[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for June 14, 2012

Fri Jun 15 08:10:42 EDT 2012

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The ARRL Letter

June 14, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/> 	
	/ARRL Letter/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> 	
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Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2012-06-14&t=t>

  * + /ARRL Field Day/: Notify Your Neighbors about ARRL Field Day, June
    23-24 <#toc01>
  * + /ARRL Field Day/: W1AW Announces 2012 Field Day Bulletin Schedule
    <#toc02>
  * + Digital Edition of July /QST/ Available June 15 <#toc03>
  * + /FCC News/: Mignon Clyburn Renominated for New Term as FCC
    Commissioner <#toc04>
  * + /Getting Licensed/: New Amateur Extra Class Question Pool
    Effective July 1 <#toc05>
  * + Call for Nominations for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors for
    Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions
    <#toc06>
  * + /ARDF Update/: Team USA Forming after USA ARDF Championships <#toc07>
  * Papers Requested for ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
    <#toc08>
  * Solar Update <#toc09>
  * This Week in Radiosport <#toc10>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc11>

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

+ /ARRL Field Day/: Notify Your Neighbors about ARRL Field Day, June 23-24

It's not too late to get information about your ARRL Field Day 
<http://www.arrl.org/fieldday> activities out to the public. ARRL Field 
Day -- the largest on-the-air operating event -- is the one of the best 
opportunities of the year for showing our Amateur Radio capabilities to 
the public. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, 
notes that the ARRL has made many media materials available for local 
use: "Our visibility to the public is important in antenna, band 
preservation and texting issues, so we encourage you to use this 
opportunity to showcase what Amateur Radio can do," he said. Download an 
audio PSA <http://p1k.arrl.org/pub/pr/Field%20Day/> that can air on 
local radio stations. Send out a press release or invite your local 
officials 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2012/2012-FD-PR-Info-V2.pdf> 
to your Field Day site. Send high-definition video files 
<http://p1k.arrl.org/pub/pr/> suitable for airing to your local 
television stations. Get more information on ARRL Field Day, including 
the 2012 ARRL Field Day logo and operating tips here 
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day>. Looking for a Field Day station near 
you? Find one here <http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>.

+ /ARRL Field Day/: W1AW Announces 2012 Field Day Bulletin Schedule

Stations active during ARRL Field Day -- June 23-24 -- are eligible to 
receive 100 bonus points for copying the special Field Day bulletin 
transmitted by W1AW (or K6KPH on the West Coast). You must include an 
accurate copy of the message in your Field Day submission. The Field Day 
bulletin must be copied via Amateur Radio; it will not be included in 
Internet bulletins sent out from Headquarters and will not be posted to 
Internet BBS sites.

W1AW will operate on the regularly published frequencies. The special 
PSK31 bulletin will be transmitted on the regular W1AW digital frequencies:

  * *CW frequencies*: 1.8025, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975, 21.0675,
    28.0675 and 147.555 MHz.
  * *Digital frequencies* (includes PSK31 and MFSK16) using 45.45-baud
    Baudot: 3597.5, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095, 28.095 and 147.555 MHz.
  * *Phone frequencies*: 1.855, 3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160, 21.390,
    28.590 and 147.555 MHz.

The Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH will transmit the 2012 
W1AW Field Day message for the benefit of West Coast stations on 3.5815, 
7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975 and 21.0675 MHz, CW only. The frequencies for 
K6KPH Digital (RTTY, BPSK31 MFSK16 and FEC AMTOR) will be 7.095 and 
14.095 MHz. Click here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/w1aw-announces-2012-field-day-bulletin-schedule> 
for the complete schedule.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2012-06-14&p=0>
+ Digital Edition of July /QST/ Available June 15

The digital version of the July /QST/ will be available to ARRL members 
on Friday, June 15. The digital version includes many features not 
available in the print version, such as:

  * An expanded look at the Dayton Hamvention^® (including a look at the
    many new products that were introduced).
  * Product Review videos on the Alinco DJ-G29T dual-band handheld
    transceiver and the WaveNode WN-2d station monitoring system.
  * Audio from "A Transceiver Comes Home," by /QST/ Editor Steve Ford,
    WB8IMY.
  * Links to the winning videos from the 2012 /QST /Video Contest.

Watch your e-mail inbox for a link to the digital edition of the July 
issue of /QST/.

+ /FCC News/: Mignon Clyburn Renominated for New Term as FCC Commissioner

President Obama has renominated Mignon Clyburn for a new term as FCC 
Commissioner.

On June 6, President Barack Obama announced that he will nominate Mignon 
Clyburn for a new five-year term as one of five FCC Commissioners. 
Clyburn, a Democrat, came to the Commission in August 2009, filling the 
unexpired term of Republican Deborah Taylor Tate, whose tenure as a 
Commissioner came to a close in January 2009. Clyburn's current term 
expires June 30, 2012. "In renominating Commissioner Clyburn, President 
Obama has made an outstanding choice for the Commission and for the 
American people," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. "As I know from 
working with her for the past several years, Commissioner Clyburn is a 
strong leader, focused on helping all Americans harness the benefits of 
broadband. I congratulate her."Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/president-obama-announces-nomination-of-mignon-clyburn-for-new-term-as-fcc-commissioner>.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2012-06-14&p=1>
+ /Getting Licensed/: New Amateur Extra Class Question Pool Effective July 1

The new Amateur Extra class (Element 4) question pool 
<http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=358> -- released by the National 
Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC 
<http://www.ncvec.org/>) in January 2012 -- becomes effective on Sunday, 
July 1. The current Amateur Extra class pool expires on June 30, 2012 
and cannot be used after that date. This new question pool -- including 
graphics and diagrams -- will remain valid until June 30, 2016. The new 
Amateur Extra pool contains 702 questions, from which 50 are selected 
for an Element 4 examination. As of June 13, three questions -- E1D09, 
E2A14 and E6E10 -- have been removed 
<http://www.arrl.org/withdrawn-questions> from the new pool. The current 
Technician class question pool <http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=349> 
that became effective July 1, 2010 is valid through June 30, 2014. The 
current General class pool <http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=350> that 
became effective July 1, 2011 is valid until June 30, 2015.

+ Call for Nominations for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors for 
Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions

The ARRL is governed by its Board of Directors. A voting Director is 
chosen by ballot by the full (licensed) members in each of the 15 ARRL 
divisions. Vice Directors -- who serve in the absence of the Director 
from a Board meeting and succeed to the position of Director should a 
vacancy occur -- are chosen at the same time. Elections are held in five 
divisions per year. It only takes 10 full members in a division to 
nominate a candidate for either office.

This fall, ARRL members in the Central, Hudson, New England, 
Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions will have the opportunity to choose a 
Director and a Vice Director for a three year term that starts January 
1, 2013. Beginning in 2012, ARRL members in Divisions where there are 
contested elections will be able to vote electronically. Members with 
valid e-mail addresses in their membership profiles will be sent 
instructions on how to vote by e-mail; members without e-mail addresses, 
or whose e-mails bounce, or who request a paper ballot, will be sent a 
ballot by postal mail as in the past. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/call-for-nominations-for-arrl-directors-and-vice-directors-for-central-hudson-new-england-northweste>.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2012-06-14&p=2>
+ /ARDF Update/: Team USA Forming after USA ARDF Championships

/By ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV/

Stevie Van Skiver, VE7SMX, of New Westminster, British Columbia, comes 
up the finish corridor of the 2 meter contest. This is her second year 
attending the USA ARDF Championships. [Joe Moell, K0OV, Photo]

 From DXing to microwaves, nearly every facet of our hobby has its 
competitions. But there are no more ardent contesters than the ones who 
take to the fields and forests to see who can locate the greatest number 
of radio transmitters in the shortest time. They call themselves 
foxhunters, foxtailers, radio-orienteers and ARDFers. Each year, they 
come together from around the country to see who is best. Every two 
years, the best from each country gather to see who is tops in the 
world. The 12th USA ARDF (Amateur Radio Direction Finding) Championships 
took place May 30-June 3 near Mt Laguna, California. In September, the 
15th ARDF World Championships will get under way at the resort city of 
Kopaonik, in central Serbia. Standard rules and procedures of the 
International Amateur Radio Union govern these competitions. Read more 
here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ardf-update-team-usa-forming-after-usa-ardf-championships>.

Papers Requested for ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference

Amateurs are invited to submit technical papers for presentation at the 
31st Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC 
<http://www.tapr.org/dcc>), to be held September 21-23, 2012 at the 
Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. These papers will 
also be published in the Conference Proceedings (you do not need to 
attend the conference to have your paper included in the Proceedings). 
The submission deadline is July 31. Please send papers to: Maty 
Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, or you can make your 
submission via e-mail <mailto:maty at arrl.org>. For more information about 
the conference, see the DCC website <http://www.tapr.org/dcc> or call 
972- 671-8277.

Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, June 14, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme 
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>. 
This MDI <http://soi.stanford.edu/> (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was 
taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most 
prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks 
in the visible range of the spectrum.

Tad "All for the love of sunshine 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7ZLEQ3MCZA>" Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar 
activity was lower this week, although for the past few days, sunspot 
numbers and solar flux were rising. The average daily sunspot numbers 
declined more than 14.3 points to 116.1, while the average daily solar 
flux was off by 14.5 points to 115.9. There were five new sunspot groups 
this week: two each on June 9-10, and one more on June 13. The latest 
prediction has solar flux at 145 on June 14-16, 140 on June 17-18, 135 
on June 19-20, 120 on June 21, 110 on June 22-26, 105 on June 27-28, 
followed by a climb back to 120 on July 1-12. The predicted planetary A 
index is 5 on June 14-15, 8 on June 16-17, 10 on June 18-19, 8 on June 
20-21, and 5 on June 22-25. The next peak in geomagnetic activity is 
predicted for July 1-3, with planetary A index at 15, 12 and 10. Look 
for more on the ARRL website on Friday, June 15. 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 Hank Williams Jr's /All for the Love of 
Sunshine <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_for_the_Love_of_Sunshine>/.

This Week in Radiosport

/This week:/

  * June 15 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
  * June 16 - ARRL Kids Day <http://www.arrl.org/kids-day>; Feld Hell
    Sprint; SARL Youth Day Sprint; AGCW VHF/UHF Contest
  * June 16-17 -- West Virginia QSO Party; All Asian DX Contest (CW);
    Ukrainian DX Classic RTTY Contest
  * June 17 -- WAB 50 MHz (Phone)
  * June 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
  * June 21 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

/Next week:/

  * June 23-24 -- ARRL Field Day <http://www.arrl.org/fieldday>; His
    Majesty King of Spain Contest (SSB); Marconi Memorial HF Contest;
    Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest
  * June 27 -- SKCC Sprint
  * June 27-28 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test

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 
information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out 
the ARRL Special Event Stations web page 
<http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations>.

Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

  * June 30 -- ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/eastern-pennsylvania-section-convention-electronics-expo-firecracker-hamfest>,
    Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  * July 20-22 -- ARRL Montana State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/montana-state-convention-78th-glacier-waterton-international-hamfest>,
    East Glacier, Montana
  * July 26-28 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/central-states-vhf-society-conference-1>,
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  * July 27-28 -- ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-ham-holiday-2012>,
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  * July 27-29 -- ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/rocky-mountain-division-convention-2>,
    Bryce Canyon, Utah
  * August 3-4 -- ARRL Texas State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/texas-state-convention-austin-summerfest-2>,
    Austin, Texas
  * August 3-5 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacific-northwest-dx-convention-1>,
    Portland, Oregon
  * August 10-12 -- RAC National Convention 2012
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/rac-convention-2012>, Edmonton,
    Alberta, Canada
  * August 11 -- ARRL Ohio State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ohio-state-convention>, Columbus, Ohio
  * August 18 -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-virginia-state-convention-2>,
    Weston, West Virginia
  * August 18-19 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southeastern-division-convention-huntsville-hamfest>,
    Huntsville, Alabama
  * August 19 -- ARRL Kansas State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/kansas-state-convention-2>, Salina, Kansas
  * August 24-26 -- ARRL New England Division Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/new-england-division-convention-1>,
    Boxboro, Massachusetts
  * August 26 -- ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/western-pennsylvania-section-convention-2>,
    New Kensington, Pennsylvania

To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

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