[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for January 29, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Fri Jan 30 08:16:26 EST 2015
Preview
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The ARRL Letter
January 29, 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=2015-01-29&t=t>
* ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Go On Alert for Massive East Coast Winter
Storm <#toc01>
* FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into Effect on
February 17 <#toc02>
* ARRL Board Names Award Recipients <#toc03>
* New Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund Gets Initial Boost from Hudson
Division <#toc04>
* ARRL Board Elects Executive Committee, Hears Reports, Welcomes
Visitors <#toc05>
* School Club Roundup is February 9-13! <#toc06>
* Unlicensed Religious Broadcaster Who Used Amateur Frequencies
Ordered Off the Air <#toc07>
* QRZ Logbook Now Offering Reciprocal Confirmation Credit and LoTW
Download <#toc08>
* NASA Opens Application Window for Paid CubeSat, PICetSat Internships
<#toc09>
* March Issue of /The American Legion Magazine/ to Feature Amateur
Radio <#toc10>
* RSGB Welcomes Proposed Crackdown on Interference-Producing Power
Line Data Devices <#toc11>
* ARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony" Curtis,
K3RXK, SK <#toc12>
* ARRL Technical Advisor, Author, AMRAD President Emeritus André
Kesteloot, N4ICK, SK <#toc13>
* In Brief... <#toc14>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc15>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc16>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc17>
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Go On Alert for Massive East Coast Winter Storm
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams and SKYWARN weather
observers along the US Eastern Seaboard went on alert Monday, January
26, as a winter storm began working its way into the Northeast. The
storm, which brought blizzard conditions to some areas, shut down
transportation and kept residents at home in several states. Eastern
Massachusetts and the City of Boston may have been hardest hit, with
record or near-record snowfall amounts and storm surge flooding in some
coastal communities. ARES units on Cape Cod deployed to staff six
shelters and the Multi-Agency Coordination Center, which serves
Barnstable County. A shelter was opened on Nantucket Island, after the
entire island lost electrical power as well as most telecommunication
services, and ham radio volunteers helped to fill the gap. Amateur Radio
volunteers relayed this information to the National Weather Service
(NWS) Taunton Office, home to WX1BOX <http://www.wx1box.org/>, where
operations kicked into high gear on Monday evening and continued for 27
hours. Hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded on Nantucket Island and
on the western edge of Martha's Vineyard.
"Amateur Radio operators across Southern New England checked into
regular SKYWARN Nets and/or with WX1BOX throughout the storm, even
during the overnight hours, providing tremendous situational awareness
and disaster intelligence information for the National Weather Service,
state emergency management, nongovernmental organizations, and the
media," Eastern Massachusetts Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
and SKYWARN Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, told ARRL. "Several hundred
snowfall total and damage reports, including coastal flood reports, were
fielded over a dozen SKYWARN nets across the NWS coverage area."
Macedo said widespread snowfall totals of 15 to 30 inches -- and up to 3
feet in some areas -- occurred in Central and Eastern Massachusetts and
parts of Rhode Island, while up to 2 feet of snow fell in Connecticut
and Southwest Massachusetts. ARRL Headquarters announced on Monday that
it would close on January 27 in anticipation of the severe weather.
Massachusetts' South Shore experienced flooding, as a wind-driven tidal
surge breached one seawall, flooding homes and businesses along the
Brant Rock Esplanade. Flooding was also reported in Scituate, where
streets filled with slushy seawater. Fierce winds caused some minor
structural damage. A few residents had to be evacuated.
ARES and SKYWARN volunteers elsewhere in the Northeast also relayed
ground-level weather conditions to NWS offices as the severe storm
continued its northeasterly trek. The winter storm may not have lived up
to advance hype in some areas, leaving forecasters apologetic, but it
was a significant weather event for Northern New England residents.
While the worst of the storm missed New York City, extreme Long Island
saw a couple of feet of snow. Eastern New York SEC David Galletly, KM2O,
said ARES groups in his Section stood down at midday on January 27.
"The storm track was apparently 50 to 100 miles east of the original
forecast with a very sharp snow boundary," Galletly said. "This resulted
in much less snow accumulation, especially in the Northern District
counties."
ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Manager Jim Mezey, W2KFV, said
ARES teams in his Section spent Monday preparing for a storm that was
anticipated to be of "historic proportions." By midday, he said, ARES
members were awaiting marching orders. The American Red Cross had
identified three possible shelter locations in Nassau and Suffolk
counties, where ARES might have supported communication.
"Winds were running at 25 MPH with higher gusts, creating whiteout
conditions for most of the night and early morning," Mezey said. He
reported snowfall accumulations of from 5 to 8 inches in New York City,
13 to 20 inches in Nassau County, and more than 24 inches in Eastern
Suffolk County. By noon on January 27, ARES teams stood down but
continued to monitor the situation a while longer.
In Maine, where heavy snowfall and high winds battered eastern and
coastal communities, ARES bumped up its alert status to Level 2 --
standby. Scattered power outages were reported, mostly in southern
Maine. Temperatures remained in the teens. Maine ARES Section Emergency
Coordinator Phil Duggan, N1EP, activated ARES Weather and SKYWARN Net
sessions on HF, but no served agencies requested ARES communication support.
More than 1 foot of snow fell along parts of the Maine coast, and stiff
winds out of the northeast caused considerable blowing and drifting of
snow. At times, visibility was less than one-quarter mile. More snow is
forecast for January 30.
FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into Effect on February 17
Starting on February 17, the FCC no longer will routinely issue paper
license documents to Amateur Radio applicants and licensees. The
Commission has maintained for some time now that the official Amateur
Radio license authorization is the electronic record that exists in its
Universal Licensing System (ULS
<http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm>), although the FCC has routinely
continued to print and mail hard copy licenses. That will stop next month.
In mid-December, the FCC adopted final procedures 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. The
FCC will continue to provide paper license documents to all licensees
who notify the Commission that they prefer to receive one. Licensees
will also be able to print out an official authorization -- as well as
an unofficial "reference copy" -- from the ULS License Manager.
"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 at least $304,000 a year, including the cost of
staff resources.
In comments <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=60000978934>
filed November 5, the ARRL had strongly recommended that the FCC "give
serious consideration to continuing a default provision for sending an
initial paper license document to new licensees in the Amateur Radio
Service, along with detailed, simple instructions for how to make the
elections set forth in the notice relative to future modified or renewed
licenses."
Under the new procedures, a new license applicant who already has an FRN
and provides a valid e-mail address under "Applicant Information" in the
ULS will receive an official ULS-generated electronic authorization via
e-mail. New license applicants lacking an FCC Registration Number will
receive in the mail an FRN and a temporary password to access the
Commission Registration System (CORES), but will no longer automatically
receive a license document; they must request one by changing their
"Paper Authorization Preference" in the ULS License Manager.
The ARRL and other Amateur Radio commenters also worried that unless a
license document is printed on distinctive paper stock, its authenticity
could be questioned in such situations as obtaining vanity call sign
license plates. To address this, the FCC said the watermark "Official
Copy" will be printed on each page of an official authorization that a
licensee prints out from the ULS. The WTB recently stopped using
distinctive paper stock to produce hard copy licenses and has been
printing these on "standard, white recycled paper." The Bureau noted
that the distinctive paper stock it had been using was six times more
expensive than the plain recycled paper it now uses.
The ULS License Manager (left) now includes settings that allow
licensees to notify the WTB that they prefer to receive official
authorizations on paper. Once final procedures go into effect
designating electronic access as the default, licensees can change the
ULS License Manager setting so that the Bureau will print and mail a
license document. Licensees also may contact FCC Support
<http://esupport.fcc.gov/index.htm?job=contact_fcc_support> via the web,
telephone, or mail to request paper licenses.
The FCC rejected as "outside the scope of this proceeding" an ARRL
argument that Section 97.23 of the Amateur Service rules be amended to
replace "licensee mailing address" with other alternatives, including
e-mail, for use in Commission correspondence. The rule, which requires
that any licensee mailing address be in an area where the licensee has
US Postal Service access, has precluded FCC issuance of
location-specific call signs in such areas as Navassa Island (KP1) and
some Pacific islands.
ARRL Board Names Award Recipients
The ARRL Board of Directors has bestowed the 2014 George Hart
Distinguished Service Award on David B. Colter, WA1ZCN, of New London,
New Hampshire. The Board may grant the award to an ARRL member whose
service to the ARRL Field Organization has been of the most exemplary
nature. The award's namesake is George Hart, W1NJM, long-time
Communications Manager at ARRL Headquarters and chief developer of the
National Traffic System.
Colter, a member of the Twin State Amateur Radio Club, was recognized
for nearly 4 decades of service to the Amateur Radio community,
including such leadership positions as Section Emergency Coordinator and
Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator.
Colter designed training and development courses for the New Hampshire
ARES community and was the prime mover behind the New Hampshire ARES
Academy -- a day-long springtime event that provides courses and
training in various aspects of public service communication. He also
served as editor of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Course (ARECC) series and as New England Division representative on the
League's Emergency Communications Advisory Committee.
The Board also honored three professional journalists with the ARRL Bill
Leonard Award <http://www.arrl.org/bill-leonard-award> for their
outstanding coverage of Amateur Radio in video, print, and aural media.
The award honors journalists for excellence in reporting that highlights
the enjoyment, importance, and public service value of Amateur Radio.
The award is a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard,
W2SKE, an avid Amateur Radio operator and advocate.
* The video award went to Christine Kim of KSNV-TV in Las Vegas, for
her "Local Heroes" profile of the Nevada Amateur Radio Emergency
Service.
* The print award went to Marti Attoun of /American Profile/ magazine,
for her "Radio Active" article that profiled Amateur Radio.
* The aural media award went to Steve Kraske and Beth Lipoff of
KCUR-FM in Kansas City, for their "Exploring Ham Radio in a Digital
World" interview of Brian Short, KCØBS; Carolyn Wells, NØCJ, and
Matt May, KC4WCG.
The Board announced the award recipients at its 2015 Annual Meeting,
January 16-17, in Windsor, Connecticut.
New Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund Gets Initial Boost from Hudson Division
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB -- acting on behalf of
the members of his Division -- has presented ARRL President Kay Craigie,
N3KN, with an inaugural donation of $4500 to the new ARRL Legislative
Issues Advocacy Fund. President Craigie received the contribution during
the ARRL Board's Annual Meeting January 16-17 in Windsor, Connecticut.
The check, from the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club, represented
contributions from members at the 2014 Hudson Division Awards Luncheon
on November 8. President Craigie generously matched the donation. The
Board's Administration and Finance Committee established the Legislative
Issues Advocacy Fund -- proposed by Lisenco -- to educate and inform
members of Congress of the importance of issues that impact the Amateur
Radio Service.
*ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, receives a donation from Hudson
Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, for the Legislative Issues
Advocacy Fund. President Craigie matched the $4500 contribution. [Harold
Kramer, WJ1B, photo]*
"There is an urgent need to raise money to help offset the cost of
sending our voice to Washington for legislative advocacy, and we need to
continue these expenditures into the future to achieve our goals --
including and going beyond the current CC&R legislative effort -- as
there will always be issues that require a continuing presence on
Capitol Hill," Lisenco said after the meeting.
Lisenco added that potential issues down the road could include spectrum
allocation -- and especially conflicts stemming from broadband
allocations -- revisions to the Communications Act, the adequacy and
efficiency of FCC enforcement and the use of Amateur Radio volunteers,
increased privatization of Amateur Radio administration, FCC oversight,
and radio frequency interference concerns, "to name a few."
"We must establish a brand for Amateur Radio /now/, so that we no longer
have to be reactive when it comes to the relationship between the
federal government and Amateur Radio," Lisenco stressed after the meeting.
The ARRL is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity. All donations to the fund are
tax deductable within the limits of the law. For information on how to
donate to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund, contact Development
Manager Lauren Clarke <mailto:lclarke at arrl.org>, KB1YDD (tel 860-594-0348).
/Legislative Objectives Outlined/
At its Annual Meeting, the ARRL Board adopted several legislative
objectives for the 114th US Congress. Accordingly, the ARRL will
continue to secure passage of legislation instructing the FCC to extend
the requirement for "reasonable accommodation" of Amateur Radio station
antennas -- a requirement that now applies to state and local governing
bodies -- to all forms of land use regulation. The League also will
continue to oppose legislation leading to the reallocation of amateur
spectrum or to sharing arrangements that reduce the utility of existing
allocations, as well as legislation that diminishes the rights of
federal licensees in favor of unlicensed emitters or that encourages the
deployment of spectrum-polluting technologies. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hudson-division-delivers-inaugural-donation-to-new-legislative-issues-advocacy-fund>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-01-29&p=0>
ARRL Board Elects Executive Committee, Hears Reports, Welcomes Visitors
The ARRL Board of Directors has elected members of the Executive
Committee. Chosen during the Board's 2015 Annual Meeting were New
England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI; Hudson Division Director
Lisenco; West Gulf Division Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV; Pacific
Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, and Great Lakes Division Director
Dale Williams, WA8EFK.
*International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD,
addressed the ARRL Board of Directors meeting [LJB Special Photography
photo]*
The Board also chose members of the ARRL Foundation Board. Northwestern
Division Director Jim Pace, K7CEX, was elected to fill the unexpired
term of past ARRL Midwest Division Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, who
stepped down from the Foundation Board.
For full 3-year terms on the Foundation Board, the Board elected
Director Frenaye, Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky,
N5ZGT, and Martin Green, K2PLF. Frenaye, as ARRL Foundation President,
reported that the Foundation funded some 80 scholarships in 2014, and
that two new scholarships are in the process of being established.
//
/Other Business/
The ARRL Board heard reports from officers during its Annual Meeting.
* Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, told the Board that
efforts are in full swing to build support for Amateur Radio-related
issues, in preparation for World Radiocommunication Conference 2015
in November.
* General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, pointed out in his report that
spectrum auctions continue to pose a potential threat to Amateur
Radio spectrum. He also told the Board that inadequate FCC attention
to Amateur Radio enforcement issues continues to be a concern.
Also present for the Annual Meeting were International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, and Radio Amateurs of Canada
(RAC) Vice President Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA. Stafford brought greetings
from IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and Vice President Ole Garpestad,
LA2RR, and noted that 2015 is the 90th anniversary of the IARU. The IARU
is preparing for the International Telecommunication Union World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 this November in Geneva.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find ARRL on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>. Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
School Club Roundup is February 9-13!
School clubs are busily prepping their stations for The "Winter/Spring
Term" School Club Roundup <http://www.arrl.org/school-club-roundup>,
which gets under way Monday, February 9 at 1300 UTC, and continues
through Friday, February 13, at 2359 UTC. Stations may operate no more
than 6 hours in any 24 hour period (up to a maximum of 24 hours).
*Senior Jacob Yarnell, KF5UVN, and freshman Mirah Gordon operate in the
October 2014 School Club Roundup from K5LBJ at LASA High School in
Austin, Texas. *
The twice-yearly event is an opportunity for school club stations --
from elementary school to college -- to get on the air for a friendly
radio activity. Non-school clubs and individuals are encouraged to
participate too. Sponsored by the ARRL, the ARRL Hudson Division
<http://hudson.arrl.org/> Education Task Force, and the Long Island
Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC <http://www.limarc.org/>), the contest
aims to foster contacts with and among school radio clubs.
Stations exchange signal reports, class ("*I*ndividual," "*C*lub," or
"*S*chool"), and US state, Canadian province/territory, or DXCC entity.
Stations may operate on all amateur bands except 60, 30, 17, and 12
meters (no repeater contacts and VHF/UHF contacts must be on recognized
simplex frequencies, except calling frequencies). Stations may operate
phone, CW, and digital modes, or a combination. The most popular time
for younger students is during after-school hours, but older students
may be on the air anytime. All groups are limited to one transmitter on
the air.
If you'd just like to get on the air and hand out contacts, enter in the
Individual category. Tune around in any mode and listen for SCR stations
calling CQ, or call CQ yourself and see who answers (call "CQ School
Clubs," if you are not a club station). Logs are due no more than 15
days after the operating period has ended and can be submitted online
via the WA7BNM <http://www.b4h.net/arrlscr/> website.
The top three entries in each category -- Elementary,
Middle/Intermediate/Junior High School, Senior High School
College/University -- will receive an Award Certificate. Non-school
clubs or multiop groups and individuals are also eligible for certificates.
See "Getting Organized for School Club Roundup
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/SCR/Getting20for20Club%20Roundup.pdf>"
for some helpful tips! Stay up to date on SCR by subscribing
<mailto:SCR-L-subscribe at yahoogroups.com> to the School Club Roundup
reflector.
Unlicensed Religious Broadcaster Who Used Amateur Frequencies Ordered
Off the Air
The FCC has ordered an unlicensed California religious broadcaster, who
sometimes broadcast on a frequency in the 40 meter phone band, to shut
down his station. On December 31, the FCC's Los Angeles District Office
issued a /Notice of Unlicensed Operation
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0120/DOC-331583A1.pdf>/
to Martin K. Elliott of Inyokern, California. The FCC said it issued the
/Notice/ in response to a complaint of unlicensed operation on multiple
HF frequencies, including some allocated to aeronautical stations. The
FCC said its agents used radio direction-finding techniques to confirm
that signals on 6280 kHz and 11,595 kHz were emanating from a residence
located near Inyokern, and property records indicated that Elliott was
the current owner and resident.
"The Commission's records show that no license was issued for operation
of a station on either the frequencies of 6280 kHz or 11,595 kHz at this
location," the FCC wrote. "Unlicensed operation of this radio station
must be discontinued immediately."
The pirate station, which identified
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBe0aXR6Cp4> itself as "YHWH," was not
cited for operating on Amateur Radio frequencies, although ARRL Official
Observers had monitored the station in the past on 7185 kHz LSB. One
short-wave listener said the operator of YHWH changed frequencies regularly.
The FCC warned Elliott that operation of radio transmitting equipment
without valid authorization violates federal law and could subject the
operator to severe penalties including, but not limited to, substantial
monetary forfeitures, equipment seizure, and criminal sanctions.
The Commission gave him 10 days to respond. The FCC said its /Notice/
"does not preclude this office from pursuing additional sanctions based
upon our investigation of this incident."
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-01-29&p=1>
QRZ Logbook Now Offering Reciprocal Confirmation Credit and LoTW Download
QRZ Logbook <http://logbook.qrz.com/> now recognizes contact
confirmations from ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>). QRZ Logbook users now can
download their contacts from LoTW directly into their QRZ Logbook.
Contacts that exist in LoTW but not in QRZ Logbook will be added to your
QRZ Logbook. LoTW automatically puts contacts made under a previous call
sign into a user's current call sign account. QRZ will automatically put
contacts into the logbook associated with the call sign used when the
contact was logged.
"Not only will this improve your confirmation rates, because you are
receiving credit for your confirmations on LoTW, but it will also import
records that exist on LoTW and not QRZ Logbook," QRZ.com said in
announcing the new service. "Those QSOs may match another record on QRZ,
resulting in even more confirmations."
In addition, all contact data in your LoTW database -- whether or not
the contact is new to your QRZ account -- will include the LoTW QSL
Received Date, as well as the LoTW Sent (Y/N) flag set in the QRZ
Logbook. Contacts confirmed in LoTW, whether or not they are new to QRZ,
will automatically be confirmed in your QRZ Logbook. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/qrz-logbook-now-offering-reciprocal-confirmation-credit-and-lotw-download>.
/-- Thanks to QRZ.com/
NASA Opens Application Window for Paid CubeSat, PICetSat Internships
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) seeks applicants to fill
paid CubeSat and PICetSat-related internships <https://intern.nasa.gov/>
for the Summer 2015 semester. These positions may be of interest to
Amateur Radio licensees pursuing degrees in electrical or computer
engineering and now in their junior or senior years. Applications
<https://intern.nasa.gov/> are being taken on the NASA One Stop Shopping
Initiative (OSSI) recruiting website. The openings are CubeSat Simulator
Upgrade Plus
<https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/index.cfm?solarAction=view&id=10601>
-- advertised previously but now reopened -- as well as CubeSat Ground
Station Development
<https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/index.cfm?solarAction=view&id=11484>,
and PICetSat Module and PCB Development
<https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/index.cfm?solarAction=view&id=11486>.
Other internship opportunities are available at each of the other 10
NASA field center locations as well, said Pat Kilroy, N8PK, of GSFC. The
official application deadline is March 1, but Kilroy is hoping
applications will be submitted sooner.
"The word to the wise student is to get one's application in ASAP -- and
certainly within the next 3 weeks," Kilroy said. Applications from
Amateur Radio licensees should include a call sign.
Details on each internship are available through the OSSI page. Contact
Pat Kilroy <mailto:Patrick.L.Kilroy at nasa.gov> for more information.
Applications <https://intern.nasa.gov/> /must/ be submitted via the OSSI
web page.
March Issue of /The American Legion Magazine/ to Feature Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio will be featured in the March 2015 issue of /The American
Legion Magazine <http://www.legion.org/magazine>/. The article, by
best-selling author Don Keith <http://www.donkeith.com/>, N4KC, will
explain how ham radio remains exciting, important, and relevant, even
after more than a century in existence and changes in technology. The
article will also talk about the American Legion
*Author Don Keith, N4KC.*
Amateur Radio Club (TALARC <http://www.legion.org/hamradio>) -- home to
club station K9TAL at American Legion Headquarters in Indianapolis,
which sponsors regular operating events. It also will explain how the
American Legion is integrating Amateur Radio into its organization and
for its members, how members can become licensed, and perhaps establish
a club station at an American Legion post.
The Legion has an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to
provide assistance during emergencies, and Keith's article will discuss
how Amateur Radio meshes with that effort. Keith has written more than 2
dozen books, including /Riding the Shortwaves: Exploring The Magic of
Amateur Radio/, /Firing Point/ -- a submarine thriller -- and /Wizard of
the Wind/, which includes a ham as a key character. He has also written
extensively about World War II history.
RSGB Welcomes Proposed Crackdown on Interference-Producing Power Line
Data Devices
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) has said
<http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2015/01/19/rsgb-response-interference-consultation/>
it welcomes a recent initiative
<http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/undueinterference/> by
telecommunications regulator Ofcom to combat interference from home
power line data transmission (PLT) devices. The Ofcom "consultation" --
similar to an FCC /Notice of Proposed Rule Making/ -- has invited
responses by February 16. The RSGB Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC
<http://rsgb.org/main/about-us/committees/electromagnetic-compatibility-committee/>)
Committee has lobbied Ofcom to assume greater authority in cases
involving violations of EMC rules.
"These proposals make the regulations more resilient to evolving
technology, when it causes undue interference to wireless telegraphy
apparatus," the RSGB said. "The proposed changes aim to catch apparatus
that exceeds the permissible levels in service," The RSGB said.
A recent news article
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/11325914/You-could-be-prosecuted-over-your-broadband-thanks-to-GCHQ.html>
reported that Ofcom was proposing that individuals using power line
networking equipment could face prosecution if it interferes with radio
communications. The article, in /The Telegraph/,//also said that GCHQ --
a security and intelligence organization similar to the US Department of
Homeland Security -- has become increasingly concerned about PLT in
recent years.
The RSGB said the Ofcom proposals would provide additional enforcement
authority with respect to a particular piece of equipment, not just a
range of devices. "These changes are essential to prevent compromising
important communication systems, particularly those that ensure public
safety," the RSGB said.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-01-29&p=2>
ARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony" Curtis, K3RXK, SK
ARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony" Curtis,
K3RXK, of Laurinburg, North Carolina, died on January 23. He was 74.
Curtis served twice as an Assistant Director -- from 1986 until 1997 and
again from 2002 until his death. Known as "Dr Tony" to his mass
communication students at the University of North Carolina at
*Tony Curtis, K3RXK.*
Pembroke, Curtis -- who was licensed at 14 -- was a space and Amateur
Radio satellite enthusiast and occasional guest speaker. He also
contributed to /QST/. An ARRL Life Member, Curtis was involved in
emergency preparedness and held ARRL Field Organization appointments as
Official Emergency Station and Volunteer Examiner.
"The department lost a valued colleague and a good friend, and he'll be
deeply missed," Dr Jason Hutchens, chair of the Mass Communication
department, said.
At UNCP, he received an Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012 and was named
the Most Valuable Professor in 2012 and 2013. He had served as chair of
the faculty senate and as president of the Friends of the Library Board.
Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-assistant-roanoke-division-director-anthony-r-tony-curtis-k3rxk-sk>.
ARRL Technical Advisor, Author, AMRAD President Emeritus André
Kesteloot, N4ICK, SK
ARRL Technical Advisor, author, and Amateur Radio Research and
Development Corporation (AMRAD <http://www.amrad.org/>) President
Emeritus André V. Kesteloot, N4ICK, of McLean, Virginia, died on January
4. He was 77. Kesteloot was the author of /Spread Spectrum Sourcebook/,
published in 1991, and he contributed to /QST/ and /QEX/. A native of
*André Kesteloot, N4ICK.*
Belgium, Kesteloot was an electrical engineer and spent a decade in the
Middle East installing TV and radio transmitters in the 1950s and 1960s.
He subsequently signed on with the Central Intelligence Agency and spent
25 years as a CIA operative. Kesteloot was a recipient of a CIA
Intelligence Star for Valor, and he served as executive vice president
of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.
After retiring in 1994, Kesteloot joined the faculty of Phoenix
Consulting, and trained Iraq-bound Special Forces units and intelligence
agencies. An active AMRAD member, he was a frequent contributor to the
organization's newsletter and papers. He also assisted in taking field
measurements of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems in Virginia and
Maryland. Kesteloot was an ARRL member and life senior member of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
In Brief...
*DXpedition Goings and Comings*: As of January 26, the three-person
"boat team" heading to Navassa Island for the K1N
<http://www.navassadx.com/> DXpedition had made it to Great Inagua in
the Bahamas. There was no official word yet from the Navassa Island
DXpedition team as to when the other operators, now in Jamaica with the
equipment containers, would depart. The DXpedition to one of the
most-wanted DXCC entities is expected to get under way in the next few
days. "We plan to sail from Great Inagua the afternoon of January 30,"
the K1N team announced January 27. The DXpeditioners hope to start
offloading their gear on January 31 and February 1. Meanwhile, on Kish
Island, Iran, the Belgian EP6T <http://www.rockall.be/> DXpedition team
finished up operations on January 27 (UTC). The EP6T operators logged
more than 68,000 contacts during 9 days on the air -- nearly 70 percent
of them with stations in Europe. Just under 10 percent of the EP6T
contacts were with North American stations, although the operators
reported persistent noise issues that prevented them from hearing many
callers. /-- Thanks to /The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com/>
*Ralph Fedor, K0IR, to be Dayton RTTY Contest Dinner Speaker*:
DXpeditioner Ralph Fedor, K0IR (photo), will be the keynote speaker at
the 2015 RTTY Contest Dinner, Thursday, May 14, at 7:15 PM, at the
Crowne Plaza in downtown Dayton. Tickets
<http://www.rttycontestdinner.com/> will be on sale until May 1. No
tickets will be sold at the door. The NAQP RTTY plaques will be
presented at the event./-- Thanks to Fred Dennin, WW4LL///
*SSTV Transmissions Scheduled from the International Space Station*: The
Russian Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) team plans to activate slow-scan television
(SSTV) from the ISS on Saturday January 31, and on Sunday, February 1.
The anticipated SSTV mode will be PD180 on 145.800 MHz with 3-minute off
periods between transmissions. Twelve different images will be
transmitted during the operational period. This is the second series of
pictures to be transmitted. The SSTV transmission are scheduled to begin
around 1000 UTC on January 31 and around 0900 UTC on February 1.
Transmissions should terminate around 2130 UTC each day. /-- Thanks to
ARISS-EU Chair Gaston Bertels, ON4WF/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Average daily sunspot numbers for the January 22-28 period rose from
61.9 on the previous 7 days to 89.1. Average daily solar flux climbed
from 126.2 to 136.8 over the same period.
There were two new sunspot regions on February 22, another one on
February 23 and again on February 25, four more on February 26, and
another two on February 28.
The average daily solar flux for January 29 through February 4 is
predicted to be 165.7 -- nearly 29 points higher than the previous week.
Predicted solar flux is 165 on January 29, 170 for January 30 through
February 2, then 160, 155, 145 and 125 for February 3-6, 130 for
February 7-9, 125 for February 10-11, 120 for February 12-13, and 125
for February 14-16. Flux values will reach of low of 115 on February 18,
then a high of 135 during the period February 26-28.
Predicted planetary A index is 12 on January 29, 15 for January 30
through February 1, 12 on February 2, 10 for February 3-4, 5 on February
5, 10 for February 6-7, 8 for February 8-9, 5 for February 10-14, 12 on
February 15, and 10 for February 16-18.
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 the Friday, January 30, bulletin expect an updated forecast for the
near term and reports from readers. Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me
/your/ reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
January 31 -- Feld-Hell WAAAEO Sprint
*
January 31-February 1 -- UBA Contest (SSB)
*
January 31-February 1 -- Worldwide EME Contest
*
February 2 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
*
February 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
*
February 3 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests (CW)
*
February 6 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
*
February 6 -- YL-OM Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)
*
February 6-8 -- Triathlon DX Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)
*
February 7 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
*
February 7 -- FYBO Winter QRP Field Day (SSB, CW)
*
February 7 -- Minnesota QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
*
February 7 -- Straight Key Party
*
February 7-8 -- Vermont QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
*
February 7-8 -- YLISSB QSO Party
*
February 7-8 -- Ten-Ten Winter Phone QSO Party
*
February 7-8 -- Black Sea Cup International (SSB, CW)
*
February 7-8 -- British Columbia QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
*
February 7-8 -- XE International RTTY Contest
*
February 7-8 -- AM QSO Party
*
*February 8 -- **North American Sprint (CW)* <http://ncjweb.com>
*
February 8-9 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)
*
February 8 -- Milwaukee FM Simplex Contest
*
*February 9-13 -- **School Club Roundup*
<http://www.arrl.org/school-club-roundup>*(SSB, FM, CW)*
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
February 7 -- Virginia State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/virginia-state-convention-richmond-frostfest-1>,
Richmond, Virginia
*
February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention
<http://hamcation.com/>, Orlando, Florida
*
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
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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