From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 1 12:45:58 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2016 12:45:58 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] A Message from Jeff References: <20160101173050.20C9D2014724@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: > New Year greetings to all, > > Looking forward to a great 2016 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 > 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. > > > Hope to see you at one of these upcoming events around the SFL Section > and SE Division: > > > 01/03/2016 Kid?s Day Operating Event Info: > http://www.arrl.org/news/kids-day-is-sunday-january-3 > > > 01/09/2016 Boy Scout Amateur Radio Demo > > Tree Tops Park in Davie More info: Brian Fox, W1FOX > fox.science at yahoo.com > > > 01/09/2016 Festivus / SE Florida Traffic Net Picnic > > Villages of Hillsboro Park, Deerfield Beach > North Broward Radio Club & SE Florida Traffic Net > Info: joeyjet at nbrc.club > > > 01/15 & 16/2016 Southern Florida Section Convention > > Special guest from ARRL HQ: Joel Hallas, W1ZR, ?The Doctor is In? > columnist in QST > > Start Date: 01/15/2016 > End Date: 01/16/2016 > Location: Gulf Coast Church of Christ > 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway > Fort Myers, FL 33901 > Website: http://swflhamfest.info > Sponsor: Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club > Type: ARRL Convention > Talk-In: 147.345 (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 > > > 01/29/2016 | Puerto Rico State Convention > > Location: Hatillo, PR > Type: ARRL Convention > Sponsor: Puerto Rico AR League, Caribbean AR Group & Hatillo > Municipality > Website: http://www.arrlpr.org > > > 02/12/2016 | ARRL National Convention (Orlando HamCation?) > > Location: Orlando, FL > Type: ARRL Convention > Sponsor: Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC) > Website: http://hamcation.com > > > Congrats to the members of the Martin County ARA and Martin County ARES > for the article in the December ARRL E-Letter reporting their > communications support of Operation Bio Shield and the annual Stuart > Air Show authored by PIO Gary Webster, K4GMW. > > > ?ARRL National Parks on the Air? Event to Mark National Park > Service Centennial > > In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) will celebrate its 100th > anniversary, and radio amateurs will be able to help mark the occasion > with the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event. The fun begins > at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2016. > > ?As ARRL just celebrated our own Centennial, and Amateur Radio is > often enjoyed in the great outdoors, it seemed fitting to devise a > program to help NPS celebrate their own 100th birthday,? said ARRL > Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. As he explained, > NPOTA will run throughout 2016, with activity promoted and encouraged > from each of the more than 430 official NPS administrative units and > affiliated areas across the US. This includes all 59 National Parks as > well as National Battlefields, Historic Sites, Memorials, Preserves, > Reserves, Rivers, Seashores, National Scenic Trails, and other units. > The program will have two participation tracks ? Chasers and > Activators. Chasers will simply attempt to make contact with operators > in as many of the NPS units as possible. Activators will attempt to > activate as many of the units as possible. NPOTA participants may serve > in both roles. Chaser and Activator totals will be tracked via an online > Leader Board based on LoTW data, just as was done during the Centennial > QSO Party. (Access the NPOTA Leader Board directly at > http://npota.arrl.org.) > Modeled after the Mixed DXCC award, only one contact with any given NPS > unit will be required, and no tally will be kept of NPS units based on > bands or modes. NPOTA will be administered entirely through Logbook of > The World (LoTW). No paper logs or QSLs will be accepted for NPOTA > credit. Each NPS unit will be added to LoTW as a ?location.? > > Three award certificates will be available: Chaser Award and Activator > Award certificates will be available to any radio amateur who has at > least one confirmed contact with an NPS unit or who activates at least > one unit, respectively. A station?s total number of confirmed or > activated units will be printed on the certificate. The National Parks > Honor Roll certificate will be available for any station that confirms > contact with at least 75 percent of the 59 National Parks activated in > 2016. > An Activator can earn additional recognition as a ?Five-Star > Activator.? While the Centennial QSO Party was an internal event for > radio amateurs, National Parks on the Air is designed to be a public > promotion of Amateur Radio?s capabilities. Various public relations > bonuses and activities will be available to Activators, similar to the > PR bonus points available to ARRL Field Day stations. > The success of the event and of the awards program rests on radio > amateurs? willingness to operate from NPS units. > > ?Portable operators, this event is for you!? Kutzko said. ?Start > thinking about how you would incorporate Amateur Radio into your visit > to an NPS unit. Whether you?re camping in Yosemite, driving along the > Blue Ridge Parkway, or set up in a corner of Andersonville Prison, you > will definitely draw a pileup. As long as you are on the property of > the NPS unit, you will qualify as being in the unit.? > Kutzko notes that depending on the size of a given operation, > participants may need to secure a special-use permit. ?This may take > some time,? he said. ?It?s possible the answer will be ?no.? > Be mindful of the size and sensitivity of the NPS unit you want to > activate, and be realistic about your plans.? NPOTA Activators will > need to follow all NPS rules in whatever unit they activate. > In general, the more portable and compact your station is, and the more > creative and adaptable your plans are, the greater your chances of > success. While there is no formal partnership between NPS and ARRL for > this event, the League has been in discussions with the NPS over the > past year, and it is aware that increased Amateur Radio activity in > their parks is likely during 2016. > ?It is your responsibility to be on your best behavior and not > interfere with other visitors at NPS units,? Kutzko advised. > ?Remember, every time you visit an NPS unit for this awards program, > your conduct will not only impact the reputation of Amateur Radio > throughout the NPS system, but will also directly impact the success of > the next amateur who tries to activate that unit. Be nice, be courteous, > and be flexible. Demonstrate Amateur Radio in the best light > possible.? > The NPOTA will use the official list of NPS Administrative Units and > Affiliated Areas as defined and maintained by NPS. Complete details on > the National Parks on the Air event are available on the ARRL website. > > > US Applicants Move into Next Stage of ARISS Contact Selection Process > > Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced > that the proposals of 17 schools and organizations submitted during the > recent application window will move forward into the next stage of > planning to host Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members. Once > scheduled, the contacts will take place between July and December > 2016. > ?This is a significant step in ARISS? continuing effort to engage > young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) > activities and raise their awareness of space exploration, space > communications and related areas of study and career possibilities,? > the ARISS announcement said. > The 17 schools/organizations now must complete acceptable equipment > plans that demonstrate the ability to execute a contact. Once the ARISS > technical team approves equipment plans, the final selected > schools/organizations will be matched up with contact opportunities > offered by NASA. > > The schools and organizations are Boca Raton Christian School, Boca > Raton, Florida; The Children's > > Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana; Frontiers of Flight Museum's "Moon Day > 2016,? Dallas, Texas; Howell L. > > Watkins Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; iSPACE, Cincinnati, > Ohio; John Glenn Middle School, > > Maplewood, Minnesota; Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, > New York; Lawrence Public Library, > > Lawrence, Kansas; Museum of Innovation and Science, Schenectady, New > York; Northland Preparatory > > Academy, Flagstaff, Arizona; Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, > Illinois; University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit > > Institute, Omaha, Nebraska; South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut; > Space Jam 10, Rantoul, Illinois; > > United Space School, Seabrook, Texas; US Space & Rocket Center, > Huntsville, Alabama, and World > > Genesis Foundation, Goodyear, Arizona. > > ARISS is a cooperative venture of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA in the US, and > other international space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations > around the world. Its primary purpose is to organize Amateur Radio > contacts between ISS crew members and classrooms or informal education > venues. > > > > November ARES report from Larry, W4LWZ > > > Total number of ARES members: 284 > > Change since last month (+, -, same): +1 > > Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 6 > > Number of ARES nets active: 6 > > Number of nets with NTS liaison: 2 > > Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: KK4ENJ, W9GPI, WW4RX, K1UQE, AD4RZ, > KB1PA. > > Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 30 > > Person hours: 474 > > Number of public service events this month: 1 > > Person hours: 390 > > Number of emergency operations this month: `0 > > Person Hours: 0 > > Total number of ARES operations this month: 31 > > Total Person hours: 864 > > Comments: A number of our ARES groups completed their annual SET > exercise in November. > > > > November Traffic report from Mike, KM2V > > > SAR - November 2015 > > CALL TOTAL > KE4CB 059 > W9GPI 008 > K9GZT 005 > KK4KAH 005 > K4KFF 092 > KA3PYO 006 > KR4ST 041 > KD8SYP 015 > NT4TS 006 > KM2V 184 > W4ZE 014 > > > PSHR - November 2015 > > Callsign Total > KE4CB 160 > K4KFF 110 > KM2V 130 > > > NETS - November 2015 > > NET ABB. QNI QTC QND SESS MGR > All Florida CW Traffic Net QFN 226 44 310 30 WA4BAM > Florida Medium Speed Net FMSN 187 57 328 30 AG4RJ/AB4XK > Southeast Florida Traffic Net SEFTN 546 100 988 30 KM2V > Southwest Florida Traffic Net SWFTN 365 25 1425 26 KE4CB/N9WS > Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group W4JUP 23 0 75 4 K4VMS > > > 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 WA4AW From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 2 18:58:43 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Sat, 2 Jan 2016 18:58:43 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Jack Curtis - A name we should know Message-ID: From the Lonestar DX Club reflector: 1 Jack Curtis, K6KU Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:38 am (PST) . Posted by: w5dnt A name we should know. Please consider a congratulatory note of gratitude to Jack. From Donald, K6RV.... K6RV at earthlink.net Subject: Curtis - a name everyone should know. If you have ever used CW, or read about it in the Manual of your Radio, or owned a keyer you have seen the name Curtis. My friend of 50+ years, Jack Curtis, K6KU, is the inventor of the Curtis "Keyer on a Chip". In 1973 he designed the first chip to be a CW keyer, and came out with a keyer he called "the little bugger". In all the literature you see or read about CW, you will see things like: "Curtis A or B Mode", The Curtis "this" and the Curtis "that". Jack had a company called Curtis Electro Devices which made keyers. He was very innovative and way before his time. He made the Curtis Keyboard Keyer - in 1975 - NO ONE had ever used a keyboard to send CW before that. I had at the time, one of his first keyers, then had one of the first Keyboard Keyers. I still have it, works perfectly,and will show it off if you would like to see it. Brings me to my reason for writing this email: Jack just celebrated his 85th Birthday, is still in relatively good health, although he has Parkinson's disease. I have a request: Would you send him an email and congratulate him on his 85th? If you like CW, or even if you don't, and have a keyer would you thank him for the convenience and ease of sending CW ?- all because of his pioneering design of a keyer chip with all its benefits. Also, if you wouldn't mind, would you send me a bcc? Jack is a modest guy, but I am sure he will appreciate your thinking of him. Send your email to: jgcurtis at surewest.netmailto:jgcurtis at surewest.net Thanks very much and 73, Donald K6RV P.S. - Would you please pass this on to your Ham Radio Mailing list? Maybe to your Club Members or other Ham friends. I would love to know Jack got a stack of emails - he deserves it ! Thanks for your consideration - 73, Donald K6RV From n8pr at bellsouth.net Sun Jan 3 14:34:26 2016 From: n8pr at bellsouth.net (Pete Rimmel N8PR) Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2016 14:34:26 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] For Sale SteppIR Antenna Message-ID: I have for sale a SteppIR DB-18 antenna. This is a 3 element 40-6 meter antenna. It has 2 elements on 40 and 30 meters, 3 elements on 20,17,15,12 and 10 meters and 4 elements on 6 meters. Complete details are available on the SteppIR website. http://www.steppir.com/db18-yagi-antenna This antenna was ordered in January 2011 and installed May of 2011. It was taken down December of 2015. The antenna is currently in seven pieces. The three element halves and the boom with the EHU's still mounted. This would make for a quick rebuild. Due to the antenna not having been broken down it cannot be shipped. The antenna can be picked up in Tampa, Fl. Or it can be delivered within 100 of Tampa for the cost of our gas. The DB-18 is complete and ready to install with the exception of 16 conductor control cable which will have to be purchased prior installing the antenna on a tower. The current price of this antenna is around $4000. It is available now for $1800 pick up only near Tampa, FL. You can contact me at w4hy at arrl.net or 813-909-7270. Julio, W4HY _______________________________________________ This list is NOT moderated. Any messages stating the contrary, is a software glitch. Email with attachments or BCC, is filtered by the software and will NOT get posted. FCG mailing list Send mail - FCG at kkn.net Change/edit subscription info - http://www.kkn.net/mailman/listinfo/fcg FCG Web site - www.floridacontestgroup.org Facebook - http://tinyurl.com/4xw5jr7 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Jan 6 15:02:04 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2016 15:02:04 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Indian Ocean's Sable Island In-Reply-To: <567D7057.70300@verizon.net> References: <567D7057.70300@verizon.net> Message-ID: <568D72BC.60108@bellsouth.net> It's good to remember that these places we chase have significance beyond being just spots on a map. 73,Dave K1ZZ An article in Economist magazine: from the annals of the French Navy. The history of a DXCC "country." Happy Holidays, W1ZK From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Jan 6 16:17:19 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2016 16:17:19 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Redesigned FCC Website Makes it Easy for Hams to File Interference Complaints Message-ID: <568D845F.4060902@bellsouth.net> Redesigned FCC Website Makes it Easy for Hams to File Interference Complaints *http://www.arrl.org/news/redesigned-fcc-website-makes-it-easy-for-hams-to-file-interference-complaints* 01/06/2016 Radio amateurs once were the target of interference complaints filed with the FCC. Now, the FCC has made it easier for hams to file their own RF interference and other complaints, thanks to a new feature of the FCC?s recently redesigned *website* . The addition was made at the ARRL?s request. Hams have always been able to file such complaints, but when a new system geared largely to consumers came online a year ago, they lost the ability to do so via e-mail to a dedicated address. The change made it less clear how amateurs should file such complaints and what, if anything, would result. Once on the FCC site, click ?File a Consumer Complaint? on the right side of the screen. The next page lists several categories. Under ?Radio,? click on ?File Complaint.? This will take you to a web form that you can fill out. The form includes a dropdown menu for the ?Radio Issues? field. Pick one, such as ?Interference.? This will bring down another menu. The ?Your Radio Method? field includes another dropdown menu. Select ?Amateur Radio.? Complete the rest of the form. It is possible to add attachments. Click on ?Submit? to file your complaint. As they say in those late-night TV ads, ?It?s that easy!? The FCC e-mail addresses for submitting complaints have been discontinued; they had been rendered ineffective by spam. Each complaint is assigned a ticket number, and complainants receive an e-mail acknowledgment and, if appropriate, a follow-up report on what was done to address the complaint. Many complaints are simply acknowledged, however, and the complainant is told that it will be used for statistical analysis. A complainant can update a complaint with additional information. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Jan 7 17:28:05 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2016 17:28:05 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for January 7, 2016 References: <20160107221828.3C6A2200A576@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <468F1D58-9599-42C1-84ED-4D160338CE17@bellsouth.net> > > If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: > http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-01-07 > > > > January 7, 2016Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME > ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive Audio News > > > > ARRL Board of Directors to Elect New President, Officers at January Meeting > National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) Event Gets Off to a Strong Start! > ARRL Again Complains to FCC about Illegal Marketing of Electronic Lighting Ballasts > Redesigned FCC Website Makes it Easy for Hams to File Interference Complaints > "Official" P5/3Z9DX North Korea Activation Now Set for this Summer > Palmyra, South Sandwich/South Georgia Will Help Kick Off 2016 DXpedition Calendar > ARRL Education and Technology Program Announces School Grants > Dishtronix Purchases TEN-TEC Assets > CQ World Wide Participants Favor Limiting Operating Time to Less Than 48 Hours > Commemorative EME Transmission Set from Refurbished Dish on "Project Diana" Site > Contester, DXpeditioner William Vanderheide, N7OU, SK > The K7RA Solar Update > Just Ahead in Radiosport > Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events > ARRL Board of Directors to Elect New President, Officers at January Meeting > The ARRL Board of Directors' annual meeting in mid-January will mark the start of a changing of the guard at the League. After serving three 2-year terms, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, of Blacksburg, Virginia, is stepping aside, and the Board will choose her successor -- and the League's 16th president -- when it convenes on January 15. The Board also will elect other officers, as well as vice presidents, Executive Committee members, and ARRL Foundation directors. > > > The ARRL's 15th President, Kay Craigie, N3KN, will step down this month. Seated to her right is ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR. > > A former college instructor, Craigie was licensed in 1983. She served previously as ARRL Section Manager for Eastern Pennsylvania, Atlantic Division Vice Director and Director, and ARRL First Vice President. As President, Craigie presided during the League's Centennial and transition into its second century. > > The annual meeting also will be the last for ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, and for ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. Both will retire this year. Kramer will depart at the end of February. Sumner has targeted May 1 as his last day, and he plans to work with the new CEO to ensure a smooth transition. During the annual meeting, the Board will receive the report of the CEO Search Committee, which is expected to include a recommendation for Sumner's successor. The Board initiated its CEO search last July. The COO position will remain vacant until the new CEO is in place. > > > The ARRL Board of Directors meets January 15 and 16. > > By the time he steps down, Sumner will have been on the ARRL Headquarters full-time staff for 44 years. He was named Secretary and General Manager in 1982, with a change in title to Executive Vice President in 1985, and the additional title of Chief Executive Officer in 2001 (the title of Executive Vice President was phased out in 2011). > > The Board of Directors will also receive the report of the Strategic Planning Working Group, which has been working on a revised Strategic Plan to guide the League in the coming years. In addition, the Administration & Finance Committee will ask the Board to ratify the operational budget plan for 2016-17. > > The ARRL Board of Directors' annual meeting will take place Friday and Saturday, January 15 and 16, in Windsor, Connecticut. > > National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) Event Gets Off to a Strong Start! > ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) year-long event got off to a strong start on New Year's Day, with considerable activity reported on the HF bands and even some on the SO-50 satellite over the first weekend of the new year. Throughout 2016, Amateur Radio will be helping the National Park Service (NPS) to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Hams will activate NPS units, promote the Park Service, and showcase Amateur Radio to the public. During the first 3 days of NPOTA, "Activators" were on the air from 78 of the 483 NPOTA Units. > > "Pileups were pretty strong all weekend long," said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. "At least two units -- Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut (NS76), and Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas (NS45) -- were activated via the SO50 FM satellite." > > The program has two participation tracks -- Chasers and Activators. Chasers will simply attempt to make contact with operators in as many of the NPS units as possible. NPOTA participants may serve in both roles. Chaser and Activator totals will be tracked via an online NPOTA Leader Board based on LoTW data. > > "We've received an official welcome from the NPS superintendent of the North Country National Scenic Trail and the Executive Director of the North Country Trail Association," Kutzko reported. The trail runs from New York to North Dakota. > > > Greg Hatten, KE4MU, operated for the first 3 days at the Richland Balsam Overlook in North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway (PK01). He made 303 contacts while running just 5 W on 20 meter SSB. [Greg Hatten, KE4MU, photo] > > "We appreciate your enthusiasm and engagement as we celebrate this 100th anniversary of the National Park Service," wrote Mark Weaver, the Scenic Trail superintendent, and Bruce Matthews, executive director of the North Country Trail Association. "While operating from the North Country National Scenic Trail, we encourage all radio amateurs to participate in the NCTAs Hike 100 Challenge, to hike 100 miles on the trail this year; to get out, enjoy the fresh air, get some exercise, and take a moment to appreciate one of America's great scenic and recreational resources." > > Kutzko said 400 new NPOTA Facebook group members have signed on since New Year's Eve. "The Facebook group is the central location for all things NPOTA," he said. "It has lots of people exchanging ideas, tips, spots, and success stories. We're also using it as the place to keep everybody updated on administrative issues." > > #ARRL_NPOTA, #NPS100, and #HamRadioInParks remain the common Twitter feeds. Read more. > > ARRL Again Complains to FCC about Illegal Marketing of Electronic Lighting Ballasts > The ARRL has again complained to the FCC to allege illegal marketing of electronic RF lighting ballasts, operating under Part 18 of the Commission's rules, on the part of two major retailers. Letters went out in late December to the FCC Enforcement Bureau and its Office of Engineering and Technology, claiming Part 18 marketing regulations violations by Lowe's and by Walmart stores. At issue is the sale of non-consumer RF lighting ballasts to consumers who, in several instances, were told by store personnel that it was okay to install these in a residential setting. In addition, non-consumer and residential-class ballasts are being intermixed in store displays with inadequate signage to direct consumers to the correct choice. Both letters asked the FCC to investigate and commence enforcement proceedings with respect to the two stores' marketing and retail sale of RF lighting devices in the US. > > "ARRL purports to show that the [retailer] is...marketing and selling to consumers (by retail sale) non-consumer Part 18 RF lighting devices which are not intended for residential deployment, to consumers who have specifically noted their intention to deploy the devices in residential applications," ARRL Chief Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said in similar complaint letters to the Commission. Part 18 emissions limits for consumer devices are far lower than those allowed for non-consumer devices. > > > A commercial lighting ballast, sold to a consumer for residential deployment. > > "ARRL has received numerous complaints from Amateur Radio operators of significant noise in the medium (MF) and high frequency (HF) bands between 1.8 MHz and 30 MHz from 'grow lights' and other Part 15 and part 18 RF lighting devices," Imlay continued. "These devices are easily capable of emitting RF noise sufficient to preclude Amateur Radio MF and HF communications (and, as well, AM broadcast station reception) throughout entire communities." > > Supporting both complaints were extensive and detailed reports by ARRL Laboratory EMC Specialist Mike Gruber, W1MG. The reports recount incidents of actual purchases of Part 18 RF lighting devices intended for commercial use to consumers who made clear to store personnel that they intended to use the devices at home. Gruber's reports include multiple photographs depicting in-store displays of the products in question and showing signage that does not adequately explain which devices may be sold to whom. > > The ARRL has asked that stores remove all non-consumer devices from retail sale and marketing and to track and recall non-consumer devices already sold to consumers. Read more. > > > Redesigned FCC Website Makes it Easy for Hams to File Interference Complaints > The FCC has made it easier for hams to file RF interference and other complaints, thanks to a new feature of the FCC's recently redesigned website. The addition was made at ARRL's request. Hams have always been able to file such complaints, but when a new complaint system geared largely to consumers came online a year ago, they lost the ability to do so via e-mail to a dedicated address. The change made it less clear how amateurs should file such complaints and what, if anything, would result. > > > On the FCC website, click on "File a Consumer Complaint," to initiate a complaint. > > Once on the FCC site, click "File a Consumer Complaint" on the right side of the screen. The next page lists several categories. Under "Radio," click on "File Complaint." This will take you to a web form that you can fill out. The form includes a drop-down menu for the "Radio Issues" field. Pick one, such as "Interference." This will bring down another menu. The "Your Radio Method" field includes another drop-down menu. Select "Amateur Radio." Complete the rest of the form. It is possible to add attachments. Click on "Submit" to file your complaint. > > The FCC e-mail addresses for submitting complaints have been discontinued; they had been rendered ineffective by spam. > > Each complaint is assigned a ticket number, and complainants receive an e-mail acknowledgment and, if appropriate, a follow-up report on what was done to address the complaint. Many complaints are simply acknowledged, however, and the complainant is told that it will be used for statistical analysis. A complainant can update a complaint with additional information. > > "Official" P5/3Z9DX North Korea Activation Now Set for this Summer > Following an unexpected "demonstration" operation from North Korea -- officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- just before Christmas, Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, now expects to be back in the DPRK -- the most-wanted DXCC entity -- for his "official" activation by late this summer, according to The Daily DX. He initially had anticipated returning this month or next. > > > Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, in Pyongyang, DPRK. > > P5/3Z9DX showed up on the air from the most-wanted DXCC entity on December 20 and 21 to demonstrate Amateur Radio for North Korean officials. Over the course of that activation -- the first in more than a decade -- P5/3Z9DX made nearly 785 SSB contacts, most of them on 15 meters. Nearly 600 of the contacts were with stations in Asia; P5/3Z9DX worked just 26 stations in North America. He has posted his log on ClubLog. > > Grzyb recently contacted The Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, to update his situation. During his visit, authorities were friendly and polite, McClenny reported, noting that he was also surprised that they allowed him to operate in December. P5/3Z9DX was severely hampered by extremely high noise levels on all HF bands, not to mention a geomagnetic storm. Noise, he said in a video posted on his website, made it "almost impossible" to copy weaker signals in Pyongyang. > > > High noise levels in Pyongyang hampered the ability of P5/3Z9DX to copy weaker signals. [3Z9DX video clip] > > When he goes back to the DPRK this summer, he will be operating from a far quieter location in a rural area, Grzyb told The Daily DX. While operating from North Korea in December, P5/3Z9DX was running 100 W to a vertical antenna mounted on a metal fence post some 7 feet above the ground among government high-rise buildings. His equipment was left behind in Pyongyang, as was agreed to before his December visit. The P5/3Z9DX preview was the first activation from North Korea since the 2001-2002 operation by Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN. -- Thanks to OPDX, The Daily DX > > Palmyra, South Sandwich/South Georgia Will Help Kick Off 2016 DXpedition Calendar > Let the 2016 pileups begin! Two major January DXpeditions will be among other smaller efforts, with all aimed at providing a new one to the madding crowd. Look for the Palmyra Island and South Georgia Island/South Sandwich Islands activations, starting around mid-month. > > The Pacific Islands DX Group's K5P DXpedition to Palmyra hopes to be on the air on January 12 and will continue until January 25. Palmyra ranks among the Top 10 most-wanted DXCC entities. Initially a 12-member team was set to depart and activate K5P. Due to a change of aircraft that will transport the team to the island, the team has been trimmed to nine operators. The team is planning to leave Hawaii for Palmyra on January 11. The Pacific Islands DXpedition Group has been awarded permission to activate Cooper Island in the Palmyra Atoll. > > The Group notes that another Palmyra Atoll activation may not take place for many years, because access is severely restricted and permission is difficult to obtain. The team said that without the cooperation and support of the Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the DXpedition would not be possible. The DXpedition's co-leaders are Craig Thompson, K9CT, and Lou Dietrich, N2TU. > > Meanwhile, the 14-member Intrepid-DX Group VP8 DXpedition team to the South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia will set out on January 9 from the Falkland Islands on the R/V (research vessel) Braveheart for a 37-day voyage. Both entities are rare. The team will use VP8STI from South Sandwich and VP8SGI from South Georgia. > > "Our plans have us activating South Sandwich Island first, as it is the #3 most-wanted DXCC [entity] in ClubLog," the group said on its website. "We will be active on South Sandwich for 8 full days, weather and sea conditions permitting. We expect to start our activation of VP8STI on January 17." South Georgia is the 8th most-wanted DXCC entity, according to the ClubLog Most Wanted DXCC List. > > The DXpedition's website describes the South Sandwich Islands as "a cold and inhospitable place," and Southern Thule Island, where the group will operate, as "one of the most remote places on Earth." Read more. > > > ARRL Education and Technology Program Announces School Grants > The ARRL Executive Committee has voted unanimously to approve ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP) grant awards for equipment and other resources to seven schools for the 2015-2016 academic year. > > They are Akron STEM High School, Akron, Ohio; Liberal Arts & Science Academy High School, Austin, Texas; Life Christian School, Aloha, Oregon; Rock Canyon High School, Highland Ranch, Colorado; Southport Elementary School, Kenosha, Wisconsin; Wink High School, Wink, Texas, and Yucaipa High School, Yucaipa, California. > > Resources awarded ranged from license manuals, foxhunting equipment, and a marine buoy, to transceivers and a complete station. > > A primary goal of the ETP is to enhance wireless technology literacy among teachers and students in the US, using Amateur Radio to explore radio science and electronics and provide hands-on activities that stress math, science, engineering, and technology (STEM) topics as well as other core curriculum areas, such as geography and language arts. > > As of this month, 579 schools have received support from the ETP in the form of equipment and resource grants. The ETP accepts applications for equipment and resource grants each year. The next application deadline is November 1. More information on applying for a grant is on the ARRL website. > > Dishtronix Purchases TEN-TEC Assets > Dishtronix, an electronics design and manufacturing company, has purchased the assets of Amateur Radio equipment manufacturer TEN-TEC from RKR Designs. Headquartered in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Dishtronix manufactures and markets the "Prometheus" solid-state Amateur Radio amplifier, among other products. No formal announcement has been made by either company, and details of the purchase are still being finalized. RKR Designs announced last April 2 that it had acquired the assets of TEN-TEC and Alpha Amplifiers from RF Concepts, less than 1 year after the two lines had merged under the RF Concepts brand in an asset sale. Dishtronix owner Steven M. "Mike" Dishop, N8WFF, told ARRL that, while TEN-TEC has had different owners over the years, he is in it for the long haul. > > "Dishtronix has been continuously operating for 17 years, is financially stable and will continue managing in a manner that promotes and maintains financial stability. My vision is strictly long term," he said. TEN-TEC production will remain in Sevierville, Tennessee. > > According to its website, Dishtronix was incorporated in 1998 to design, develop and manufacture electronic controls and products, serving smaller manufacturers that lack electronic design expertise. Dishtronix said that it "seriously committed" in September 2001 to enter the Amateur Radio market with high-power, solid-state amplifiers and accessories. Dishop said Dishtronix has other new products under development, including a new legal-limit, solid-state amp that he expects to debut at Dayton Hamvention? in May. > > "When I have capacity, the next step is to run the first batch of Omni VII+ [transceivers], which is the Omni VII with some minor cosmetic changes and improvements, such as a flat metal front for improved shielding," he added. He also expects to post some firmware updates as soon as possible, once the new TEN-TEC website is up. > > Dishop told ARRL that he's had to make "some tough decisions" to ensure the company's long-term viability. He confirmed a recent TEN-TEC reflector web post by former TEN-TEC Engineering Manager John Henry, KI4JPL, whom Dishop has retained on a contract basis, that indicated a new service policy is now in place, with a $140 minimum charge just to look at a radio, even if it is not repaired. This includes items already sent to RKR for repair. > > Dishop asked the Amateur Radio community to be patient during the transition. "I am fully committed to bring TEN-TEC back to a sustainable state," he said in his earlier web post. "This will take some time." Read more. > > CQ World Wide Participants Favor Limiting Operating Time to Less Than 48 Hours > According to Part 2 of the 2015 CQ World Wide Contests survey results, contesters want to see a time-limited category for single operators. In September, the CQ WW Contest Committee surveyed everyone who had submitted a log in the 2014 CQ WW SSB and CW events, and issued a public invitation on the cq-contest e-mail reflector. CQ WW Contest Director Randy Thompson, K5ZD, said the committee received 5117 responses from contest operators around the world to Part 2 of the survey, which addressed possible rule changes. A vast majority of respondents answered "yes" to the question, "Do you support limiting the operating time of single operator entrants to less than 48 hours?" Currently, single operators may operate for the entire 48-hour contest period. > > "This question was designed to determine how broad the interest in a time-limited category might be," Thompson said in the survey report. "We were surprised at the high level of support for a time limit. It was even more surprising to see that the majority of support was coming from Europe. Even more interesting was that it was serious competitors who wanted this change. While older ages were more in favor, the results were fairly consistent across all." > > According to the survey, 2775 respondents answered "yes," and 1638 said "no," while 694 offered no opinion. > > A review of CQ World Wide entries for 2015 showed that approximately 90 percent of SSB operators stay in the chair for fewer than 30 hours, while some 90 percent of CW entrants operate fewer than 35 hours. > > The survey results also suggested that a plurality -- nearly one-half -- of contesters responding would prefer to maintain the separate Single Operator and Single Operator Assisted categories, rather than combining them into one entry category. > > > Commemorative EME Transmission Set from Refurbished Dish on "Project Diana" Site > Radio amateurs will attempt a 23 centimeter Earth-Moon-Earth (EME, or "moonbounce") transmission on January 10, using the 60-foot-diameter TLM-18 dish on the former "Project Diana" site, now part of the InfoAge Science History Museum in New Jersey. This month's event marks the 70th anniversary of Project Diana. It was on the InfoAge site, then a part of Fort Monmouth, that the US Army's Project Diana team on January 10, 1946, first received radio signals bounced from the moon. > > > The TLM-18 dish on the former Project Diana site in New Jersey. > > During the anniversary event, the TLM-18 reactivation team, consisting of volunteers from the museum, the Ocean Monmouth Amateur Radio Club (OMARC), and Princeton University, will transmit from the TLM-18 control console in Building 9162, the original TIROS control building, adjacent to Building 9116, which houses N2MO, the OMARC club station. The dish offers 35 dBi gain at 465 MHz. The former US Army tracking dish was used as a ground station for the TIROS I and II weather satellites and for Project Vanguard, which led to the launch of Vanguard 1, the second US satellite, in 1958. The dish was demilitarized in the 1970s. > > An impromptu pre-event EME test conducted on January 2 on 1296 MHz from the TLM-18 dish was successful, and the N2MO operators completed a contact with K2UYH. > > Daniel Marlow, K2QM, an InfoAge board member who teaches physics at Princeton, plans to use the dish as a radio telescope to see 21 centimeter radiation from the Milky Way, but he also wants to observe radio pulsars, and because that activity can be performed at 70 centimeters, the TLM-18 dish is being made available to the Amateur Radio community for EME use on a secondary basis. -- Thanks to InfoAge and Martin Flynn, W2RWJ > > Contester, DXpeditioner William Vanderheide, N7OU, SK > Well-known contester and DXpeditioner William "Bill" Vanderheide, N7OU (ex-AA7KF), of Portland, Oregon, died December 31 after a lengthy illness. He was 70. A member of ARRL and the Willamette Valley DX Club, he had operated from a dozen islands in the South Pacific as well as from several in the Caribbean, often combining Amateur Radio with service in the Global Volunteers organization, helping out in local classrooms. Licensed in Michigan at 13, > > > Bill Vanderheide, N7OU. > > Vanderheide was an avid CW operator, a regular and high-scoring participant in ARRL November Sweepstakes, Field Day, and other operating events -- always running QRP or low power with wire antennas, said his friend Bob Norin, W7YAQ, who called him "an outstanding contester, DXpeditioner, and ambassador" for Amateur Radio. > > "Bill was a keen practitioner of the lightweight DXpedition," Norin said. Vanderheide documented his DXpeditions in articles for QST -- including "Return to Rotuma" in the October 2013 edition, and "High Tide on Tarawa" in January 2012. > > Vanderheide taught in the Portland area for more than 30 years and later volunteered in the city's schools. He also was a sorter with the 7th Area ARRL QSL Bureau. > > N7OU was involved in the T27OU, T32OU, 3D2OU, 3D2RO, 5W0OU, ZK1NOU, ZK3OU, ZL7/N7OU, AA7KF, N7OU/HI9, E51NOU, E51PEN, TI5/N7OU, and YJ0OU DXpeditions. > > . > > . > > . > > . > > . > > . > > The K7RA Solar Update > Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar indices were down over the past reporting week -- December 31-January 6 -- with average daily sunspot numbers down from 49.6 to 41 and average daily solar flux down from 122.3 to 98.2. The average daily planetary A index declined from 21.7 to 16.6, while the average mid-latitude A index dropped from 12.6 to 10.6. > > The predicted solar flux is 100 on January 7; 105 on January 8-13; 100, 105, 110, and 115 on January 14-17; 120 on January 18-21; 115, 110, 105, and 110 on January 22-25; 115 on January 26-27; 110 on January 28, and 105 on January 29-February 3. The solar flux then peaks for the near term at 115 on February 5-6 and again at 120 on February 14-17. > > The predicted planetary A index is 12 on January 7; 8 on January 8; 5 on January 9-11; 12 on January 12; 8 on January 13; 5 on January 14-20; 8, 15, 12, and 8 on January 21-24; 5 on January 25-30; 12 on January 31; 8 on February 1; 20 on February 2-3; 12 on February 4; 8 on February 5, and 5 on February 6-16. > > Sunspot numbers for December 31 through January 6 were 18, 40, 52, 50, 60, 29, and 38, with a mean of 41. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 96.2, 98.4, 100, 101.9, 95.3, 95.2, and 100.2, with a mean of 98.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 43, 27, 10, 7, 5, 7, and 17, with a mean of 16.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 25, 17, 6, 5, 4, 5, and 12, with a mean of 10.6. > > In the Friday bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from readers. Send me your reports and observations. > > Just Ahead in Radiosport > January 9 -- Old New Year Contest (CW) > > January 9-10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW) > > January 9-10 -- UBA PSK63 Prefix Contest > > January 9-10 -- North American QSO Party (CW) > > January 10 -- NRAU-Baltic Contest (SSB) > > January 10 -- DARC 10-Meter Contest (CW) > > January 10 -- NRAU-Baltic Contest (CW) > > January 13 -- NAQCC CW Sprint > > 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 and Events > January 9 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia > > January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York > > January 15-16 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers, Florida > > January 15-16 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas > > January 17-23 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona > > January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi > > January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico > > February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention, N. Charleston, South Carolina > > February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia > > February 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention, Orlando, Florida > > February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia > > February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona > > February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas > > February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida > > February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico > > February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont > > March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama > > March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention, Rosenburg, Texas > > March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana > > March 12 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California > > March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington > > March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas > > Find conventions and hamfests in your area. > > ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for > Amateur Radio News and Information > > > . > > . > > . > > Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. > Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. > Subscribe to... > > NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties. > QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. > Free of charge to ARRL members... > > Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more! > Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! > > > > > > > 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 Wed Jan 13 08:44:29 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2016 08:44:29 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] American Radio History: Documenting the History of Radio TV and FM broadcasting Message-ID: From The ARRL Contest Update... http://www.americanradiohistory.com/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 15 13:03:22 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:03:22 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for January 14, 2016 In-Reply-To: <20160114232258.AB8BA20DB250@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160114232258.AB8BA20DB250@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <5699346A.3000308@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-01-14 The ARRL Letter January 14, 2016 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * ARRL Asks FCC for "Minimal but Necessary Changes" to Correct Reapportioning Error <#toc01> * Subcommittee Chair, H.R. 1301 Sponsor Testify on Behalf of Amateur Radio Parity Act <#toc02> * ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, Concluding Nearly 3 Decades as a League Official <#toc03> * *National Parks on the Air Update* <#toc04> * New Section Manager Appointed in Missouri <#toc05> * Orlando Amateur Radio Club Donates to ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund <#toc06> * UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, Notes Death of Space Oddity's "Major Tom" <#toc07> * Hamvention Seeks 2016 Award Nominations <#toc08> * Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants <#toc09> * GlobalSET 2015 is a Wrap, with Lessons Learned <#toc10> * In Brief... <#toc11> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc12> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc13> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events <#toc14> ARRL Asks FCC for "Minimal but Necessary Changes" to Correct Reapportioning Error The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to fix a "shortfall in available RTTY/data spectrum" the regulator created when it reapportioned 80 and 75 meters a decade ago. The League's January 8 /Petition for Rule Making/ asks the FCC to shift the boundary between the 80 meter RTTY/data subband and the 75 meter phone/image subband from 3600 kHz to 3650 kHz. The ARRL's /Petition/ points out that the proposed change has received strong support from the ARRL membership and was adopted as policy by the League's Board of Directors in July 2015. At that time the Board also agreed to seek RTTY and data privileges for Technician and Novice licensees within the portion of the 15 meter band where they now may operate CW and to do the same on 80 meters, contingent upon the 80/75 meter subband revision. Specifically, the petition asks the FCC to make the following changes, with regard to 80/75 meters: * Modify the 80 meter RTTY/data subband, so that it extends from 3500 kHz to 3650 kHz. * Modify the 75 meter phone/image subband, so that it extends from 3650 kHz to 4000 kHz. * Make 3600-3650 kHz available for General and Advanced Class licensees, as was the case prior to 2006. * Make 3600-3650 kHz available to Novice and Technician licensees for telegraphy -- consistent with existing rules permitting Novices and Technicians to use telegraphy in the General and Advanced RTTY/data subbands on 80, 40, and 15 Meters. * Modify the rules governing automatically controlled digital stations (ACDS), to shift the 80 meter ACDS segment from 3585-3600 kHz to 3600-3615 kHz, consistent with the IARU Region 1 and 2 band plans *The FCC's 2006 "Omnibus" /Report and Order/ in WT-140 addressed a number of other non-Amateur Radio related issues.* The ARRL contended that the FCC /Report and Order/ in Docket 04-140 released in 2006 made "a very substantial" and unjustifiable departure from what the so-called "Omnibus" /Notice of Proposed Rule Making/ (/NPRM/) had proposed, with respect to 75 and 80 meters. The resulting /R&O/ in that proceeding, among other actions, expanded voice privileges on additional frequencies in various bands, including 75 meters. The FCC shifted the phone/image subband from 3750-4000 kHz to 3600-4000 kHz, trimming the 80 meter RTTY/data subband from 3500-3750 kHz to 3500-3600 kHz and changing "the entire dynamic of this band substantially," the League said. The League said that, while the Omnibus /R&O/ indicated that incumbent licensees would lose no operating privileges, some licensees "clearly" did. The ARRL said the most substantial adverse effect of the "unexpected and vast expansion" of the 75 meter phone/image was the elimination of access to 3620-3635 kHz by ACDS. The Omnibus /R&O/ rule changes limited 80 meters to 3500-3600 kHz, and no longer authorized RTTY and data emissions above 3600 kHz. The /R&O/ also did not modify ? 97.221 of the rules, "so its provision for automatically controlled digital stations in the subband 3620-3635 kHz was rendered a nullity," the League said. "This was clearly an oversight by the Commission at the time." The FCC denied a subsequent ARRL /Petition for Reconsideration/ seeking a partial stay of the new rules and instead replaced the inadvertently deleted 3620-3635 kHz ACDS segment with 3585-3600 kHz. "Far from fixing the problem created by the error in the Omnibus /R&O/, the moving of the inadvertently deleted digital subband downward in frequency below 3600 kHz made the situation in the 80 meter RTTY/data subband even worse than it was," the ARRL said. The result has been a shortfall in available RTTY/data spectrum at 80 meters. Read more . Subcommittee Chair, H.R. 1301 Sponsor Testify on Behalf of Amateur Radio Parity Act During a January 12 Capitol Hill hearing, US House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), called the Amateur Radio Parity Act "a commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues to support it. H.R. 1301 was one of four telecoms bills to come before his panel. Walden told the subcommittee that, as a ham, he's "acutely aware" of the passion Amateur Radio possess for the service. *Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), speaks in favor of H.R. 1301, calling it a "commonsense bill."* "Despite its widespread use and importance in times of emergencies, land-use restrictions in some areas have prioritized esthetics over the rights of hams. H.R. 1301 seeks to ensure that Amateur Radio operators get a fair shake and protection from /unnecessary/ bans on their equipment by instructing the FCC to adopt rules to this end." Walden said he's aware of suggestions that the bill would open the door to 40 foot towers in townhome backyards. "That's not the case," he assured his subcommittee colleagues. "Ham equipment can be as small as over-the-air digital television antennas becoming popular with 'cord cutters.' I'm sure that Amateur Radio operators' communications deserve no less protection than access to prime time television." In his remarks, the bill's sponsor, Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), pointed out that most House members have a few hundred radio amateurs living in their districts. He explained that hams in some neighborhoods "are outright prohibited" from erecting antennas on their properties, "even as small as a 4 millimeter diameter wire that might be placed under an awning or laid flat against the house." Kinzinger cited Amateur Radio's role in emergency communication support and noted the comments of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, to the effect that when conventional communications go down, Amateur Radio is often the last line of defense. *Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) testified in support of his bill on January 12.* Kinzinger said his bill's "reasonable accommodation standard" would not mandate placement, size, or esthetics regarding an outdoor antenna, leaving ham radio operators and homeowners associations to decide those issues. "We just simply add the same standard that has been used successfully in municipal areas to other areas," he concluded. H.R. 1301 would direct the FCC to extend its rules relating to reasonable accommodation of Amateur Service communications to private land-use restrictions, such as deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions. The bill has attracted 118 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. An identical US Senate measure, S. 1685, has attracted 3 cosponsors. It cleared the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation last November. More information about the legislation is on the ARRL Amateur Radio Parity Act web page. ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, Concluding Nearly 3 Decades as a League Official Now completing her third term, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will be handing off the baton to her successor this week. The ARRL Board of Directors will elect the League's next president -- its 16th -- when it meets January 15-16. President Craigie said it has been her privilege to serve during the ARRL Centennial in 2014 and to help usher in Amateur Radio's second century. "The operating events, the convention, the whole year!" she said. "To be ARRL President during this celebration was my great good luck, and I'll never forget all the members who told me how much they appreciate what the ARRL does for them and Amateur Radio." *ARRL's 15th President, Kay Craigie, N3KN, has served since 2010.* President Craigie was first elected as a volunteer League official in 1986, when she became the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager. The ARRL Board of Directors chose her as the League's 15th president in January 2010. President Craigie said she also was proud to represent the ARRL at international conferences and events during her time at the League's helm. "As President I represented the ARRL at the Radio Society of Great Britain's 100th anniversary observance, led the ARRL delegation at two International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 conferences, and was part of ARRL teams at Friedrichshafen and Tokyo," she said. She also attended part of World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 as an observer. "For years, I have heard about the work done by IARU volunteers and the hams serving on their national delegations at the WRCs," she said, "but until I saw their efforts firsthand, I really didn't comprehend exactly how hard and how well they work together to protect and advance Amateur Radio for the rest of us." President Craigie said she was happy to sign the first formal agreement between the ARRL and the Boy Scouts of America. "One of my best friends in Amateur Radio got his start as a Scout," she noted, adding that she hopes the agreement will lead to welcoming "even more talented young people into our ranks." During her tenure as the League's President, she also has been deeply involved in efforts to achieve "reasonable accommodation" for all US hams, regardless of zoning and land-use regulation, and especially the current Amateur Radio Parity Act campaign. She said she's "certain that the ARRL's leadership and membership will continue to press this essential issue until the job is done." President Craigie said she finds Amateur Radio still relevant, even in an era when technology seems to be advancing at lightning speed. "University students in scientific and technical programs get the point of Amateur Radio and see how it fits with their career plans and their talents," she said, adding that she has see this firsthand in her community of Blacksburg, Virginia, the home of Virginia Tech. "Very bright students are not just getting licensed but are getting active." "These are the young people who will drive Amateur Radio technology into the future, and their energy and intelligence make me absolutely reject the idea that Amateur Radio is irrelevant and on its way out," the ARRL President said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ad *National Parks on the Air Update* Although the ARRL's year-long National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event began just 2 weeks ago, Larry Burke, K5RK, of Alvin, Texas, already has confirmed more than 120 NPOTA units . "It speaks volumes, not only about Larry being a dedicated chaser," ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, said, adding that 25 hams had already confirmed more than 50 units. Kutzko also called it "pretty amazing" that more than 100 NPOTA units were on the air this soon. Throughout 2016, Amateur Radio will help the National Park Service to mark its 100th anniversary. In the process, hams ("activators") from across the country will activate NPS units, promote the National Park Service, and showcase Amateur Radio to the public. "Chasers" like Burke will attempt to work as many of them as possible. Logbook of The World (LoTW ) is being use to record and confirm contacts among Activators and Chasers. ARRL has added NPOTA to the "soapbox " area of the ARRL website, so people can share photos and stories of their NPOTA activations. The deadline for the March NPOTA photo contest is January 15. The winner will get his/her photo published in the March /QST/ NPOTA column and receive NPOTA swag too. Activators will operate from more than a dozen NPOTA units during the week of January 15-21. Details are available on the NPOTA Activations calendar. Love NPOTA? Join the ARRL NPOTA Facebook Group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New Section Manager Appointed in Missouri The ARRL's Missouri Section has a new leader. Cecil Higgins, AC0HA, of Pittsburg, Missouri, has been appointed as ARRL Missouri Section Manager, effective January 11. Dale Bagley, K0KY, had stepped down because of family commitments after having served as Missouri's SM since June 1999. Bagley recommended Higgins for the post. ARRL Manager of Field Services and Radiosport Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment after reviewing Bagley's recommendation and consulting with ARRL Midwest Division Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS. A ham for more than 20 years, Higgins has served previously as an Assistant Section Manager, an Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, and the District Emergency Coordinator for ARES District D in Missouri. He is retired from a career in law enforcement and in emergency management. Higgins will complete the current SM term of office, which continues until December 31, 2016. Orlando Amateur Radio Club Donates to ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund At the January meeting of the Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC ), President John Knott, N4JTK, presented ARRL Southeastern Division *Orlando ARC President John Knott, N4JTK (left), present the club's sybolic donation to ARRL Southeastern Division Director Doug Rehman, K4AC. [Photo courtesy of Bob Nocero, W4KBW]* Director Doug Rehman, K4AC, with a check for $2500, designated for the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund. OARC sponsors the Orlando HamCation , which will host the 2016 ARRL National Convention February 12-14 in Orlando, Florida. "ARRL is very pleased to start 2016 with such a wonderful gift to the Spectrum Defense Fund, and we deeply appreciate OARC's generosity and commitment to helping ARRL in our advocacy efforts," said ARRL Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD. "ARRL is very fortunate to have so many dedicated clubs that support this important work. As we prepare for HamCation and the 2016 ARRL National Convention, I look forward to the opportunity to thank all of OARC's members in person." Clubs and individuals may contribute to the League via the ARRL website. Ad UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, Notes Death of Space Oddity's "Major Tom" In his Twitter feed, UK/ESA Astronaut and ISS crew member Tim Peake, KG5BVI, tipped his space helmet to rock legend David Bowie, whose 1969 hit single "Space Oddity" was covered in space by Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG/KC5RNJ. Bowie died on January 10. In the somber "Space Oddity," Bowie assumes the character of "Major Tom," an astronaut who becomes stranded in space. *Astronaut Tim Peake, KB5BVI.* "Saddened to hear David Bowie has lost his battle with cancer," Peake tweeted from the International Space Station. "His music was an inspiration to many." Hadfield also remarked on Bowie's death. His own rendition of "Space Oddity," performed as he floated in microgravity during his 2012/2013 duty tour on the ISS and uploaded to YouTube, became a hit in its own right. Hadfield accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. Hadfield joined Peake and the European Space Agency (ESA) in paying tribute to Bowie on Twitter. "Rest in peace, Starman," Hadfield tweeted. "The stars look very different today," the ESA remarked in re-tweeting Peake's message, which was accompanied by lyrics from "Space Oddity." Read more . First "Principia Mission" ARISS Contact Meanwhile, a brand-new ham was the first to speak with Peake when students at Sandringham School in Hertfordshire, England, enjoyed a January 8 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) contact. Peake, whose "Principia Mission " is focusing on educational activities, used the special GB1SS call sign for his first ARISS contact; the school obtained permission to use GB1SAN. Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh, M6LPJ, who passed her Foundation class exam just before Christmas, was first in line to talk with Peake. *Sandringham Head Teacher Alan Gray, G4DJX, takes a selfie with Jessica Leigh, M6LPJ. [Sandringham School image]* "When I get home, I'll be completely in shock," Leigh told the BBC after the contact, noting that the "amazing experience" of talking to someone in space had yet to sink in. A week-long Sandringham School Space Festival culminated with the live VHF contact with Peake. With an enrollment of 1300, Sandringham School students range in age from 11 to 19, with 100 faculty members. Head teacher Alan Gray, G4DJX, called the event "an extraordinary experience for the school." The week leading up to the contact included a wide range of activities aimed at engaging the students in space and space travel, including a presentation from a spacecraft engineer, mobile planetariums, an Amateur Radio "buildathon," rocket workshops, and talks on Mars and cosmonauts. Read more . Hamvention Seeks 2016 Award Nominations Dayton Hamvention ? 2016 is soliciting nominations for Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement, Technical Excellence, and Club of the Year awards. All Amateur Radio operators/clubs are eligible, with winners recognized at Hamvention? 2016, May 20-22 at Hara Arena. The Amateur of the Year Award goes to an individual who has made a long-term, outstanding commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio. The Special Achievement Award honors someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Amateur Radio, typically by spearheading a significant project. The Technical Excellence Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding technical advancement in Amateur Radio. The Club of the Year Award honors a club that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of Amateur Radio. Nominations must be received by *February 1*. Additional details and nomination forms are available on the Dayton Hamvention? website. Send nominations via e-mail or to Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO Box 1446, Dayton, OH 45401-1446. Ad Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced several grants to Amateur Radio organizations and activities. Beneficiaries include the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) program, the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, and the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN ). The ARISS US Team said its $5000 grant will support the development of power converters, needed as a part of an extensive upgrade to the entire Amateur Radio system on the ISS. "The Yasme grant will jump-start the project by allowing the ARISS hardware team to build a prototype converter, purchase critical parts for the flight converters, and further develop the design," ARISS International President Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said. A group of ARISS US team members convened at Johnson Space Center last month to solidify plans for the design of the next-generation radio system. Yasme Foundation President Ward Silver, N0AX, said the Yasme Board hopes the grant will serve as a catalyst for individuals and other groups to follow suit. In support of scholarships and youth programs, the Yasme Foundation funded the Yasme Foundation scholarship through the ARRL Foundation . It also designated grants to the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR ) in support of its 2016 scholarship program, to the Youngsters on the Air (YOTA ) program to support programs aimed at promoting Amateur Radio among those under age 26 throughout IARU Region 1, and to the ARRL Teacher's Institute to fund one teacher's attendance at a 2016 Teachers Institute session. To support scientific and technical endeavors, the Yasme Foundation made grants to the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF ) Beacon Project to update the beacon station in Sri Lanka, and to the Reverse Beacon Network, to build and install a node to provide coverage in an unidentified underserved area that's of particular interest to propagation studies. *The ARRL Teachers Institute also was a beneficiary of the Yasme Foundation's recent grants.**Here, teachers test their BoeBots in a 2015 California session with Instructor Tommy Gober, N5DUX.* To support HF operating around the world, the grants went to a representative of the Haiti Amateur Radio Club for the purchase of Amateur Radio training materials aimed at developing future licensees in Haiti as well as donate a Kenwood TS-440S transceiver for use by the new licensees; to the International Amateur Radio Club at International Telecommunication Union Headquarters in Geneva (4U1ITU ) for station maintenance and the acquisition of needed equipment, and to World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 (WRTC 2018 ) to support the expense of mounting the contesting competition in Germany and to encourage other organizations and individuals to contribute. The Yasme Foundation also announced grants to the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society club station ET3AA to acquire a new computer, interfaces, and programs for logging and operating digital modes and to purchase new headsets; to the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF ), and to Dokufunk , in support of its activities to preserve the history of radio communication. GlobalSET 2015 is a Wrap, with Lessons Learned More than three dozen countries took part in the 2015 Global Simulated Emergency Test (GlobalSET ) last month, organized by IARU Region 1 and designed in part to measure the disaster readiness of Amateur Radio. IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, pointed out that the 2015 event differed from other GlobalSETs held since 2006, which emphasized message handling and setting up stations in the field. "The IARU emergency communications coordinators decided that the best way to achieve this would be to have an availability or 'call-out' exercise," Mossop said. "It asked all countries with emergency communications groups to contact their members and ask them how quickly they could get on the air if required." The start of the exercise was not announced in advance but propagated via a variety of channels, including e-mail and social media. IARU regional coordinators chose December 18 as being clear of most social and cultural events. A time limit of up to 48 hours was set for potential responding organizations to complete the local callout exercise and submit results via a web form. The survey results covered an estimated 8466 members worldwide, of which 2048 reported they could be available in less than 1 hour. "This exercise occurred on a normal business day in many countries," Mossop said. "An availability rate of 20-30 percent of stations is very good and does seem reasonable as a planning assumption for future exercises." Mossop said the exercise identified a need to revise or improve alerting procedures. "Where possible a mixture of methods should be used for alerting members with automatic feedback of message delivery or the response," he said, adding that reliance on any single system, such as e-mail, was not the best approach. Read more . -- /Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC/ In Brief... *Ramsey Kits Calls it Quits:* After more than 40 years as a purveyor of inexpensive electronics kits for hobbyists, the Ramsey Hobby Kits group has announced that it's thrown in the towel, effective on January 1. The Ramsey RF Test Equipment Group is unaffected by this change. The Victor, New York, company sold a wide array of hobby kits over the years, starting with its LED Blinky kit in the 1970s and eventually including simple ham radio transmitters and receivers, aircraft band receivers, and other devices. Ramsey kits were frequently available at hamfests. The company said it will continue to provide technical and warranty support for hobby kits purchased through the end of 2015. Ramsey said its remaining hobby kit inventory has been relocated to Amazon . *CWops Announces Award for Advancing the Art of CW:* CWops has announced a new, annual award to recognize individuals, groups, or organizations that have made the greatest contribution(s) toward advancing the art or practice of radio communication by Morse code. Eligible candidates include the authors of publications related to CW; recruiters, trainers, mentors, coaches, and instructors of Morse code; designers and inventors who advance the art or practice of CW, and others contributing to the art or practice of CW. The award is not limited to Amateur Radio operators or organizations. Anyone can submit a nomination (with a copy to secretary at cwops.org ). Nominations must be received by April 15, 2016. They should include the nominee's name and applicable call sign, the nominee's contact information, including e-mail and USPS addresses and a telephone number, and a detailed explanation to support the nominee's qualifications. The individual nominating should provide complete contact information too. A plaque will be presented at the Dayton Hamvention, or mailed to the recipient. *SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Christmas Eve Transmission Generates a Host of Reports:* The 2015 Christmas Eve transmission from SAQ, the Alexanderson alternator station at the World Heritage Grimeton site in Sweden, elicited more than 350 reports, according to a preliminary accounting, many of them from hams. SAQ transmits on 17.2 kHz. The lion's share of reports -- nearly 160 -- came from Germany. Listeners in the US filed eight reports, with just five indicating they actually heard SAQ. "The transmission appears to be our best so far," said Lars Kalland, SM6NM, who distributed the report. Kjell Dahl, OH0KXJ, reported hearing SAQ for the first time. "It is always a pleasure to listen to this CW melody on 17.2 kHz," commented Manu Aft, F5ROL. The vintage station began its holiday transmissions in 2006. Read more . The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Trends over the past week were just as we like them, with average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux increasing, and geomagnetic indices lower. Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 41 to 55.7, and the average daily solar flux increased from 98.2 to 106.5. The average daily planetary A index declined from 16.6 to 11.1, while average daily mid-latitude A index went from 10.6 to 8.4. The predicted solar flux is 100 on January 14; 105 on January 15-17; 100 on January 18; 95 on January 19-20; 100 on January 21-22; 105 on January 23-26; 110 on January 27-28; 105 on January 29-31; 110 on February 1-7; 108, 105, and 100 on February 8-10; 105 on February 11-14, and 100 on February 15-18. Predicted planetary A index is 8 on January 14, 6 on January 15-20; 8, 15, and 10 on January 21-23; 5 on January 24-27; 18, 12, and 8 on January 28-30; 5 on January 31 through February 1; 15, 12, and 8 on February 2-4; 5 on February 5-6; 6, 15, 12, and 8 on February 7-10; 6 on February 11-13, and 5 on February 14-16. Be sure to check out the article "Radio Wave Propagation: How Waves Attenuate with Distance," by KE4PT on page 37 in the February 2016 issue of /QST/. Sunspot numbers for January 7 through 13 were 57, 80, 84, 73, 41, 29, and 26, with a mean of 55.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 103.4, 108.5, 107, 108.9, 108, 105.5, and 104.1, with a mean of 106.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 14, 8, 6, 7, 14, 15, and 14, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 11, 6, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11, with a mean of 8.4. Send me your reports and observations. . . . . . . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * January 15 -- LZ Open Contest (CW) * January 16 -- Hungarian DX Contest (CW, SSB) * January 16-17 -- Feld Hell Sprint * *January 17 -- North American QSO Party (SSB) * * January 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW) 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 and Events * January 15-16 -- Southern Florida Section Convention , Fort Myers, Florida * January 15-16 -- North Texas Section Convention , Forest Hill, Texas * January 17-23 -- Quartzfest , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention , N. Charleston, South Carolina * February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia * *February 12-14 -- **ARRL National Convention* *, Orlando, Florida* * February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention , Forsyth, Georgia * February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention , Hoxie, Arkansas * February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference , Tampa, Florida * February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest , Albuquerque, New Mexico * February 27 -- Vermont State Convention , S. Burlington, Vermont * March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention , Birmingham, Alabama * March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention , Rayne, Louisiana * March 12 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention , Del Rey Oaks, California * March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention , Rosenburg, Texas * March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference , Redmond, Washington * March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention , Midland, Texas * March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention , Lewiston, Maine Find conventions and hamfests in your area . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information* . . . * Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes /QST/ , Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. * Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ , available every Friday. Subscribe to... * /NCJ / /-- National Contest Journal/ . Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties. * /QEX/ *//*/-- A Forum for Communications Experimenters/ . Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members... * Subscribe to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update/(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more! Find ARRL on Facebook ! Follow us on Twitter ! Ad Ad Ad Ad Ad ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/. Copyright ? 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Jan 17 08:52:13 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2016 08:52:13 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] W6AM Message-ID: <569B9C8D.4010002@bellsouth.net> Many have heard of the famous W6AM and his antenna farm. I worked him way back when myself, and remember his incredible signal. I'll guess some of you worked him too. I recently found this site with this story, and pictures of his antenna and station. We can only dream about a QTH like this. I'm sure even today his signal would be the loudest on the band. The site has been around for a while but still interesting to view. Bill W2CQ W6AM: http://www.qsl.net/ne6i/w6am/index.html W6AM Antennas: http://www.qsl.net/ne6i/w6am/antennas.html W6AM Shack: http://www.qsl.net/ne6i/w6am/shack.html From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Jan 17 09:00:35 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2016 09:00:35 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Old QSL cards In-Reply-To: <569B9E59.3090304@bellsouth.net> References: <569B9E59.3090304@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <569B9E83.9090706@bellsouth.net> From Tony N2MFT: nice site. Server is a little slow on some requests. Reload and try again. http://www.oldqslcards.com From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Jan 21 18:40:21 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:40:21 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for January 21, 2016 In-Reply-To: <20160121225706.0CCEA200A4F5@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160121225706.0CCEA200A4F5@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <56A16C65.90605@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-01-21 The ARRL Letter January 21, 2016 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * /Changing of the Guard/ : Rick Roderick, K5UR, Elected as ARRL's 16th President <#toc01> * ARRL's New President to Make First Official Convention Visit in Puerto Rico <#toc02> * Outgoing ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, Honored with ARRL President's Award <#toc03> * ARRL President Bestows President's Award on AMSAT's Tom Clark, K3IO <#toc04> * *National Parks on the Air Update* <#toc05> * There's Still Time -- But Not Much -- to Make Plans for the ARRL National Convention and Banquet <#toc06> * Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, Named as ARRL Contest Branch Manager <#toc07> * Dayton Amateur Radio Association Surprises ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ <#toc08> * Winter Field Day Set for January 30-31 <#toc09> * Midwinter 630 Meter Activity Weekend Set for Early February <#toc10> * NASA Control Terminates Spacewalk by Two-Ham Astronaut Team <#toc11> * In Brief... <#toc12> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events <#toc15> /Changing of the Guard/: Rick Roderick, K5UR, Elected as ARRL's 16th President The ARRL Board of Directors has elected ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR, of Little Rock, Arkansas, as ARRL President. The Board took the action as it convened for its 2016 Annual Meeting January 15-16 in Windsor, Connecticut. Roderick, 63, officially assumed office for a 2-year term at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. He is the ARRL's 16th president, succeeding Kay Craigie, N3KN, of Blacksburg, Virginia, who had served for three terms since being elected in 2010. *ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]* A ham for 48 years, Roderick is an attorney. He has served on the ARRL Board of Directors for 24 years and is an enthusiastic Amateur Radio operator and DXer on HF and VHF/UHF. He and his wife Holly have two adult children. The Board also chose other officers, electing Dakota Division Director Greg Widin, K0GW, of Stillwater, Minnesota, as First Vice President, succeeding Roderick, and Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, as Vice President, succeeding Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF. Roderick, Widin, and Mileshosky all are ARRL Life Members. Fenstermaker was later named by the Board as an ARRL Honorary Vice President. As a result of the Vice President election, Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, of Sundance, Wyoming, has become the new Division Director, succeeding Mileshosky, while Dakota Division Vice Director Kent Olson, KA0LDG, of Horace, North Dakota, has become the new Division Director, succeeding Widin. President Roderick will fill the Vice Director vacancies. In other action, the Board re-elected International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB, Chief Financial Officer Barry Shelley, N1VXY, and Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX. *The ARRL Board of Directors held its Annual Meeting January 15-16 in Windsor, Connecticut. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]* The Board also elected one new member to the Executive Committee, which can act on the behalf of the Board between its two yearly meetings in January and July. Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ, will replace New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, on the panel. The other Director members are Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB; West Gulf Division Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV; Pacific Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, and Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK. ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, also was attending his final meeting in an official capacity. He will retire on March 1 after about 11 years at ARRL Headquarters. The Board considered the recommendations of the CEO Search Committee and selected a candidate to succeed ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, who is retiring this spring after 44 years on the ARRL Headquarters staff. A formal announcement is pending. In other action, the Board approved an annual budget that contains an operating surplus this year, in the wake of a deficit last year. The overall budget was $15.3 million, approximately the same as the previous year's spending plan. ARRL's New President to Make First Official Convention Visit in Puerto Rico Newly elected ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, will make his first official convention visit as he heads a League contingent at the ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention later this month in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. "The Organizing Committee of the convention is pleased to know that President Roderick will be attending and has chosen to participate with us," said Convention Chair Jos? Vic?ns, NP4G. Other League officials expected to attend include Southeastern Division Director Doug Rehman, K4AC, and General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD. "I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention," President Roderick told the Organizing Committee. The January 30-31 event, the 4th Puerto Rico State Convention, will be dedicated to emergency communication. The Caribbean Amateur Radio Group, the Puerto Rico Amateur Radio Group, and the city of Hatillo are co-sponsoring the gathering in the Francisco "Pancho" Deida Coliseum. More than 1200 are expected to attend the largest Amateur Radio event of the Caribbean. Admission is free. In addition to forums, exhibits, and Amateur Radio examinations, special event station KP4AW will be on the air from inside the coliseum. An Amateur of the Year Award will also be presented, and the Coquifest 2016 get-together will be held on el Gran Parque de Hatillo on Saturday evening. Outgoing ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, Honored with ARRL President's Award As both were on the threshold of departing their official positions with the League, then-ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, presented ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, with the ARRL President's Award. The presentation came during the ARRL Board of Directors' Annual Meeting January 15-16 in Windsor, Connecticut. She also recognized two Board members for their 50 years of League membership. *ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, receives the ARRL President's Award plaque from ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]* The legend on the ARRL President's Award plaque recognizes Sumner "for lifetime dedication to advancing the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio." Sumner announced last year that he would be stepping down at the end of May after 44 years on the ARRL Headquarters staff. Licensed in 1962, Sumner has been engaged in Amateur Radio in the domestic and international arenas for most of the years since. Sumner is an active contester and DXer and renowned for the breadth and depth of his knowledge and expertise in Amateur Radio. Ad ARRL President Bestows President's Award on AMSAT's Tom Clark, K3IO The ARRL has honored veteran AMSAT personality and Amateur Radio digital pioneer Tom Clark, K3IO (ex-W3IWI), with its President's Award. Then-ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, presented the award plaque to Clark at a January 10 meeting of the Potomac Valley Radio Club in Blacksburg, Virginia. The plaque, which bears a likeness of ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, recognizes Clark's 60 years of advancing Amateur Radio technology. *Tom Clark, K3IO, receives the ARRL President's Award from then-ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. [Courtesy of Bob McGwier, N4HY]* "In addition to his work with AMSAT, Tom was a leader in the development of the AX.25 packet radio network in the 1980s, when he was W3IWI. Anyone who was on packet in the 1980s knew that call sign," President Craigie said. "I recall attending a forum he gave on packet radio at a hamfest in Baltimore in the 1980s, when people on the East Coast were just getting interested in the mode and its possibilities." Clark was a TAPR director during the heyday of packet radio forwarding, and TAPR's significance was huge, she said. Former AMSAT President and current AMSAT Director Bob McGwier, N4HY, was more direct. "There would be no AMSAT to inspire all of this work without Tom Clark," he said, noting that the organization had been in serious trouble after the Phase 3A satellite launch failure. "Tom took over as president of AMSAT, and he saved the organization and inspired all of us to look to the future and aim for the stars," McGwier said. "All that has followed, including PACSAT and microsats, CubeSats, AO-13, all the way through AO-85, are a /direct/ result of Tom Clark saving AMSAT and providing it leadership as president from 1980 to 1987 and continuous leadership on the Board of Directors of AMSAT from 1976 until today." Read more . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *National Parks on the Air Update* Great pileups were reported from many National Parks on the Air (NPOTA ) activators over the January 16-17 weekend. We're getting more and more comments from participants who are catching "NPOTA Fever" and beginning the chase. At three weeks into the year-long event, we've seen nearly 200 of the 483 NPOTA units activated -- an amazing level of participation! Several Chasers are taking the event seriously as well; 11 Chasers have more than 100 NPOTA units confirmed, and 84 have 50 or more units in the bag. And it's still mighty cold in a large part of the county...just think what activity will be like when it warms up a bit. NPOTA Managers Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, are talking NPOTA, ham radio, and RVing on this week's RoadTreking.com podcast , "Reliable Communications for the RVer," hosted by Mike Wendland, K8ZRH, an NPOTA Activator. More than 20 Activations are scheduled for the week of January 21-27; check the NPOTA Activations calendar for details. Follow NPOTA on Facebook and Twitter, too!/-- Thanks to ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There's Still Time -- But Not Much -- to Make Plans for the ARRL National Convention and Banquet Time is tight to order ARRL National Convention Banquet tickets and to make your plans to attend the Convention February 12-14, hosted by the popular Orlando HamCation ^? , which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. The banquet will take place on Saturday, February 13, at 6:30 PM, with ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the keynote speaker. Guests also will hear from and get to meet the League's new President, Rick Roderick, K5UR. Master of Ceremonies will be ARRL Southeastern Division Director Doug Rehman, K4AC. Banquet tickets will be available until January 31. The ARRL cannot guarantee that any tickets will be available for sale during the convention. The Convention and HamCation have plenty of activities to offer, and, of course, it's a great place to meet with friends you haven't seen for a while. ARRL's exhibit area will highlight the various aspects of League services, including the ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP ), Public Service, Radiosport and DXCC card checking, and The Amateur Radio Parity Act . Visitors not only will be able to peruse the many and varied ARRL publications and gear, but ARRL staff will be on hand to help generate and send letters to Members of Congress to urge their support of The Amateur Radio Parity Act. ARRL Laboratory representatives will test your handheld radio. It's also an opportunity to learn more about the ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA ) event, which continues through the end of the year. On Saturday afternoon, younger visitors -- licensed or not -- can participate in a hidden-transmitter hunt -- a foxhunt -- using a receiver and directional antenna. Download the entire ARRL National Convention Exhibit & Activities Guide (PDF) so you won't miss anything. More information is available on the ARRL National Convention web page. Read more . Ad Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, Named as ARRL Contest Branch Manager Former ARRL staffer Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, is the League's new ARRL Contest Branch manager. Jahnke returned to ARRL Headquarters on January 4 after a decade away, working in the customer service, manufacturing sales and support, and information technology fields in the Midwest and on the East Coast. He succeeds Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, who resigned last year. *ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. [Steve Ford, WB8IMY, photo]* "It is great to be back at ARRL and to see the faces of many friends still here -- and still dedicated to serving Amateur Radio -- as well as new faces, new friends, to join in the journey," said Jahnke, who previously spent nearly 20 years at Headquarters. "With continued strong activity comes our obligation to produce and release results as rapidly as possible." Jahnke said he hopes -- with the help of Headquarters staff and volunteer data processers and log checkers outside Headquarters -- to make things happen more rapidly and efficiently, processing logs and publishing contest results without compromising the integrity of the current system. "We need to continue to work smarter, not harder, to serve the contest community," he said. Jahnke served as ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager from 1989 until 2005. He initially joined the ARRL Headquarters staff in 1985, starting out as editor of the /ARRL Repeater Directory/. Jahnke said that while his primary interest during his 36 years in ham radio has been volunteer activities and "weak-signal" VHF, UHF, and microwave contesting, meteor scatter, and EME work, he has also enjoyed casually operating in HF contests. He concedes, however, that it may be time to "add some forte to my low bands!" Dayton Amateur Radio Association Surprises ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ As he nears retirement, ARRL CEO David Sumner has been honored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA ), which sponsors Dayton Hamvention ^? . Sumner had been invited to speak at DARA's January 8 meeting, purportedly to recount his many years with ARRL. While such out-of-town speaking engagements are not out of the ordinary for him, something he wasn't anticipating awaited him at this event. *DARA President Don Dubon, N6JRL, presents the "Outstanding Career and Service to Amateur Radio" award to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.* "Dave provided a great insight into the mission of the ARRL, but our club had some surprises," said DARA President Don Dubon, N6JRL. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association honored Sumner with a plaque noting his "Outstanding Career and Service to Amateur Radio." The club also made him a "Gold Card" lifetime member of DARA, an honor bestowed on very few, Dubon said. In addition, the ARRL Ohio Section presented him with a Special Recognition Award. "I am very pleased that the relationship between DARA and the ARRL has blossomed into one of the outstanding partnerships in organized Amateur Radio," Sumner said. A reception attended by some 160 DARA members followed the meeting. Winter Field Day Set for January 30-31 There really /is/ a Winter Field Day, and this year, it takes place over the January 30-31 weekend, sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association (WFDA ). The annual event's stated purpose is to encourage emergency operating preparedness in the winter, but it's also a great opportunity to operate in the great outdoors. The WFDA describes itself as a dedicated group of Amateur Radio operators who *Jean Morgan, KG7NJQ, operates SSB during the 2015 Winter Field Day near North Bend, Washington.* believe that getting ready for emergency communication in a winter environment is just as important as the preparations and practice that take place at ARRL Field Day each June, all while taking some additional unique operational concerns into account. The WFDA points out that disasters are unpredictable, and its goal is to help enhance operators' skills and prepare for all environmental conditions typically found in the US and Canada throughout the entire year. "We believe...that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair weather scenarios," the group says. "The addition of a Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations." *The 2015 Winter Field Day at NC7G (L-R): Bill Harris, W7KXB; Jean Morgan, KG7NJQ; Thom Proehl, K7FZO, and Curt Black, WR5J. [Photo courtesy of Curt Black, WR5J]* The event is not restricted to North America. All Amateur Radio operators around the world are invited to participate. Operation will be on all HF bands except 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters. The event runs 24 hours. US and Canadian stations exchange call sign, operating category, and ARRL or RAC section. The rules are similar to those for the ARRL Field Day, held in June. Last year, WR5J, W7KXB, KG7NJQ, and K7ZFO braved the conditions to operate as NC7G near North Bend, Washington. Curt Black, WR5J, recounts, "We had a fantastic team -- young, new hams, and some amazing octogenarian hams. All contributed to the effort and the triumph. We had fantastic operating conditions." Black said the weather was great too, with balmy temperatures. "We had a blast -- worked all night long -- bounced from band to band and mode to mode. We had no idea it was going to be as warm as it was," he said./-- Thanks to /The ARRL Contest Update Ad Midwinter 630 Meter Activity Weekend Set for Early February US and Canadian radio amateurs and experimenters will join forces in February for the first Midwinter 630 Meter Activity Weekend. The event will get under way at 0000 UTC on February 6 (Friday, February 5, in US time zones) and runs through 2359 UTC on February 7. *"Tower A" at the QTH of Joe Craig, VO1NA, an LW/MW enthusiast in Torbay, Newfoundland. He will be among the Canadian stations taking part in the Midwinter 630 Meter Activity Weekend. [Photo courtesy of Joe Craig, VO1NA]* "This event is being undertaken because of the new and quickly growing interest in present 630 meter activities, both in the US and Canada," said ARRL 600 Meter Experimental Group (WD2XSH) Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR. "Much of the interest is in response to the strong likelihood of US amateurs receiving access to the band in the near future, while Canadian hams are eager to learn more about the present level of Amateur Radio activity on their newest ham band." The activity weekend comes on the heels of a special event operation over the November 13-14 weekend that included participation by US and Canadian radio amateurs, and the Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS ). Raab said the two activity nights will offer interested amateurs in both countries an opportunity to experience the 630 meter band and, through crossband activity with Canadian amateurs, to take part in activity in the MF spectrum. "Our hope is to see this activity become an annual operating event, to be held every winter on the 630 meter band," Raab said. "For those who may be building for future 630 meter operation, this event will provide an opportunity to test your 'receive' capabilities on MF." Operation will be from 472 kHz to 479 kHz in various modes. Several Canadian stations will undertake two-way crossband work, all on CW. Submit reception reports via e-mail to the respective operators or via the ARRL 600 Meter Experiment website. Read more . NASA Control Terminates Spacewalk by Two-Ham Astronaut Team NASA prematurely terminated a January 15 extra-vehicular excursion (EVA) - or spacewalk - that Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI, and Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, had been undertaking since early that morning. The two were replacing a voltage regulator near the solar arrays that had failed in November outside the International Space Station (ISS) when Kopra reported what NASA Control called "a small amount of water" inside his space helmet. NASA cut the spacewalk short at about 1700 UTC. *Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI, and Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, undertake maintenance and repair work in a January 15 extra-vehicular excursion -- or spacewalk. [NASA video]* The incident recalled the 2013 problem suffered by Astronaut Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP, when his helmet inexplicably began filling with water. The situation became urgent by the time Parmitano and fellow spacewalker Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, were ordered back into the ISS. NASA subsequently blamed the water buildup on unexplained cooling system issues. The January 15 spacewalk was the first for Peake, and the third for Kopra. Peake, the first UK astronaut, and Kopra arrived at the ISS in December. All Amateur Radio equipment on the ISS is routinely shut down during EVAs, effectively postponing planned commemorative slow-scan TV transmissions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In Brief... *Time Running Out to Order ARRL 2015 November Sweepstakes Pins and Mugs:* Orders for 2015 ARRL November Sweepstakes participation pins and mugs must be placed by month's end. Those submitting logs with more than 100 contacts qualify for a Sweepstakes Participation Pin. Anyone managing a "Clean Sweep" by working all 83 ARRL/RAC sections qualifies for a Clean Sweep coffee mug. All pin/mug orders need to be postmarked by January 31, 2016. To order a Sweepstakes pin or mug, send either a copy of your Sweepstakes summary sheet or a copy of the first page of your Cabrillo file along with your check payable to ARRL. Sweepstakes Participation Pins are $8; Clean Sweep Mugs are $15 this year, including shipping. Send orders to ARRL November Sweepstakes Pins/Mugs, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. These items are /not/ stocked. The ARRL places its order once it's known how many have requested pins and mugs. Items will be shipped after all contest entries and all pin/mug orders have been processed and verified, which should happen by April. *Foundation for Amateur Radio Invites Scholarship Applications: *The Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc (FAR ) invites applications for the 2016-2017 academic year for the 46 scholarships it administers. Applicants must hold a valid Amateur Radio license and be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an accredited university, college, or technical school. Applicants attending schools outside the US must provide a brochure describing the school. Students do not apply for specific scholarships; each application will be considered for all of the scholarships for which the applicant is qualified. In order to be considered for the Chichester and QCWA scholarships, applicants must obtain the appropriate recommendations. Applications must be submitted by April 15, although applicants may edit their applications until May 7. Data entered onto the application goes directly into an encrypted, password-protected PDF file that is available only to the review committee. No part of the application is stored online. Contact FAR for more information. *Central States VHF Society Issues Call for Conference Papers:* The Central States VHF Society (CVHFS ) is soliciting papers, presentations, and poster displays about any aspect of weak-signal VHF and above operating for the 50th annual CSVHFS Conference to be held in Rochester, Minnesota July 28-31. Authors do not need to attend the conference nor present their papers in order to have them published in the /Proceedings/. Posters will be displayed at the conference. The deadline for submissions is May 22. Further information is available at the CVHFS website. . . . . . . .. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the past week we saw solar activity decline somewhat. The average daily sunspot number dipped from 55.7 during the January 7-13 reporting period to 46 during the current January 14-20 reporting period. Over the same periods average daily solar flux declined from 106.5 to 100.7. Average daily planetary A index went from 11.1 to 9, and average daily mid-latitude A index drooped from 8.4 to 5.6. Predicted solar flux is 95 on January 21; 100 on January 22-23; 105 on January 24-29; 100 on January 30; 105 on January 31; 110 on February 1-4; 105 on February 5-11; 100 on February 12-14; 95 on February 15-19, and 105 on February 20-25. We saw one new sunspot on January 14, another on January 17, and two more on January 19 and 20. Sunspot numbers for January 14 through 20 were 36, 38, 38, 48, 48, 55, and 59, with a mean of 46. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 103.2, 103.5, 99.9, 100.6, 99.9, 97.5, and 100.4, with a mean of 100.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 6, 4, 4, 5, 11, and 25, with a mean of 9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 4, 3, 3, 4, 7, and 12, with a mean of 5.6. Send me your reports and observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * January 23 -- WAB 1.8 MHz Phone * January 23-24 -- YL-ISSB QSO Party (CW/SSB) * January 23-24 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint * January 23-24 -- Montana QSO Party * January 24 -- QRP ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint * January 27 -- SKCC Sprint * January 27 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW) 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 and Events * January 17-23 -- Quartzfest , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention , N. Charleston, South Carolina * February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia * *February 12-14 -- **ARRL National Convention* *, Orlando, Florida* * February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention , Forsyth, Georgia * February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention , Hoxie, Arkansas * February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference , Tampa, Florida * February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest , Albuquerque, New Mexico * February 27 -- Vermont State Convention , S. Burlington, Vermont * March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention , Birmingham, Alabama * March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention , Rayne, Louisiana * March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention , Rosenburg, Texas * March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention , Midland, Texas * March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference , Redmond, Washington * March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention , Lewiston, Maine Find conventions and hamfests in your area . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information* . . . * Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes /QST/ , Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. * Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ , available every Friday. Subscribe to... * /NCJ / /-- National Contest Journal/ . Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties. * /QEX/ *//*/-- A Forum for Communications Experimenters/ . Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members... * Subscribe to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update/(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more! Find ARRL on Facebook ! Follow us on Twitter ! Ad Ad Ad Ad Ad ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/. Copyright ? 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Jan 21 19:08:32 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:08:32 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Every Time Zone In-Reply-To: <56A1724E.106@bellsouth.net> References: <56A1724E.106@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <56A17300.7020602@bellsouth.net> Time Zone Made Easy... http://everytimezone.com/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 22 16:56:03 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2016 16:56:03 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP004 Propagation de K7RA In-Reply-To: <20160122210834.F145F208E283@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160122210834.F145F208E283@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <56A2A573.2030001@bellsouth.net> SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP004 ARLP004 Propagation de K7RA ZCZC AP04 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 4 ARLP004 >From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA January 22, 2016 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP004 ARLP004 Propagation de K7RA Over the past week we saw solar activity decline somewhat. Average daily sunspot number declined from 55.7 (during the January 7-13 period) to 46 during the recent period, January 14-20. Over the same periods average daily solar flux declined from 106.5 to 100.7. Average daily planetary A index went from 11.1 to 9, and average daily mid-latitude A index declined from 8.4 to 5.6. Predicted solar flux is 105 on January 22-23, 110 on January 24-28, then 105, 100 and 105 on January 29-31, 110 on February 1-4, 105 on February 5-11, 100 on February 12-14, 95 on February 15-19, and 105 on February 20-25. Predicted planetary A index is 12 on January 22, 8 on January 23-24, 10 on January 25-26, then 9, 5, 12 and 8 on January 27-30, 5 on January 31 through February 1, then 15, 12 and 8 on February 2-4, 5 on February 5-6, 12 on February 7-8, 10 and 8 on February 9-10, 5 on February 11-17, then 8, 12 and 8 on February 18-20 and 5 on February 21-23. We saw one new sunspot on January 14, another on January 17, and two more on January 19 and 20. At 0530 UTC on Friday, January 22 I can see four numbered sunspot regions on the Sun. A forecast from OK1MGW predicts quiet to unsettled conditions on January 22, mostly quiet January 23-25, quiet to unsettled January 26, quiet to active January 27, active to disturbed January 28, quiet to unsettled January 29-30, mostly quiet January 31, quiet to unsettled February 1, quiet to active February 2-3, mostly quiet February 4-6, quiet to active February 7-8, quiet to unsettled February 9-10, mostly quiet February 11, quiet February 12-14 and mostly quiet February 15-17. He expects increases in solar wind on January 27-28, February 1-3 and 7-8. David Moore sent a link to an article and video titled "Solar Filament Collapses In Stunning New NASA Sun Video." See it at http://huff.to/1P2xqIR . Solar activity has been weak, and this chart of solar activity over the past year bears this out: http://www.solen.info/solar/ But we should see some seasonal improvements in HF propagation over the next few months the days become longer and we move toward the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, email the author at k7ra at arrl.net. For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service web page at, http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/. My own archives of the NOAA/USAF daily 45 day forecast for solar flux and planetary A index are in downloadable spreadsheet format at http://bit.ly/1VOqf9B and http://bit.ly/1DcpaC5 . Click on "Download this file" to download the archive, and ignore the security warning about file format. Pop-up blockers may suppress the download. Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation. Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins. Sunspot numbers for January 14 through 20 were 36, 38, 38, 48, 48, 55, and 59, with a mean of 46. 10.7 cm flux was 103.2, 103.5, 99.9, 100.6, 99.9, 97.5, and 100.4, with a mean of 100.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 6, 4, 4, 5, 11, and 25, with a mean of 9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 4, 3, 3, 4, 7, and 12, with a mean of 5.6. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 22 18:13:08 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2016 18:13:08 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Broward County Multi-Day Cold Weather Activation: January 23 through January 25, 2016 In-Reply-To: <1751d01d15568$8b83de90$a28b9bb0$@comcast.net> References: <1751d01d15568$8b83de90$a28b9bb0$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <56A2B784.103@bellsouth.net> *MULTI-DAY COLD WEATHER EMERGENCY ADVISORY* _Date: Friday, January 22, 2016 Time: 3:30 P.M_ The National Weather Service is forecasting low temperatures for this weekend, including wind chill, and predicts lows in the mid 40?s in Broward metro areas *overnight on ___Saturday, January 23, 2016, and Sunday, January 24, 2016_.* *Therefore, Broward County has declared a Cold Weather Emergency * *From 6:30 P.M. _*_*Saturday, January 23, 2016*_*__* *until 9:00 A.M. _ Sunday, January 24, 2016_**.** * *From 6:30 P.M.**_Sunday, January 24, 2016_*, *until**7:00 A.M. _Monday, January 25, 2016._* Homeless persons are advised to report to the following Pickup and/or Shelter locations (map attached), no later than *_6:30 P.M._* on *_Saturday and Sunday _*nights for *_transportation_* or *_access_* to special cold night shelters: City of Pompano Beach Pompano Beach City Hall (*Pickup Location Only)* 100 W. Atlantic Blvd (SE Corner) City of Fort Lauderdale The Salvation Army *(Shelter and Pickup Location)* 1445 West Broward Blvd City of Hollywood Broward Outreach Center *(Shelter Location)* 2056 Scott Street */Please notify homeless persons in your area of this advisement./* *//* However, if the weather forecast changes to predict warmer or colder conditions, cold weather emergency shelter nights may be canceled or extended. If there are changes to this declaration, they will be issued no later than 1:00 P.M. on the date of the event. If you have any questions or need additional information on the plan for your area, contact: dial 2-1-1, or (954) 537-0211 or toll free: 1-888-537-0211.// // /A Service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners/ Sincerely, cid:image001.jpg at 01CFC1E7.F798DBF0 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 23 10:11:52 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 10:11:52 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Magnetic Loops and Limited Space Antennas Message-ID: <56A39838.9030904@bellsouth.net> /I was looking at an Article on Magnetic Loops. Actually it was about Limited Space Antennas but it really was about small transmitting loops. /https://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/limited-space-antennas-the-small-transmitting-loop-antenna/ /At the bottom of the article was a large list of articles on Small Loops etc and I thought it might interest a number of hams that are antenna restricted or space challenged.//Some links may not work as this is a bit older. -Bill W2CQ / Highly technical presentation on small antennas All sorts of small antennas ? they are better than you think ? heuristics shows why! By Professor Mike Underhill ? G3LHZ Short video demo of loop polarization and directionality The journey is the reward ? An excellent adventure in loop building Similar to my AEA IsoLoop ? The MFJ 1786 Loop Antenna Theory of Operation One of the best sites I found on small transmitting loop antennas is http://www.aa5tb.com/loop.html This is a PDF version of AA5TB small loop page in case the page goes away for some reason. Here is a collection of links from the AA5TB page (the PDF does not have live links). * Magnetic Loop Antennas ? by PY1AHD (a superb loop site!) * Stealth ST-940B Mobile HF NVIS Magnetic Loop Antenna ? by Stealth Telecom * The Loop-Forum ? English and German Forum * The Loop Antenna ? The ARRL * Antenna Research ? Click on Miniloops * HF LOOP AND HALF-LOOP ANTENNAS in a FEW WORDS ? by STAREC * PA3CQR Magnetic loop antenna page ? by PA3CQR * 80m Frame Antenna ? by SM0VPO * Packing Crate Antenna ? by SM0VPO * REMOTE ANTENNA TUNER (for loops) ? by SM0VPO * Magnetic Loop Antennas ? by ON4CEQ * A Magnetic Loop Antenna ? by GM3MXN (via G3YCC) * CT1ETT?s Home-brew Loop Picture ? (via G3YCC) * THE ROCKLOOP ? by W9SCH (via G3YCC) * A magnetic loop antenna for HF ? by Peter Parker VK3YE (ex. VK1PK) * An Unusual Two Band Magnetic Loop Antenna ? by Jindra Vavruska, OK1FOU * The G3BGR Magnetic Loop ? by G3BGR * Practical Experiments with Magnetic Loop Antennas ? by David Reid PA3HBB / G0BZF * Magnetic Loop Antennas and Other Indoor Antennas ? by Radio Habana Cuba: Dxers Unlimited Special Edition * GW0TQM?s Magnetic Loop Site ? by GW0TQM * Magnetic Loop Antenna References ? by Chris Trask * DJ3TZ?s Small Tuned Loop Antenna Page ? by DJ3TZ * Magnetische Antennen ? Magnetic Antennas, by DH4FAW (was by DK5CZ, now SK) * DL6KBG`s Magnetic-Loop Page ? by DL6KBG * Meine Magnetic-Loop mit zwei Windungen f?r 80 und 40 Meter ? by DL7AWL * Magnetic Loop-Antennas ? WiMo Antenna Ltd. * HF Loops and Half-loops ? The World of Chelton Antennas * Magnetic Loop Antenna ? A Magnetic Loop by 7N3WVM * My magnetic loop antenna ? A Cool Apartment Loop by KR1ST * LowCost Magnetic Loop Antenna ? by Oliver A. Durm, DL3SDW * A Portable Magnetic Loop Antenna ? by G4FON * Magnetic loop antenna ? by HB9ABX * ML-90 Vehicle Roof Rack Magnetic Loop Antennas ? Q-MAC Electronics * W6OAV?S LOOP ? Looks like a box fan. * Small loop antennas (magnetic loops) ? by G4HJW * VHF Antenna in a Lunchbox ? The Magnetic Loop on Two Metres, by Lloyd Butler VK5BR * A Small Transmitting Loop Antenna for 14MHz and 21MHz ? by Lloyd Butler VK5BR * SMALL LOOP ANTENNAS ? * The New Magnetic Loop Antenna? ? by VE3GK * Magnetic Loop ? Plans, by Piotr Balcerzak * Magnetic Loop ? My Projects, by EA5XQ * Magnetische LOOP Antennen ? by HB9CRU (BIG capacitor!) * Magnetische Antennen ? by DL7JV * Adventures in Stealth Radio ? by Art Heft * Magnetic Loop Antenna ? LA6NCA * Portable HF Transmitting Loop Antenna ? by N5IZU * Experiences with Loop antennas ? by G3YMC * Antenna Projects and More? ? by HB9MTN * Loop Antenna ? by I3VHF * I3VHF ? Baby Loop Antenna ? A small loop antenna on Charlie Ho?s, VR2XMT, blog. * French Site ? by F5NGZ * PE2FOX ? Some good magnetic loop photos. * HF Magnetic Loop Antennas ? by KI6GD From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 23 18:09:22 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 18:09:22 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Do You Ever Just Listen? Message-ID: <56A40822.30909@bellsouth.net> I enjoyed reading this article and all the comments. I was an SWLer in 1957 with my Uncle's S-38. I still am. Bill W2CQ http://www.eham.net/articles/35555 From wa4aw at juno.com Sat Jan 23 18:11:59 2016 From: wa4aw at juno.com (wa4aw) Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 23:11:59 GMT Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] QCWA Chapter 111 LUNCHEON MEETING January 26th Message-ID: <20160123.181159.4198.0@webmail05.vgs.untd.com> QCWA Palm Beach Chapter # 111 Hello and Happy 2016 ! This is friendly reminder that our Palm Beach Chapter meeting is the last Tuesday of each month. We will be meeting at the Golden Corral Buffet, 10100 Fox Trail Rd., on the service road behind the SW corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach at 11:30 AM. This month our meeting date is January 26th. Hope you can join us for fellowship, rag chews & information. I encourage everyone who has not been to the Golden Corral to call for info on either the Palms West repeater 147.045 or the AREC repeater on 146.670. Both repeaters have a 110.9 PL. Everyone is welcome to join us. We meet in the private dining room in the back of the restaurant. QCWA Chapter 111 webpage link: www.qcwa.org/chapter111.htm Chapter YahooGroup website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qcwa111 47, Jeff WA4AW, Secretary QCWAQuarter Century Wireless AssociationJeff Beals, WA4AWNational Director &QCWA Historian QCWA Palm Beach Chapter 111Secretary-TreasurerPO Box 1584Loxahatchee, FL 33470-1584561-252-6707 wa4aw at qcwa.org www.qcwa.org ____________________________________________________________ Find your perfect car Search 4.1 million listings http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/56a408ed9e3038ed3ce3st04vuc From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Jan 25 08:05:48 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:05:48 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] =?utf-8?q?VP8STI_=26_VP8SGI_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=93_South_Sandwich_and_South_Georgia?= Message-ID: <56A61DAC.9090505@bellsouth.net> From DXworld: *VP8STI ONLINE LOG* *NEW UPDATE @ 12:00z -* At 11:00z today, VP8LP spoke with an operator at VP8STI who reported that the intention is still to continue onto South Georgia to operate as planned. They plan to remain QRV on Thule island for as long as possible whilst packing up, and are as well as can be expected under the circumstances. *January 25 @ 07:20z* - Past night two tents and most of the yagis were destroyed by high winds. Both of their main tents collapsed partially and the team worked very hard through the night to save them. The Braveheart recorded winds of 70 mph (112 Kph). They are running only on 40 meters due antenna damage. Once they can assess damage they can determine whether they can proceed to South Georgia or not. Right now they are doing last QSO as VP8STI ? they have asked the Braveheart to extract them when it?s possible. They regret that they have fallen short of their plans , however the team and crew safety is most important. From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Jan 26 06:09:18 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 06:09:18 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Winter 2016 Classic Exchange CW In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <56A753DE.1010201@bellsouth.net> For all the Tube Rig Owners: The CW CX will run from 1400 UTC January 31 to 0800 UTC February 1, 2016 (9 AM Eastern Time on Sunday to 3 AM Eastern Time Monday) AND >From 1400 UTC February 2 to 0800 UTC February, 3, 2016 (9 AM Eastern Time on Tuesday to 3 AM Eastern Time Wednesday) Send: "CQ CX" Suggested Frequencies -- plus/minus QRM Listen up and down 5 to 10 Kc for crystal controlled stations . . . . . CW 1.810 mc 3.545 mc 7.045 mc 14.045 mc. 21.045 mc 28.045 mc. 50.100 mc. 144.100 mc. See you all Sunday and Tuesday! Full details at: www.classicexchange.org Questions? email me! 73, Howie WB2AWQ/7 WB2AWQ at arrl.net From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Jan 26 18:21:46 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 18:21:46 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] RFCAFE Message-ID: <56A7FF8A.7030005@bellsouth.net> An interesting website with a variety of topics. Old Technical Cartoons, Amateur radio and other articles and columns that may be of interest to Hams...It reminds me of the of Popular Electronics Magazine-Bill W2CQ http://www.rfcafe.com/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Jan 26 18:34:38 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 18:34:38 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] [SFDXA] RFCAFE In-Reply-To: <56A7FF8A.7030005@bellsouth.net> References: <56A7FF8A.7030005@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <56A8028E.6060802@bellsouth.net> Funny, but I just found copies of old Popular Electronics magazine on the site hi. I love reading the old Novice Columns. They are easy to link to. Bill W2CQ On 1/26/2016 6:21 PM, Bill wrote: > An interesting website with a variety of topics. Old Technical > Cartoons, Amateur radio and other articles and columns that may be of > interest to Hams...It reminds me of the of Popular Electronics > Magazine-Bill W2CQ > > http://www.rfcafe.com/ > ______________________________________________________________ > South Florida DX Assoc. "SINCE 1974" > SFDXA WebSite: http://www.SFDXA.com > SFDXA Repeater 147.33+ 103.5 Tone > To Post: mailto:SFDXA at mailman.qth.net > To UNSUBSCRIBE/EDIT: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/sfdxa > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Jan 26 18:36:36 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 18:36:36 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Will Succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ as ARRL CEO In-Reply-To: <20160126214339.CFBEA200A577@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160126214339.CFBEA200A577@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <56A80304.7040906@bellsouth.net> Last night the ARRL Board of Directors held a special electronic meeting and unanimously elected Tom as CEO and Secretary effective April 18, 2016. Tom is from our Division (SFL Section) and brings outstanding experience to the League. Vice Director Mike Lee, AA6ML, and I very much look forward to working with him. Story from arrl.org: Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, of West Palm Beach, Florida, will succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the chief executive officer of ARRL, effective April 18. In that role, he will oversee all activities at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Meeting in a special webinar session on January 25, all 15 ARRL Directors voted to elect Gallagher as CEO and Secretary, positions that Sumner will relinquish on April 18. Gallagher will join the ARRL staff as CEO-Elect on February 29, and a transition period will follow. ?I am excited by the prospects of ARRL?s Second Century, but I am equally mindful of Dave Sumner?s enormous 4-decade contribution to our organization and of the extraordinary contributions he has made to advancing the art and science of Amateur Radio, to growing our ranks, and to expanding the sheer enjoyment of ham radio around the world,? Gallagher said. Gallagher said he is looking forward to attending the ARRL 2016 National Convention, hosted by the Orlando HamCation, February 12-14. Licensed in Pennsylvania in 1966 as WA3GRF (and later N4GRF in North Carolina), Gallagher is a member of the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group. He describes himself as ?an incurable HF DXer and inveterate tinkerer? and credits his first visit to the Franklin Institute?s Amateur Radio station W3TKQ in 1963 for inspiring his interest in ham radio. Amateur Radio led to an early career in broadcasting. He was a cameraman and technician with WGBH-TV in Boston, the CBS Television Network, and Metromedia?s WIP Radio in Philadelphia. He joins ARRL following 3 decades as an international investment banker and financial services executive. His career has included senior leadership positions with JP Morgan Chase & Co and CIBC Oppenheimer & Co in New York, and with Wachovia Capital Markets in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and as CEO of the Secondary School Admission Test Board in Princeton, New Jersey. Gallagher has served on boards, both public and non-profit, including two NYSE companies, the NPR affiliate in Charlotte, the Executive Board of The PENN Fund at the University of Pennsylvania, and The International Center of Photography. Gallagher graduated magna cum laude with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and he holds an MBA from The Wharton School. He is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School, where he held the Nicholas Noyes scholarship. In addition to ham radio, Gallagher enjoys saltwater fishing and sailing which, he confesses, is sometimes just an excuse to operate maritime mobile. At his Florida home along the Intracoastal Waterway, Gallagher has maintained a fairly low Amateur Radio profile, with a wire antenna that, he says, works well into Europe and Latin America. He also has a 40 meter Windom. ?I would like to work Asia when I get a better HF antenna solution,? he said. Gallagher has both modern and vintage stations as well as a high-speed multimedia (HSMM) digital repeater. Gallagher and his wife Lindy Allyn divide their time between West Palm Beach, Florida, and Manhattan. They have three sons. He plans to return to Connecticut; he'd lived previously for 13 years in New Canaan. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southeastern Division Director: Doug Rehman, K4AC k4ac at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Jan 27 07:55:06 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2016 07:55:06 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Welcome to QSW.ME Message-ID: <56A8BE2A.6090404@bellsouth.net> One I'd never heard of. Are you missing a state or ??? - Bill W2CQ Welcome to QSW.ME Say you need Wisconsin on 12 Meters SSB. On all the other sites you have to go to the pages and join in the rooms and wait. Hopefully, eventually, a station from Wisconsin shows up that can do SSB on 12 meters and then try to make your schedule. Both of you have to be in the rooms at the same time to make the connection. Here at QSW.Me all you do is tell us what you want: Wisconsin 12 meters SSB and QSW.Me will display all the stations that have those capabilities that match your wants. http://www.qsw.me/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 29 08:02:56 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2016 08:02:56 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for January 28, 2016 In-Reply-To: <20160128221150.8D520201473C@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160128221150.8D520201473C@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <56AB6300.2050100@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-01-28 The ARRL Letter January 28, 2016 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Will Succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ, as ARRL CEO <#toc01> * Hams Turn Out to Help as Massive Snowfall Stuns Several States <#toc02> * ARES Volunteers Support Major Flood Responses <#toc03> * Congressman Intercedes with FCC Chairman on Amateur Radio Interference Concerns <#toc04> * Former Colorado Section Manager Appointed as Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director <#toc05> * *National Parks on the Air Update* <#toc06> * A VHF Contest in January -- How Cool is /That/ ? <#toc07> * Severe Weather Curtails VP8STI South Sandwich Operation; Team Heads to South Georgia <#toc08> * In Brief... <#toc09> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc10> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc11> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events <#toc12> Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Will Succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ, as ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, of West Palm Beach, Florida, will succeed David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the chief executive officer of ARRL, effective April 18. In that role, he will oversee all activities at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Meeting in a special webinar session on January 25, all 15 ARRL Directors voted to elect Gallagher as CEO and Secretary, positions that Sumner will relinquish on April 18. Gallagher will join the ARRL staff as CEO-Elect on February 29, and a transition period will follow. *ARRL CEO-Elect Tom Gallagher, NY2RF.* "I am excited by the prospects of ARRL's Second Century, but I am equally mindful of Dave Sumner's enormous 4-decade contribution to our organization and of the extraordinary contributions he has made to advancing the art and science of Amateur Radio, to growing our ranks, and to expanding the sheer enjoyment of ham radio around the world," Gallagher said. "We need to focus on those parts of the population that are not participating in what Amateur Radio has to offer as an avocation, as well as the ones that are." Gallagher said he is looking forward to attending the ARRL 2016 National Convention , hosted by the Orlando HamCation , February 12-14. Licensed in Pennsylvania in 1966 as WA3GRF (and later N4GRF in North Carolina), Gallagher is a member of the West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group. He describes himself as "an incurable HF DXer and inveterate tinkerer." He credits his first visit to The Franklin Institute's Amateur Radio station, W3TKQ, in 1963 for inspiring his interest in ham radio. Amateur Radio led to an early career in broadcasting. He was a cameraman and technician with WGBH-TV in Boston, the CBS Television Network, and Metromedia's WIP Radio in Philadelphia. He joins ARRL following 3 decades as an international investment banker and financial services executive. His career has included senior leadership positions with JP Morgan Chase & Co and CIBC Oppenheimer & Co in New York, and with Wachovia Capital Markets in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and as CEO of the Secondary School Admission Test Board in Princeton, New Jersey. Gallagher has served on boards, both public and non-profit, including the boards of two NYSE companies, the NPR affiliate in Charlotte, the Executive Board of The Penn Fund at the University of Pennsylvania, and The International Center of Photography. Gallagher graduated /magna cum laude/ with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and he holds an MBA from The Wharton School. He is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School, where he held the Nicholas Noyes scholarship. In addition to ham radio, Gallagher enjoys saltwater fishing and sailing which, he confesses, is sometimes just an excuse to operate maritime mobile. Gallagher and his wife Lindy Allyn divide their time between West Palm Beach, Florida, and Manhattan. They have three sons. He plans to return to Connecticut, where he had lived previously for 13 years in New Canaan. Read more . Hams Turn Out to Help as Massive Snowfall Stuns Several States Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES ) and SKYWARN volunteers were at the ready as a storm of historic proportions over the January 23-24 weekend dropped up to 3 1/2 feet of snow, some of it on states not used to seeing much snow at all. Utility line icing caused power outages in some states, and flooding occurred along coastal areas. While the storm bypassed Northern New England, it brought major East Coast cities to their knees, and some 30 deaths were blamed on the severe weather. Federal offices in Washington, DC, including FCC Headquarters, were closed for 2 days. *New York City Area* ARRL NYC/Long Island Section Manager Jim Mezey, W2KFV, reported approximately 2 feet of snow with some local flooding in his Section. ARES members were active in ARES and SKYWARN nets on local repeaters, and 40 meters was used to transmit weather information using digital modes. Eastern New York Section Emergency Coordinator David Galletly, KM2O, said parts of his section received little to no snow; other areas closer to New York City were clobbered. "The snow/no snow line was extremely sharp," he told ARRL. Reports with snow total data attributed to "Amateur Radio" were filed from several Eastern New York counties in National Weather Service (NWS) statements, including observations from Bergen and Passaic counties in New Jersey, from Westchester, Suffolk, and Orange counties and Bronx borough in New York, and New Haven and Fairfield counties in Connecticut. *The Southeast* The Appalachian Region may have been the hardest hit, with more than 40 inches of snow reported in parts of West Virginia, where a state of emergency was declared. Kanawha County ARES activated nets on 75, 40, and 2 meters. "We were lucky," said ARRL West Virginia SM Phillip Groves, N8SFO. "Lots of snow -- 24 inches in Beckley, a few power outages around the state. We had several ARES/RACES nets on standby, and a lot of hams with nothing to do but talk on the radio." A state of emergency also was declared in Kentucky, not typically known for snow emergencies, after several counties received a foot or more of snow, stranding thousands of motorists along a stretch of Interstate 75. Kentucky Public Information Officer Greg Lamb, W0QI, said the Kentucky Emergency HF Net activated on 75 meters, with stations checking in from throughout the Commonwealth. Hazard and Harlan County-area repeaters activated a SKYWARN net that remained active until after the storm had passed. Amateur Radio volunteers provided 67 storm-related reports to the NWS Jackson office. Some area repeaters were down as a result of the storm. Shelby County ARES was contacted by served agencies and put on standby to assist with possible shelter duty. In Madison, Rockcastle, and Laurel counties, the Red Cross asked for assistance after the Interstate 75 closing. In Virginia, NWS Wakefield SKYWARN Amateur Radio Coordinator Steve Crow, KG4PEQ, said the Wakefield SKYWARN Amateur Radio Team was active from Friday morning through Saturday evening, with brief wrap-up nets to take total snowfall reports on Sunday. "While the SKYWARN Radio Desk at NWS Wakefield (WX4AKQ) was not activated, we ran local nets in four of our regions impacted by the storm," Crow told ARRL. "Participation exceeded expectations, with 13 SKYWARN net controls taking 274 reports from 109 different spotters." In Stafford County, about a dozen ham radio volunteers deployed to support communication for the county emergency manager, but no emergency developed there. In North Carolina, the storm brought snow and downed utility lines, leaving some 200,000 without power at the peak, but causing no communication outages, ARES SEC Tom Brown, N4TAB, reported. "A few shelters were opened, but were subsequently closed due to minimal need," he said. *Middle Atlantic* Delaware, which typically experiences fairly mild winters, was not spared this time. "While some areas of Delaware received up to 17 inches of snow, public service, wireless, and telephone services were operational throughout," ARRL Delaware SM Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH, said. "This made for a very routine and uneventful ARES activation...just the kind we always hope for." Amateur Radio volunteers in The First State began preparing for the storm the day before it started, firing up a "Ready Net" in Sussex County, providing weather forecasts and potential served-agency assignments. The next morning, ARES initiated spot reporting to the county emergency operations center (EOC), staffed by Sussex County RACES. The ARES Storm Net opened at noon, and stayed up into the evening. Duveneck said 34 volunteers participated in the net, reporting weather, downed wires, and traffic accidents. Other ARES volunteers staffed a shelter at a Georgetown high school, and ARES remained on standby to assist South Delaware hospitals and the Delaware State Police. SKYWARN nets were reported active in New Jersey's southern Ocean County. *Southern New England* In Connecticut, Section Emergency Coordinator Wayne Gronlund, N1CLV, summed it up this way: "Our first significant winter storm has passed with surprisingly few power disruptions!" *Noah Goldstein, KB1VWZ, at WX1BOX at the NWS Taunton office in Massachusetts. [Rob Macedo, KD1CY, photo]* In Massachusetts, the NWS Taunton office's SKYWARN station WX1BOX activated for 16 hours over the weekend to gather reports on the blizzard's effects over its coverage area. The storm largely affected the area south of Boston toward southeastern Massachusetts -- especially Cape Cod and the Islands, south-central Rhode Island, and south-central Connecticut. WX1BOX handled several hundred snowfall reports, as well as reports of damage due to high winds and the heavy, wet snow, and of coastal flooding. "Compared to last year, this storm did not impact our Section as badly as it could have, but there were still reports of significant snowfall, as well as some coastal flooding and pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages," said Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY. "SKYWARN Net reports were invaluable." SKYWARN nets also were active in southeastern Connecticut. Nantucket ARES was on standby to support shelter operations on the island, as power outages mounted, but power was restored quickly enough to avert the need for opening a shelter. Read more . ARES Volunteers Support Major Flood Responses Amateur Radio operators put their skills to work during flooding in the Centralia area of Southwest Washington and during historic flooding in the Greater St Louis, Missouri, area in December and January. In Missour,i ARES^? volunteers from three counties pitched in. Bill Grimsbo, N0PNP, Missouri District C Emergency Coordinator, said Amateur Radio volunteers worked with responding agencies. *Jim Hart, KD0EUX, at American Red Cross Headquarters during the St Louis-area flooding.**[Photo courtesy of Janelle Haible, N0MTI]* Prolonged rain occurred December 26-28, with the heaviest rainfall in a 50- to 75-mile wide swath from Southwest Missouri through the St Louis Metropolitan area and into Central Illinois. The total 6 to 12 inches of rainfall led to life-threatening flash flooding and historic river flooding, capping off the wettest year on record for St Louis at 61.24 inches. More than 2 dozen radio amateurs from St Louis Metro ARES, St Charles County ARES, Illinois Section ARES, and St Louis and suburban radio club members worked with the American Red Cross in serving some 19,400 meals and coordinating more than 640 overnight stays for those displaced by flooding. ARES and club operators were asked to help coordinate communications among shelters in four counties and Red Cross headquarters. On average, volunteers worked 6 to 8 hour shifts, employing repeaters maintained by area radio clubs. St Charles County Division of Emergency Management also called on ARES to conduct road closure reconnaissance for emergency services. Volunteers also performed "windshield" damage assessments, where they drove by hundreds of homes, surveying for damage. St Francois and Ste Genevieve County ARES worked together to assist Ste Genevieve County emergency managers with 24-hour walks to assess the condition of the critical levees that protect lives and property in that county. More than 20 people died in the historic flooding. Hundreds were displaced from their homes as rivers, streams, and lakes overflowed banks and levees. *Heavy rainfall in December led several southwestern Washington rivers to reach flood stage, prompting an ARES response. [Robert E. Willey, KD7OWN, photo]* In the Pacific Northwest, the Centralia area of Southwest Washington again found itself on Mother Nature's target list for December rain and local flooding, and Amateur Radio volunteers were called in to help. The region saw nearly continuous rain during the first week in December, with especially heavy rainfall on December 7. As a result, three major rivers -- the Chehalis, the Skookumchuck, and the Newaukum -- quickly reached flood stage. The Centralia ARES team activated on a 24-hour basis on December 8, monitoring EOC Amateur Radio systems and helping to set up the remainder of the EOC for a full-scale response. On December 9, two local creeks -- China and Salzer -- overflowed their banks and inundated Centralia's downtown district, before the major rivers had reached flood stage. ARES team members began a second response phase, performing "windshield" surveys to determine the extent and depth of water in each residential area. Team members also monitored selected high-water points to provide "eyes-on-the-scene" observations of how rapidly flood waters were rising. Throughout the day, hams reported conditions -- block by block, response area by response area -- to the EOC and incident commanders. By late on December 8, even though rivers were still reaching flood stage, emergency managers could breathe a sigh of relief, as it became clear that the local flooding was not going to be on the order of an earlier disaster that closed Interstate 5 for several days. Several dangerous landslides did occur, though, and a stretch of Highway 12 was closed due to washouts. The ARES team deployed 75 members. Read more . -- /Thanks to Janelle Haible, N0MTI, St Louis (Missouri) Metro ARES Public Information Officer, and to Bob Willey, KD7OWN, Emergency Coordinator, Centralia Amateur Radio Emergency Service/ Ad Congressman Intercedes with FCC Chairman on Amateur Radio Interference Concerns New York Congressman Peter King has asked FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to put some Enforcement Bureau heat on those interfering with various radio communication services, including Amateur Radio, in the New York City Metropolitan Area. While visiting Capitol Hill recently to promote the Amateur Radio Parity Act , ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, and General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, met with King, a Republican representing New York's 2nd District, to discuss the interference issue. King is among the original of the 118 cosponsors of the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301) in the US House. "Rep King, a long-time supporter of Amateur Radio who is also very concerned about malicious interference with licensed services, offered to send a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on our behalf," Lisenco said. "Like many areas of the country, the Hudson Division has been plagued with malicious interference on our VHF and UHF repeaters for years. There has been no relief from the FCC, despite repeated pleas for remedy made by ARRL. All requests for help have consistently fallen on deaf ears." *(L-R) ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD; US Rep Peter King (R-NY), and ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB.* In his January 15 letter to Wheeler, King pointed out that while multiple perpetrators have been involved, the identity of the "ringleader" is well known to the Enforcement Bureau. He reiterated that the malicious interference had "been allowed to continue for too long," and he called for "timely and visible enforcement" to deter others. "The Amateur Radio repeaters on Long Island that are rendered useless by this individual are used for emergency preparedness exercises and were used extensively in Hurricane Sandy disaster relief efforts," King told Wheeler. "This individual has been allowed to proceed without any apparent Commission enforcement for well over 2 years, despite repeated complaints from ARRL, NBC engineering staff, and at least two Long Island Amateur Radio clubs. NBC remote pickup units and public safety radio systems also have been troubled by malicious interference. King said he realizes that FCC Enforcement Bureau resources are limited and that he appreciates the attention the Commission has paid to such issues as pirate radio investigations, but he asked for a tougher stance. "[D]eliberate interference with public safety, broadcast program production, and Amateur Radio public service communications...must be swiftly and visibly addressed," King concluded. Read more . Former Colorado Section Manager Appointed as Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has named a new Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director. Former Colorado Section Manager Jeff Ryan, K0RM, will succeed Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, who assumed the position of Rocky Mountain Director after former Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, was elected as ARRL Second Vice President at the ARRL Board of Directors meeting January 15-16. Ryan, 61, lives in Westminster, Colorado, and is an ARRL Life Member. He served in Colorado's top ARRL Field Organization elected office from 2001 until 2011, when he decided not to run for another term. Allen announced Ryan's appointment over the weekend at the Winterfest in Colorado. *ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD (left), presents new Vice Director Jeff Ryan, K0RM, with his ARRL badge.* "Needless to say, Jeff brings great experience to the table, and I'm very excited to have him join the Division leadership team," Allen said in a message to the Rocky Mountain Division. Ryan has also served as an Assistant SM in Colorado. He is president and director of Rocky Mountain Ham Radio, and director and co-chair of HamCon Colorado -- the Rocky Mountain Division Convention. He's also served as director and vice chair of the Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs. President Roderick has not yet filled a vacancy in the Dakota Division Vice Director's chair. Vice Director Kent Olson, KA0LDG, became the Division's Director after former Director Greg Widin, K0GW, was elected by the Board of Directors as First Vice President. An announcement is expected soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *National Parks on the Air Update* NPOTA activations of smaller or urban units will pose significant challenges for both the Activator and the NPS staff on site. If you're planning an activation of a small NPS site for NPOTA, you must reach out to the NPS unit's Centennial Coordinator far in advance for advice on how a NPOTA activation might be successfully staged from that unit. Work together to address any concerns long before you activate, and your chance of success and good relations with NPS staff will increase. It's going to be a busy week for NPOTA, with Activations scheduled for January 28-February 3, including Shiloh National Military Park (MP08), and Point Reyes National Seashore (SS10). Details about these and other activations coming up can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar. Love NPOTA? Join the ARRL NPOTA Facebook group ! Ad A VHF Contest in January -- How Cool is /That/? If El Ni?o has your weather upside down, perhaps the ARRL January VHF Contest will get you right side up and back in a contesting mood! This annual event begins at 1900 UTC on Saturday, January 30, and it wraps up at 0359 UTC on Monday, February 1. The object is for amateurs in the US and Canada (and possessions) to work as many stations in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible using frequencies above 50 MHz. It's the US and Canada (and possessions) working each other and the rest of the world (think F_2 propagation!). *When in doubt, look north! Aurora propagation is always possible at this time of year. [Photo courtesy of Olavur Frederiksen, OY1OF]* "Assuming Mother Nature cooperates, the January VHF Contest offers a welcome reprieve from what might be the long winter doldrums," said new ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. Whether from home, portable, or even as a rover, he said, the event offers something for everyone, including FM-only operators. Jahnke said a good mix of propagation typically manifests in January, and, while tropo may be less of a factor, aurora can provide a boost for northern tier stations. "Meteor scatter and EME (moonbounce) folks will be looking for newcomers as well as the seasoned crowd to join in this more-challenging fun," he added. Contact the ARRL Contest Branch for more information. Read more . Severe Weather Curtails VP8STI South Sandwich Operation; Team Heads to South Georgia It's been a tense time for the Intrepid-DX Group's VP8 DXpedition team on South Sandwich, which had been operating as VP8STI. A fierce South Atlantic storm bearing 70 MPH winds and dropping 2 to 3 feet of snow slammed the VP8STI encampment, threatening to shut down the operation. "Since early this morning, we have been experiencing blizzard-like conditions with strong winds and heavy snowfall," DXpedition Co-Leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said on January 24. "Some of our antennas have become damaged by the high winds, and the snowfall is making access to them very difficult. It is also increasingly difficult to refuel our generators." The group managed to recover, repair its antennas, and return to the air, however, and the VP8STI operators soldiered on despite the adverse conditions. Not long afterward, though, a storm-related emergency forced the VP8STI team to abandon its equipment and belongings and return to their transport vessel, the R/V /Braveheart/. Chief Pilot Toni Gonzalez, EA5RM, said the /Braveheart/'s skipper, Nigel Jolly, declared an emergency on January 25 at 2120 UTC, ordering the VP8STI team to cease all operations and come back to the ship. According to Gonzalez, a large ice floe that broke away due to the storm threatened to block the entrance to the bay where the team had camped, raising the possibility that the ship might not have been able to retrieve the operators. While the emergency effectively ended the VP8STI phase of the two-pronged DXpedition, the team was able to return to camp on January 26 to retrieve its gear and equipment. Gonzalez said on January 27 that the team expects to be on as VP8SGI from South Georgia by the afternoon of January 29 and will attempt to operate from there for 8 days. VP8STI generated hectic pileups, logging more than 51,600 contacts, with more remaining to be uploaded once the team reaches South Georgia. /-- Thanks to /The Daily DX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In Brief... *ARRL Network Maintenance Set for January 30:* The ARRL IT Department will conduct overnight maintenance on its network Saturday, January 30, to improve reliability and security. The work will occur between 8 PM EST on Saturday, January 30, and 6 AM EST on Sunday, January 31. (January 31, from 0100 UTC until 1100 UTC). During this period, some or all systems may be temporarily unavailable. The website will remain up, but online purchasing will not be available. E-mail will also be offline, but all messages will be queued for later delivery. We apologize for any inconvenience. *Deadline is February 1 to Submit Nominations for Dayton Hamvention**2016 Awards:* Monday, February 1, is the deadline for Dayton Hamvention ? 2016 nominations for Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement, Technical Excellence, and Club of the Year awards. All Amateur Radio operators/clubs are eligible. Winners will be recognized at Hamvention 2016, May 20-22, at Hara Arena. Additional details and nomination forms are available on the Dayton Hamvention website. Send nominations via e-mail or to Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO Box 1446, Dayton, OH 45401-1446. Ad The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity increased January 21-27 compared to the previous 7 days. Average daily sunspot numbers increased from 46 to 57.3; average daily solar flux went from 100.7 to 106. Geomagnetic indices were also higher, with planetary A index going from 9 to 11.6. Predicted solar flux for the short term is 115, 112, and 115 on January 28-30; 112 on January 31-February 1; 118 on February 2-3; 112 on February 4; 100 on February 5-6; 105 on February 7-11; 110 on February 12-13; 105 on February 14-15, and 100 on February 16-20. Predicted planetary A index is 12, 10, 8, and 5 on January 28-31; 8, 15, 12, and 8 on February 1-4; 5 on February 5-6; 12 on February 7-8; 10 on February 9; 8 on February 10; 5 on February 11-16, and 10, 15, 10, 12, and 15 on February 17-21. Sunspot numbers for January 21 through 27 were 56, 50, 54, 47, 58, 61, and 75, with a mean of 46. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 104, 100.5, 98.9, 103.8, 107.6, 114.8, and 112.7, with a mean of 100.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 32, 14, 12, 11, 3, 4, and 5, with a mean of 9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 15, 10, 10, 9, 3, 3, and 3, with a mean of 7.6. Send me your reports and observations. . . . . . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * January 29-31 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW) * January 30 -- Feld Hell Sprint * January 30 -- REF Contest (CW) * January 30-31 -- UBA DX Contest (SSB) * January 30-31 -- Winter Field Day (CW, phone, digital) * *January 30-February 1 -- **ARRL January VHF Contest* *(CW, phone, digital)* * January 31-February 3 -- Classic Exchange (CW) * February 1 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) * February 2 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW) * February 3 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (SSB) 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 and Events * January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi * January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention , Hatillo, Puerto Rico * February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention , N. Charleston, South Carolina * February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia * *February 12-14 -- **ARRL National Convention* *, Orlando, Florida* * February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention , Forsyth, Georgia * February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention , Yuma, Arizona * February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention , Hoxie, Arkansas * February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference , Tampa, Florida * February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest , Albuquerque, New Mexico * February 27 -- Vermont State Convention , S. 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All Rights Reserved www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Jan 29 16:46:50 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:46:50 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA In-Reply-To: <20160129193405.D8FE4203320C@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20160129193405.D8FE4203320C@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <56ABDDCA.2080305@bellsouth.net> SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP005 ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA ZCZC AP05 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 5 ARLP005 >From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA January 29, 2016 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP005 ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA Solar activity increased last week (January 21-27), compared to the previous seven days. Average daily sunspot numbers increased from 46 to 57.3, and average daily solar flux went from 100.7 to 106. Geomagnetic indices were also higher, with planetary A index going from 9 to 11.6. Predicted solar flux for the short term is 110 and 108 on January 29-30, 105 on January 31 through February 1, 108 on February 2-4, 100 on February 5-6, 105 on February 7-11, 110 on February 12-13, 105 on February 14-15, 100 on February 16-20, 105 on February 21 and 108 on February 22-24. Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8 and 5 on January 29-31, then 8, 15, 12 and 8 on February 1-4, 5 on February 5-6. 12 on February 7-8, 10 on February 9, 8 on February 10, 5 on February 11-16, then 10, 15, 10, 12 and 15 on February 17-21 and 12, 10, 8, 10 and 15 on February 22-26. F.K. Janda, OK1HH predicts the geomagnetic field will be quiet to unsettled on January 29-30, mostly quiet on January 31, quiet to unsettled on February 1, quiet to active February 2, quiet to unsettled February 3, quiet on February 4-5, quiet to unsettled February 6, quiet to active February 7-8, quiet to unsettled February 9, quiet on February 10, mostly quiet February 11-12, quiet to unsettled February 13, quiet to active February 14, mostly quiet February 15, active to disturbed February 16-17, quiet to active February 18-21, and mostly quiet on February 22-24. OK1HH expects an increase in solar wind on February 2-3, 5-7, 15-16 and 20-21. He feels less certain about the solar wind forecast for February 2-3. This report from Jeff Hartley, N8II of Shepherdstown, West Virginia on January 24: "It was a bit tough working VP8STI (South Sandwich) on 30 and 40 meters. Europe often seemed to have a big edge. "10 meters was also tough, especially for K5P (Palmyra). "20 meters continues to close pretty early to Europe and in all directions in the PM. Higher K index values of 3-4 continue to not matter that much most of the time. "10 meters to the western USA is improving, with loud signals from Arizona and California most days from 1600-2100Z. We also had Es to Texas and Arkansas one day." We also heard from Jon Jones, N0JK on January 26: "The K5P DXpedition to Palmyra encountered low F2 MUFs to North America for the first part of their operation. There were only short, weak openings to Palmyra on 10 and 12 meters for many in North America. 15 and 20 meters were their workhorse bands. "On January 20 a CME impact sparked a geomagnetic storm that afternoon and the K index peaked at 6. Geomagnetic storms can shut down high latitude polar paths, but can enhance propagation towards and across the geomagnetic equator. K5P had a booming signal on both 10 and 12 meters around 2000z, allowing many to work the rare country on these bands. On 10 and 12 meters they peaked over S-9 on my mobile vertical. I logged K5P on 12 meter CW, but couldn't get through the boiling cauldron on 10. I checked for their 6-meter beacon on 50.106, but no copy." That Kp-index value of 6 was at the 0600 UTC reading on January 21, which was late in the evening on January 20 for most of North America, 10:00 PM PST here on the West Coast. The planetary A index on January 20-21 was 25 and 32. Earlier on January 26 Jon reported on 6 meter activity: "A second 'peak' of sporadic-E for the 2015/2016 winter Es season on 6. "Friday afternoon January 22 I worked KZ4RR EM90 and K1TO EL87 on 6 meters about 2000z via Es while mobile between Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas. Sunday January 24 at 2125z I had a nice chat with VE2XK FN07, again while I was mobile in Lawrence. "N0JK/M 16/01/24 2127Z 50130.0 FN07 ES EM28 Tks Jon VE2XK "K1TO EL87 heard the XE2HWB/b DL44 via double hop Es on Jan. 23 at 0034z." And finally, David Moore sent this link: https://shar.es/1hKeAN On Jan. 26th, 2016, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured imagery at several different wavelengths of superheated plasma exploding away from the Sun in a Coronal Mass Ejection event. The blast was not Earth-directed. If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, email the author at k7ra at arrl.net. For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service web page at, http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/. My own archives of the NOAA/USAF daily 45 day forecast for solar flux and planetary A index are in downloadable spreadsheet format at http://bit.ly/1VOqf9B and http://bit.ly/1DcpaC5 . Click on "Download this file" to download the archive, and ignore the security warning about file format. Pop-up blockers may suppress the download. Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation. Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins. Sunspot numbers for January 21 through 27 were 56, 50, 54, 47, 58, 61, and 75, with a mean of 57.3. 10.7 cm flux was 104, 100.5, 98.9, 103.8, 107.6, 114.8, and 112.7, with a mean of 106. Estimated planetary A indices were 32, 14, 12, 11, 3, 4, and 5, with a mean of 11.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 15, 10, 10, 9, 3, 3, and 3, with a mean of 7.6. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 30 07:19:51 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2016 07:19:51 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] NJDXA - Maritime Radio Historical Society In-Reply-To: <56AC3CBD.3080400@verizon.net> References: <56AC3CBD.3080400@verizon.net> Message-ID: <56ACAA67.4050602@bellsouth.net> On 6 February 2016 Pacific time Maritime Radio Historical Society station KSM will conduct a "mini Night of Nights" oriented specifically toward medium frequency transmissions. We will extend the KSM operating hours well into the evening our time to give as many listeners as possible the opportunity to hear our medium frequency signals. All our HF channels will be active as well. MRHS amateur station K6KPH will be guarding its usual channels for KSM signal reports and general contacts. Here are some details: KSM will continue operations past 0000Z on these frequencies (in kc): 426 500 4350.5 6474.0 8438.3 12993.0 16914.0 22445.8 K6KPH will guard: 3550.0 7050.0 14050.0 18097.5 21050.0 Senior Morse operator Mike Payne will be standing by for your call. And yes, he will be wearing the eyeshade Numerous US medium frequency experimental stations will be active for this event. Canadian stations will be on the air too. Our ops will tune the MF band to see which of these we can monitor. We've recently upgraded our MF reception capabilities so we hope to snag even more stations than we did last time. Check HERE for more details from the ARRL amateur organization about the planned US and Canadian activities which will begin earlier than the MRHS operations. John K2AZ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 30 07:44:23 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2016 07:44:23 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] VP8THU South Sandwich Islands DXpedition - 2002 Message-ID: <56ACB027.6030605@bellsouth.net> VP8THU South Sandwich Islands DXpedition 45 minutes - very interesting https://vimeo.com/121317593 From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Jan 30 14:51:02 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2016 14:51:02 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] How to Raise a 90ft Vertical In-Reply-To: <56AD0BE3.1090100@gmail.com> References: <56AD0BE3.1090100@gmail.com> Message-ID: <56AD1426.5070205@bellsouth.net> How to Raise a 90ft Vertical...from Tower Talk: Bill W2CQ I have an 80m vertical using 3" irrigation tubing and a 160m vertical using 4" irrigation tubing . The 80m been up since 07 ! To splice the tubing , I use the same tubing and dado about 3/4" out ,then use hose clamps to squeeze it tight so to slip it inside the long joints. To keep the vibration down don't guy at the same intervals. Using the falling derrick method I was able to raise both the 80 and 160 with the help of a winch . I made a short youtube video . It starts out with const. pictures then a video of the 160 being raised . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgH3bh8eIU Ed N5DG From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Jan 31 15:04:29 2016 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2016 15:04:29 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] History of the Morse Key Message-ID: <56AE68CD.4020904@bellsouth.net> *From QRZ: History of the Morse Key* Since the first Morse telegraph systems were introduced, an enormous variety of Morse keys or telegraph keys and keyers have been constructed. From Straight keys including the Camelback Morse key, to automatic Morse keyers such as the Vibroplex, their development has seen many new innovations, and enormous changes in style. Even today many people enjoy sending Morse Code using these Morse keys. While some may say that they are simply a switch, this is most certainly not the case. Morse keys have been the subject of over 300 patents in the USA alone, and they have undergone a considerable amount of development. The way in which keys have developed since the very first ones used by Morse himself is a fascinating story. Some styles of key are quite familiar, whilst others have quite unusual attributes and as a result many people find collecting keys a fascinating pastime. Watch this video about the history of the Morse key There is also a text page on the Electronics+radio website http://www.electronics-radio.com/articles/history/morse-code-telegraph/morse-key-development.php https://youtu.be/yw9z82COjU8