[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for June 4, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Jun 4 20:13:53 EDT 2015
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
June 4, 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=2015-06-04&t=t>
* Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe
Weather <#toc01>
* WX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane Season <#toc02>
* Radio Call Saves SOTA Climber Following Fall <#toc03>
* It's Alive! /LightSail/ Spacecraft Restored After Being Silenced by
Software Issue <#toc04>
* Delayed Return of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for
June 11 <#toc05>
* British Astronaut to Share His ISS Experience with Students via
Amateur Radio <#toc06>
* Sarah Brightman Spaceflight Postponed <#toc07>
* Nayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube Transponder <#toc08>
* Another Australian Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates
Earth <#toc09>
* In Brief... <#toc10>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc11>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc12>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc13>
Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe Weather
Severe storms and flooding in Texas and Oklahoma that extended beyond
the Memorial Day holiday weekend kept ARES and SKYWARN volunteers busy
or on alert through the rest of May, which now is being crowned as the
wettest month on record in both states. Texas received more than 8.8
inches of rainfall during May, while Oklahoma got a whopping 14.4
inches. Wichita Falls, Texas, saw 17 inches of rain
*Flooding on the North Canadian River below the Lake Overholser Dam in
Oklahoma City. [Chase Rhoades video]
*
during May, while Oklahoma City got nearly 19.5 inches. The resulting
flooding and property damage -- with some severe wind incidents thrown
in -- caused numerous ARES callouts and SKYWARN
<http://www.skywarn.org>net activations.
In Oklahoma, Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said
Amateur Radio volunteers provided communication for several American Red
Cross damage assessment teams in the wake of flooding in Comanche County
and elsewhere. "ARES-OK volunteers in action this month have provided
436 hours of service," Conklin reported on May 31. "Teams were deployed
to the Bridge Creek community and Comanche and Leflore counties. In
addition, Conklin added, nearly every storm complex that rolled through
Oklahoma spawned numerous SKYWARN nets with volunteers providing "many
hours of service."
ARES teams in his state stood down on June 2.
*Flooding at Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas. [Chris Ivester video]
*
South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Frank Aguilar, N5SSH, said all
districts in his Section had stood down by June 1. "Weather events are
over, and the forecast does not show rain for the next week or two,
which means search and rescue and clean-up will be the main focus," he
said. A summary of activity showed that ARES volunteers assisted in
local emergency operations centers and the Red Cross. In addition, he
noted, SKYWARN nets were called up in vulnerable counties, and other
ARES teams remained on standby in case they were needed.
ARRL South Texas Section Manager Lee Cooper, W5LHC, called the spate of
heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and flooding over some two-thirds of his
state "pretty much unprecedented" for the region. "The main event is
over," Cooper said this week. "We are looking at a approximately 10-day
period of dry sunny weather in South Texas and do not anticipate any
additional activations."
This spring's torrential rains stood in stark contrast to the severe
drought the region had experienced over the past few years. May's heavy
rains have been linked to a burgeoning El Niño in the Pacific.
While fair weather returned to the region this week, forecasters fear
the now rain-saturated ground could make things worse during the
hurricane season, which began on June 1.
WX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane Season
WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org/>, the Amateur Radio station at the
National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, reports that it has stood the
test and is ready for the 2015 Hurricane Season, which began on June 1
and will continue through November. WX4NHC conducted its Annual Station
Test on May 30, at the end of Hurricane Preparedness Week. This marked
the 35th year of volunteer public service by the WX4NHC Group at the
NHC. WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, said the
station was tested on many frequencies and modes, including digital
modes, and that all radio equipment and antennas performed well.
"The WX4NHC test event is also good practice for Amateur Radio operators
worldwide, but especially in hurricane prone areas, to test their
station's ability to contact WX4NHC, should they need to during a
hurricane," Ripoll said. "It was also a good opportunity for NWS Office
staff to become aware of the unique capabilities of Amateur Radio during
severe weather and disaster communications, when conventional
communication modes fail."
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center <http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/> has
forecast that the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season will likely be below
normal, but, it added, "that's no reason to believe coastal areas will
have it easy."
For the 2015 hurricane season, NOAA has predicted a 70 percent
likelihood of anywhere from six to 11 named storms (winds of 39 MPH or
higher), of which three to six could become hurricanes (winds of 74 MPH
or higher). That forecast included up to two "major hurricanes"
(Category 3, 4, or 5) with winds of 111 MPH or greater.
"A below-normal season doesn't mean we're off the hook," NOAA
Administrator Kathryn Sullivan said. "As we've seen before, below-normal
seasons can still produce catastrophic impacts to communities."
Ripoll said WX4NHC logged contacts during the test with some emergency
communication notables. These included FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
KK4INZ, on EchoLink and on the Florida UHF SARnet
<http://www.sarnetfl.com/>, plus a 20 meter contact with FEMA Chief
Technical Officer Ted Okada, K4HNL. WX4NHC also worked ARRL Emergency
Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, and Hurricane Watch Net (HWN
<http://www.hwn.org/>) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.
"Mike, Bobby, Craig, and Ted all understand very well how Amateur Radio
can help their communities during and after severe weather and other
natural disasters," Ripoll said. "We expressed our thanks to all of them
for their strong support of the Amateur Radio volunteers and WX4NHC."
Ripoll also expressed appreciation to SKYWARN <http://www.skywarn.org/>
volunteers.
"You may never know, but your efforts may someday save someone's life,"
he added.
*WX4NHC during the 2015 Station Test: (L-R) Julio Ripoll, WD4R; Lloyd
Kurtzman, N4LJK; Jan Lederman, K9JCL, and John McHugh, K4AG.*
During the 8-hour test, contacts were made and surface reports received
from many stations throughout the US and Canada, as well as in the
Caribbean, Central America, and South America, Ripoll said. He noted
that more than 40 D-STAR/D-RATS surface weather reports were received at
WX4NHC. John Davis, WB4QDX, coordinated the D-Star/D-RATS net and
reporting, Ripoll said.
"We are excited of the potential that D-STAR/D-RATS modes can produce
hurricane surface reports in a similar format that is used at WX4NHC,"
he said. "These reports may someday fill a very important gap in surface
data during a hurricane that we could not receive on other modes."
WX4NHC also took part in the Florida State Hurricane Exercise on the UHF
SARnet <http://www.sarnetfl.com/>, making contacts throughout Florida
and with stations in emergency operations centers. SARnet currently has
25 UHF repeaters connected statewide, including one on the NHC campus.
Radio Call Saves SOTA Climber Following Fall
A Littleton, Colorado, radio amateur and mountaineer was happy to have
his handheld transceiver along on May 17 after he slipped and fell from
an icy ledge in Berthoud Pass while snowshoeing. Summits On The Air
(SOTA <http://na-sota.org/>) enthusiast Brad Byland, WA6MM, said he's
been climbing and mountaineering for many years now and never before
came this close to what he called "a possible life-ending disaster."
"I'm doing fine," Byland told ARRL. "I didn't get hurt...only bad wind
and sunburn on my face! My daughter says my geeky hobby -- ham radio --
saved me from my dangerous hobby -- climbing and mountaineering!"
Byland said that while this was his first climb in the Berthoud Pass
area, he was never "lost," as some media accounts reported. He had
prepared to climb Mount Flora -- which would have been his 29th SOTA
peak -- by studying maps and others' trip reports, plus he had his
iPhone with GPS, a compass, and his radio along.
"[T]hings went smoothly until about 12,700 feet," Byland said, at which
point, with visibility deteriorating, he decided to turn back. "It
wasn't long before I was in a total whiteout," he recounted
<https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=952010984843598&id=136448469733191>.
"The ground is white, the air around me is white, and I had no
perception of direction and elevation. My iPhone GPS was of no use, as I
couldn't read the display. I pulled out my compass for navigation."
Byland said he knew the basic heading he should follow along the ridge,
and he proceeded.
"A short time later I had a strange feeling I was floating in air. I
didn't realize I was falling until I landed on my back on a snow-filled
ledge about 20 feet below a cornice," Byland continued. "I was quite
surprised and amazed that I suffered no injuries."
But he was essentially "stuck," and, while his snowshoes remained on, he
was unable to climb back up, due to the overhanging nature of the
cornice. "I needed to wait for better conditions," he concluded. "After
about an hour I decided to make a call for help, as I knew it would take
time for a rescue party to mobilize and find me. Spending the night
would probably not end well, and I might have had to take on significant
risk to attempt a self-rescue."
Byland said he'd programmed his radio to a few local mountain repeaters,
he was able to quickly contact another ham, "and the rest of the story
unfolded with my eventual rescue."
*Brad Byland, WA6MM, took a selfie while awaiting rescue on an icy ledge.*
While well equipped for his situation, he remained on the ledge for 4 or
5 hours. "I was in good spirits," he said, "and I can't tell you enough
about how comforting it is to have another person on the radio keeping
me informed of the rescue process. I didn't feel so alone on that ledge."
Byland thanked the Alpine and Grand County Search and Rescue members who
got him off the ledge. "Words alone cannot express my feelings of
gratitude for the work you do and the countless hours you invest in this
service," he said. "My donations to both SAR groups are forthcoming."
He also expressed his gratitude to the hams who picked up his distress
call and quickly notified authorities. "The outcome would have certainly
been different without their help," he said. "I particularly want to
thank Alpine SAR ham radio operator Mike, KC0CNT, who spent countless
hours with me exchanging vital information during the rescue operation."
In retrospect, Byland said, he should have taken another route or
hunkered down and waited for better visibility before descending.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-06-04&p=0>
It's Alive! /LightSail/ Spacecraft Restored After Being Silenced by
Software Issue
After going silent for a few days, The Planetary Society
<http://www.planetary.org/>'s /LightSail/™ spacecraft has resumed
transmitting. A suspected software glitch had caused the satellite to
stop sending telemetry back to Earth on the 70 centimeter Amateur Radio
band. The communication issue now out of the way, the /LightSail/ team
will soon determine when to attempt deployment of the spacecraft's
Mylar® solar sails.
"Our /LightSail/ called home! It's alive!" The Planetary Society's CEO
Bill Nye (The Science Guy) said in a statement
<http://www.planetary.org/press-room/releases/2015/contact-restored.html> on
the organization's website. "Our /LightSail/ spacecraft has rebooted
itself, just as our engineers predicted. Everyone is delighted. We were
ready for three more weeks of anxiety."
According to Nye's statement, the /LightSail/ team has coded a software
patch and has it ready to upload. "After we are confident in the data
packets regarding our orbit, we will make decisions about uploading the
patch and deploying our sails -- and we'll make those decisions very
soon," Nye said. "This has been a rollercoaster for us down here on
Earth, all the while our capable little spacecraft has been on orbit
going about its business."
In a lengthy May 26 blog post
<http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2015/20150526-software-glitch-pauses-ls-test.html>,
the Planetary Society's Jason Davis
<http://www.planetary.org/about/staff/jason-davis.html> said the
/LightSail/ mission had "paused, while engineers wait out a suspected
software glitch that has silenced the solar sailing
*Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye. [BD Engler photo]*
spacecraft." Following its successful May 20 launch, /LightSail/ sent
about 140 data packets back to Earth, Davis said. Over the Memorial Day
weekend, however, the spacecraft's automated telemetry went silent.
Telemetry data are sent on 437.435 MHz (AX.25, 9600 bps FSK). Davis said
a lot of radio amateurs have been helping to track /LightSail/ and sent
in data packets.
According to Davis, the /LightSail/ team believes that "a vulnerability"
that controls the primary avionics board was the problem. As he
explained, the CubeSat's onboard /Linux/-based flight software writes
beacon packets to a spreadsheet file -- beacon.csv -- which, when it
reaches a certain size, can cause the flight system to crash. A patch
was devised to address the problem in later software revisions, but
/LightSail/'s software did not include the update, and before the fix
could be uploaded, the satellite went silent.
Delayed Return of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for June 11
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, now on an International Space
Station duty tour that was extended by about a month, will return to
Earth on June 11. Cristoforetti has conducted several Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org>) school
contacts during her ISS stay. In early May, NASA and its international
partners postponed the return of Cristoforetti, astronaut Terry Virts,
and cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, following the failure in late April of
the Russian robotic /Progress 59/ cargo spacecraft to reach the ISS. The
/Progress/ went out of control, eventually burning up in Earth's
atmosphere.
*Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF. [NASA photo by Robert Markowitz]*
"NASA and its international partners agreed to set a new schedule for
spacecraft traffic to and from the International Space Station," NASA
said in a May 12 media release.
"Looks like it's not time to get my spacesuit ready yet...what a
present!" Cristoforetti reacted, after the delay was announced. She
arrived on the ISS in November.
Cristoforetti's departure from the ISS will leave only Russian
cosmonauts to support the ARISS program until late July, when Kjell
Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui arrive at the
ISS as part of a scheduled crew rotation. Before flights were
reshuffled, they had been scheduled to arrive in May. All three are set
to return December 22.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko,
RN3BF, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, arrived on station in March as part
of the Expedition 43/44 crew increment. Kelly and Kornienko will remain
on the ISS for 1 year. Padalka also will return to Earth in December.
The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July to
deliver several tons of food, fuel, and supplies. The space station has
sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall.
A private SpaceX robotic /Dragon/ capsule is still slated to blast off
on its next resupply mission on June 19, but the timing of that flight
is now under review, NASA officials said.
British Astronaut to Share His ISS Experience with Students via Amateur
Radio
The UK's first European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake, KG5BVI, plans
to share his "Principia
<http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Astronauts/ESA_mission_name_for_astronaut_Tim_Peake_Principia>"
mission space adventure with students on Earth via Amateur Radio. He's
invited youngsters in his country to contact him while he's onboard the
International Space Station (ISS) later this year. Peake is scheduled to
head to the ISS in November for a 6-month duty tour. Nearly a year in
development, the
*Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, will use Amateur Radio to share his
"Principia" space mission with youngsters on Earth.*
program represents a collaboration of the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org>) program, the
UK Space Agency (UKSA
<https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency>), the
Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB <http://www.rsgb.org>), the
European Space Education Research Office in the UK (ESERO-UK
<http://www.esero.org.uk/>), and the European Space Agency (ESA
<http://www.esa.int>) to raise awareness in Space, Amateur Radio, and
STEM subjects.
"I hope to share as much of my mission as possible and am delighted that
I will be able to talk to UK students when the ISS flies over Britain,
thanks to the Amateur Radio equipment on board the International Space
Station and the ARISS program," Peake said.
The RSGB lead for ARISS and ARISS operations in the UK, Ciaran Morgan,
M0XTD, said, "ARISS...is delighted to help UK students connect with Tim
whilst he is in space, using only Amateur Radio equipment on the ISS and
in schools, to help inspire our future generations of scientists,
technicians, engineers, and mathematicians."
Schools throughout the UK have been solicited to host one of the limited
number of contacts. The events will include space workshops, where
students can explore space and space-related technologies, and analyze
data from satellites in orbit.
Students taking part in the contact events would have to obtain a full
UK Amateur Radio license in order to operate the radio gear, and one
lucky student at each of the schools selected will be responsible for
making contact with the ISS. An RSGB team and the ARISS UK operations
team will work with the chosen schools to prepare them for this
exceptional opportunity during the mission of the first British ESA
astronaut.
*During his training, Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, gets familiar with
the Ericcson hand-held transceiver he'll use on board the ISS. *
Selected schools/organizations will host a direct ham radio link-up with
the ISS during a 2-day, space-related STEM workshop. ARISS-UK will
provide and set up all necessary radio equipment, including low-Earth
orbit satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a direct
radio link with the space station while the ISS is over the UK so that
students can ask Peake about his life and work on board the ISS. The
program also plans to promote many aspects of Amateur Radio, including
the Amateur-Satellite service, obtaining data from orbiting spacecraft
(FUNcube and the Fox satellites), the latest equipment on the ISS, and,
if operational, the "Ham Video" digital amateur television (DATV) system.
Peake will use the GB1SS call sign when in contact with UK-based
schools. The British Amateur Television Club will stream the contacts
live on the web. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/british-astronaut-to-share-his-iss-experience-with-students-via-amateur-radio>.
/-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via the RSGB and AMSAT-UK/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-06-04&p=1>
Sarah Brightman Spaceflight Postponed
Singer Sarah Brightman has announced that she is postponing plans to go
into space as a paying guest aboard the International Space Station. She
was set to launch on the September /Soyuz/ TMA-18M mission with Danish
astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov,
RU3DIS.
There had been some speculation that Brightman might use Amateur Radio
during her ISS stay; she apparently would be eligible to do so using the
GB1SS call sign.
*Sarah Brightman undergoes medical testing in preparation for her
now-delayed visit to the ISS.*
The British soprano is reported to have paid $52 million to be a
"spaceflight participant" for 10 days. Brightman said she was putting
her spaceflight on hold for personal and family reasons, and she has
postponed her cosmonaut training and flight plans.
"Since 2012, Sarah has shared her story of a lifelong dream to fly to
space," said Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures
Ltd, which arranged the flight. "We've seen firsthand her dedication to
every aspect of her spaceflight training and to date [she] has passed
all of her training and medical tests. We applaud her determination and
we'll continue to support her as she pursues a future spaceflight
opportunity."
Nayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube Transponder
AMSAT-UK <http://www.amsat-uk.org/> and AMSAT-NL
<http://www.amsat-nl.org> have announced that a FUNcube
<http://funcube.org.uk/> communication package has been selected as a
major payload for the Nayif-1 CubeSat mission. FUNcube-1 (AO-73) carries
an inverting U/V SSB/CW transponder. The Nayif-1 mission, tentatively
set to launch toward the end of 2015, is intended to provide students in
the United Arab Emirates with a tool to design and test systems in space.
The CubeSat is being developed by the Emirates Institution for Advanced
Science and Technology (EIAST <http://mbrsc.ae/en>) in partnership with
American University of Sharjah (AUS <http://www.aus.edu/>). It is
expected that this payload will provide a large amount of valuable
environmental data from space together with a new, enhanced, UHF to VHF
linear transponder. The AMSAT team will work closely with the Emirati
students in collaboration with support partner Innovative Solutions In
Space BV from the Netherlands to develop the new system.
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL announced the news on April 25, during the Dutch
"Interessedag Amateursatellieten <http://www.amsat-nl.org/satday2015/>"
(Amateur Satellite Interest Day) event in Apeldoorn. More details,
including frequencies and planned operating schedules, will be made
available as soon as possible. /-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via
AMSAT-UK/
//
Another Australian Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates Earth
The circumnavigation of another party-type foil balloon from Australia
has demonstrated that having one circle the Southern Hemisphere is no
fluke. Andy Nguyen, VK3YT, launched his PS-46 balloon, which carried an
Amateur Radio payload, on May 25. The balloon completed the trip on June
4. Nguyen's earlier PS-41 balloon
<http://www.arrl.org/news/australian-ham-s-picospace-balloon-circumnavigates-the-globe>
was the first such balloon to circle Earth.
"This time it was in the right position -- before arriving in Western
Australia -- for the jet stream to push it over land," Nguyen said.
The helium balloons in this series carried a solar-powered 25 mW
transmitter which sent /WSPR/, /JT9/, and sometimes /Olivia/ signals on
30 and 20 meters, enabling their tracking and the gathering of reports
on altitude, speed, direction, and battery condition. The PS-46 balloon
completed its journey around the globe in slightly more than 12 days. /-
Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-06-04&p=2>
In Brief...
*HEX-BEAM**® Manufacturer Traffie Technologies Shutting Down* Traffie
Technologies, the Massachusetts-based family business that has pioneered
and manufactured the HEX-BEAM line of rotatable wire beams, is closing
its doors. "This is to inform everyone that we are closing down
production of the HEX-BEAM®," an announcement on the HEX-BEAM website
<http://www.hexbeam.com/news.html> said. The company's principal, Mike
Traffie, N1HXA, has indicated that he is open to having someone else
take over the business.//The small firm came into being in 1992, and
HEX-BEAM antennas have been developed for 40 meters through 2 meters in
various monoband and multiband versions. The company's latest product is
the HX5Bi, which covers 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters.
*Past Mississippi Section Manager Richard L. Redd, SK* Former ARRL
Mississippi Section Manager Richard Redd, KA5WRX, of Jackson, died on
May 10. He was 75. Redd served as Mississippi SM from 1991 to 1995. Redd
was the retired CEO and chairman of the board of Redd Pest Control.
Services were May 14 in Madison. Survivors include his wife, Joyce, and
several children.
*SATERN to Mark The Salvation Army Anniversary in Early July: *The
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN
<http://www.satern.org>) will mark the 150th anniversary of The
Salvation Army with a Salvation Army 150th Anniversary QSO Party,
Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5. All are welcome to take part.
Operators who make contact with a SATERN station are eligible for a
special event QSL card. The QSO party is being sponsored by a
partnership between The Salvation Army National Headquarters, the
Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division of The Salvation Army, and the
Jackson (Mississippi) Amateur Radio Club.
*W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Set for Late September:* The
Southeast's largest ham radio event, the W4DXCC DX and Contest
Convention <http://www.w4dxcc.com/> will take place September 25-26 in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dollywood). Sponsored by The
SouthEastern DX and Contesting Organization (SEDCO), the event features
presentations on DXing and contesting topics and, of course, prize
drawings. Ham radio equipment manufacturers and dealers will be on hand
to demonstrate new products and answer equipment questions. A banquet
rounds out the day. This year's convention will offer a daylong "Ham
Radio Boot Camp" to Elmer newcomers on station and antenna construction,
operating, DXing, and contesting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: From May 28 through June 3, average
daily sunspot numbers dropped from 56.1 the previous week to 34.3.
Average daily solar flux barely changed from 97.6 to 97.8 over the same
period. But, both numbers have begun showing an upward trend.
Predicted solar flux is 110 on June 4-5; 115 on June 6; 120 on June
7-11; 115 on June 12-13; 110 on June 14; 100 on June 15-16; 95 on June
17-22; 90 on June 23-25; 95 on June 26-28, 100 on June 29, and then
peaking at 120 on July 7-8.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 4-5; 8 on June 6; 12 on June
7-8; then 30, 10, 8, 5, 8, 15; and 12 on June 9-15; 5 on June 16 through
July 3, and then 10, 25, 20, and 12 on July 4-7.
On May 28 the daily sunspot number was 11, the lowest non-zero sunspot
number, meaning that just one sunspot was visible. There are no sunspot
numbers between 1 and 10, because each sunspot group represents a value
of 10, with a value of 1 for each sunspot in the group.
The last time the daily sunspot number was 11 was July 16, 2014, and the
sunspot number dropped to zero the next day. This was just a few months
after the peak of Cycle 24, which I reckon to be around February and
March 2014, using our 3-month moving average.
Prior to that we'd have to look back to January 14-15, 2011, to find the
sunspot number at 11 on both days. This was on the ascendant side of
Cycle 24.
In Friday's bulletin, look for reports from readers, an updated
forecast, and an update on our 3-month moving average of sunspot
numbers. Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me /your/ reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
June 5 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
*
June 5 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)
*
June 6 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
*
June 6-7 -- 10-10 Int'l Open Season PSK Contest
*
June 6-7 -- DigiFest
*
June 6-7 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, SSB)
*
June 6-7 -- SEANET Contest (CW)
*
June 6-7 -- UKSMG Summer Contest
*
June 6-7 -- RSGB National Field Day (CW)
*
June 6-7 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW)
*
June 6-7 -- Alabama QSO Party
*
June 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
*
June 10 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW)
*
June 10 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW)
*
*June 13-15 -- **ARRL June VHF Contest* <http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf>
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
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
*
July 4 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.w3uu.org>, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
*
July 10-11 -- Northern Florida Section Convention
<http://miltonarc.org>, Milton, Florida
*
July 13-16 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club Convention
<http://www.marac.org>, The Villages, Florida
*
July 17-19 -- Montana State Convention <http://gwhamfest.org/>, East
Glacier, Montana
*
July 23-26 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
<http://csvhfs.org/>, Westminster, Colorado
*
July 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention <http://hamholiday.org>,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
*
July 31-August 2 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention
<http://utahhamfest.com>, Bryce Canyon, Utah
*
August 1 -- Great Lakes Division Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/great-lakes-divison-convention-columbus-hamfest>,
Columbus, Ohio
*
August 7-8 -- South Texas Section Convention
<http://www.austinsummerfest.org/>, Austin, Texas
*
August 7-9 -- New Mexico State Convention
<http://www.dukecityhamfest.org/>, Albuquerque, New Mexico
*
August 7-9 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
<http://www.wwdxc.org/>, Everett, Washington
*
August 15-16 -- Alabama State Convention <http://www.hamfest.org/>,
Huntsville, Alabama
*
August 16 -- Kansas State Convention <http://www.centralksarc.com/>,
Salina, Kansas
*
August 21-23 -- New England Division Convention
<http://www.boxboro.org/>, Boxborough, Massachusetts
*
August 22 -- West Virginia State Convention
<http://www.qsl.net/wvsarc>, Weston, West Virginia
*
August 30 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://skyviewradio.net/>, New Kensington, Pennsylvania
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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