[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for May 8, 2014

Fri May 9 21:41:50 EDT 2014

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The ARRL Letter

May 8, 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/>

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  * /Public Service/: Ham Volunteers Shift Gears to Handle Mountain Bike
    Event Emergency <#toc01>
  * /Public Service/: Hurricane Watch Net Seeks Net Control Operators
    <#toc02>
  * /Regulatory/: ARRL Opposes FCC Proposal to Leave Licensed Service
    Users Open to Unlicensed Interference <#toc03>
  * /Regulatory/: Canadian Radio Amateurs Gain New 472-479 kHz Band <#toc04>
  * /Centennial/: ARRL Centennial Convention Attracting Growing List of
    Vendors and Exhibitors <#toc05>
  * /Centennial/: ARRL to Celebrate its 100th Birthday at Dayton! <#toc06>
  * /Centennial/: W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on May 14
    (UTC) <#toc07>
  * /Events/: Massachusetts to Host USA ARDF Championships June 5-8 <#toc08>
  * /Ham Radio in Space/: Tiny KickSat "Sprite" Satellites May Not
    Deploy <#toc09>
  * /Milestones/: Past SCM, DXer, Propagation Forecaster Lee Wical,
    KH6BZF, SK <#toc10>
  * /Feature/: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL <#toc11>
  * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc12>
  * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc13>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc14>

/Public Service/: Ham Volunteers Shift Gears to Handle Mountain Bike 
Event Emergency

The 2014 Whiskey Off-Road Mountain Bike Event 
<http://www.epicrides.com/index.php?contentCat=6> on April 26 in the 
Prescott, Arizona, area quickly developed into a real emergency exercise 
for Yavapai Amateur Radio Club <http://www.w7yrc.org/> volunteers, who 
were supporting communication for the 11th annual race. Some 2000

The 2014 Whiskey Off-Road Mountain Bike Event. [John Broughton, WB9VGJ, 
photo]

amateur and professional mountain bike riders took part in the 50-mile 
event. About an hour after it began, however, temperatures dropped, and 
riders were confronted with a mixture of rain, high winds, sleet, and 
snow. As the weather worsened, some riders dropped out at the second 
checkpoint, returning to Prescott via a connecting road. Other riders, 
however, soldiered on through two more checkpoints, at which time 
another 50 participants quit, due to the worsening weather. Some 
exhibited symptoms of possible hypothermia. Event communications quickly 
switched into evacuation mode, and the net control station contacted all 
checkpoints to determine how many riders needed transportation back to 
Prescott.

"Net control worked with race, search-and-rescue, and other emergency 
personnel to coordinate transportation to evacuate these riders," 
Yavapai County Arizona ARES District Emergency Coordinator Lloyd 
Halgunseth, WA6ZZJ, explained. "Personal vehicles and a bus were used in 
the evacuation."

With evacuation transportation on its way, Amateur Radio volunteers and 
race personnel staffing checkpoints provided warm refuge in their own 
vehicles for those riders who were suffering the most. The race 
continued, and Amateur Radio and event communications were used to 
locate some missing riders. Once things settled down, the net shifted 
back into its accustomed role of gathering race updates from the 
checkpoints. Everyone was brought in safely, albeit a bit cold. 
Abandoned bikes were retrieved and returned to the event center.

Despite the challenging conditions, more than 300 cyclists completed the 
entire course. The weather front broke later in the morning, and the 
second race began around noon. Race officials shortened the second ride 
from a planned 25 miles to 15 miles, and it finished with no major 
incidents.

"During this emergency communications exercise, Amateur Radio enabled a 
quick response by race officials, which kept a bad situation from 
getting worse," Halgunseth said. "This response contributed to the 
overall success of this 3-day event."

The Yavapai Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL-affiliated Special Service 
Club. /-- Thanks to //Frank Bender, K8FB /

/Public Service/: Hurricane Watch Net Seeks Net Control Operators

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org>) needs additional net 
control operators. Hurricane Season in the Atlantic 
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml> begins June 1 and ends November 
30; in the Eastern Pacific <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_epac.shtml>, it 
runs from May 15 until November 30. The Hurricane Watch Net activates on 
14.325 MHz when an Atlantic Basin hurricane is within 300 miles of 
landfall, or at the request of the National Hurricane Center (NHC 
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>) in Miami. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, 
said the net has been getting everything in place for its 50th straight 
season, and that includes recruiting well-qualified, experienced net 
control operators who can effectively communicate with the 
hurricane-prone areas of Eastern Canada, the US East Coast, the Gulf of 
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

"We are especially looking for bilingual operators, as we recognize that 
some Latin American operators hesitate to check in and send reports to 
us, if they aren't fluent in English," Graves said. "The Hurricane Watch 
Net relies on volunteer operators -- our members -- who serve as our net 
control stations. These volunteers are hams who have above-average 
stations and are willing to commit their time to operating in support of 
the HWN's mission during net activations."

Graves conceded that net sessions can be "long, and, at times, very 
stressful." He noted that while the HWN primarily operates on 14.325 
MHz, it is also looking for volunteers who can handle net control duties 
on the low end of the 40 meter phone band. "When 20 meters fades away in 
the evening," he said, "we lose the ability to effectively communicate 
with our reporting stations or the National Hurricane Center."

Net control operators must be HWN members, but radio amateurs do not 
need to be HWN members to participate in the net as reporting stations. 
HWN participants provide observed or measured weather reports, or relay 
assistance as required by the net control station.

Radio amateurs interested in becoming HWN members or volunteering as net 
control stations should visit 
<http://hwn.org/about-us/membership-info.html> the net's Membership 
Information page. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-seeks-net-control-operators>

/Regulatory/: ARRL Opposes FCC Proposal to Leave Licensed Service Users 
Open to Unlicensed Interference

Asserting "a substantial stake" in the outcome of the proceeding, the 
ARRL has commented 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/ARRL%20Comments%20in%20response%20to%20NPRM%20Docket%2013-213%20FINAL.pdf> 
in opposition to an FCC proposal that would leave licensed radio service 
users vulnerable to interference from unlicensed devices. In a docket 
unrelated to Amateur Radio spectrum, the Commission has indicated that 
it's willing to consider adding licensed Globalstar terrestrial users to 
the 2473-2483.5 MHz band -- already shared by licensed and unlicensed 
services -- with the condition that customer handset users in the new 
allocation accept interference from /un/licensed radio services now 
legally operating there. The League's comments were in response to a 
/Notice of Proposed Rule Making/ (/NPRM/ 
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db1126/FCC-13-147A1.pdf>) 
in IB Docket 13-213 and RM-11685.

"/This plan would for the first time create a multiple-use, radio 
frequency environment in which Part 15 unlicensed devices do not have to 
protect a licensed, allocated radio service from harmful interference/," 
the ARRL stressed. "This is untenable as a precedent, and it makes the 
entirety of the [/NPRM/] likewise untenable."

The League said allowing Globalstar to deploy Ancillary Terrestrial 
Component (ATC) users of its Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS) system under 
technical rules that apply to unlicensed users would depart from 
long-standing rules protecting licensed radio services from interference 
resulting from the use of unlicensed Part 15 or Part 18 ISM devices.

The League said the proposal "represents an unprecedented withdrawal of 
the assurances that licensed users have been given by the Commission and 
relied upon in dozens of allocation proceedings." The League said many 
Commission orders "consistently embody" the principle that Part 15 
device operators must cease operations that cause harmful interference.

"The Commission cannot, consistent with the entire regulatory 
underpinning for allowing Part 15 devices, premise an allocation 
decision in this case on the unique provision that a component of a 
/licensed/ radio service will /not/ be entitled to interference 
protection from Part 15 devices, whether those unlicensed devices are 
incumbent or deployed in the future in the band at issue," the League 
concluded.

The ARRL suggested that the FCC "do some /bona fide/ technical 
evaluation" of compatibility between and among services in and below the 
band at question and of ATC systems before deciding whether or not the 
proposed overlay is compatible.

"The price of making the wrong assumptions is too high in this and 
similar allocations proceedings," the ARRL said, "and the damage from 
the wrong assumptions will be, practically speaking, impossible to 
reverse." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-opposes-fcc-proposal-to-leave-licensed-service-users-open-to-unlicensed-interference>.

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/Regulatory/: Canadian Radio Amateurs Gain New 472-479 kHz Band

As of May 1, radio amateurs in Canada have a new allocation at 472-479 
kHz. The 7 kilohertz sliver of spectrum is available to hams there on a 
secondary basis. Delegates attending the 2012 World Radiocommunication 
Conference (WRC-12 
<http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=conferences&rlink=wrc-12&lang=en>) 
approved a secondary allocation between 472-479 kHz for the Amateur 
Radio Service, and telecommunications regulator Industry Canada 
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/> subsequently proposed numerous revisions to its 
/Table of Frequency Allocations/ 
<http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/h_sf01678.html>, including 
the new MF band. Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC <http://www.rac.ca>) 
announced the band's "official implementation" on May 3.

"Canadian amateur operators have recently secured two new segments of 
spectrum, thanks to the very hard work of RAC volunteers," the 
announcement said. "The 60 meter band allocation was made official a few 
month ago as well."

MF and LF experimenter Joe Craig, VO1NA, "discovered" last week that the 
long-awaited new 630 meter band had become available, after he checked 
the /Table of Frequency Allocations/. Craig said it didn't take long for 
him and his wife Michelle, VO1RL, "to get our feet wet" on the new 
allocation. She stayed at home, while Joe tossed some gear into the car 
and drove to a park for their first contact on the new band (at 473 kHz 
on CW).

Last fall Industry Canada issued an experimental radio license to 
Craig's club, the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland 
<http://www.ucs.mun.ca/%7Ejcraig/mrcn.html> (VO1MRC), endorsing 
experimental station VX9MRC to conduct transmissions on 472-479 kHz on 
December 14 and 15, to call attention to the potential new Amateur Radio 
band there and to the role ham radio plays in emergency communication.

Going mobile on 630 meters involves some preparation: VO1NA/m. [Courtesy 
of Joe Craig, VO1NA]

The ARRL in 2012 petitioned 
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022073018> the FCC to carve 
out the same band for US hams, but the Commission has not yet acted on 
the League's request. The ARRL-sponsored WD2XSH <http://500kc.com> 
experimental operation in that region of the spectrum continues, with 
Fritz Raab, W1FR, as the coordinator. Other experimenters also operate 
there from time to time.

By international agreement, the maximum equivalent isotropically 
radiated power (EIRP) of amateur stations using 472-479 kHz may not 
exceed 5 W (or 1 W EIRP in some locations).

Craig believes the new band will appeal to a broader group of hams than 
do more-demanding LF allocations. He has predicted that transatlantic 
contacts, while challenging, "should be fairly common using conventional 
CW and digital modes." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/canadian-radio-amateurs-gain-new-472-479-khz-band>.

/Centennial/: ARRL Centennial Convention Attracting Growing List of 
Vendors and Exhibitors

Upward of 7 dozen vendors and exhibitors 
<https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab3.aspx?EventID=1248082> 
already are planning to be on hand for the ARRL National Centennial 
Convention <http://arrl2014.org> in mid-July.

The Connecticut Convention Center

Convention activities begin on Thursday, July 17. The 60,000 square feet 
exhibit hall will be open all day Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, 
at the Connecticut Convention Center <http://www.ctconventions.com> in 
Hartford, for what promises to be the largest gathering of its kind in 
the Northeast.

"We're very excited that so many of our /QST/ advertisers, business 
partners, fellow societies, and radio clubs from around the country and 
the world will be coming to Connecticut for the Centennial Convention 
and to help the League celebrate its 100^th birthday," said ARRL 
Business Services Manager Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ. "It's going to be quite a 
show!"

It's anticipated that some vendors may offer "show specials" during the 
2 days the spacious exhibit hall is open. In addition, there will be two 
major prize drawings. The ARRL and R&L Electronics 
<http://www.randl.com> will co-sponsor a drawing for a $5000 grand prize 
<http://www.arrl.org/centennial-station-giveaway> gift certificate, and 
ARRL and FlexRadio <http://www.flex-radio.com> will co-sponsor a drawing 
for a $2500 gift certificate. "The certificates will be redeemable at 
the co-sponsors' respective establishments," Jahnke explained.

<http://arrl2014.org>Winners will be drawn from eligible registrants at 
the end of the convention on Saturday, July 19. The winners do not need 
to present during the drawings.

The exhibit hall also will be the place to network with other ARRL 
members and friends. Conventioneers from all 50 states and more than a 
dozen countries have already registered. Those attending the convention 
also will want to visit the large ARRL exhibit area, featuring program 
representatives, officials, and a store full of the latest ARRL 
publications and membership gear.

Thousands of League members and friends are expected to gather in 
Hartford, ARRL's birthplace, to celebrate the organization's first 100 
years of members "Advancing the Art and Science of Radio." Register 
<http://arrl2014.org> now to be among them!

/Centennial/: ARRL to Celebrate its 100th Birthday at Dayton!

Owing perhaps to grand coincidence, the 100th birthday of the ARRL -- 
the /actual/ day -- will fall on Sunday, May 18, the final day of Dayton 
Hamvention 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-regional-arrl-centennial-event>® 
2014. On that date a century earlier, Amateur Radio pioneers Hiram Percy 
Maxim and Clarence Tuska, founded the American Radio Relay League. On 
Sunday, May 18, at 9:15 AM in Room 1 of Hara Arena, ARRL President Kay 
Craigie, N3KN, and Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, will host 
a party, complete with a cake, to wish the ARRL a happy 100th birthday.

Dayton Hamvention is a Regional ARRL Centennial Event. W100AW/8 will be 
on the air from Hamvention as a special event station.

ARRL EXPO in the Ballarena will be the nerve center of the League's 
Hamvention presence, which will include booths highlighting various 
League activities. Visitors can pick up a free Centennial Coin, while 
supplies last. The ARRL Store will offer for sale various ARRL 
publications and all manner of gear -- don't forget ARRL Field Day 
supplies (T shirts, hats, mugs, posters)! Visitors who join ARRL or 
renew their League memberships at ARRL EXPO will receive a free gift. 
Join or renew for /3 years/ and take home a free ARRL Centennial Edition 
/Handbook/. ARRL Dayton 2014 buttons also will be available for free.

ARRL EXPO exhibits will include the ARRL Laboratory's "Get Your Handheld 
Radio Tested!" as well as the Youth Lounge and activities aimed 
especially at younger visitors. Representatives from ARRL Headquarters 
and many volunteers will be on hand for DXCC card checking and to answer 
questions about ARRL contests and awards, the Centennial QSO Party 
<http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party>, the QSL Service 
<http://www.arrl.org/qsl-service>, Logbook of The World 
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>, the ARRL Second Century 
Campaign <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-second-century-campaign>, ham radio 
and Scouting <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-and-scouting>, and more.

ARRL EXPO also is the place to meet and network with ARRL Field 
Organization volunteers from around the country. The ARRL Ohio Section 
will serve as the host for visitors.

The League will sponsor several forums throughout Hamvention weekend. On 
Friday, May 16, at 2:30 PM in Room 5, the League will present the video 
"ARRL at 100 -- A Century of Ham Radio." A discussion will follow about 
the ARRL Centennial celebration and ways hams can help to promote 
Amateur Radio in their communities. Attendees will receive a 
complimentary ARRL historical timeline. A repeat presentation will take 
place Saturday at 10:30 AM in Room 3.

The popular ARRL Member Forum will take place on Saturday at 1:15 PM in 
Room 3. ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, will 
moderate. National and local League officials will be on hand to discuss 
key areas of member interest. At more than 163,000 members, the League 
is the world's largest national Amateur Radio association.

The League also will sponsor two antenna-related forums on Saturday at 
Dayton. Starting at 9:15 AM in Room 5, /The ARRL Handbook/ and /The ARRL 
Antenna Book/ Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, will host "Getting Started with 
Antenna Modeling." The discussion will focus on how to use antenna 
modeling software to design simple antennas, based on the /EZNEC/ 
antenna modeling program. Saturday afternoon at 2:30 in Room 3, Silver 
will present "Impedance Matching 101," an overview of impedance matching 
for amateur applications -- what it is, and why it's necessary.

The ARRL will be marking its Centennial throughout Hamvention weekend, 
too. It's a good time to learn more about the ARRL National Centennial 
Convention <http://arrl2014.org/>, July 17-19 in Hartford, Connecticut.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-05-08&p=1>
/Centennial/: W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on May 14 (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 will 
relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, May 14 (the evening of May 13 in US 
time zones), from Nebraska (W1AW/0) to South Dakota (W1AW/0). Nebraska 
was the first state to repeat as a W1AW Centennial host.

There will be just /one/ state the week of May 14-20. Utah, initially 
scheduled to repeat that week, will instead host W1AW the week of July 
2-8. Additional schedule changes have been made, and the schedule has 
been updated to reflect these. During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from 
every state (at least twice) and most US territories.

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 mode/contact, even 
when working the same state during its second week of activity. To earn 
the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating portable 
from all 50 states. (For award credit, participants must work W1AW/1 in 
Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be 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.

/Events/: Massachusetts to Host USA ARDF Championships June 5-8

The USA ARDF (Amateur Radio Direction Finding) Championships return to 
the Northeast this year. ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, said 
on-foot foxhunting fans of all skill levels will gather near Boston in 
early June for 4 days of intense competition. Registration to 
participate in the event has been extended to June 1.

Activities begin on Thursday, June 5 with a 10-transmitter short-course 
sprint competition <http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html> on 80 meters. 
The following day is the foxoring event 
<http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html#foxoring>, a combination of RDF 
and classic orienteering on 80 meters in which participants navigate to 
marked locations on their maps where very low-power transmitters can be 
found nearby. Saturday morning will be the classic full-course 2 meter 
main event, with five transmitters in a very large forest. The banquet 
and awards presentation follow that evening. A similar full-course 80 
meter main event takes place Sunday morning, with awards presented 
afterward.

ARDF champ Vadim Afonkin, KB1RLI, is this year's lead organizer, event 
host, and course-planner. [Joe Moell, K0OV, photo]

National ARDF championships typically take place in late summer or early 
fall. This year, though, the ARDF World Championships will take place 
during early September, however. To provide plenty of time for selecting 
Team USA members and planning overseas travel, the 2014 USA ARDF 
Championships must take place 3 months before.

ARDF championship rules <http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#rules> are 
set by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU 
<http://www.iaru.org>). For scoring and awards, participants are divided 
into 11 age/gender categories 
<http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#categories>. In classic ARDF 
championships, competitors start in small groups comprised of different 
categories.

The USA ARDF Championships are open to anyone who can safely navigate 
the woods solo. A ham radio license is not required. Each participant 
competes as an individual.

Stateside winners will be considered for membership in ARDF Team USA, 
which will travel to Kazakhstan for the 17th ARDF World Championships 
<http://www.homingin.com/farsnews.html#wc14>.

An online entry form and more information are available on the Boston 
ARDF website 
<http://www.bostonardf.org/?event=the-fourteenth-usa-ardf-championships-boston-massachusetts-june-5-8-2014>. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/massachusetts-to-host-usa-ardf-championships-june-5-8>. 
/-- Thanks to //Joe Moell/ <mailto:k0ov at homingin.com>/, K0OV, ARRL 
Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator/

/Ham Radio in Space/: Tiny KickSat "Sprite" Satellites May Not Deploy

Because of a technical glitch, the KickSat 
<http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/kicksat-your-personal-spacecraft-in-space/posts> 
CubeSat may not be able to deploy its cargo of tiny "Sprite" satellites 
after all, Project Manager Zac Manchester, KD2BHC, announced on May 3. 
The Sprites, each about

A Hacksat "Sprite" development board. 
[https://flux.org.uk/projects/hacksat/hardware.html]

the size of a small cracker, would be the smallest satellites ever to 
orbit Earth. Manchester said an unexpected reset of KickSat's master 
clock may mean that the 3U CubeSat won't be able to release the 104 
Sprite satellites before it deorbits and burns up in the atmosphere. He 
further explained that ground controllers can't command the Sprites to 
release, because the uplink radio used to trigger deployment is unable 
to power up until the spacecraft's batteries reach 8 V. The batteries 
have been "holding steady" at 6.5 V, Manchester said, and he doesn't 
anticipate that the voltage will increase to the required level before 
the satellite drops out of orbit.

"As those who've been keeping up with the telemetry data coming in from 
KickSat may have noticed, the packets we've been receiving have changed 
in the last couple of days," Manchester said. "This was due to a hard 
reset of the 'watchdog' microcontroller on KickSat -- the sort of 
'reptile brain' of the satellite that manages turning on and off the 
rest of the subsystems and keeps the master clock."

Manchester, a Cornell graduate student in aerospace engineering, 
believes the culprit is radiation, rather than power issues. The reset 
restarted the Sprite deployment countdown at 16 days, pushing it out to 
May 16. Manchester said it looks like KickSat will lose orbit before 
then, although he held out a slim possibility that it could stay up that 
long.

Zac Manchester, KD2BHC, with a KickSat model during vibration testing 
last fall.

"We've spent the last couple of days here at Cornell trying to think of 
every possible contingency, but it seems there aren't very many options 
right now," he said. "While the situation looks a little bleak, there is 
still some hope that the batteries may recharge sufficiently to command 
the satellite. There is also a small chance that KickSat could remain in 
orbit until May 16, at which point the timer would set off the 
deployment as originally planned."

Manchester said the KickSat team will continue tracking the satellite 
over the next few days -- "with the help of the ham community" -- 
tracking its battery voltage and the Sprite deployment status. "Thank 
you again for your support," he added. "I promise that this won't be the 
end of the KickSat project." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/tiny-kicksat-sprite-satellites-may-not-deploy>.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-05-08&p=2>
/Milestones/: Past SCM, DXer, Propagation Forecaster Lee Wical, KH6BZF, SK

Lee C. Wical, KH6BZF, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, died May 2 after a period of 
declining health. He was 79 and had not been active on the air in recent 
years. Growing up in Ohio, Wical became interested in radio after 
getting an old Atwater Kent from his grandfather in 1938, becoming a BCL 
and, later, an SWL. His uncle and a cousin both were hams. Early on he 
aspired to become a minor league baseball player, but he opted 
eventually for a career in electrical engineering.

Lee Wical, KH6BZF.

Wical said on his QRZ.com page 
<http://www.qrz.com/db/KH6BZF?ref=302364298> that he learned Morse code 
while in the Boy Scouts, and that his knowledge of the code attracted 
the interest of the US Army Signal Corps when he was in the service 
during the Korean Conflict. He got his Novice ticket in 1955 while in 
Hawaii and almost immediately became interested into DXing.

While attending college on the GI Bill, he got his first class FCC 
Radiotelephone License and went to work for broadcast stations in Ohio. 
After graduation he moved to Hawaii and was employed in various 
engineering positions before signing on with the federal government for 
36 years. Following that, he resumed his career at AT&T and Lucent 
Technologies, working around the world before finally retiring in 1997.

From1962 until 1972, Wical served as ARRL Section Communications Manager 
(now SM) for Hawaii. He also was a state MARS director. Wical was an 
ARRL VEC and W5YI volunteer examiner "to put something back into radio, 
which gave me a great vocation and a great hobby," as he explained. He 
was an ARRL Charter Life Member as well as a life member of the QCWA and 
of AMSAT. He was a charter member and co-founder of the Honolulu DX Club 
and on the club's Board of Directors.

Wical had attained the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll with 358 entities confirmed. 
He belonged to the A-1 Operators Club and ARRL's Old Timer's Club. He 
edited and published the "KH6BZF Reports" HF propagation forecast and 
occasionally prepared the ARRL Propagation Bulletin for W1AW.

An ARRL Diamond Club <http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-diamond-club> member, 
Wical also belonged to the ARRL Legacy Circle 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-legacy-circle> and had included the ARRL in 
his estate. /-- Thanks to Rich Gelber, K2WR, Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, and 
Tetsuo Tanaka, AH7C/

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

I've always enjoyed reading about the history of Amateur Radio, ever 
since I was first licensed as a Novice in 1952. Up to this point in this 
series, I've recounted events I'd only read or heard about from the old 
timers of my youth. From now on, I'll be reporting about the exciting 
times I lived through as a young ham and, later, as an old timer.

During World War II, manufacturing processes were developed to 
inexpensively manufacture flexible coaxial cable. Thousands of miles of 
coaxial cable showed up on the military surplus market after the war, 
and hams fell into the then-new habit of using coax to feed their 
antennas. With the advent of TV, inexpensive 300 W "twin lead" became 
common, and hams also used that for feed line. But TV's arrival 
certainly had a darker side for Amateur Radio -- television interference 
(TVI)!

An example of TVI on VHF channel 2. [/The Radio Amateur's Handbook/ - 1972]

Much early TV broadcasting was on the lower VHF channels -- low enough 
in frequency to be affected by harmonics (and other radiation) from HF 
ham transmitters, in addition to fundamental overload of the TV's front 
end by a strong ham signal. The 15 meter amateur band opened in May 
1952, and some early TV receivers used a /21 MHz/ IF!

Although most TVI problems were a result of poor interference rejection 
of the TV receivers, all the neighbor knew was that we hams were ruining 
his newfound, precious entertainment medium, for which he had paid big 
bucks.

Phil Rand, W1DBM, worked with the ARRL to develop TVI-reduction 
techniques and methods, and he authored many /QST/ articles on the 
subject during the 1950s. As part of the League's efforts to help hams 
reduce TVI, ARRL staff member Lew McCoy, W1ICP, took his "TVI show" on 
the road to ham clubs and community meetings around the country, 
explaining and demonstrating the problem and showing how hams could 
reduce their neighbors' -- and perhaps their own -- TVI. It was a long 
time before this problem was under control, but the League's efforts 
were a major factor in turning the tide.

Next week: What is this thing called "/single sideband?/" /-- Al 
Brogdon, W1AB/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We saw an uptick in solar indices this 
week (May 1-7) compared to the previous 7 days, with average daily 
sunspot number rising from 73.4 to 118.4, and average daily solar flux 
up 13 to 135.6. The most active geomagnetic days were May 4-5, with 
planetary A index at a moderate 16 and 10, mid-latitude A indices of 15 
and 11, and the high latitude college A index (measured at Fairbanks, 
Alaska) at 25 and 10.

Predicted solar flux for the near term is 145 for May 8-9, 150 for May 
10-12, 145 for May 13-15, 140 for May 16-17, 135 onr May 18, 130 for May 
19-20, 125 on May 21, and 120 for May 22-26.

The near-term peak of 184 on June 9 disappeared from the daily 45-day 
outlook <http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpmenu/forecasts/45DF.html> on May 5. 
The predicted solar flux for that date was 155 in the April 25-27 
forecasts, jumped to 184 from April 28 through May 4, and was down to 
131 in the May 5-7 forecasts.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 for May 8-9, then 12, 10, 8, and 5 for 
May 10-13, 8 for May 14-15, 5 for May 16-20, then 10 and 8 for May 
21-22, 5 for May 23-30, then 8 for May 31 through June 1, 12 on June 2, 
8 for June 3-4, and 12 on June 5-6.

At 0538 UTC on May 8 the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a 
geomagnetic warning. Increased geomagnetic activity is expected for the 
rest of May 8 due to a coronal mass ejection.

Currently a spate of new sunspot groups are appearing around our Sun's 
eastern horizon. This is good news for HF propagation. You can track 
<http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/> the progress of emerging sunspots via the 
STEREO satellites.

HF conditions are good right now, especially when compared to earlier 
points in this weak current solar cycle. We appear to be at a second or 
third peak in Cycle 24 activity, with no certainty as to how long this 
will last.

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 and reports from 
readers, as well as a new tool recommended by Jim Henderson, KF7E.

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

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

  *

    May 10 -- Alessandro Volta RTTY DX Contest

  *

    May 10 -- Armed Forces Communications Test

  *

    May 10 -- FISTS Spring Sprint

  *

    May 10-11 -- CQ-M International DX Contest

  *

    May 10-11 -- Portuguese Navy Day

  *

    May 10-11 -- Nevada Mustang Roundup

  *

    May 10-11 -- 50 MHz Spring Sprint

  *

    May 11-12 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon

  *

    May 14 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Tests

  *

    May 17 -- Portuguese Navy Day

  *

    May 17 -- Feld-Hell Hamvention Sprint

  *

    May 17-18 -- His Majesty, the King of Spain Contest

  *

    May 17-18 -- Baltic Contest

  *

    May 18 -- Worked All Britain (7 MHz Phone)

  *

    May 19 -- Run For the Bacon

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

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

  *

    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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

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

  *

    July 5 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
    <http://www.w3uu.org>, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

  *

    July 9-12 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards National Convention
    <http://marac.org/2014registration.pdf>, Visalia, California

  *

    *July 17-19 -- **ARRL National Centennial Convention*
    <http://arrl2014.org>*, Hartford, Connecticut*

  *

    July 18-19 -- Arizona State Convention <http://www.arca-az.org>,
    Williams, Arizona

  *

    July 18-20 -- Montana State Convention <http://www.gwhamfest.org/>,
    East Glacier, Montana

  *

    July 24-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
    <http://www.csvhfs.org/2014conference/>, Austin, Texas

  *

    July 25-26 -- Oklahoma State Convention <http://www.hamholiday.org>,
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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

**

**

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

****

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