[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for September 17, 2015
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Sep 17 18:38:29 EDT 2015
Preview
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The ARRL Letter
September 17, 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=2015-09-17&t=t>
* ARES/RACES Volunteers Activate for California Wildfires <#toc01>
* Orlando HamCation to Host 2016 ARRL National Convention <#toc02>
* ARRL VEC Manager Elected as NCVEC Vice Chair <#toc03>
* Amateur Radio Special Event Stations to Mark Pope's US Visit <#toc04>
* Ham Radio Team Supports Road Race Using High-Speed Mesh Network <#toc05>
* ARRL New England Division Convention Fields Remote Site Special
Event W1A <#toc06>
* Three ISS Crew Members, Including Two Hams, Return Safely to Earth
<#toc07>
* IARU Monitoring System Reports Increased Russian Military Traffic on
Ham Bands <#toc08>
* Worcester Polytechnic Institute Wireless Association Welcomes New,
High-Profile Tower <#toc09>
* In Brief... <#toc10>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc11>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc12>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc13>
ARES/RACES Volunteers Activate for California Wildfires
Radio amateurs responded to the ongoing wildfire emergency in
California. Earlier this month, ARES volunteers in Amador County
supported communications at a Red Cross shelter at the Jackson Rancheria
Conference Center, which has been housing evacuees from the Butte
wildfire in Northern California. ARES/Auxiliary Communications Service
(ACS
<http://www.co.amador.ca.us/departments/office-of-emergency-services/response/auxiliary-communications-service-acs-volunteers>)
volunteers were called out late on September 9. Amador County ARES
Emergency Coordinator Daniel Edwards, KJ6WYW, had communications set up
at the shelter by midnight and began contacting other ARES members and
scheduling operators to work the shelter station 24 hours a day.
During the activation, members of Yolo County and Sacramento County ARES
spelled the Amador County operators at the shelter. "This gave the
Amador County members a break and for some time off to help their
neighbors evacuate their positions," Sacramento Valley Section District
3 EC Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, told ARRL.
Edwards said 20 operators took part in the activation, with two
operators per shift. The station at the shelter was active for 120 hours.
Bill Gustavson, K6BIL, who took part in the Amador County ARES response,
said that at one point, with cell phone, Internet, television, and
landline down, "my only source of information was ham radio. The radio
was the only outside link to the world." He also said he was amazed to
learn how many nonhams listen on scanners.
As some roads in the area reopened and evacuees were able to return
home, Amador County ARES was released from supporting Red Cross shelter
communication early on September 14. The Butte fire also extended into
Calaveras County, in the ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section.
"The heart of our county is burned," Calaveras Amateur Radio Society
President Ken Sanders, AE6LA, reported, with much of the area under
mandatory or advisory evacuation alerts. "We've had an informal net
going since the beginning on our 145.170 repeater," he said on September
14, adding that he expected that activity to continue "for several days."
*The perimeter of the Butte Fire on September 16, 2015.*
Raging southeast of Sacramento in the Stanislaus National Forest region,
the Butte Fire has consumed some 71,000 acres and was 49 percent
contained as of September 17. The fire has destroyed more than 250
homes, and damage assessment continues.
Meanwhile, the 70,000+ acre Valley Fire west of Sacramento has destroyed
nearly 600 homes as well as many other structures. ARRL Sacramento
Valley Section Manager Ron Murdock, W6KJ, said Amateur Radio operators
coordinated by Charlie Porter, N6JOA, at the University of
California-Davis have been collecting veterinary supplies for evacuated
domestic animals and livestock. "These will be transported to Petaluma
and other unspecified locations in Sonoma County by members of the Class
of 2017 Veterinary Sciences Department," he told ARRL.
Orlando HamCation to Host 2016 ARRL National Convention
Orlando HamCation <http://www.hamcation.com>^® will host the 2016 ARRL
National Convention in February. The convention will mark the 70th
anniversary of HamCation -- second only in the US to Dayton Hamvention^®
in terms of attendance. Orlando HamCation is sponsored by the Orlando
Amateur Radio Club, an ARRL-affiliated radio club, and is supported by
volunteers from radio clubs throughout the region. HamCation has
regularly served as the host for the ARRL Southeastern Division
Convention, and in 2014 -- the ARRL's centennial -- it was designated as
one of the six regional centennial events.
HamCation will take place February 12-14 at the Central Florida Fair and
Expo Park in Orlando. In 2015, the convention sponsored 28 forums
covering topics in Amateur Radio technology, public service, and
education. ARRL Volunteer Examiners will conduct morning and afternoon
license examination sessions on Saturday. Special event station K1AA
will be set up and operating from the fairgrounds, and licensed
attendees are invited to participate.
The focus of the League's national convention will be ARRL EXPO
<http://www.arrl.org/expo>, which will feature an array of ARRL exhibits
and programs. The League also will sponsor several presentations and forums.
On Saturday evening, the 2016 ARRL National Convention Banquet will take
place at the nearby Highland Manor in Apopka, Florida. Banquet tickets,
available <http://www.arrl.org/expo> from ARRL, are $60, including
transportation from the fairgrounds and some nearby hotels.
The HamCation website <http://www.hamcation.com> explains how to obtain
convention tickets and offers more information about forums, exhibits,
exam sessions, and local accommodations -- some offering special
convention rates. Convention tickets are $13 in advance or $15 at the
gate, offering admission for all 3 days.
The fairgrounds can accommodate recreational vehicles within walking
distance of the main exhibit buildings. A reservation form is available
on the HamCation website <http://www.hamcation.com>.
ARRL VEC Manager Elected as NCVEC Vice Chair
ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, has been
elected as the new vice chair of the National Conference of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC <http://www.ncvec.org>). This marks the
first time an ARRL VEC representative will serve in an NCVEC leadership
position. She succeeds Michael Maston, N6OPH, of the San Diego County
Amateur Radio Council (SANDARC <http://sandarc.org/>), who resigned as
vice chair and as a member of the Question Pool Committee (QPC). The
NCVEC called a special election teleconference on September 15 to pick a
new vice chair.
*ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, is the new NCVEC vice chair.*
"I am honored to have been elected to this position by the NCVEC
organization and excited to serve the 14 VECs and FCC in this capacity,"
said Somma, who also serves as NCVEC assistant custodian of the rules.
No one has been named yet to replace Maston on the QPC. Somma said the
QPC will not fill the position immediately, because it is in the middle
of the revision cycle for the Amateur Extra class question pool.
Larry Pollock, NB5X, of the W5YI VEC is the NCVEC chair, while Michael
Cimbala, WK3X, is secretary, and Willard Sitton, W4HZD, is its
treasurer. Officers serve 1 year terms, and Somma will serve for the
remainder of Maston's term. Officers are elected every July.
Assistant ARRL VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O, is a member of the
Question Pool Committee.
The NCVEC is a private, not-for-profit voluntary association, with
membership comprised of the various FCC-certified VECs. The NCVEC
functions to facilitate the communication between the FCC and each VEC.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-09-17&p=0>
Amateur Radio Special Event Stations to Mark Pope's US Visit
When Pope Francis visits the US in late September, Amateur Radio special
event stations will take to the air to mark the occasion. The Pope is
scheduled to visit the US from September 22 until September 27. Six
Papal Visit Amateur Radio
<http://www.silverfishdevelopment.com/papalEvent/> special event
stations will be active while he is here.
*Pope Francis.*
The Pope will arrive on September 22 at Joint Base Andrews
<http://www.andrews.af.mil/> and first will visit Washington, DC, then
meet with President Barack Obama, and address a joint session of the
Congress. On September 25, he will attend a UN General Assembly session
and take part in a service at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World
Trade Center. The following day, he will speak at Independence Hall in
Philadelphia, before concluding his visit with an outdoor mass in front
of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on September 27.
Call signs from the Washington, DC, area will be K3P and N4P; from New
York and New Jersey, K2P; from Southeastern Pennsylvania, W3FRC/WMF, and
from Philadelphia, W3P and WM3PEN. Four commemorative QSL cards and a
certificate to mark the historic event will be available.
Members of the Potomac Valley Radio Club <http://www.pvrc.org/>, the
Frankford Radio Club <http://www.gofrc.org/>, the Great South Bay
Amateur Radio Club <http://www.gsbarc.org/>, and the Holmesburg Amateur
Radio Club <http://www.harcnet.org/>, plus individual radio amateurs,
will help to coordinate activity.
A Facebook group <https://www.facebook.com/groups/1658655711087793/> has
been established for the event.
Ham Radio Team Supports Road Race Using High-Speed Mesh Network
Radio Amateurs in Utah have again made use of a broadband ham radio mesh
network to support a public event. Charles Gray, KE6QZU, headed a group
of ham radio volunteers that set up a high-speed broadband ham net mesh
(BBHN MESH) network in the rugged Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah to
provide communication along the final 30 miles of the of the September
11-12 Wasatch 100 Mile Mountain Endurance Race
<http://www.wasatch100.com/>. Other hams covered the first 70 miles of
the race using more conventional technology, including FM voice and packet.
*Brad Rupp, AC7BR (left), and Grant Gardner, KC7HOU, admire their
handiwork after setting up a node on rugged Clayton Peak.*
Using the BBHN MESH system, the hams helped race officials to keep track
of the racers and their progress along the extremely difficult course.
BBHN MESH uses ordinary Wi-Fi technology on Amateur Radio frequencies,
which meant the mesh network was able to cover a considerable amount of
real estate, even in the challenging mountainous environment. The race
course encompassed more than 53,000 feet of elevation change, and it's
not unusual for participants to drop out before reaching the finish line.
For the hams, the terrain added a challenge to setting up the network;
at some points they had to maneuver over huge boulders, some the size of
cars, on their way to the summit of Clayton Peak, on the north
*The Reverend Robert Jelf (KG7OHV) manning the Soldier Hollow Race
Finish Line Radio/Computer Station with his Service Dog Teal'c.*
side of the Brighton Ski Resort. The radio amateurs had to work in teams
to hoist their radio gear over the rocks to reach the top. The mesh
network included five sites, including two unattended relay points. The
group employed /TeamTalk/ software for race communication.
In addition to Gray, other participants included Brad Rupp, AC7BR;
Steven Baxter, K7SRB; Grant Gardner, KC7HOU; David Bauman, KF7MCF;
Robert Jelf, KG7OHV; Doug Thompson, W1DUG; Taylor Brinton, KE7BME, and
Rich Allen, N7HRA.
Last March, some of the same hams successfully used a broadband 2.4 GHz
Wi-Fi network to help coordinate the Boy Scouts of America's "Scouting
for Food" project. /-- Thanks to //David T. Bauman/
<mailto:kf7mcf at hotmail.com>/, KF7MCF/
ARRL New England Division Convention Fields Remote Site Special Event W1A
Special event station W1A at the ARRL New England Division Convention
August 21-23 in Boxboro, Massachusetts, was "special" in more than one
respect. For starters, it did not have any antennas at the convention
site. Instead, the convention hotel served as the control point for
"remote base" sites in Vermont, Massachusetts, Manitoba, and even
Poland. Dennis Egan, W1UE, and Gerry Hull, W1VE, remote enthusiasts who
oversaw the special event, said the fully remote base operation was a
first for the W1A special event. Egan, a member of the convention
organizing committee, convinced his colleagues to go with the remote
option.
*Gerry Hull, W1VE, operates CW at the New England Division Convention's
W1A special event station. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]*
"We managed slightly more than 1800 QSOs, despite rotten conditions,"
Hull said. "We were using mainly K2LE/1 in Vermont, and K1TTT in
Massachusetts -- both big contest stations." In the past, the New
England Division Convention W1A special event station has erected
temporary antennas outside the hotel.
Hull also reported one "special QSO." ARRL officials spoke with a camper
at the Courage Kenny Handiham System <http://handiham.org>'s Camp
Courage. Directed by Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, Handihams is an organization
for radio amateurs with disabilities. W1A enjoyed a successful contact
with W0EQO at the camp in Maple Lake, Minnesota. ARRL COO Harold Kramer,
WJ1B, extended greetings to the campers on behalf of the League and
those at the convention. Camp volunteer Matt Arthur, KA0PQW, operated
W0EQO. The Handiham Remote Base HF Stations
<https://handiham.org/remotebase/author/handiham/> offer the opportunity
for members to operate through a PC or Android device, if they live
where they can't have antennas.
The initial plan, Hull said, was to contact the camp via VE4EA, taking
advantage of daytime propagation between Minnesota and Manitoba. But
there was a terrestrial issue: "Cary's [VE4EA] remote uses DSL for
Internet, and RF kills the Internet connection on 160-40," Hull
explained. "So, instead we used K1TTT, with 4 element 40 meter Yagis at
180 and 60 feet and 1 kW. They were S-5 on the K1TTT end over the remote."
*Craig Clark, K1QX, pulls a phone shift at W1A. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME,
photo]*
Hull said W1A also logged some 50 contacts through VE4EA in suburban
Winnipeg. Plans to also use VY1JA's station in Yukon Territory to
operate as VY1/W1A fell through, because a solar flare had wiped out the
bands in the Arctic region. "There were only two signals on the band --
birdies in the receiver," Hull said.
W1A also was able to make a handful of contacts via 3Z9DX in Poland,
using RemoteHams <http://www.remotehams.com/>, on 40 meters with 100 W
and a 3 element Yagi.
Operators staffed two W1A operating positions, often with one on SSB,
the other on CW.
Primary operators were NB1N, WO1N, NF1A, AE5RF/BA4CW), K1BG, N2KW, KM3T,
AA4AK, W1QK, W1UE, K1QX, and W1VE.
Hull said a lot of younger operators got a chance at the mic. These
included KC1CWF, KC1CZQ, and KC1CWX.
"It was a lot of fun!" he concluded.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-09-17&p=1>
Three ISS Crew Members, Including Two Hams, Return Safely to Earth
Two radio amateurs -- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas
Mogensen, KG5GCZ, /Soyuz/ commander and Russian cosmonaut Gennady
Padalka, RN3DT -- plus Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov, arrived back on
Earth on September 12 from the International Space Station (ISS
<http://www.nasa.gov/station>). Mogensen, Aimbetov, and cosmonaut Sergey
Volkov, RU3DIS, had launched in a /Soyuz/ transporter to the ISS on
September 2 from Baikonur cosmodrome. Aimbetov -- who had replaced
"space tourist" and British singer Sarah Brightman on the /Soyuz/ flight
-- and Mogensen took part in the 10-day ESA mission to test new
technologies and conduct a series of scientific experiments. Mogensen is
Denmark's first astronaut, while Aimbetov is the first Kazakh cosmonaut.
*The Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft carrying returning ISS crew members lands
in the Kazakh steppe. [Courtesy of the ESA]*
The trio undocked from the orbiting complex on September 11 in the
/Soyuz/ spacecraft that had been attached to the ISS, leaving the vessel
they arrived in for the station crew. The new /Soyuz/ spacecraft will
return NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko,
RN3BF, at the end of their one-year mission
<http://www.nasa.gov/content/one-year-crew> next March, along with Volkov.
The return wrapped up 168 days in space for Padalka, who had been on the
ISS since March and has logged a record 879 days in space on five
flights -- more than 2 months longer than cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev,
U5MIR, the previous record holder.
The undocking of the returning /Soyuz/ marked the formal start of ISS
Expedition 45 under Kelly's command. In addition to Kelly, Kornienko,
and Volkov, those onboard the ISS include astronaut Kjell Lindgren,
KO5MOS; cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui,
KG5BPH.
Three more radio amateurs are scheduled to head to the ISS in December.
They are cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP; UK astronaut Timothy Peake,
KG5BVI, and Timothy Kopra, KE5UDN.
November 2 will mark the 15th anniversary of a permanent human presence
on the ISS./-- Thanks to NASA, European Space Agency/
IARU Monitoring System Reports Increased Russian Military Traffic on Ham
Bands
The September edition of the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS
<http://www.iarums-r1.org/>) newsletter has reported that Russian
Military traffic in the Amateur Radio 7 and 14 MHz bands increased
during August. At least some of these intruders were likely to be
audible in other parts of the world. Monitors in Europe reported a
Russian over-the-horizon (OTH) radar in Gorodezh on 14.108 MHz, causing
strong interference daily and often exhibiting splatter. In addition the
Russian Navy was reported active frequently on 14.192.0 MHz using FM CW.
Other monitoring stations in Germany reported numerous Chinese OTH
radars in other bands, including on 75 meters.
*Veteran IARUMS Region 1 intruder watcher Wolf Hadel, DK2OM.*
Region 1 IARUMS Coordinator and veteran monitor Wolf Hadel, DK2OM,
recently told <https://youtu.be/Hu5OdwBZwYE> the Rusk County Amateur
Radio Club <http://www.RuskCountyARC.com> in East Texas that some of the
worst offenders are OTH facilities in Russia and Iran. The signals can
result in broad swaths of noise in the 20 meter band, he said. During
his VoIP talk, Hadel pointed out that recruiting volunteer monitors with
the "right equipment" is difficult, and he encouraged club members to
join the hunt for ham band intruders.
According to Region 1 monitors, intruding signals said to be coming from
Spanish fishing vessels have now been reported on all amateur bands --
shared and exclusive. A beacon, reported to be in Kazakhstan, has been
transmitting "V" on 7027.5 kHz continuously. Apparent North Korean
diplomatic traffic from the DPRK embassy in Moscow has been heard
<r1.org/iarums/sound/10133dprk.wav> on 14.109.5 MHz.
Mario Taeubel, DG0JBJ, observed 31 OTH radars on 20 meters, 28 OTH
radars on 15 meters, and 11 OTH radars on 10 meters during August. In
addition, a Chinese OTH radar has often appeared on 80 meters in IARU
Region 3.
Monitors in Europe also have monitored transmissions between taxi
drivers and dispatchers on Amateur Radio frequencies, primarily on 10
meters.
The ARRL recently forwarded reports from IARU Region 2 and Hawaii to R2
Monitoring System Coordinator Jorge Del Valle, TG9ADV. These included
so-called drift net beacons on 10 meters (28.281 and 28.226 MHz), as
well as digital, radar, and phone intruders heard on 20 meters in Hawaii.
Authorized by the IARU Administrative Council, IARU Monitoring System
<http://www.iaru.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/13073366/iaru-resolution11-1.pdf>
volunteers work under the guidance of the IARU International Monitoring
System Coordinator and regional coordinators. The IARU Monitoring System
operations are coordinated under the Monitoring System Committee.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Wireless Association Welcomes New,
High-Profile Tower
The new fall semester at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in
Worcester, Massachusetts, heralded not only the resumption of classes
but a new antenna tower for the WPI Wireless Association (WPIWA
<http://users.wpi.edu/%7Ewpiwa/index.html>), the home of W1YK. The new
tower replaced an older one atop the four-story Salisbury Labs building
on the campus, where the club's other antennas are located. The club
station has long been housed in a small penthouse on the building. The
new tower sports a 2 element antenna to cover 40 and 10 meters.
*The new WPIWA tower supports a 40/10 meter Yagi.*
WPIWA President Andrew Mahn, NS1A -- a member of the Class of 2017 who
is studying management information systems -- credited many people for
helping make the project possible, including the club's current and
previous executive boards, the WPI Student Government Association, and
many WPI employees who worked with club over the past several months to
coordinate the new tower installation. He singled out club alumnus
Gregory Karp-Neufeld, W6GKN, as essential to the project from the very
beginning, and who contributed countless hours to it throughout the
summer from the West Coast.
The WPI Wireless Association traces its roots to the earliest days of
Amateur Radio. The group was first founded in October of 1909, by Oliver
B. Jacobs and a group of 40 others, inspired by a similar initiative at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
More photos <https://www.facebook.com/w1wpi> are on the club's Facebook
page.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2015-09-17&p=2>
In Brief...
*Ned Stearns, AA7A, Now Maintaining World Above 50 MHz Standings:* Ned
Stearns, AA7A, now is maintaining The World Above 50 MHz Standings
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/On%20the%20Air/WA50-Standings-17_Sep_15.pdf>
on the ARRL website. Stearns has chased DX on all bands, operated as
part of DXpeditions all over the world, and run moonbounce from home and
abroad. He is active on all bands from 160 meters through 23
centimeters. The World Above 50 MHz Standings page is a listing of
station operator-reported information detailing the number of grids,
states and DXCC entities worked on 50 MHz and above.**/This information
is reported by the station operator and does not reflect data confirmed
by the ARRL Awards Branch. //The ARRL /will verify the veracity of
exceptional claims. Numbers reported should reflect confirmed contacts.
Report information to standings at arrl.org.**Visit
<http://www.arrl.org/wa50-standings> The World Above 50 MHz Standings
webpage.
*AMSAT Announces 2015 Board of Directors Election Results:* AMSAT has
announced the results of its 2015 Board of Directors election. Barry
Baines, WD4ASW; Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Bob
McGwier, N4HY, will serve 2 year terms on the AMSAT-NA Board. The First
Alternate is Mark Hammond, N8MH, and the Second Alternate is Bruce
Paige, KK5DO. Both will serve 1 year terms. /-- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service/**
**
*Early Registration for ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Ends
September 19:* Early conference registration
<http://www.tapr.org/dcc#registration> closes on September 19 for those
planning to attend the 34th annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications
Conference (DCC <http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html>). The 2015 DCC will take
place October 9-11 near Chicago. The DCC provides an international forum
for radio amateurs to meet, publish their work, and present new ideas
and techniques. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to
exchange ideas and learn about recent hardware and software advances,
theories, experimental results, and practical applications.
*HF Parachute Mobile Jumps Set:* HF Parachute Mobile
<http://www.parachutemobile.com/> Mission 21 is set for Sunday,
September 20, over Byron, California. Operators will start jumping at
9:30 AM local, with subsequent jumps approximately every hour after
that, up to 3 or 4 jumps. Regular updates will be made on the W6CX Mount
Diablo repeater (147.060 MHz). Contacts will be made on 146.430 MHz FM
simplex and**on 28.425 MHz, in the Novice/Technician portion of the
band. Operation on 20 and 40 meters also is possible. Live streaming
video <http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mfwright> will be available.
Mission 22 will take place during Pacificon <http://www.pacificon.org/>,
October 16-18./-- Thanks to Mark Meltzer, AF6IM/
*Fox-1C and Fox-1D FM Transponder CubeSats to Share a Ride:* In response
to a breaking opportunity, AMSAT and Spaceflight, Inc have arranged for
two of the Fox series <http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1113> of CubeSats
-- Fox-1D and Fox-1C -- to share a ride into space. Fox-1D will
accompany Fox-1C on the maiden flight of the SHERPA system on a SpaceX
Falcon 9 vehicle. Fox-1D is identical to Fox-1C, but operates on
different frequencies and carries the University of Iowa HERCI
(High-Energy Radiation CubeSat Instrument) radiation-mapping experiment
as a hosted payload. Once in orbit, Fox-1D will provide additional
selectable U/V or L/V repeater capabilities and will be able to downlink
Earth images from the Virginia Tech camera experiment. Launch is
currently planned for the first quarter of 2016. AMSAT has said its
Fox-1A and Fox-1B CubeSats will go aloft as part of the NASA Educational
Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana/index.html>) program,
which offers free launches to educational entities and encourages
science missions. Fox-1A is scheduled to launch this fall. For more
information on the Fox satellites, see "Fox-1, the New Era of Amateur
Radio Satellites
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/July2015/JORDAN.pdf>,"
by Dave Jordan, AA4KN, in the July 2015 /QST/.
*VI0ANZAC Faced Poor Weather and Propagation*: Despite adverse Antarctic
winter weather, the VI0ANZAC special event made it on the air over the
August 29-30 weekend. Poor propagation hampered the operation, but 56
contacts made it into the log. The operation was part of the WIA
commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC (Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps) landing at Gallipoli, Turkey. An earlier plan to
activate VI0ANZAC had to be postponed because of a storm. Operator Doug
McVeigh, VK0DMV, sheltered in the antenna shack with a 50 W transceiver.
Because of the wind, he had to first obtain official permission before
venturing outdoors, and he ended up spending the night there, because
winds were at 80 knots. "Lots and lots of noise," McVeigh said, "but
there were some very clear signals from mainly Queensland (VK4), which
was a good break from the noise in the background." He expressed thanks
to all who contacted him and apologized for having to leave early on
Sunday to take advantage of a break in the weather. A special QSL card
will be available for this event. /-- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC /
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity is perking up this
week. Average daily solar flux rose from 85.3 last week to 97.3 for the
reporting week, September 10-16. Over the same 2 weeks, average daily
sunspot numbers rose from 37.3 to 66.9.
The latest forecast from USAF/NOAA shows solar flux at 110 on September
17-19; 105 on September 20-22; 100 on September 23; 90 on September
24-26; then 85, 80, and 85 on September 27-29; 90, 95, and 90 on
September 30-October 2; 85 on October 3-6; 90 and 95 on October 7-8; 100
on October 9-10; 105 on October 11-12; 100 and 95 on October 13-14, and
90 on October 15-23.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 17-19; 12 on September 20;
10 on September 21; 8 on September 22-23; then 15 and 10 on September
24-25; 5 on September 26-29; 8 and 18 on September 30-October 1; then
25, 20, and 12 on October 2-3; 25, 20, 18, and 12 on October 4-7; 18,
15, 10, 12, 20, and 12 on October 8-13, and 8 on October 14-15.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
September 17 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
*
September 18 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder
*
September 18 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, SSB, Digital)
*
September 19 -- QRP Afield (CW)
*
September 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint
*
*September 19-20 -- **ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest*
<http://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up>*(all modes)*
*
September 19-20 -- SARL VHF/UHF Analog/Digital Contest
*
September 19-20 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest CW
*
September 19-20 -- South Carolina QSO Party (CW, SSB, Digital)
*
September 19-20 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, SSB, Digital)
*
September 20 -- North American Sprint (RTTY)
*
September 20 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (Digital)
*
September 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
*
September 21 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, Phone, Digital)
*
September 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
*
September 23 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
*
September 23 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW)
*
September 24 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (CW)
*
September 25 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint Ladder
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
September 19 -- San Joaquin Valley Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/san-joaquin-valley-section-convention-rally-in-the-valley>,
Fresno, California
*
September 25-26 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention <http://www.W4DXCC.com>,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
*
September 26 -- Iowa State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-state-convention-1>, Sergeant
Bluff, Iowa
*
September 26 -- North Dakota State Convention <http://www.rrra.org>,
West Fargo, North Dakota
*
September 26 -- Washington State Convention <http://kbara.org>,
Spokane Valley, Washington
*
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>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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