[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for September 11, 2014

Thu Sep 11 16:32:00 EDT 2014

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The ARRL Letter

September 11, 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=2014-09-11&t=t>

  * "Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" Co-Sponsor List Swells to 32 <#toc01>
  * ARES/RACES Volunteers Mobilize in Wake of Nevada Flash Flooding <#toc02>
  * FCC Enforcement Bureau Warns Two Hams for Failure to Identify
    Properly <#toc03>
  * Canadian Regulator Accepts Radio Amateurs of Canada's International
    60 Meter Allocation Proposal <#toc04>
  * /W1AW Centennial Trifecta/: Colorado, New Hampshire, and Texas.
    North Carolina, Connecticut Starting September 17 (UTC) <#toc05>
  * Keynote Convention Speech of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
    KK4INZ, Available on YouTube <#toc06>
  * Morse Learning Machine Challenge Catching on with Hams <#toc07>
  * Selected "Ham Radio" 2014 Presentations Now Available Online <#toc08>
  * Round Two of 2014 ARRL 10GHz and Up Contest Just Ahead! <#toc09>
  * Radio Scouting Webinar Set <#toc10>
  * Tuskegee Airman and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient George
    Mitchell, K6ZE, SK <#toc11>
  * Red Cross Volunteer Stu Press, KC8HQT, SK <#toc12>
  * A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL <#toc13>
  * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc14>
  * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc15>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc16>

"Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" Co-Sponsor List Swells to 32

The number of co-sponsors for H.R. 4969 
<https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4969>, the 
Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014, has reached 32 members of the US House 
of Representatives. The list includes 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats 
representing 17 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The push to 
persuade additional House members to sign on as H.R. 4969 co-sponsors 
continues. ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, has 
pointed out that the House may adjourn as early as Friday, September 19, 
and not reconvene until after the mid-term elections on November 4. 
Members of the ARRL team have been in Washington, DC, to contact House 
members while Congress is still in session.

"The bump in co-sponsors is a direct result of two things: ARRL's 
letter-writing campaign /and/ the efforts by many ARRL members to meet 
with their members of Congress and their staffs in person," said 
Henderson, who has spent the past few weeks collecting additional 
letters of support from League members to forward to US House members by 
next week.

Letters directed for forwarding to US House of Representatives members 
via ARRL Headquarters will be printed beforehand. Henderson explained 
that this approach speeds delivery, since individual pieces of mail to 
members of Congress are scanned for threats.

"We have received more than 3000 letters since the bill was introduced," 
Henderson said, adding that he was not sure how many more might arrive 
by week's end. "The more noise we make, the better our chances for the 
bill's passage," he said. Henderson emphasized that a successful outcome 
requires as many co-sponsors as possible, and letting House members hear 
from ARRL members in their role as voters and constituents can 
contribute to making that happen. The current campaign in support of 
H.R. 4969 only targets members of the US House, since the bill has not 
yet reached the Senate.

While Congress was on break in August, the League encouraged members to 
meet with their representatives while they were home on break in their 
districts, and urge their support for H.R. 4969, Henderson said.

In addition to a list of current co-sponsors, the League's H.R. 4969 
page <http://www.arrl.org/hr-4969> contains information and guidance for 
clubs and individuals promoting efforts to gain co-sponsors for the 
measure by contacting their members of Congress. The web page includes a 
sample letter to a member of Congress and a list of "talking points." 
Direct letters to H.R. 4969 Letter Campaign, ARRL, 225 Main St, 
Newington, CT 06111. If e-mailing <mailto:n1nd at arrl.org> your letter as 
an attachment, include the bill's number, H.R. 4969, in your subject 
line. Letters may also be faxed to 860-594-0259.

The bill, which was introduced in the US House of Representatives with 
bipartisan support in late June, would call on the FCC to apply the 
"reasonable accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 
<http://www.arrl.org/prb-1> federal pre-emption policy to private 
land-use restrictions regarding antennas. The bill's primary sponsor is 
Rep Adam Kinzinger <http://kinzinger.house.gov/> (R-IL), and it received 
initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe Courtney 
<http://courtney.house.gov/> (D-CT).

The limited PRB-1 pre-emption currently applies only to state and 
municipal land-use ordinances. The FCC has indicated its reluctance to 
provide the same legal protections from private land-use agreements -- 
often called covenants, conditions, and restrictions or CC&Rs -- without 
direction from Congress.

H.R. 4969 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 
Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panel's Communications and 
Technology Subcommittee, which will consider the measure.

ARES/RACES Volunteers Mobilize in Wake of Nevada Flash Flooding

ARES/RACES members in Clark County, Nevada, activated Monday, September 
8, after heavy rains sparked flash flooding. The Amateur Radio 
volunteers deployed after being called up by local emergency managers to 
support communication during recovery efforts in the Moapa Valley 
northeast of Las Vegas. At least two people died as a result of the 
flooding.

A slow-moving storm that spun off from Hurricane Norbert dumped nearly 4 
inches of rain within the space of 90 minutes onto the town of Moapa. 
Heavy flooding and mud closed nearly 50 miles of Interstate 15, 
stranding motorist and truckers, buckling or washing away pavement in 
many areas. Nevada Department of Transportation officials said they 
expected that it would take several days before the highway would be 
reopened. Some alternate routes also were impassible. The flooding has 
been called the worst in more than 30 years.

Emergency sheltering was needed for nearly 200 tribal members of the 
Moapa River Reservation, as well as nearly 90 elementary and high school 
students. Stranded motorists were being cared for at a middle school in 
Mesquite, on the Arizona border.

ARES personnel staffed the Emergency Operations Center in Las Vegas, and 
the Clark County Mobile Communications Vehicle was on the scene. /-- 
Thanks to ARRL Nevada PIC John Bigley, N7UR/

FCC Enforcement Bureau Warns Two Hams for Failure to Identify Properly

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has released /Warning Notice/ letters it sent 
in July to two radio amateurs, advising them that it had monitored 
transmissions during which the licensees had failed to identify 
properly. The Bureau posted 
<http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/Welcome.html> the 
correspondence earlier this month on its Amateur Radio Service 
Enforcement Actions web page. The two notices from FCC Enforcement 
Bureau Special Counsel Laura L. Smith, both dated July 21, contain 
essentially the same wording.

In a /Warning Notice/ 
<http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/files/Davis14_08_19_5520.html> 
to Gary E. Davis, W1IT, of Inman, South Carolina, Smith told Davis that 
he was monitored on July 15 and 16 at the FCC's High Frequency Direction 
Finding Center (HFDFC) in Maryland, failing to properly identify while 
operating on 7.185 MHz. "[Y]ou were heard by a Commission employee 
operating your Amateur Radio station for 20 minutes without identifying 
in a timely manner," Smith wrote. "The Commission employee used 
direction-finding equipment and confirmed the transmissions were coming 
from your location."

Smith pointed out that Section 97.119(a) of the Amateur Service Rules 
requires each amateur station to "transmit its assigned call sign on its 
transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least 
every 10 minutes during a communication."

In a nearly identically worded /Warning Notice/ 
<http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/files/Kraje14_08_19_5521.html> 
to John J. Krajewski, KB3MZQ, of Newark, Delaware, Smith said the HFDFC 
also had monitored transmissions by him on July 15 and 16, also on 7.185 
MHz, during which he failed to identify properly.

Smith said the FCC had "recorded the offending transmissions" in both 
instances and offered to make copies available to Davis and Krajewski. 
She further advised Davis and Krajewski that recurring "operation of 
this type" after receipt of the warning letters, could subject them to 
"severe penalties, including license revocation, monetary forfeiture 
(fines), or a modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon 
which you may operate."

In 2006, in response to a /Petition for Rule Making/, the FCC declined 
to modify its Amateur Service station identification rules. The petition 
received some 100 comments. In dismissing the petition the following 
year, the FCC concluded that the changes requested were "neither 
necessary nor supported by the Amateur Radio community," and that the 
failure-to-identify problem "would be better addressed by enforcement of 
the present rule, rather than a rule change."

Canadian Regulator Accepts Radio Amateurs of Canada's International 60 
Meter Allocation Proposal

Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC <http://wp.rac.ca/>) has announced 
<http://wp.rac.ca/radioamateur-of-canada-proposal-on-international-60m-allocation-accepted-by-industry-canada/> 
that its proposal to establish an international 60 meter Amateur Service 
allocation has been accepted by the Industry Canada consultative 
committee for World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15 
<http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/wrc/2015/Pages/default.aspx>). 
The regulator uses that panel's conclusions to determine its position on 
WRC-15 issues. The RAC proposal specifically addresses WRC-15 Agenda 
Item 1.4 -- to establish a 60 meter allocation for Amateur Radio on a 
secondary basis. The Canadian proposal will be considered by other 
International Telecommunication Region (ITU <http://www.itu.int/>) 
Region 2 countries in October.

"This proposal will be [submitted] at the CITEL 
<https://www.citel.oas.org/en/Pages/default.aspx> meetings in Merida, 
Mexico, next month to be considered as the CITEL position going into 
WRC-15," said RAC International Affairs Officer George Gorsline, VE3YV. 
CITEL, the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, is the 
telecommunications and telecommunications technology advisory body of 
the Organization of American States. Its members include all ITU Region 
2 countries except Cuba.

The RAC proposal recommends two 25-kHz band segments for Amateur Radio 
-- 5330 to 5355 kHz and 5405 to 5430 kHz. Amateur access would be on a 
secondary, non-interference, listen-before-transmit basis.

Gorsline credited the efforts of Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, the RAC 
representative on domestic committees and a Canadian and International 
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) delegate at ITU meetings.

"His role and the hours of work -- essentially an unpaid job -- 
attending many, many formal and informal meetings with our regulator and 
with interested parties in Canada and internationally are a key factor 
in gaining formal Canadian government support," he said. "We are very 
fortunate to have his talents and willingness to sacrifice his 
on-the-air time for all of us."

RAC also acknowledged "the strong support of Industry Canada at Working 
Party meetings and on other committees and at ITU WRC-15 preparatory 
meetings.

Gorsline said that a "firm proposal" from his country citing specific 
frequencies for support by Region 2 countries at the CITEL meeting "is a 
giant step toward a favorable outcome at WRC-15."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-09-11&p=0>
/W1AW Centennial Trifecta/: Colorado, New Hampshire, and Texas. North 
Carolina, Connecticut Starting September 17 (UTC)

The ARRL Centennial W1AW 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/On%20the%20Air/W1AW_2014_sked.pdf> 
portable operations taking place throughout 2014 from each of the 50 
states are now in Colorado (W1AW/5), New Hampshire (W1AW/1), and Texas 
(W1AW/5). W1AW operations will transition starting at 0000 UTC on 
Wednesday, September 17 (*the evening of September 16 in US time zones*) 
to North Carolina (W1AW/4) and Connecticut (W1AW/1). W1AW has visited 
each of the 50 states for at least 1 week so far during 2014. By year's, 
end W1AW will have been on the air from every state at least twice, as 
well as from most US territories.

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. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does 
/not/ count for Connecticut. Participants must work W1AW/1 in 
Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available.

An ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board 
<https://centennial-qp.arrl.org> shows participants 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.

Keynote Convention Speech of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, 
Available on YouTube

The July 18 keynote speech of FEMA <http://www.fema.gov/> Administrator 
Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, at the ARRL National Centennial Convention in 
Hartford, Connecticut, has been posted <http://youtu.be/pLOJXvkBbkg> on 
YouTube. Fugate spoke before some 800 guests at the Friday evening 
convention banquet. Earlier that day,

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ. [LJB Special Photography photo]

he and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed a /Memorandum of 
Agreement/ (/MOA 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/FEMA/FEMA-ARRL-2014.pdf>/) 
aimed at enhancing cooperation between the League and FEMA in the area 
of disaster communication. In his remarks at the banquet, Fugate said 
that before he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him 
that Amateur Radio could support ad hoc and innovative communication 
without relying on conventional telecommunication systems.

"The more sophisticated our systems become, the more fragile they 
become," he told the gathering. He emphasized the need for resiliency in 
communication systems. "The relevancy of ham radio only grows," asserted 
Fugate, who recently upgraded to General class. "Amateur Radio is taking 
that hobby and turning it into saving lives."

After Fugate's talk, President Craigie presented him with the ARRL Medal 
of Honor.

Morse Learning Machine Challenge Catching on with Hams

Experimenter Mauri Niininen <mailto:mauri at innomore.com>, AG1LE, of 
Lexington, Massachusetts, reports that his Morse Learning Machine 
Challenge 
<http://ag1le.blogspot.com/2014/09/morse-learning-machine-challenge.html> has 
been catching on among members of the Amateur Radio community. The goal 
of the competition is to build a machine that can learn how to decode 
audio files containing Morse code. Niininen said his project has been 
approved by Kaggle <https://inclass.kaggle.com/c/morse-challenge>, which 
bills itself as "the world's largest community of data scientists." 
Niininen said that it takes humans many months of effort to learn Morse 
code, and, after years of practice, the most proficient operators can 
decode Morse code up to 60 or more words per minute

"Humans have extraordinary ability to quickly adapt to varying 
conditions, speed, and rhythm. We want to find out if it is possible to 
create a machine learning algorithm that exceeds human performance and 
adaptability in Morse decoding."

The computer-generated Morse data for the competition includes various 
levels of added noise. The signal-to-noise ratio, speed, and message 
content of the files vary randomly to simulate real-life ham radio HF 
Morse communication.

"I hope to attract people from the Kaggle community, who are interested 
in solving new, difficult challenges using their predictive data 
modeling, computer science, and machine learning expertise," Niininen added.

During the competition, participants will build a learning system 
capable of decoding Morse code, using development data consisting of 200 
WAV audio files containing short sequences of randomized Morse. Data 
labels are provided for a training set, so participants can 
self-evaluate their systems.

"To evaluate their progress and compare themselves with others, they can 
submit their prediction results online to get immediate feedback," he 
explained. "A real-time Kaggle leader board 
<https://inclass.kaggle.com/c/morse-challenge/leaderboard/public> shows 
participants their current standing based on their validation set 
predictions." Niininen has provided a sample /Python/ Morse decoder to 
make it easier to get started.

Niininen said that within the first 24 hours of the competition, he had 
33 downloads. "We have already 53 downloads of the materials for this 
competition," he said on September 5, "and it is growing by the hour, as 
the word about this challenge is spreading."

Selected "Ham Radio" 2014 Presentations Now Available Online

Key presentations 
<http://www.dokufunk.org/amateur_radio/contributions/?CID=9458#A14975> 
from the 2014 "Ham Radio 
<http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en/>" international 
exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, have been posted online. The 
Vienna-based DokuFunk <http://www.dokufunk.org/index.php?lang=EN> 
archive offers both audio and video presentations from the 2014 Ham 
Radio, which is Europe's largest Amateur Radio gathering.

/PowerP//oint /presentations in English include "The Enigma and Other 
famous Cipher Machines"//by Tom Perera, W1TP; "FT5ZM -- Amsterdam Island 
DXpedition" by Ralph Fedor, K0IR; "K9W -- Wake Atoll 2013 Commemorative 
Expedition" by Lou Dietrich, N2TU, and "VK9MT -- Mellish Reef 
DXpedition" by Leslie P. Kalmus, W2LK. The German-language presentation 
"Yagi und Quad Antennen für den Kurzwellenamateur" ("Yagi and Quad 
Antennas for HF") by Martin Steyer, DK7ZB, also is available.

The DokuFunk site offers selected Ham Radio presentations dating to 2008.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-09-11&p=1>
Round Two of 2014 ARRL 10GHz and Up Contest Just Ahead!

Round two of the 2014 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest 
<http://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up> arrives the weekend of September 20-21. 
Experimentation, building, and contesting all come together when radio 
amateurs competitively explore the microwave portion of the radio 
spectrum. The contest runs from 6 AM /local time/ on Saturday until 
midnight /local time/ on Sunday.

KB8VAO enjoys himself during the 2012 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest. [Photo 
courtesy of KB8VAO]

The exchange is your /six/-character Maidenhead Locator 
<http://www.arrl.org/locate/gridinfo.html> or "grid square," (eg, 
FN64co). Participants earn points based on the distance of each contact. 
Operating from several locations during the event is not only allowed, 
it's encouraged. Many stations will run just a few hundred milliwatts, 
using parabolic dishes to maximize gain. Along with line-of-sight 
contacts -- often made from mountaintops -- stations may make use of 
tropospheric and rainfall scatter or bounce signals off large objects, 
such as buildings or mountains.

A list of resources <http://www.arrl.org/vhf-uhf-microwave-weak-signal> 
with more information is available. Complete rules and entry forms 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests> are on the ARRL website. All logs must be 
_e-mailed <mailto:10GHZ at arrl.org>_ or postmarked no later than 2359 UTC 
on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. Send paper logs to ARRL 10 GHz and Up 
Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

Radio Scouting Webinar Set

A webinar, "What is Radio Scouting and What Does it Mean to Me?" is set 
for September 18 at 0100 UTC (*Wednesday, September 17, in US time 
zones*). The presenter will be Jim Wilson, K5ND, chairman of the Boy 
Scouts of America's Radio Scouting Committee, president of the K2BSA 
Amateur Radio Association, and member of the World Scouting JOTA-JOTI Team.

"Radio Scouting" includes all things Amateur Radio and Scouting. Topics 
will include the upcoming Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), the world's 
largest Scouting event, with 700,000 Scouts, 13,500 stations, and more 
than 22,000 Amateur Radio operators in 140 countries taking part. 
Advance registration <https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/381716898> 
is required. /-- Thanks to /The ARRL Contest Update 
<http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-contest-update>/via Keith Kaiser, WA0TJT/

Tuskegee Airman and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient George Mitchell, 
K6ZE, SK

ARRL Life Member, longtime Amateur Radio operator and Tuskegee Airman 
George T. Mitchell, K6ZE, of San Diego, California, died September 4. He 
was 94. During World War II Mitchell taught Morse code to the pioneering 
black aviators known as the Tuskegee Airmen <http://tuskegeeairmen.org/>.

In 2007, Mitchell was among the group of Tuskegee Airmen veterans to 
belatedly receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the United States' 
highest civilian award, for his wartime service. African-American 
servicemen had been barred from training as military pilots until the 
Roosevelt Administration, faced with a federal lawsuit and mounting 
protests, opened an aviation school at Tuskegee Institute, a 
traditionally black college in Alabama.

George Mitchell, K6ZE, SK.

"The world looked at us as second-class citizens," Mitchell said in a 
2003 /San Diego Union-Times <http://www.utsandiego.com/>/ interview 
about his time with the Tuskegee Airmen. "We knew we were in a fishbowl. 
We knew we couldn't fail." Some 450 Tuskegee fighter pilots flew more 
than 15,000 sorties over North Africa and Europe during the war. The 
story of the Tuskegee Airmen was the subject of a 1995 film 
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114745/>.

A Philadelphia native, Mitchell, who got into ham radio at the age of 
12, belonged to several Amateur Radio organizations, including the OMIK 
<http://www.omikradio.org/> Amateur Radio Association, the Air Force 
Flyers Club, the Old Old Timers Club, and the Quarter Century Wireless 
Association (QCWA <http://www.qcwa.org/>), from which he received a 
75-year certificate in 2012.

Following the war, Mitchell went to work as a civilian engineer for the 
US Navy. He retired to San Diego, but subsequently returned to work on 
the sea, this time for the Scripps Institute of Oceanography 
<https://scripps.ucsd.edu/>. He frequently spoke to school and civic 
groups about the role the Tuskegee Airmen played in the nation's history.

Survivors include his widow, D'Andrea Mitchell, and children, actor 
Brian Stokes Mitchell, George Mitchell, Richard Mitchell, Lorna 
Mitchell, and stepsons Deon and Robert Coons. /-- Thanks to John Bigley, 
N7UR//Nevada Amateur Radio Newswire <http://www.nevadahamradio.com/>/and 
media accounts/

//

Red Cross Volunteer Stu Press, KC8HQT, SK

American Red Cross <http://www.redcross.org/> Disaster Service 
Technology Group (DST) volunteer Stuart "Stu" Press, KC8HQT, of 
Cincinnati, Ohio, died September 5. He was 61. Press, an ARRL member, is 
reported to have become ill during a DST deployment to the State of 
Washington to assist with communication in a fire-stricken area, and he 
returned to Cincinnati, where he died.

"Stu was a very active national volunteer, who called the Cincinnati 
Chapter of the American Red Cross his home base," said ARRL Public 
Information Officer Cindy Ebner, K8CJE, an ARC volunteer. "He 
volunteered numerous hours helping maintain their Amateur Radio station 
(W8VVL), [and] worked closely with the IT team to grow and maintain the 
network." The DST team oversees the technical component of a response. 
It also can serve as a liaison between local Amateur Radio groups and 
the ARC to facilitate initial emergency communication.

Ebner called Press "an instrumental cog in the machine of emergency 
response to both the American Red Cross organization and the Amateur 
Radio community," and said his loss would be felt by both.

Survivors include his wife, Susan, and two daughters. Services were 
September 9. In-memoriam donations 
<https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod60003&campaignId=3200003&P1=10&gclid=Cj0KEQjw7b-gBRC45uLY_avSrdgBEiQAD3Olx8tQ8eqsQKUei-CA55xhziVHD3fNVr5vAZTFjvJpZu0aAt5X8P8HAQ&subcode=paiddonationsgeneral&scode=RSG00000E017> 
may be made to the American Red Cross.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2014-09-11&p=2>
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

When the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) concluded, 
Amateur Radio had gained new bands at 10, 18, and 24 MHz. Those bands 
would become available to US hams later, after the FCC had done its work 
to put them in place. The term "WARC bands" for 30, 17, and 12 meters 
persists to this day.

Also in 1979, the FCC issued a /Notice of Inquiry/ on the subject of 
radio frequency interference (RFI). The great expansion of consumer 
electronic gear that was susceptible to RFI had led an increase in 
complaints of interference from hams, largely through no fault of the 
hams or their equipment.

The 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) in Geneva 
remains one of the most significant conferences in International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU) history. The ground-breaking decisions at 
WARC-79 remain important to this day. [Photo courtesy of the ITU]

In the March 1980 issue of /QST/, VE2AEJ's article, "Observance of 
Long-Delayed Echoes on 28 MHz" concluded that long-delayed echoes are a 
result of transmitted signals getting into a natural duct, probably 
between the E and F layers of the ionosphere, and circling the globe 
many times before re-emerging. After the explanation of LDEs was set 
forth, scientists asked for hams to help with reports of their LDE 
experiences, to better understand the details of the propagation.

As /QST/ articles//in the 1980s reflected, the main topics of interest 
to the amateur community were new antenna ideas -- from simple and 
inexpensive to large, complex, and /very/ expensive -- the use of new 
solid state technology in the ham shack, VHF/UHF/microwave equipment and 
activities, 2 meter FM and repeaters, DXing, contesting, and moonbounce 
communication.

When microprocessors and microcomputers emerged in the early 1980s, hams 
began putting them to work. Later, stand alone computers began to be 
integrated into the stations of hams who were pushing the state of the 
art. Another area where digital technology helped amateurs was the 
construction of frequency synthesizers.

In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union's "woodpecker" over-the-horizon 
(ionospheric) radar had started its strong and annoying /peck-peck-peck/ 
that slowly swept through the HF amateur bands as well as the 
allocations of other radio services.

In 1980 the ARRL Board of Directors established a Long-Range Planning 
Committee, to look far into the future and plan for Amateur Radio to 
remain strong enough to weather the efforts of other radio services to 
chip away at our frequency allocations. The LRPC was also tasked to find 
ways to strengthen the cooperation between Amateur Radio and 
governmental agencies at all levels.

The Amateur Radio space effort suffered a huge disappointment in May 
1980, when the first attempt to launch a Phase 3 (OSCAR 9) satellite was 
unsuccessful. The /Ariane/ launch vehicle failed right after liftoff, 
and Phase 3 landed in the Atlantic Ocean. The AMSAT-OSCAR community 
regrouped and went to work building another Phase 3 unit. The ARRL 
Foundation launched a fund-raising drive for building the new Phase 3 
satellite that was highly successful. /-- Al Brogdon, W1AB/

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

We saw a nice increase in the level of solar activity this week, and the 
outlook for the near term is good -- or at least interesting.

Average daily sunspot numbers for the period September 4-10 jumped from 
85.1 to 152.1, and average daily solar flux rose from 126.7 to 155.8. 
Geomagnetic indicators were quiet, with the average planetary A index 
declining from 14.7 to 7.9, and the average mid-latitude A index dropped 
from 13.4 to 8.3. These latest numbers are compared with those of the 
previous 7 days, August 28 through September 3.

Spacenews.com <http://www.spacenews.com/> has reported that a couple of 
coronal mass ejection (CME) blasts, launched September 9 and 10 from 
sunspot 2158, are headed toward Earth. The sunspot was in a most 
favorable position for launching CMEs in our direction; it was right in 
the center of the visible solar disc from Earth's perspective. Don't 
worry, though. This is not a doomsday event, although it is strong.

At 0520 UTC on September 11, the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued 
a geomagnetic warning. The Centre has predicted increased geomagnetic 
activity for September 11-13, due to CMEs. The Centre's forecast calls 
for unsettled conditions, with minor storm periods possible on September 
11, active-to-major storm levels on September 12, and active geomagnetic 
conditions on September 13.

 From NOAA/USAF the predicted planetary A index is 5, 32, and 18 for 
September 11-13, 5 for September 14-24, then 18 on September 25, 15 for 
September 26-27, 12 for September 28-29, and 10 on September 30.

Predicted solar flux is 160 on September 11, 165 for September 12-14, 
then 170, 165 and 155 for September 15-17, 145 for September 18-20, then 
150, 145 and 135 for September 21-23, 130 for September 24-25, 125 for 
September 26-27, 130 for September 28-29, and 145 for September 29-30.

Expect aurora borealis displays in northern latitudes of the Northern 
Hemisphere and rough HF conditions on Friday, September 12. The 
predicted planetary A index of 32 for Friday is typical during a 
geomagnetic storm.

You can watch the fun on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center 
<http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/DGD.txt> geomagnetic data page, 
updated every 3 hours. A K index above 3 indicates active geomagnetic 
conditions. Each single point higher represents a large increase in 
activity.

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 Friday's bulletin look for an updated forecast and some interesting 
reports from readers.

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

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

  *

    September 13-14 -- Worked All Europe DX Contest (SSB)

  *

    September 13-14 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon

  *

    September 13-14 -- Arkansas QSO Party

  *

    *September 13-15 -- ARRL September VHF Contest*

  *

    *September 14 -- North American Sprint (SSB)*

  *

    September 14-15 -- Classic Exchange (phone)

  *

    September 15 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)

  *

    September 18 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)

  *

    September 20 -- Feld-Hell Hell on Wheels Sprint

  *

    September 20 -- Pirate QSO Party

  *

    September 20-21 -- ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest

  *

    September 20-21 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)

  *

    September 20-21 -- South Carolina QSO Party

  *

    September 20-21 -- Washington State Salmon Run

  *

    September 21 -- BARTG Sprint 75

  *

    September 21-23 -- Classic Exchange (CW)

  *

    September 22 -- 144 MHz Fall VHF Sprint

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for 
more information.

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

  *

    September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southwestern-division-convention-2>,
    San Diego, California

  *

    September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention <http://www.w9dxcc.com/>,
    Schaumburg, Illinois

  *

    September 26-27 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/w4dxcc-convention-sedco>, Pigeon
    Forge, Tennessee

  *

    September 26-28 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/mid-atlantic-states-vhf-conference-1>,
    Bensalem, Pennsylvania

  *

    September 27 -- North Dakota State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-dakota-state-convention-rrra-hamfest>,
    West Fargo, North Dakota

  *

    September 27 -- Washington State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/washington-state-convention-spokane-hamfest-1>,
    Spokane Valley, Washington

  *

    October 4 -- Delaware State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delaware-state-convention-delmarva-radio-electronics-expo-1>,
    Georgetown, Delaware

  *

    October 5 -- Iowa Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-section-convention-southeast-iowa-hamfest>,
    West Liberty, Iowa

  *

    October 10-11 -- Florida State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/florida-state-convention-melbourne-hamfest-3>,
    Melbourne, Florida

  *

    *October 10-12 -- **Pacific Division Convention*
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacific-division-convention-pacificon-2014-regional-arrl-centennial-event>*(Pacificon),
    Regional ARRL Centennial Event, Santa Clara, California*

  *

    October 11 -- Iowa State Convention
    <http://facebook.com/groups/591123127614974/> (Sioux City Ham
    Convention), Sergeant Bluff, Iowa

  *

    October 11 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference
    <http://www.pnwvhfs.org/conference/2014/announcement.html>, Seaside,
    Oregon

  *

    October 12 -- Connecticut State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/connecticut-state-convention-nutmeg-hamfest-2>,
    Meriden, Connecticut

  *

    October 18 -- Arkansas State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arkansas-state-convention-barc-hamfest-2014>,
    Batesville, Arkansas

  *

    October 18 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wisconsin-ares-races-conference>,
    Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

  *

    October 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/oklahoma-section-convention-texoma-hamarama>,
    Ardmore, Oklahoma

  *

    November 1 -- TechFest 2014
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/techfest-2014>, Lakewood, Colorado

  *

    November 1-2 -- Georgia State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-stone-mountain-hamfest-1>,
    Lawrenceville, Georgia

  *

    November 8 -- Alabama State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/alabama-state-convention-montgomery-hamfest-2014>,
    Montgomery, Alabama

  *

    November 15-16 -- Indiana State Convention
    <http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/hfmain.htm>, Fort Wayne, Indiana

  *

    December 12-13 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-4>,
    Plant City, Florida

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

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

****

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