[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for February 19, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Feb 19 20:46:27 EST 2015
Preview
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The ARRL Letter
February 19, 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/>
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* ARRL Warns Experimental Licensee to Avoid Interference to HF Ham
Activity <#toc01>
* US to Propose Additional Sharing of 10 GHz Band at WRC-15 <#toc02>
* FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Now in Effect <#toc03>
* ARRL Foundation Announces Two New Scholarships <#toc04>
* Exit Navassa, Enter Cocos <#toc05>
* ARISS Contact Proposal Window for 2016 Events Now Open <#toc06>
* AMSAT-NA Board Approves Seed Money for Technology Development <#toc07>
* Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, Wins Second Prestigious IEEE Award <#toc08>
* Canada Funds Amateur Radio Disaster Assistance Project in Saint
Lucia <#toc09>
* Hams in Haiti to Build Tower, Promote International Goodwill <#toc10>
* Hams Encouraged to Hit the Water for New US Islands Awards "One-Day
Getaway" <#toc11>
* In Brief... <#toc12>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc15>
ARRL Warns Experimental Licensee to Avoid Interference to HF Ham Activity
The ARRL has asked a Massachusetts company that plans to conduct
experimental transmissions over wide portions of the HF spectrum either
to avoid Amateur Radio allocations or to announce the times and
frequencies of their transmissions in advance. The FCC last fall granted
MITRE Corporation of Bedford, Massachusetts, a 2-year Part 5
Experimental License, WH2XCI
<https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/442_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=59617&license_seq=60175>,
to operate 21 transmitters at 10 fixed New York and Massachusetts sites.
MITRE plans to test wideband HF communication techniques on a variety of
bands between 2.5 MHz and 16 MHz.
"[I]t will not be possible for MITRE to operate these transmitters
within the Amateur Radio Service allocations...without causing harmful
interference to a large number of Amateur Radio operators on an ongoing
basis," ARRL Chief Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said in a February 12
letter to MITRE.
Imlay said that if MITRE does not agree to avoid ham radio bands or to
announce times and frequencies of transmissions ahead of time, it will
ask the FCC to rescind the company's Experimental License or to impose a
prior notification requirement "in real time for each and every use of
the transmitters authorized at each site."
The WH2XCI Experimental License authorizes maximum bandwidths of 5 kHz,
500 kHz, and 1 MHz at effective radiated power levels of 6 W, 24 W, or
122 W. MITRE has indicated that most bandwidths would be between 100 and
300 kHz.
"At these power levels with the operating parameters proposed, it will
be impossible to conduct your tests at any time within the Amateur Radio
allocations and, at the same time, avoid harmful interference," Imlay
said. He noted that MITRE already conceded this point in a technical
exhibit submitted to the FCC with respect to its 1 MHz bandwidth mode.
*ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]*
Imlay said that when interference from MITRE's wide-bandwidth
transmitters "inevitably occurs in the narrow-bandwidth, sensitive
receivers" hams use, amateur licensees will have no way to determine the
source of the interference or know to whom they might complain. "Thus,
your assurance of operation on a 'non-interference basis' is meaningless
under the circumstances, and yet that is both a special condition of
operation" of the WH2XCI license and under FCC Part 5 regulations, Imlay
told MITRE.
"It is ARRL's intention to ensure that this experimental authorization,
improvidently granted to the extent that it includes heavily used
Amateur Radio allocations, is not permitted to cause interference to
ongoing Amateur Radio HF communications," Imlay concluded.
MITRE obtained the Experimental License to investigate high data rate
wideband HF communication systems.
US to Propose Additional Sharing of 10 GHz Band at WRC-15
The US proposal
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/ai_1.12_usa_proposal_2015-02-06.pdf>
for World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) Agenda Item 1.12
-- to expand the Earth Exploration Satellite Service (EESS) in the
vicinity of 10 GHz -- supports allocating an additional 600 MHz of
spectrum to the EESS (active) as a primary allocation in the frequency
band 9.9-10.5 GHz, with certain limitations. The Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite services have secondary allocations of 10.0-10.5 GHz
and 10.45-10.5 GHz, respectively; the only current primary allocation is
to Radiolocation. A study conducted by a Working Party of the
International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R)
concluded that the interference potential of EESS (active) to Amateur
Radio was limited to very brief and infrequent periods.
"In this hotly contested frequency range, the best we can hope for is
that sharing partners will be compatible with continued amateur access,
and that is the case here," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, commented.
The US proposal does /not /include adding the United States to a
"country footnote" that allocates the 10.0-10.45 GHz band to the fixed
service in some Region 2 countries -- a position advocated by Mimosa
Networks and strongly opposed by the ARRL. Mimosa Networks had
petitioned <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022310834> the
FCC to allow wireless broadband services in the band, which the ARRL has
also strongly opposed.
The US proposal includes a provision that recognizes the
Amateur-Satellite Service. "This proposal ensures that secondary
Amateur-Satellite service operations in the frequency band 10.45-10.5
GHz that are advance published prior to the date of entry into force of
the primary EESS (active) allocation in 9900-10,500 MHz are treated on a
co-equal basis with EESS (active) operations," the US position states.
After that date, presumed to be January 1, 2017, new stations in the
Amateur-Satellite Service would be considered secondary to the EESS.
*ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX. [Rick Lindquist,
WW1ME, photo]*
EESS use of the 9900-10,500 MHz band would be limited to systems
requiring necessary bandwidths greater than 600 MHz that cannot be fully
accommodated within the 9300-9900 MHz band.
ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, has been advocating
on behalf of positions favorable to Amateur Radio at WRC-15 during the
US preparatory process. He notes that administrations in Europe
generally favor an EESS allocation down to 9.2 GHz and up to 10.4 GHz,
sparing the Amateur Satellite segment.
A US proposal on WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.4, involving the possibility of an
Amateur Radio allocation in the vicinity of 5 MHz, has not been
finalized. US proposals <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/page/us-proposals> on
WRC-15 agenda items that already have been agreed upon are available on
the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) website.
Each proposal represents the US position on WRC-15 agenda items for
possible changes to the international Radio Regulations.
FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Now in Effect
Effective February 17, the FCC no longer routinely issues paper license
documents to Amateur Radio applicants and licensees. The FCC will
continue to provide paper license documents to all licensees who notify
the Commission that they prefer to receive one, but what arrives in the
mail now will be printed on plain white recycled paper, instead of the
more distinctive stock the FCC had been using until recently. All of
this is part of the FCC's efforts to streamline procedures and save money.
"We find this electronic process will improve efficiency by simplifying
access to official authorizations in ULS, shortening the time period
between grant of an application and access to the official
authorization, and reducing regulatory costs," the FCC Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) said. According to the WTB, the new
procedures will save more than $300,000 a year, including staff expenses.
The Commission has maintained for some time now that the official
Amateur Radio license authorization is the electronic Universal
Licensing System (ULS <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm>) record,
although the FCC had routinely continued to print and mail hard copy
licenses until this week.
In mid-December, the FCC adopted final procedures
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-14-1846A1.pdf> to
provide access to official electronic authorizations, as it had proposed
<http://www.fcc.gov/document/wtb-announces-access-electronic-authorizations-seeks-comment>
in WT Docket 14-161 as part of its "process reform" initiatives. Under
the new procedures, licensees will access their current official
authorization ("Active" status only) via the ULS License Manager.
Licensees can also print an official license authorization -- as well as
an unofficial "reference copy" -- from the ULS License Manager.
The ULS License Manager now permits licensees to change the default
setting, so that the Bureau will print and mail a license document.
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ARRL Foundation Announces Two New Scholarships
The ARRL Foundation has announced the establishment of two new
scholarships -- The James Cothran, KD3NI, Scholarship Fund and The Dan
Huettl, WZ7U, Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Cothran scholarship,
endowed by his daughter, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, and her
husband Carter, N3AO, will award $2000 annually to a young radio amateur
pursuing higher education. President Craigie said her father, a
life-long experimenter, had tried unsuccessfully to get her interested
in electronics when she was a child.
*James Cothran, KD3NI. [Photo courtesy of Kay Craigie, N3KN]*
"He came to Amateur Radio late in life but was active in several clubs
in the Atlanta area, where he signed N4IQR, before moving to
Pennsylvania for the last decade of his life," President Craigie said.
"He packed a lot of fun and many friendships into his few years in
Amateur Radio." Cothran died in 1997, a few days shy of turning 84.
During World War II, Cothran served in the US Army Signal Corps,
assembling military radio stations from boxes of components. "That was
good preparation for being a radio amateur," President Craigie said.
"Although he did not graduate from college, he encouraged my doing so,
and he paid the bill for it," she continued. "In the last years of his
life, Amateur Radio was a great shared interest in our family. Put it
all together, and it just made sense to name our ARRL Foundation
scholarship in his memory."
Preference will be given to Cothran scholarship applicants who live in
the ARRL Atlantic, Roanoke, or Southeastern divisions.
The Huettl Scholarship, which will award $1000 annually to a radio
amateur pursuing higher education, was established by the radio amateurs
in his family. Huettl died earlier this year. His niece, Connie Mah,
NR4CB, said Huettl got interested in ham radio as a teenager, when
another ham relative -- as an impromptu demonstration -- brought a radio
to Huettl's house, threw a wire over a fence, and began making contacts.
*Dan Huettl, WZ7U. [Photo courtesy of Connie Mah, NR4CB]*
"Fascinated by what his Elmer helped him experience, he learned Morse
code and passed his license exams," Mah said. Huettl attended Arizona
State University, earning an electrical engineering degree and going on
to work in the semiconductor industry for 33 years until his death at
age 55. While working in Czech Republic, he held call sign OK8DX.
"Dan was a member of ARRL for 37 years, making contacts with hams
locally and internationally as a way to relax. Amateur Radio was one way
Dan pursued what he was passionate about -- electronics, technology,
and, most of all, connecting with people around the world," Mah said.
The Huettl scholarship will give preference to applicants attending
Arizona State who are pursuing a degree in science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics.
The ARRL Foundation will administer both scholarships. Descriptions
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions> of all scholarships The
ARRL Foundation administers are available on the Foundation's web pages.
Exit Navassa, Enter Cocos
The K1N Navassa Island <http://www.navassadx.com/> DXpedition is now a
part of ham radio history. The 15-member team wrapped up operations on
schedule early on February 15. While some seekers went away empty-handed
-- even after hours of trying to break the massive pileups (and some
intentional interference) -- thousands were more fortunate. As K1N
exited the world stage, another /far/ more modest DXpedition on Cocos
Island began operating the next day as TI9/3Z9DX.
*The K1N DXpedition team at the Navassa Lighthouse.*
Going into the DXpedition, Navassa Island (KP1) was the second
most-wanted DXCC entity (after North Korea) on ClubLog's Most Wanted
List <http://www.clublog.org/mostwanted.php>. Cocos Island is number 25
overall.
From startup in the waning hours of February 1 until shutdown on
February 15 at 1130 UTC, K1N logged 138,409 contacts with 35,702 unique
call signs. A helicopter took the last three members of the DXpedition
off the island on February 15 at 1500 UTC. They had remained behind to
keep K1N active "until the last possible moment," said team member Glenn
Johnson, W0GJ. "There was an excellent opening to Asia/Oceania almost
all day and all night during the last 24 hours [of the DXpedition]."
Johnson thanked DXers who stood by while K1N worked areas of the world
into which it had short propagation windows. "The Jamaica Amateur Radio
Association members provided valuable support for all phases of our
operation," he added.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS <http://www.fws.gov/>) oversees
access to the small island, and it has indicated that it would not allow
any more DXpeditions to Navassa for another decade.
A log search engine and detailed contact statistics are on the K1N
Navassa Island <http://www.navassadx.com/> website.
*Dom, 3Z9DX, operating from Cocos Island.*
As was the case with Navassa, access to Cocos Island is restricted. The
small Pacific Ocean island is designated as a national park and does not
permit inhabitants other than Costa Rican park rangers. Due to new
regulations, the DXpedition will not use the TI9A call sign but TI9/3Z9DX.
The Cocos Island team, which includes operators from Costa Rica, Poland,
and Russia, got off to a late and shaky start, but things have picked
up. A storm on February 19 damaged some antennas, since repaired, and HF
conditions have not been the best, but the team has uploaded an initial
batch of nearly 6000 contacts.
Expedition leader Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, has asked for patience on the part
of DXers hoping to put TI9 into the log, given the size of their "super
low-budget" operation and the fact that two members are DXpedition
neophytes.
Operation from TI9/3Z9DX will be on CW, SSB, and digital modes on all or
most HF bands. The team will be on the island until February 23.
The island manager has assigned the team to a location that may work to
the advantage of North American operators. The group has posted some
photos
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ti93z9dx-Cocos-Is-Dxpedition-16-23-February-2015/303913103133160?sk=photos_stream>
on Facebook. Logs <https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/TI9/3Z9DX> are
being uploaded to ClubLog./-- Thanks to /The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com>
ARISS Contact Proposal Window for 2016 Events Now Open
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) program is now accepting applications from
formal and informal educational institutions and organizations in the US
-- individually or working together -- that would like to host an
Amateur Radio contact with an ISS crew member between January 1 and June
30, 2016. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits determine the exact contact
dates. The application window closes on April 15.
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.
FM voice contacts with ISS crew members last about 10 minutes -- the
typical length of an orbital pass -- and allow students and educators to
interact with the astronauts in a question-and-answer format. ARISS
contacts afford an opportunity for participants to learn firsthand from
astronauts and cosmonauts what it is like to live and work in space, and
about ISS research. Students will also have an opportunity to learn
about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science.
Because of the nature of human spaceflight and scheduling complexity,
schools and organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate
changes in contact dates and times.
Details <http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact> on expectations,
audience, proposal guidelines, the proposal form, and dates and times of
information sessions are on the ARRL website. E-mail ARISS
<mailto:ariss at arrl.org> with any questions.
Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies
in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe sponsor this educational
opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable
communication between ISS crew and students around the world via Amateur
Radio.
In the US, ARISS is managed by the ARRL and AMSAT, in partnership with NASA.
AMSAT-NA Board Approves Seed Money for Technology Development
As a part of its "Design The Next AMSAT Satellite
<http://www.amsat.org/?p=3395>" challenge, the AMSAT Board of Directors
has approved $5000 as seed money for future satellite development. The
Board will also seek additional fund-raising possibilities.
*AMSAT-NA President Barry Baines, WD4ASW.*
"We're prepared to return to space in 2015 with a fleet of satellites
that will equal, if not exceed, the performance, and availability to the
average ham, of our previously popular AMSAT OSCAR 51," AMSAT President
Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said. "Meanwhile, we are preparing for the future
looking to potentially leverage new technologies, to provide the best
opportunities for enhancing Amateur Radio's presence in space." The
AMSAT Board met in December.
AMSAT hopes its Fox-1A CubeSat will be one of its 2015 successes. In
January, the CubeSat successfully completed required pre-launch testing,
including so-called "shake and bake" vibration and thermal testing.
Fox-1A is scheduled to launch in late August on a NASA ELaNa
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana/#.VMuU5Hs1c-U> flight .
AMSAT has expressed interest in supporting technology ideas that enhance
the utility of the CubeSat form factor to support more robust Amateur
Satellite capabilities. These could include microwave technology
suitable for use in amateur spacecraft and complementary, low-cost
ground systems. Another potential enhancement would be attitude
determination and control systems that would point a spacecraft's
antennas toward the user, while maximizing solar panel production.
For more details, contact AMSAT Vice President-Engineering Jerry Buxton
<mailto:n0jy at amsat.org>, N0JY. Buxton told the Board that construction
and testing of five Fox CubeSats continues on schedule. /-- Thanks to
AMST News Service/
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Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, Wins Second Prestigious IEEE Award
Ulrich Rohde, N1UL (ex-KA2WEU), has been named by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE <http://www.ieee.org/>) to
receive the prestigious I. I. Rabi Award
<http://www.ieee-uffc.org/frequency-control/awards-rabi.asp> for 2015.
The award recognizes outstanding contributions related to the fields of
atomic and molecular frequency standards, and time transfer and
dissemination. The author of some 200 scientific papers and books,
including several /QEX/ and /QST/ articles, Rohde was cited specifically
for "intellectual leadership, selection, and measurement of resonator
structures for implementation in high-performance frequency sources,
essential to the determination of atomic resonance."
*Ulrich Rohde, N1UL.*
"I am really in disbelief and overwhelmed by this totally unexpected
honor close to my 75th birthday," Rohde said in thanking Gregory Weaver,
the 2015 Awards Chair of the IEEE International Frequency Control
Symposium (IFCS) Standing Committee. "Since the age of 16, I have been
fascinated with oscillators as well as their performance and their
influence on atomic standards. Some of the results of my research are
still the basis of all really high-performance oscillators."
Last year Rohde was the recipient of another IEEE IFCS honor, the C.B.
Sawyer Memorial Award <http://ifcs2014.org/general/awards>, which
recognizes "entrepreneurship or leadership in the frequency control
community; or outstanding contributions in the development, production
or characterization of resonator materials or structures."
Rohde, who is the chairman of Synergy Microwave Corporation and
President of Communications Consulting Corporation, will receive the
Rabi Award at the 2015 Joint Conference of the IEEE International
Frequency Control Symposium and European Frequency and Time Forum, held
April 12-16 in Denver.
The award's namesake, physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi, received the Nobel
Prize in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, which is
used in magnetic resonance imaging.
Canada Funds Amateur Radio Disaster Assistance Project in Saint Lucia
The Government of Canada will provide more than $25,000 (CDN) to the
Saint Lucia Amateur Radio Club <http://slarc.dageekz.com/> to improve
Amateur Radio coverage and communication in the small Caribbean island
nation in the event of a disaster. The project will install two repeater
systems including solar backup power, train 90 radio operators, and
increase coverage for all of Saint Lucia's 18 districts.
"Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and an escalation in the frequency
and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes threaten homes and
businesses across the Caribbean. These situations can have a significant
negative impact on sustainable economic growth and result in loss of
life," the Canadian Government said in announcing the grant.
According to the announcement, the Repeater System for the Saint Lucia
Amateur Radio Club will provide enhanced two-way communication during
normal and disaster conditions, allowing for Amateur Radio coverage in
all communities -- and especially in known high-risk areas.
"The project will ensure that, in future hazard events, reliable and
accurate information can be passed from communities to response teams,
leading to more timely and effective assistance to those communities,"
the announcement said.
The Saint Lucia Amateur Radio Club <http://slarc.dageekz.com/> secured
support for this project through the Canada Caribbean Disaster Risk
Management Fund (CCDRM
<http://www.cdema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=461&Itemid=294>),
part of Canada's $600 million Caribbean Regional Program. The fund is
designed to support Caribbean-based non-governmental organizations,
community groups, and governmental agencies working at the community
level to reduce risks from natural hazards and climate change. /--
Thanks to the Canadian High Commission, Bridgetown///
Hams in Haiti to Build Tower, Promote International Goodwill
Dale Long, N3BNA, and others are back in Haiti to oversee the
construction of a 300-foot broadcast station antenna and to do a little
hamming while there. Long, from Pennsylvania, has been on the air as
HH2/N3BNA, and he expects to operate as 4V1JR during the ARRL
International DX Contest <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx> (CW) over the
February 21-22 weekend. The antenna raising is a project of the Haiti
International Friendship Amateur Radio Club
<http://www.haiti-international-friendship-arc.org/>.
*A tower grows in Haiti, thanks to the Haiti International Friendship ARC.*
"Our mission is to foster international friendship and promote Amateur
Radio in Haiti," the club's website states.
The 300-foot tower was shipped from the US to Haiti in sections, each
weighing about 340 pounds. It is being installed on a 9-acre semi-marsh
near the ocean. Once up, the tower, which will have a complete radial
field, will serve a popular radio station that has played a role in
disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Long said the radio station has agreed
to let the ham radio group use the tower for 160 meters -- presumably
during periods when the radio station is off the air -- in exchange for
helping to put it up. The entire project is largely supported by
donations, and the work is being done by volunteers.
Since no trees or a crane were available, the tower team needed to build
a second, smaller tower to winch the big tower into place. A lot of the
work is being done with rudimentary tools. Long has traveled to Haiti
and to Central America to work on similar projects in the past.
Contact <mailto:haiti.friendship at gmail.com.> the club for more
information or to volunteer for future projects.
Hams Encouraged to Hit the Water for New US Islands Awards "One-Day Getaway"
Fans of portable ham radio are encouraged to grab their equipment and
head for the water as part of the new "One-Day Getaway," sponsored by
the US Islands Awards Program <http://www.usislands.org/>. The annual
event will debut on Saturday, May 9, from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC
(Friday evening to Saturday evening in the continental US). Founded in
1994, US Islands promotes portable ham radio operation from islands in
all bodies of water -- lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, and coastal
islands in US territorial waters.
"US Islands is a great way to go on a mini-DXpedition without spending a
lot of money," said US Islands Awards Manager Jay Chamberlain, NS4J.
"Discovering islands in your own backyard and setting up a station
outdoors is always a good time. If hams have only operated outdoors
during Field Day, we offer another route to get outside and enjoy
portable ham radio in a different way."
*Jim Paine, N4SEC (left), and Wes Lamboley, W3WL, operated with Terry
Joyner, W4YBV, last November from the Turkey Islands on the Suwannee
River in West Central Florida. [Photo courtesy of Jim Paine, N4SEC]*//
The One-Day Getaway is an on-air activity, /not/ a contest. No scores
are tallied, and no prizes are awarded. Participation from all radio
amateurs, regardless of experience level, is encouraged. Contacts may be
made with any station. US Islands offers achievement awards for both
island activators and island chasers, including a certificate for your
first US Islands activation.
While there are some 2800 islands on the US Islands list, there are more
than 17000 islands within the US. Participants can use Google Earth to
locate new islands and be the first to operate ham radio from those
locations.
Complete information <http://www.usislands.org/> on the US Islands
Program, a how-to guide for One-Day Getaway participants, and a list of
currently qualified islands are available on the group's website.
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In Brief...
*/A Reminder/ -- ARRL International DX Contest 2015 CW Event is February
21-22*: CW, DXing, and contesting come together and go global February
21-22 for the 2015 ARRL International DX CW contest
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx>. Stations in the US and Canada work only
DX stations (Alaska and Hawaii are considered DX for this contest),
while DX stations work only the US and Canada. The contest exchange is
simple: US and Canadian stations send a signal report and their state or
province, while DX stations send a signal report and their power output.
The contest gets under way at 0000 UTC on Saturday, February 21 (the
evening of Friday, February 20, in US time zones) and continues through
2359 UTC on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Complete rules and forms
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-rules> are on the ARRL website.
*Slow-Scan Television Transmissions from ISS Set for February 21-23*
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) has issued a reminder that continuous slow-scan
television transmissions are scheduled from Saturday, February 21, at
about 1030 UTC until Monday February 23, at about 2130 UTC. The AMSAT-NA
website has a pass prediction calculator
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/>. "It is expected that 12
different photos will be sent on 145.800 MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD180,
with 3-minute off periods between transmissions," said ARISS-EU Chairman
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF. Transmitted images will commemorate Russian space
history, and most have been transmitted previously. The equipment used
will be the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver in the ISS Russian Service
Module.//Received images may be uploaded to the image gallery
<http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php>. Plans are
being discussed for transmitting new images from space enthusiasts
around the world. /-- Thanks to ARISS-EU Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF/
*ARRL 2014 September VHF Contest Results Available*: Complete results
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-results-articles> for the 2014 ARRL
September VHF contest now are online, with a summary article by Jeff
Klein, K1TEO. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, said that
line scores are in a new format, courtesy of K9JK, and Log Checking
Reports (LCRs) and results in the online searchable database are also
available. Contact Matt Wilhelm <mailto:w1msw at arrl.org> with any questions.
*Past QSL Bureau Manager, Carolina DX Association President Ken Boyd,
K4DXA, SK*: Kenneth W. Boyd, K4DXA (ex-WA4UNZ), of Mint Hill, North
Carolina, died February 16 following a brief illness. He was 69. Boyd
served for 6 years as the W4 single-letter QSL Bureau manager, and as
the current and previous (1988-1992) president of the Carolina DX
Association. Boyd was licensed in 1973 and was an ARRL Life Member.
Roanoke Division Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, a former North
Carolina Section Manager, called Boyd a "ham's ham" and an inspirational
leader as head of CDXA. He was a veteran of the US Air Force and
attended Clemson University. After serving in the military Boyd worked
for IBM from 1969 until 2002. He held DXCC Honor Roll. Survivors include
his wife Bev, KE4EHB, and three sons.
*DXpeditioner, Expert Amps Owner Charles "Frosty" Frost, K5LBU, SK*:
DXpeditoner and Expert Amps founder Charles "Frosty" Frost, K5LBU, of
Missouri City, Texas, died on his birthday, February 14, after an
illness. He was 74 and an ARRL Life Member. A member of the Texas DX
Society <http://www.tdxs.net/> and former teacher, Frost went to
Southern Africa every summer. Over the years he traveled to, lived in,
and operated from Africa, where he was on the air as 9L1CF, 9J2CF,
9G1LL, 3DA0CF, C91CF, and 7P8CF. He also operated from Sudan as
K5LBU/ST0, and from Nicaragua as YN2EJ (with W5GCX and K5UO) and was on
the 2013 3DA0ET DXpedition. He operated Mission Communications in the
1980s. Survivors include his daughters, Elizabeth White and Rachael
Larkins, who operate Expert Amps as a family business.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily solar flux
and sunspot numbers were down for the second week in a row. Average
daily sunspot numbers for January 29 to February 4 were 139, then down
to 81.6 the next 7 days, and now 54.6 during the February 12-18 period.
The three averages for daily solar flux over the same periods were
151.1, 144.1, and 121.4.
The latest prediction for solar flux is 120 on February 19, 115 for
February 20-21, 120 for February 22-24, then 125 and 135 on February
25-26, 130 for February 27-28, 125 for March 1-5, 120 on March 6, and
115 for March 7-14. Solar flux then rises to 135 for March 23-25.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on February 19, 5 for February 20-21,
12 for February 22-23, then 10, 8, 5, and 10 for February 24-27, 18 for
February 28 through March 1, 15 on March 2, 10 for March 3-4, then 5 and
7 on March 5-6, 10 for March 7-8, and 5 for March 9-13.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC
<http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/>) has announced that it will suspend
operations on Saturday, February 21, 1300 to 2000 UTC. During this
period the SWPC website will remain in service, but it will not be
updated with new data until the outage has concluded. In the event of
active space weather or a reasonable chance of active space weather, the
maintenance will be postponed.
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.
For Friday's bulletin, look for an updated forecast for the near term
and reports from readers, as well as one more article on the infamous
19th century Carrington Event. Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me /your/
reports and observations. /-- Tad Cook, K7RA/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
February 18 -- Semi-Automatic Key Evening
*
February 20-21 -- Russian WW PSK Contest
*
February 21 -- SARL Youth Day Sprint
*
February 21 -- Feld-Hell Bingo Sprint
*
*February 21-22 -- **ARRL International DX Contest (CW)*
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx>
*
February 21-22 -- REF Contest
*
February 22 -- CQC Winter QSO Party
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention
<http://www.yumahamfest.org/>, Yuma, Arizona
*
February 28 -- New Mexico Techfest Convention
<http://www.rmham.org/wordpress/new-mexico-techfest>, Albuquerque,
New Mexico
*
February 28 -- Vermont State Convention
<http://www.ranv.org/hamcon.html>, S Burlington, Vermont
*
March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention
<http://www.radiofest.org/>, Del Rey Oaks, California
*
March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.charlottehamfest.org/>, Concord, North Carolina
*
March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention
<http://hamfest.w5qgg.org/>, Midland, Texas
*
March 20-21 -- Louisiana State Convention <http://w5ddl.org/>,
Rayne, Louisiana
*
March 21 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference
<http://www.microhams.com/mhdc>, Redmond, Washington
*
March 21 -- Nebraska State Convention <http://lincolnhamfest.org/>,
Lincoln, Nebraska
*
March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.stuarthamfest.com/>, Stuart, Florida
*
March 28 -- Texas State Convention <http://www.houstonhamfest.org/>,
Rosenberg, Texas
*
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 11-12 -- Communications Academy <http://www.commacademy.org/>,
Seattle, Washington
*
April 17-19 -- International DX Convention
<http://dxconvention.com/>, Visalia, California
*
April 25 -- Aurora Conference <http://www.nlrs.org/>, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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