovery time. QSL information is on the *NI6BB QRZ.com profile* ./? Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News via OPDX / // http://www.arrl.org/news/battleship-iowa-special-event-to-commemorate-pearl-harbor-attack From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 8 17:45:03 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2016 17:45:03 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] From Bob Heil... In-Reply-To: <4AC66407-5BA4-4410-97BF-14C7FE117E64@heilsound.com> References: <4AC66407-5BA4-4410-97BF-14C7FE117E64@heilsound.com> Message-ID: <01f25817-feca-2bf7-a265-a2a5e8d820f9@bellsouth.net> From another list: Hello Everyone.... If you missed the Ham Nation broadcast last evening, you will want to watch the replay. Put Ham Nation into Google. The featured guest was Tom Gallagher the new CEO at the ARRL. Tom is a hams ham and as you will experience, he is one great person to head up the new direction (finally) for the ARRL and especially AM. You will not believe hearing Tom tell the world how much he loves and operates AM! You never have heard that from the ARRL before. Quite the opposite. Check out last nights show. The show focus was this Special Event sunday celebrating the 95th Anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between Greenwich, Ct and Scotland. Here is the text that Tom just sent and I want to share it will all of my AM friends. I return to Pleasant Hope Saturday so will be on Sunday afternoon after Sarah and I return from our church service. I look forward to catching up next week on Mokam.... have missed you guys.. BOB HEIL, K9EID Begin forwarded message: > From: "Gallagher, Tom, NY2RF" > Subject: Thanks > Date: December 8, 2016 12:11:19 PM CST > To: Bob Heil > Cc: "Duffy, Tim K3LR" , Steve Thomas > > Bob: thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Here?s an advance from today?s ARRL letter on the event. Can you fwd to Gordon and anybody else who you think ought to have it. > Kindest personal regards, Tom > > From tomorrow?s ARRL Weekly Letter (advance text) > Reminder: December 11 Special Event will Commemorate Transatlantic Reception Anniversary > An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception betweenGreenwich, Connecticut, and Ardrossan, Scotland. ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), and the Radio Club of America (RCA), are partnering in sponsoring the activity. The Greenwich Historical Society will also participate. > > ARRL's "Successful Overseas Listener" Paul Godley, 2ZE, returned to the US "a conquering hero," QST said in 1922. > On December 11, 1921, a radio signal transmitted from the location of 1BCG in Connecticut, was heard in Scotland by Paul Godley, 2ZE, during the second ARRL transatlantic tests. The special event will use N1BCG, the call sign of Clark Burgard of Greenwich, a radio history buff who was instrumental in making arrangements for the event. > The N1BCG special event, which will be set up at a school near the original 1BCG site, will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. Operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 meters; CW and SSB on 40 meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 meters. Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM), 7.235 (SSB), 7040 (CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125 (SSB), and 18.088 MHz CW. > The event will include an attempt at a two-way contact between N1BCG and GB2ZE in Ardrossan. > > Tom Gallagher ? NY2RF > Chief Executive Officer > ARRL Headquarters > ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio? > 860 594 0404 cell 704 907 7158 > tgallagher at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 9 16:14:13 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2016 16:14:13 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for December 8, 2016 In-Reply-To: <20161208232435.9FF0B201A5B8@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20161208232435.9FF0B201A5B8@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-12-08 The ARRL Letter December 8, 2016 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * Greg Walden, W7EQI, to Chair Powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee <#toc01> * ARRL Transitioning to New Digital Publishing Platform <#toc02> * FCC Affirms Penalty for Unlicensed Amateur Operation, Making False Distress Call <#toc03> * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc04> * National Parks on the Air Update <#toc05> * Use of New Web Log Upload App Encouraged for ARRL 10 Meter Contest Participants <#toc06> * /Reminder/ : December 11 Special Event will Commemorate Transatlantic Reception Anniversary <#toc07> * Emergency Communication Exercise Uses "Hamsphere^? " to Introduce Youth to Virtual Ham Radio <#toc08> * Contribute to ARRL through Your IRA <#toc09> * ARRL Foundation Board Approves Two New Scholarships for Young Radio Amateurs <#toc10> * Elves at OF9X Bring the Spirit of Christmas to Ham Radio <#toc11> * In Brief... <#toc12> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc15> Greg Walden, W7EQI, to Chair Powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee US Rep. Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), who has championed the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301 ) as the chair of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, will chair the US House Energy and Commerce Committee when the 115th Congress convenes in January. Energy and Commerce is considered one of the most powerful congressional panels on Capitol Hill. *US Rep. Greg Walden, W7EQI.* Walden defeated the more senior Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) to succeed Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who is stepping down from the chairmanship because of term limits. Members of the House GOP Steering Committee elected Walden on December 1 in a closed-door meeting. Walden, who represents Oregon's 2nd congressional district, gained favor within the Republican Party after serving two terms as head of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The nine-term Oregon lawmaker had campaigned around the country with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) during the run-up to the November election, and Walden's selection to head Energy and Commerce over a more senior colleague is being considered recognition of his role in the GOP's election successes. During a Capitol Hill hearing last January, Walden, a cosponsor of H.R. 1301, called the measure "a commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues to support reporting the bill favorably to the full committee. In July, Walden had recommended the amended version of the bill to his colleagues as "a good balance." The Amateur Radio Parity Act bill has been awaiting action in the US Senate. ARRL Transitioning to New Digital Publishing Platform ARRL is moving to a new digital publishing platform! The January 2017 digital edition of /QST/ will be the first produced using /PageSuite/. ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY, said the transition from the current /Nxtbook/ platform to /PageSuite/ not only will improve members' reading experience, it will be more convenient. "/PageSuite/ provides a sleek, modern design that runs on desktop browsers, mobile browsers, and within apps for mobile devices," Ford said. "/PageSuite/ does not require /Flash /but uses /HTML5/ instead. This alleviates many security concerns and makes the magazine more broadly compatible." New /QST/ issues, beginning with the January 2017 edition, will take up less space on mobile devices, speeding up download time. Added features include digital /bookmarks/ to save a page and pick up right where you left off, and a /clipping tool/ to save or share important passages as JPEG files. Video files will be hosted on YouTube in high resolution. The new application is compatible with Android devices, iOS devices -- including iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads -- and will be newly available to Kindle Fire. These apps will receive regular, quick updates in order to keep the application running smoothly. *A sample of the digital edition of /QST/ produced using the PageSuite platform (click for larger image). * Ford said the link to the digital edition of the monthly journal will remain in the same spot on the /QST/ website, and members will continue to be notified of its release via e-mail. ARRL has compiled a "how-to" guide to help members navigate /PageSuite/, which will be available on the /QST/ web page on the day the January digital edition is announced. The announcement concerning the availability of the January issue of /QST/ in the new desktop/laptop version, the how-to guide, and the new digital /QST/ apps, will be forthcoming. Members can use the online digital /QST/ feedback form to comment on the new platform when it is available. To ease the transition, /Nxtbook/ applications will continue to function on iOS and Android devices until January 1. FCC Affirms Penalty for Unlicensed Amateur Operation, Making False Distress Call The FCC has affirmed a $23,000 penalty against Daniel Delise of Astoria, New York, for operating without an Amateur Radio license on 147.96 MHz and for transmitting a false officer-in-distress call on a New York City Police Department (NYPD) radio channel. The FCC's December 5 /Forfeiture Order/ follows its August 31 /Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture /(/NAL/ ), which detailed a history of complaints and alleged illegal radio operation by Delise dating to 2012. "The penalty represents the full amount proposed in the /Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture/, and is based on the full base forfeiture amount as well as an upward adjustment reflecting Mr. Delise's decision to continue his misconduct after being warned that his actions violated the Communications Act and the Commission's rules," the FCC /Forfeiture Order/ said. The FCC said Delise's response to the /NAL/ offered "no reason to cancel, withdraw, or reduce the proposed penalty." Last summer, ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, credited the intervention of New York Rep. Peter King with getting the case "off the back burner and up to the front of the line." Lisenco and ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, met with the Republican congressman in January to discuss ongoing interference issues in the Greater New York City/Long Island area. King subsequently wrote FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to urge "timely and visible enforcement." The September 15 response to the /NAL/ did not deny that Delise violated the Communications Act and FCC rules but argued that the FCC should reduce or cancel the fine because he is currently incarcerated and has no income or assets. The FCC turned away that argument, saying that Delise did not provide any documentation to substantiate his claim of inability to pay. Last April, the FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a /Notice of Unlicensed Operation/ , after determining that Delise was transmitting on 147.96 MHz, a repeater input. Not long after, the NYPD informed an FCC field agent that police had taken Delise into custody for "sending out false radio transmissions" over the NYPD radio system and for possessing radios capable of operating on NYPD frequencies, in violation of state law. Delise, who could have been fined more than $140,000, has 30 days to pay the fine. He's now in prison as a result of the false police call and guilty pleas to other charges. Ad The Doctor Will See You Now! "Yagi Antennas" is the topic of the latest (December 1) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In " podcast. Listen...and learn! Sponsored by DX Engineering , "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor at arrl.org , and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes , or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry , or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide . Next time: "Antenna System Troubleshooting." National Parks on the Air Update With 3 weeks to go until the end of ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA ) program, Activators continue to operate from qualified NPS sites in record numbers. The contact count stands at more than 953,100, an increase of nearly 40,000 since December 1. There are NPOTA activations every day -- plenty of opportunities to work stations, increase your NPOTA totals as a Chaser, and contribute to the goal of #1MillionQSOs . Thirty-eight activations are scheduled for the week of December 8-15, including Saint Paul's Church National Historical Site in New York, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Memorial in Washington, DC. Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar. Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook . Follow NPOTA on Twitter (@ARRL_NPOTA). Use of New Web Log Upload App Encouraged for ARRL 10 Meter Contest Participants One of the more popular annual operating events -- the ARRL 10 Meter Contest -- is this weekend, December 10-11, beginning at 0000 UTC on Saturday (Friday evening in US time zones) and winding up 48 hours later at 2359 UTC on Sunday. The object is simple: Exchange contact information with as many stations as possible on 10 meters. The ARRL 10 Meter Contest is open to all radio amateurs, because Technician licensees have access to the band. More contest newbies are active in the 10 Meter Contest than in any other event, and it's a good time to get acquainted with contesting techniques too. *The increasingly active Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society's ET3AA was on during the 2015 ARRL 10 Meter Contest: (L-R) Robel Hayelom, Biniam Kassahun, and Efrim Dessalew. [Ken Claerbout, K4ZW, photo]* Participants submitting logs for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest are urged to take advantage of the new web upload app . This app makes it easy to submit a Cabrillo-formatted log, plus it makes sure the log is properly formatted before it's accepted. The article, "Online Log Upload for ARRL Contests," on page 82 of the November issue of /QST/, explains how to use the app. A wide range of entry categories is available for this event, and you can operate CW, SSB, or both. Stations in the US and Canada send a signal report and state or province. Alaska and Hawaii count as states; this is also one contest where the District of Columbia (DC) also counts as a multiplier. DX stations -- including KP2, KP4, etc. -- send a signal report and a sequential serial number starting with 001. Stations in Mexico transmit a signal report and state. Maritime mobile stations send a signal report and their ITU region (R1, R2, or R3). *A happy Dwight Brown, AD5DX, with his WAS certificate earned during the 2015 ARRL 10 Meter Contest. [Dwight Brown, AD5DX, photo]* In this contest, multipliers count twice -- once on phone and once on CW -- so there's an extra incentive to give both modes a try, even if you're a CW beginner! No matter how many -- or few -- contacts you make, submitting a log helps to improve the quality of log checking, and you might even find yourself in line for a certificate! If you're lucky, you could take a shot at one of the contest records . Post contest comments and photos of you and your station to the ARRL Soapbox page. Your story could be included in the ARRL 10 Meter Contest results article in /QST/. Read more . Ad /Reminder/: December 11 Special Event will Commemorate Transatlantic Reception Anniversary An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between Greenwich, Connecticut , and Ardrossan, Scotland. ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB ), and the Radio Club of America (RCA ) are partnering in sponsoring the activity. The Greenwich Historical Society will also participate. *ARRL**'s **"Successful Overseas Listener**" Paul Godley, 2ZE, returned to the US **"a conquering hero,**" /QST/ said in 1922.* On December 11, 1921, a radio signal transmitted from the location of 1BCG in Connecticut, was heard in Scotland by Paul Godley, 2ZE, during the second ARRL transatlantic tests. The special event will use N1BCG , the call sign of Clark Burgard of Greenwich, a radio history buff who was instrumental in making arrangements for the event. The N1BCG special event, which will be set up at a school near the original 1BCG site, will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. Operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 meters; CW and SSB on 40 meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 meters. Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM), 7.235 (SSB), 7.040 (CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125 (SSB), and 18.088 MHz CW. The event will include an attempt at a two-way contact between N1BCG and GB2ZE in Ardrossan. Emergency Communication Exercise Uses "Hamsphere^? " to Introduce Youth to Virtual Ham Radio Fifty students in Dominica were introduced to ham radio on November 23, in the form of a simulated emergency drill conducted via the virtual Amateur Radio platform /HamSphere/ . W1AW at ARRL Headquarters monitored the exercise. /HamSphere/ is a virtual Amateur Radio transceiver, available for iOS and Android devices. Under supervision, selected youth teams competed for speed and accuracy in a hurricane emergency communication drill, dubbed "Haminica 2016," while becoming familiar with this virtual version of Amateur Radio. *Brian Machesney, K1LI/J75Y (left), who helped to organize "Haminica 2016," works with some students during the exercise. * Sponsoring the project was Dominica's National Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (NTRC ), and NTRC Executive Director Craig Nesty and Engineer George James, J73GJ, were on hand for the exercise. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, observed "Haminica 2016" at W1AW using the /HamSphere/ 3.0 platform. Well-known DXer Martti Laine, OH2BH -- an enthusiastic HamSphere supporter -- and Brian Machesney, K1LI/J75Y, organized "Haminica 2016" and helped to conduct the Dominica exercise. While in Dominica, Laine celebrated his 70th birthday on the air as J70BH . The exercise scenario was a hurricane about to make landfall on the island. Laine said that, at one point, the group conducting the exercise had to evacuate the station on short notice. Laine said the NRTC is producing a video about the training exercise, and the event caught the attention of the national TV station, which reported the story in prime time. Contribute to ARRL through Your IRA Time is running short to contribute to ARRL from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The federal government has now made permanent the ability for those age 70-1/2 or older to contribute up to $100,000 per year from an IRA directly to qualifying charities /without/ having first to declare the donation as income. This means you can, for example, donate your annual required minimum distribution (RMD ) to ARRL without increasing your income for tax purposes. Depending on your personal tax situation, donating directly from your IRA to ARRL could have more tax advantages for you than a direct personal donation. Most custodians need a week or two to complete the transaction, so contact your IRA custodian as soon as possible! Here's how it works: Contact the custodian of your IRA plan and instruct the custodian to make a donation from your IRA directly to ARRL. Provide the plan custodian with ARRL's federal tax ID number 06-6000004 and legal name and address -- American Radio Relay League Inc., 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111-1494. It is important that the check from the custodian is made payable directly to ARRL. ARRL appreciates contributions of any size from your IRA. The custodian of your IRA then will send you an IRS Form 1099 showing that you, as the owner of the IRA, did not receive the plan distribution for your personal use. Most fund custodians will ask you to complete a direct donation form and will mail the plan distribution check directly to ARRL. For more information, contact the ARRL Development Office, (860) 594-0348. The Development Office is happy to help. ARRL strongly encourages individuals interested in supporting the League through an IRA distribution to consult with their attorney, tax/financial advisor, or accountant to determine the tax, or other, consequences of making such a gift. American Radio Relay League Inc. is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization. Ad ARRL Foundation Board Approves Two New Scholarships for Young Radio Amateurs The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors recently approved two new scholarships. */The Helen Laughlin AM Mode Memorial Scholarship/* The Helen Laughlin AM Mode Memorial Scholarship -- a scholarship intended for women Amateur Radio operators -- is funded through the generosity of the Laughlin-Beers Foundation and is intended exclusively for educational use -- to provide assistance with the costs of tuition, room, board, books, and/or other fees essential to the advanced education of the recipient. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited 4-year college or university, and hold a General or higher Amateur Radio license. It is suggested that the applicant have made a contact in AM mode, but this is not a requirement. Preference is given to Texas residents, but if no qualified applicant is identified, preference will be given to residents of Arkansas. If no qualified applicant is identified there, preference will be given to applicants residing in the ARRL West Gulf or Delta Divisions -- the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. If no women qualify, then the award will go to a qualifying male applicant. The scholarship award will be $1,000 annually, with the first scholarship granted in 2017. */The Atlanta Radio Club Scholarship/* The Atlanta Radio Club Scholarship is funded through the generosity of the Atlanta Radio Club, and is intended exclusively for educational use -- to provide assistance with the costs of tuition, room, board, books, and/or other fees essential to the advanced education of the recipient. Applicants must reside in Georgia, be between 17 and 25 years old at the time of the award, attend an accredited 4-year college or university, or graduate program, and hold a Technician or higher Amateur Radio license. The scholarship award will be $500 annually, with the first scholarship awarded in 2017. One scholarship is to be awarded per year. In the case of all ARRL Foundation-administered scholarships, the Foundation shall determine the recipients of the award to be academically superior and the best among the scholarship applicants. Applicants for both scholarships must be US citizens. The ARRL Foundation is currently accepting applications from eligible radio amateurs for more than 80 scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000, which will be awarded in 2017. More information is on the ARRL Foundation web page. Applications for the 2017 scholarship process must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 2017. Elves at OF9X Bring the Spirit of Christmas to Ham Radio As in past years, Santa Claus will be spreading the spirit of Christmas via Amateur Radio, but this year the elves are taking over the show. Twelve elves are operating OF9X ("Old-Father-Nine-Christmas") for the entire month of December, each with a 3-letter identification. Radio amateurs can work OF9X on all bands and modes, from 630 meters (where authorized) to 70 centimeters. Each contact is worth 1 point for stations in Europe and 2 points for stations outside Europe. The elves provide the multiplier -- up to 12 -- to determine your final score. Only contacts made in 2016 are valid. Logs are available on ClubLog, and the log will indicate which elf was worked, in case you miss the ID. *Certified reindeer driver and Laplander Pertti "Pete" Koivula, OH2BEE/OH9U, is giving Santa a face and voice this year. Koivula is a well-known Finnish actor.* The elves on the air and their 3-letter IDs are Arto, OH2KW (ART); Arttu, OH2FB (ATU); Jyri, OH2KM (JYR); Martti, OH2BH (MAR); Niko, OH2GEK (NIK); Pauli, OH5BQ (PAU); Pekka, OH2TA (PEK); Pertti, OH2BEE (PER); Raimo, OH2BCI (RAI); Tom, OH6VDA (TOM); Pertti, OH2PM (SIM), and Erik, OH2LAK (LAK). Three awards are available: SKC Award (Santa is King of Christmas) -- at least 50 points; WMC Award (Warm and Memorable Christmas) -- at least 35 points, and RNS Award (Remember those Red Nose Elves) -- at least 20 points. E-mail your log and your point calculation by January 5, 2017. Full-color award certificates will be sent via return mail. Include the name to be printed on the award and your e-mail address. High-scoring operators and their children on each continent will be offered an opportunity to speak with Santa during Christmas week. Details will be available on the OF9X QRZ.com profile page. Read more . In Brief... *China Plans Lunar-Orbiting Amateur Radio Satellites:* China's Harbin Institute of Technology is developing a pair of lunar-orbiting satellites -- DSLWP-A1 and A2. According to Mingchuan Wei, BG2BHC, DSLWP is "a lunar formation-flying mission for low-frequency radio astronomy, Amateur Radio, and education," consisting of two microsatellites. Launch is planned in June 2018, to place the pair into a 200 ? 9,000 kilometer (approximately 124 ? 5,580 mile) lunar orbit. The Amateur Radio payload on DSLWP-A1 will provide telecommand uplink and telemetry and a digital image downlink. Open telecommand is also designed to allow radio amateurs to send commands to take and download images. The satellites are 50 ? 50 ? 40 centimeters, with a mass of about 45 kilograms and are three-axis stabilized, with two linear polarization antennas. The team has proposed downlinks for DSLWP-A1 on 435.425 MHz and 436.425 MHz, and downlinks for DSLWP-A2 on 435.400 MHz and 436.400 MHz, using GMSK with concatenated codes or JT65B. Harbin Institute of Technology also developed the /Lilac/ series of CubeSats. *Radio Australia Shortwave Broadcasts to End on January 31*: Another prominent shortwave broadcaster is going dark, "The SWLing Post" blog reports . Radio Australia has announced that it will cease its shortwave transmissions on January 31. The station, popular with SWLs, broadcasts in the 31-, 25-, 19-, and 16-meter bands. "The move is in line with the national broadcaster's commitment to dispense with outdated technology and to expand its digital content offerings, including DAB+ digital radio, online and mobile services, together with FM services for international audiences," the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) said in a news release. The ABC said it would put the money saved from ending shortwave broadcasting into other program distribution technology. *Ofcom Declines to Act in /Nightmare Neighbour/ Ham Radio Episode*: UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has declined to act on formal complaints about an October 27 episode of the Channel 5 television program /Nightmare Neighbour Next Door/. That episode focused on 75-year-old Armando Martins, M0PAM, of Kent, whose neighbors had made unsubstantiated claims that RF radiating from his 30-foot vertical antenna was detrimental to their health. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) weighed in following the airing of the show. Radio amateurs across the UK also complained that the program episode was replete with false claims and pointed out that Ofcom had never found any problems with Martins' station. A radio amateur for more than 60 years, Martins was first licensed as CR6IL in Portuguese West Africa (Angola). Complainants contended that the show was "materially misleading," and thus a breach of the Ofcom Broadcast Code . *ISS Packet Digipeater is Now on 70 Centimeters*: The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) packet digipeater aboard the ISS now is active on 437.550 MHz. The UHF frequency means users will have to make adjustments for Doppler on both uplink and downlink. The change to 70 centimeters comes in the wake of a problem that has sidelined the Ericsson VHF transceiver, so the UHF model has been put into service. The digipeater operates just as it did when it was on its former 145.825 MHz frequency. AMSAT suggests that users program a group of five memory pairs to permit an operating range that will compensate for Doppler, with transmit frequencies from 437.560 to 437.540 MHz, and receive frequencies from 437.540 to 437.560 MHz, in 5 kHz increments (i.e., the transceiver would be in simplex for 437.555 MHz). More information is available from the AMSAT website. Scheduled ARISS contacts and APRS operations will also utilize the Ericsson UHF transceiver in the /Columbia/ module./-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service/ The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: The average daily sunspot number for December 1-7 was 40.9, up 10 points from the previous 7 days. Solar flux has hardly changed, moving from 82.6 to 82.2. The average daily planetary A index dropped from 13.6 to 4.9, and the average mid-latitude A index dipped from 10.3 to 3.4. The latest prediction from NOAA and the US Air Force shows solar flux at 75 on December 8-10; 70 on December 11-13; 75 on December 14-15; 78 on December 16-18; 82 on December 19-20; 86 on December 21-27; 84 on December 28-31; 82 on January 1; 80 on January 2-3; 78 on January 4-8; 80 on January 9, and 82 on January 10-15. Their latest projection for Planetary A Index is 20 on December 8-9; 18, 12, and 8 on December 10-12; 5 on December 13-17; 8, 12, 16, and 22 on December 18-21; 30, 12, 10, and 8 on December 22-25; 5 on December 26-31; 8, 5, 12, and 15 on January 1-4; 20, 18, and 12 on January 5-7, and 5 on January 8-13. A summary of the 3-month moving average of observed daily sunspot numbers, from January through November 2016: 55.4, 53.5, 49, 45.3, 43.1, 35.4, 33, 33.5, 40, 39, and 29.6. Monthly average daily sunspot numbers for November were 22.4. This is down from 50.4, 37.4, and 29.1 for August through October. The downward trend in activity is obvious and undeniable. Sunspot numbers for December 1 through 7 were 49, 59, 62, 37, 37, 24, and 18, with a mean of 40.9. 10.7 cm flux was 84.5, 84.4, 84.7, 82.4, 82.7, 79.8, and 77.2, with a mean of 82.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 4, 3, 2, 4, 7, and 11, with a mean of 4.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 6, and 9, with a mean of 3.4. Send me your reports or observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ . . . . . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * *December 10-11 -- **ARRL 10 Meter Contest* *(CW, phone)* * December 10-11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW) * December 10-11 -- International Naval Contest (CW, phone) * December 10-18 -- AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (CW) * December 11-14 -- CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe Run (CW) * December 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions * December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida * January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention , Bethpage, New York * January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention , Lawrenceville, Georgia * January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention , Forest Hill, Texas * January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention , Forsyth, Georgia * January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention , Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * February 4 - South Carolina State Convention , North Charleston, South Carolina * February 4 -- Virginia State Convention , Richmond, Virginia * February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention (HamCation), Orlando, Florida * February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention , Hoxie, Arkansas * February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference , Sarasota, Florida 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 bimonthly, 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 and Instagram ! 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 ? 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 10 13:28:04 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2016 13:28:04 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, died in Senate! Message-ID: ARRL Vows Continued Pursuit of the Amateur Radio Parity Act in the 115th Congress 12/09/2016 The Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, died an unbefitting death as the 114th Congress of the United States drew to a close today. After having passed the House of Representatives on a unanimous vote, the bill stalled in the Senate due to the intervention of only one member, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). Over the course of the past year, Sen. Nelson has received thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls from concerned constituents asking for his support of H.R. 1301. Numerous meetings were held with his senior staff in an effort to move the legislation forward. Negotiations, which led to an agreement with the national association of homeowner?s associations and publicly supported by CAI and ARRL, were brushed aside by Sen. Nelson as irrelevant. In a final meeting with the Senator?s staff earlier this week, it became clear that no matter what was said or done, the Senator opposed the bill and refused to allow it to move forward. Unfortunately, as the bill did not receive floor time, the only manner in which it could get passed in the Senate would be through a process that required unanimous consent, which means no one opposes the bill. The legislation will be reintroduced in both houses of Congress after the 115th Session begins in January. We have already been in contact with the sponsors of the bill to allow for an early introduction, which will give us more time to obtain success. We believe that we can get his bill adopted given the fact that we were inches away from crossing the goal line. We will continue to need the support of the membership, particularly in Florida, as we go forward through the next year. http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-vows-continued-pursuit-of-the-amateur-radio-parity-act-in-the-115th-congress From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Dec 14 18:27:30 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2016 18:27:30 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Radio Garden Message-ID: <34CBA12C-5925-48A5-B7AA-00B494848E8A@bellsouth.net> Radio Garden Is An Extremely Cool Site That Lets You Listen to Worldwide Radio Stations by Spinning a Digital Globe https://www.google.com/amp/www.spin.com/2016/12/radio-garden-is-an-extremely-cool-site-that-lets-you-listen-to-worldwide-radio-stations-by-spinning-a-digital-globe%3Famp=1 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Dec 22 19:39:59 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:39:59 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLX021 Christmas Eve SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission Set References: <20161222192658.2D037200D696@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: > SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX021 > ARLX021 Christmas Eve SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission Set > > ZCZC AX21 > QST de W1AW > Special Bulletin 21 ARLX021 > From ARRL Headquarters > Newington CT December 22, 2016 > To all radio amateurs > > SB SPCL ARL ARLX021 > ARLX021 Christmas Eve SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission Set > > The Alexander Association has announced that it plans to have > Alexanderson alternator transmitter SAQ on the air for its > traditional Christmas Eve transmission. The 200 kW Alexanderson > alternator will transmit on 17.2 kHz on the morning of Christmas > Eve, December 24, starting with transmitter tune-up at around 0730 > UTC. The message transmission will take place at 0800 UTC. > > "Since the plant is old, there is always the risk that the > transmission will be cancelled on short notice," the Association > said in an announcement. Repairs following an early October fire in > the longwave antenna, attributed to arcing, had put the Christmas > Eve transmission in jeopardy this year. > > Dating from the 1900s, the Alexanderson alternator - essentially an > AC generator run at extremely high speed - can put out 200 kW but > typically is operated at less than one-half that power level. Once > providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a museum > piece and only put on the air on special occasions. It was built in > the 1920s. > > Christmas Eve activity will also take place on Amateur Radio > frequencies from SK6SAQ on or about 7.035 and 14.035 MHz (CW). Send > reception reports of SAQ or SK6SAQ via email at, info at alexander.n.se > . > NNNN > /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 23 09:50:08 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:50:08 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for December 22, 2016 References: <20161222223229.CA849204EB04@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <9A237E1E-8E51-4BBA-9CB9-F8DF2ED7C678@bellsouth.net> > > If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: > http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-12-22 > > > > December 22, 2016Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME > ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive Audio News > > > > National Parks on the Air Contact Tally Tops 1 Million! > The Digital Edition of January QST Now Available on New PageSuite Platform > FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to Step Down in January > The Doctor Will See You Now! > National Parks on the Air Update > Hawaii Amateur Radio Volunteers Assist Honolulu Marathon > Commemorative Fessenden Christmas Eve 600-Meter Transmissions Set > Christmas Eve SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission Set > Santa Turns to Remote Operating to Boost Radio Coverage of North America > Eleven US Schools, Organizations Advance to Next Stage of ARISS Ham Contact Selection > German Radio Amateurs Gain Access to 60-Meter Band > Chinese Over-the-Horizon Radar QRMing Low End of 40 Meters > Past AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, SK > In Brief... > The K7RA Solar Update > Just Ahead in Radiosport > Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions > ARRL Holiday Closings: ARRL Headquarters will be closed for the holidays on December 26 and January 2. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on those days. This is the final edition of The ARRL Letter for 2016. The ARRL Letter will not publish on December 29. ARRL Audio News will be on holiday hiatus on December 23 and 30. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! > > National Parks on the Air Contact Tally Tops 1 Million! > Participants in ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program have completed more than 1 million contacts! Activators operating from National Park Service units across the US and Chasers around the world pushed the contact tally over its goal this week. ARRL sponsored NPOTA to help the National Park Service celebrate its centennial. > > "National Parks on the Air has become one of the most popular events in the history of the League," NPOTA Administrator Sean Kutzko, KX9X, said. "It's been fun seeing so many hams take part." > > > Anthony Wiese, KG6LHW, operates from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon, accompanied by his wife, Aleda Cloud. > > Kutzko said the NPOTA Facebook group really helped drive participation, especially in the last 3 months, when it became clear that the 1 million-QSO goal was within reach. "Some 25,000 NPOTA contacts were uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW) every week since October," he noted. "The entire group came together and simply willed the 1 million-contact mark to be broken. It was incredible to watch!" He said some real friendships developed among those who frequented the NPOTA Facebook page. > > Those taking part in NPOTA made nearly 20,000 visits to 460 of the 489 NPS units eligible for NPOTA credit, including portions of the National Trails System and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Nearly 150 Chasers completed contacts with more than 400 of the 489 NPOTA units this year, while one Activator transmitted from more than 250 different NPS units in 2016. Kutzko said the activations effectively transported those National Park Service units via radio to all 50 states and more than 100 countries during 2016. > > Kutzko said NPOTA garnered interest from hams at all proficiency levels, but he was especially gratified to see how it encouraged less-experienced hams to acquire new skills, such as operating a portable station on battery power, learning CW, or discovering digital modes. "Pileups from some activations rivaled those during a major DXpedition -- if only for a few hours at a time," he added. > > > Fernando Ramirez-Ferrer, NP4JV, enjoyed the majesty of Grand Canyon National Park while handing out some NPOTA contacts via satellite. > > Jim Clark, Jr., an NPS Ranger at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site in Vermont, said NPOTA helped to generate greater awareness of his unit. "National Parks on the Air has afforded us the opportunity to connect with a much larger and more diverse audience than we could have ever imagined," he told ARRL. "We are pleased and proud that the world of Amateur Radio helped us to celebrate 100 years of service to the nation." > > Kutzko said being able to blend Amateur Radio with the history and scenery offered by the National Park Service was a wonderful gift. "We heard from countless amateurs who learned something about our country while operating from an NPS unit and experiencing 'the other side' of a pileup. There will be other on-air events from ARRL, but National Parks on the Air was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't think there will ever be anything quite like it in Amateur Radio again. I will miss it." > > NPOTA ends on December 31 at 2359 UTC! > > The Digital Edition of January QST Now Available on New PageSuite Platform > The digital edition of the January 2017 issue of QST is now available on the new PageSuite platform. The new viewing platform brings a number of changes, so members are advised to download and read the QST PageSuite Manual. > > If you view the digital edition of QST on an Apple smartphone or tablet, update your current QST app. In the App Store app, tap the Updates icon in the menu along the bottom, scroll until you see the QST app, and then tap UPDATE. This will overwrite the older app with the new PageSuite version. > > If you are an Android user, you will also need to update your current QST app. For both Apple and Android devices, updating to the new PageSuite app will clear your device of all previously downloaded QST issues. > > Finally, Kindle Fire users will be pleased to learn that there is a now a QST app for their device. Search for the QST app in the Kindle Fire app store. > > Important note: If prompted to enter an e-mail address upon signing into either the desktop version of Digital QST or the app, enter your ARRL website username instead. > > In the January issue . . . > > Build a high-voltage, lightweight power supply. > > Put a Yaesu FT-817 transceiver on 222 MHz. > > Add squelch delay lights to your station. > > Try an Arduino CW IDer. > > Build a motorized telescoping mast. > > Add software-defined radio technology to your existing transceiver. > > ...and much more! > > FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to Step Down in January > FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced that he will step down in January, when President Barack Obama's term ends. An Obama appointee, Wheeler has headed the Commission for 3 years. > > > Outgoing FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. > > "Sitting in this chair has been the greatest privilege of my professional career," Wheeler said on December 15, during his final FCC monthly open meeting. "I'm grateful to President Obama for the opportunity to serve and for the confidence he placed in me....It has been a privilege to work with my fellow Commissioners to help protect consumers, strengthen public safety and cybersecurity, and ensure fast, fair, and open networks for all Americans." > > Wheeler was a staunch proponent of the FCC's net neutrality policy, which has been opposed by conservatives as government overreach. > > When Wheeler departs on January 20, the FCC will be left with two Republicans -- Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly -- and one Democrat -- Mignon Clyburn, whose term ends in mid-2017. Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel failed to gain confirmation for another term before Congress adjourned and is expected to depart by year's end. The FCC's five commissioners are appointed by the president, the political balance favoring the party holding the White House. > > The Doctor Will See You Now! > "Antenna System Troubleshooting" is the topic of the latest (December 15) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In" podcast. Listen...and learn! > > Sponsored by DX Engineering, "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! > > Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor at arrl.org, and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. > > Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. > > If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide. Just ahead on December 29, "Restoring Old Radios." > > > National Parks on the Air Update > With 1 million contacts now in the log for ARRL's National Parks on the Air program, the NPOTA community has its eyes focused on a new target: 20,000 activations of NPS units. With 19,200 already in the books, NPOTA Activators will make a big push to get on the air from NPS units all across the country in a final dash to the finish line. Get in on the action as NPOTA ends with a roar on December 31! > > More than 80 activations are scheduled for the days remaining, including more than 20 on New Year's Eve, and the number is expected to grow. Listen for activations from Fort Matanzas National Monument in Florida, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ohio, Castle Mountains National Monument in California, and Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut, among many others. Don't miss your last chance to get involved with National Parks on the Air! > > Details about all upcoming activations are on the NPOTA activations calendar. Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow NPOTA on Twitter (@ARRL_NPOTA). > > Hawaii Amateur Radio Volunteers Assist Honolulu Marathon > Nearly 3 dozen Amateur Radio volunteers in Hawaii were up bright and early on Sunday, December 11, to support the 44th running of the Honolulu Marathon. The fourth largest marathon in the US attracts around 30,000 participants each year. The ham volunteers communicate vital information among race organizers, aid stations, transportation vehicles, and law enforcement, as well as at the finish line. > > > Glenn Martinez, AH6VF, was on the scene at 3:15 AM to set up at the finish line. > > "I participated in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Honolulu Marathons as a ham radio operator," said volunteer Clem Jung, KH7HO. "I thought this year was the best run, and we had the most hams participating." The 35 Amateur Radio volunteers supported communication on 2 meters and 70 centimeters, and some served as operators for non-amateur digital systems. > > Radio amateurs provided vital communication from vans and aid stations to the medical tent, where concerns ranged from a head injury to cramps and stomach pains. Amateur Radio volunteers ensured that the aid station and medical teams were ready to treat anyone needing help. > > Ralph Toyama, NH6PY, handled the critical role of net control station (NCS), and the ham radio volunteers kept him apprised of medical van locations, so the NCS could dispatch them where and when needed. > > Some Amateur Radio volunteers put in an 18-hour day for the marathon, remaining on duty until the last participant completed the 26.2-mile run. -- Thanks to ARRL PIO Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL > > Commemorative Fessenden Christmas Eve 600-Meter Transmissions Set > Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, of Forest, Virginia, will once again put his 600-meter experimental station on the air for a Christmas Eve commemorative transmission. The transmissions from WI2XLQ on 486 kHz will mark the 110th anniversary of Reginald Fessenden's audio broadcast on the airwaves, which may have been the first ever. > > Historical accounts say Fessenden played the violin -- or a recording of violin music -- and read a brief Bible verse. It's been reported that other radio experimenters and shipboard operators who heard Fessenden's broadcast were astounded to hear speech and music on their radios. > > > Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, built this replica of a 1920s MOPA transmitter using mostly vintage parts. [Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, photo] > > Justin will use a MOPA-design transmitter built largely with vintage parts to replicate early vacuum-tube equipment; not a Fessenden-period transmitter, it uses a UV-202 tube for the power amplifier. He will conduct a run-up to the event starting at around midday Eastern Time on Friday, December 23. The "official" event will begin on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, at 0001 UTC (the evening of December 23 in US time zones) and will continue for at least 24 hours. Justin plans to repeat the commemorative transmissions on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. > > For his transmitter in 1906, Fessenden used an ac alternator modulated by placing carbon microphones in series with the antenna feed line. Justin's homebuilt station is slightly more modern, based on a 1921 vacuum tube master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) design. The transmitter also uses Heising AM modulation, developed by Raymond Heising during World War I. > > Justin's WI2XLQ on-air operations coincide with dates in early radio history as a way to recognize and honor some of the earliest wireless pioneers and their achievements. Send listener reports directly to Brian Justin, WA1ZMS. > > Christmas Eve SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission Set > The Alexander Association plans to have Alexanderson alternator transmitter SAQ on the air for its traditional Christmas Eve transmission. The 200 kW Alexanderson alternator will transmit on 17.2 kHz on the morning of Christmas Eve, December 24, with tune-up at around 0730 UTC, and the message transmission following at 0800 UTC. > > "Since the plant is old, there is always the risk that the transmission will be cancelled on short notice," the Association said in an announcement. Repairs following an early October fire in the long-wave antenna (attributed to arcing) had put this year's Christmas Eve transmission in jeopardy. Dating from the 1900s, the Alexanderson alternator -- essentially an ac generator run at extremely high speed -- can put out 200 kW but typically is operated at much lower power. Once providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the air on special occasions. It was built in the 1920s. > > Christmas Eve activity will also take place on Amateur Radio frequencies from SK6SAQ on or about 7.035 and 14.035 MHz (CW). Send reception reports of SAQ or SK6SAQ. -- Thanks to Lars Kalland, SM6NM > > > Santa Turns to Remote Operating to Boost Radio Coverage of North America > The word from Santa Claus World near the North Pole in Finland is that the elves at OF9X will try remote operating to generate more contacts in North America. So far, OF9X has logged more than 20,000 contacts, but only 1,200 of them have been with US radio amateurs. > > "Efforts are continuing toward doubling that number, and more firepower is being added to the OF9X US script," a statement said this week. "Santa will arrive on American soil, activating W1/OF9X from New Hampshire. When finally boarding his sleigh, he will say goodbye to America as W7/OF9X from Tacoma, Washington. Working Santa from these two sites adds 25 points each to the Santa Award program, to compensate for Mother Nature's poor propagation." > > More information is on the OF9X QRZ.com profile. -- Thanks to Martti Laine, OH2BH > > Eleven US Schools, Organizations Advance to Next Stage of ARISS Ham Contact Selection > ARRL and AMSAT -- the US managing partners of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program -- have announced that 11 schools or organizations submitting proposals have been selected to advance to the next stage of planning to host scheduled Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members next year. ARISS's primary goal is to engage young people in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities and raise awareness of space exploration, radio communications, and related areas of study and career possibilities. > > ARISS anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for these US host organizations during the second half of 2017. The 11 candidate schools/organizations must now complete an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS technical team, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with NASA scheduling opportunities. > > The schools and organizations are: > > 2017 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree, Glen Jean, West Virginia > > Antietam Elementary School, Woodbridge, Virginia > > Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, Rhode Island > > Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, Illinois > > Fleet Science Center, BE WiSE Program, San Diego, California > > Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, Texas > > Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, Kansas City, Missouri > > Los Angeles Academy Middle School, Los Angeles, California > > Meadows Elementary School, Manhattan Beach, California > > South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, West Palm Beach, Florida > > West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, West Virginia > > German Radio Amateurs Gain Access to 60-Meter Band > On December 21, Amateur Radio operators in Germany gained access to the band 5.351.5 to 5.366.5 MHz with 15 W EIRP, and a maximum bandwidth of 2.7 kHz. Access applies to Class A licensees. Amateur Radio is secondary on 60 meters. > > The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) called users' attention to the IARU Region 1 band plan for 60 meters, which recommends CW and digital modes, maximum bandwidth of 200 Hz, from 5.351.5 to 5.354.0 MHz; all modes, maximum bandwidth of 2. 7 kHz (use USB for SSB), from 5.354.0 to 5.366.0 MHz, and all modes, maximum bandwidth of 20 Hz "with the least power," from 5.366.0 to 5.366.5 MHz. > > "Because a lot of radio amateurs must share this narrow 15 kHz band, everyone should keep transmissions short and avoid lengthy ragchews," the DARC advised in announcing access to the new allocation. > > Other countries are expected to grant access to the new, 15 kHz 60-meter band when the Final Acts of World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, which made the allocation available to Amateur Radio, go into effect on January 1, but the US will not be among them; the FCC has yet to allow Amateur Radio access to 60 meters beyond the five discrete channels already available. > > Chinese Over-the-Horizon Radar QRMing Low End of 40 Meters > The IARU Region 1 (IARU-R1) Monitoring System newsletter reports that one of China's HF Over-the-Horizon radars (OTH-R) has been transmitting on 6.999 MHz, impinging on the very low end of the 40-meter band. > > > Waveform of the Chinese OTH radar on 6.999 MHz, taken by Wolf Hadel, DK2OM. > > As the newsletter reported: "A jumping Chinese OTH radar covered the CW DX-edge of our exclusive 7 MHz band on November 17 at about 1500 UTC and later (long lasting)." The signal was 67 sweeps per second with a 10 kHz bandwidth. > > Elsewhere on 40 meters, military ALE transmissions have been heard from Kyrgyzstan on 7050.0 kHz. IARUMS also reports that the Australian Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) has been heard on 10.131 MHz in the amateur 30-meter band; Amateur Radio is secondary on 30 meters. > > Radio Eritrea appeared in November on 7180 kHz together with white noise from Ethiopia. The frequencies 7146.5, 7175, and 7185 kHz were reported to be still in use as well. > > Reports of Amateur Radio band intruders may be logged on the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System logger. > > > Past AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, SK > Past AMSAT-NA President Frank Robert "Robin" Haighton, VE3FRH, of Burlington, Ontario, died on December 2, after suffering a stroke in late November. A Life Member of Radio Amateurs of Canada and a member of ARRL, he was 79. Haighton served as AMSAT-NA president from 2000 until 2004, succeeding Keith Baker, KB1SF. Prior to that, he was an AMSAT executive vice president and a longtime member of the Board of Directors. As a founding member of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) project, he was one of two delegates from Canada. > > "Robin contributed significantly to ARISS through his ideas, guidance, and wise counsel," said AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight and ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. "He challenged members of our team to look at things in a different perspective. As a result of his sage advice, we were able to work through these issues and arrive at a common approach, both in developing and delivering ARISS hardware as well as supporting the technical mentoring of schools and local hams." > > During his tenure as AMSAT president and Board member, Haighton guided the organization through the launch -- and subsequent anomalies -- with the Phase 3D satellite, later AO-40 -- the most expensive and elaborate amateur satellite project in history. He was also instrumental in the subsequent development and launch of AO-51, one of the so-called "easy sats." Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service for some information > > In Brief... > Ring in the New Year with Straight Key Night: Every day is a good day to operate on CW, but set some time aside on New Year's Eve and Day to enjoy Straight Key Night (SKN). The annual event begins at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2017 (New Year's Eve in US time zones). The 24-hour event is not a contest, but a day dedicated to celebrating Amateur Radio's CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply enjoy conversational CW contacts, preferably using a straight (hand) key or a semi-automatic key (bug). Activity traditionally centers on CW segments in the HF bands. There are no points or obligatory exchange. The only requirement is to have fun! Send a SKN list of stations worked and your vote for "Best Fist" and "Most Interesting QSO" by January 31. > > AMSAT CW Activity Day is January 1 (UTC): AMSAT CW Activity Day -- formerly Satellite Straight Key Night -- will take place on January 1, 2017 (UTC) and run for 24 hours. As with the old Straight Key Night, this is a fun event, not a contest, and there is no required exchange. All forms of CW are welcome, from straight keys, bugs, and keyers to keyboards and decoders. Working the same station on more than one satellite is permitted. All participants are asked to post their results, including any "Soapbox" comments, to AMSAT-BB. Include the satellites you used and the number of CW contacts you made on each. Participants may post their full logs, although this is not required. > > WSJT Development Group Releases WSJT-X Version 1.7.0: The WSJT Development Group has released WSJT-X version 1.7.0. The WSJT-X software suite is designed to facilitate basic Amateur Radio communication using very weak signals (WSJT stands for Weak Signal communication by K1JT). Joe Taylor, K1JT, recommends reading the extensively updated WSJT-X version 1.7 User Guide, which describes new features and capabilities (relative to version 1.6). WSJT-X version 1.7.0 includes new modes ISCAT, MSK144, and QRA64; newly implemented submodes JT65B-C and JT9B-H; a new Franke-Taylor decoder to replace the Koetter-Vardy decoder previously used for JT65; improvements to the JT4, JT9, and JT65 decoders; multi-pass decoding for JT65 and WSPR, and improved convenience features for EME Doppler tracking. > > ARRL CEO is Featured Speaker at New York City/Long Island Section Convention Ham Radio University: ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, will be the keynote speaker at the 18th Annual ARRL New York City/Long Island Section Convention Ham Radio University (HRU) on January 8, 2017, at Briarcliffe College in Bethpage, New York. The event is described as "a day of education to share ideas, experiences, knowledge, and fellowship among Amateur Radio operators." On the schedule are 30 forums, with topics including "Safety in the Ham Shack," "DXing (Propagation, History, Techniques)," "Transmitter Hunting," "Kids World," "The Military Auxiliary Radio System," "Amateur Radio Solar/Jupiter Observation using a Radio Receiver System," and "Working Satellites with your HT." Presenter Peter Portanova, W2JV, will attempt some satellite contacts as time and weather permit. AMSAT representatives will be on hand to answer questions. Amateur Radio licensing exams will be offered, and special event W2HRU will be on the air. For more information, visit the Ham Radio University website or e-mail HRU. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, Ham Radio University > > > > KH6LC Planning Multi-Multi Kids Day on Saturday, January 7: Lloyd Cabral, KH6LC, reports he plans to have his station on the air for Kids Day as a multi-multi on 20, 15, and -- if it opens -- 10 meters. He is anticipating a half-dozen young visitors to his Keaau, Hawaii, home. Kids Day begins on Saturday, January 7, at 1800 UTC and concludes at 2359 UTC. "We'll be spotting ourselves on DX Summit," Cabral said. "I'm not sure who has more fun, the kids operating or the adults 'coaching' them. We must be on to something good because everyone wants to come back year after year. Please consider inviting some young people in to operate." Sponsored by the Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, this event has a simple exchange, suitable for younger operators: first name, age, location, and favorite color. Details are on the ARRL website. > > The K7RA Solar Update > Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: On December 22 at 0002 UTC, the Australian Space Forecast Centre forecast enhanced geomagnetic activity until December 24, with minor storms likely and some major storm periods possible. > > December 15-21 solar activity was little changed from the previous 7 days, although no sunspots were visible on December 16 and 17. Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 13 to 11, and average daily solar flux bumped up 1 point to 73.2. Average planetary A index dipped from 13.3 to 7.9, and average mid-latitude A index from 9 to 5.7. > > The outlook shows daily solar flux at 75 and 80 on December 22-23; 85 on December 24-28; 75 on December 29; 77 on December 30-31; 79 on January 1-3; 77 on January 4-5; 75 on January 6-10; 77 on January 11-12; 75 on January 13-14; 73 on January 15-17; 75 on January 18-23; 77 on January 24-27, and 79 on January 28-30. > > Predicted planetary A index is 30 on December 22; 12 on December 23-24; 8 on December 25; 5 on December 26-January 1; 8, 10, 20, 22, 16, 14, and 6 on January 2-8; 5 on January 9-13; 10 on January 14; 15 on January 15-16; 25 and 28 on January 17-18; 12 on January 19-20; 8 on January 21, and 5 on January 22-28. > > Sunspot numbers for December 15 through 21 were 12, 0, 0, 13, 12, 25, and 15, with a mean of 11. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 72.5, 72.6, 72.1, 72.3, 72.8, 74.9, and 75, with a mean of 73.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 3, 6, 9, 5, 6, and 23, with a mean of 7.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 3, 6, 5, 4, and 18, with a mean of 5.7. > > Send me your reports or observations. > > . > > . > > . > > . > > . > > > > . > > Just Ahead in Radiosport > December 25 -- RAEM Contest (CW) > > December 26 -- DARC Christmas Contest (CW, phone) > > December 28 -- SKCC Sprint (CW) > > January 1 -- Straight Key Night (SKN) > > January 1 -- AMSAT CW Activity Day > > January 1 -- AGB New Year Snowball Contest (CW, phone, digital) > > January 1 -- SARTG New Year RTTY Contest > > January 1 -- AGCW Happy New Year Contest (CW) > > January 1 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW) > > January 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW) > > January 4 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (Phone) > > See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL member profile e-mail preferences. > > Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions > January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York > > January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia > > January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas > > January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia > > January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona > > January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi > > January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico > > February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida > > February 4 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South Carolina > > February 4 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia > > February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention (HamCation), Orlando, Florida > > February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona > > February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas > > February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference, Sarasota, Florida > > February 25 -- 2017 New Mexico Tech Fest, Albuquerque, New Mexico > > 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 bimonthly, 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 and Instagram! > > > > > > > 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 ? 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved > From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 24 10:57:13 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2016 10:57:13 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Straight Key Night Message-ID: <8A3FE40B-CBB5-4E34-A5B5-0DDD570378AC@bellsouth.net> http://www.arrl.org/straight-key-night HomeOn The AirLicensing, Education & TrainingMembershipRegulatory & AdvocacyPublic ServiceTechnologyGet InvolvedARRL StoreAbout ARRLNews & Features Straight Key Night Straight Key Night Every day is a good day to send CW, but January 1 is reserved for Straight Key Night. Enjoy CW as it has been sent and enjoyed since the earliest days of Amateur Radio. About Objective: This 24-hour event is not a contest; rather it is a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW QSOs. The use of straight keys or bugs to send CW is preferred. There are no points scored and all who participate are winners. Overview Dates- Straight Key Night is held every January 1 from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC. Terms Of Entry+ Bands+ Log Submission Deadline+ Contact Information+ Results+ Contest Details By Dan Henderson, N1ND In my early days in amateur radio, I was privileged to have three top-flight Elmers. Each shared with me new interests and enthusiasm for different parts of the hobby. The first, Col. Frank, WB4JMG, was special because we shared the same birthday and he taught me most of what I learned in those early days about electronic theory. The second Everest, W4DYW, was special because not only because our families were so close ? he was my principle mentor for on-the-air operations, especially CW traffic nets. Unless your Elmer was one of your parents, you probably can?t say what my third Elmer could say about our relationship. Dr. Mac, WA4VNV (later N4IX), would honestly say he knew me my entire life. Not only was he a dedicated amateur operator ? he was my mother?s OBGYN and was the man who literally ?delivered me? to the world, and helped me find the world of amateur radio in later years. I had been attending club meetings with the old Asheville Radio Club (which merged with the Buncombe County VHF Society to later form the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society) for months before I was first licensed. And being the precocious teenager that I was, I jumped in with both feet. In mid-1971 I agreed to take over as editor of the ARC?s monthly newsletter, known as Smoketest from Dr. Mac. He agreed to help me as a regular contributor, but slyly with one caveat?he would only provide news stories for me for the newsletter if I would copy them over the air using CW, since I was only a novice and had no phone privileges during those years. I accepted his offer, and began two years of almost daily QSOs on 3725 KHz? because that was one of the few crystals I had for the Heathkit HW-16, which Col. Frank had been commissioned by my parents to build for my Christmas present in 1970. It was a unique experience, but one which served to continue building what became my passion for Morse code. In later years I would follow in Dr. Mac?s footsteps once again when I became the ARES EC and RACES Radio Office for the county (but that?s a topic for another article). Between the efforts of my three Elmers, my CW speed quickly increased from the nervous 5 WPM necessary to earn my license to being able to conduct a coherent rag chew in the 25-30 WPM range. And the mantra of all three was simple ? If you want to be competent in CW, you have to use it. So each year from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC PM January 1st I have the chance to pay a small bit of homage back to the Elmers when I have the opportunity to participate in the annual ARRL Straight Key Night. This 24-hour event is not a contest; rather it is a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on-the-air and simply make enjoyable, conversational QSOs. There are no points scored and all who participate are winners. In the decade since I wrote my first SKN announcement for QST, I have seen marvelous metamorphosis occur. The number of entries has grown almost ever year, even with the elimination of CW as a licensing requirement in the US. Participants have also used this popular annual event for more than just demonstrating their prowess pounding a brass key. Numerous participants use SKN to test out and ?show off? their vintage equipment. Some will plug in their old CW ?bugs? and join in. The common bond for all of them is to have fun in a more relaxed setting. You will even find CW enthusiasts who get on to enjoy the rag chewing And that?s the purpose of this popular operating event, so don?t get hung up about the equipment. When participating in SKN instead of sending RST before sending the signal report send the letters SKN, to indicate your participation, and to clue in passers-by who may be listening that SKN is going strong. After SKN, send the Contest Branch a list of stations worked, plus your vote for the best fist you heard (it doesn?t have to be one you worked). Also, include your vote for the most interesting QSO you had or monitored. Don?t forget to post your comments and interesting photographs from your SKN adventure to the ARRL Contest Online Soapbox. Entries should be emailed to the Contest Branch at StraightKey at arrl.org or may be sent via regular mail to SKN, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. The Soapbox becomes an online album of stores and photographs to share with others. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 24 10:59:20 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2016 10:59:20 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Straight Key Night References: <8A3FE40B-CBB5-4E34-A5B5-0DDD570378AC@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <924E1D49-263B-4412-ADF4-EDE767DF9DB3@bellsouth.net> Let's just try this: http://www.arrl.org/straight-key-night From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 26 10:23:24 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2016 10:23:24 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Straight Key Night References: Message-ID: Straight Key Night > > By Dan Henderson, N1ND > In my early days in amateur radio, I was privileged to have three top-flight Elmers. Each shared with me new interests and enthusiasm for different parts of the hobby. The first, Col. Frank, WB4JMG, was special because we shared the same birthday and he taught me most of what I learned in those early days about electronic theory. The second Everest, W4DYW, was special because not only because our families were so close ? he was my principle mentor for on-the-air operations, especially CW traffic nets. > > Unless your Elmer was one of your parents, you probably can?t say what my third Elmer could say about our relationship. Dr. Mac, WA4VNV (later N4IX), would honestly say he knew me my entire life. Not only was he a dedicated amateur operator ? he was my mother?s OBGYN and was the man who literally ?delivered me? to the world, and helped me find the world of amateur radio in later years. > > I had been attending club meetings with the old Asheville Radio Club (which merged with the Buncombe County VHF Society to later form the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society) for months before I was first licensed. And being the precocious teenager that I was, I jumped in with both feet. In mid-1971 I agreed to take over as editor of the ARC?s monthly newsletter, known as Smoketest from Dr. Mac. He agreed to help me as a regular contributor, but slyly with one caveat?he would only provide news stories for me for the newsletter if I would copy them over the air using CW, since I was only a novice and had no phone privileges during those years. > > I accepted his offer, and began two years of almost daily QSOs on 3725 KHz? because that was one of the few crystals I had for the Heathkit HW-16, which Col. Frank had been commissioned by my parents to build for my Christmas present in 1970. It was a unique experience, but one which served to continue building what became my passion for Morse code. In later years I would follow in Dr. Mac?s footsteps once again when I became the ARES EC and RACES Radio Office for the county (but that?s a topic for another article). > > Between the efforts of my three Elmers, my CW speed quickly increased from the nervous 5 WPM necessary to earn my license to being able to conduct a coherent rag chew in the 25-30 WPM range. And the mantra of all three was simple ? If you want to be competent in CW, you have to use it. > > So each year from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC PM January 1st I have the chance to pay a small bit of homage back to the Elmers when I have the opportunity to participate in the annual ARRL Straight Key Night. This 24-hour event is not a contest; rather it is a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on-the-air and simply make enjoyable, conversational QSOs. There are no points scored and all who participate are winners. > > In the decade since I wrote my first SKN announcement for QST, I have seen marvelous metamorphosis occur. The number of entries has grown almost ever year, even with the elimination of CW as a licensing requirement in the US. Participants have also used this popular annual event for more than just demonstrating their prowess pounding a brass key. Numerous participants useSKN to test out and ?show off? their vintage equipment. Some will plug in their old CW ?bugs? and join in. The common bond for all of them is to have fun in a more relaxed setting. You will even find CW enthusiasts who get on to enjoy the rag chewing And that?s the purpose of this popular operating event, so don?t get hung up about the equipment. > > When participating in SKN instead of sending RST before sending the signal report send the letters SKN, to indicate your participation, and to clue in passers-by who may be listening that SKN is going strong. After SKN, send the Contest Branch a list of stations worked, plus your vote for the best fist you heard (it doesn?t have to be one you worked). Also, include your vote for the most interesting QSO you had or monitored. > > Don?t forget to post your comments and interesting photographs from your SKNadventure to the ARRL Contest Online Soapbox. Entries should be emailed to the Contest Branch at StraightKey at arrl.org or may be sent via regular mail toSKN, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. The Soapbox becomes an online album of stores and photographs to share with others. > > > http://www.arrl.org/straight-key-night From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Dec 28 19:33:19 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2016 19:33:19 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLB045 FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule, Petition Pending References: <20161228213024.94E2A2015ECB@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <94E77F0D-FF2A-4979-8065-CFAE8D2E60B7@bellsouth.net> > SB QST @ ARL $ARLB045 > ARLB045 FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule, > Petition Pending > > ZCZC AG45 > QST de W1AW > ARRL Bulletin 45 ARLB045 > From ARRL Headquarters > Newington CT December 28, 2016 > To all radio amateurs > > SB QST ARL ARLB045 > ARLB045 FCC Denies Expert Linears' Request for Waiver of 15 dB Rule, > Petition Pending > > The FCC has denied a request by Expert Linears America LLC to waive > Part 97.317(a)(2) of the Amateur Service rules limiting amplifier > gain. Expert, of Magnolia, Texas, distributes linears manufactured > by SPE in Italy. Its waiver request, filed in June, would have > allowed Expert to import an amplifier capable of exceeding the > current 15 dB gain limitation as it awaits FCC action on its April > petition (RM-11767) to revise the same Amateur Service rules. That > petition remains pending. Expert has asserted that there should be > no gain limitation on amplifiers sold or used in the Amateur > Service. Most commenters supported Expert's waiver request, but a > couple of commenters - including FlexRadio - demurred. > > "In light of the conflicting comments regarding the desirability of > eliminating the 15 dB limitation, we conclude that waiving the > limitation at this stage of the rulemaking proceeding would > prejudice the rulemaking proceeding and prematurely dispose of > commenters' concerns," the FCC said in denying the waiver. > "Moreover, we agree with FlexRadio that granting Expert's waiver > request while the rulemaking petition remains pending would provide > an unfair market advantage for one equipment model over other > manufacturers' RF power amplifiers that would still be limited by > [the existing rules]." > > The FCC said it would rather give full consideration to "the pending > issues" and apply the result of the rulemaking proceeding to all > Amateur Radio Service equipment. The Commission said rule waivers > "generally" are not warranted "merely to accommodate technical > parameters that are based solely on harmonization with the > manufacturer's products available abroad." > > The FCC said a minority of those commenting on the waiver request > expressed concern that eliminating the 15 dB limitation would lead > to an overall increase in power levels, "including transmissions > that intentionally or unintentionally exceed the maximum power > limit." > > In its April rulemaking petition, Expert maintained that the 15 dB > gain limitation is an unneeded holdover from the days when > amplifiers were less efficient and the FCC was attempting to rein in > the use of Amateur Service amplifiers by Citizens Band operators. > > Although the FCC had proposed in 2004 to delete the requirement that > amplifiers be designed to use a minimum of 50 W of drive power - and > subsequently did so - it did not further discuss the 15 dB limit in > the subsequent Report and Order in that proceeding. > > Expert has pointed to its Model 1.3K FA amplifier as an example of a > linear "inherently capable of considerably more than 15 dB of > amplification," which would make it a suitable match for low-power > transceivers now on the market. > > The full Report and Order can be found on the web in PDF format at, > https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1.pdf . > NNNN > /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 31 18:03:50 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 18:03:50 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] A Message from Jeff References: <20161231225900.4142D2014D13@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <6105C98C-3B7D-4681-A7E9-47E3770993A5@bellsouth.net> > New Year greetings to all, > > Looking forward to a great 2017 in the SFL Section. With the holidays > behind us, we can get back in the swing of ham radio activity. Some New > Year resolutions for your consideration: > > 1. Get on the air on your favorite bands. > > 2. Mentor a new ham, especially a young ham ! > > 3. Support your local club and ARES group > > 4. Try your hand at some contesting and DXing > > 5. Help out at your local VE exam session > > 6. Participate in your club?s Field Day > > 7. Try a new mode: CW, AM, Digital, Satellite, Weak signal, DMR, etc. > > 8. Check in on a net. > > 9. Attend a hamfest > > 10. And most of all, have fun with ham radio. > > Myra and I attended holiday parties with the Hendry County ARES team > along with the Big Lake ARC and the Palms West ARC. A great time was > had by all ! > > > Hope to see you at one of these upcoming events around the SFL Section > and SE Division: > > > 01/07/2017 Kid?s Day Operating Event Info: > http://www.arrl.org/kids-day > > Southwest Florida Regional Hamfest > > Start Date: 01/20/2017 > End Date: 01/21/2017 > > Location: Gulf Coast Church of Christ > 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway > Fort Myers, FL 33901 > > Website: http://fmarc.net/hamfest > Sponsor: Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club > > Talk-In: 146.345 (PL 136.5) > > Public Contact: Frank Nocera , WO4K > 610 SW 28th Terrace Cape Coral, FL 33914 > Phone: 239-357-7021 > Email: WO4K at arrl.net > > Southern Florida Section Convention > > Start Date: 02/03/2017 > End Date: 02/04/2017 > > Location: War Memorial Auditorium > 800 NE 8th Street > Ft. Lauderdale, FL > > Website: http://hamboree.org > Sponsor: Dade Radio Club of Miami, Inc. > > Talk-In: 147.000 (PL 94.8) > > Public Contact: Lloyd Kurtzman , N4LJK > 8266 Mills Drive PO Box 835367 Miami, FL 33283 > Phone: 305-332-9142 > Email: LLOYD0703 at gmail.com > > Southeastern Division Convention > > Start Date: 02/10/2017 > End Date: 02/12/2017 > > Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds > 4603 West Colonial Drive > Orlando, FL 32801 > Website: http://www.hamcation.com > Sponsor: Orlando Amateur Radio Club > > Talk-In: 146.760 (no PL tone) > > Public Contact: Lidy Meijers , KJ4LMM > PO Box 574962 Orlando, FL 32857 > Phone: 407-841-0874/800-214-7541 > Email: info at hamcation.com > > Congrats to the ARISS team at the West Palm Beach ARC working with the > South Florida Science Museum for making the first cut to be approved > for an ARISS contact in 2017. > > > ARRL Vows Continued Pursuit of the Amateur Radio Parity Act in the > 115th Congress > > > The Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, died an unbefitting death as > the 114th Congress of the United States drew to a close today. After > having passed the House of Representatives on a unanimous vote, the > bill stalled in the Senate due to the intervention of only one member, > Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). > Over the course of the past year, Sen. Nelson has received thousands of > e-mails, letters, and phone calls from concerned constituents asking for > his support of H.R. 1301. Numerous meetings were held with his senior > staff in an effort to move the legislation forward. Negotiations, which > led to an agreement with the national association of homeowner?s > associations and publicly supported by CAI and ARRL, were brushed aside > by Sen. Nelson as irrelevant. > In a final meeting with the Senator?s staff earlier this week, it > became clear that no matter what was said or done, the Senator opposed > the bill and refused to allow it to move forward. Unfortunately, as the > bill did not receive floor time, the only manner in which it could get > passed in the Senate would be through a process that required unanimous > consent, which means no one opposes the bill. > The legislation will be reintroduced in both houses of Congress after > the 115th Session begins in January. We have already been in contact > with the sponsors of the bill to allow for an early introduction, which > will give us more time to obtain success. We believe that we can get his > bill adopted given the fact that we were inches away from crossing the > goal line. We will continue to need the support of the membership, > particularly in Florida, as we go forward through the next year. > > Eleven US Schools, Organizations Advance to Next Stage of ARISS Ham > Contact Selection > > ARRL and AMSAT ? the US managing partners of the Amateur Radio of the > International Space Station (ARISS) program ? have announced that 11 > schools or organizations submitting proposals have been selected to > advance to the next stage of planning to host scheduled Amateur Radio > contacts with ISS crew members next year. ARISS?s primary goal is to > engage young people in science, technology, engineering, and math > (STEM) activities and raise awareness of space exploration, radio > communications, and related areas of study and career possibilities. > ARISS anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling > opportunities for these US host organizations during the second half of > 2017. The 11 candidate schools/organizations must now complete an > acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute > the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the > ARISS technical team, the final selected schools/organizations will be > scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with NASA > scheduling opportunities. > The schools and organizations are: > ? 2017 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree, Glen Jean, West > Virginia > ? Antietam Elementary School, Woodbridge, Virginia > ? Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, Rhode Island > ? Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, Illinois > ? Fleet Science Center, BE WiSE Program, San Diego, California > ? Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, Texas > ? Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, Kansas City, > Missouri > ? Los Angeles Academy Middle School, Los Angeles, California > ? Meadows Elementary School, Manhattan Beach, California > ? South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, West Palm Beach, > Florida > ? West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science & > Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, West Virginia. > > National Parks on the Air Contact Tally Tops 1 Million! > > Participants in the ARRL?s National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program > have completed more than 1 million contacts! Activators operating from > National Park Service units across the US and Chasers around the world > pushed the contact tally over its goal this week. ARRL sponsored NPOTA > to help the National Park Service celebrate its centennial. > ?National Parks on the Air has become one of the most popular events > in the history of the League,? NPOTA Administrator Sean Kutzko, KX9X, > said. ?It?s been fun seeing so many hams take part.? > Kutzko said the NPOTA Facebook group really helped drive participation, > especially in the last 3 months, when it became clear that the 1 > million-QSO goal was within reach. ?Some 25,000 NPOTA contacts were > uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW) every week since October,? he > noted. ?The entire group came together and simply willed the 1 > million-contact mark to be broken. It was incredible to watch!? He > said some real friendships developed among those who frequented the > NPOTA Facebook page. > Those taking part in NPOTA made nearly 20,000 visits to 460 of the 489 > NPS units eligible for NPOTA credit, including portions of the National > Trails System and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Nearly 150 > Chasers completed contacts with more than 400 of the 489 NPOTA units > this year, while one Activator transmitted from more than 250 different > NPS units in 2016. Kutzko said the activations effectively transported > those National Park Service units via radio to all 50 states and more > than 100 countries during 2016. > Kutzko said NPOTA garnered interest from hams at all proficiency > levels, but he was especially gratified to see how it encouraged > less-experienced hams to acquire new skills, such as operating a > portable station on battery power, learning CW, or discovering digital > modes. ?Pileups from some activations rivaled those during a major > DXpedition ? if only for a few hours at a time,? he added. > Jim Clark Jr., an NPS Ranger at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National > Historical Park in Vermont, said NPOTA helped to generate greater > awareness of his unit. ?National Parks on the Air has afforded us the > opportunity to connect with a much larger and more diverse audience than > we could have ever imagined,? he told ARRL. ?We are pleased and > proud that the world of Amateur Radio helped us to celebrate 100 years > of service to the nation.? > Kutzko said being able to blend Amateur Radio with the history and > scenery offered by the National Park Service was a wonderful gift. > ?We heard from countless amateurs who learned something about our > country while operating from an NPS unit and experiencing ?the other > side? of a pileup. There will be other on-air events from ARRL, but > National Parks on the Air was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I > don?t think there will ever be anything quite like it in Amateur > Radio again. I will miss it.? > > > October & November ARES report from Larry, W4LWZ > > Month: October > > Year: 2016 > > Total number of ARES members: 257 > > Change since last month (+, -, same): +5 > > Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 6 > > Number of ARES nets active: 6 > > Number of nets with NTS liaison: 3 > > Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: K1UQE, W9GPI, WW4RX, WA4PAM, KC0SJU, > KK4ATI > > Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 16 > > Person hours: 191 > > Number of public service events this month: 0 > > Person hours: 0 > > Number of emergency operations this month: 2 > > Person Hours: 380 > > Total number of ARES operations this month: 18 > > Total Person hours: 571 > > Comments: We had a rather active month in October here in southern > Florida. Several counties ran their annual SET and we also had > hurricane Matthew on the east coast. Fortunately, the damage was > minimal in our section. I am having a problem getting my county ECs to > file reports but I am working on a solution. > > =============================== > > Month: November > > Year: 2016 > > Total number of ARES members: 513 > > Change since last month (+, -, same): +13 > > Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 10 > > Number of ARES nets active: 10 > > Number of nets with NTS liaison: 4 > > Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: K1UQE, WA4PAM, WA4ASJ, KC4SJU, W9GPI, > K4JTT, KB1PA, WW4RX, N4ZIQ, KK4ATI > > Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 66 > > Person hours: 675.75 > > Number of public service events this month: 1 > > Person hours: 535 > > Number of emergency operations this month: 0 > > Person Hours: 0 > > Total number of ARES operations this month: 67 > > Total Person hours: 1210.75 > > > Well, I guess that?s about it for now. My thanks for all that you do > for Amateur Radio. Have a happy and healthy New Year and see you at a > club meeting, hamfest or on the air. > > Vy 73, > > Jeff, WA4AW > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > ARRL Southern Florida Section > Section Manager: Jeff Beals, WA4AW > wa4aw at arrl.org > -------------------------------------------------------------------- From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 31 21:49:36 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (William Marx) Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 21:49:36 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] 73 de K4AC References: <20170101020930.8F24D2018B18@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <781A8024-07E1-410F-8500-862A34932C19@bellsouth.net> > As 2016 draws to a close and with it my term as Southeastern Division > Director, I want to thank my Assistant Directors (WA4AW, K4FQT, W4DN, > N4EDT, NP2MR, NP2B, N2CEI, AA4MI, NP4G, KP4RF, NF2F, N7UR, and WP3R), > DXAC Representative K4JRB, the Section Managers, current and former, > and their staffs for all of the assistance they have rendered over > these past three years. > > I?d also like to thank Contest Advisory Committee Representative > George Wagner, K5KG, for the outstanding job he has done representing > our Division on the CAC and more importantly leading it as the Chairman > for the past two years. George has been overseeing several large scale > projects that will have substantial impact on contesting and amateur > radio in the future. > > My deepest gratitude goes to former Vice Director Mike Lee, AA6ML, who > provided invaluable assistance and counsel. He truly was the brightest > and most honorable person on the Board during our tenure. > > I have enjoyed representing you, meeting some of you at conventions, > and corresponding with many of you via email. Thanks for your comments > and suggestions. > > For those that aren?t aware, 11 of the Directors decided that you > would not be allowed to decide who will represent you for the next > three years. There was no election in 2016 as there was supposed to > have been. Should you want to know exactly what happened, you can find > the information at http://arrlse.org/ > > I will end the way I began in 2014 by saying may your New Year be > joyous, fulfilling, and prosperous! > > 73 de K4AC > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > ARRL Southeastern Division > Director: Doug Rehman, K4AC > k4ac at arrl.org > --------------------------------------------------------------------