[RVRC] Fwd: The ARRL Letter for January 8, 2015

Thu Jan 8 16:03:50 EST 2015

Second article is about the new 'scope provided by Tektronix through the
generosity of Alan W2AEW's company!  Nice photo of the back of Alan's head!
 73,

GJ

Gerry Jurrens N2GJ
mailto:n2gj at amsat.org

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ARRL Web site <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 3:40 PM
Subject: The ARRL Letter for January 8, 2015
To: gjurrens at gmail.com

 If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original
at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-01-08

[image: The ARRL Letter]
January 8, 2015
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww1me at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>*ARRL Letter* Archive
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> [image: Ad]
<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-01-08&t=t>

   - League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc01>
   - ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc02>
   - Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc03>
   - Revised ARRL* HF Contesting Guidelines* Now Available
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc04>
   - ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc05>
   - ARRL Survey Underway <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc06>
   - Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc07>
   - *Nuts and Volts* Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward
   Silver, N0AX <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc08>
   - Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast
   Asia Flooding <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc09>
   - Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the
   Philippines <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc10>
   - Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc11>
   - ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc12>
   - *NCJ* Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc13>
   - ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise,
   W4PRO, SK <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc14>
   - A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc15>
   - The K7RA Solar Update <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc16>
   - In Brief... <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc17>
   - Just Ahead in Radiosport <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc18>
   - Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
   <#14acb474bfaaf1a6_toc19>

League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President

As the ARRL's Centennial <http://www.arrl.org/centennial> drew to a close,
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, reflected that the year-long celebration
helped to rejuvenate Amateur Radio by including as many people as possible,
providing lots of on-the-air fun, and promoting learning and doing. She
also believes that the spirit of the Centennial will live on going forward,
as Amateur Radio enters its second century.

"The ARRL Centennial has been the most extraordinary event in my Amateur
Radio life," President Craigie remarked. "How fortunate I am to have been a
ham in this anniversary year, let alone to have been President of the ARRL."

*ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN.*

President Craigie said that Centennial activities, such as the Centennial
QSO Party <http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party> and the W1AW portable
operations in all 50 US states and some territories, were aimed at giving
members a chance to learn, to feel, and to do, and in the process
generating positive feelings about being a part of Amateur Radio and of the
ARRL. "We wanted members to have fun participating in activities, both in
person -- at the national and regional conventions -- and on the air," she
recounted. "We wanted the events and experiences to be inclusive --
something all members could participate in, if they wanted to."

So, every member was given a point value in the Centennial QSO Party. And,
recognizing that not everyone could come to the National Centennial
Convention in Hartford, the League designated several major ham radio
gatherings around the US as regional centennial conventions, so everyone
would have an opportunity to participate. Convention forums as well as
information and articles in *QST* and in electronic media provided
something every member could learn from and enjoy, she said.

"I recall suggesting that we could move W1AW around the country," she said.
"I was just thinking about the call areas, but the staff exploded that into
every state and several territories."

"Because of the good work done by the ARRL Headquarters staff and a huge
number of enthusiastic volunteers all over the country, the Centennial
successfully achieved those goals beyond what we were able to imagine,"
President Craigie said. "Thousands of ARRL members chased W1AW and worked
each other across the bands and modes, having tremendous fun doing it. In
QSOs and on their QSL cards, members told me how much they appreciate what
the ARRL does for Amateur Radio."

President Craigie said that as the Centennial year played out, people were
stopping by on her frequency just to say how much fun they'd had helping
the League to celebrate its 100th anniversary. "One member said he had not
been on HF for 20 years, sticking to VHF, but got back on HF for the
Centennial. Another member said he thought the events have been a huge shot
in the arm for Amateur Radio."

"It really *is* all about the people and the fun," she observed.

President Craigie reported logging more than 18,100 contacts during 2014,
including 1149 on the last day of the year, most of them from calling "CQ
Centennial."

"For the first time in my life I was the most popular kid in school," she
quipped. "I won't forget the rush of that feeling when I'm back to being
just another signal from Virginia."

President Craigie said some have asked what the ARRL will do next. She said
that while the League doesn't want to wear out the exuberance and goodwill
the Centennial events engendered, "it's clear that operating challenges
outside of the traditional menu of contests and awards have a great
appeal." She expressed the hope that, in the months and years ahead, all
hams will seek out other operating challenges sponsored by all sorts of ham
radio groups and keep the bands alive with signals.

"To everybody: Thanks for coming to the birthday party!" she concluded.
"Happy New Year!" Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/league-s-centennial-the-most-extraordinary-event-for-arrl-president>
.
ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix

The ARRL Laboratory now has significantly superior measurement
capabilities, thanks to Tektronix Corporation's generous donation of a
mixed-domain bench oscilloscope (model MDO4104B-3). Alan Wolke, W2AEW,
Senior Applications Engineer for Tektronix, visited ARRL

*Tektronix Senior Applications Engineer Alan Wolke, W2AEW (center)
demonstrates the new MDO4104B-3 oscilloscope to ARRL Test Engineer Bob
Allison, WB1GCM (left), and ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. [Steve Ford,
WB8IMY, photo]*

Headquarters on January 6 to introduce the Lab staff to the sophisticated
'scope. An ARRL Life Member, Wolke arranged for the donation.

"This oscilloscope is a huge benefit to us," commented ARRL Test Engineer
Bob Allison, WB1GCM. "It will be particularly important, considering the
fast-paced evolution of digital technology. The ARRL Lab is grateful to
Tektronix, to Alan Wolke, and Tektronix Public Relations Manager Amy
Higgins for this generous contribution."

The dual-function instrument has a bandwidth of 1 GHz, 5 GS/s for
time-domain measurements and can make frequency-domain measurements up to 3
GHz. The MDO4104B-3 replaces the Lab's Tektronix TDS-3052B, a 500 MHz
storage oscilloscope.

Wolke has personally produced a large number of quality training videos
<https://www.youtube.com/user/w2aew>, for radio amateurs wanting to learn
more about the practical applications of test instruments.
Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager

Joseph Ames, W3JY, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, became ARRL Eastern
Pennsylvania Section Manager on January 1. He will complete the remaining
term of former SM, Bob Famiglio, K3RF, the new ARRL Atlantic Division Vice
Director.

*ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager Joe Ames, W3JY.*

ARRL Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, appointed
Ames to succeed Famiglio after consulting with incoming ARRL Atlantic
Division Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. Ames's appointment as Section
Manager continues until March 31, 2016.

A ham since 1977 and an ARRL Life Member, Ames brings a wealth of Field
Organization experience to his new position. He was an Assistant Section
Manager in Eastern Pennsylvania from 2008 until 2014 and holds Official
Emergency Station and Official Relay Station appointments. He was elected
as the new Eastern Area Staff Chair of the ARRL National Traffic System,
effective on January 1, taking over that role from Marcia Forde, KW1U. Ames
also serves as net manager of the Eastern Pennsylvania Emergency Phone &
Traffic Net and of the Pennsylvania Eastern Area RACES Net.

Ames is the training and safety officer for Delaware County ARES/RACES and
is active with the Chester County ARES/RACES organization. He's a Volunteer
Instructor for ARECC and a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL VEC. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/eastern-pennsylvania-to-start-the-new-year-with-a-new-section-manager>
.
Revised ARRL* HF Contesting Guidelines* Now Available

The ARRL *HF Contesting Guidelines* have been revised, and the latest
edition <http://www.arrl.org/hf-contesting-guidelines> now is available.
The latest guidelines, updated by an ARRL Contest Advisory Committee (CAC
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-staff-cac>) team, address changes in technology
that have affected contesting in recent years -- including remote station
operation -- and present a current understanding of contesting standards
and practices. Some sections also have been rewritten and reorganized to
improve readability. George Wagner, K5KG, a member of the CAC team that
undertook the update, said the goals of the revised ARRL *HF Contesting
Guidelines* are to provide guidance and advice -- especially for new
contesters -- and to encourage contest operation that advances the spirit
and integrity of radiosport.

"The materials presented are facts, opinions and best practices," Wagner
said. "Information presented in the document is not mandatory, and the
individual contest operator is free to accept or reject its wisdom. In all
cases, contest rules take precedence, so the collective advice is always to
read, understand, and follow the contest rules" in letter and spirit, he
said.

The *Guidelines* document presents frequently asked questions and answers
and additional material about common situations encountered in HF
contesting. The questions and responses only address HF contesting, and not
VHF+ contesting.

ARRL Contest Branch Manager Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, expressed his appreciation
to the committee for taking on the task of updating the guidelines. "We
often refer new contesters to the document, so the effort to revise it and
include new technologies that affect radiosport is essential," he said.

A PDF version
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Contest%20-%20General/HFContestingGuidlines_201411.pdf>
of the *Guidelines* is available for download. Address comments and
suggestions about the *HF Contesting Guidelines* to the ARRL Contest
Advisory Committee <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-staff-cac> member from your
ARRL Division.
ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards

The ARRL is inviting nominations for the Hiram Percy Maxim Award -- the
League's premier award honoring a young Amateur Radio licensee -- and for
awards that recognize educational and technological achievement in Amateur
Radio.

   - *The Hiram Percy Maxim Award* recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL
   member under age 21 whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most
   exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities.
   Nominations for this award are made through your ARRL Section Manager, who
   will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2015.

   - *The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award* honors an ARRL
   volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or professional classroom teacher who
   uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest values of
   the Amateur Radio community. The award highlights quality of and commitment
   to licensing instruction. Nominations are due by March 15, 2015.

   - *The ARRL Microwave Development Award* pays tribute to a radio amateur
   or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the Amateur
   Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015.

   - *The ARRL Technical Service Award* recognizes a radio amateur or group
   of radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or
   training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015.

   - *The ARRL Technical Innovation Award* is granted to a radio amateur or
   group of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or
   techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015

   - *The Knight Distinguished Service Award *was established to recognize
   exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and
   vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2015.

The ARRL Board of Directors selects recipients for these awards. Winners
are typically announced following the Board's July meeting. More information
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-award-nominations> about these awards is on the
ARRL website, or contact Sean Kutzko <kx9x at arrl.org>, KX9X, at ARRL
Headquarters. Telephone (860) 594-0328.
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ARRL Survey Underway

The ARRL has asked an independent research company specializing in survey
research to conduct a survey of Amateur Radio operators in the US. Readex
Research <http://www.readexresearch.com/>, headquartered in Stillwater,
Minnesota, has conducted similar studies for ARRL in the past, including
*QST* readership studies and other large national surveys.

This most recent survey is being conducted by mail and e-mail and will
include representative populations of Amateur Radio operators from among
ARRL members, as well as non-member FCC licensees. While not every member
will receive a survey, participation from those individuals who are
selected is critical for the success of this project.

Responses will be kept confidential and only used in tabulation with
others; no data about survey participants -- including contact information
-- will be shared with anyone.

Contact ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R
<http://www.arrl.org/contact-arrl>, if you have any questions about the
survey.
Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena

Despite financial struggles dogging the owners of Hara Arena
<http://www.haracomplex.com/>, site of the Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.hamvention.org/>® since the 1960s, the 2015 Hamvention General
Chairman Jim Tiderman, N8IDS, has told ARRL that he expects the world's
largest Amateur Radio show to continue there -- this May and in the years
ahead. Tiderman was reacting to recent media accounts detailing the fiscal
woes of the aging Hara complex in Trotwood, Ohio. He said Hamvention's
sponsoring Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA <http://www.w8bi.org/>)
and Hamvention officials have been in conversation with Hara's owners, the
Wampler family, regarding the future of the 165,000 square foot,
six-building complex.

*Hara Arena, the home of Dayton Hamvention. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]*

"Both Hamvention and DARA have absolute confidence in [the Wampler
family's] guiding their corporation through the steps in the plans in place
to keep Hara operating for years to come," Tiderman said. "Given the time
frame they are working with right now, we simply stand by them and repeat,
'the show *will* go on.'" Last year, Dayton Hamvention attracted nearly
25,000 visitors.

Dayton TV station WDTN-TV reported
<http://wdtn.com/2014/12/02/layoffs-at-hara-arena-struggling-to-stay-afloat/>
last month that the 50-year-old Hara Arena was facing financial problems
and had cut back on its full-time staff to save money. Karen Wampler,
Hara's Director of Marketing, has told the media that it's become difficult
for Hara Arena to compete with other Miami Valley venues, such as the
Nutter Center at Wright State University and the downtown Dayton Convention
Center. The Hara complex needs money for renovations and deferred
maintenance, she said, and "the ownership model needs to be changed."
Wampler told
<http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/news/hara-arena-owners-seeking-a-restructured-renovated/njQtY/?icid=ddn_internallink_myddninvitationbox_feb2014_accessdigital_post-purchase#f88f097e.2670217.735583>
the *Dayton Daily News* in December that while the family cares about the
facility, it is limited in what it can afford.

Dayton Hamvention takes place May 15-17. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hamvention-chair-the-show-will-go-on-at-aging-hara-arena>
.
*Nuts and Volts* Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward Silver, N0AX

Well-known ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, has debuted a new
column for *Nuts and Volts <http://www.nutsvolts.com/>* magazine -- "The
Ham's Wireless Workbench." *Nuts and Volts* is written for "the hands-on
hobbyist, design engineer, technician, and experimenter," which describes a
lot of radio amateurs.

*Ward Silver, N0AX.*

"The general idea is to open the door to ham radio for electronically
inclined folks who either may not be aware of the hobby or who may find
some of our technology interesting and/or useful," Silver said. "This is an
excellent opportunity to provide outreach to the active and growing
electronic 'maker' -- or do-it-yourselfer -- audience."

Every other month, Silver will cover a topic that showcases some aspect of
Amateur Radio technology that is not typically covered by non-ham media.
Such topics, he said, would include such things as antennas, transmission
lines, connectors, propagation, transmitters, and modulation -- areas not
often discussed outside of *QST* and other ham radio publications. His
first column in the January 2015 issue is an introduction to antennas --
specifically how to make a VHF/UHF ground plane for listening to NOAA
weather stations. First, though, Silver acquainted his readers with ham
radio and pointed out that several *Nuts and Volts* editorial staffers --
including the print and digital publication's editor, Bryan Bergeron, NU1N
-- as well as contributors and many readers are radio amateurs.

Silver pointed to a new Amateur Radio Technology Portal
<http://www.arrl.org/tech-portal> he developed for the ARRL website that
offers links to some of the technical facets of Amateur Radio, without
requiring visitors to be familiar with ham radio terminology or jargon. He
said he's already received several e-mails through the site.
------------------------------
Find ARRL on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>. Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>!
------------------------------
Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast Asia
Flooding

After several days of maintaining emergency communication links on 7.110
MHz in late December, Amateur Radio volunteers remained

*One emergency network station was set up at MARTS Headquarters in Kuala
Lumpur.*

active for a while longer to handle local health-and-welfare traffic and
any urgent communications in flood-stricken Malaysia. The monsoon flooding
that hit parts of Malaysia and Thailand claimed lives and forced thousands
to evacuate. The flooding has eased, but clean-up continues. Johnny Tan,
9M8DB, of the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters Society (MARTS) called
it the worst flooding in years in northern Malaysia.

As a result of the severe flooding 2 dozen people died, and another 250,000
had to evacuate or seek higher ground. Seasonal flooding such as this is
typical in Malaysia, but experts described this event as the worst since at
least 2004, and badly affected telecommunication systems. --* Thanks to Jim
Linton, VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee*

[image: Ad] <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-01-08&p=1>
Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the Philippines

The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA <http://para.org.ph/>)'s
busy Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO <http://para.org.ph/h-e-r-o/>)
network activated in late 2014 for Tropical Storm Jangmi (Seniang), which
made landfall on Mindanao Island on December 29, then moved inland,
causing massive
floods and landslides. According to reports, at least 53 people died,
nearly three times the death toll resulting from Typhoon Hagupit in early
December. BBC-Asia cited a Philippines Office of Civil Defense report that
landslides in the central provinces of Samar and Leyte accounted for at
least 29 of the deaths.

"With successive typhoons bringing rains, the soil got so saturated it
caused landslides," explained PARA Chief Operating Officer Thelma Pascua,
DU1IVT. "Regional HERO was in place in Mindanao and Visayas. It's now
automatic for a lot of hams to coordinate with their local disaster risk
reduction and management."

Reports of HERO activity came from the affected areas, where more than
80,000 displaced residents were taking shelter in evacuation centers.
Outside of the affected areas, Pascua said, routine emergency
message-handling training sessions were under way, with regular net control
stations stepping aside to allow trainees to prepare for future weather
emergencies.

According to BBC-Asia, weather warnings were issued, but officials said
that some people may have underestimated the situation. *-- Thanks to Jim
Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee;
media accounts*
Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (
IARU <http://www.iaru.org>) and the 85th anniversary of the Polski ZwiÄ…zek
Krótkofalowców (PZK <https://pzk.org.pl/>), Poland's IARU member-society,
12 special event call signs will be active between January 1 and April 30,
2015.

There will be six IARU-suffix call signs -- 3Z90IARU, HF90IARU, SN90IARU,
SO90IARU, SP90IARU, and SQ90IARU -- and six PZK-suffix call signs --
3Z85PZK, HF85PZK, SN85PZK, SO85PZK, SP85PZK, and SQ85PZK. The January 1 to
April 30 operating period encompasses the 85th anniversary of the PZK on
February 24, and the 90th anniversary of the IARU on April 18 -- World
Amateur Radio Day. An award certificate will be available for qualifying
operators/stations. Details
<http://85.pzk.org.pl/download/EN%20Award%20Rules%2090IARU_85PZK.pdf> are
on the PZK website.

Special German call signs also will be on the air throughout 2015 to mark
the 90th anniversary of the IARU and the 65th anniversary of the Deutscher
Amateur Radio Club (DARC <http://www.darc.de/>) -- Germany's IARU
member-society. The call signs are DJ90IARU, DK65DARC, and DL65DARC. DARC
is offering a DARC 65 Award
<http://www.darc.de/referate/dx/bulls/darc65/special-award/>.
ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark

The ARTSAT2: DESPATCH <http://despatch.artsat.jp/en/Main_Page>
sculpture/satellite (FO-81) has stopped transmitting. The satellite was one
of two carrying Amateur Radio payloads that were launched December 3
onboard a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA
<http://www.arrl.org/global.jaxa.jp/>) vehicle into an Earth-escape orbit
as piggyback payloads of the Hayabusa 2
<http://b612.jspec.jaxa.jp/hayabusa2/e/index_e.html> asteroid sample-return
mission into deep space. Crafted as a physical art object, ARTSAT2:
DESPATCH transmitted a CW beacon on 437.325 MHz. The other Amateur Radio
payload was Shin'en 2 <http://kit-okuyama-lab.com/en/sinen2/> (Abyss 2).
Ground controllers at Tama Art University, who had estimated the
spacecraft's battery would last for 27 days, concluded the satellite's
mission on January 3.

*An ARTSAT2: DESPATCH flight model.*

"DESPATCH will continue to orbit around the sun as an artificial asteroid,"
said Akihiro Kubota, a Tama Art University faculty member. "By examining
the calculated results for the local minimum value of the distance between
the Earth, DESPATCH will approach to less than 1 million km from Earth
after about 350 years." The actual sculpture was created using a 3D printer.

Kubota expressed appreciation to the many Amateur Radio operators who
received and reported
<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WP-FzXHe8axAzNy44SGbKpJqIRKWHAcIP9vXnaHMb6g/edit#gid=0>
the "super-weak" CW signal from DESPATCH's 7 W transmitter in deep space.
An algorithm running on the onboard computer drew on readings from all of
the spacecraft's sensors to compose and encode poetry "reflecting not only
the sensor data but the artist's subconscious personality." The ground team
used a "cooperative data reconstruction
<http://despatch.artsat.jp/en/Cooperative_Data_Reconstruction>" approach,
piecing together the received fragments of the satellite's poetry broadcast
to reconstruct the whole.

Kubota said that while the satellite has stopped transmitting, "the life of
DESPATCH as a sculpture around the Sun is almost eternal." Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/artsat2-despatch-fo-81-satellite-goes-dark>. *--
Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Akihiro Kubota*
*NCJ* Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event

*National Contest Journal* (*NCJ <http://ncjweb.com/>*) has ended its
sponsorship for the phone version of the North American Sprint. Going
forward, the magazine will support Sprint events for CW and RTTY only. The
magazine cited dwindling support for its decision.

"The September 2014 running of the phone North American Sprint attracted
just 52 logs, and we estimate that approximately 3500 contacts took place,"
said *NCJ* Editor Pat Barkey, N9RV. He pointed out that the CW Sprint a
weekend earlier attracted nearly 10 times that number of entries. Barkey
said the lack of "a critical mass of participants" significantly changes
the nature of the competition, where winning scores are built through
recruiting and coaching new participants, "and the operating experience
that makes the CW Sprint so special is essentially lost."

Barkey conceded that the reasons for the decline in participation "are not
obvious," but he pointed to competition from other operating events on any
weekend and the challenge for newcomers and casual participants of the
"frequency-hopping nature" of the 4-hour Sprint. "*NCJ* remains committed
to supporting innovative and challenging contests, including SSB contests,
and we welcome any ideas that readers have to offer," Barkey said.
ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise, W4PRO, SK

ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director and DXpeditioner Marion A. "Jim"
Wise, W4PRO, of Virginia Beach, Virginia died December 31. He was 86. An
ARRL Life Member, Wise was well-known within the Tidewater Amateur Radio
community.

*Jim Wise, W4PRO.*

Licensed in 1948 as W8YHV in his native Ohio, he served in the US Air Force
during the Korean War, then worked for NASA until he retired in 1988. He
was a part of regular special event ham operations from the museum
battleship *USS Wisconsin <http://www.usswisconsin.org/> *(N4WIS).

W4PRO belonged to the First-Class Operators Club, the A1 Operators Club,
and the Quarter Century Wireless Association. He was involved in several DX
operations from 1970s until 2004. A CW aficionado, he was on the DXCC Honor
Roll and had completed 5-Band DXCC and 160 Meter DXCC.

Survivors include his wife Linda, W7PRO. A memorial service will be held on
Saturday, January 10, at 11 AM at the West Neck Village Hall, 2580
Signature Drive, Virginia Beach.
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A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

For years, the ARRL had been requesting the FCC to state that Commission
rules preempted homeowners association restrictions or limitations on
Amateur Radio antennas. At the end of 2001, the FCC suggested that the
League take its case to Congress. ARRL representatives discussed the issue
with members of Congress in February, a visit that ARRL President Jim
Haynie, W5JBP, called "the best yet" for ham radio. H.R. 4720 was
introduced in May. It would

*AO-7 came back to life in 2002.*

have required homeowners associations to reasonably accommodate Amateur
Radio antennas.

During 2001, four North American distance records were set on 10, 47, 241,
and 322 GHz, demonstrating that technical prowess, hard work, and
persistence can lead to extraordinary technical accomplishments. VE4MA and
W5LUA made the first EME contact on 24 GHz in August.

By early 2002, radio amateurs and the ARRL were looking at digital voice
emissions as a potential new mode.

On January 31, 2002, President George W. Bush spotlighted five Florida
volunteer groups, including Volusia County ARES. During his visit, the
president addressed the Northern Florida ARES Net on 75 meters.

An excellent nostalgia article appeared in the June 2002 *QST* -- "The
First Field Day," authored by W0AR, who operated in that 1933 event as
W9NFV. Some 50 portable stations participated, causing ARRL's Ed Handy,
W1BDI, to prophesy, "The enthusiasm greeting our first Field Day augers
well for future similar occasions."

On June 21, 2002, signals from OSCAR 7, given up for dead 20 years earlier,
suddenly reappeared! *-- Al Brogdon, W1AB*
The K7RA Solar Update

All solar activity indicators rose this week -- sunspot numbers, solar flux
and geomagnetic indices.

On January 7 the interplanetary magnetic field tipped south, opening a
crack to admit solar wind. This triggered the largest geomagnetic storm
since September 2014. That same day the planetary A index jumped to 38,
pushing the average for the week to 17.7. The previous 7 days (the last 7
days of 2014) the average planetary A index was 13.9.

Average daily sunspot number on the first week of January was 108.1,
compared to 102.9 in the final 7 days of 2014. Likewise, average daily
solar flux increased from 134.9 to 144.7.

The latest prediction has solar flux at 155 and 160 on January 8-9, 165 on
January 10-11, 170 on January 12, 175 on January 13-15, then 170, 165, 160,
155, 145, 140, and 135 for January 16-22, and reaching a minimum at 130 on
January 23-27. Solar flux then rises to a maximum of 175 on February 8-11.

Predicted Planetary A index is 20 and 15 on January 8-9, 10 on January
10-12, 8 on January 13, 5 on January 14-20, then 10, 15, and 5 for January
21-23, then 10, 18, and 15 for January 24-26, then 8, 5, 10, and 12 on
January 27-30, 15 on January 31 through February 1, then 10, 8, and 18 on
February 2-4, 10 on February 5-7, and 5 on February 8-16.

This weekly "Solar Update" in *The ARRL Letter* is a preview of the
"Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an
archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> of past
propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.

In Friday's bulletin look for a 6 meter report, an updated forecast, and
more information on propagation to those WWVB clocks, discussed last week.
Send <k7ra at arrl.net> me *your* reports and observations.
In Brief...

*New WAS Award Application Processing on Hold*: ARRL is redesigning the
basic Worked All States (WAS <http://www.arrl.org/was>) Award certificate
and has put a hold on the processing of new WAS applications received after
about December 24, 2014. "We are making the certificate the same size as a
DXCC certificate (11×14), so we can return to using stickers for
endorsements in most cases," said ARRL Field Services and Radiosport
Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "The ever-popular WAS program has grown in many
ways here at Headquarters, and we need to reorganize for more consistency."
Patton said the Triple Play certificate and plaque will not change.

*DX Engineering to Hold "MFJ Day:"* It will be "MFJ Day" on Saturday,
January 10, from 9 AM to 2 PM at DX Engineering
<http://www.dxengineering.com/>, 1200 Southeast Avenue, Tallmadge, Ohio.
MFJ founder and CEO Martin Jue, K5FLU, will be on hand to meet visitors.
The MFJ family of companies includes Ameritron, Cushcraft, Hy-Gain, Mirage,
and Vectronics.

*SouthWest Ohio DX Association to Sponsor Dayton DX Dinner*: The SouthWest
Ohio DX Association (SWODXA) will sponsor the 30th DX Dinner, held in
conjunction with the 2015 Dayton Hamvention® on Friday, May 15, at the
Dayton Marriott, 1414 South Patterson Boulevard in Dayton. Tickets are
available on the SWODXA Events <http://www.swodxaevents.org> website. Click
on the appropriate icon to purchase tickets or to obtain more information.*
-- Thanks to SWODXA DX Dinner Chairman Bill Salyers, AJ8B*

*January West Coast 80 Meter Qualifying Run Set:* The West Coast Qualifying
Run <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/W1AW/15QRWestCoastRun.pdf> on 80
meters, hosted by K6YR, will take place on January, 15, at 0500 UTC
(Wednesday, January 14, at 9 PM Pacific Time) on 3590 kHz. Code speeds will
go from 40 WPM to 10 WPM.

*Registration Opens for 2015 Dayton Contest University:* Registration is
now open for the 2015 Dayton Contest University (CTU
<http://contestuniversity.com/>) classes. According to CTU Chairman Tim
Duffy, K3LR, CTU sessions will take place all day on Thursday, May 14, at
the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton. 2015 will mark the 9th year in a
row that CTU sessions have been held in conjunction with Dayton
Hamvention.® CTU Caribbean <http://www.arrlpr.org/?page_id=1834> will take
place January 23-25 during the ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention in Hatillo.
------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport

   -

   January 10-11 -- UBA PSK63 Prefix Contest
   -

   January 10-11 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
   -

   January 10-11 --
*North American QSO Party (CW) * <http://ncjweb.com>
   -

   January 11 -- DARC 10 Meter Contest (SSB, CW)
   -

   January 14 -- Linc Cundall Memorial CW Contest
   -

   January 16 -- NAQCC Special 160 Meter Sprint (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

   -

   January 10 -- TECHFEST <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/techfest-2015>,
   Lawrenceville, Georgia
   -

   January 16-17 -- North Texas Section Convention
   <http://cowtownhamfest.com>, Forest Hill, Texas
   -

   January 18-24 -- Quartzfest <http://www.quartzfest.org>, Quartzsite,
   Arizona
   -

   January 23-24 -- Mississippi State Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mississippi-state-convention-capital-city-hamfest-2>,
   Jackson, Mississippi
   -

   January 23-25 -- Puerto Rico State Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/puerto-rico-state-convention-2>, Hatillo,
   Puerto Rico
   -

   February 7 -- South Carolina State Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-charleston-hamfest>,
   North Charleston, South Carolina
   -

   February 7 -- Virginia State Convention
   <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/virginia-state-convention-richmond-frostfest-1>,
   Richmond, Virginia
   -

   February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention
   <http://hamcation.com/>, Orlando, Florida
   -

   February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention
   <http://www.yumahamfest.org/>, Yuma, Arizona
   -

   February 28 -- Vermont State Convention <http://www.ranv.org/hamcon.html>,
   S Burlington, Vermont
   -

   March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention
   <http://www.radiofest.org/>, Del Rey Oaks, California
   -

   March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention
   <http://www.charlottehamfest.org/>, Concord, North Carolina
   -

   March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention <http://hamfest.w5qgg.org/>,
   Midland, Texas
   -

   March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
   <http://www.stuarthamfest.com/>, Stuart, Florida
   -

   March 28 -- Texas State Convention <http://www.houstonhamfest.org/>,
   Rosenberg, Texas

Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------

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