[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for April 2, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Fri Apr 3 09:24:50 EDT 2015
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-04-02
The ARRL Letter
April 2, 2015
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=2015-04-02&t=t>
* The FCC's "Ham Guy," Bill Cross, W3TN, to Retire on April 3 <#toc01>
* Oklahoma Amateur Radio Volunteers Activate Net to Track Severe
Weather <#toc02>
* Puerto Rico ARES Takes Part in Caribe Wave/LANTEX 2015 Exercise <#toc03>
* Utah Group Puts Broadband-Hamnet to Work for Food Project <#toc04>
* Amateur Radio to Have a Presence, Special Event at Preparedness
Summit 2015 <#toc05>
* Two More Radio Amateurs Join International Space Station Crew <#toc06>
* ARISS School Contact Proposal Window Open Until April 15 <#toc07>
* Amateur Radio "EduTeam" Wows the Crowds at Georgia Super STEM Event
<#toc08>
* Amateur Radio Television Pioneer Don Miller, W9NTP, SK <#toc09>
* In Brief... <#toc10>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc11>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc12>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc13>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ARRL Headquarters Will Be Closed on Good Friday, April 3*: ARRL
Headquarters will be closed on Good Friday, April 3. There will be no
W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule> and no /ARRL Audio News/
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news> on that day. ARRL Headquarters
will reopen Monday, April 6, at 8 AM Eastern Daylight Time. We wish
everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FCC's "Ham Guy," Bill Cross, W3TN, to Retire on April 3
Amateur Radio's point man at the FCC is retiring. Bill Cross, W3TN,
officially a "program analyst" in the Commission's Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), is stepping down on April 3, after
nearly 4 decades at the FCC. Many radio amateurs have had the
opportunity to meet Cross when he conducted the once popular Dayton
Hamvention Amateur Radio forum, which has since fallen victim to FCC
budget trimming.
*Bill Cross, W3TN, at his station. [Jennifer Burton Cross, photo]*
"Most people [at the Bureau] know me as 'The Ham Guy,'" Cross quipped in
an interview with ARRL, "and they send anything relating to Amateur
Radio to me -- as quick as they can." Cross said he did consider making
April 1 his retirement date but, "I didn't want to take any chances."
Cross started with the Amateur Radio Group in what was then the Private
Radio Bureau. That morphed into the WTB when other services were added
in 1989. Prior to that, he worked in the Common Carrier Bureau -- now
the Wireline Competition Bureau -- and his academic background in
engineering and economics came in handy.
A ham since 1968, the married father of two said he's still active on
the air, strictly on HF SSB and CW, and he hopes to expand his time for
ham radio once away from the daily grind. He has achieved DXCC Honor
Roll and actively participates in the Islands on the Air program (IOTA).
When he arrived at the FCC in 1976, Cross didn't anticipate making it a
career. But in time, his hobby became his work, and over the years he
witnessed considerable change in Amateur Radio. The Commission's 2007
decision to drop Morse code as a requirement for obtaining an Amateur
Radio license was one example. "We heard that fabric of the universe had
become unglued," he said, "but it didn't." CW seems to be used much more
than it was before 2007, he said, and some DX or IOTA stations are CW only.
Cross acknowledged that Amateur Radio rule making proceedings at the FCC
move with seeming glacial torpor but pointed out that the Amateur
Service competes with an incoming barrage from other services and
bureaus. "Amateurs have a view that the Commission has three bureaus --
the Bureau of Ham Radio, the Bureau of All Other, and the Bureau of
Administration," he said. "I understand why they wish it was that way,
but it's not."
Looking ahead, Cross said he can see a day when there may be only one
Amateur Radio license class. "Do we really need three license classes
anymore?" he asked. "I can see in the future the number of license
classes decreasing again -- to two or maybe one -- because the
differences really are not that much."
Among the disappointments for Cross has been the rise in questionable
on-the-air behavior, including intentional interference with
DXpeditions, which he believes reflects such less-desirable societal
trends as road rage. "People lose perspective," he said. "No one lives
or dies, if they don't work Navassa Island." FCC budget cutbacks will
lead to less enforcement, he said, and with stretched resources,
"something's gotta give."
That applies in Cross's own Bureau. When he steps down on April 3, no
new "Ham Guy" is standing in the wings to replace him. "The plan is to
divide up my work among other staff members, based on topic," he said.
Waxing philosophical, Cross said people choose to get into ham radio as
something enjoyable and fun. "When the joy and the fun go out of it, and
it becomes a frustration, it might be time to take a step back," he
advised. "Find a new aspect of the hobby. If it doesn't make you happy,
there's something wrong. There's something for everyone. Just have fun."
And Bill Cross plans to do just that.
Oklahoma Amateur Radio Volunteers Activate Net to Track Severe Weather
Amateur Radio SKYWARN volunteers in Oklahoma went on alert March 25 as
severe thunderstorms sparked tornadoes. The Southwest Independent
Repeater Association (SWIRA <http://www.swiralink.com/>) and Tulsa
Region SKYWARN <http://www.skywarn.org> nets were active in support of
tornado warnings in both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Metropolitan areas.
No Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) activation was required, however.
"March 25 was a busy afternoon and evening in Oklahoma," ARRL Oklahoma
Section Manager Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, told ARRL.
Oklahoma Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said that
ARES-OK Tulsa Region was put on standby. "No communication support was
requested by served agencies," he said. "Other than some local cell
service overload, normal communications were up and working."
The WX5TUL Tulsa National Weather Service SKYWARN Net activated on VHF
and UHF, with approximately 25 stations checking in. Weather spotters
reported four tornadoes, two causing major damage and injury, along with
large and frequent severe hail, minor street flooding and significant
damage due to straight-line winds, causing widespread power outages. The
severe weather has been blamed for at least one death.
Colston said the SWIRA net control stations received reports -- at times
under challenging conditions -- that were relayed to the National
Weather Service office in Norman. "Both the Tulsa and Norman offices
have Amateur Radio stations," he pointed out. "Both encourage SKYWARN
and Weather Ready Nation initiatives in their service areas."
Colston said that as the storm progressed across the Tulsa Metro area,
many of the early damage reports were passed to the Tulsa Area Emergency
Management Agency via Amateur Radio. "Oklahoma Section radio amateurs
reported on this storm system until it exited the state late that
evening," he said. Colston and Conklin noted that many early "ground
truth" and tornado observations came from SKYWARN spotters.
Conklin said that the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club (TARC
<http://w5ias.com/>) UHF Superlink System
<http://www.w5ias.com/repeaters.html#UHFLINK> is used for SKYWARN
traffic outside the Tulsa Metro area, while TARC's VHF repeater handles
SKYWARN net traffic inside the Tulsa Metro area.
A preliminary damage assessment from the National Weather Service Office
in Norman confirmed more than one tornado, the most severe being in
Moore. The NWS survey rated damage from the tornado as "high-end EF1."
Widespread damage also resulted from winds of from 70 to 80 MPH, the NWS
said. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/oklahoma-amateur-radio-volunteers-activate-net-to-track-severe-weather>.
Puerto Rico ARES Takes Part in Caribe Wave/LANTEX 2015 Exercise
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Puerto Rico took
part in the 2015 Caribe Wave Large Atlantic Tsunami Exercise (LANTEX
<http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/ctwp/?n=caribewave2015>) -- an annual
tsunami drill for the US East Coast, Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, and the
Caribbean Basin. The exercise involved some 50 nations. The aim of the
March 25 exercise was to test the reliability of communication systems
and protocols between centers of tsunami alerts and to help emergency
management agencies to improve their preparedness in the event of a
tsunami alert. Since 2010, Amateur Radio operators have played a role in
the exercise, executed in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Seismic
Network (RSPR), the Caribbean Warning Tsunami Exercise (Caribe Wave),
FEMA, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Administration (PREMA-AEMEAD
<http://www2.pr.gov/Directorios/Pages/InfoAgencia.aspx?PRIFA=021>), and
NOAA. This year, Puerto Rico Amateur Radio Emergency Service, under the
direction of Section Emergency Coordinator Carlos A. Rosado, KP4CAR,
took part for the first time.
This year's exercise offered two possible scenarios: An
earthquake-generated tsunami off the north coast of Panama, and a
sub-marine landslide off the coast of Florida. The Puerto Rico Seismic
Network chose the Panama scenario. At 10:04 AM Eastern Time, the
Emergency Alert System (EAS) was activated on broadcast and cable TV
outlets to announce the "situation" -- with reminders that it was only a
drill. An hour later, siren systems were tested to verify how well they
performed in coastal areas. Also, many government, public, schools, and
senior institutions in different cities ran their own evacuation drills
to test their preparedness in getting people to the nearest local refuge.
The PREMA activated all 12 of its zones. Each zone is equipped with a
Kenwood TS-2000, funded through a federal grant. The main responsibility
of radio amateurs was to gather reports from other amateur stations
around the island regarding how they were alerted: Broadcast radio, TV,
cable, or other means, such as sirens. The information was delivered to
PREMA Headquarters for post-exercise evaluation session that will
involve all of the involved agencies.
*(L-R) ARRL Puerto Rico SEC Carlos A. Rosado, KP4CAR; José Rodriguez,
KP4SE; Juan J. Sánchez, a Zone 6 PREMA radio operator, and José M. Ríos,
WP4KUY, the Zone 6 Director of Communications. [Carlos A. Rosado,
KP4CAR, photo]*
The exercise made use of two repeaters -- one in Jayuya, the highest
point on the island and equipped with emergency power, and the other in
Cayey. Tito Colón, WP4CBC, and Johnny Figueroa, WP4CXG, served as net
control stations, and many hams throughout Puerto Rico participated in
the exercise -- helping to renew their interest in emergency communication.
PREMA Director Miguel A. Ríos Torres called LANTEX 2015 a great success,
with performance within parameters established by the agency. /-- Thanks
to Angel Santana, WP3GW, Puerto Rico Section Public Information
Coordinator///
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-02&p=0>
Utah Group Puts Broadband-Hamnet to Work for Food Project
A small band of Amateur Radio volunteers in Utah's Salt Lake Valley
successfully used a broadband Wi-Fi network set up on the 2.4 GHz
amateur band to help coordinate the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA)
"Scouting for Food" project on March 21. Scouting for Food is the Boy
Scouts' annual community service event, in which Scouts collect items
*Brendan Bauman, KG7RWO, at his BBHN node, monitors the progress of the
food collection project, just outside BSA Headquarters.*
for donation to a food bank. Local radio amateurs provide both voice and
digital mode communication.
This year for the first time they used a Broadband-Hamnet
<http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/>™ (BBHN) system that coupled modified
wireless router gear operating on amateur frequencies to create a
peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network to share audio and video over a generous
patch of real estate. BBHN is a descendent of the former ARRL High Speed
Multimedia (HSMM) Working Group efforts
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/QEX_Nov_2004_p3-18.pdf>,
earlier known as the "Hinternet" and pioneered by John Champa, K8OCL
(SK), and others in the early 2000s.
"[W]e would call it Wi-Fi on steroids!" said David Bauman, KF7MCF. The
Utah hams linked 13 nodes across the valley to form a network "that is
like a mini private Internet," Bauman explained. They then used this
network to send live video and audio back to the BSA Headquarters,
showing them what was happening at food drop-off sites and at the [truck
dispatch] headquarters. Bauman called it "a huge step forward in
technology from the old days of Morse code." Retired clergyman Robert
Jelf, KG7OHV, of Magna, headed up the team.
Just outside BSA Headquarters near the University of Utah, Brandon
Bauman, KG7RWO, was able to watch via his laptop as volunteers miles
away dropped off canned food items and as YRC freight dispatched trucks
to pickup sites around the valley. Brandon was part of an Amateur Radio
group that assists the Boy Scouts in the Scouting for Food Project each
year by providing communications. This marked the first time BBHN
technology was used to support the project in the Salt Lake Valley.
Their Wi-Fi network, known as a wireless mesh network, was able to cover
a large portion of the valley.
"The farthest point from our hub site was 8.5 miles across the city
through a narrow path lined with lots of manmade objects for signals to
bounce off," Jelf said. "While the mesh group was used to show video of
the dispatch of trucks and of truck trailers at collection points within
the hub site path, collection took place throughout the Wasatch Front
area and elsewhere in Utah." Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/utah-group-puts-broadband-hamnet-to-work-for-food-project>.
Amateur Radio to Have a Presence, Special Event at Preparedness Summit 2015
Amateur Radio will be part of the program when Preparedness Summit 2015
<http://preparednesssummit.org/2015-preparedness-summit/> convenes April
14-17 in Atlanta. Special event station N4P will also be on the air from
the conference location. The theme of this 10th Preparedness Summit is
"Global Health Security: Preparing a Nation for Emerging Threats."
"Global health security preparedness issues such as protecting against
infectious disease, the health effects of climate change and extreme
weather, and cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure, impact
all levels of governmental public health and healthcare agencies," a
Preparedness Summit 2015 announcement explained. The National
Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO
<http://www.naccho.org/>) organizes the event, which attracted 1600
participants in 2014.
Preparedness Summit 2015 will once again offer an Amateur Radio
licensing prep session on April 14, with testing the following day. A
ham radio demonstration, "When All Else Fails, Amateur Radio Gets
Through," will take place on April 14 as well.
Special event station N4P will be on the air from the Preparedness
Summit 2015 venue. Listen for N4P on or around 7.265, 14.265, 21.365,
and 28.36 MHz. EchoLink <http://www.echolink.org/> activity using the
Georgia Tech Radio Club's W4AQL call sign also will take place. A
commemorative QSL card will be available for stations working N4P.
The complete Preparedness Summit agenda
<http://www.eventscribe.com/2015/NACCHOSummit/aaSearchByDay.asp?h=Full%20Schedule&BCFO=D%7CI%7CLS%7CP%7CG%7CPL%7CTH%7CWS>
and more information are on the conference's website./-- Thanks to Chuck
Motes, K1DFS/
Two More Radio Amateurs Join International Space Station Crew
The ISS ham radio population expanded to three, following the arrival of
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko,
RN3BF, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, on March 28 (UTC). Kelly, 51, and
Kornienko, 54, will remain aboard the ISS for 1 year -- the longest
space mission ever assigned to a NASA astronaut.
European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, will
head back to Earth in May, after Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg Kononenko,
RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui arrive at the ISS as part of a scheduled crew
rotation. Cristoforetti has conducted several Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station school contacts during her ISS duty tour.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-02&p=1>
ARISS School Contact Proposal Window Open Until April 15
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) program coordinator is seeking proposals from
schools and organizations that are interested in hosting an Amateur
Radio contact with a member of the International Space Station crew. The
US ARISS contact proposal window will remain open until April 15.
ARISS is seeking formal and informal educational institutions and
organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur
Radio contact with an ISS crew member between January 1 and June 30,
2016. Crew scheduling and space station orbits will determine the exact
contact dates.
ARISS is looking for organizations that have the potential to draw large
numbers of participants and can integrate the contact into a
well-developed educational plan.
Details <http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact> on expectations,
audience, proposal guidelines, proposal form, and dates and times of
information sessions are on the ARRL website. Contact
<mailto:ariss at arrl.org> ARISS with any questions.
Amateur Radio "EduTeam" Wows the Crowds at Georgia Super STEM Event
Members of the North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL
<http://www.nfarl.org/>) EduTeam in Fulton County, Georgia, offered
students and other members of the public an opportunity to experience
ham radio. The EduTeam hosted an Amateur Radio booth at the Sandy
Springs Education Force's Super STEM (science, technology, engineering,
and math) Event on March 5 at North Springs Charter High School
<http://school.fultonschools.org/hs/northsprings/pages/default.aspx>.
"The theme of this year's STEM Event was Communications Technology, so
we were a perfect fit," said Martha Muir, W4MSA. "Waves of the North
Springs students flooded our booth from the morning until early
afternoon. Then it was time for students from the local middle schools."
That evening, Muir said, officials from the Sandy Springs Education
Force as well as other members of the community visited.
"Our booth was busy all day, tantalizing and educating our visitors with
various aspects of Amateur Radio," she said, "especially about how much
fun it is, and how easily it fits into STEM classrooms."
Mike Cohen, AD4MC, and Wes Lamboley, W3WL, installed an antenna at the
school, so visitors could make voice contacts on 20 and 10 meters. Chuck
Catledge, AE4CW; Sam Wolff, KK4NVJ; Megan Brown, KM4HFY, and Eli
Musgrave, KM4HFZ -- all Mill Springs Academy
<https://www.millsprings.org/index.cfm> students -- assisted the guests
in getting on the air.
*Between sessions with the North Springs students, Mill Springs student
Megan Brown, KM4HFY, makes contacts on the HF station under the
supervision of Chuck Catledge, AE4CW, and Wes Lamboley, W3WL (seated).*
John Kludt, K4SQC, set up his Mars Lander Amateur Radio Robotics
Exploration Activity (MAREA) robot to simulate how NASA scientists use
radio signals to control the movement of the Mars rovers. "John's MAREA
clearly stood out with the students and other visitors to our booth,"
Muir said. He also showed a video of the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org>) contact at
Mill Springs Academy.
"We received rave compliments from the students, parents, teachers, and
administrators who visited our booth," Muir said. "Several students from
both the high school and middle school expressed interest in starting
Amateur Radio programs at their schools." Muir said she hoped the
positive feedback would help enlist teachers and schools to form ham
radio clubs and help more students to become licensed. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-eduteam-wows-the-crowds-at-georgia-super-stem-event>.
Amateur Radio Television Pioneer Don Miller, W9NTP, SK
Amateur Radio television pioneer and past ARRL Central Division Director
Don C. Miller, W9NTP, of Waldron, Indiana, died March 22. He was 91. An
ARRL Life Member, he was licensed in 1943. In the 1960s, Miller was
instrumental in developing slow-scan TV (SSTV) for ham radio, working
with Cop MacDonald, VY2CM, and others. Miller wrote several articles on
SSTV for /QST/. In 1972, Dayton Hamvention^® honored Miller as Amateur
of the Year. Miller served as the Central Division Director from 1977
until 1980.
*Don Miller, W9NTP.*
During World War II, Miller served in the US Army Signal Corps before
being recruited to work at the Trinity atomic weapons test site in New
Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project.
"I went to work one day and finally figured out that we were building a
nuclear bomb. But that's all I knew about it," Miller told /The
Rushville Republican/ newspaper in 2007. Miller said he worked with J.
Robert Oppenheimer, who oversaw the Manhattan Project.
Miller also was a collector of Native American and other historical
artifacts, and in 2014, FBI agents raided his Indiana home and
confiscated objects alleged to have been collected in violation of
federal and state laws and of several treaties. Miller's collection
included artifacts from all over the world. He told investigators that
he had began collecting as a youngster.
In 1984, Miller and his wife, Sue, W9YL (SK), founded Wyman Research
Inc, which developed and marketed Amateur Radio SSTV and ATV equipment.
Wyman Research engineered the SSTV gear used onboard the Russian /Mir/
space station./-- Thanks to/ The Shelbyville News
<http://www.shelbynews.com/>; The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-02&p=2>
In Brief...
*Young Ham's First Contact is via OSCAR Satellite*: Eight-year-old radio
amateur Hope Lea, KM4IPF, in Virginia, made her first radio contact
<https://vimeo.com/122112807> just 45 minutes after her call sign
appeared in the FCC database. The contact with K4YYL via the FO-29
<http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/two-way-comms-satellites/fuji-oscar-29-jas-2/>
satellite took place on March 11. Hope's older sister Faith, WA4BBC, and
her brother Zechariah, WX4TVJ, also worked K4YYL. The older siblings had
earned their Technician tickets in February and upgraded to General a
couple of weeks later. The youngest sibling is studying for her
license./-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT-UK/
*W7FG.net and Trueladderline.com Change Hands*: Brian Duerr, WB2JIX --
operating as WB2JIX LLC -- has acquired the assets of W7FG.net and
TrueLadderLine.com <http://www.trueladderline.com/> in Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, formerly operated by Charlie Redding, K5JYB (SK). "I look
forward to carrying on the 20-year tradition of manufacturing and
selling the original W7FG open wire-fed dipoles and accessories," he
said. "I am adding several items to the website, so purchasers can find
everything needed to use this efficient and affordable antenna."//Duerr
notes that the antennas and ladder line are assembled by individuals
with disabilities through an Oklahoma program that provides a place for
job training, sheltered employment and a supervised work environment.
"They all take pride in their work, care about what they do for us, and
appreciate your support," he said. Contact Brian Duerr
<mailto:rreud03 at gmavt.net>, WB2JIX, for more information.
*Astronaut Mark Vande Hei is Newest Astro-Ham*: NASA Astronaut Mark
Vande Hei is now KG5GNP. He attended license classes on March 11 and 12,
passed the Technician exam the following day, and his call sign showed
up in the FCC ULS database on March 24. Vande Hei is a member of the
20th NASA astronaut class and has qualified for a future flight
assignment. /-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO,
and ARISS/
*Nigel Cawthorne, G3TXF, is Single-Op Cass Award Recipient*: Nigel
Cawthorne, G3TXF, is the winner of the 2014 Single-Operator Cass Award
<http://www.cassaward.com>. The Cass Award encourages DXpedition
operating excellence. While operating as ZD9XF from the island of
Tristan da Cunha in September 2014, G3TXF worked 9314 individual
stations during the first 14 days of his one-person DXpedition,
demonstrating an outstanding effort to log as many DXers as possible and
setting a new Single-Operator Cass Award record. ClubLog founder Michael
Wells, G7VJR (right in photo), presented Cawthorne with his plaque and
prize at the CDXC Annual Dinner on March 21. The annual Cass Award
encourages DXpeditions to maximize the number of DXers worked with a
$1000 prize for the Single-Operator DXpeditioner who works the most
discrete call signs over a 2-week period. This award's namesake is Cass
Cassidy, WA6AUD (SK). /-- Thanks to /The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>
*Rich Hallman, N7TR, Named Technologist of the Year*: Well-known Nevada
contester Rich Hallman, N7TR, has been named Technologist of the Year by
Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET
<http://www.ncet.org/>). The award honors exceptional individuals who
have demonstrated innovative and effective use of technology in support
of their organizations' strategic initiatives. "I'm honored to be named
NCET's 2015 Technologist of the Year and to be part of a company that
has been recognized by NCET for the third year in a row for its
technological advancements," said Hallman, who is chief information
officer for Employers Insurance. He'll receive the award on April 9. /--
Thanks to Tom Taormina, K5RC/
//
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: This week's numbers have average daily
solar flux and sunspot number averages headed in opposite directions.
For the March 26 through April 1 period, average daily sunspot numbers
fell 6 points to 77.9, and average daily solar flux increased 13.3
points to 135.7, compared to the previous 7 days. Geomagnetic indices
were quieter, with average daily planetary A index declining 10.7 points
to 8.7, and average daily mid-latitude A index dropping 6.6 points to 7.7.
We saw four new sunspot regions over the past week, one each on March
26, 28, 29, and April 1.
The latest short term prediction for solar flux has 130 and 135 for
April 2-3, 125 for April 4-6, 130 for April 7-8, 140 for April 9, 145
for April 10-13, 140 on April 14, 135 for April 15-18, 130 on April 19,
and 125 for April 20-22. Then solar flux sinks to a low of 120 for April
23-25 and hits a high of 150 on April 28 before declining again.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 20, and 15 for April 2-4, 8 for April
5-8, 5 for April 9-11, then 15, and 30 for April 12-13, 20 for April
14-16, 15 on April 17, 20 for April 18-19, 12 on April 20, 5 for April
21-22, 8 for April 23-24, 25 on April 25, and 29 for April 26-27.
At 2328 UTC on March 31, the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a
geomagnetic disturbance warning. Increased geomagnetic activity is
expected due to a high-speed solar wind from a coronal hole. The
geomagnetic activity forecast is for active conditions on April 2 and
unsettled conditions April 3.
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, we will track solar cycle progress with some new
averages ending March 31. It looks like the 3-month moving average of
sunspot numbers centered on February 2015 (containing all data from
January 1 through March 31) puts us back at the August 2013 level. The
highest monthly average sunspot number for this cycle was 174.6 in
February 2014. For March 2015 the average was 61.7.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me /your/ reports and observations. /-- Tad
Cook, K7RA/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
April 3 -- NS Weekly RTTY Sprint
*
April 3 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
*
April 3-12 -- Lighthouse Spring Lites QSO Party
*
April 4 -- LZ Open 40 Meter Contest (CW)
*
April 4 -- Missouri QSO Party
*
April 4-5 -- QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party (CW)
*
April 4 -- PODXS 31 Flavors Contest
*
April 4-5 -- Texas State Parks Contest
*
April 4-5 -- Mississippi QSO Party
*
April 4-5 -- SP DX Contest (SSB, CW)
*
April 4-5 -- EA RTTY Contest
*
April 4-5 -- Montana QSO Party
*
April 6 -- Low Power Spring Sprint
*
April 6 -- Easter Contest (SSB, CW)
*
April 6 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
*
April 7 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
April 4 -- West Central Florida Technical Conference
<http://www.arrlwcf.org/>, Sebring, Florida
*
April 4 -- North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.rars.org/rarsfest>, Raleigh, North Carolina
*
April 4 -- Arkansas State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arkansas-state-convention-hanging-judge-hamfest>,
Fort Smith, Arkansas
*
April 11 -- Delta Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delta-division-convention-memphis-freefest>,
Bartlett, Tennessee
*
April 11-12 -- Communications Academy <http://www.commacademy.org/>,
Seattle, Washington
*
April 17-19 -- International DX Convention
<http://dxconvention.com/>, Visalia, California
*
April 17-19 -- Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/eastern-vhf-uhf-mw-conference>,
Manchester, Connecticut
*
April 24-25 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference
<http://www.svhfs.org/>, Morehead, Kentucky
*
April 25 -- Aurora Conference <http://www.nlrs.org/>, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota
*
May 1-3 -- Nevada State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nevada-state-convention-1>, Verdi, Nevada
*
May 2 -- South Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-section-convention-56th-annual-hamfest>,
Spartanburg, South Carolina
*
May 15-17 -- Dayton Hamvention^® <http://www.hamvention.org/>,
Dayton, Ohio
*
June 5-7 -- Northwestern Division Convention
<http://www.seapac.org/> (SeaPac), Seaside, Oregon
*
June 6 -- Georgia State Convention <http://www.atlantahamfest.com/>,
Marietta, Georgia
*
June 12-13 -- West Gulf Division Convention <http://www.hamcom.org/>
(Ham-Com), Irving, Texas
*
June 13 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/>,
Knoxville, Tennessee
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for *
*Amateur Radio News and Information*
.
.
.
* Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> ARRL membership
includes /QST/ <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur Radio's most
popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
* Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday.
Subscribe to...
* /NCJ / <http://www.ncjweb.com/>/-- National Contest Journal/
<http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published bi-monthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and
QSO Parties.
* /QEX/ <http://www.arrl.org/qex>*//*/-- A Forum for Communications
Experimenters/ <http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bi-monthly,
features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and
other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications
professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
* Subscribe
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update/ (bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Find ARRL on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>! Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>!
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-02&t=r&p=0>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-02&t=r&p=1>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-02&t=r&p=2>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-02&t=r&p=3>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-02&t=r&p=4>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members
may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data
Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.
Copyright © 2015 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>
More information about the SFDXA
mailing list