[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for November 5, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Nov 5 17:51:16 EST 2015
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-11-05
The ARRL Letter
November 5, 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=2015-11-05&t=t>
* Amateur Radio Parity Act Continues to Gain Traction in US House <#toc01>
* World Radiocommunication Conference 2015: The Deliberations Have
Begun <#toc02>
* ARRL 10^th Anniversary On-Line Auction Attracts Nearly 300 Bidders
<#toc03>
* Applications for ARRL CEO Position are Due by November 15 <#toc04>
* Hawaii Launch of Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Fails
<#toc05>
* Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Hopes to Motivate Youth in
India via Amateur Radio <#toc06>
* January VP8 DXpedition to Incorporate "Youth and Community
Participation" <#toc07>
* SKYWARN Recognition Day is Saturday, December 5 <#toc08>
* Putting Contesting to Work for Your Public Service Team <#toc09>
* In Brief... <#toc10>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc11>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc12>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc13>
Amateur Radio Parity Act Continues to Gain Traction in US House
It's full steam ahead for the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015, as the
House version of the bill, H.R. 1301
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c114:H.R.1301:>, now has 112
cosponsors and counting. The House bill and its identical US Senate
measure, S. 1685 <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c114:S.1685:>,
call on the FCC to amend its regulations to extend the limited PRB-1
federal preemption regarding Amateur Radio antennas to include private
land-use restrictions such as deed covenant, conditions, and
restrictions (CC&Rs). Homeowners associations would need to apply the
minimum practicable restriction to accommodate Amateur Radio
communication. ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, said the League is
continuing to receive and forward stacks of letters generated at
hamfests and conventions and destined for members of the US House and
Senate.
"All members are encouraged to go ahead and write their own letters to
be sent via ARRL Headquarters," President Craigie said. "They don't have
to wait for a hamfest or convention. Get the letters done now, before
the holidays take over everyone's time and attention. Members' letters
are absolutely /essential/ to the success of this legislation.
Everything you can do to drum up letters from your local area is an
important part of the overall advocacy program. As I've said before,
this is a full-team effort, and every member's action makes a difference."
ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said the League
has delivered another 3000 member letters urging lawmakers to support
the bills to its team in Washington, bringing the total to nearly
14,000. "We have delivered letters to all 100 members of the Senate and
430 of the 441 members and non-voting delegates in the House," Henderson
said. And those letters matter.
"Our DC team walked into a congresswoman's office a couple of weeks ago
with our strong arguments and 30 letters from constituents," he said
"She signed on to the bill last week. They do care about what their
constituents say is important to them."
*ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, recently visited
more than 3 dozen lawmakers' offices on Capitol Hill.*
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, said he and ARRL
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, visited about 40 lawmakers' offices
on Capitol Hill during 4 days in October, and he's very confident in how
the grassroots campaign is going. "The response we've been getting
overall is very positive across the board," Lisenco said. "We feel very
good about it."
Henderson explained that the next stage would be to schedule the draft
legislation for "markup," during which various committee members will
have an opportunity to "fine tune" the bill into the form that will be
actually considered for a vote.
There is still only the original cosponsor on the US Senate bill, but
Henderson said the Senate operates a bit differently from the House with
respect to cosponsors. Lisenco said he anticipates at least one Senate
member to sign on to the bill soon. President Craigie stressed that it's
important for members to write their US Senators as well as their US
Representatives, to gain support from members of the upper chamber.
"Letters have been received by every Senator, but we would like to see
offices on that side of the Hill stacked high so high with letters that
the workers can scarcely find their desks," President Craigie said. She
suggested a "Senate letter-writing party" at the next club meeting.
Lisenco said that in addition to writing a letter, ARRL members should
consider e-mailing or even calling their US House and Senate lawmakers
to urge their support. If the Member of Congress already has signed on
to the bill, he said, members should contact their lawmakers to express
their thanks.
Visit <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> the Amateur Radio
Parity Act page for more information and to learn how you can help.
World Radiocommunication Conference 2015: The Deliberations Have Begun
The more than 3000 delegates and observers attending World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15
<http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/wrc/2015/Pages/default.aspx>)
have gathered in a huge hall at ITU Headquarters in Geneva for the
nearly month-long event. WRC-15 officially got under way on November 2.
It will close on November 27. Chairing the conference is Festus Daudu of
Nigeria, the first African elected to chair a WRC.
An Amateur Radio contact on November 3 between students at the ITU
Headquarters club station and two crew members of the International
Space Station helped to kick off WRC-15. ITU Amateur Radio club station
4U1ITU is using the call sign 4U1WRC for the duration of the conference.
Students from Institut Florimont <http://www.florimont.ch/en/> spoke
<https://youtu.be/ahdDiuFk2-Y> with astronauts Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS,
and Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH, who were using the Amateur Radio station in the
ISS /Columbus/ module, OR4ISS.
Delegations at WRC-15 are considering several issues of importance to
the Amateur and Amateur Satellite services. International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org/>) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA,
and Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, are heading the organization's
18-member team. The ITU has acknowledged its close cooperation with the
IARU, which was founded in Paris in 1925, and it recognizes that IARU
speaks for the Amateur Radio community. Other radio amateurs are parts
of national delegations or in observer roles. ARRL Chief Technology
Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, is part of the US delegation to WRC-15.
Of prime Amateur Radio interest is Agenda Item 1.4, which calls for
allocating an appropriate amount of spectrum to the Amateur Service on a
secondary basis within the band 5250-5450 kHz. The IARU has called the
new band as "a high priority for the Amateur Service" but is not overly
confident of getting the new secondary allocation. Ellam said the IARU
team will put forth its best effort toward gaining a possible allocation
near 5 MHz and will follow other developments that may impinge on the
Amateur and Amateur Satellite services.
Deliberations on agenda item 1.4 are taking place in a sub-working group
chaired by Dale Hughes, VK1DSH, of Australia. While more administrations
than not have expressed support for some sort of allocation, the methods
proposed vary greatly, the opposition to any allocation is spirited, and
a number of uncommitted administrations could still sway the prevailing
consensus.
Last week's Radiocommunication Assembly at ITU Headquarters approved a
new resolution calling on the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) to
develop appropriate educational materials on the regulatory aspects of
small satellites.
*A student asks her question of the ISS crew during an ARISS contact
between 4U1WRC at ITU Headquarters in Geneva and OR4ISS on the space
station. On the left is Attila Matas, OM1AM, the 4U1ITU station manager,
and on the right is Nick Sinanis, SV3SJ, the 4U1ITU station engineer.*
Some already are looking ahead to the next WRC in 2018 or 2019. IARU
Region 1 is hoping for further worldwide harmonization of bands
allocated to the Amateur and Amateur Satellite services. These would
include a 160 meter allocation at 1800-2000 kHz to align with the Region
1 and 2 allocations, and an allocation of 50-52 MHz to the Amateur and
Amateur satellite services in Regions 1 and 3. IARU Region 1 also wants
to further harmonize the Amateur Radio microwave sub-bands, especially
3400-3410 MHz in Region 1 with the allocations in Regions 2 and 3. It is
proposing a secondary allocation to the Amateur and Amateur Satellite
services.
The IARU will host a function on November 10 for all attending WRC-15.
On display will be an emergency communications mobile unit, which will
be available for viewing November 8-14, with IARU International
Coordinator for Emergency Communications, Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS,
attending. The trailer-mounted display will have equipment showing the
voice, text and image mode capabilities for emergency communications,
plus a mobile antenna. Emergency Radio Germany supplied the mobile unit
for the exhibit.
ARRL 10^th Anniversary On-Line Auction Attracts Nearly 300 Bidders
The 10^th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction went off without a hitch October
22-27. In addition to hundreds of browsers, the auction saw 284
individual bidders vying for product review equipment, vintage books,
one-of-a-kind finds, and even "mystery junque boxes" from the ARRL Lab.
ARRL Sales Manager Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, said 1383 bids were recorded.
"A number of items dramatically finished in overtime bidding," she said.
"After all was tallied, this year's auction grossed more than $41,000."
Proceeds from the yearly On-Line Auction benefit ARRL education
programs. These include activities to license new hams, strengthen
Amateur Radio Emergency Service training, offer continuing technical and
operating education, and create instructional materials.
Jahnke said the /QST/ "Product Review" equipment, always the most
popular items, were in great demand. The premier item was a FlexRadio
Systems Flex-6700 transceiver, which fetched a winning bid of $6953. In
a distant second-place was the Beko-Elektronik HLV-1100 70 centimeter
amplifier, which brought $3900. These were followed in order
*This copy of the vintage Henley's Workable Radio Receivers from 1924
went for $625.*
by an ACOM 600S 160-6 meter linear amplifier at $2649; an Apache Labs
ANAN-100D SDR HF/6 meter transceiver at $2500, and a FlexRadio Systems
Flex-6300 transceiver at $2310.
"But our vintage books category was not to be left behind," Jahnke said.
"We had a substantial number of titles from ARRL and also many
contributed by anonymous donors. Picking up the top-dollar bid in this
category was a copy of /Henley's Workable Radio Receivers/ from 1924. It
garnered $625. A copy of /Modern Radio Operation/ by J.O. Smith,
published in 1922, brought $410.
"As always, we would like to express our appreciation to the donors who
provided such a diverse mix of items, and we look forward to our 11th
auction in 2016," Jahnke said.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-11-05&p=0>
Applications for ARRL CEO Position are Due by November 15
The League is accepting applications for the position of ARRL Chief
Executive Officer. The deadline to submit an application is November 15.
The complete position description
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/About%20ARRL/Employment/CEO%20Employment%20Opportunity%282%29.pdf>
is available on the ARRL website. The position is at ARRL Headquarters
in Newington, Connecticut.
The CEO ensures the day-to-day management of the League and its fiscal
operation. An undergraduate degree and 10 years of management and
supervisory experience are required. A candidate who is an active radio
amateur is preferred.
To apply submit a cover letter and resume via e-mail to Monique Levesque
<mailto:mlevesque at arrl.org> at ARRL Headquarters.
Hawaii Launch of Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Fails
The November 4 inaugural launch of an experimental US military vehicle
carrying several satellites with Amateur Radio payloads into orbit
failed in mid-flight shortly after taking off at 0345 UTC from Hawaii.
The experimental Super Strypi launch vehicle, carrying a collection of
small satellites into orbit as part of the ORS-4 mission for the
Department of Defense, was fired from a truss-mounted rail system from
the Pacific Missile Range Facility, off Barking Sands on Kauai.
According to Spaceflightnow.com, the Super Strypi rocket is designed for
low-cost, quick-reaction satellite launches. Destroyed in the
demonstration flight were 13 small research spacecraft clustered on the
mission for NASA researchers and university students.
*The Super Strypi launch from Kauai on November 4.*
None of the satellites carried Amateur Radio transponders, but several
were equipped to transmit beacon signals and telemetry on 2 meter, 70
centimeter, and 13 centimeter amateur frequencies. The satellites lost
included Argus, EDSN, HawaiiSat-1, ORS-Squared, PrintSat, STACEM, STU-1,
and Supernova-Beta. PrintSat carried a 3D printed structure and was
designed to measure the performance of the material over the course of
its 3 year mission.
Spaceflightnow.com said the experimental launcher apparently lost
control and broke up downrange from the launch site. The November 4
maiden flight took place following several delays. The test flight was
one of two planned demonstrations of the launcher.
Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Hopes to Motivate Youth in India
via Amateur Radio
The IEEE's Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S
<http://www.mtt.org/>) will take advantage of its flagship conference,
being held this year in India, to demonstrate Amateur Radio and its role
in disaster communication, and to motivate students there to pursue
careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM)
fields. The IEEE-sponsored International Microwave and RF Conference
(IMaRC <http://imarc-ieee.org/>) in Hyderabad, India, will focus on RF
and offer considerable exposure to Amateur Radio. Hams at IMaRC also
will mount a special event station leading up to and continuing through
the conference. MTT-S member Jim Rautio, AJ3K, says the IEEE in general
and the MTT Society in particular have taken an active role in the
Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT
<http://www.ieee.org/special_interest_group_on_humanitarian_technology.html>),
with an emphasis on Amateur Radio as a motivating tool. SIGHT aims to
motivate high school students, young engineers, and professionals to
apply low-cost, innovative microwave technology to address disaster
readiness and humanitarian need.
"Back when I was in college, getting a job was the big motivator,"
Rautio -- a software entrepreneur (Sonnet Software) -- told ARRL. "That
is still important, but from what I have seen, other things, especially
like doing good for humanity, are now as big or even bigger motivators.
And the side-effect is that a strong STEM base is absolutely needed for
any society to develop a strong economy and a strong middle class."
Given the opportunity the December 10-12 conference provides, the MTT-S
has decided to concentrate on India for much of its efforts, Rautio
said. "Most of the conference is intended for RF and microwave
professionals," he said, "but a portion of the conference is dedicated
to SIGHT."
*Jim Rautio, AJ3K, serves on the MTT-S Administrative Committee and
chairs its Image and Visibility Committee.*
SIGHT will sponsor a 2 hour Amateur Radio conference session, attended
by area university students, to promote interest in ham radio in general
and in disaster communication in particular. Chairing the session will
be G.L. Rao, VU2GL, of the Engineering Staff College of India. Rautio
said he will work in collaboration with some US colleagues to help "get
the ball rolling."
"The National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR <http://www.niar.org/>)
and Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, have taken the lead, and things are
proceeding well." Prasad was the leader of the 2004 Andamans Island
DXpedition that quickly turned into a disaster response after a
disastrous Indian Ocean tsunami.
Special event station AU2MTT will be operating for 2 weeks in
conjunction with the conference. "The special event is intended to draw
attention to ham radio, STEM, and MTT, both from conference participants
and any and all active hams in India," Rautio said. Students also can
take part in various competitions during the conference.
MTT-S is a technical society comprised of more than 11,000 members
worldwide. Its core purpose is to foster the advancement and application
of RF and microwave theory and techniques.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-11-05&p=1>
January VP8 DXpedition to Incorporate "Youth and Community Participation"
When a team from The Intrepid DX Group <http://www.intrepid-dx.com/vp8>
embarks on its South Sandwich/South Georgia VP8SGI/VP8STI DXpedition in
January, it will incorporate a youth and community participation aspect
into the adventure, as it has done since the 1990s. During the South
Sandwich/South Georgia Island DXpedition, the team's honorary school
will be one it's worked with since 2011 -- Dorothy Grant Elementary
School in Fontana, California. VP8SGI/VP8STI team co-leader Paul Ewing,
N6PSE, said the 4th grade class of Bev Matheson, WA6BK, has prepared a
school flag that will travel to the islands and back to the US.
"In addition, the students have prepared a small weather-tracking
experiment for the DXpedition to participate," Ewing said. "We hope to
continue to ignite the interest of these students in Amateur Radio."
Matheson, an elementary school teacher since 1997, was licensed in 2011,
inspired by her participation in the W3AO Field Day outing in Maryland
earlier that year. She has also attended an ARRL Teachers Institute
session. Dorothy Grant Elementary has an Amateur Radio club, K6DGE
<http://www.k6dge.com/>, with nearly 40 after-school participants, and
the students have been active working DX as well as domestic contests.
VP8 DXpedition co-leader David Collingham, K3LP, is the K6DGE club
license trustee and an alumnus of the school.
*Dorothy Grant Elementary School teacher Bev Matheson, WA6BK (center),
demonstrates Amateur Radio to some of her students in this 2013 photo.*
Ewing has said the team will depart the Falkland Islands on January 9,
arriving on South Georgia about 5 days later, where it will take part in
a safety and biodiversity briefing with government officials. The
DXpeditioners then will sail another 3 days to Southern Thule Island in
the South Sandwich Islands, arriving on January 17, weather and sea
conditions permitting.
The team will spend 10 days on South Sandwich, operating as VP8STI
before sailing to South Georgia Island to start operations as VP8SGI
about February 1.
"Our main priority is to make a great impact to the need for South
Sandwich contacts, and we will sacrifice our time at South Georgia to
ensure that we make that impact from South Sandwich," Ewing said.
South Sandwich Islands is No 3 on ClubLog's Most Wanted DXCC List
<http://www.clublog.org/mostwanted.php>; South Georgia is No 8. /--
Thanks to VP8 Team Co-Leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE/
SKYWARN Recognition Day is Saturday, December 5
The 17th annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD
<http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/>) on-the-air event is set for
Saturday, December 5, from 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC. Cosponsored by ARRL and
the National Weather Service, SKYWARN Recognition Day pays tribute to
Amateur Radio operators for the vital public service they perform.
Registration is now open for stations planning to participate from a
National Weather Service (NW) Forecast Office; a list
<http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/participating_offices.php> of NWS
participating offices is on the NWS SKYWARN Recognition Day web page.
During the 24 hour event, Amateur Radio operators set up at NWS offices
contact other hams across the country. This event is also aimed at
strengthening the bond between Amateur Radio operators and local NWS
offices.
SKYWARN Recognition Day is not a contest. During SKYWARN Recognition Day
amateur stations exchange contact information with as many National
Weather Service-based stations as possible on SSB, FM, CW, RTTY, and AM
on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meter bands plus 70 centimeters.
Repeater contacts are permitted.
Stations exchange call signs, signal reports, location, and a one or
two-word description of the weather (eg, sunny, partly cloudy, windy,
rainy). Procedures
<http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/opsprocedures.php> are detailed on
the NOAA SRD web page.
The volunteer SKYWARN program comprises nearly 290,000 trained severe
weather spotters -- many of them radio amateurs -- who identify severe
storms and provide NWS forecasters with reports of local weather
conditions during severe weather events.
To learn more <http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/>, visit the SKYWARN
Recognition Day website.
Putting Contesting to Work for Your Public Service Team
ARRL November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> is just
ahead, and the ARRL 10 Meter Contest <http://www.arrl.org/10-meter>
isn't far behind. All are ideal opportunities to gain or hone Amateur
Radio operating skills that can be put to use during an emergency
response or a public service event. In short, contesting isn't just for
contesters anymore, and you don't have to wait for Field Day to get --
or stay -- up to speed.
*Contesting at K3CR in 2014.*
"Operating skill is not something that can be tested on a license exam
or learned from a book," said ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver,
N0AX, an active contester as well as a member of his local ARES team.
"Emergency managers know that practice -- lots of it -- is required for
operators to be sharp when they are really needed." Silver pointed to an
article <http://www.socalcontestclub.org/tips.php> on the topic by ARRL
Southwestern Division Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI, that appeared
recently on the Southern California Contest Club (SCCC) website.
"[C]ontesting helps prepare us for demanding communication tasks, such
as might be encountered during a major disaster," Woll said in his
article. "You don't have to be in it to win it; just take part, and have
fun while you're learning to enhance your and your station's performance."
Silver says that repetitive emergency drills are fine but can get old.
Contesting offers an enjoyable way to give your equipment a good
shakedown and build on-the-air knowhow. "Just as sports keep you
physically fit, 'radiosport' -- or contesting -- can serve as a training
ground while having fun at the same time," he said. Silver points out
that a huge, multi-tower station isn't necessary to participate. Even a
low dipole will let you work lots of stations -- and in SS, all of the
stations are in the US.
Sweepstakes (SS) was conceived as a traffic-handling event that uses
traffic-handling terms. Participants share their "precedence" (operating
category) and "check" (the last two digits of the operator's birth year)
as part of the exchange.
Local events are another option. "You can start simple with any of a
number of regional FM simplex contests that encourage the use of mobile
and handheld FM radios for an afternoon or evening," Silver suggests.
"This is a great way to learn about squelch management, copying weak
signals, using phonetics, and the effectiveness of good locations and
antennas."
ARES and RACES groups can participate as teams, and a contest can be a
terrific opportunity to dust off that communications van or even to get
some practical experience in an emergency communications center (EOC).
"If you have enough interest, divide your group into two or three-person
teams that operate in shifts with an experienced operator to mentor,"
Silver said. "Better yet, put the teams at different stations and let
them go head-to-head in a short challenge. No one says you have to
operate the entire contest, either. Pick times that work -- maybe about
as long as your regular drills -- and get together afterward for a
little socializing over pizza."
*Ward Silver, N0AX, is an enthusiastic contester and an ARRL
contributing editor.*
Silver said a contesting Elmer can help those new to contesting with
scripts that guide the newbies through a QSO as well as some instruction
on how to take best advantage of your equipment. Start each team of
operators with a period of listening. "Once your team gets up to speed,"
Silver said, "emphasize the reasons why we have contests in the first
place: To reinforce accurate, effective operating practices. Place a
special emphasis on copying call signs and exchanges 100 percent correctly."
"The hours will fly by, and when it's over, you'll have some operators
eager to do it again," Silver said. "Regardless of how many contacts you
make, when interspersed with regular drills and exercises, contesting
offers a great change of pace while advancing everyone's abilities at
little or no cost."/-- Thanks to ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-11-05&p=2>
In Brief...
*ARRL Seeking Contest Branch Manager:* The ARRL is accepting
applications for the position of Contest Branch Manager at League
Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. This is a full-time position,
and salary is commensurate with experience. This individual is
responsible for all aspects of the ARRL's Contest program, including the
receipt and processing of contest entries, quality of results, awards
fulfillment, public outreach, program development, and volunteer
coordination and management. Among primary duties, the Contest Branch
Manager ensures the accurate reporting of ARRL contest results while
meeting web and print publishing deadlines. The Contest Branch Manager
will oversee a team of approximately 20 volunteer log adjudicators,
results authors, and data entry assistants, inside and outside of ARRL
Headquarters. An undergraduate degree is preferred. The successful
candidate will have at least 5 years as an active Amateur Radio
contester, and be highly proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
Full details are on the ARRL Employment Opportunities
<http://www.arrl.org/employment-opportunities> page. Submit an
application
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/About%20ARRL/Employment/ARRLEmployment_Application.pdf>,
resume, and cover letter via e-mail to Monique Levesque
<mailto:mlevesque at arrl.org> at ARRL Headquarters.
*It's "K" for Kernow Starting in 2016:* UK telecoms regulator
*Ofcom***has announced
<http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/amateur-radio/licensing-updates/RSL-K-cornish-amateur-radio/>
that starting in 2016, radio amateurs in Cornwall will be able to use
the Regional Secondary Locator (RSL) of K (for "Kernow," the Cornish
word for Cornwall) to identify their location. This is similar to the
use of "M" by stations in Scotland, "W" by stations in Wales, and "I" by
stations in Northern Ireland. The prefixes GK, MK, and 2K during 2016
will indicate a station operating from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Representatives of Radio Amateurs in Cornwall approached Ofcom to
request temporary use of the K locator following recognition of the
Cornish people under the /Framework Convention on National Minorities/.
Ofcom agreed to the request and will permit hams having a main station
address in Cornwall to incorporate the letter K into their call sign
prefix through 2016. It will be available for all classes of Amateur
Radio licensees, including stations participating in contests. Licensees
must apply for a Notice of Variation (NoV) to use the K locator via the
RSGB website starting in December. Variations will all expire on
December 31, 2016. The RSL may therefore not be used beyond these dates.
*FOC Presents Awards:* The First Class CW Operators Club (FOC
<http://www.g4foc.org/>) presented its Al Slater, G3FXB, Memorial Award
on October 31 to Bob Allphin, K4UEE, as "a superb practitioner of the
art of Morse Code and an enormously influential and proactive member of
world-renowned Amateur Radio organizations," and for "amazing feats
leading major DXpeditions to many of the rarest and most inhospitable
locations on the Earth." A second Al Slater, G3FXB, Award went to the CW
Academy, citing its 600 graduates to date. The FOC's "Unsung Hero Award"
this year went to Puck Motley, W4PM, for administering the Windle
Memorial Award for many years. He received an engraved Begali paddle.
*ARU Society VERON Expresses Concern over News of BPL Trials:* The Dutch
IARU member society VERON <https://www.veron.nl/> has expressed concern
<https://www.veron.nl/nieuws/zorgen-over-proef-met-internet-over-elektriciteitsnet/>
to telecommunications regulators over reports that energy network
operator Enexis is planning to start trials in Stadskanaal of powerline
communcations technology (PLT or BPL) for fast Internet access. "VERON
is concerned about these tests, because of their impact on radio
communications," the IARU member society said, adding that the power
grid "is not suitable" for such applications. "The PLC adapter, in
combination with house wiring acting as an antenna, is a persistent
jammer," VERON said. -- /Thanks to Southgate ARC/
/./
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity increased over last
week, with the average daily sunspot number rising from 77.6 to 90.3,
and average daily solar flux from 110.9 to 118.3. A high speed solar
wind caused aurora on November 3-4 and the high planetary A index of 32
and 33 on those days.
Predicted planetary A index is 18, 12, and 8 on November 5-7; 18 on
November 8-10; 8 on November 11-12; then 12, 20, 5, 8, and 12 on
November 13-17; 5 on November 18-21; 10, 5, 8, and 12 on November 22-25,
and 10 on November 26-27. Planetary A index then jumps to 50 and 40 on
November 30 and December 1, when the same region causing aurora the past
few days rotates back into view.
Predicted solar flux is 115 on November 5; 110 on November 6-9; 105 on
November 10; 100 on November 11-12; 105 and 110 on November 13-14; 115
on November 15-16; then 120, 115, and 110 on November 17-19, and 105 on
November 20-24. Flux values dip below 100 on November 27 through
December 8, reaching a low of 85 on November 30 through December 5.
Sunspot numbers for October 29 through November 4 were 101, 88, 73, 88,
94, 95, and 93, with a mean of 90.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 112.9, 112.1,
118.5, 124.3, 122, 124.2, and 113.8, with a mean of 118.3. Estimated
planetary A indices were 5, 9, 6, 11, 7, 32, and 33, with a mean of
14.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 6, 6, 9, 5, 23, and 31,
with a mean of 12.
In the Friday bulletin look for an updated forecast, reports from
readers, a look ahead to this weekend's ARRL November Sweepstakes CW,
plus a look at our moving averages of daily sunspot numbers.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
November 7 -- IPARC Contest (CW)
*
November 7-8 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
*
November 7-8 -- Ukrainian DX Contest (CW)
*
November 7-9 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)
*
November 7-9 -- NA Collegiate ARC Championship (CW)
*
November 8 -- IPARC Contest (SSB)
*
November 8 -- EANET Sprint (CW, SSB, digital)
*
November 8 -- DARC 10 Meter Digital Contest
* November 11 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (SSB)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
November 7 -- Fall TechFest <http://na0tc.org/>, Lakewood, Colorado
*
November 7-8 -- Georgia Section Convention
<http://www.stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia
*
November 14 -- HamJam Convention <http://hamjam.info/>, Alpharetta,
Georgia
*
November 14-15 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana
*
December 11-12 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-bay-hamfest-5>,
Plant City, Florida
*
January 9 -- TECHFEST <http://www.gars.org/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia
*
January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York
*
January 15-16, Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://swflhamfest.info/>, Fort Myers, Florida
*
January 15-16, North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas
*
January 17-23, Quartzfest <http://quartzfest.org/>, Quartzsite, Arizona
*
January 29-30, Mississippi State Convention
<http://hamfest.msham.org/>, Jackson, Mississippi
*
January 29-31, Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrlpr.org/>, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ARRL *-- *Your One-Stop Resource for *
*Amateur Radio News and Information*
.
.
.
* Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> ARRL membership
includes /QST/ <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur Radio's most
popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
* Listen to /ARRL Audio News/ <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday.
Subscribe to...
* /NCJ / <http://www.ncjweb.com/>/-- National Contest Journal/
<http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published bi-monthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and
QSO Parties.
* /QEX/ <http://www.arrl.org/qex>*//*/-- A Forum for Communications
Experimenters/ <http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bi-monthly,
features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and
other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications
professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
* Subscribe
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
to the /ARES E-Letter/ (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the /ARRL Contest Update/(bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Find ARRL on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>! Follow us on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/arrl>!
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-11-05&t=r&p=0>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-11-05&t=r&p=1>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-11-05&t=r&p=2>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-11-05&t=r&p=3>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-11-05&t=r&p=4>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members
may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data
Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.
Copyright © 2015 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>
More information about the SFDXA
mailing list