From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 2 18:23:07 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2019 18:23:07 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLX011 Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI (SK) In-Reply-To: <20191202200952.DABEF21B41D3@bmail.arrl.org> References: <20191202200952.DABEF21B41D3@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX011 ARLX011 Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI (SK) ZCZC AX11 QST de W1AW Special Bulletin 11 ARLX011 > From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT December 2, 2019 To all radio amateurs SB SPCL ARL ARLX011 ARLX011 Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI (SK) A titan of Amateur Radio, past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul L. Rinaldo, W4RI, of Burke, Virginia, died on November 29 after a period of failing health. An ARRL Life Member, Rinaldo was 88. "This is really sad news," ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, remarked upon learning of Rinaldo's passing. "I worked with Paul on a number of things, and he amazed me with his knowledge and the different ways to consider issues. Smart. Highly respected. He sure helped us through the years in so many ways." First licensed in 1949 as W9IZA (he also held W3FFH and K4YKB over the years), Rinaldo's focus was always in the arena of technical experimentation. He studied radio engineering at Valparaiso Technical Institute in Indiana. Rinaldo was a cofounder and served as president of the Amateur Radio Research and Development Corporation (AMRAD). His first association with ARRL was an article, "Amateur Radio in the Computer Age," for the September 1979 edition of QST. Subsequently, he served in volunteer roles, among them as the first editor of QEX: The ARRL Experimenters' Exchange. In 1983, Rinaldo succeeded Doug DeMaw, W1FB, as ARRL Technical Department Manager and Senior Technical Editor. His efforts led to his appointment as Publications Manager and, 5 years later, as Manager of Technical Development with responsibility for preparing for the 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference. This led to Rinaldo's supporting role in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), and he attended IARU Administrative Council (AC) meetings from 1996 to 2008, serving on several occasions as recording secretary. "Paul's presence at the AC meetings was never simply clerical and was primarily to allow the AC to tap his unique expertise," IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted. Rinaldo also took part in several International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conferences and served on numerous working parties and task groups. Sumner said amateur radio's successes at the just-ended WRC-19 were, in large part, because of Rinaldo's good work over the years. In 1992, Rinaldo established ARRL's Technical Relations Office in the Washington, DC, area, which expanded as preparations for World Radiocommunication Conferences became an ongoing need. In 2004, the ARRL Board of Directors elected Rinaldo as ARRL's first Chief Technology Officer, a post he held until his retirement in 2008. "For the past 16 years, Paul has been the face and voice of amateur radio in the technical circles of the federal government and one of our most visible representatives at the ITU," Sumner said at the time. "We all had enormous respect for Paul and what he brought to IARU," IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, commented. "People with his breadth of knowledge and experience, and the ability to apply it in a sensitive way, are all too rare." Rinaldo was a board member of the United States ITU Association and a Life Senior Member of the IEEE. He also served on the IEEE-USA Committee on Communications Policy. Murphy Funeral Homes of Falls Church, Virginia, is handling arrangements. NNNN /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Wed Dec 11 11:07:53 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 11:07:53 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Solar Cycle 25 Forecast Updat References: <7978a83e-ba3e-58fc-8a27-354bf621d1d9.ref@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <7978a83e-ba3e-58fc-8a27-354bf621d1d9@bellsouth.net> Solar Cycle 25 Forecast Update published: Monday, December 09, 2019 22:30 UTC The NOAA/NASA co-chaired, international panel to forecast Solar Cycle 25 released their latest forecast for Solar Cycle 25. The forecast consensus: a peak in July, 2025 (+/- 8 months), with a smoothed sunspot number (SSN) of 115. The panel agreed that Cycle 25 will be average in intensity and similar to Cycle 24. Additionally, the panel concurred that solar minimum between Cycles 24 and 25 will occur in April, 2020 (+/- 6 months). If the solar minimum prediction is correct, this would make Solar Cycle 24 the 7th longest on record (11.4 years). https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-25-forecast-update From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 20 10:11:25 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 10:11:25 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Magnetic North Pole Heading Toward Russia References: <5294A081-1BE1-4E4C-9369-23E684E98DD7@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <090A766F-3FFB-439C-B0FD-0DB0CC1D45BB@bellsouth.net> Magnetic North Pole Heading Toward Russia > > ?https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/12/18/world/magnetic-north-pole-drift-scn-trnd/index.html From bmarx at bellsouth.net Fri Dec 20 21:52:21 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 21:52:21 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLP051 Propagation de K7RA References: <20191220213749.3433820A041B@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <969344B1-34EA-45CF-A36A-7018803A68C3@bellsouth.net> ?SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP051 > ARLP051 Propagation de K7RA > > ZCZC AP51 > QST de W1AW > Propagation Forecast Bulletin 51 ARLP051 > From Tad Cook, K7RA > Seattle, WA December 20, 2019 > To all radio amateurs > > SB PROP ARL ARLP051 > ARLP051 Propagation de K7RA > > Still no sunspots, and it's been the same for 37 consecutive days. > > Geomagnetic conditions remained quiet, until "a minor stream of > solar wind" (according to Spaceweather.com) hit us on December 18. > This drove the planetary A index to 13 from the low single digit > values earlier in the week. > > Average planetary A index for December 12-18 rose to 4.6, from 3.7 > over the previous 7 days, while mid-latitude A index increased from > 1.9 to 4. > > Predicted solar flux over the next 45 days is 70, and we?ve seen > this same daily 45-day flux forecast since December 2. December 1 > was the last time there was any value in the forecast other than 70 > when they predicted 69 for December 23 through January 4. The > forecast is updated daily at > ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/forecasts/45DF/ . > > Predicted planetary A index from the same forecast is 8 on December > 20-21, 5 on December 22 through January 4, 8 on January 5, 5 on > January 6-8, 8 on January 9-10, 5 on January 11-13, 12 on January > 14, 10 on January 15-17, 5 on January 18-31, 8 on February 1, and 5 > on January 2. > > Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period December 20, 2019 til > January 15, 2020 from OK1HH. > > "Geomagnetic field will be > Quiet on: December 28-31, January 1-4, 8 > Quiet to unsettled on: December 21-27, January 7, 9-13 > Quiet to active on: (December 20, January 5-6) > Unsettled to active on: (January 14-15) > There are no disturbed conditions in this forecast. > > "Solar wind will intensify on: January (14,) 15 (-16) > > "- Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement. > - Everything suggests that we are very close to the minimum of the > 11-year cycle at present stage of development." > > Naturally because of weak solar activity, the 10 meter contest last > weekend was rather slow. > > Jon Jones, N0JK from Kansas wrote: > > "With a solar flux of 70 and a low K index, not much F-layer > propagation was expected in the 2019 ARRL 10 M contest. > > "But Sunday afternoon I found a strong 10 Meter opening to Argentina > and Chile from Kansas. > > "I set up 'fixed mobile' with 5 watts and a 1/4 wave whip on the car > around 1800z December 15. I didn't expect much, but heard several > very loud stations from South America on CW. I put CE2ML and LW8DQ > in the log. Signals were up to 599. > > "I wonder if this was a 'Es - TEP' opening? > > "When I got home, I checked DXMaps. It showed what appeared to be an > Es cloud over Louisiana. > > "This may have supported 10 Meter propagation on to CE and LU. Es can > raise the MUF when the signal hits the F-Layer and are often strong. > > "A nice treat for an otherwise slow 10 Meter Contest." > > Here at K7RA using a very limited low elevation random wire antenna, > I checked 10 meters in the last hour of the contest on Sunday > looking to hand out a few QSOs. I heard no local stations here in > the Seattle area on SSB, but did manage to work some CW operators. > > N8II reported to the 3830 at contesting.com forum (excerpts): > > "The F2 opening to the south was much better Saturday. The Geminids > meteor shower did coincide with the contest this year which saved > the day especially for the big guns. > > "Friday, Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning I was able > to work meteor scatter on CW in all directions and there was some > activity from most of the states/provinces within the approximate > 1500 mile MS range. For example, I worked all W1 except RI and all > of eastern Canada except NL, PE and NU. I worked 4 NB stations, > about 1-2 via brief sporadic-E. > > "There was a short sporadic-E opening late Sunday around 2127-2205Z > to TX, AR, IA but again activity was low. Sunday was a real grinder > with most stations already worked. The meteor scatter died out > around 1600Z Sunday. F2 was limited to Brazil and Chile here from > 2016-2057Z. It was difficult to work PY even when above S5 here; I > guess many locations in PY have high noise levels." > > New forecast from Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW: > > https://bit.ly/2MeZrBh > > If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, > email the author at, k7ra at arrl.net. > > For more information concerning radio propagation, see > http://www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information > Service web page at, at http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an > explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see > http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. > > An archive of past propagation bulletins is at > http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good > information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/. > > Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve > overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation. > > Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL > bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins. > > Sunspot numbers for December 12 through 18, 2019 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, > 0, and 0, with a mean of 0. 10.7 cm flux was 70.5, 68.9, 70.3, 71, > 70, 70.5, and 70.2, with a mean of 70.2. Estimated planetary A > indices were 4, 4, 3, 5, 1, 2, and 13, with a mean of 4.6. Middle > latitude A index was 3, 3, 2, 5, 1, 2, and 12, with a mean of 4. > NNNN > /EX From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 21 08:59:01 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2019 08:59:01 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Magnetic North Pole Heading Toward Russia In-Reply-To: <090A766F-3FFB-439C-B0FD-0DB0CC1D45BB@bellsouth.net> References: <090A766F-3FFB-439C-B0FD-0DB0CC1D45BB@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: If it didn?t work yesterday. > https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/world/magnetic-north-pole-drift-scn-trnd/index.html From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Dec 24 19:36:26 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2019 19:36:26 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Virginia Radio Amateur will Recreate 1906 Fessenden Christmas Eve Broadcast References: <5506126F-143E-4A7A-BA13-4DCBC7E555EB.ref@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <5506126F-143E-4A7A-BA13-4DCBC7E555EB@bellsouth.net> ? ? From Tony N2MFT: Virginia Radio Amateur will Recreate 1906 Fessenden Christmas Eve Broadcast > 12/23/2019 > > Reginald Fessenden Brian Justin's 1906 > The Canadian inventor, experimenter, and entrepreneur Reginald Fessenden has been credited as the inventor of radiotelephony. Fessenden claimed to have made his first voice ? and music ? broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts, although his account is disputed. As he has done each December for the past few years, Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, of Forest, Virginia, will transmit a program on 486 kHz, under authority of his FCC Part 5 Experimental License WI2XLQ ito commemorate Fessenden?s accomplishments. > > Justin will transmit for at least 24 hours starting at around 2000 UTC on December 24, with a repeat transmission on New Year?s Eve likely, ?keeping in step with what Fessenden was reported to have done on both nights in 1906,? Justin explained.Fessenden?s transmitter was most likely a high-speed ?dynamo? or alternator ? a predecessor to the later Alexanderson alternator ? modulated by placing a carbon microphone in series with the antenna feed line to create an amplitude modulated signal. Fessenden a few years earlier had limited success making voice transmissions using a rotary spark gap transmitter. Fessenden fed his signal into a substantial antenna system erected in Brant Rock for his experiments. Accounts say on Christmas Eve 1906, he transmitted recordings of two pieces of music and read a verse from the bible. > > Justin will use somewhat more modern equipment ? a home-brew master oscillator, power amplifier (MOPA) transmitter based on a classic design from the early 1920s. It uses a UV-201 oscillator tube driving a VT-25 tube ? a modern equivalent to a UV-202 ? to generate ?a few watts? on 486 kHz. His modulator consists of another VT-25, which uses a large inductor in the RF amplifier?s plate supply to serve as a Heising modulator. The audio program comes from a laptop computer. > > ?Heising modulation was used in World War I as an easy way to achieve AM in rigs such as those used in aircraft,? Justin said. ?My particular Heising modulator can deliver only around 60% modulation, so an audio processor is used to help boost the average volume level ahead of the modulator tube.? > > Justin uses far more modern technology to boost ?the few watts? of modulated RF to drive a modified Hafler 9505 solid-state 500-W audio amplifier. ?The idea for the amp came from W1TAG and W1VD,? he said, ?and information on using such an amp on the 630 and 2200-meter ham bands can be found on the web.? After a multi-pole low-pass filter, the carrier output is 150 W. > > Justin?s antenna is a Marconi T, crafted from a 160-meter dipole some 60 feet above ground and fed with open-wire line, which is shorted at the transmitter end. A homebrew variometer ? constructed from 14-gauge wire wound on a piece of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe ? is placed in series to resonate the antenna, which is fed against an extensive ground system. ?Most of the RF is lost due to the ohmic losses of the ground system, but at least 15 W ERP is possible, depending on the dampness of the soil. Damp soil helps lower the ground losses,? Justin said. > http://www.arrl.org/news/virginia-radio-amateur-will-recreate-1906-fessenden-christmas-eve-broadcast From bmarx at bellsouth.net Tue Dec 24 19:36:00 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2019 19:36:00 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] Virginia Radio Amateur will Recreate 1906 Fessenden Christmas Eve Broadcast References: <9EDB0AEF-4B6D-4213-B1D1-9EF8FEB9ECDD.ref@bellsouth.net> Message-ID: <9EDB0AEF-4B6D-4213-B1D1-9EF8FEB9ECDD@bellsouth.net> ? From Tony N2MFT: Virginia Radio Amateur will Recreate 1906 Fessenden Christmas Eve Broadcast > 12/23/2019 > > Reginald Fessenden Brian Justin's 1906 > The Canadian inventor, experimenter, and entrepreneur Reginald Fessenden has been credited as the inventor of radiotelephony. Fessenden claimed to have made his first voice ? and music ? broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts, although his account is disputed. As he has done each December for the past few years, Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, of Forest, Virginia, will transmit a program on 486 kHz, under authority of his FCC Part 5 Experimental License WI2XLQ ito commemorate Fessenden?s accomplishments. > > Justin will transmit for at least 24 hours starting at around 2000 UTC on December 24, with a repeat transmission on New Year?s Eve likely, ?keeping in step with what Fessenden was reported to have done on both nights in 1906,? Justin explained.Fessenden?s transmitter was most likely a high-speed ?dynamo? or alternator ? a predecessor to the later Alexanderson alternator ? modulated by placing a carbon microphone in series with the antenna feed line to create an amplitude modulated signal. Fessenden a few years earlier had limited success making voice transmissions using a rotary spark gap transmitter. Fessenden fed his signal into a substantial antenna system erected in Brant Rock for his experiments. Accounts say on Christmas Eve 1906, he transmitted recordings of two pieces of music and read a verse from the bible. > > Justin will use somewhat more modern equipment ? a home-brew master oscillator, power amplifier (MOPA) transmitter based on a classic design from the early 1920s. It uses a UV-201 oscillator tube driving a VT-25 tube ? a modern equivalent to a UV-202 ? to generate ?a few watts? on 486 kHz. His modulator consists of another VT-25, which uses a large inductor in the RF amplifier?s plate supply to serve as a Heising modulator. The audio program comes from a laptop computer. > > ?Heising modulation was used in World War I as an easy way to achieve AM in rigs such as those used in aircraft,? Justin said. ?My particular Heising modulator can deliver only around 60% modulation, so an audio processor is used to help boost the average volume level ahead of the modulator tube.? > > Justin uses far more modern technology to boost ?the few watts? of modulated RF to drive a modified Hafler 9505 solid-state 500-W audio amplifier. ?The idea for the amp came from W1TAG and W1VD,? he said, ?and information on using such an amp on the 630 and 2200-meter ham bands can be found on the web.? After a multi-pole low-pass filter, the carrier output is 150 W. > > Justin?s antenna is a Marconi T, crafted from a 160-meter dipole some 60 feet above ground and fed with open-wire line, which is shorted at the transmitter end. A homebrew variometer ? constructed from 14-gauge wire wound on a piece of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe ? is placed in series to resonate the antenna, which is fed against an extensive ground system. ?Most of the RF is lost due to the ohmic losses of the ground system, but at least 15 W ERP is possible, depending on the dampness of the soil. Damp soil helps lower the ground losses,? Justin said. > http://www.arrl.org/news/virginia-radio-amateur-will-recreate-1906-fessenden-christmas-eve-broadcast From bmarx at bellsouth.net Sat Dec 28 09:56:15 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2019 09:56:15 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] FAA Regulation of Towers References: Message-ID: From CWops list: If you've been worrying about the new regulation of "short" towers, see https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/clearing-the-air-on-short-towers From bmarx at bellsouth.net Mon Dec 30 22:59:02 2019 From: bmarx at bellsouth.net (Bill) Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 22:59:02 -0500 Subject: [QCWA Everglades Chapter #69] ARLX012 Two Solar Cycle 25 Sunspots Appear References: <20191230221801.CB1FA205134E@bmail.arrl.org> Message-ID: <4C45D089-F618-4F20-8ADA-63034B9713E8@bellsouth.net> ?SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX012 > ARLX012 Two Solar Cycle 25 Sunspots Appear > > ZCZC AX12 > QST de W1AW > Special Bulletin 12 ARLX012 > From ARRL Headquarters > Newington CT December 30, 2019 > To all radio amateurs > > SB SPCL ARL ARLX012 > ARLX012 Two Solar Cycle 25 Sunspots Appear > > New Solar Cycle 25 is on the way, but just when the transition from > Solar Cycle 24 to Solar Cycle 25 will take place is not entirely > clear. > > On December 24, two new sunspots - one in each hemisphere - emerged > on the face of the Sun that exhibit the reversed magnetic polarity > marking them as belonging to Solar Cycle 25. According to Hale's > Law, sunspot polarities flip-flop from one solar cycle to the next, > the National Center for Atmospheric Research explains. > > "The Sun is currently in solar minimum - the nadir of the 11-year > sunspot cycle," Tony Phillips said in his article, "Reversed > Polarity Sunspots Appear on the Sun" on the Spaceweather.com > website. "It's a deep minimum, century-class according to sunspot > counts." The remarkable sunspot scarcity has prompted discussion of > a possible "extended minimum" akin to the Maunder Minimum in the > 17th century, when no sunspots appeared for decades, Phillips said. > "Such an event could have implications for terrestrial climate." > > This article can be found online at, > https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2019/12/25/reversed-polarity-sunspots-appear-on-the-sun/ > . > > "Today's new-cycle sunspots (along with isolated new-cycle spots > earlier this year) suggest that the solar cycle is, in fact, > unfolding normally," Phillips wrote, adding that a new Maunder > Minimum does not appear to be in the offing. > > Earlier this month, the NOAA/NASA-co-chaired international Solar > Cycle Prediction Panel released its latest forecast for Solar Cycle > 25. The panel's consensus calls for a peak in July 2025 (+/- 8 > months), with a smoothed sunspot number of 115 and the solar minimum > between Solar Cycles 24 and 25 occurring in April 2020 (+/- 6 > months). If this solar minimum prediction is correct, it would make > Solar Cycle 24 the seventh longest on record at 11.4 years. > > The forecast can be found online at, > https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-25-forecast-update . > > Climate scientist David Archibald speculates that the Solar Cycle > 24/25 minimum could occur as late as March 2021, and that Solar > Cycle 25 maximum might not happen until 2027. > > "We are well into the Solar Cycle 24/25 minimum but [Cycle] 24 may > not have ended yet," Archibald said in a December 22 update on the > "Watts Up With That?" website. "A solar cycle isn't over until the > heliospheric current sheet has flattened. And that could be as late > as March 2021. Solar cycle amplitude does matter with respect to > climate and the amplitude of Solar Cycle 25, from projecting trends > from the last three cycles, looks like being about 80 in 2027." > > The Solar Cycle Prediction Panel agreed that Solar Cycle 25 will be > of average intensity and similar to Solar Cycle 24. > > In an article posted on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center site, > Scott McIntosh, the Director of the High Altitude Observatory at > National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR - > https://ncar.ucar.edu/ ), stresses that Solar Cycle 25 will happen, > "but a sunspot cycle could be small." > > Predictability comes with some physical understanding of the > underlying process, McIntosh asserts. "The sunspot cycle is > erratic," he said in his presentation, "provocative of a chaotic, > turbulent solar interior where sunspot progressions with time and > latitude are the only tracers..." > NNNN > /EX