[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for June 27, 2013

Fri Jun 28 06:29:05 EDT 2013

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The ARRL Letter

June 27, 2013
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <mailto:ww1me at arrl.org>
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  * **/Emergency Radio/: Radio Amateurs Commended Following Flooding
    Activation <#toc01>
  * /International/: ARRL Will Be Represented at Europe's Premier Ham
    Radio Gathering <#toc02>
  * /International:/ RSGB Marks Its Centenary On and Off the Air <#toc03>
  * /International:/ Intruder Watch Documents Odd Bursts, Beeps and
    Buzzes on the Bands <#toc04>
  * /FCC:/ Reply Comment Deadline Extended in 5 GHz Proceeding <#toc05>
  * /FCC:/ Location Service Deployment May Constrain 902-928 MHz Amateur
    Use <#toc06>
  * /Operating:/ New Logbook of The World Software Eases Uploading <#toc07>
  * /On the Air/: 13 Colonies Special Event Set <#toc08>
  * /On the Air:/ California Amateurs Claim New World Distance Record on
    3.7 Millimeter Band <#toc09>
  * Grant L. "Don" Carlson, KQ6FM, SK <#toc10>
  * AMSAT Area Coordinator Kevin Smith, N3HKQ, SK <#toc11>
  * The End of the Commercial Telegraph? Please QRS <#toc12>
  * This Week in Radiosport <#toc13>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc14>

**/Emergency Radio/: Radio Amateurs Commended Following Flooding Activation

Canadian Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers supporting emergency 
communication in the aftermath of flooding in the Province of Alberta 
stood down June 24. Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC <http://www.rac.ca/>) 
Alberta Section Emergency Coordinator Curtis Bidulock, VE6AEW,

said ARES would remain on standby during the recovery process in the 
event of a communication failure.

Bidulock thanked all operators who "provided countless volunteer hours 
to support the served agencies with priority and emergency traffic. It 
has been expressed by AEMA <http://www.aema.alberta.ca/> [Alberta 
Emergency Management Agency] that without our capability to deploy and 
adapt it would have made this disaster much more difficult to manage."

RAC Alberta Director J.T. "Mitch" Mitchell, VE6OH, told ARRL that for a 
time the emergency operations center in Medicine Hat could only 
communicate with the Provincial Operations Centre in Edmonton via ham 
radio. Mitchell told ARRL Sunday that hams had established a cross-band 
link between Medicine Hat and the provincial UHF link to provide an 
additional path that did not rely on the Internet, in case HF was 
unstable. Bidulock said the temporary link would remain in place through 
recovery.

Over the weekend, the RAC had asked operators to keep 3.675 MHz and 
7.135 MHz clear for emergency traffic, a daunting task given the 
presence of thousands of Field Day stations on both bands. Saskatchewan 
was bracing for high water levels, Mitchell said, and the Amateur Radio 
Emergency Service there may activate and use 3.735 MHz and 7.055 MHz. 
/-- //RAC/ <http://www.rac.ca/>

/International/: ARRL Will Be Represented at Europe's Premier Ham Radio 
Gathering

ARRL Headquarters staffers are among those journeying to Germany to 
represent the League at HAM RADIO 2013 
<http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en/index.php> -- the 
International Exhibition for Radio Amateurs, June 28-30, commonly known 
simply by its location, Friedrichshafen. Some 200 exhibitors are 
expected at HAM RADIO 2013 along with upward of 15,000 visitors. This 
year's HAM RADIO theme is "The Amateur Radio Adventure: DXpedition," and 
representatives of several DXpeditions will explain for visitors the 
thrill of operating from remote areas of the world.

This is the 38th HAM RADIO event, which is billed as Europe's biggest 
Amateur Radio convention -- and sometimes as "Europe's Dayton." The ARRL 
contingent will be on hand to greet international visitors and to 
network with representatives of other national ham radio societies.

The flea market at Friedrichshafen always attracts a crowd.

The League also offers DXCC card checking at its booth. In its role as 
International Secretariat for the International Amateur Radio Union 
(IARU <http://www.iaru.org>), the ARRL will host a meeting area for IARU 
officials and friends at the convention.

Attending on the behalf of the League will be ARRL International Affairs 
Vice President Jay Bellows, KØQB, and HQ staff members Norm Fusaro, 
W3IZ; Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, and Dave Patton, NN1N. Representing the 
IARU will be President Timothy Ellam, VE6SH, Vice President Ole 
Garpestad, LA2RR, and Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD. ARRL will post 
photos of the event to its Facebook 
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151542482817408.1073741834.20069212407&type=1&l=e6ea4ceaef> 
page. /-- Thanks to Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R; some information provided by 
the Messe, Friedrichshafen/

/International:/ RSGB Marks Its Centenary On and Off the Air

The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB <http://www.rsgb.org.uk>) turns 
100 this year. The IARU <http://www.iaru.org/> member-society represents 
Amateur Radio in the UK. The big day is July 5, Centenary Day, the 
anniversary of the Society's founding, when a commemorative plaque will 
be unveiled at Bletchley

Park -- famous for its secret World War II code-breaking activities. A 
Centenary dinner will follow. ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, says the 
ARRL appreciates the importance of having strong national Amateur Radio 
societies around the world.

"No single Amateur Radio society can mount the kind of advocacy effort 
necessary at the international level to protect and advance the 
interests of Amateur Radio," she said. "However, working together under 
the auspices of the International Amateur Radio Union, the ARRL, the 
RSGB, and other national societies have been able to achieve positive 
outcomes for Amateur Radio worldwide. This has been true in the first 
century of the ARRL and the RSGB and will continue as our two 
organizations begin a second century of service to Amateur Radio and our 
members."

Special event call sign G/x/100RSGB, where the /x/ is replaced by the 
appropriate secondary station locator -- M, W, I, D, U and J, for 
example -- has been on the air since January 1. The UK's regulatory 
agency Ofcom <http://www.ofcom.org.uk> has approved special prefixes GV, 
MV and 2V from July 5 through July 31. Individual licensees must apply 
<http://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/online-nov-application/rsgb-centenary-nov/> 
to Ofcom for permission to use them.

The RSGB's Centenary Convention takes place October 11-13, preceded by a 
national hamfest in late September. The RSGB began as the London 
Wireless Club, established in 1913, a year before the ARRL got its 
start. By the end of its first year the club boasted more than 150 
members. Today the RSGB has some 20,000 members. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/rsgb-marks-its-centenary-on-and-off-the-air>.

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/International:/ Intruder Watch Documents Odd Bursts, Beeps and Buzzes 
on the Bands

The International Amateur Radio Union <http://www.iaru.org> Monitoring 
System (IARUMS) continues to observe and log suspect and apparently 
unauthorized operations that intrude on Amateur Radio allocations. For 
example, the

May 2013 IARUMS Region 1 <http://www.iarums-r1.org> (Europe) 
/Newsletter/ <http://www.iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2013/news1305.pdf> 
reports an over-the-horizon (OTH) radar operating in Iran daily on 10 
meters (26 to 30 MHz), transmitting bursts with 307 and 870 sweeps per 
second, 60 kHz wide and often jumping, covering 700 kHz and more. IARUMS 
Region 3 <http://www.iaru-r3.org/ms/> (Oceania) volunteers also have 
reported hearing the OTH interference from Iran. Regulatory agencies in 
Switzerland and Germany have filed complaints without effect.

IARUMS volunteers in Region 1 also report BPSK daily military traffic 
from Ukraine on 15 meters. German authorities have formally complained. 
DGØJBJ reports having observed 11 OTH radars on 20 meters, 65 OTH radars 
on 15 meters and 30 OTH radars on 10 meters -- not including the OTH 
radars from Iran. IARUMS Region 3 volunteers further report ongoing 
"illegal use of 10 meters for local short-range communications in a 
number of Asian countries." Radio Amateurs in IARU Region 2 (the 
Americas) may report suspected intruders on /exclusive/ Amateur Radio 
allocations to the ARRL <mailto:cskolaut at arrl.org>.

/FCC:/ Reply Comment Deadline Extended in 5 GHz Proceeding

The FCC has extended until July 24 the deadline to file reply comments 
in its proceeding to allow unlicensed National Information 
Infrastructure (U-NII) devices at 5 GHz. The FCC in February sought 
comment on making available an additional 195 megahertz of spectrum in 
the 5.35-5.47 GHz and 5.85-5.925 GHz bands for U-NII

use. Reply comments are responses to comments already filed in the 
proceeding, ET Docket 13-49 
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022123531>. In comments 
filed in May on the FCC /Notice of Proposed Rule Making/ (/NPRM/), the 
ARRL told the FCC that a near-term decision with respect to adding U-NII 
devices to the 5.85-5.925 GHz band "would be premature," since no 
compatibility analysis has been completed.

U-NII devices use "wideband digital modulation techniques to provide a 
wide array of high data rate mobile and fixed communications for 
individuals, businesses, and institutions," the FCC explained in its /NPRM/.

The FCC extended the reply comment deadline in response to requests from 
two industry groups, IEEE 802 and the Wi-Fi Alliance. Amateur Radio has 
a longstanding secondary allocation of 5.65-5.925 GHz, with an 
amateur-satellite uplink band at 5.65-5.67 GHz and a downlink at 
5.83-5.85 GHz.

/FCC:/ Location Service Deployment May Constrain 902-928 MHz Amateur Use

A portion of the 902-928 MHz (33 centimeter) band may become less useful 
to radio amateurs in urban areas as a result of an FCC /Order/ 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-78A1.pdf>. The 
FCC has given Progeny LMS, LLC the okay to begin commercial operation of 
its multilateration location and monitoring service (M-LMS) on 
approximately 4 megahertz of the M-LMS portions of the band between 
919.750 and 927.750 MHz where it holds licenses.

"Progeny is deploying a wide-area positioning system to provide more 
precise location services in areas where Global Positioning System (GPS) 
and other existing services may not work effectively, particularly 
indoors and in urban canyons," the FCC said in its /Order/, released June 6.

The FCC opened 33 centimeters to hams on a secondary basis (Amateur 
Radio is secondary on all bands above 420 MHz) in 1985, provided hams 
did not interfere with the automatic vehicle monitoring (AVM) service, 
subsequently expanded into the M-LMS. While M-LMS operations at least on 
paper have a higher priority than unlicensed Part 15 devices on the 
band, Progeny had to demonstrate through field testing that its network 
would not cause "unacceptable levels of interference" to such Part 15 
devices as cordless telephones and baby monitors. The FCC said this was 
a result of its policy to promote "co-existence" in the band, while not 
elevating Part 15 devices to co-equal status with M-LMS systems.

In his "It Seems to Us 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/June%202012/It%20Seems%20to%20Us.pdf>" 
editorial in the June 2012 issue of /QST/, ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, 
pointed out that effectively setting unlicensed services such as Part 15 
at a higher priority than licensed services "is the reverse of the usual 
situation in which Part 15 devices are at the bottom of the pecking 
order." Federal (military) radiolocation and ISM Part 18 devices are at 
the top of the 902-928 MHz food chain. Sumner predicted in his editorial 
that operations such as Progeny's "will pose some new challenges for 
amateurs in a band that is already impacted by other users." On the 
other hand, he said, sharing bands with the military has helped Amateur 
Radio to stave off spectrum grabs from commercial interests.

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/Operating:/ New Logbook of The World Software Eases Uploading

The recently released version of /Trusted QSL/ (/TQSL/) software for

Logbook of The World (LoTW <http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>) 
makes it much easier for users to upload logs to the worldwide contact 
repository. /TQSL/ v. 1.14.1 may be downloaded from the LoTW page.

The new software lets users upload log files to LoTW /directly/ from 
/Trusted QSL/, saving steps. It also will automatically check for 
updates, prompting users to download and install. Among other new 
features, any QSOs that have been successfully uploaded to LoTW or saved 
to a file are registered in a database, and exact duplicates are 
automatically stripped from future logs (this feature may be disabled).

More than a half-billion contact records have been posted in LoTW since 
it began operation in 2003, resulting in some 72 million contact 
confirmations. Upgrading to version 1.14 is not mandatory. Full 
information 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/LoTW%20Instructions/Upgrading%20to%20TQSL%201_14_1.pdf> 
on the advantages of upgrading is available on the LoTW website.

/On the Air/: 13 Colonies Special Event Set

The annual 13 Colonies Special Event will take place during the first 
week of July, with participating 13 colonies' stations on the air from 
1300 UTC July 1 until 0400 UTC July 6. Event sponsors say at least two 
special event stations will operate from each colony state. The theme 
for 2014 is "Banners of the Revolution," and the certificate -- 
available to all participants regardless of the number of stations 
worked -- will reflect that theme.

Those working all 13 colonies qualify for a "Clean Sweep" certificate 
designation, and a special endorsement will be attached for stations 
working WM3PEN in Philadelphia. The suggested exchange is call sign, 
name, signal report and state/province/country. The event's sponsors 
report that more than 62,000 contacts were logged in last year's 13 
Colonies Special Event. More information <http://www.13colonies.info/> 
is available on the web.

/On the Air:/ California Amateurs Claim New World Distance Record on 3.7 
Millimeter Band

Mountain-topping radio amateurs in California are claiming a new world 
distance record on the 77 to 81 GHz band -- also known as "E band" -- a 
band many hams likely are unaware of and whose future is unclear. The 
claimed record was set June 13 between KF6KVG on a peak just east of San 
Jose and AD6IW in Kings Canyon National Park to the east-southeast.

"We achieved a distance of 252.49 km from Mt Hamilton (CM97di) to Kings 
Canyon National Park (DM06ms)," Goran Popovic, AD6IW, announced on the 
50 MHz & Up Group <http://www.50mhzandup.org> reflector. "We made 
two-way contact on FM and SSB with strong signals at both ends." Popovic 
was on the Kings Canyon end of the contact. The current E band record is 
228 km, set in Germany between DL2AM and DL2GWZ.

According to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, this amateur band was first 
allocated internationally in 1979 as 75.5-81 GHz, with 75.5-76 GHz 
primary and the remainder secondary. When allocations below 76 GHz were 
realigned at WRC 2000, 75.5-76 GHz was deleted, 81-81.5 GHz was added as 
secondary, and the primary allocation was shifted to 77.5-78 GHz 
although only 77-81 GHz is available currently to amateurs in the US. 
Sumner says the band 77.5-78 GHz is under consideration at WRC 2015 for 
an allocation for automotive short-range radar, leaving the fate of the 
amateur primary allocation uncertain.

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Grant L. "Don" Carlson, KQ6FM, SK

ARRL Life Member and Public Relations Committee Member Don Carlson, 
KQ6FM, of Sparks, Nevada, died June 21, of complications related to 
pancreatic cancer. He was 60.

Carlson was an active radio amateur and commercial radio broadcaster, 
known as "Don Murray" during his days at Nevada and

Don Carlson, KQ6FM

California radio stations, where he usually hosted oldies and jazz 
shows. He also did commercial voice-over work for radio and television, 
including for ARRL national radio and TV public service announcements. 
His voice occasionally was heard on Amateur Radio Newsline 
<http://www.arnewsline.org/>, the weekly ham radio news webcast.

Carlson served as District Emergency Coordinator for Nevada's Northwest 
District, as well as Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Section 
Emergency Coordinator, Public Information Coordinator and Assistant 
Section Manager. In California he had served as Santa Clara Valley SEC 
and as an Assistant Section Manager, and as District Emergency 
Coordinator for Monterey County.

In 2010 the ARRL Pacific Division recognized his contributions to 
Amateur Radio by naming him "Ham of the Year" at Pacificon. Carlson also 
served on the board of directors for EMCOMMWEST 
<http://www.emcommwest.org/>, an annual ARRL specialty convention held 
in Reno.

A celebration of life for Don Carlson will be held June 29, 10 AM, at 
Sierra Bible Church, 3195 Everett Dr, Reno. The family requests that 
cards be mailed to Sierra Bible Church <http://www.sierrabible.org/> and 
memorial donations made to a church or other charitable donation "to 
help someone less fortunate than yourself."

AMSAT Area Coordinator Kevin Smith, N3HKQ, SK

Longtime AMSAT Area Coordinator Kevin Smith, N3HKQ, of Monongahela, 
Pennsylvania, died June 10. AMSAT Area Coordinators are volunteers who 
serve as AMSAT's ambassadors to the Amateur Radio community. Smith also 
co-chaired the team that hosted the 2007

Kevin Smith, N3HKQ

AMSAT Symposium in Pittsburgh, and he was a key player in executing an 
earlier ARISS contact from Upper St Clair (Pennsylvania) High School. He 
was a member of the Wireless Association of the South Hills and active 
on VHF and UHF. Survivors include his wife Peg, a son and a daughter. 
The family suggests memorial donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma 
Society <http://www.lls.org/>, the MDS Foundation 
<http://www.mds-foundation.org/> or to Be the Match 
<http://bethematch.org/Home.aspx>. /-- //AMSAT News Service/ 
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/>

The End of the Commercial Telegraph? Please QRS

Worldwide news media for several days have been proclaiming the 
impending demise of the telegram in India next month. Unfortunately 
various reporters and news outlets seem to have conflated the words 
"telegram" and "telegraph," with the result that many Morse code 
enthusiasts in the ham radio community have begun lamenting the occasion 
as the end of an era and perhaps even as another nail in CW's coffin. 
Here's what's really happening. Citing mounting financial losses, 
India's state-owned telecommunications outfit, Bharat Sanchar Nigam 
Limited <http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Bharat+Sanchar+Nigam+Ltd.> 
(BSNL), is ending its /telegram/ service in mid-July, but other telegram 
services in India will continue. Just the /state-run/ service is calling 
it quits.

It's been many years since telegraphy was used to convey the content of 
a telegram in India. Today, telegrams at BSNL are routed to their 
destinations via the web using computer software -- essentially as

Antique telegraph training set

e-mail. Apparently for nostalgia's sake, however, when the last BSNL 
telegram in India is sent on July 15, the service will employ technology 
similar to that first used by the service when it began operation in 
1850. British inventor and physician William O'Shaughnessy introduced 
telegram service in India that year, but he used a telegraphy code 
different from Morse's to send the message.

This Week in Radiosport

  * July 1** -- RAC Canada Day Contest
  * July 5** -- MI QRP July 4th CW Sprint
  * July 7** -- Venezuelan Ind. Day Contest
  * July 7** -- DL-DX RTTY Contest
  * July 7** -- DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest
  * Jul 11** -- 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 28-30** -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention
    <http://www.hamconcolorado.org/wordpress/>, Estes Park, Colorado
  * July 6** -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
    <http://hrac.tripod.com/HAMFEST_FLYER2013.pdf>, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  * July 19-21** -- Montana State Convention
    <http://www.gwhamfest.org/>, East Glacier
  * July 25-27** -- Central States VHF Society Conference
    <http://www.csvhfs.org/2013conference/>, Elk Grove Village, Ilinois
  * July 26-27** -- ARRL Oklahoma State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-state-convention-ham-holiday-1>,
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  * August 2-3** -- ARRL Texas State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/texas-state-convention-austin-summerfest-2013>,
    Austin, Texas
  * August 2-4** -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacific-northwest-dx-convention-2>,
    Spokane Valley, Washington
  * August 17** -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-virginia-state-convention-3>,
    Weston, West Virginia
  * August 17-18** -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-huntsville-hamfest-1>,
    Huntsville, Alabama
  * August 18** -- ARRL Kansas State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/kansas-state-convention-3>, Salina, Kansas
  * August 25** -- ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/western-pennsylvania-section-convention-3>,
    New Kensington, Pennsylvania

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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