[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter for August 19, 2010

Thu Aug 19 18:59:57 EDT 2010

********************************************
             The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

August 19, 2010

Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA<k1sfa 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/>  IN THIS ISSUE

- + Amateur Radio and Scouting: K2BSA -- Amateur Radio Fun in the Warm
Virginia Sun
- + FCC: ARRL Amends Petition to Deny to Include 16 Additional Recon
Scout Applications
- + On the Air: 2010 Field Day Logs Posted
- + Hints and Kinks: Loop and Hook Skyhook
- + On the Air: Expanded Results for ARRL International DX SSB Contest
Now Online
- + Technology: ARRL, TAPR Announce 29th Annual Digital Communications
Conference
- + Solar Update
- This Week on the Radio

+ Available on ARRL Audio News<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>

==>  + AMATEUR RADIO AND SCOUTING: K2BSA -- AMATEUR RADIO FUN IN THE
WARM VIRGINIA SUN

<http://drsamgray.smugmug.com/Hobbies/k2bsa-video-tour/13114388_jqU7z#952964270_SurNs>
   The 2010 National Scout Jamboree -- celebrating the 100th anniversary
of the Boy Scouts of America -- was held July 26-August 4 at Fort AP
Hill in Virginia. According to ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director
and K2BSA Station Coordinator/Manager Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, ham
radio was a big part of the event that attracted more than 43,000
participants from across the nation and around the world. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/k2bsa-amateur-radio-fun-in-the-warm-virginia-sun>.

==>  + FCC: ARRL AMENDS PETITION TO DENY TO INCLUDE 16 ADDITIONAL RECON
SCOUT APPLICATIONS

    On August 16, ReconRobotics -- in response to the ARRL's Petition to
Deny Applications , filed with the FCC on August 4 -- filed an
Opposition to Petition to Deny with the FCC, arguing that the ARRL's
Petition is "frivolous." The ARRL's Petition asked the FCC to deny 68
pending Public Safety Pool license applications associated with the
ReconRobotics Video and Audio Surveillance System, specifically the
Recon Scout device. The Salina (Kansas) Police Department had asked the
FCC for a waiver to operate the Recon Scout in the band 433-445 MHz.
The FCC returned the waiver request to Salina, noting that the
frequency band requested was not consistent with the waiver Order that
requires that the first unit licensed to an eligible entity operate in
the 436-442 MHz band. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-amends-em-petition-to-deny-em-to-include-16-additional-recon-scout-applications>.

==>  + ON THE AIR: 2010 FIELD DAY LOGS POSTED

    The 2010 Field Day logs received list has been posted
<http://www.arrl.org/logs-received>. It includes all logs received --
applet, non-applet e-mail and paper. Any changes/corrections/missing
inquires should be sent to ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND,
via e-mail<fdinfo at arrl.org>.

==>  + HINTS AND KINKS: LOOP AND HOOK SKYHOOK

Randy Quinton, WQ7Q, of Sammamish, Washington, sent us this idea for a
quick emergency antenna. Contact Randy via e-mail
<quinton.rhq at comcast.net>  for more information

An emergency flexible antenna can greatly extend the performance of a
handheld transceiver. The best attachment point to hang the antenna
always seems just out of reach. This simple wire hook made from a coat
hanger makes it easy to hang and retrieve the antenna.

    Using about 18 inches of wire, bend a hook to match the attachment
point. Below the hook, form a loop to which the antenna line is tied.
Below the loop, bend a downward pointing V-shaped pin with a little
elbow on the side to prevent the pin from slipping completely inside
the lifting tube (see Figure 1). The hook is lifted by a tube or tube
section attached to a pole. Tension on the antenna wire keeps the pin
in the tube until the antenna has been placed. The antenna is retrieved
by reversing the process (see Figure 2).

    Quinton said he keeps a loop and a short section of PVC pipe with
tape around in his emergency kit, using it to turn a broom or branch
into a lifting pole. As always, don't hang an antenna on electrical
wires or anyplace in the vicinity of power lines.

Do you have an idea or a simple project that has improved your
operating? Maybe you've taken something commonly found around the home
and developed a ham radio use for it? Why not share your hints with
fellow hams in "Hints and Kinks," a monthly column in QST. If we
publish your hint, you will receive $20. Send your hints via e-mail
<h&k at arrl.org>  or to ARRL Headquarters, Attn: "Hints and Kinks," 225
Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Please include your name, call sign,
complete mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address.

==>  + ON THE AIR: EXPANDED RESULTS FOR ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX SSB
CONTEST NOW ONLINE

    Expended results for the ARRL International DX SSB Contest are now
available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles>. Find close to 100 pages
packed with results from around the world and your ARRL Division,
including line scores and lots of photos, graphs and charts. You can
also read all of the interesting Soapbox comments from the participants
and review the Top 10 in every category, tracked since the top of Solar
Cycle 23. There were lots of new records set in this contest -- come
see how an active Sun affects an all-band DX contest!

==>  + TECHNOLOGY: ARRL, TAPR ANNOUNCE 29TH ANNUAL DIGITAL
COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE

    Aficionados of digital communications are gearing up for the 29th
annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, September 24-26
near Portland, Oregon. The ARRL/TAPR DCC is an international forum for
radio amateurs to meet, publish their work and present new ideas and
techniques. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to
exchange ideas and learn about recent hardware and software advances,
theories, experimental results, and practical applications. Read more
here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-tapr-announce-29th-annual-digital-communications-conference>.

==>  + SOLAR UPDATE

    Tad "For shame the Sun will never show himself
<http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/thoreaupoems.html#rain>"
Cook, K7RA, reports: Sunspot numbers and solar flux declined this week,
with the average daily sunspot numbers down nearly 17 points to 36.1,
and the average daily solar flux down nearly 1 point to 83.6. In the
previous week, average daily sunspot numbers had risen nearly 33 points
to 53. New sunspot groups appeared on August 11, 13 and 16, but on
Tuesday and Wednesday (August 17-18), total sunspot area was one-fifth
what it was on August 16, less than one-seventh the area on August 14,
and less than one-fourteenth the area of August 12. On August 12, 14,
16 and 18, the daily sunspot number was 50, 31, 39 and 23. Projections
for solar flux over the next 10 days -- August 19-28 -- are 81, 80, 80,
80, 81, 82, 82, 85, 84 and 82. Predictions for planetary A index over
those same days are 5 on August 19-23, 12 on August 24, 8 on August 25
and 5 on August 26-28. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet
conditions for August 20-22, quiet to unsettled August 23 and unsettled
August 24-26. Look for more information -- including a look at some
mail from readers and an article suggesting a theory on what may be
responsible for this long solar minimum -- on the ARRL Web site on
Friday, August 20. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by Henry David Thoreau's  The Summer Rain
<http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/thoreaupoems.html#rain>.

==>  THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

This week:

- August 20 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 21-22 (local time) -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up>
- August 21-22 -- SARTG WW RTTY Contest; North American QSO Party (SSB)
- August 21-23 -- New Jersey QSO Party
- August 25 -- SKCC Sprint; QRP Fox Hunt

Next week:

- August 27 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 28-29 -- Hawaii QSO Party; Kansas QSO Party; Ohio QSO Party;
YO DX HF Contest; SCC RTTY Championship
- September 1 -- QRP Fox Hunt

All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest
Branch page<http://www.arrl.org/contests>, the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update>  and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>  for more
info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Events Station Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/special-events>.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe
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<http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>.

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