[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for October 1, 2015

Bill bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Oct 1 18:28:44 EDT 2015


Preview

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-10-01

The ARRL Letter

October 1, 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=2015-10-01&t=t>

  * Hurricane Watch Net Keeping Tabs on Joaquin <#toc01>
  * League Reiterates Call for FCC to Allocate 630 Meters, Okay Rules
    for 2200 Meters <#toc02>
  * Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 Hits 100 Proponents in the US House
    <#toc03>
  * Wyoming Club Supports League's Washington Advocacy Efforts <#toc04>
  * MARS Invites ARES/RACES Participation in Coronal Mass Ejection
    Disaster Exercise <#toc05>
  * ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program Accepting 2016-17 Applications
    <#toc06>
  * More Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites are Aloft <#toc07>
  * Former ARRL Washington Coordinator, Archivist Perry Williams, W1UED,
    SK <#toc08>
  * In Brief <#toc09>
  * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc10>
  * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc11>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
    <#toc12>

Hurricane Watch Net Keeping Tabs on Joaquin

It's been a quiet season so far for the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN 
<http://www.hwn.org>), but Hurricane Joaquin, now a Category 3 storm, 
has been keeping net members busy this week. Joaquin hit the Bahamas on 
September 30, with maximum sustained winds of 120 MPH. After initially 
activating on September 30 at 1500 UTC on 14.325 MHz, the net took a 
break on October 1 at 0445 UTC, as conditions deteriorated on its 
nighttime frequency of 7.268 MHz. The HWN resumed operation a few hours 
later on 20 meters at Alert Level 5 -- Catastrophic Response Mode. 
WX4NHC <http://w4ehw.fiu.edu/> at the National Hurricane Center (NHC 
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>) also activated on October 1.

"This storm has gotten huge and very ugly," HWN Manager Bobby Graves, 
KB5HAV, told ARRL on October 1. Residents along the US East Coast should 
closely monitor the progress of Joaquin."

The NHC said Joaquin would batter the Central Bahamas with 
hurricane-force winds and heavy rain and storm surges into the evening 
of October 1. The storm was expected to generate rainfall totals of 10 
to 15 inches over the central Bahamas. The NHC has predicted that 
Joaquin would turn toward the west-northwest late on October 1, followed 
by a turn to the north and an increase in forward speed on October 2.

The 5-day projection for Hurricane Joaquin would place the storm off the 
coast of North Carolina as early as October 4 and headed toward Southern 
New England. States of emergency already are in effect in Virginia and 
New Jersey, but it's still unclear whether the storm will make landfall 
or remain offshore. Some ARES units are already preparing for possible 
activation.

During HWN activations, the net control station requests 
measured/observed "ground-truth" data from stations in the affected 
area. The HWN is available to provide backup communication to official 
agencies, such as emergency operations centers and Red Cross officials 
in the affected area. The net also will gather and report to FEMA 
officials in the NHC any information on significant damage. Stations 
should not check into the net unless specifically requested to do so.
<http://hwn.org/data/nhcat1.html>

*The 5-day projection for Hurricane Joaquin would place the storm off 
the coast of North Carolina as early as October 4 and headed toward 
Southern New England. Click to see additional graphics. [NOAA]*

The NHC said swells generated by Joaquin will affect portions of the 
Bahamas over the next few days and will start affecting portions of 
Florida's eastern coast and the US southeast coast by October 2. "These 
swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current 
conditions," the NHC predicted.

"We're monitoring the situation and the forecasts regularly. Like most, 
we're waiting to see which way the storm will go," ARRL Emergency 
Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, told the ARRL Field Organization 
leadership in areas that could be affected by Joaquin. "ARRL 
Headquarters will be in touch with our National Voluntary Organizations 
Active in Disaster (VOAD <http://www.nvoad.org/>), FEMA, and NHC as 
things develop."

Visit the HWN <http://www.hwn.org> website for the latest information on 
this storm and HWN activation plans.

League Reiterates Call for FCC to Allocate 630 Meters, Okay Rules for 
2200 Meters

The ARRL has again urged the FCC to go forward with a proposed new 
Amateur Radio allocation at 472-479 kHz (630 meters) and to establish 
service rules for Amateur Radio operation at 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200 
meters). The League reiterated its August 31 arguments 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/Docket%2015-99%20Comments%20of%20ARRL.pdf> 
in favor of flexible FCC Part 97 regulations in its September 30 reply 
comments <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001300718> to the 
FCC's April /Report and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking/ 
(/R&O/NPRM/ <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001030137>) in 
ET Docket 15-99. That /R&O/NPRM/ raised several questions regarding how 
Amateur Radio might coexist with PLC systems used to control the power 
grid. Targeting comments filed by the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC), 
the ARRL called on the Commission to ignore UTC's call not to allocate 
630 meters to Amateur Radio. It asked the FCC to implement a 
notification procedure for amateur stations within 1 kilometer (0.62 
miles) of a transmission line carrying PLC and where the PLC system is 
operating on frequencies within or which overlap the 2200 or 630 meter 
bands.

"The comments of UTC, without the benefit of any technical component or 
argument, oppose the allocation of the 630 meter band to the Amateur 
Service, and suggest overly and unnecessarily conservative regulation of 
amateur operation in the 2200 meter band," the ARRL told the FCC. 
"Whatever protection criteria are ultimately deemed to be necessary with 
respect to the 2200 meter band, those criteria would be applicable and 
sufficient as well with respect to the 630 meter band," the ARRL said. 
"There is no technical justification offered by UTC for withholding the 
630 meter allocation."

The ARRL also urged the FCC to reject what it called "UTC's inchoate 
proposal" to elevate the unlicensed status of PLCs operating between 9 
and 490 kHz, purportedly to protect them from interference "caused by 
amateur operations," while not making any accommodations to address PLC 
interference to Amateur Radio operations. "UTC cannot have it both ways: 
It cannot enjoy the benefits of unlicensed operation under Part 15 of 
the Commission's rules as a carrier-current, unintentional emitter and 
at the same time claim the protection afforded an allocated, licensed 
radio service," the ARRL argued.

While the UTC has offered to work with the FCC, the ARRL characterized 
the UTC's comments as "distinctly unhelpful" in terms of providing 
information regarding the prevalence and location of PLCs that need 
protection, the interference potential from Amateur Radio operation and 
notification requirements, and just how much protection the PLCs 
actually need. "They are not responsive at all to the plethora of 
questions asked by the Commission in the /Notice/," the ARRL continued, 
"and those points that UTC makes are unsubstantiated."

The League said it's willing to work with utilities in setting up a 
notification procedure to address the unlikely possibility that Amateur 
Radio operations in the two bands might interfere with critical PLC systems.

"In order to implement this, UTC should be called upon to provide to 
ARRL or to the general public, a list of transmission lines carrying PLC 
which make use of either of the two subject bands, thus to facilitate 
notification," the ARRL reply comments said.

The League concluded by calling on the FCC to allocate 630 meters to 
Amateur Radio, as proposed in the /Notice/, reject UTC's proposal to 
elevate the status of PLCs, and implement a notification procedure for 
amateur stations within 1 kilometer of a transmission line carrying PLC 
in or near the two bands, and to make the LF and MF allocation changes 
in Part 2 and the Part 97 service rule changes, "as proposed by ARRL and 
not otherwise."

Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 Hits 100 Proponents in the US House

The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> -- H.R. 1301 and S. 1685 
-- now has the support of 100 members of the US House of 
Representatives. Two additional cosponsors signed onto H.R. 1301 on 
September 24, raising the number of cosponsors to 99. Those members plus 
the House bill's sponsor, US Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), total 100 
proponents, and the number is expected to continue growing.

One of the newcomers agreeing to cosponsor H.R. 1301 was the congressman 
who represents the Connecticut House district that includes ARRL 
Headquarters -- Rep John Larson (D-CT). The other new cosponsor was Rep 
Kristi L. Noem (R-SD)

The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 would direct the FCC to extend its 
rules relating to reasonable accommodation of Amateur Service 
communications to private land-use restrictions. Kinzinger introduced 
H.R. 1301 in March, with 12 original cosponsors from both sides of the 
aisle. Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced S. 1685 in June, with Sen 
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) as the original cosponsor.

Recently the League took steps to address objections and concerns raised 
by representatives of community associations about the legislation. 
"Clarity on Amateur Radio Parity 
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Clarity%20on%20Parity.pdf>" 
makes it clear that the bill would /not/ create new federal policy with 
respect to outdoor amateur antennas. As it points out, the FCC already 
recognizes a strong federal interest in effective Amateur Radio 
communication from residences and has adopted a limited preemption of 
state and local regulation of Amateur Radio antennas. The Amateur Radio 
Parity Act of 2015 would extend the limited preemption to private 
land-use restrictions.

H.R. 1301 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 
Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panel's Communications and 
Technology Subcommittee, which will consider the measure. S. 1685**has 
been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
Committee's subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and 
the Internet, chaired by Sen Wicker, the bill's sponsor.

The ARRL continues to encourage members to write their US House and 
Senate members urging their cosponsorship of the legislation. Visit 
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> the Amateur Radio Parity 
Act of 2015 page for information on how you can get involved.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-10-01&p=0>
Wyoming Club Supports League's Washington Advocacy Efforts

ARRL Wyoming Section Manager Jack Mitchell, N7MJ, on September 18 at 
ARRL Headquarters presented ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,

*ARRL Wyoming Section Manager Jack Mitchell, N7MJ (left), and ARRL CEO 
David Sumner, K1ZZ. [Sean Kutzko, KX9X, photo]*

with a check for $1000 on behalf of the Shy-Wy Amateur Radio Club of 
Cheyenne, Wyoming. The club's designated its donation to support the 
League's efforts in Washington on the Amateur Radio Parity Act 
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> of 2015.

"The ARRL is very appreciative to the members of the Shy-Wy Amateur 
Radio Club for their generous contribution to the Legislative Issues 
Advocacy Fund <http://www.arrl.org/legislative-issues-advocacy-fund>," 
said ARRL Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD. "This fund supports 
the efforts of ARRL key volunteers and staffers in Washington, DC, on 
behalf of the Amateur Radio Parity Act, and every donation to help this 
important work brings us that much closer to our goal."

Sumner gave Mitchell an ARRL Certificate of Appreciation for the Shy-Wy ARC.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARS Invites ARES/RACES Participation in Coronal Mass Ejection Disaster 
Exercise

A disastrous coronal mass ejection (CME) will be the focus of a national 
Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) communication exercise in early 
November, and MARS is hoping to collaborate with Amateur Radio Emergency 
Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) groups. 
The MARS exercise will get under way on November 8 and continue into 
November 10. It will be a quarterly contingency HF exercise in support 
of the US Department of Defense.

"The exercise scenario will simulate a CME event and focus on actions 
that radio operators should take prior to and following a CME event," 
explained Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY. "One thing we 
want to continue to work on is the interface with the greater Amateur 
Radio community."

CMEs are huge explosions of gas, plasma, and electromagnetic radiation 
from the Sun, which are responsible for geomagnetic storms. Solar flares 
can accompany CMEs, but they are not the same thing. A CME can take 
anywhere from 1 day to 3 days to reach Earth. CMEs occur all the time, 
but most bypass Earth with minor effects. A major CME that hits Earth 
directly could damage or destroy satellites as well as terrestrial 
communication and electrical power infrastructure.

English said the November exercise would simulate a radio blackout as 
well as infrastructure damage. "During the exercise, we will simulate 
the blackout with a 3 hour pause, and then we will bring stations back 
on air and begin handling requests for information," he told ARRL.

Training objectives for this exercise will include understanding what a 
CME is and how much forecast lead time can be expected; the effects 
associated with a CME, and what precautions radio operators take to 
protect their equipment prior to a severe CME.

After the simulated CME, operators will assess its effects and begin 
reporting that information. This will involve "interoperation with 
Amateur Radio operators and groups to assist in assessment."

Individual radio amateurs as well as ARES and RACES teams are encouraged 
to participate in this exercise. Contact 
<mailto:mars.exercises at gmail.com> MARS and provide your contact 
information, if your organization is interested.

ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program Accepting 2016-17 Applications

The ARRL Foundation <http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation> is 
accepting academic year 2016-17 applications from eligible young radio 
amateurs planning to pursue higher education. All applicants must be 
active FCC licensees and submit an online application. More than 80 
scholarships ranging from $500 to $5000 will be awarded in 2016. In 
addition, one applicant will be selected to receive the prestigious 
William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship 
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions>, awarded to a high school 
senior pursuing a degree in business, computers, medical, nursing, 
engineering, or science. Students submitting 2016 applications should 
read the ARRL Scholarship descriptions 
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions> carefully and apply only 
for those scholarships for which they are eligible. Some scholarships 
have geographic criteria or other requirements 
<http://www.arrl.org/summary-of-scholarship-requirements>/./

All applicants must submit <mailto:foundation at arrl.org> a completed 
online application. Applicants must also forward a copy of their 
academic transcripts from their most recently completed school year. 
/Applications without accompanying transcripts will not be 
considered.//Cell phone photos of transcript(s) will not be accepted. 
All transcripts must be scanned into a PDF and //sent/ 
<mailto:foundation at arrl.org>/via e-mail./

Applicants for the William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship must also 
submit <mailto:foundation at arrl.org> a PDF of their FAFSA form by 
February 18, 2016, as well as a copy of their academic transcript from 
their most recently completed school year.

Applicants will receive a confirmation message when their applications 
have been successfully processed.

The 2016 application window opened on October 1. Applications for the 
2016 scholarship process must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard 
Time on January 31, 2016. Transcripts must be received by Thursday, 
February 18, 2016. Award recipients are typically notified by mid-May by 
USPS mail and e-mail. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-scholarship-program-accepting-2016-17-academic-year-applications>.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-10-01&p=1>
More Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites are Aloft

On the heels of the September 19 launch 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/china-successfully-launches-nine-amateur-radio-satellites> 
of nine satellites carrying Amateur Radio payloads comes word that three 
more satellites were launched on September 25 from the Jiuquan Satellite 
Launch Center in Inner Mongolia's Gobi Desert. The CubeSats, identified 
as Tianwang-1A (TW-1A; SECM-1), Tianwang-1B (TW-1B; NJUST-2), and 
Tianwang-1C (TW-1C; NJFA-1), were developed by students at the Nanjing 
University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in collaboration with the 
Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites. TW-1A and TW-1B are 2 U 
CubeSats, while TW-1C is a 3U CubeSat.

The mission's main goal is to experiment with software defined radio 
technology in space. The Amateur Radio payloads, which do not include 
any transponders, will serve to exchange telemetry, tracking, and 
command information with the ground control station. Telemetry data will 
be made public, so that radio amateurs around the world may track and 
monitor the health of the satellites.

Other payloads include a video camera, along with receivers for 
dual-band GPS/BeiDou, Maritime Automatic Identification System, and 
Aeronautical Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast. Using 
MEMS-based cold-gas micropropulsion, it is planned to demonstrate 
formation flying by two of the CubeSats along with inter-satellite 
communication using GAMALINK 2.4 GHz spread spectrum technology from 
Portugal.

According to Michael Chen, BD5RV, of CAMSAT, the satellites have 
downlinks in the 435-438 MHz Amateur-Satellite Service allocation. TW-1A 
transmits on 435.645 MHz (GMSK 4800/9600 baud, 10 second transmit 
interval); TW-1B on 437.645 MHz (GMSK 4800/9600 baud, 20 second transmit 
interval), and TW-1C on 435.645 MHz (GMSK 4800/9600 baud, 10 second 
transmit interval). Note that TW-1A and 1C use the same frequency. The 
satellites also may have downlink frequencies in the VHF range. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/more-chinese-amateur-radio-satellites-are-aloft>. 
/-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, AMSAT-UK/

Former ARRL Washington Coordinator, Archivist Perry Williams, W1UED, SK

The League's former Washington Coordinator and veteran ARRL Headquarters 
staff member Perry Williams, W1UED, of Unionville, Connecticut, died on 
September 25. An ARRL Life Member, Williams, who would have turned 87 in 
October, spent 4 decades on staff before retiring in 1994. That same 
year, he was named as Dayton Hamvention's Amateur of the Year. In 2002 
he returned to ARRL Headquarters in a part-time position as the League 
archivist.

*Perry Williams, W1UED, in his ARRL office.*

"If Perry didn't know something about ARRL history, it wasn't worth 
knowing," commented ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "I worked for Perry 
when I joined the full-time ARRL staff in 1972 and couldn't have asked 
for a better mentor."

A radio amateur since 1951, Williams came to ARRL Headquarters in April 
1954 as an assistant secretary, which, as Sumner explained, meant that 
Williams "was expected to be able to answer just about any question 
about Amateur Radio regulations, both nationally and internationally, 
and to do whatever the Secretary and General Manager needed done."

After rising to senior assistant secretary, in 1977 he was named manager 
of the Membership Services Department. Three years later, he became the 
ARRL's Washington Area Coordinator, spending a couple of days a week in 
DC as the face and voice of Amateur Radio on Capitol Hill and at the FCC 
and working with ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD (then N3AKD), 
and Washington-area volunteers. Over the years, Williams contributed an 
extensive list of columns and articles to /QST/. After returning to 
Headquarters part-time in 2002, Williams continued as archivist until 
February 2011.

"It was my great privilege to work with Perry Williams, W1UED ('usually 
eats dinner' were his self-chosen phonetics for that call sign), on ARRL 
advocacy issues. Perry was extremely proud to wave ARRL's banner in the 
halls of Congress at the FCC and in a good number of other Federal 
agencies where Amateur Radio had business." Imlay said. One of 
Williams's greatest accomplishments included talking Congress out of 
charging amateurs a license application fee; instead he argued 
convincingly in favor of creating a vanity call sign program. "Perry 
thought -- accurately -- that amateurs would be willing to pay for 
services that they got from FCC, but that they would be very unhappy to 
pay application fees that didn't translate into something that benefited 
them," Imlay said. "Congress bought Perry's argument, and so we now have 
vanity call signs and no application fees."

Imlay said Williams also crafted a plan for the Amateur Service not only 
to retain large segments of microwave spectrum that a bill in Congress 
would have surrendered for commercial interests, but to create a primary 
allocation around 2.4 GHz.

Prior to joining the ARRL staff, Williams served as a radio operator 
with the US Air Force Strategic Air Command for 6 years, before and 
during the Korean Conflict. In his younger years, he was active as a Boy 
Scout leader, once directed two church choirs, and enjoyed playing the 
accordion.

A memorial service will be announced. Survivors include his wife, 
Martha, and four children.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Brief

*AMSAT's Fox-1A to Launch from California on October 8:* The 
much-awaited Fox-1A CubeSat is set to launch from Vandenberg Air Force 
Base in California on October 8. It will ride aloft on an Atlas V rocket 
as part of the National Reconnaissance Office Launch 55 (NROL-55), which 
will carry an auxiliary payload called Government Rideshare Advanced 
Concepts Experiment (GRACE). Sponsored by the NRO, GRACE will carry 13 
CubeSats into space -- nine sponsored by the NRO and four -- including 
Fox-1A -- by NASA. GRACE is the fourth NRO-sponsored CubeSat mission./-- 
Thanks to AMSAT News Service/

*LAPAN-A2 FM and APRS Satellite Launched:* It's getting even busier in 
space. Indonesia's IARU Amateur Radio society ORARI reports that 
the**LAPAN-A2/ORARI satellite was launched on September 28, from India. 
LAPAN-A2 is in a 650 km orbit and takes about 110 minutes to orbit 
Earth. The low-inclination equatorial orbit of 6° to 8° means it will be 
receivable only from about 30° N to 30° S, limiting the satellite's 
accessibility to users outside of that footprint. LAPAN-A2 has been 
heard. It now is undergoing activation and systems testing, and it is 
expected to be 1 month before the Amateur Radio FM transponder will be 
generally available. The primary aims of the mission are Earth 
observation using an RGB camera and maritime traffic monitoring using 
AIS -- both using frequencies outside the Amateur Satellite Service. The 
telemetry beacon is on 437.425 MHz; the FM voice uplink is 435.880 MHz; 
the FM voice downlink is 145.880 MHz. The transponder runs 5 W. The APRS 
digipeater is on 145.825. Reports <mailto:yd1eee at gmail.com> are welcome.

*Radio Amateurs Track Signal Interfering on Public Safety Frequency:* 
Radio amateurs in New Hampshire recently were able to help track down 
the source of a constant mystery signal on 155.340 MHz -- the "Med 1" 
frequency for local hospitals. "The offending transmitter was easily 
received in Dover on a handheld, and was interfering with 
ambulance-hospital communications," New Hampshire Technical Coordinator 
Dee Hebert, AB1ST, told New Hampshire Section Manager Pete Stohrer, 
K1PJS. "George [Whitehead, W1BOF] and I began looking for the 
transmitter in Dover, and, after a few hours, we had traced it down to 
Exeter Hospital. George knows the emergency preparedness coordinator at 
that hospital and contacted him." Communications technicians at the 
hospital, responding to a report that users were unable to transmit or 
receive on any frequency, were unaware of the constantly keyed 
transmitter. They started shutting down systems there until the 
offending signal disappeared. "We suspect that all of the problems at 
Exeter Hospital were due to that single transmitter," Hebert said. "It 
was good to see Amateur Radio and our fox hunt skills put to practical 
use in the community." /-- Thanks to Dee Hebert, AB1ST/

*CQ World Wide DX Contest Committee Conducting Survey:* The CQ World 
Wide DX Contest Committee is conducting a survey 
<http://www.sogosurvey.com/survey.aspx?k=SsTXXSSsSsPsPsP> to gather 
feedback about the contest from participants. An invitation with a link 
to the survey has been sent via e-mail to everyone who submitted a log 
in the 2014 SSB and CW CQ WW events. "The responses will help us improve 
the contest and make important decisions about the rules," the CQ WW 
Contest Committee said. Anyone who has participated in the CQ WW DX 
Contest in the past 3 years is invited to take the survey, which is 
available in five languages and should take about 10 minutes to 
complete. Participants should only take the survey once. The deadline to 
submit surveys is October 10.

Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-10-01&p=2>
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity spiked again this week, 
with average daily sunspot numbers rising from 73 to 120.9. Average 
daily solar flux tracked upward too -- from 106.7 to 122.7.

Predicted solar flux is 130 on October 1-2; 120 and 110 on October 3-4; 
100 on October 5-8; 115 on October 9-10; 110 on October 11-12; then 115, 
120, and 125 on October 13-15; 130 on October 16-18; 125 on October 19; 
120 on October 20-24, then 130, 125, 120, and 115 on October 25-28; 110 
on October 29 through November 1, and 115 on November 2-6.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 20 and 22 on October 1-3; 28, 16, and 
12 on October 4-6; 8 on October 7-8; 10 on October 9; 8 on October 
10-14; then 12, 10, and 12 on October 15-17; 8 on October 18-24; 7 on 
October 25-27; 15, 10, 7, and 15 on October 28-31, and 12, 8, and 12 on 
November 1-3.

Monthly averages of sunspot numbers for May through September were 83, 
77.4, 68.5, 61.7, and 72.5. The 3 month moving averages of daily sunspot 
numbers centered on January through August were 98.2, 78.1, 68.2, 72.4, 
77.7, 76.3, 69.1, and 67.5. A 3 month moving average centered on August 
has a sum of all sunspot numbers from July 1 through September 30, and 
divides by 92, the number of days. A 3 month moving average centered on 
July incorporates all data from June 1 through August 31.

Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport

  *

    October 1 -- SARL 80 Meter QSO Party (SSB)

  *

    October 1 -- NRAU 10 Meter Activity Contest (CW, SSB, Digital)

  *

    October 2 -- NCCC Weekly Sprint (CW)

  *

    October 2-4 -- YLRL YL Anniversary Contest (CW, SSB, Digital)

  *

    October 3 -- TARA PSK Rumble Contest

  *

    October 3 -- German Telegraphy Contest

  *

    October 3 -- FISTS Fall Slow Speed Sprint (CW)

  *

    October 3 -- 4 State 4×4 QRP Sprint (CW, SSB)

  *

    October 3-4 -- 15-Meter SSTV Dash Contest

  *

    October 3-4 -- Oceania DX Contest (SSB)

  *

    October 3-4 -- Russian WW Digital Contest

  *

    October 3-4 -- TRC DX Contest (CW, SSB)

  *

    October 3-4 -- California QSO Party (CW)

  *

    October 3-4 -- International HELL Contest

  *

    October 3-4 -- WAB HF Phone

  *

    October 4 -- UBA ON Contest (SSB)

  *

    October 4 -- RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest (CW, SSB)

  *

    October 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

  *

    October 7 --Weekly Phone Fray

  *

    October 7 -- 432 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone)

  *

    October 7-8 -- CWops Weekly Mini-CWT Test

  *

    October 9 -- NCCC RTTY Weekly Sprint

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for 
more information.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

  *

    October 2-4 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference
    <http://www.packratvhf.com/>, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

  *

    October 3 -- Delaware State Convention
    <http://www.radioelectronicsexpo.com/>, Georgetown, Delaware

  *

    October 9-10 -- Florida State Convention <http://www.pcars.org/>,
    Melbourne, Florida

  *

    October 9-11 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
    <https://www.tapr.org/dcc.html>, Arlington Heights, Illinois

  *

    October 10-11 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference
    <http://pnwvhfs.org/>, Issaquah, Washington

  *

    October 16-18 -- Microwave Update Convention
    <http://ham-radio.com/sbms/mud2015/mud_index.html>, San Diego,
    California

  *

    October 16-18 -- Pacific Division Convention (Pacificon)
    <http://pacificon.org/>, San Ramon, California

  *

    October 17 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wisconsin-ares-races-conference-1>,
    Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

  *

    October 18 -- Connecticut State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/connecticut-state-convention-nutmeg-hamfest-3>,
    Meriden, Connecticut

  *

    October 23-24 -- Arizona State Convention
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-2>, Kingman,
    Arizona

  *

    October 23-24 -- Oklahoma State Convention
    <http://www.texomahamarama.org/>, Ardmore, Oklahoma

  *

    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

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=2015-10-01&t=r&p=0>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-10-01&t=r&p=1>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-10-01&t=r&p=2>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-10-01&t=r&p=3>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2015-10-01&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