From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 1 11:16:28 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 11:16:28 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Section News updates - KB1PA SM In-Reply-To: <20181001145439.395212014728@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181001145439.395212014728@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: It is an honor to serve as the Section Manager of the Southern Florida Section of the ARRL. I hope to continue the excellent hard work of WA4AW and all of those who have served in this position since 1973 when the Section was formed. Florida had been split into East and West in 1932, but was first formed in 1923. There is a long distinguished history. I have big shoes to fill, but I look forward to listening and working with everyone. I want to especially thank the section cabinet who make the section run smooth,like a well tuned engine. Keep up the great work! As with any transition there are a few changes: Larry Zimmer, W4LWZ has served as Section Emergency Coordinator for the last 4 years. He is stepping away from this post, but will continue as Assistant Section Manager. Under Larry's leadership ARES has overcome many challenges and is the great shape. Taking Larry's place as Section Emergency Coordinator is Jahn Wells, W4CMH. I am confident John will continue the excellent work Larry has done. After consulting with Section Traffic Manager Ed Johnson,the Southwest Florida Traffic Net is getting a new Net Manager. Dave Sheppard, W2PAX. And last but not least, Jeff Beals, WA4AW, will assume the role of Assistant Section Manager and mentor me. There is an enormous amount of good stuff going on in Amateur Radio today. We have more bands, more modes, and more activities than ever before. We have technologies undreamed-of not too long ago, yet we can still use rigs from 70, 80, even 90 years ago. Good new manufactured ham gear is cheaper (in inflation-adjusted dollars) than ever before. TVI is all but unknown. Although growth in our numbers is slow, we are growing, at least in the USA. Of course there are challenges - CC&Rs, HOAs, EMI/RFI, rising prices of necessities. poor HF conditions, etc. But on the balance, we're doing quite well. Why not focus on the good rather than the bad? There are 2 get together in October. The first is the Cy Harris Free Flea Market at the Collins Center in Oakland Park, In Broward County. Starts at 7AM and goes until early afternoon The second is a week latter in Melborne, the Melborne Hamfest Oct 12 and 13. There will be an ARRL forum and Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, will be in attendance. I look forward to meeting and greeting everyone at the forum or the ARRL booth, It will also be a chance to say "thank you" to Jeff Beals, WA4AW. Please mentor a new ham, get active in your local club or ARES? group and think positive while having fun in this amazing hobby/service. See you during the upcoming hamfest season. Barry KB1PA -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southern Florida Section Section Manager: Mr Barry M Porter, KB1PA kb1pa at arrl.org -------------------------------------------------------------------- From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 1 11:21:18 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 11:21:18 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Cy Harris Free Flee this Saturday! Message-ID: Fall 2018 Cy Harris Free Flea HAMFEST/CONVENTION October 6th, 2018. Location: Collins Center 3900 NE 3rd Avenue Oakland Park, FL Website:http://browardarc.net/free-flea/ Sponsor: Broward ARC (W4AB) Type: ARRL Hamfest Talk-In: 146.91 (PL 110.9) Public Contact: Tony Becker , KK4GUU 3721 West State Road 84, Unit 102 Davie, FL 33312 Phone: 954-612-9303 Email:kk4guu at arrl.net October 6th, 2018. Cy Harris Free Flee From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Oct 4 14:12:44 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018 14:12:44 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] "I changed a light bulb"... In-Reply-To: References: <16b3e35c-d194-4082-a26d-6a42a4abc4dc@verizon.net> Message-ID: <8d561e09-82e0-cfac-f218-bb9bbef8ac54@bellsouth.net> > /Now here is a discussion to behold between a husband and wife where the > wife just does not understand what the guy does for a living.Hey, what > can > be so difficult about changing a light bulb??/// > > //// > > */Wife:/*////*/"So, what did you do today?"/*// > > */Husband:/*////*/"I changed a light bulb."/*//// > > */Wife:/*////*/"That's all? - I did the laundry, vacuumed the house, > cooked three meals, and more, and you boast about changing a light > bulb!?"/*//// > > */Husband:/*//////*/"Yeah, but I was able to film it." > /* > > /*https://www.youtube.com/embed/f1BgzIZRfT8?feature=player_embedded*/ > From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Oct 4 18:29:50 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018 18:29:50 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Cy Harris Free Flee this Saturday! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <524f3847-0d1f-5eba-7186-52f6efa388cb@bellsouth.net> Fall 2018 Cy Harris Free Flea HAMFEST/CONVENTION October 6th, 2018. Location: Collins Center 3900 NE 3rd Avenue Oakland Park, FL Website:http://browardarc.net/free-flea/ Sponsor: Broward ARC (W4AB) Type: ARRL Hamfest Talk-In: 146.91 (PL 110.9) Public Contact: Tony Becker , KK4GUU 3721 West State Road 84, Unit 102 Davie, FL 33312 Phone: 954-612-9303 Email:kk4guu at arrl.net October 6th, 2018. Cy Harris Free Flee From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 8 16:05:01 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2018 16:05:01 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Lightning grounding and Ham Radio References: Message-ID: > From Al AF4FA Bill W2CQ > Lightning and the Amateur Radio ? Glenn Cate ? N4GRC > Grounding Essentials From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 8 17:22:30 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2018 17:22:30 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Lightning grounding and Ham Radio In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1E310052-0C88-40C8-AED0-4C029A79E23F@bellsouth.net> Try this: Bill https://www.sparc-club.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Lightning-and-the-Amateur-Radio-Glenn-N4GRC.pdf From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 8 17:23:32 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill Marx) Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2018 17:23:32 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Lightning grounding and Ham Radio In-Reply-To: <1E310052-0C88-40C8-AED0-4C029A79E23F@bellsouth.net> References: <1E310052-0C88-40C8-AED0-4C029A79E23F@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: And this: https://www.sparc-club.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Grounding-Tips-for-the-Shack-1.pdf > Try this: > Bill > https://www.sparc-club.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Lightning-and-the-Amateur-Radio-Glenn-N4GRC.pdf From bmarx at bellsouth.net Thu Oct 11 20:36:59 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2018 20:36:59 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for October 11, 2018 In-Reply-To: <20181011232231.0E5FE200A59E@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181011232231.0E5FE200A59E@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <1d46c5df-4df6-dd27-83a2-3608bb31a586@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2018-10-11 The ARRL Letter October 11, 2018 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * Amateur Radio Assets Active as Category 4 Hurricane Michael Makes Landfall <#toc01> * FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 Overhauls Marking Requirements for Short Rural Towers <#toc02> * US Ham-Astronaut, Russian Cosmonaut Safe in Wake of /Soyuz/ Launch Failure <#toc03> * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc04> * International Space Station Crew Member Fires Up NA1SS to Seek Random Contacts <#toc05> * MARS to Support Defense Department Radio Communication Readiness Exercise <#toc06> * Climber Dies in Amateur Radio Tower Collapse <#toc07> * Minnesota Club Provides Support for "Ride The Ridges" Cycling Event <#toc08> * IARU Region 1 Volunteers and Partners Getting Behind WRC-19 50 MHz Agenda Item <#toc09> * Radio Amateurs among Radio Club of America 2018 Award Recipients and Fellows <#toc10> * In Brief... <#toc11> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc12> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc13> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc14> Amateur Radio Assets Active as Category 4 Hurricane Michael Makes Landfall An array of Amateur Radio public service assets was active as Hurricane Michael -- now a tropical storm -- made landfall near Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle on October 10, with devastating 155 MPH winds. The storm is believed to be the first Category 4 or stronger hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of life-threatening storm surge as well as hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN ) activated on October 10 and closed operations the following day. WX4NHC , the Amateur Radio at the National Hurricane Center, was active to receive observed weather information and data via Amateur Radio to aid forecasters. The VoIP Hurricane Net activated on October 10 to support communication with the National Hurricane Center. The Southern Territory Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN ) stood down on October 11. SATERN was requested to provide Amateur Radio operators for Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee, and Tampa, as well as some local units in Georgia, and at Divisional Headquarters in Atlanta. The ARRL North Florida and West Central Florida sections assisted SATERN with additional operators in Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee, and Tampa. North Florida Section ARES was at Level 1 (full) activation. Miller Norton, W4EMN, the Communications Watch Officer at the Duval County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Jacksonville, Florida, was monitoring SARnet -- a UHF-linked repeater network in Florida -- when he heard an urgent call for help that needed to be sent to the State EOC in Tallahassee. All other forms of communication were out, and Norton was able to relay the message to via Amateur Radio. He also passed along messages and requests from the Jackson County EOC to the American Red Cross. Norton said officials in Tallahassee and Jackson County were both incredibly grateful for the way the SARnet system functioned during the weather emergency. Jackson County Emergency Coordinator Ricky Whittington, KD4AST, is deployed to the county EOC in Marianna. "We took a direct hit by the center of the storm at 140 MPH," he told Clay County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator and Public Information Officer Scott Roberts, KK4ECR. "[The] county maintenance building across the road from the EOC was picked up and slammed into the north side and over the roof of the EOC just prior to the eye passing over." The incident took out the HF antenna, which has since been restored. Whittington said the internet failed, as did cell service for a while. Hams have been passing material and resource orders to the State EOC via HF and SARnet. Whitting reported "total devastation of Bay, Jackson, and Gulf counties," with loss of electrical power and water service, in addition to damage in Franklin, Holmes, and Leon counties. "[The] /only/ mode of communications after the eye came across was ham radio, until we got minimal cell service a few hours ago," he reported. The ARRL Emergency Response Team has been coordinating with Field Organization leadership in ARRL Sections affected by the storm, as well as with WX4NHC, the HWN, VoIP Hurricane Net, Department of Homeland Security SHARES, and US Army MARS. FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 Overhauls Marking Requirements for Short Rural Towers Thanks to ARRL efforts on Capitol Hill, language in the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act , just signed by President Donald Trump, resolves the issue of problematic or preclusive rules affecting some rural Amateur Radio towers. The previous FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 had instructed the FAA to enact tower-marking requirements, similar to those in some state statutes, aimed at improving aircraft safety in the vicinity of meteorological evaluation towers (METs). These towers are typically between 50 and 200 feet and set up in rural areas, often on short notice. In the wake of fatal crop-dusting aircraft collisions with METs, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had recommended that states institute laws, sometimes called "crop-duster" statutes, requiring marking and registration of METs. While some state crop-duster laws exempted ham radio towers, federal regulations dating to the 1996 FAA Reauthorization Act did not, and ARRL had expressed its concerns since. "There is no evidence whatsoever that even one Amateur Radio antenna below 200 feet has ever been involved in an aviation accident," ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said. "To impose painting and lighting requirements on Amateur Radio antennas between 50 and 200 feet tall would preclude many, if not most, of the exurban, rural, and, in some cases, suburban Amateur Radio antennas that are and will be sited outside incorporated towns and cities. This would ironically defeat the entire reason such antenna facilities are sited in those environments: because rural and exurban areas are where such antennas are permitted and the few areas where antennas are not precluded entirely by private land use regulations." Prior to 2017, per long-established FAA regulations, unless such short radio towers were located within the glide slope of airports or heliports, they were not required to be painted or lighted. After attempting to address the issue through the FAA, ARRL's legislative team met with staff members of Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and other lawmakers and their staffs associated with the congressional committees of jurisdiction. Senator Inhofe -- himself a pilot -- was of the view that the 2016 legislation was excessive and that exemptions should exist for both broadcast and Amateur Radio antennas and support structures. "We worked with our close allies at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), [who were] afraid that this legislation would have a large adverse effect on short broadcast towers," Imlay recounted. "We also worked with the Association of American Railroads, which has hundreds of short towers along rail lines in rural areas that would have been affected." Imlay said Section 576 of the large 2018 FAA reauthorization now requires that the only towers less than 200 feet tall that have to be painted and lighted are meteorological aids and those within the glide slope of an airport or heliport. The remainder of such towers in rural or agricultural areas lower than 200 feet need to only be included in an FAA-maintained database, which will be updated by the owners of such towers. Imlay credited members of the ARRL Legislative Advocacy team, as well as Senator Inhofe and ARRL's broadcast and land mobile association partners for getting the language revised in the new, 5-year Reauthorization Act. "We consider this a big success for Amateur Radio," Imlay said, "and it would not have been possible but for the visibility that has been achieved for ARRL through our active Capitol Hill advocacy for the Amateur Radio Parity Act." Ad US Ham-Astronaut, Russian Cosmonaut Safe in Wake of /Soyuz/ Launch Failure A Russian /Soyuz/ spacecraft crew launch to the International Space Station (ISS) suffered a booster failure that resulted in an emergency flight abort shortly after lift-off from Kazakhstan on October 11, but the crew is safe. On board the /Soyuz/ MS-10 were US Astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV, and Russian Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine promised "a thorough investigation." "Shortly after launch, there was an anomaly with the booster and the launch ascent was aborted, resulting in a ballistic landing of the spacecraft," Bridenstine said. "Search-and-rescue teams were deployed to the landing site. Hague and Ovchinin are out of the capsule and are reported to be in good condition." The pair has since been transported to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City. This was Hague's first launch and Ovchinin's second.* * Early this month, NASA issued a statement regarding the late-August discovery of a 2-millimeter hole in the wall of the /Soyuz/ capsule that is now docked to the ISS. The resulting air pressure leak has since been repaired. There is no indication the launch failure and the mystery hole in the last /Soyuz/ launched are connected. Roscosmos said the hole was not drilled by accident, and posited that it may have been drilled by a technician on the ground. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin earlier had ruled out a manufacturing defect. "[This] indicates that this is an isolated issue which does not categorically affect future production," the NASA statement said. "This conclusion does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent." NASA and Roscosmos launched an investigation, and a November spacewalk was planned to gather more information. In the wake of the /Soyuz/ failure, operations to transport ISS crew members have been suspended. The current ISS crew of cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev and astronauts Serena Au??n-Chancellor, KG5TMT, and Alexander Gerst, KF5ONO, is scheduled to return to Earth in December. The Doctor Will See You Now! "Winterizing Your Station" is the topic of the new (October 11) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In " podcast. Listen...and learn! Sponsored by DX Engineering , "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor at arrl.org , and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes , or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry , or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide . Ad International Space Station Crew Member Fires Up NA1SS to Seek Random Contacts "Hello, America. This is the International Space Station. Who's out there?" And with that "CQ" of sorts on 145.800 MHz, NASA astronaut Serena Au??n-Chancellor, KG5TMT, M.D., spent some time at the helm of NA1SS on October 6 making casual, random contacts -- something that's fairly rare these days. The ISS was on a pass that took the spacecraft up along the east coast of the US at the time. In response to a question, Au??n-Chancellor, who has been on station since June, told one caller that she's been floating the entire time she's been in space. *Serena Au??n-Chancellor, KG5TMT, at work on the ISS. [NASA photo]* "We float every day. Float to work, float back to sleep. It is awesome," she said. Scott Chapman, K4KDR, of Montpelier, Virginia, edited a clip of downlink chatter by the 42-year-old flight surgeon and flight engineer. "During most passes of the ISS where I'm working with the packet digipeater on 145.825, I also monitor 145.800 just in case there is any activity on that frequency," Chapman said in a post to AMSAT-BB. "For the first time in my personal experience, today one of the astronauts was randomly calling to see if anybody was listening. Of course I tried to reply on 145.800 simplex, but there are a number of possible uplinks, and none of them were programmed into my radio. They are now! It was a real thrill and, like so much of this hobby, a learning opportunity." Au??n-Chancellor is aboard the ISS as part of the Expedition 56/57 crew and is scheduled to return to Earth in December. The Amateur Radio FM voice frequencies for stations in ITU Regions 2 and 3 are 145.800 MHz down and 144.490 MHz up. For stations in Region 1, the uplink frequency is 145.200 MHz. MARS to Support Defense Department Radio Communication Readiness Exercise Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) members will support a Department of Defense HF radio communication exercise on October 24 - 26. The readiness exercise will test the ability to communicate via voice and military standard communication protocols, simulating the loss of conventional communication systems. MARS members will interface with the Amateur Radio community to collect information at the county level regarding publicly available information. At 0001 UTC on October 24, Amateur Radio operators are asked to monitor 60-meter channel 1 (5,330.5 kHz, USB) for a high-power broadcast of updated information regarding this exercise and how the Amateur Radio community can participate. During the exercise, MARS members will communicate with Amateur Radio operators on all five 60-meter channels, as well as on other Amateur Radio bands. Contact MARS for more information regarding this exercise. As a simulation, this exercise will not affect any public or private communications or infrastructure. The exercise will end at 2359 UTC on October 26. Additionally, MARS members will participate in the HF automatic link establishment (ALE) on-the-air exercise taking place on October 12 - 22. Ad Climber Dies in Amateur Radio Tower Collapse A young Tennessee father of five is dead after the Amateur Radio tower on which he was working collapsed due to a guy anchor letting go. Thirty-year-old Ken Waddell was killed on September 29 while attempting to erect a 70-foot Rohn 25G tower on the property of Dale Darling, W9WBA, in Cookeville, Tennessee. A professional tower climber, Waddell handled the tower job on a freelance basis, rather than for his employer. *Kenneth Waddell.* According to media accounts, Waddell and Darling checked the new guy anchors in advance of putting up the tower. Waddell was getting ready to attach a second set of guys at 70 feet when a guy at the 40-foot level let go, taking him to the ground on the section where he was attached. He was the only person on the tower when it fell, and died at the scene. Waddell was the sole financial provider for his family, and a GoFundMe campaign has been established. The Tower Family Foundation and the Hubble Foundation have also reached out to assist Waddell's widow, Cadie, and their five children. Both the Tower Family Foundation and the Hubble Foundation are dedicated in part to providing financial assistance and support to the families of tower workers injured or killed in tower-climbing mishaps. Minnesota Club Provides Support for "Ride The Ridges" Cycling Event Members of the Winona (MN) Amateur Radio Club (WARC ) provided communication support in mid-September for 300 riders taking part in the "Ride The Ridges " bicycle tour. WARC said the region's scenic hills and deep valleys present a communication challenge. Members patrolled four routes -- ranging from 23 to 105 miles -- as well as seven rest stops, working voice communication via a UHF repeater near Winona and the Riverland Amateur Radio Club VHF repeater 30 miles away in Wisconsin. APRS was used to track SAG and sweep vehicles and also offered messaging capability. *Lance Tagliapietra, AD0UT, manages a large-screen display at the ride's start and end, so friends and family could observe the progress of the riders.* As a public awareness effort, a large-screen display at the ride's start and end showed friends and family the progress of riders. With cell coverage impaired by the terrain, the club installed two temporary digipeaters to assure constant contact with the APRS units. "We can bring technology to these events that the sponsoring organizations don't have other access to," said Dan Goltz, WK0W, of WARC. "We are there to enhance the event, and to provide a service, not for our benefit but for theirs." Fifteen club members volunteered for the September 15 event. Ride the Ridges is a project of the Winona Rotary Club. Ad IARU Region 1 Volunteers and Partners Getting Behind WRC-19 50 MHz Agenda Item International Amateur Radio Union (IARU ) volunteers are continuing their work toward a favorable outcome for World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC-19) Agenda Item 1.1, which seeks a 6-meter allocation for the Amateur Radio Service in Region 1 in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) /Radio Regulations/ Table of Frequency Allocations. The effort is aimed at aligning the band with the 50 MHz allocations in ITU Regions 2 and 3. In a news release, IARU Region 1 (IARU R1 ) President Don Beattie, G3BJ, described extensive work in various forums and the ITU aimed at gaining support for a 6-meter band in Region 1, rather than the current country-by-country allocations. "IARU has represented the global voice of Amateur Radio in these meetings, arguing that new applications in Amateur Radio require significant bandwidth at 50 MHz and has set out a proposed utilization of the band which supports its claim," Beattie said. He added that the IARU has also engaged in extensive work on sharing studies using propagation models recognized by the ITU and the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). "The Amateur Service has met strong opposition from a few nation states who argue that the 50 MHz band is already allocated to other services in their countries -- following the closure of many broadcasting stations in recent years which operated in this band -- and believe that sharing the band presents problems," Beattie said. CEPT Project Team D has prepared two Agenda 1.1 options. The majority of CEPT administrations actively participating in discussions preferred one proposal for a 2 MHz secondary allocation. The second option, the result of a major compromise and preferred by IARU and the European Radio Amateurs' Organization (EURAO ), would see a 500 kHz primary allocation of 50.0 - 50.5 MHz, paired with a secondary allocation of 50.5 - 52.0 MHz. Beattie said either option would be an improvement over the status quo. Additional meetings lie ahead, including a CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting in November, and the ITU Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM) in February. "It is hoped that the cooperation between IARU and EURAO will continue in future CEPT activities, which are relevant to Amateur Radio," Beattie said. Radio Amateurs among Radio Club of America 2018 Award Recipients and Fellows The Radio Club of America (RCA) has named well-known academic, entrepreneur, contester, and DXer Theodore "Ted" Rappaport, N9NB, as the recipient of the 2018 Armstrong Medal. The Armstrong Medal is the RCA's most prestigious honor. Rappaport is being honored for "outstanding achievements and lasting contributions to the radio arts and sciences and wireless communications." When the RCA began its *2018 Armstrong Medal recipient Ted Rappaport, N9NB. [Photo courtesy of NYU]* recognition of outstanding achievement, its first award was presented to Major Edward H. Armstrong for his invention of circuits that make AM and FM radio possible, and for his lifetime of championing work that established the foundation for modern radio technology. Inventor and entrepreneur Nathan "Chip" Cohen, W1YW, of fractal antenna and cloaking technology fame, will receive the RCA's Lee de Forest Award for "significant contributions to the advancement of radio communications." The award's namesake, de Forest, is credited with inventing the Audion vacuum tube as an amplifier in radio circuits. De Forest also popularized the word "radio" in the US, in favor of the European term "wireless." *Lee de Forest Award winner Chip Cohen, W1YW.* Radio amateurs are among the recipients of several other 2018 RCA awards: Joseph Yurman, N2PFO: The Fred M. Link Award "for notable achievements in land mobile radio communications." Mark Allen, W6PC: The Edgar F. Johnson Pioneer Citation "in recognition for noteworthy contributions to the success of RCA or the radio industry." Carroll Hollingsworth, K5CTT: The RCA Presidents Award "for service and dedication to the Radio Club of America." A complete listing of RCA Awards and previous recipients can be found on the RCA website . Founded in 1909, the Radio Club of America is the oldest, most prestigious group of wireless communications professionals in the world. Members are dedicated to the wireless art and science for the betterment of society. The Radio Club of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The RCA 2018 Awards Banquet and Technical Symposium will take place on Saturday, November 17, at the Westin New York Times Square in New York City. Read more . In Brief... ** *Abby Finchum, AB1BY, at the helm of one of the Get on the Air stations during NET^2 in May 2018. [Photo courtesy of NET^2 /NEAR-Fest]* *The New England Amateur Radio Festival (**NEAR-Fest* *) and the Deerfield Fair Association will present a science and technology exposition for young people. *The event at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, in Deerfield, New Hampshire, will take place Friday, October 12, and Saturday, October 13, as part of NEAR-Fest XXIII. Each spring and fall, the New England Tech Trek (NET^2 ) provides middle- and high-school students with an informal, hands-on introduction to real-life applications and the fun of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The display will feature Amateur Radio and other technology, including a high-altitude balloon with radio telemetry, robotics, Raspberry Pi projects, radio direction finding, and software-defined radios. The Nashua (NH) Area Radio Society (NARS ) will offer five "Get on the Air" stations that attendees can use. Admission to the NET^2 expo is free. ** *The Russian "Sunflower" radar. [Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, screenshot]* *The International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring Service (**IARUMS* *) reports interference on 40 meters from various Russian sources.* The Russian coastal over-the-horizon (OTH) radar "Sunflower" was very active on 40 meters and audible in Europe in the evenings, transmitting FM on pulse. The site is believed to be northeast of Vladivostok. IARUMS Region 1 Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, said it was monitored in September. In addition, a Russian ship was observed transmitted on 7,110 kHz on F1B with 50 baud and 200 Hz shift. The vessel was believed to be in the vicinity of Cyprus and on the air daily in September. Another Russian ship was heard on September 18, transmitting AT3004D with 12 ? 120 baud PSK2A on 7,179 kHz with a 2.6 kHz bandwidth, also in the area of Crete. And a Russian military system, believed to be near Moscow, was heard transmitting on 7,198 kHz in AT3004D test mode. Elsewhere, fishing crews often were monitored on 3,500; 3,535; 3,540; 3,560; 3,585; 3,590; 7,000 kHz, and 14,320 USB. The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Last week, we reported a return of sunspot activity on September 29, after a 16-day absence, but the new activity lasted only 6 days. The average daily sunspot number declined from 9.6 to 1.6, while the average daily solar flux rose slightly from 68.4 to 68.9. The average planetary A index increased from 7.7 to 14.1, while the mid-latitude A index jumped from 6.1 to 10.3. Predicted solar flux is 72 on October 11 - 17; 71 on October 18; and 69 on October 19 - November 24. The predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 5, 12, and 8 on October 11 - 15; 5 on October 16 - 17; 10, 25, 14, 8, and 12 on October 18 - 22; 8 on October 23 - 25; 10 on October 26; 5 on October 27 - November 2; 22 and 35 on November 3 - 4; 15 on November 5 - 6; 10, 8, 5, 10, and 8 on November 7 - 11; 5 on November 12 - 13; 10, 25, 14, 8, and 12 on November 14 - 18; 8 on November 19 - 21; 10 on November 22, and 5 on November 23 - 24. Conditions will probably continue at somewhat marginal levels because of weak solar activity. It is widely believed that Cycle 24 should reach solar minimum in 2020. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has the latest projections . Sunspot numbers for October 4 - 10 were 11, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean of 1.6. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.2, 68.7, 68.6, 69.5, 68.8, 69.5, and 69.8, with a mean of 68.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 9, 6, 24, 21, 17, and 18, with a mean of 14.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 8, 5, 13, 16, 14, and 12, with a mean of 10.3. Share your reports or your propagation observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * October 13 -- FISTS Fall Unlimited Sprint (CW) * October 13-14 -- Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 13-14 -- Nevada QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 13-14 -- Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 13-14 -- South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 13-14 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW) * October 13-14 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest * October 13-14 -- Oceania DX Contest (CW) * October 13-14 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (SSB) * October 13-14 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW) * October 13-14 -- PODXS 070 Club 160-Meter Great Pumpkin Sprint (Digital) * October 14 -- UBA ON Contest, CW * October 14 -- UBA ON Contest, 6 Meter (CW, phone) * October 15 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone) * *October 15-19 -- **ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone **)* * October 15-16 -- Telephone Pioneers QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 17 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Data) 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 email preferences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions * October 11-14 -- Microwave Update Convention , Fairborn, Ohio * October 12-13 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference , Seaside, Oregon * October 13 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference , Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin * October 19-20 -- New Mexico State Convention , Socorro, New Mexico * October 19-21 -- Pacific Division Convention , San Ramon, California * October 20 -- Tennessee State Convention , East Ridge, Tennessee * October 21 -- Connecticut State Convention , Meriden, Connecticut * November 3-4 -- Georgia Section Convention , Lawrenceville, Georgia * November 10 -- Alabama Section Convention , Montgomery, Alabama * November 10 -- HamJam 2018 Convention , Alpharetta, Georgia * November 17-18 -- Central Division Convention , Fort Wayne, Indiana * December 1 -- Arkansas DX Association Conference , North Little Rock, Arkansas * December 7-8 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida Find conventions and hamfests in your area ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information*. . . * Join or Renew Today! 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All other purposes require written permission. www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Oct 12 17:47:09 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2018 17:47:09 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] =?utf-8?q?Scouting=E2=80=99s_Jambor?= =?utf-8?q?ee_on_the_Air_=28JOTA=29_Looking_Forward_to_Successful_2018_Eve?= =?utf-8?q?nt?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <83a7fc3b-36b3-e21e-c39f-b361ed660f4e@bellsouth.net> Scouting???s Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Looking Forward to Successful 2018 Event image.png 10/12/2018 Some 450 sites in the US are among nearly 3,000 locations around the world that will host Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) or Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) stations over the October 19 ??? 21 weekend. ???It looks [like it will] exceed last year???s registration number by next weekend,??? JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, said. One site that will be activated for JOTA is the *Voice of America (VOA) Museum* in West Chester, Ohio, which hosts the West Chester Amateur Radio Association???s club station *WC8VOA* . WCARA member Jocelyn Brault, KD8VRX, grew up in Canada, where, as a 12-year-old, he took part in a JOTA event, making a friend in France and becoming pen pals. Years later, he became a Scout leader and a radio amateur. The station in the VOA station has been hosting JOTA for the past 5 years and allows anyone in Scouting to participate from the museum. ???For JOTA last year, we had over 100 Scouts stop by and get on the air,??? he recounted. ???They could also explore the VOA Museum.??? Brault said that at one point, stations in five states conducted an on-the-air roundtable, sharing stories and experiences. ???That was a great way to do it, it made it much more fun for the Scouts and for???us as well. I???m looking forward???to repeating the experience again this year,??? he said. Wilson urged JOTA station coordinators to review the *best practices* and to try taking some *video* of JOTA-JOTI activity. http://www.arrl.org/news/scouting-s-jamboree-on-the-air-jota-looking-forward-to-successful-2018-event From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Oct 14 15:56:29 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2018 15:56:29 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The following proclamation was issued at the Melborne Hamfest. In-Reply-To: <20181014163637.11D272010827@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181014163637.11D272010827@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: Please spread it far and wide. The State of Florida will be also issuing the same proclamation: KNOW ALL PEOPLE BY THESE PRESENTS: A proclamation is issued as follows: Whereas You have been serving as an example to amateur radio operators in the Southern Florida Section of the American Radio Relay League since 1986, And Whereas You have been Section Manager of the ARRL Southern Florida Section for the past 4 years, And Whereas You Served as Assistant Section Manager in the Southern Florida Section from Dec 2002 to June 2009 and from Jan 2011-Jan 2014, And Whereas You served as Vice Director of the ARRL Southeastern Division from June 2009 to December 2010, And Whereas You served in Many Section Level Leadership Posts Such as Technical Specialist, Technical Coordinator, Affiliated Clubs Coordinator, Section Emergency Coordinator, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinator, Emergency Coordinator, Public Information Officer, Volunteer Examiner and Field Examiner for the past 32 years, And Whereas you have helped found 2 clubs in the SFL Section, have served terms as a club offer, club president, Convention Chair, and a member of a Club Board of Directors, And Whereas Your service in these Leadership posts has inspired many amateurs to get more involved and made the Southern Florida Section an innovative and smooth running section serving as an example for how other sections should run, Therefore Be it Resolved that by the authority vested in me by the members of the Southern Florida Section of the American Radio Relay League I do hereby declare that the month of November 2018 be Declared as "Jeff Beals, WA4AW, Month" in the Southern Florida Section. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southern Florida Section Section Manager: Mr Barry M Porter, KB1PA kb1pa at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Oct 16 17:08:49 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:08:49 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Neat Vanity Callsign Site Message-ID: <40541488-984a-3794-4b43-7fdc3069858a@bellsouth.net> Lots of interesting Vanity information: - Bill W2CQ http://www.ae7q.com/query/ From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Oct 17 10:46:08 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2018 10:46:08 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Pile Up Busters Message-ID: <1765e663-9cb8-edad-c04d-cc2c2136b17a@bellsouth.net> An Oldie... - Bill W2CQ Pileupbusters https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=vQcF7CU2IEU From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Oct 19 09:24:14 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2018 09:24:14 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for October 18, 2018 In-Reply-To: <20181018230936.4A4962160040@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181018230936.4A4962160040@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <01884cb7-707f-ee77-2904-0e8a380cc08e@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2018-10-18 The ARRL Letter October 18, 2018 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * ARRL Executive Committee to Meet in Minneapolis <#toc01> * ARRL Northern Florida Section Seeks Volunteers to Deploy to Hurricane Zone <#toc02> * Bidding in ARRL Online Auction Set to Begin on October 19 <#toc03> * FT8 to be Permitted in 2019 ARRL RTTY Roundup <#toc04> * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc05> * Scouting's Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Looking Forward to Successful 2018 Event <#toc06> * Philippine Organizations Join Forces for "Robust" JOTA-JOTI Presence <#toc07> * VP6D Ducie Island 2018 DXpedition Team Under Way aboard the /Braveheart/ <#toc08> * ARRL Website Security Software Update Could Affect Certain LoTW ADIF Downloads <#toc09> * Dwingeloo Radio Telescope Receives Dark-Side Lunar Images from Chinese Amateur Satellite <#toc10> * In Brief... <#toc11> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc12> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc13> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc14> ARRL Executive Committee to Meet in Minneapolis The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) is set to meet on Saturday, October 20, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, will preside. In addition to reports from the President and former Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Barry Shelley, N1VXY, the EC will hear a status report of the ad hoc committee to draft updates/changes to the /Code of Conduct/. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, will report on FCC and regulatory issues, as well as on local antenna and RF interference cases that ARRL is tracking. He also will offer an update on legislative matters, including the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The EC will hear a status report on a pending new memorandum of understanding on the Amateur Auxiliary between ARRL and the FCC. It also will receive an update from the ad hoc committee reviewing rules and regulations for advisory committees to the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee is tasked by the ARRL /Bylaws/ to address ARRL matters between regular Board meetings. The Board will meet in January for its first scheduled meeting of 2019 ARRL Northern Florida Section Seeks Volunteers to Deploy to Hurricane Zone Northern Florida ARES is seeking volunteers to deploy for up to a week to areas of the state devastated by Hurricane Michael. Serious communication issues remain in the Florida Panhandle in the storm's wake, with the telecommunications infrastructure ravaged and storm victims unable to communicate with family members outside the region. The Florida State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is hoping to recruit eight operators. Section Emergency Coordinator Karl Martin, KG4HBN , said ARES needs as many volunteers as possible. "They need to be self-sufficient for 7 days (food, water, place to sleep, power, radio, etc.)," he said. "HF is highly recommended. The list of locations needing to be filled continues to grow." Clay County ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) and Public Information Officer Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, was cited in a news media account that several counties with damage to critical infrastructure remain without any form of communication, with Amateur Radio remaining as the only method of communication between shelters and emergency management. Roberts said a few volunteers deployed from Duval County to assist at shelters in the Panhandle, but more are needed to help relay information and direct resources within affected areas. "If they need cots, more food, or they're running low on anything, they would pass that information over radio to the state emergency operations center, or the resource centers to get them sent to the shelters," Roberts told News4JAX in Jacksonville this week. Volunteers must have been vetted by their local county emergency management agency, have radio equipment and antennas for VHF/UHF (SARnet), HF, and, if possible, HF Winlink capability, and their own shelter. Alternate power sources would be needed as well -- including solar, wind, or generator, as well as food and water for 7 days. Volunteers should be familiar with message and traffic-handling. All prospective volunteers should live in Florida. *Do /not/ self-deploy! * Visit the ARRL Northern Florida Section website for more information or contact Martin. Ad Bidding in ARRL Online Auction Set to Begin on October 19 More than 230 items will be on the block as bidding gets under way on Friday, October 19, at 10 AM ET (1400 UTC) for the 13th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction . The auction will continue through Friday, October 26, at 10 PM ET (0200 UTC on Saturday, October 27). An auction preview opens on Wednesday, October 17. The 2018 auction includes lab-tested /QST/ "Product Review" gear, vintage books, used equipment, and one-of-a-kind items, plus the ARRL Lab team has contributed four of the very popular "mystery boxes." Some premier "Product Review" items up for bid include the Apache Labs ANAN-8000DLE HF and 6-meter SDR transceiver, an Icom IC-R8600 communications receiver, a Yaesu FT-991 HF/VHF/UHF transceiver, a BridgeCom Systems BCM-144 2-meter mobile transceiver, and many more items. The auction also will offer items donated from the popular television series "Last Man Standing," starring Tim Allen, an actual radio amateur who portrays the fictional Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, in the show, which has featured ham radio in some episodes. *Some vintage Heathkit gear will be on the auction block.* Among book offerings in the auction are/History of QRP in the US 1924 - 1960,/ a special defense edition of /The Radio Amateur's Handbook/ from 1942, and a 1958 /ARRL Handbook. / Proceeds from the annual Online Auction benefit ARRL education programs. These include activities to license new hams, strengthen Amateur Radio Emergency Service^? training, offer continuing technical and operating education, and create instructional materials. All bidders must register (your *arrl.org* user ID and password will not work on the auction site). If you have registered for a previous ARRL Online Auction, you may use the same login information. If you have forgotten your user ID or password, click on the "Help" tab for instructions on how to retrieve these credentials. Make sure your correct address and other information are up to date. The auction site only accepts Visa and Mastercard. FT8 to be Permitted in 2019 ARRL RTTY Roundup The ARRL Contest Branch has announced that participants in the 2019 ARRL RTTY Roundup will be permitted to use the new FT8 protocol, which is part of the /WSJT-X/ software suite. The RTTY Roundup takes place January 5 - 6, 2019. "Even though digital modes other than RTTY have been permitted in the RTTY Roundup for 30 years, FT8 was excluded in 2018, because it could not manage the required exchanges," ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, said. "Through the work of the /WSJT-X/ development team, the latest version of FT8 can handle the necessary exchanges that earlier versions were unable to do." Some limitations will apply to FT8 entrants. Participants must use /WSJT-X/ version 2.0 or later to ensure they are able to transmit and receive the exchange messages the event requires. No unattended operation, including QSO/macro automations, will be allowed. Neither is FT8's Fox and Hounds mode; each contact must be carried out in a one-to-one mode, manually accepting/logging each contact. Because ARRL contest rules regarding spotting assistance prohibit the use of "automated, multi-channel decoders" by Single-Operator entrants, stations using software that decodes /more than one/ FT8 signal at a time will have to enter as Single-Operator Unlimited or as Multioperator, just as PSK participants have had to do in the past when using /fldigi/ or /DigiPan/ software. The Contest Branch is encouraging participants to spread out to help increase decoding and contact success. "This is a great opportunity for beginners interested in digital mode contesting," Jahnke said. Complete rules are on the ARRL website. Read more . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */Short "Practice Contest" Set for ARRL RTTY Roundup Participants Planning to Use FT8/* A 1-hour "practice contest" will be held next week on Wednesday, October 24, 0200 - 0300 UTC (Thursday, October 25, in North American time zones). Use dial frequency 7.078 kHz, moving up in 2 kHz increments if interference is too great. To participate, you must use /WSJT-X/ version 2.0.0-rc3 , a beta-test version. Installation packages for Windows, Linux, and macOS are near the bottom of the page. A full release of /WSJT-X/ 2.0 is targeted for release on December 10. FT8 co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, advises reading the revised /Quick-Start Guide/ before using /WSJT-X/ 2.0. Some important reminders: 1. On the "Settings/Advanced tab", check the boxes that say "Always generate 77-bit messages," "Decode only 77-bit messages," and "ARRL RTTY Roundup." In the field labeled "Exch," enter the 2- or 3-letter abbreviation for your state or province (US/Canadian stations), or enter DX if you are not in the US or Canada. 2. Be sure that 7.078 appears in your drop-down frequency list for FT8 mode. You might need to do a reset on the Settings/Frequencies tab. If the subband starting at 7.078 becomes overcrowded, move to a higher dial frequency in 2 kHz increments -- 7.080, 7.082, etc. Type Ctrl+Shift+F12 to move up by 2 kHz, or Ctrl+Shift+F11 to move down by 2 kHz. 3. Do not use a compound or nonstandard call sign in this event. Planning is under way for one or more dedicated FT8 contests to be held in the next few months./-- Thanks to Joe Taylor, K1JT/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ad The Doctor Will See You Now! "Winterizing Your Station" is the topic of the current (October 11) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In " podcast. Listen...and learn! Sponsored by DX Engineering , "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor at arrl.org , and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes , or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry , or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide . Just ahead: "Do you really need a tower?" Scouting's Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Looking Forward to Successful 2018 Event Some 450 sites in the US are among nearly 3,000 locations around the world that will host Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) or Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) stations over the October 19 - 21 weekend. "It looks [like it will] exceed last year's registration number by next weekend," JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, said. One site that will be activated for JOTA is the Voice of America (VOA) Museum in West Chester, Ohio, which hosts the West Chester Amateur Radio Association's club station WC8VOA . WCARA member Jocelyn Brault, KD8VRX, grew up in Canada, where, as a 12-year-old, he took part in a JOTA event, making a friend in France and becoming pen pals. Years later, he became a Scout leader and a radio amateur. The station in the VOA station has been hosting JOTA for the past 5 years and allows anyone in Scouting to participate from the museum. "For JOTA last year, we had over 100 Scouts stop by and get on the air," he recounted. "They could also explore the VOA Museum." Brault said that at one point, stations in five states conducted an on-the-air roundtable, sharing stories and experiences. "That was a great way to do it. It made it much more fun for the Scouts and for us as well. I'm looking forward to repeating the experience again this year," he said. Wilson urged JOTA station coordinators to review the best practices and to try taking some video of JOTA-JOTI activity. "Last year, the event saw 1.5 million Scouts and Girl Scouts on the air from 150 countries with nearly 17,000 Amateur Radio operators helping to make that possible," Wilson said. "This is a superb way to introduce Scouts to the technology, fun, and magic of Amateur Radio." Wilson suggested that radio amateurs could help by making room for the Scout stations operating around the JOTA frequencies as well as by answering their CQs and engaging Scouts in conversations. The Worked All Germany Contest takes place this weekend, and contest sponsors have designated contest-free frequencies to avoid the JOTA frequencies. Ad Philippine Organizations Join Forces for "Robust" JOTA-JOTI Presence The National Headquarters of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and the Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA ) joined forces to prepare early for the 61st Jamboree on the Air (JOTA ) and the 22nd Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI ). BSP Vice President for Luzon Vice Governor Nas Ona, DU1ON, and PARA COO Roberto Vicencio, DU1VHY, have been pushing for a robust Philippine presence during the joint events. "This year's JOTA/JOTI will not only be done via the traditional RF, but also with the use of the new digital modes C4FM, D-STAR, DMR, and possible demonstration of /JS8Call/," Vicencio said. /JS8Call/ (formerly /FT8Call/) is a derivative of /WSJT-X/, restructured for keyboard-to-keyboard messaging. It is neither supported nor endorsed by the /WSJT-X/ development group. Vicencio said technological advances and growth in Amateur Radio in the Philippines could make this a breakout year for JOTA-JOTI there. "With over a million participants, the Philippine Scouts are looking forward to [contacting] the Scouts of the world," he said. "Amateur Radio has proven itself to be an excellent method in sustaining communications, even in the severest of disasters," Vicencio pointed out. "Amateur Radio-licensed scouts have operated with disaster teams during the most recent typhoon and the monsoon season, providing invaluable, timely, and actionable information." VP6D Ducie Island 2018 DXpedition Team Under Way aboard the /Braveheart/ After 18 months of intensive planning, the 14-member international VP6D team now is en route on the long voyage to Ducie Island from Mangareva, French Polynesia, aboard the MV /Braveheart/. Team members have been heard operating as VP6D/mm on 40- and 20- meter CW, according to /The Daily DX/ . The team rendezvoused in Tahiti before flying to Mangareva and set sail on October 16. The DXpedition is scheduled to begin on October 20 and continue until November 3. VP6D will use DXA to post contacts on a near real-time basis. Logs will be uploaded daily to VP6D (there is no leader board) and, ultimately, to Logbook of The World (LoTW ). VP6D will be using FT8 protocol (/WSJT-X/ version 1.91) as a "fox" on all bands except 16 meters, where DXpedition mode will not be used. The team has posted FT8 operating guidelines on its website. Software should be configured in "hound" mode. Operators hoping to work VP6D on FT8 must add the DXpedition's frequencies to /WSJT-X/. "Your only email route to VP6D is through the pilot team," a DXpedition release advised this week. "The pilots do not have the logs. Please don't ask them about NiL, busted calls, skeds, etc. Do send them helpful suggestions." In a first for Ducie Island, VP6D will be active on 6-meter moonbounce. *The MV /Braveheart/ docked during loading of the VP6D DXpedition gear.* Among its goals, VP6D has listed conducting extensive digital operation, logging as many unique call signs as possible, and offering a contact to as many as possible, including all-time new ones and band fills. Stu Phillips, K6TU, has developed customized propagation prediction tools , available on the VP6D website. Stations may take advantage of these forecast tools to predict conditions for working Ducie Island based on your location and your equipment. Ad ARRL Website Security Software Update Could Affect Certain LoTW ADIF Downloads The ARRL website updated its security software on October 15 in order to meet standards required to continue accepting credit cards for internet purchases. ARRL Information Technology Department Manager Mike Keane, K1MK, said that the upgrade should not affect the vast majority of members, beyond a guarantee of better security on the website. It's possible that those using old browsers or running outdated operating systems could encounter a browser error message when trying to log in or make a purchase on the website. To check if your browser will be affected by this change, you can use the "How's My SSL? " website to advise you of your browser's version. Also affected by the upgrade was the ability of certain logging software running under Windows 7, 8, and 10 to continue downloading ADIF reports from Logbook of The World (LoTW ). Uploads via /TQSL/ are not affected. "Affected users should report the issue to their logging application software vendor," Keane said. "In several cases, logging application vendors have already released updates of their products that resolve the problem." Keane said the security update and any possible disruption in service are for the sake of progress, "and represent the reasonable efforts that our members expect from us in order to secure their private information." The updates completed this week were mandated security-related changes that allow ARRL to continue to accept credit cards for purchases and memberships via the website. "These security changes are no different than what is required by other organizations and vendors performing online transactions," Keane noted. The updates were carried out in order to comply with PCI Security Standards Council requirements. Among the browsers that are safe to continue using are Google Chrome 30 or higher (version 40 or higher recommended), Mozilla Firefox 27 or higher (version 34 or higher recommended), Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or higher, Apple Safari 7 or higher (Safari 5 or higher on mobile), all versions of Microsoft Edge, and Opera 17 or higher (version 27 or higher recommended). Dwingeloo Radio Telescope Receives Dark-Side Lunar Images from Chinese Amateur Satellite The 25-meter Dwingeloo Radio Telescope in the Netherlands has received photos of the dark side of the moon, transmitted by the Chinese /Longjiang-2/ lunar satellite (DSLWP-B), Lunar-OSCAR 94 (LO-94). One especially dramatic image shows the far side of the moon with Earth in the background, taken by the /Longjiang-2/ satellite and transmitted by an onboard Amateur Radio transceiver. The Dwingeloo Radio Telescope had been restored by the C.A. Muller Radio Astronomy Station PI9CAM group (CAMRAS ). *A color-adjusted image received by radio amateurs, including the radio amateurs of the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope (PI9CAM) operated by Tammo Jan Dijkema and Cees Bassa.* "This image represents the culmination of several observing sessions spread over the past few months where we used the Dwingeloo telescope in collaboration with the Chinese team from Harbin University of Technology, who built the radio transceiver on board /Longjiang-2/, and with radio amateurs spread across the globe," a CAMRAS report said. "During these sessions, we tested receiving telemetry through low-bit rate and error-resistant digitally modulated transmissions, as well as the JT4G modulation scheme designed by radio amateur and Nobel prize winning astrophysicist Joe Taylor, K1JT, for weak-signal moonbounce experiments." Other images are of the lunar surface, lens flares, and the starry sky as seen from lunar orbit. The /Longjiang-2/ transceiver was designed to allow radio amateurs to downlink telemetry and relay messages through a satellite in lunar orbit, as well as to command it to take and downlink images. Some Earth-bound radio amateurs and sky watchers have already received images from the moon-orbiting satellite. /Longjiang-2 /was launched last May into a lunar transfer orbit (a companion /Longjiang-/1 microsat ended up in Earth orbit), deployed as a secondary payload with the /Queqiao/ relay satellite as part of the Chang'e 4 mission. The satellite will test low-frequency radio astronomy and space-based interferometry; no transponder is aboard. *From left to right, Jan van Muijlwijk, PA3FXB, of CAMRAS; Hu Chaoran, BG2CRY, and MingChuan Wei, BG2BHC.* In preparation for the mission and discussion of the possibilities of the antennas and receivers in the radio telescope, MingChuan Wei, BG2BHC, and Hu Chaoran, BG2CRY, both of the Harbin Institute of Technology, visited Harry Keizer, PE1CHQ, and Jan van Muijlwijk, PA3FXB, of CAMRAS. The Chang'e 4 mission will mark the first-ever attempt at a soft landing on the far side of the moon. The Chang'e-4 lander and rover are scheduled to launch in December. The spacecraft transmits on 70 centimeters (435.400/436.400 MHz) with 250/500 bps GMSK using 10 kHz wide FM single-channel data, with concatenated codes or JT4G. Cees Bassa and Tammo Jan Dijkema have written a slightly more detailed blog post, "Imaging the Earth from Lunar Orbit ," in /The Planetary Society/. In Brief... *US Senator Again Spotlights Ham Radio's Disaster Response Role.* US Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi has tweeted about the work radio amateurs have been doing in assisting with disaster response efforts in Florida after Hurricane Michael. Wicker noted that the trained volunteers help maintain critical communication to areas with no electricity, phone, or internet service. Wicker, a Republican, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, sponsored the US Senate version of the Amateur Radio Parity Act (S. 1534). "Amateur Radio continues to be a critical part of our emergency communications operations," Wicker said at the time. "Mississippians learned firsthand after Hurricane Katrina how Amateur Radio operators can provide a resilient, distributed network to first responders and disaster relief organizations when other communications tools fail." *SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Transmission to Celebrate UN Day.* An Alexanderson alternator transmission from Sweden's Grimeton Radio Station, SAQ, will be part of UN Day festivities on October 24 at the World Heritage Site in Grimeton, Sweden. A "Peace Party" at the site will feature Irish folk music from the Swedish band Green Hill. The music style honors the first transatlantic telegraph cable between Ireland and Newfoundland, which opened for telegram traffic in August 1866. "We celebrate this great event in international relations by sending out a peace message to the world with the long-wave transmitter SAQ, and then a concert in the Irish folk spirit with the Varberg band Green Hill," the announcement explained. The SAQ CW transmission will be on 17.2 kHz and start at 16:30 UTC. A live video stream of the transmission will be available. SAQ will accept listener reports via email . *US Coast Guard Auxiliary to Hold "Radio Day" on the /Lilac/.*//To commemorate the 79th anniversary of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary , the uniformed volunteer component of Team Coast Guard, members of the Lower Manhattan (NY) Flotilla will conduct a nationwide Radio Day on Saturday, October 20, aboard the retired cutter /Lilac/, America's only surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender. Members of the Auxiliary will operate communications equipment onboard the /Lilac/, docked on the Hudson River, to communicate with other Auxiliary Flotillas across the country. Some operation will be on Amateur Radio digital modes. /Lilac/ is the oldest and most intact lighthouse tender surviving in America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's currently being restored for maritime education and community activities. The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity increased last week. Compared to the previous 7 days, the average daily sunspot number increased from 1.6 to 12.6, while average daily solar flux rose from 68.9 to 71. Geomagnetic indicators were quieter. The average daily planetary A index dropped from 14.1 to 7.4, and the average mid-latitude A index went from 10.3 to 7.3. Predicted solar flux is 70 on October 18 - 23; 68 on October 24 - 25; 69 on October 26 - November 4; 70 on November 5 - 7, rising to 72 on November 8 - 17; 70 on November 18 - 20, and 69 on November 21 - December 1. Predicted planetary A index is 8, 18, 10, and 8 on October 18 - 21; 5 on October 22 - 25; 10 on October 26; 5 on October 27 - November 2; 22 and 20 on November 3 - 4; 15 on November 5 - 6; 8, 5, 12, 8, and 10 on November 7 - 11; 5 on November 12 - 13; 12, 18, 10, 5, 10, and 8 on November 14 - 19; 5 on November 20 - 21; 10 on November 22; 5 on November 23 - 29, and 22 and 18 on November 30 - December 1. Sunspot numbers for October 11 - 17 were 0, 11, 22, 22, 11, 11, and 11, with a mean of 12.6. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 70.9, 71.6, 72.4, 71.5, 70, 69.7, and 70, with a mean of 71. Estimated planetary A indices were 9, 5, 14, 6, 10, 5, and 3, with a mean of 7.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 14, 12, 4, 7, 4, and 3, with a mean of 7.3. Share your reports and observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * October 20 -- Feld Hell Sprint * October 20 - 21 -- Araucaria World Wide VHF Contest (CW, phone) * October 20 - 21 -- JARTS WW RTTY Contest * October 20 - 21 -- 10 - 10 International Fall Contest (CW) * October 20 - 21 -- New York QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 20 - 21 -- Worked All Germany Contest (CW) * October 20 - 21 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW) * October 21 -- Asia - Pacific Fall Sprint (CW) * October 21 -- RSGB RoLo (CW) * October 21 -- UBA ON Contest, 2 Meter (CW, phone) * October 21 - 22 -- Illinois QSO Party (CW, phone, digital) * October 22 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW) * October 24 -- SKCC Sprint (CW) * October 25 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (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 email preferences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions * October 19-20 -- New Mexico State Convention , Socorro, New Mexico * October 19-21 -- Pacific Division Convention , San Ramon, California * October 20 -- Tennessee State Convention , East Ridge, Tennessee * October 21 -- Connecticut State Convention , Meriden, Connecticut * November 2-4 -- AMSAT Symposium , Huntsville, Alabama * November 3-4 -- Georgia Section Convention , Lawrenceville, Georgia * November 10 -- Alabama Section Convention , Montgomery, Alabama * November 10 -- HamJam 2018 Convention , Alpharetta, Georgia * November 17-18 -- Central Division Convention , Fort Wayne, Indiana * December 1 -- Arkansas DX Association Conference , North Little Rock, Arkansas * December 7-8 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida Find conventions and hamfests in your area ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information*. . . * Join or Renew Today! 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All other purposes require written permission. www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Oct 19 10:07:31 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:07:31 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] YL News and Views, November 1953 QST Article Message-ID: An interesting early newsletter from YL News and Views: - Bill W2CQ http://www.rfcafe.com/references/qst/yl-news-views-qst-november-1953.htm From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Oct 20 13:24:12 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 13:24:12 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Making Morse code available to more people on Gboard Message-ID: /"My name is Tania Finlayson, and I was born with cerebral palsy. A few doctors told my parents that I probably would not amount to anything, and suggested my parents put me in an institution." https://blog.google/products/search/making-morse-code-available-more-people-gboard/ / From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Oct 22 15:57:06 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 15:57:06 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] British prisoner of War stitched hidden anti-Hitler message into Nazi quilt(in Morse Code) Message-ID: <286cfd5f-908d-4e6c-36a9-fe1fe01e42eb@bellsouth.net> British prisoner of War stitched hidden anti-Hitler message into Nazi quilt(in Morse Code) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9009004/British-prisoner-of-War-stitched-hidden-anti-Hitler-message-into-Nazi-quilt.html From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Oct 26 10:03:52 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2018 10:03:52 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] The ARRL Letter for October 25, 2018 In-Reply-To: <20181025231743.EF4C521562E1@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181025231743.EF4C521562E1@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <447610be-00b7-84f2-1679-8cf709dab8f9@bellsouth.net> Preview If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2018-10-25 The ARRL Letter October 25, 2018 Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME ARRL Home Page /ARRL Letter/ Archive Audio News Ad * Successful Ham Radio Contact between Students and Space Station Excites and Inspires<#toc01> * Ham Aid Kits Positioned to Deploy as Typhoon Yutu Ravages Central Pacific Islands <#toc02> * Waterlogged VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition Reported to be "Progressing Well" <#toc03> * Practice Makes Perfect with FT8 and Other /WSJT-X/ Protocols <#toc04> * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc05> * Achieving a "Clean Sweep" is the Brass Ring of ARRL November Sweepstakes <#toc06> * ARISS Plan Under Consideration for NASA's Deep Space Gateway Program <#toc07> * Detained Norwegian Radio Amateur Allowed to Leave Chad <#toc08> * In Brief... <#toc09> * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc10> * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc11> * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc12> Successful Ham Radio Contact between Students and Space Station Excites and Inspires "My best day as a teacher!" was educator Kathryn Craven's exuberant reaction following a successful October 22 ham radio contact between International Space Station (ISS) crew member Serena Au??n-Chancellor, KG5TMT, and youngsters at Ashford School in Ashford, Connecticut. ARRL Headquarters provided equipment for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS )-sponsored event, and several ARRL Headquarters staffers were among those assisting in setting up the station, working with teachers, students, and the media, shooting photos, and offering other support. *ECARA's Bernard Dubb, KD1DGY, holds the microphone as Amena Perry asks astronaut Serena Au??n-Chancellor, KG5TMT, her question. [Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, photo]* The entire student body of the kindergarten-through-eighth grade school in northeastern Connecticut sat in rapt attention during the event, as a dozen of their classmates spoke directly to Au??n-Chancellor, who was at the helm of NA1SS on the ISS. Using ARRL's equipment, members of the Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association (ECARA ) set up the Earth station (KZ1M), with technical and hands-on help from W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, who also assisted in summoning NA1SS for the approximately 10-minute pass. One reporter asked Carcia what was being displayed on the large screen. "I explained that the program we were using -- /SatPC32/ -- allowed us to see where the ISS is located and controlled the rotators with respect to our location," he said. Some Ashford School students have been studying microgravity and are working on a research project that they hope will eventually be selected to be conducted on the ISS. Au??n-Chancellor, the Mission 56/57 flight surgeon, answered 16 student questions that ranged from "Do you wear sunscreen into space?" to "What is the hardest thing about having zero gravity?" and "How many flips can you do?" Others attending on behalf of ARRL were ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC; Lifelong Learning and Knowledge Department Administrator Ally Riedel, KM3ALF; ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL Communications Manager David Isgur, N1RSN. *W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, sets up Earth-station gear in advance of the ARISS event at Connecticut's Ashford School. [Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, photo]* "It was great!" Patnode said afterward. "The space station responded right away, and everyone instantly got so excited." Crews from four local television stations and print publication reporters joined an audience of more than 400. "We are so incredibly grateful to ARISS, ECARA, and ARRL for making this possible for the entire Ashford School community," a statement on the school's website said. "Our students were literally bursting with excitement at the end of the contact. Look out universe -- here comes the Mars generation!" Ham Aid Kits Positioned to Deploy as Typhoon Yutu Ravages Central Pacific Islands In a little more than one day, the cyclone that became Super Typhoon Yutu grew from tropical storm to a Category 5 monster. Yutu is said to be the strongest storm on record to hit the Northern Mariana Islands, home to about 55,000 people. The storm made landfall on Wednesday evening (October 24), destroying homes, wreaking severe wind and storm-surge damage and flooding, and knocking out water, power, and telecommunications on the islands. Utilities could remain down for an extended period. Before reaching the islands, Yutu's sustained winds were reported to be 175 MPH. The storm is now tracking northwest toward the Philippines and Taiwan. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, said that four ARRL HF/VHF Ham Aid kits in Guam are available for use in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a US territory. Another seven kits are positioned in Hawaii. ARRL has received from the Amateur Radio community in Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. Corey said that radio amateurs in Guam and Hawaii are attempting to get in touch with hams who can assist on Saipan, part of the CNMI. Amateur Radio teams that had planned to operate in the CQ World Wide SSB Contest from Saipan this weekend have cancelled their trips. "There is a small group of radio amateurs on Saipan who do VHF work," Corey said. "We are in process of reaching out to them, as well as to radio amateurs who go to Saipan and Tinian for the CQ WW SSB event." While Guam is reporting no serious communication issues, public service communication on Saipan is offline. Several stations in Hawaii, including large contest stations, have HF capability to Guam and Saipan, and some have agreed to pass traffic to Guam/Saipan if needed, Corey said. One PACTOR-4-equipped station is available on Guam, and Winlink (radio email) gateways exist in Hawaii. "There are no transportation arrangements available to ARRL at this time to move Ham Aid kits from Hawaii to Guam," Corey said. "We don't intend to move them unless we have operators in Guam/Saipan to use them." The Marianas Amateur Radio Club (AH2G) in Guam has posted photos and updates from Saipan on its website. Read more . Ad Waterlogged VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition Reported to be "Progressing Well" Significant rainfall this week hampered the ability of the VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition team to erect additional antennas but did not dampen spirits. "It's been raining; we're waterlogged," an October 24 update said. "In 24 hours we expect a significant storm to pass through, with heavy rainfall and up to 25-knot winds with potential for stronger gusts. Pileups continue to be energetic and reasonably well behaved. One request on SSB: please do not call over the station we're working." At this point, VP6D is approaching 30,000 contacts with nearly 10,000 unique call signs. Some 4,000 contacts had been made on FT8 as of October 24, and 141 DXCC entities were in the log. "We know some FT8 Qs are not in the log yet [but we're] working that problem," the update said. The VP6D team has also acknowledged issues with the near-live DXA online log display. As the DXpedition got under way last weekend, operators reported that signals on their end were loud. "We are progressing well," an earlier update said, also noting that some callers were using the wrong version of FT8. The correct version is /WSJT-X/ 1.9.1 in DX mode, in "hound" configuration. The VP6D site consists of a main camp and kitchen, tents for sleeping, and generators, with the SSB camp located at the main camp and a CW camp about a 30-minute walk from the main camp. A couple of /Braveheart/ crew members are on the island to assist the operators. The DXpedition is set to continue until November 3. Ducie Island is the 19th most-wanted DXCC entity, according to Club Log . Practice Makes Perfect with FT8 and Other /WSJT-X/ Protocols FT8 co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, recommended in a recent post to the Pack Rats reflector that those planning to use FT8 or other /WSJT-X/ protocols, such as MSK144, should practice using the software before jumping into a contest or other activity. A short FT8 demonstration contest will take place on Thursday, October 25, 0200 - 0300 UTC (Wednesday, October 24, in North American time zones). "[O]ne thing is for sure: Downloading the software and trying it out a week before the contest is /not/ a good plan, either for you or for those of us who write and polish the software," Taylor said. "You need practice and experience with the software before the contest." Taylor reminded readers that the original motivation for developing nearly all of the /WSJT-X/ modes was VHF DXing and contesting; however, the software became very popular on HF. A couple of major DXpeditions have included FT8 in their mix of modes, and FT8 lately has been edging into the contesting arena, with its inclusion in the ARRL RTTY Roundup in 2019. FlexRadio CEO Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, recently suggested that FT8 has attained "killer app" or "tipping point" status in Amateur Radio. The protocol permits working stations on seemingly "dead" bands, countering the current dearth of sunspots, Youngblood pointed out, and also lets operators of modest or antenna-restricted stations work HF DX, just like larger, well-equipped stations. *FlexRadio CEO Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR. * "In my humble opinion, FT8 is at the very heart of what Amateur Radio has been about from its inception -- amateurs who love the art of radio enhancing the art of radio," Youngblood wrote. He continued, speculating, "What will ultimately kill Amateur Radio is not FT8. To the contrary, FT8 is an example of what will keep it alive and relevant. What will kill Amateur Radio is if we cease to innovate, become old and grumpy, and no longer bring new blood into the hobby." Taylor believes that digital modes, such as FT8, can significantly boost contact and multiplier totals in contests that permit its use, not to mention in efforts to attain DXCC and other awards. "How best to merge digi-modes into your operating plan, along with CW and SSB, will be different for each station and each operator," he said. Read more . Ad The Doctor Will See You Now! "Do you really need a tower?" is the topic of the new (October 25) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In " podcast. Listen...and learn! Sponsored by DX Engineering , "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like! Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor at arrl.org , and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast. Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes , or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry , or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieving a "Clean Sweep" is the Brass Ring of ARRL November Sweepstakes ARRL November Sweepstakes (SS) is just ahead. The popular operating events -- one for CW and the other for phone (SSB) -- typically attract approximately 3,000 logs combined. For this 77th running ARRL November Sweepstakes, the CW event is November 3 - 5 (UTC), and phone is November 17 - 19 (UTC), each starting at 2100 UTC on that Saturday and running through 0259 UTC on that Monday. Stations may operate 24 of the available 30 hours. /*Logs are due within 7 days after the event is over.*/ Last year saw 1,275 entries for the CW weekend, while the phone weekend attracted 1,674 logs. The challenge of SS -- or "Sweeps" -- is to work as many stations in as many of the 83 ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sections as possible within the 24 hours available to operate. The number of sections worked is a score multiplier. Making a "clean sweep" is the goal of many SS aficionados -- working all 83 of the available US and Canadian multipliers, and qualifying for a clean sweep coffee mug. In the 2017 CW event, only 10 operators managed to work them all. Phone participants had better luck, with 78 clean sweeps. Last year, Puerto Rico (PR) and the US Virgin Islands (VI) were still reeling from devastating hurricanes, making those sections rare. At one time, the most difficult SS multiplier was Northern Territories (NT) in Canada, where J. Allen, VY1JA, in Yukon Territory, was often the only station available. That's changed now that the VY1JA station not only has been thoroughly upgraded but can be remotely operated (as VY1AAA), although by a Canadian operator, thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, who told ARRL this week that VY1AAA is ready for SS action. Other hard ones in 2017 appear to have been Alberta (AB), Northern New York (NNY), US Virgin Islands (VI), and Wyoming (WY). SS is a "domestic" contest with broad appeal, and even stations with modest equipment and antennas can enjoy success. Many stations like to operate in the QRP category (output of 5 W or less), although that challenge is more daunting at this point in the solar cycle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SS and the Traffic-Handling Tradition ARRL November Sweepstakes is the oldest domestic radiosport event (the first was in 1930). The SS contest exchange has deep roots in message-handling protocol and replicates a radiogram preamble. In SS, stations exchange: * A *consecutive serial number* (NR). Operators do /not/ have to add leading zeros on numbers less than 100. * *Operating category* -- *Q* for Single Operator, QRP; *A* for Single Operator, Low Power (up to 150 W output); *B* for Single Operator, High Power (greater than 150 W output); *U* for Single Operator, Unlimited, regardless of power; *M* for Multioperator, regardless of power, and *S* for School Club. * *Your call sign.* * *Check* (CK) -- the last two digits of the year of first license for either operator or station. * *Section* -- ARRL/RAC Section . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Casual operators are very important to SS, so I would advise that if you come across [operators] who just want to help you out with a QSO, take the time to walk them through the proper exchange sequence, and encourage them to work other stations and to submit a log," said now-retired SS Manager Larry Hammel, K5OT. "Your patience might be rewarded with a motivated op next year!" The SS /Operating Guide/ package, available for download , explains how to participate in the Sweepstakes, including all rules and examples of log formatting. Read more . -- /Thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE; Larry Hammel, K5OT, and Bart Jahnke, W9JJ/ Ad ARISS Plan Under Consideration for NASA's Deep Space Gateway Program Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS ) International delegates were pleased to learn last week that an ARISS plan is under consideration by NASA's Deep Space Gateway (DSG ) program. NASA Gateway Utilization Manager John Guidi, ex-KF4YUI, informed those attending the annual ARISS-International in-person meeting, held in College Park, Maryland, that ARISS is the only noncommercial entity whose ideas are under study by the program. The ARISS plan focuses on Amateur Radio communication, including optical communication channels, as well as equipment development, team cooperation, education, and public outreach. *NASA Gateway Utilization Manager John Guidi, ex-KF4YUI, spoke at the annual ARISS International in-person meeting.* "Naturally, because the NASA Deep Space Gateway program is so new and has yet to be fleshed out, ARISS needs to follow NASA's lead in being open to how the DSG program flows," ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, explained. "ARISS's first moves need to be loose enough that the plan, development, and execution can go in ways that dovetail with what is needed." The Deep Space Gateway would be a small outpost orbiting the moon that would act as a "spaceport for human and robotic exploration to the moon and beyond," NASA has said. Crewed by four people, it would provide an operational platform for further exploring the lunar surface and a hub to deeper space destinations. NASA hopes to have the completed Gateway in lunar orbit as early as 2024. The ARISS-International annual meeting on October 17 - 19 ran back to back with the first-ever ARISS Education Summit, held October 15 - 16. At the ARISS-International sessions, delegates and team members from around the world presented and listened to talks on all aspects of ARISS, from operations to education to hardware -- current and upgrades -- to future projects. The team heard the latest news on HamTV, the Interoperable Radio System, the antenna change-out required by the European Space Agency's /Bartolomeo/ platform, and proposed Astrobee activities, HamTV II, and Radio-Pi projects. *Left to right: ARISS-International Vice Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE; ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO; ARISS-Canada Delegate for Radio Amateurs of Canada Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA, and ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. At the meeting, MacDonell was designated as one of the two ARISS-Canada delegates.* Astrobee is a robot that will fly around the ISS with the astronauts to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in zero-gravity, aid astronauts with routine chores, and offer Houston flight controllers additional eyes and ears on the spacecraft. Team members enjoyed viewing a live-streamed ARISS contact in Belgium. Team members unable to travel to Maryland were able to teleconference into the sessions. On hand for the earlier ARISS Education Summit were teachers from the US and elsewhere; ARISS-US Education Committee members; STEM educators from College Park Airport Museum; education leaders from various NASA entities, including the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) office, nearby Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and the manager of the ISS US National Laboratory -- Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS ); a group of SCaN-sponsored mid-Atlantic teachers, and University of Maryland educators and students. Attendees saw a demonstration of ARISS slow-scan television (SSTV) and several ham satellite contacts. ARISS-US Education Committee teacher Melissa Pore, KM4CZN, arrived from Virginia with eight of her students, who talked about their ARISS-related STEM studies. Read more . -- /Thanks to Rosalie White, K1STO/ Detained Norwegian Radio Amateur Allowed to Leave Chad A tense situation involving a Norwegian radio amateur that reached the diplomatic and foreign ministry level in the African Republic of Chad has now been resolved. Kenneth Opskar, LA7GIA, had only operated as TT8KO for about a day before security police shut down his station on October 10. At that point, he'd logged and uploaded 2,150 contacts and had installed all antennas except a 160-meter vertical. Opskar considered the incident a minor distraction, until he was told that he had to remain in Chad pending undetermined scrutiny of his station and activity. Now, after having been detained in Chad for more than a week, Opskar said on October 24 that he's free to go. "I received the news that I can leave Chad immediately," Opskar told /DX-World/, which has been posting updates on a running basis. His solo DXpedition is over, however. "I am not allowed to transmit. All antennas are to be taken down today before sunset, because there is a presidential event at the hotel tomorrow, and he will be here," Opskar said. "[The] hotel is now packed with VIPs, police, and military personnel. I am done with sightseeing, so my flight is booked for tomorrow." Initially, Opskar had remained optimistic that all would be well after the security police chief's personal inspection of his equipment. Things got more stressful on October 13, however, after he underwent two interrogations by the security police. "My gear has been disconnected," he said at the time. "The antennas on the roof are locked down, [and] I cannot access them even for visual inspection or maintenance. I am not allowed to touch anything." On October 14, Opskar reported that the security police had deemed all of his documents to be in order, but then was told that the security police needed to confer with ARCEP, Chad's telecommunications regulator. Opskar made plans to leave Chad on October 18, but he was not permitted to disassemble his equipment until an inspection was completed. However, on October 18, Opskar reported that a police order had been issued preventing him from leaving Chad, even without his equipment. The Norwegian embassy and foreign ministry then stepped in to work on the matter. Opskar said the many encouraging emails every day from DXers around the world helped to keep up his spirit, in addition to the support he received from his hotel's staff. Ad In Brief... *Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, resigned on October 19 as Rocky Mountain Division Director. *In a letter to ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, Allen cited time constraints and competing duties with work and family. The Secretary of the Corporation declared the position vacant, and in accordance with Article 7 of the /Articles of Association/, Vice Director Jeff Ryan, K0RM, has assumed the Director position. President Roderick will appoint a new Vice Director. *Boy Scouts of America Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, is urging JOTA participants to file post-JOTA reports.* JOTA and the companion Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) took place over the October 19 - 21 weekend. The reporting system combines JOTA and JOTI reports. "It's critical that we demonstrate the activity level for this event to support further work in developing support systems, information, and activities for the 2019 JOTA-JOTI event," Wilson said. Station information will be compiled into the US JOTA-JOTI report and filed with the World Organization of the Scout Movement for their overall 2018 JOTA-JOTI report. More than 9,000 locations signed up on the World JOTA-JOTI website. *WRTC 2018 QSL cards are on order.* World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 (WRTC 2018 ) chair Christian Janssen, DL1MGB, says QSL cards for contacts with the competing Y8-prefix stations are now at the printer. WRTC 2018 will not automatically send QSL cards, but everyone who wants a paper QSL will get one. Janssen said all logs have been uploaded to Club Log for request via the Online QSL Requests (OQRS) system and recommends using it to request cards by Y8 call sign (OQRS lets stations worked to request QSL cards through a log search on Club Log. It's available to registered Club Log users). "Please don't send paper QSL cards to us," Janssen advised. All contacts have been uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW ). If a contact is not showing up in LoTW, contact WRTC 2018 . The K7RA Solar Update Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We saw no sunspots during the October 18 - 24 reporting week, so the average daily sunspot number dropped from 12.6 to 0. The average daily solar flux declined from 71 to 70.4. Geomagnetic indicators were quieter, with the average daily planetary A index declining from 7.4 to 3.3, and the average daily middle latitude A index dropping from 7.3 to 2.1. Predicted solar flux is 70 on October 25 - 26; 68 on October 27 - November 5; 70 on November 6 - 18; 69 on November 19 - 20; 68 on November 21 - December 2, and 70 on December 3 - 8. Predicted planetary A index is 8 on October 25 - 26; 5 on October 27; 8 on October 28 - 29; 5 on October 30 - November 2; 22 and 20 on November 3 - 4; 15 on November 5 - 6; then 8, 5, 12, 8, and 10 on November 7 - 11; 5 on November 12 - 13; 12 on November 14; 5 on November 15 - 17; 6, 5 and 12 on November 18 - 20; 8 on November 21 - 22; 5, 8, and 12 on November 23 - 25; 5 on November 26 - 29, 22 and 20 on November 30 - December 1; 15 on December 2 - 3, and 8, 5, 12, 8, and 10 on December 4 - 8. Sunspot numbers for October 18 - 24 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.5, 69.6, 70.4, 71, 70.9, 71.6, and 69.7, with a mean of 71. Estimated planetary A indices were 2, 2, 2, 4, 6, 4, and 3, with a mean of 7.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 0, 1, 0, 4, 5, 3, and 2, with a mean of 7.3. Share your reports and observations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just Ahead in Radiosport * October 27 - 28 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital) * October 27 - 28 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB * October 31 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW) * November 1 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital) * November 1 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (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 email preferences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions * November 2-4 -- AMSAT Symposium , Huntsville, Alabama * November 3-4 -- Georgia Section Convention , Lawrenceville, Georgia * November 10 -- Alabama Section Convention , Montgomery, Alabama * November 10 -- HamJam 2018 Convention , Alpharetta, Georgia * November 17-18 -- Central Division Convention , Fort Wayne, Indiana * December 1 -- Arkansas DX Association Conference , North Little Rock, Arkansas * December 7-8 -- West Central Florida Section Convention , Plant City, Florida * January 5 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention , Brookville, New York * January 18 - 19 -- Southern Florida Section Convention , Fort Myers, Florida * January 18 - 19 -- North Texas Section Convention , Forest Hill, Texas * January 20 - 26 -- Quartzfest Convention , Quartzsite, Arizona * January 25 - 26 -- Mississippi State Convention , Jackson, Mississippi Find conventions and hamfests in your area ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for * *Amateur Radio News and Information*. . . * Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes /QST/ , Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month. * Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ , available every Friday. Subscribe to... * /NCJ /--/National Contest Journal/ . Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties. * /QEX/ *//*--/A Forum for Communications Experimenters/ . Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members... * Subscribe to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update /(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more! * Find ARRL on Facebook ! Follow us on ___Twitter_ __and _Instagram_ ! Ad Ad Ad Ad Ad 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 ? 2018 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. www.arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Oct 28 20:07:02 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2018 20:07:02 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Monthly Section Happenings Update In-Reply-To: <20181028235829.A75CB204CB83@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20181028235829.A75CB204CB83@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: October has been a busy month. The weather is changing and there are more snowbirds arriving. Welcome, hope to see you at the various Ham events in the section. November is also the beginning of community holiday celebrations. (thanksgiving parades, Holiday Boat Parades, Road Races, etc.) Please consider volunteering if asked to help. If your group provides communication for any of these events, please keep a record of who is participating, and the time volunteered. and let your county EC know so the hours volunteered can be accounted for and recognized. Please remember, Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 4, 2018, at 2:00 A.M. At this time, we ?fall back? in the fall by setting clocks back one hour (i.e., gaining one hour). I want to welcome Jeff Kennedy, NK4AA, to the team as ARES? PIO in Lee County. Every Club should have a trained PIO. I have been informed that Fr. Samuel Thomas, W3ALE, of St.Martins Church in Clewiston has become a silent Key Fr. Sam served as EC and PIO for Hendry County for many years. A memorial service for Fr. Sam will be held at St. Martins Church on WC Owen Ave. in Clewiston on October 31, 2018 at 11:00 AM. The leadership team visited the Cy Harris Memorial Flea Market in Broward County, as well as the Melborne Hamfest. I got a chance to meet many hams and discussed some interesting topics. The ARRL forum was well attended, and Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK listened to members suggestions and concerns. There was also a section ARES? meeting to discuss the on going response to Hurricane Michael. The ARES? team was on full alert and ready to respond if asked to help the Northern Florida Section. Lots of interesting events that resulted will be discussed when it is time for a Michael Hotwash After Action meeting. Other events that happened in October. There was a very successful ARISS contact in Lee County that motivated many of the participants to consider a career in Space or in a STEM field. the ARISS team partnered with NASA on the Air (NOTA) for SSTV Special Event celebrating NASAs 60th anniversary. the annual Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) was a huge success on the weekend of oct 19 & 20. the Fall ARRL School Roundup was held Oct 15-19. Hope you had a chance to work a few of those stations. I visited with the following clubs: Wellington, Palms West, West Palm, and Martin County. I plan to visit more in November. Lots of interesting activities are being planned by these groups. I look forward to hearing what your club is planning. Please add my email to your club Newsletter/emails lists. This helps me get a sense of what's happening in the Section. Being added is greatly appreciated. Please mentor a new ham, get active in your local club or ARES? group and think positive while having fun in this amazing hobby/service. I look forward to meeting you during the upcoming season. Yes, we have a LOT to be thankful for. Barry -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Southern Florida Section Section Manager: Mr Barry M Porter, KB1PA kb1pa at arrl.org From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sun Oct 28 20:17:53 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2018 20:17:53 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Update Your Old Rotor Control Box Message-ID: <1fcda9a6-11a1-b223-9636-7fa4f5f099a7@bellsouth.net> Update Your Old Rotor Control Box - Bill W2CQ http://www.ea7hg.com/es-ES/visualrotor From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Oct 31 09:38:19 2018 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2018 09:38:19 -0400 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] K6TU VOACAP-based propagation and DX Strategy website Message-ID: <67ab630a-066f-2327-dbd1-d1c4be98030e@bellsouth.net> The Yasme Foundation announced on October 25, 2018 that K6TU's VOACAP-based propagation and DX Strategy website is one of the latest recipients of the Yasme Excellence Award. https://www.k6tu.net//