[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for April 30, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Fri May 1 08:51:42 EDT 2015
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The ARRL Letter
April 30, 2015
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <mailto:ww1me at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>
/ARRL Letter/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>
Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-04-30&t=t>
* FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters <#toc01>
* Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as
Earthquake Recovery Continues <#toc02>
* Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient
<#toc03>
* House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field
Office Closures <#toc04>
* Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal" <#toc05>
* AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous
Satellite <#toc06>
* Dayton Hamvention^® Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut
<#toc07>
* New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas <#toc08>
* Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New
Modes <#toc09>
* The Sinking of the /Lusitania/ : A Ham Radio Connection? <#toc10>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc11>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc12>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc13>
FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters
Amateur Radio is poised to gain access to two new bands! The FCC has
allocated a new LF band, 135.7 to 137.8 kHz, to the Amateur Service on a
secondary basis. Allocation of the 2.1 kHz segment, known as 2200
meters, was in accordance with the /Final Acts /of the 2007 World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07). The Commission also has proposed
a new secondary 630 meter MF allocation at 472 to 479 kHz to Amateur
Radio, implementing decisions made at WRC-12. No Amateur Radio operation
will be permitted in either band until the FCC determines, on the basis
of comments, the specific Part 97 rules it must frame to permit
operation in the new bands. Amateur Radio would share both allocations
with unlicensed Part 15 power line carrier (PLC) systems operated by
utilities to control the power grid, as well as with other users. In
addition, the FCC has raised the secondary Amateur Service allocation at
1900 to 2000 kHz to primary, while providing for continued use by
currently unlicensed commercial fishing vessels of radio buoys on the
"open sea."
The allocation changes, associated proposed rules, and suggested topics
for comment are contained in a 257-page FCC /Report and Order, Order,
and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking/
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0427/FCC-15-50A1.pdf>
addressing three dockets -- ET-12-338, ET-15-99, and IB-06-123 -- which
affect various radio services in addition to the Amateur Service. The
FCC released the document on April 27.
With respect to the new LF sliver band at 135.7-137.8 kHz, the FCC
concluded that Amateur Radio and PLC systems can coexist there. "Since
the Commission last considered this issue, amateurs have successfully
operated in the band under experimental licenses without reported PLC
interference," the FCC said. In 2003, the FCC turned down an ARRL
proposal to create a 135.7-137.8 kHz Amateur Radio allocation, after
utilities raised fears of a clash between Amateur Radio and PLC systems
operating below the AM broadcast band. This time, the FCC said, "It is
clear that we will have to establish appropriate requirements for
amateur use of the band, if we are to ensure compatibility with PLC
systems." WRC-07 set a maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)
limit of 1 W, which is what the FCC is proposing.
The FCC said it "explicitly" rejects the suggestion that it choose one
use of the spectrum over the other. "Our objective is to allocate
spectrum on a secondary basis to amateur stations in a
manner...compatible with existing PLC systems," the FCC said. "However,
we also expect to permit amateur operators to make use of the allocation
in a manner that is less burdensome and more productive than they are
currently afforded under the experimental authorization process."
The Commission said that if it concludes, after considering the record,
that Amateur Radio and PLC systems cannot coexist, it would "defer the
adoption of service rules, and amateur users will have to continue to
use the experimental licensing process to operate in the band."
With respect to the proposed 630 meter allocation, the FCC has proposed
limiting amateur stations in the US to a maximum 5 W EIRP. The ARRL
submitted a /Petition for Rule Making/ in 2012, asking the FCC to
allocate 472-479 kHz to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis and to
amend the Part 97 rules to provide for its use. Several countries,
including Canada, already have access to the band. The ARRL has pointed
out that during its extensive course of experimentation
<http://500kc.com/> in the spectrum around 500 kHz, no interference
reports have been received.
*Rudy Severns, N6LF, in Oregon, is a member of the WD2XSH ARRL 600 Meter
Experimental Group <http://500kc.com/>.*
The FCC said that the "cornerstone" of the technical rules it's
proposing for both bands is "physical separation between amateur
stations and the transmission lines" carrying PLC signals. "Such a
separation, in conjunction with limits on the amateur stations'
transmitted EIRP and antenna heights, will enable PLC systems and
amateur stations to coexist in these bands," the FCC asserted. "In
addition, we propose to limit amateur stations to operations at fixed
locations only, to ensure that this separation distance can be
maintained reliably."
The FCC said it wants to hear from both PLC system users and radio
amateurs regarding technical requirements it would have to put into
place to permit both users to operate comfortably and without
compromising the PLC systems. The Commission suggested that other
requirements might include limits on antenna heights, transmitter power
limits, and operating privilege limits based on license class or mode.
The ARRL will file comments in the proceeding.
The FCC will accept comments for 60 days following publication of the
/Report and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed Rule Making/ in the
/Federal Register./ Reply comments would be due 30 days after the
comment deadline.
Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as
Earthquake Recovery Continues
In the wake of the devastating April 25 earthquake, hams in Nepal,
already in limited supply, have been turning out to help in the ongoing
recovery. The Nepalese government also is reported to be cutting some of
the red tape that has prevented hams from outside the country from
operating within Nepal. Several hams from India are among those who have
arrived in Nepal to help facilitate communication. Word earlier this
week via Amateur Radio Society of India President Gopal Madhavan,
VU2GMN, was that visiting hams would not be permitted to operate in
Nepal, unless they were part of a government team. On the other hand,
getting needed Amateur Radio equipment into Nepal remains problematic.
"ARRL is working closely with amateurs in Nepal to identify equipment
needed for the relief effort," said ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager
Mike Corey, KI1U. "We are preparing a shipment from the Ham Aid
<http://www.arrl.org/ham-aid> inventory, but like other NGOs, we are
facing transportation challenges. We hope to have transportation
arrangements in place soon." Unconfirmed reports said another group was
having problems getting a repeater into Nepal.
While parts of the telecommunication infrastructure remain in operation,
power is out. Ham radio remains a reliable link at this stage of the
recovery effort. A major focus of rescue teams has been attempting to
locate the missing, as well as to recover quake victims buried beneath
debris. More than 5000 people are now reported dead as a result of the
earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. The disaster also has stranded
many people, as roads were cut off by landslides and damage. Rain, heavy
at times, has hampered rescue and recovery work.
"In spite of the conditions, ham radio operation is in progress, and the
Nepal government has started issuing licenses to visiting hams, with 9N7
prefixes," said Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU. Bhide, who is the Amateur Radio
Society of India's National Coordinator for Disaster Communication, said
these stations have been asked to help provide communication to more of
the devastated region. Ham radio groups are being asked to spread out in
terms of operating frequencies as well. Bhide said a lot of the Amateur
Radio traffic has consisted of health-and-welfare inquiries.
Mike Kalter, W8CI, told ARRL that he relayed an urgent request from the
family of a woman traveling between Nepal and Tibet with a tour group.
He passed along the information via ham radio to Mohan Suri, VU2MYH, in
Nepal, who supplied the information to authorities. Within a few days,
the woman being sought reported back through Jerry Long, KJ4YAP, that
groups were going through the streets of Kathmandu, announcing names of
individuals being sought, and she heard her name called out. The woman
and her tour group were subsequently helicoptered out of Nepal.
*Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, has been active on HF nets aiding the Nepal
earthquake relief and recovery effort.
*
At least two groups of hams from Gujarat, India, were planning to travel
to Nepal and set up stations "at critical places," Bhide said, adding
that he, Ananda Majumdar, VU2AGJ, and Sandip Baruah, VU2MUE, were
planning to set up HF and VHF stations at Gorakhpur, on the India-Nepal
border.
Amateur Radio HF nets have been one link between Nepal and the outside
world, as Internet service continues to be spotty. Nepalese hams also
are active locally on VHF/UHF.
Bhide said residents in the affected areas were finding it difficult to
contact family members, as their cell phones have discharged, and no
charging facility is available. He and some of the radio amateurs active
on the relief and recovery nets contacted agencies in Nepal to provide
small solar charging units.
The earthquake -- said to be the worst in Nepal in 80 years -- hit an
area between the capital city of Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara.
Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient
The ARRL Foundation <http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation> Board of
Directors has named Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, of Mesa, Arizona, as the
recipient of the 2015 William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions>. A senior at Desert Ridge
High School in Mesa, he plans to attend Purdue University in the fall
and pursue a career in aerospace engineering. Based on qualifications,
need, and other academic funding sources, the award can be $10,000 or
greater. The Goldfarb Scholarship is awarded to an active Amateur Radio
licensee who intends to pursue a bachelor's degree in a
business-related, computer, medical, nursing, or engineering field.
*Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY.*
"I am really happy and honored to have received this scholarship," Jacob
told ARRL. "This scholarship means that I have the opportunity to attend
college with the knowledge that the community of hams believes in me. I
imagine that all hams, especially ones young enough to qualify for this
scholarship, are incredibly resourceful and intelligent, and so to be
chosen out among them for this scholarship is a great honor."
Jacob expressed his gratitude to his grandfather, Steve Kearny, KW7N,
for introducing him to Amateur Radio. "If it weren't for him I wouldn't
have become a part of this great community and hobby," he said. On his
scholarship application, he said that Amateur Radio has piqued his
interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
"Through Amateur Radio I was able to turn theoretical learning into
physical results," he said. "The time I spent solving equations and
making schematics turned into a contact with a person hundreds of miles
away."
In an effort to get a leg up on his career choice, Jacob has been
involved in a senior year engineering design program, Project Lead the
Way <https://www.pltw.org/our-programs/pltw-engineering>, and he earned
three college credits through the Rochester Institute of Technology. The
senior project, accomplished as a team, must address a real-world
problem. Jacob came up with this year's -- a 30-foot portable "stealth"
telescoping mast -- undertaken at his grandfather's suggestion; Jacob
lives in an antenna-restricted community.
The William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is the result of a generous
endowment from William Goldfarb, N2ITP (SK). Before his death in 1997,
Goldfarb set up a scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory
of his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb. It is awarded to one high
school senior each year. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/jacob-nunez-kearny-kf7dsy-is-2015-goldfarb-scholarship-recipient>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-30&p=0>
House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field Office
Closures
The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce has given the Federal
Communications Commission a May 7 deadline to produce documents related
to FCC Enforcement Bureau proposals to close two-thirds of its field
offices and eliminate nearly one-half of its staff of field agents. In
an April 23 letter, Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) told FCC
Chairman Tom Wheeler that his panel wants the Commission to provide all
documents relating to the proposed closures.
"[Y]our proposal to shutter 16 of the Commission's 24 field offices
raises significant challenges and concerns," Upton said. "The Commission
has represented to Congress and the American people that it will
'preserve the integrity of public safety communications infrastructure
by taking action on 99 percent of complaints of interference to public
safety communications within 1 day,' yet your proposal to reduce the
geographic footprint of the Commission appears to ignore the impact this
might have on the Commission's public interest goal." Upton said the
Commission has offered little information to support its proposals.
"Indeed, our concerns have only been heightened by the Commission's
failure to provide all the information requested by the Committee," he
wrote.
The field office and personnel layoff proposals were outlined in a March
10 internal memorandum from Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc and
FCC Managing Director Jon Wilkins to EB field staff. The memo, obtained
by ARRL and others, cited the need to take "a fresh look" at the
Bureau's 20-year-old operating model in light of technology changes and
tighter budgets.
*FCC Managing Director Jon Wilkins testified on March 4 before the
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.*
During March hearings of the Subcommittee on Communications and
Technology -- chaired by Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR) -- on the FCC's
FY 2015 budget request, Committee members sought more information from
Wilkins and Wheeler on the basis of the proposals to close field
offices. Upton said that his Committee has, to date, received just the
two-page March 10 memorandum and a 35-page /PowerPoint/ presentation
that purports to outline the consultants' report.
ARRL leadership met with Enforcement Bureau staff and with Capitol Hill
lawmakers in March to express its own concerns about the proposals in
light of seemingly lax enforcement of the Amateur Service rules. ARRL
CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, also addressed the FCC's field office closure
proposals in his "It Seems to Us" editorial
<http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/arrl/qst_201505/index.php#/10> in the
May 2015 issue of /QST./ "Given everything that's on [the Enforcement
Bureau's] plate -- of which Amateur Radio is just a small part --
reducing the number of field agents from 63 to 33 and the number of
field offices from 24 to 8 hardly sounds like progress," Sumner wrote.
Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/house-committee-asks-fcc-for-documents-related-to-proposed-enforcement-bureau-closures>.
Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"
More than 250 Amateur Radio communication volunteers participated on
Patriots Day (April 20) in the 119th running of the Boston Marathon
<http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx>, sponsored by the Boston
Athletic Association (BAA). This event was the second since the bombings
that tragically marred the 2013 race. Amateur Radio volunteers have
supported Boston Marathon communication for decades. Starting with the
2015 event, a Communications Committee the BAA formed last year
established a "new normal" for marathon support by integrating Amateur
Radio, public safety, and commercial radio providers into a single team.
In step with the BAA's mandate to "review the entire communications
program," the seven-member Amateur Radio management team raised the
level of training to a professional caliber and developed better
documentation for volunteers. Tight coordination with the BAA as both
leader and "client" of the Amateur Radio communication support "led to
further advancement in overall effectiveness as evidenced by a very
successful outcome despite difficult weather," the Amateur Radio team
said in a media release.
"Development of detailed communications plans for each race segment was
at the heart of the Committee's work," the Amateur Radio team said. "We
expect this arrangement to continue, along with an increasing emphasis
upon further training and standards, all intended to enhance the work of
Amateur Radio public service, and to raise confidence in our
capabilities to integrate with other organizations as effective team
players."
Cool, damp weather made the volunteers' role more difficult, but
carrying out communication tasks according to the 2015 plan went
smoothly. "Many Boston Marathon race officials favorably commented on
the advancement in communications provided by Amateur Radio and other
entities both in the planning stage and on event day," the Amateur Radio
team said.
"Through all the meetings, conference calls, and documents produced, I
would say we all fulfilled what we set out to accomplish and more," said
Chris Troyanos, Medical Coordinator for the Boston Marathon. "From the
public safety side to all involved with the BAA, our communications
program set new heights of excellence." Organizers from the Red Cross
also expressed satisfaction with 2015 Boston Marathon communications.
*Jeff Pinterparson, W5UVO, and Mark Richards, K1MGY, helped to staff the
Start Network Control Operations Center at the Boston Marathon.*
Event logistics were coordinated more tightly. Added to Amateur Radio's
tasks this year was reporting of hourly medical statistics from each of
the 26 medical field units, and a new medical re-supply system, both
relying on Amateur Radio communication. The cooler weather meant fewer
heat-related medical emergencies, but from mile 12 onward, many runners
suffered chills and had to stop at medical stations to warm up before
moving on.
Efforts were organized in segments that included start, course,
transportation, and finish. A back-up medical dispatch communication
plan, included in the public safety matrix, was among the many
operational plans in place. Amateur Radio volunteers shadowed key race
officials at the start and finish line, augmenting commercial radio
services. They also staffed medical and hydration stations along the
course; vans that travelled the course transported runners unable to
complete the race to the finish line. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/boston-marathon-amateur-radio-support-adjusts-to-a-new-normal>.
/-- Thanks to Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Mark Richards, K1MGY, and the Boston
Marathon Amateur Radio team/
AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous Satellite
There is big news on the Amateur Radio satellite front. AMSAT-NA
<http://www.amsat.org> has announced that, if all goes according to
plan, an Amateur Radio payload will go into space on a geosynchronous
satellite that's planned for launch in 2017. As opposed to the more
typical low Earth orbit, a geosynchronous orbit would permit an
Earthbound ham at a given point within the satellite's footprint to
access the satellite at approximately the same time each day. According
to AMSAT Vice President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, the
satellite's potential footprint would extend over the US from the
Mid-Pacific to Africa. AMSAT said it has accepted the opportunity to be
a "hosted payload" on a spacecraft that Millennium Space Systems (MSS
<http://www.millennium-space.com/>) of El Segundo, California, is under
contract to design, launch, and operate for the US government. Past
AMSAT Director and former Vice President-Engineering Bob McGwier, N4HY,
said the Amateur Radio payload must be delivered for testing and
integration by the spring of 2016.
"It is an ambitious schedule, and all involved will have to gain and
maintain a serious level of commitment," said McGwier, the Director of
Research at Virginia Tech's Hume Center for National Security and
Technology. The AMSAT announcement on April 25 followed an April 13
meeting at MSS to discuss the project.
According to AMSAT, the transponder is expected to support a wide range
of voice, digital, and experimental advanced communications
technologies. A decision is expected soon regarding the specification of
the microwave uplink and downlink bands.
The AMSAT Board of Directors has signed on to the project, and AMSAT
expects to be involved in developing both the ground station and the RF
payload. It will also serve as the Amateur Radio payload operator, once
the satellite has been launched. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/amsat-amateur-radio-payload-could-share-space-on-geosynchronous-satellite>.
/-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Bob McGwier, N4HY, and others/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-30&p=1>
Dayton Hamvention^® Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut
Young radio amateurs attending the Youth Forum at Dayton Hamvention on
May 16 will have a chance to meet NASA astronaut and ham Mike Fincke,
KE5AIT -- one of the more "radio-active" International Space Station
crew members during his time in space. The Saturday morning
*Retired NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT.*
Youth Forum, organized by Carole Perry, WB2MGP, will include a variety
of presentations from eight young hams, whom Perry called "role models
for other radio amateurs and prospective young hams -- each sharing
inspiring stories, having fun, and being creative in ham radio
activities." One of the door prizes for young hams attending the forum
will be a drawing for an ARRL-hosted luncheon with Astronaut Mike
Fincke, KE5AIT. Fincke operated the Amateur Radio equipment on the
International Space Station while he was part of the Expedition 9 and 18
crews.
"Eight lucky students in elementary school, high school, or enrolled as
a college undergraduate may participate in the drawing for lunch with
the astronaut," said ARRL Educational Services Manager Debra Johnson,
K1DMJ. "These students must already have their Amateur Radio license.
What better way to inspire our youth to pursue more education and career
paths in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math
than by engaging with an astronaut-ham!"
Fincke will talk with the students about his career, space travel, and
research on the ISS. The luncheon will immediately follow the Youth
Forum Saturday morning. Youth Forum presenters will include:
* Tyler Hammond, KD8UAY, of Dresden, Ohio (age 13): "Contesting for
Elementary Students"
* Abbigail Wilson, KF5BEW (age 18), and Kendra Wilson, KF5FYS (age
16), of Lafayette, Louisiana: "Youth and the Future of Ham Radio"
* Sam Case, KG7HBY (age 11), of Sparks, Nevada: "The Friday Night QSO
Party"
* Jesse Shulins, KB1YNK (age 17), of Andover, Massachusetts:
"Pneumatic Mast Systems for the Radio Amateur"
* Faith Hannah Lea, WA4BBC (age 10), and Zechariah Lea, WX4TVJ (age
12), of Chesapeake, Virginia: "Experiences in Antenna Selection,
Construction, and Use for VHF Applications"
* Cameron Thurston, N8CAM (age 16), of Saint Helen, Michigan:
"Contesting with N3FJP Software"
Perry has moderated the Youth Forum and instructor's workshops at
Hamvention^® for many years. She is a popular keynote speaker and
seminar leader at numerous teacher and radio conventions across the
country. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/dayton-hamvention-youth-forum-will-offer-chance-to-meet-astronaut>.
New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas
The ARRL North Texas Section will soon have a new Section Manager. Nancy
McCain, K5NLM, of Fort Worth, will take over the
*North Texas SM-Designate Nancy McCain K5NLM.*
position on May 1, succeeding incumbent SM Chris Brewer, N5GMJ, who
resigned due to increased work and family commitments. ARRL Field
Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment
in consultation with Brewer, who recommended McCain for the post, and
ARRL West Gulf Division Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV. Brewer, of
Saginaw, has served as the North Texas Section Manager since April 30, 2013.
McCain, who is presently a North Texas Assistant Section Manager, has
been active in ARES, RACES, and in Army and Navy MARS. She is a retired
emergency management specialist. She will complete the current term of
office as North Texas Section Manager, which runs until March 31, 2017.
Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New Modes
The annual Armed Forces Day <http://www.defense.gov/afd/> Crossband
Communications Test
<http://www.navymars.org/central/reg4/FL/FLNMCMARS/CrossBand/2015%20ANNUAL%20ARMED%20FORCES%20DAY.pdf>
set for Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, will offer Amateur Radio
operators a chance to try their hand at using more modern military
communications modes, such as MIL-STD Serial PSK. Also new this year is
the inclusion of a crossband Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) test.
The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard cosponsor the
joint military/Amateur Radio event, which this year marks the 65th Armed
Forces Day and the 90th anniversary of the Military Auxiliary Radio
System (MARS). Armed Forces Day 2015 falls on May 16, but the crossband
test is held on the earlier weekend to accommodate those visiting Dayton
Hamvention May 15-17.
The annual event is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication
between Amateur Radio and military stations. It features the traditional
military-to-amateur crossband SSB voice, CW, MT63, and AMTOR FEC, plus
MIL-STD Serial PSK and ALE, both new this year.
Those interested in trying the MIL-STD Serial PSK mode can download the
free /MS-DMT/ <http://www.n2ckh.com/MARS_ALE_FORUM/MSDMT.html> software.
A complete list
<https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxhcm15bWFyc3BvcnRhbHxneDpmOWNiYjk1YWQxN2YxNjA>
of participating military stations, operating modes, and times of
operation is on the US Army MARS website, as well as on its Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/HQArmyMARS?ref=hl> page. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/armed-forces-day-2015-crossband-communications-test-to-offer-new-modes>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-04-30&p=2>
The Sinking of the /Lusitania/: A Ham Radio Connection?
Several Amateur Radio special event stations will be on the air in early
May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Cunard
Line's RMS /Lusitania/ -- at one time the world's largest ship -- off
the coast of Ireland. As one of the events precipitating US entry into
World War I, the sinking of the /Lusitania/ by Germany on May 7, 1915,
claimed some 1200 lives, although another 800 or so of those aboard
survived.
RMS /Lusitania/.
GB100MFA <http://www.lusitania-gb100mfa.uk> will operate during the
entire month of May from the UK, with members of the Radio Officers
Association at the helm from the lightship /Planet/ in Liverpool,
/Lusitania/'s home port and its ultimate destination on its voyage from
New York. EI100MFA <http://www.ei4gzb.com/ei100mra-lusitania/> will be
on the air from Ireland May 3-10. MFA was the ship's call sign.
Other announced operations include KC9HYY/LUS100
<http://www.qrz.com/db/kc9hyy>, operating May 1-9 from Wisconsin; N2L,
operating May 1-15 by the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club (GSBARC
<http://www.gsbarc.org/>) from Long Island, New York, and WW1USA
<https://theworldwar.org/amateurradio>, operating May 9-10 from the
National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, by the Santa Fe
Trail Amateur Radio Club.
According to wireless history accounts, it was a radio amateur, Charles
Apgar, 2MN, of Westfield, New Jersey, who finally figured out the
significance of the odd buzz-like transmissions he'd heard emanating
evenings from German Telefunken station WSL in Sayville, Long Island. As
recounted <http://www.campevans.org/_CE/html/p-67Countspy.html> by the
late Phil Petersen, W2DME, Apgar not only was curious, but suspicious.
"Apgar had a very advanced sensitive Armstrong regenerative receiver
that he modified to make off-the-air recordings on a cylinder recorder,"
Petersen wrote. "Suspecting that WSL was transmitting secret
intelligence at very high speed, Apgar further modified his audio
recorder to greatly reduce the speed on playback. As he suspected, the
'buzz' was actually secret Morse code sent at very high speed." Apgar
turned his recordings of WSL's transmissions over to the US Secret
Service, which seized the station in July 1915.
WSL officials "were charged with sending illegal secret messages
regarding allied and neutral shipping," Petersen recounted. "It was also
believed that the German submarines obtained secret information that led
to the sinking of the passenger ship /Lusitania/. After the government
seized the station, sinkings by U-boats greatly decreased." Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-sinking-of-the-lusitania-a-ham-radio-connection>.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: There were no new sunspots over the
April 23-29 reporting period, although the previous 7 days saw new
sunspots every day -- and April 21 had /two/ new ones. Solar flux and
daily sunspot numbers declined. The average daily sunspot number dropped
from 120.9 to 60.7, and average daily solar flux went from 150.4 to 119.8.
Predicted solar flux for April 30 through May 1 is 95, 100 on May 2-3,
105, and 110 on May 4-5, 115 on May 6-7, 135 on May 8-9, 130, and 125 on
May 10-11, 130 on May 12-14, then 125, 130, and 125 on May 15-17, 120 on
May 18-19, and 115 on May 20-23. Flux values are forecast to drop to 110
for May 27-29, then rise to 135 for June 3-5.
Predicted planetary A index is 10 on April 30 through May 1, 8 on May 2,
5 on May 3-11, 25 on May 12, 20 on May 13-14, then 12, 8, 12, 20, 12,
and 8 on May 15-20, and 5 on May 21-25.
Download my archive of these forecasts, updated daily, for flux values
<http://www.filedropper.com/filemanager/public.php?service=files&t=326dd41340bab1066cf91d13df36b8fd>
and Ap index
<http://www.filedropper.com/filemanager/public.php?service=files&t=be2a0a69fb6392907dc3d9a017dcace1>
(click the "Download this File" button; files are /Excel/ spreadsheets).
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.
Look for reports from readers in Friday's bulletin. Send
<mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me /your/ reports and observations. -- /Tad Cook,
K7RA/
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
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May 1 -- NS Weekly RTTY Sprint
*
May 2 -- Microwave Spring Sprint (Phone, CW, Digital)
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May 2-3 -- New England QSO Party**
*
May 2-3 -- Delaware QSO Party
*
May 2-3 -- 7th Area QSO Party**
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May 2-3 -- Indiana QSO Party
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May 2-3 -- Radio Club of America QSO Party
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May 2-3 -- 2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)
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May 2-3 -- Worldwide EME Contest (Phone, CW)
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*
May 6 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
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May 1-2 -- West Coast Military Collectors Group Convention
<http://mrcgwest.org/>, San Luis Obispo, California
*
May 1-3 -- Nevada State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nevada-state-convention-1>, Verdi, Nevada
*
May 2 -- South Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-section-convention-56th-annual-hamfest>,
Spartanburg, South Carolina
*
May 15-17 -- Dayton Hamvention^® <http://www.hamvention.org/>,
Dayton, Ohio
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<http://www.seapac.org/> (SeaPac), Seaside, Oregon
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Marietta, Georgia
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<http://www.w3uu.org>, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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Glacier, Montana
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<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
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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