[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for April 3, 2014

Thu Apr 3 19:09:19 EDT 2014

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The ARRL Letter

April 3, 2014
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <mailto: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/>

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2014-04-03&t=t>

  * ARRL Calls for Timely, Visible FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement <#toc01>
  * /Public Service/: Washington Governor Visits Snohomish County EOC
    Radio Room <#toc02>
  * /Public Service/: Hams on Alert in Wake of Chile Earthquake <#toc03>
  * /DX/: Stormy Weather May Force Retreat of Mellish Reef VK9MT
    DXpedition Team <#toc04>
  * /Radiosport/: WRTC-2014 Receives ARRL Colvin Grant Award <#toc05>
  * /Centennial/: W1AW Centennial Operations in Pennsylvania, Oregon,
    until April 9 (UTC) <#toc06>
  * /Ham Radio in Space:/ Lithuania's President Relays Greetings via
    Amateur Radio CubeSat <#toc07>
  * /Events:/ ARRL to Be Represented at National Association of
    Broadcasters Convention <#toc08>
  * /Milestones:/ Voice of Russia Goes Dark After All <#toc09>
  * /Milestones:/ AMSAT-NA Board Member, Officer Tony Monteiro, AA2TX,
    SK <#toc10>
  * /Feature/: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL <#toc11>
  * In Brief... <#toc12>
  * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13>
  * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc15>

ARRL Calls for Timely, Visible FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement

In comments <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7521096114> filed 
in response to the FCC's February 14 /Report on Process Reform/ (GN 
Docket 14-25 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-199A2.pdf>), 
the ARRL has called for a more visible, responsive Amateur Radio 
enforcement program. The League also said it was concerned that FCC 
policies for adjudicating certain complaints of interference to radio 
amateurs, especially those involving electric utilities, provide no 
incentive for the utilities to resolve them. The ARRL was further 
critical of the fact that FCC petitions for rule making and spectrum 
allocation proceedings often take years to resolve. But the League 
confined the bulk of its comments to perceived shortcomings in the 
Amateur Radio enforcement program.

"[T]he visibility of the Commission's enforcement program for the 
Amateur Service is wholly inadequate, resulting in a widespread, albeit 
inaccurate, public perception that there is no active enforcement in our 
service," the League's comments asserted. The ARRL said "deterrence 
based on visibility is a critical component of a successful compliance 
campaign."

The most successful -- and visible -- period of Amateur Radio 
enforcement in recent years was between 1997 and 2008, the ARRL said. 
According to the League, compliance during that period was a result of 
"the visibility in the Amateur Radio community of a single member of the 
Commission's Enforcement Bureau staff at Amateur Radio events" and of 
keeping the Amateur Radio media fully informed on what was being done to 
resolve a particular enforcement issue.

FCC-imposed constraints in the past few years have had "a devastating 
effect on the entire philosophy of the program and its success," the 
League told the Commission. Among other factors, the ARRL pointed to the 
"extensive approvals" required before the release of enforcement 
correspondence. Enforcement actions that /are/ taken, the League 
continued, are not released to the Amateur Radio media. "This deprives 
radio amateurs of the knowledge that the Commission is indeed 
investigating and responding to a given enforcement problem," the ARRL 
said. "The result is the perception that nothing is being done in a 
given case, and frustration builds rapidly among the radio amateurs who 
have to endure the rule violator on an ongoing basis."

"/[L]imitations imposed on the visibility of enforcement actions in 
recent years have significantly reduced the effectiveness of the 
program/," the ARRL stressed, and "directly resulted in notable and 
unacceptable increases in rule violations, most especially malicious 
interference." Further, the ARRL said, Enforcement Bureau personnel 
responsible for Amateur Radio enforcement should be empowered with 
greater autonomy to address problems as they arise.

The League faulted the FCC's websites -- old and new -- for being 
"woefully out of date" and not well maintained or presented. "The fact 
that there are two separate listings of Amateur Radio enforcement 
actions on two separate FCC websites is, frankly, ridiculous in any 
case," the ARRL concluded.

The ARRL also urged the FCC to make better use of the Amateur Auxiliary 
-- the ARRL Official Observer Program -- in resolving enforcement 
complaints. "It is unclear why none of the evidence gathered by OOs is 
usable other than as a predictor for Commission District Office staff to 
use in investigating the matter themselves -- if and when their time 
permits," the League said. "The program is authorized by legislation. It 
would increase the Commission's efficiency if the work of these 
volunteers were put to a better use."

The ARRL pointed to cases where chronic rule violators who were the 
subject of hundreds of hours of OO surveillance and off-the-air 
recordings have "been allowed to continue those activities for periods 
of years without more than a warning letter."

The League said the /Report/ "makes good recommendations" in addressing 
years-long delays in resolving rule making petitions and open-docket 
proceedings. As an example it cited the League's 2012 /Petition for 
Rulemaking/ <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022073018> 
seeking a new Amateur Radio allocation at 472-479 kHz. "To date, a year 
and a half after it was filed, this /Petition for Rule Making/ has not 
been afforded a file number, nor has public comment been solicited on 
it," the ARRL said.

In a /Public Notice/ 
<http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-public-comment-report-process-reform> 
the FCC said its /Report/ "seeks to further the goal of having the 
agency operate in the most effective, efficient and transparent way 
possible." The League said it was not being critical of any individual 
FCC staffers or managers. "Rather, the remarks are directed at the 
Commission's policies and processes" and address issues that "result, in 
large part, from the unenviable necessity of allocating scarce (and in 
some cases inadequate) human resources available to the Commission."

/Public Service/: Washington Governor Visits Snohomish County EOC Radio Room

Snohomish County Auxiliary Communications Service (Snohomish ACS 
<http://wa7dem.info/> -- formerly RACES) Radio Officer Scott Honaker, 
N7SS, reported that Washington Gov Jay Inslee toured the Snohomish 
County Department of Emergency Management EOC in Everett on March 26. 
The EOC has been central to the ongoing relief effort following the 
March 22 mudslide near Oso, Washington.

(L-R) Washington Gov Jay Inslee, ARES DEC George Boswell, K7YHB; ACS 
Radio Officer Scott Honaker, N7SS, and former ACS Radio Officer Tim 
Lawson, K7TKA. [Rob Myers, K7RHM, photo]

"We saw Gov Inslee walk into the EOC, and a few minutes later the EOC 
manager brought him into the radio room with a small group," Honaker 
told ARRL. "The governor shook hands and thanked us and kept asking good 
questions about issues he'd heard in the field. He was clearly quite 
engaged."

Honaker said the EOC radio room has six radio stations in cubicles, four 
of them currently monitoring incident traffic. He said ARES DEC George 
Boswell, K7YHB, has been at the EOC 12 hours a day since last weekend.

The March 22 landslide, approximately 3 miles east of Oso -- between 
Darrington and Arlington -- destroyed some 50 homes or other structures 
and resulted in 30 deaths, as of April 3. Another 16 people remain 
missing. The slide blocked the north fork of the Stillaguamish River and 
covered about 1 mile of State Route 530, cutting off access to 
Darrington and disrupting telecommunication services.

Snohomish ACS has been handling communication from the EOC and has moved 
one command vehicle (COM1) to Darrington, where it had been staffed 
until March 27. A second vehicle was moved to the incident command post 
in Arlington and is being staffed by dispatchers from 911 call centers.

"Our DEM Director has requested we staff COM1 in Darrington again, and 
[we] will do so until relieved," Honaker said on April 1. Amateur Radio 
volunteers now are running two 9 hour shifts in the EOC and one 12 hour 
shift in Darrington." Other Amateur Radio volunteers are providing 
communication support for the Incident Management Team in Arlington.

In addition to Honaker and Boswell, other Amateur Radio volunteers who 
met with the governor included former ACS Radio Officer Tim Lawson, 
K7TKA; Erik Robbins, K7QOG; Ann Wright, AA7AG, and Rob Myers, K7RHM.

During a radio interview <http://kiroradio.com/listen/9969628/> with 
Brandi Kruse on KIRO in Seattle, Gov Inslee recounted his EOC visit and 
specifically his visit to the radio room.

"It's interesting that they had a volunteer group that really has 
handled a lot of the communications," the governor said. "They have 
staffed the communications center so that you could have communications 
from Darrington across over to the Operations Center in Arlington, 
because the phones were down for two and a half days."

/Public Service/: Hams on Alert in Wake of Chile Earthquake

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake occurred off Northern Chile on April 1, and a 
powerful 7.6 magnitude aftershock rocked the area on April 3. After the 
initial temblor, the Radio Club de Chile <http://www.ce3aa.cl/> 
activated in collaboration with ONEMI, the National Emergency Office of 
the Ministry of Interior and Public Security.

Radio amateurs established an emergency communication net using 7.050 
and 14.255 MHz, according to Julio Zavala, CE3OP. The initial earthquake 
killed six people and triggered a tsunami that pounded Chile's shore 
with 7 foot waves.

Right after the first quake, Amateur Radio volunteers in Hawaii opened a 
tsunami radio watch net on the linked statewide State Civil Defense 
RACES/Oahu Department of Emergency Management VHF/UHF repeaters. The net 
carried periodic announcements from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center 
in Ewa Beach, said ARRL Emergency Coordinator and RACES Coordinator Ron 
Hashiro, AH6RH. The ETA of the tsunami was 3:24 AM, local time.

Amateur Radio observers reported only modest effects, however, and the 
radio watch net shut down at 4:32 AM, local time. The tsunami advisory 
was cancelled about 3 hours later.

Thousands of people who had evacuated Chile's low-lying coastal areas 
returned the morning of April 2, after authorities called off the first 
tsunami alarm. They retreated again after the second earthquake, but a 
precautionary tsunami alert along the coast and in neighboring Chile was 
canceled.

The threat may not be over, according to Paul Earle, a seismologist at 
the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center. He said 
the Tuesday earthquake was insufficient to release the stress in the 
vicinity of the undersea seismic gap. "It's going to take some time to 
evaluate the effect of this earthquake on that region," he said. "But 
people should stay prepared."/-- Thanks to Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, Jim 
Linton, VK3PC, /The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>, and Reuters

/DX/: Stormy Weather May Force Retreat of Mellish Reef VK9MT DXpedition Team

Deteriorating weather and high winds could force the Mellish Reef VK9MT 
<http://vk9mt.com/> DXpedition team from the Pacific Atoll to the 
/Evohe/, the ship that transported them from Australia a week earlier. 
The operation may have to be abandoned altogether, if the poor weather 
persists. The DXpedition began operations on March 29 and had planned to 
remain on Mellish Reef until April 9.

"The weather continues to change," a team update reported April 3. "Last 
night there were torrential downpours and high winds." The DXpedition 
said that antennas survived with no damage, but the operators have 
removed nonessential equipment and several antennas, including the 
just-erected 160 meter antenna. While water flowed into the "break tent" 
through an open window, the operating tents were dry, and no equipment 
was damaged.

"Tomorrow morning we will remove all remaining equipment from the island 
and head towards Australia," the team said, adding that its immediate 
destination would depend upon the winds and sea conditions, although the 
ship eventually would return to its home port of Mackay, Australia. 
"Even if the storm subsides, it is unlikely we will have enough time to 
return to the island."

Early on April 3, the team reported it was keeping an eye on a tropical 
depression north of Mellish Reef and made contingency plans to shut down 
and abandon the reef, at least temporarily. "The safety of the 
DXpedition team and the crew is the first priority," the team said.

The operators were requesting that only those needing Mellish Reef for 
an all-time new one call the DXpedition. To that end VK9MT intended to 
focus its attention on bands that drive the highest rates. As of 2000 
UTC, VK9MT continued to hold forth on 15, 17, 20, 30, 80, and 75 meters. 
Last activated in 2009, Mellish Reef is number 22 on ClubLog's most 
recent mixed-mode /DXCC Most Wanted List/ 
<http://www.clublog.org/mostwanted.php>. -- /Thanks to/ The Daily DX 
<http://www.dailydx.com>, /DX //Summit/ <http://www.dxsummit.fi/>

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-04-03&p=0>
/Radiosport/: WRTC-2014 Receives ARRL Colvin Grant Award

World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 (WRTC-2014 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/>) has announced 
<http://www.wrtc2014.org/wrtc2014-receives-colvin-award-grant/> that it 
is the recipient of what it called "a significant financial 
contribution" in the form of an ARRL Colvin Award 
<http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants> grant. WRTC-2014 will take 
place July 8-14 in New England. The Colvin Award is funded by an 
endowment established by the late Lloyd D. Colvin, W6KG, and 
administered by the ARRL. Colvin Award grants are conferred in support 
of Amateur Radio projects that promote international goodwill in the 
field of DX.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award," said WRTC-2014 Chair 
Doug Grant, K1DG. "More than just a radio competition, the WRTC is a 
place where competitors from around the world can create or renew 
lasting friendships."

In the July event 59 teams of top Amateur Radio contest operators from 
more than 40 countries will compete from equivalent stations for top 
honors in the event, which typically takes place every 4 years. 
Eligibility to participate in WRTC-2014 was based on qualifying scores 
posted in major contests between 2010 and 2014.

A contingent of referees and judges, all well-known contesters in their 
own right, will oversee the competition and confirm the results.

Recent Colvin Award grant recipients include the 2013 K9W Wake Atoll 
<http://wake2013.org/> and T33A Banaba Island <http://www.t33a.com/> 
DXpeditions and the 2014 FT5ZM Amsterdam Island 
<http://www.amsterdamdx.org> operation.

/Centennial/: W1AW Centennial Operations in Pennsylvania, Oregon, until 
April 9 (UTC)

The ARRL Centennial "W1AW WAS 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/On%20the%20Air/W1AW_2014_sked.pdf>" 
operations taking place throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states are 
now in Pennsylvania (W1AW/3) and Oregon (W1AW/7). They will relocate at 
0000 UTC on Wednesday, April 9 (the evening of April 8 in US time 
zones), to Massachusetts (W1AW/1) and Virginia (W1AW/4). During 2014 
W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US 
territories, and it will be easy to work all states solely by contacting 
W1AW portable operations.

In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the ARRL, the ARRL 
Centennial QSO Party <http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party> kicked 
off January 1 for a year-long operating event in which participants can 
accumulate points and win awards. The event is open to all, although 
only ARRL members and appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW 
are worth ARRL Centennial QSO Party points 
<http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party#Table>. Working W1AW/x from 
each state is worth 5 points per contact.

To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating 
portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does 
/not/ count for Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants 
must work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will 
be available (pricing not yet available).

The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board 
<https://centennial-qp.arrl.org> that participants can use to determine 
how many points they have accumulated in the Centennial QSO Party and in 
the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your Logbook of The World (LoTW 
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>) user name and password, and 
your position will appear at the top of the leader boards. Results are 
updated daily, based on contacts entered into LoTW.

So far this year the W1AW Centennial operations have posted 
<https://centennial-qso-party.arrl.org/w1aw-portable-qsos.php> nearly 
685,000 contacts, with uploads awaited from some operations.

/Ham Radio in Space:/ Lithuania's President Relays Greetings via Amateur 
Radio CubeSat

A greeting from Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite was transmitted 
via LituanicaSAT-1 
<http://amsat-uk.org/2014/02/27/lituanicasat-1-cubesat/>. Grybauskaite 
may be the first head of state to send a message via an Amateur Radio 
satellite, her country's first.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite [Augustas Didzgalvis photo]

Using a handheld radio and the call sign LY5N, she transmitted through 
the satellite's FM voice transponder. Her words, "Greetings to all 
Lithuanians around the world!" were recorded on a memory chip in the 
satellite and the message was successfully transmitted from space on 
March 22.

Last year Grybauskaite visited the Science Communication and Information 
Center at Vilnius University and got to see the LituanicaSAT-1 CubeSat, 
then being readied for its trip into space. LituanicaSAT-1 was launched 
to the International Space Station on January 9 and deployed into orbit 
with other Amateur Radio satellites on February 28.

The tiny satellite, measuring just 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing slightly 
more than 1 kg, carries a VGA camera and a 145/435 MHz FM Amateur Radio 
voice transponder, designed and built by Lithuanian radio amateurs. /-- 
Thanks to AMSAT News Service, AMSAT-UK/

/Events:/ ARRL to Be Represented at National Association of Broadcasters 
Convention

The ARRL will be on hand April 5-10 as more than 100,000 visitors 
descend on Las Vegas to attend the annual National Association of 
Broadcasters (NAB <http://www.nab.org/>) Convention 
<http://www.nabshow.com/>. Hundreds of Amateur Radio operators are 
expected to be among the attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 
ARRL Pacific Division <http://www.pdarrl.org> Director Bob Vallio, 
W6RGG, will join local ham radio volunteers in staffing the ARRL booth. 
Jim Bilan, W7UXB, is coordinating the staff. NAB Science and Technology 
Vice President John Marino, KR1O, arranged for the generous donation of 
booth space from the NAB.

Marino and NAB Technology will join Bob Heil, K9EID, of Heil Sound, 
Broadcast Supply World, Turner Engineering, and DX Engineering in 
hosting the popular Amateur Radio Operators Reception at the NAB. More 
than 600 hams from around the world are expected to attend the April 9 
event. All Amateur Radio operators are invited, and there is no charge.

Nearly 1700 exhibitors will be at the show. The ARRL booth will offer 
convention attendees information on how to get involved in ham radio, 
how to become an ARRL member, and how to take advantage of League 
services. Staffing the ARRL booth are members of the Frontier Amateur 
Radio Society, the Nellis Radio Amateur Club, the Las Vegas Repeater 
Association, Nevada Amateur Radio Repeaters Inc, and the Las Vegas Radio 
Amateur Club. Members of several of the non ARRL-affiliated clubs also 
assist./-- Thanks to Pacific Division Assistant Director/Nevada Section 
PIO John Bigley, N7UR/

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-04-03&p=1>
/Milestones:/ Voice of Russia Goes Dark After All

The Voice of Russia -- the former "Radio Moscow" -- ended its shortwave 
broadcasts on Tuesday, April 1 -- No fooling! After contradictory 
announcements and reports last December, it appears the international 
broadcaster has indeed pulled the plug on its HF transmissions. SWL Tom 
Witherspoon, K4SWL, contacted VOR. As he reported 
<http://swling.com/blog/2014/03/voice-of-russia-to-abandon-shortwave-on-april-1-2014/> 
on his blog <http://swling.com/blog/>, Voice of Russia's Elena Osipova 
told him, "This is to thank you for your message and confirm the 
information about the upcoming cancellation of the Voice of Russia's 
short- and medium wave transmissions as of April 1, 2014."

Richard Weil, KW0U, in St Paul, Minnesota, was able to hear the final 
shortwave broadcast. "Just barely picked up the last-day broadcast of 
VOR on 13.805 at 1300 UTC," he commented on Witherspoon's site. He used 
a dipole in his attic. "No mention on air of a final broadcast, which 
some services have given before closing down," he added. "Too bad to 
lose it, but time does move on."

Effective December 9, as a result of a decree signed by Russian 
President Vladimir Putin, the Voice of Russia radio company officially 
ceased to exist and merged with several other state-run news agencies as 
part of /Rossia Segodnya/, a Russia-based international news service. 
 From the 1950s through the 1980s, the station, then as Radio Moscow, 
was an easy catch for budding short-wave listeners (SWLs), many of whom 
later gravitated to Amateur Radio.

"I remember when the///Voice of Russia//and //Radio Moscow///absolutely 
dominated the shortwaves, especially in my early years as a radio 
listener," Witherspoon remarked on his blog. "Times have changed for 
this broadcaster, who has been the mouthpiece for Russia and the Soviet 
Union."

In 2003 VOR was among the first major international radio broadcasters 
to launch daily broadcasts to Europe in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM 
<http://www.drm.org/>).

/Milestones:/ AMSAT-NA Board Member, Officer Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, SK

AMSAT Board Member and Vice President-Engineering Anthony J. "Tony" 
Monteiro, AA2TX, of North Andover, Massachusetts, died March 26. He was 
55 and had been suffering from cancer. A "farewell" message was relayed 
via the FUNcube-1 satellite. First licensed in 1973, Monteiro once 
described making his first ham radio contact with a transmitter he'd 
made using parts from an old TV set.

Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, with a model of the Fox-1 satellite. [AMSAT photo]

"A Heathkit HR-10B receiver and a 65-foot piece of wire strung out of a 
window for an antenna made up the rest of my station, which was pretty 
modest even by 1973 standards," he said. "Even so, I will never forget 
the thrill of my very first contact."

After receiving a BS in electrical engineering and a MS in computer 
science, Monteiro worked at Bell Laboratories, several startups, and 
with Cisco Systems, where he managed the development of ADSL, voice over 
packet, and content networking products. He retired from industry in 
2002 to focus on satellite projects.

Monteiro joined AMSAT in 1994. He was a frequent presence at AMSAT 
events, and he played a significant role in space-based hardware 
development, including the Fox-1 and Fox-2 satellites. The family has 
requested memorial donations to AMSAT, 850 Sligo Ave, Suite 600, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/amsat-na-board-member-officer-tony-monteiro-aa2tx-sk>./-- 
AMSAT News Service/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ARRL Centennial Station Giveaway!*

The ARRL has announced a "Centennial Station Giveaway 
<http://www.arrl.org/centennial-station-giveaway>" as part of its 
National Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, July 17-19, 
2014. Sponsored by the ARRL and R&L Electronics <http://www.randl.com/>, 
the first-prize winner will receive a Grand Prize voucher worth up to 
$5000 of equipment -- radio, antenna, and accessories -- redeemable for 
products sold by R&L Electronics. A second-prize winner will receive a 
$2500 prize voucher for products sold by FlexRadio Systems 
<http://www.flex-radio.com>, also co-sponsored by ARRL.
<http://arrl2014.org>

All /paid/ convention registrants will be entered in the prize drawings 
(door prizes). Winners will be drawn from among eligible registrants at 
the end of the convention on Saturday, July 19, 2014. The winner does 
not need to be present during the drawings.

Three-day convention tickets are $75 and include an all-day training 
workshop and lunch on Thursday. Two-day tickets are $25 ($30 at the 
door), good for admission on Friday and Saturday. /Everyone who attends 
the convention must register./

------------------------------------------------------------------------
/Feature/: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

When the US entered World War II, Amateur Radio operations were 
immediately shut down for the duration. After one false start, 
authorization soon was given for amateurs to operate on 112 MHz for 
emergency drills and actual emergency operations, as members of the War 
Emergency Radio Service (WERS).

During the war years/QST/ published many articles on WERS equipment 
suitable for 112 MHz -- especially portable and hand-held gear -- and on 
club preparedness. Announcements in /QST/ made repeated calls for 
trained operators to volunteer for the military and for civil service. 
At one time, the Navy made a call for 5000 men specifically to be 
trained as radar operators and maintenance personnel -- state-of-the-art 
work.

As America's young men went to various parts of the world to fight the 
war, the nation called on its women to help with the war effort. Many 
female hams became military radio operators within the US, and others 
went to work in defense plants building radio equipment, just as their 
sisters built the aircraft, ships, and vehicles required by modern warfare.

Manufacturers' ads in /QST/ started using photos of radio operation 
during military training maneuvers and even from the battlefield. Early 
in the war years, manufacturers were unable to keep up with the 
military's demand, and other ads called for hams to sell or donate their 
radio gear and components (panel meters were especially needed) for the 
war effort. Manufacturers expanded their facilities and work forces as 
quickly as possible, and they soon were able to meet the need.

It has been reported -- but never confirmed -- that, following the 
attack at Pearl Harbor, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said, "I fear 
all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a 
terrible resolve." Regardless of the proof of that exact quote, Admiral 
Yamamoto's writings confirmed that those were, indeed, his feelings. And 
those feelings were soon proven to be correct.

/Next week:/ We will continue to look at how hams and the ARRL backed 
the war effort.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-04-03&p=2>
In Brief...

*FCC Fines CBer $18,000 for Inspection, Quiet Hours Violations:* In a 
/Forfeiture Order/ <http://www.fcc.gov/document/nathaniel-johnson-0> 
released March 12, the FCC fined CB operator Nathaniel Johnson, of 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, $18,000 for "willful and repeated failure" to 
permit FCC personnel to inspect his station and to comply with "quiet 
hours" the Commission imposed. The 2012 enforcement action stemmed from 
neighbors' complaints of interference to telephones and televisions. 
Because it was unable to inspect Johnson's station, the FCC prohibited 
him and family members from transmitting between 8 AM and 11:30 PM, but 
the complaints continued. The Commission issued a /Notice of Apparent 
Liability for Forfeiture and Order/ (/NAL/ 
<http://www.fcc.gov/document/nathaniel-johnson>) in the case in May 2013.

*Dayton Top Band Dinner Speaker Announced:* Craig Thompson, K9CT, will 
present "The FT5ZM TopBand Experience" at the 2014 Dayton Top Band 
Dinner <http://topbanddinner.com/>, Friday, May 16, at the Crowne Plaza 
Hotel in Downtown Dayton. The event starts with a social hour at 6:15 
PM, with dinner at 7:15 PM.

Tom Clark, K3IO [TAPR photo]

*AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Speaker Announced:* Tom Clark, K3IO, will be the 
featured speaker for the eighth annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet, Friday, May 
16, at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, 
Kettering, Ohio -- just south of Dayton. Tickets are $30 and must be 
purchased online by May 13 on the AMSAT <http://www.amsat.org/> website 
(click on the "AMSAT Store" tab).

*Operations Approved for DXCC Credit**:* The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved 
the February 26 through March 6, 2014 operation of 3C0BYP -- Annobon -- 
and the 2013 operation of 9X0HP -- Rwanda -- for DX Century Club credit. 
If a request for DXCC credit for this operation has been rejected in a 
prior application, contact ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore 
<mailto:bmoore at arrl.org>, NC1L, to be placed on the list for an update 
to your record. Please note the submission date and/or reference number 
of your application in order to expedite the search for any rejected 
contacts. DXCC is Amateur Radio's premier award that hams can earn by 
confirming on-the-air contacts with 100 DXCC "entities 
<http://www.arrl.org/country-lists-prefixes>," most of which are 
countries in the traditional sense. You can begin with the basic DXCC 
award and work your way up to the DXCC Honor Roll. Learn more 
<http://www.arrl.org/rules>. /-- ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, 
NC1L/

*New World 24 GHz EME Record Claimed:* A new world record for moonbounce 
on 24 GHz -- 17,405.6 kilometers (10,815.3 miles) -- was set March 5 by 
Rex Moncur, VK7MO, and Charlie Suckling, G3WDG. VK7MO set up on Mount 
Wellington, near Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, to minimize water 
vapor attenuation of the 24 GHz signal and to take advantage of the 
Moon's being close to Earth. The Moon had to be at low elevation, which 
meant a longer path for the signal through Earth's atmosphere. /-- Jim 
Linton, VK3PC, via Southgate Amateur Radio News/

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, reports from Seattle: Average daily sunspot numbers over 
the past reporting week (March 27 to April 2) declined from 135.6 to 
130.4, compared to the previous 7 days. Average daily solar flux drifted 
lower too, from 153.2 to 149.

The current prediction has solar flux at 155 on April 3, 160 on April 
4-7, 155 and 150 on April 8-9, 140 on April 10-11, 135 on April 12-13, 
then 140 and 145 on April 14-15, 150 on April 16-18, 155 on April 19-22, 
145 on April 23-28, and 140 on April 29 through May 2.

Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8, 15, 12 and 8 on April 3-7, 5 on 
April 8-16, 8 on April 17-19, 5 on April 20-22, 8 on April 23-26, 5 on 
April 27 through May 2, then 8 on May 3-4, 5 on May 5, and 8 on May 6.

[NASA/SOHO image]

On Saturday, March 29, Spaceweather.com reported: "Sunspot AR2017 in the 
Sun's northern hemisphere is crackling with M-class solar flares, and it 
has a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for even stronger 
eruptions. Earth-directed flares are possible this weekend." 
Spaceweather.com subsequently reported: "AR2017 has just unleashed an 
X1-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the 
extreme ultraviolet flash on March 29 at 1752 UTC."

The Australian government's IPS Radio and Space Services issued a 
geomagnetic disturbance warning at 0445 UTC on April 3. "Active region 
12027 produced a M6.5 X-ray flare with associated CME on 02 April. 
Possible Active to Minor Storm conditions at higher latitudes on 05 
April due to CME arrival. INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED, DUE 
TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FOR 05 APRIL 2014."

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 tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast, reports from 
readers including a 6 meter long-path contact, updated and expanded 
reports of solar flares, and an update to our 3 month moving average of 
sunspot numbers.

Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me /your/ reports and observations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport

  *

    April 4 -- NS Weekly Sprint

  *

    April 5 -- LZ Open 40 Meter Contest

  *

    April 5 -- PODXS 31 Flavors Contest (Digital)

  *

    April 5 -- Missouri QSO Party

  *

    April 5-6 -- Mississippi QSO Party

  *

    April 5-6 -- Worldwide EME Contest

  *

    April 5-6 -- QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party (CW)

  *

    April 5-6 -- SP DX Contest (CW, SSB)

  *

    April 5-6 -- EA RTTY Contest

  *

    April 5-6 -- Montana QSO Party

  *

    April 6 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest

  *

    April 7 -- VHF Spring Sprints (All modes)

  *

    April 9 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)

  *

    April 9 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Tests

  *

    Apr 12 -- EU Spring Sprints (CW)

  *

    Apr 12 -- New Mexico QSO Party

  *

    Apr 12 -- Georgia QSO Party

  *

    Apr 12-13 -- Japan International DX Contest (CW)

  *

    Apr 12-13 -- Yuri Gagarin DX Contest (CW)

  *

    Apr 13 -- International Vintage Contest (CW)

  *

    Apr 13-14 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon

  *

    Apr 15 -- VHF Spring Sprints

  *

    Apr 17-22 -- Lighthouse Spring Lites QSO Party

Visit the Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for 
details.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

  *

    April 4-6 -- International DX Convention
    <http://www.dxconvention.org/>, Visalia, California

  *

    April 11-13 -- Eastern VHF/UHF Conference
    <http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html>, Manchester, Connecticut

  *

    April 19 -- Roanoke Division Convention
    <http://www.rars.org/hamfest>, Raleigh, North Carolina

  *

    April 25-27 -- Idaho State Convention
    <http://www.idahostateconvention.com/>, Boise, Idaho

  *

    April 26 -- Aurora '14 Conference <http://www.nlrs.org/>, White Bear
    Lake, Minnesota

  *

    May 3 -- South Carolina Section Convention <http://www.brars.org/>,
    Spartanburg, South Carolina

  *

    May 16-18 -- Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/> --
    Regional ARRL Centennial Event, Dayton, Ohio

  *

    May 30-Jun 1 Nevada State Convention <http://nvcon.org/>, Virginia
    City, Nevada

  *

    Jun 6-8 Northwestern Division Convention <http://www.seapac.org/>
    (SeaPac) -- Regional ARRL Centennial Event, Seaside, Oregon

  *

    Jun 7 Georgia Section Convention <http://www.atlantahamfest.org/>
    (Atlanta Hamfest), Marietta, Georgia

  *

    Jun 13-14 Ham-Com <http://www.hamcom.org/>, Regional ARRL Centennial
    Event, Plano, Texas

  *

    Jun 14 Western Pennsylvania ARES Emcomm Conference
    <http://wpaares.org/>, Johnstown, Pennsylvania

  *

    Jun 14 Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/> (Knoxville
    Hamfest), Knoxville, Tennessee

  *

    Jun 27-29 HAM RADIO International Exhibition for Radio Amateurs
    <http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en/>, Friedrichshafen,
    Germany

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

**

**

*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*

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