[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for April 21, 2016
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Apr 21 17:46:22 EDT 2016
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-04-21
The ARRL Letter
April 21, 2016
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=2016-04-21&t=t>
* New ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Pledges World-Class Service,
Openness, Inclusiveness <#toc01>
* /EchoLink/ VoIP Service Proving Valuable in Handling Ecuador
Earthquake Traffic <#toc02>
* You Have an Appointment with the Doctor! <#toc03>
* National Parks on the Air Update <#toc04>
* Amateur Radio Praised Following Participation in Washington
Interoperability Exercise <#toc05>
* US ARDF Champions Now Looking Toward September World Championships
in Bulgaria <#toc06>
* On-the-Air Activity to Highlight International Marconi Day on April
23 <#toc07>
* The "Other" Heard Island DXpedition -- VK0LD <#toc08>
* In Brief... <#toc09>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc10>
* This Week in Radiosport <#toc11>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc12>
New ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, Pledges World-Class Service,
Openness, Inclusiveness
The ARRL's new Chief Executive Officer Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, got down to
work on his first day in office on April 18 by promising to make the
League's foundational business processes "rock solid" and bring them up
to state of the art, which members have a right to expect. Gallagher,
who arrived at Headquarters on February 29 as CEO-Elect, has now assumed
the top leadership post long held by David Sumner, K1ZZ, who officially
retired on April 18. In late January, all 15 ARRL Directors voted to
elect Gallagher as CEO and Secretary, and Gallagher said he plans to
build upon Sumner's legacy. During weeks of walking the halls and
speaking with what he described as "the 95 outstanding employees we have
here at Headquarters," Gallagher said he's seen a lot that's positive
but acknowledged that some issues need attention.
*ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF.*
"My colleagues require the tools to do their jobs efficiently and
effectively," he said. "When they don't have them it makes it harder for
them to serve our members. We want to keep traffic moving. That will
require investment and hard work, but we're going to do it."
Gallagher said some resources would be redeployed into areas that need
more support, to improve or enhance the League's service.
The new CEO pointed to the recent example of more than 1000 issues of
/QST/ that were lost in transit to members' mailboxes due to a train
derailment. "Within 24 hours, we knew exactly which copies had been
destroyed, and the Circulation Department sent out replacement copies
via First-Class Mail," he said. That's the kind of world-class service
we want to perpetuate."
/QST/ readers soon will see Gallagher's personal stamp on the monthly
editorial, which he's renamed "Second Century." While it will be
essentially the same format as Sumner's "It Seems to Us" editorial, "the
latter belongs to Dave," Gallagher said. "I don't think I could ever
replace his erudition and his scholarship, or match his plain speaking,
and I'm not going to try."
Gallagher also has promised a spirit of openness and inclusiveness to
bring the enrichment of Amateur Radio to a wider community. "Greater
transparency is my guiding principle, as well as that of ARRL President
Rick Roderick, K5UR, and the goals included in the /Strategic Plan/
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-strategic-plan> approved by the ARRL Board of
Directors ," he added. Gallagher invited members to take their
suggestions and concerns directly to him <mailto:ny2rf at arrl.org>.
Gallagher's assumption of the CEO post coincided with World Amateur
Radio Day <http://www.iaru.org/world-amateur-radio-day.html>, which
marks the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU
<http://www.iaru.org/>) in 1925. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/new-arrl-ceo-tom-gallagher-ny2rf-pledges-world-class-service-openness-inclusiveness>.
/EchoLink/ VoIP Service Proving Valuable in Handling Ecuador Earthquake
Traffic
What you see on the news is only the tip of the iceberg of what really
happened as a result of the devastating April 16 earthquake in Ecuador,
Michigan physician Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD, told ARRL. Since the 7.8
magnitude quake hit while most people were at home finishing dinner,
"thousands of people" remain buried in the rubble of collapsed
buildings, he said, although some have been found alive. Dorsch and his
wife Maria, HC1MM, also a physician, have been helping to handle
health-and-welfare traffic via /EchoLink <http://www.echolink.org/>/,
which is connected to the Ecuadorean interlaced national 2 meter
repeater network.
*The destroyed home of well-known DXer Lilian de Ayala, HC4L. [Courtesy
of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]*
"/EchoLink/ is actually a fantastic Amateur Radio service," Dorsch told
ARRL. "It has become extremely useful for the hams there to reach out to
the outside world via 2 meters." (Other reports have indicated that some
/EchoLink/ nodes have been shut down to save power.)
HF also is playing a role, and radio amateurs have been asked to give
7.060 MHz (LSB) a wide berth while the Cadena HC Net handles emergency
traffic. Dorsch said some problems have cropped up from DX pileups that
have overlapped the net's frequency.
Dorsch pointed out that while most of the damage was in the HC4 areas of
Manabí and Esmeraldas provinces and the HC2 area of Guayas Province,
what's /not/ seen from the outside is the heavy damage to surrounding
small fishing villages and colonial towns that were leveled. Fortunately
the Portoviejo Radio Club was undamaged, and members have been operating
from there. Dorsch said that electrical power is starting to return, and
the cellular network is still "iffy," but the Quito Radio Club is
providing battery-powered cellphone charging stations.
A lot of health-and-welfare traffic is headed not only between Ecuador
and the US but to Spain, Chile, and elsewhere, he reported. Dorsch said
more bilingual Spanish-English speakers are needed on the HC1BG-R
/EchoLink/ channel.
While power has been knocked out over much of the affected region,
Dorsch said, he's witnessing hams all over Ecuador operating from mobile
stations, portable stations, and, in some cases, from home. "All of the
Ecuadorean radio clubs have been on high alert and are helping in
search-and-rescue efforts," he said. "Ham radio at its best!"
*Lilian "Mami" de Ayala, HC4L. [Courtesy of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]*
On a more positive note, Dorsch said that noted DXer Lilian "Mami" de
Ayala, HC4L, barely escaped death or serious injury when her home
collapsed. The 85-year-old, who lives in Portoviejo, was in her radio
room seconds before the earthquake hit. "Her granddaughter had come over
to visit, so Lilian went into another part of the house," Dorsch said.
Her radio room and home were destroyed, and her next-door neighbor was
among the casualties.
"She's still in shock and can't believe she's alive," Dorsch told ARRL.
Local hams have removed her personal effects and ham radio gear to a
safe location.
For more than 40 years, de Ayala had been a regular check-in on the
Cadena HC Net on 40 meters. "It's ironic that the one person who lost
all of her radio equipment was the one who organized radio emergency
services for so many years," Dorsch said. Her tower and antennas
survived, because they were mounted on the roof of her son's home next
door. /-- Thanks also to Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK, IARU Region 2 Vice President/
You Have an Appointment with the Doctor!
A new episode of "ARRL The Doctor is In <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>"
podcast is available now: Does CW Really Get Through When Nothing Else Can?
Sponsored by DX Engineering <http://www.dxengineering.com>, "ARRL The
Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical.
Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever
you like!
Every 2 weeks your host, /QST/ Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor at arrl.org
<mailto:doctor at arrl.org>, and they may answer them in a future podcast.
Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arrl-the-doctor-is-in/id1096749595?mt=2>,
or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The
Doctor is In). You can also listen online at Blubrry
<https://www.blubrry.com/arrl_the_doctor_is_in/>, or at Stitcher
<https://www.stitcher.com/> (free registration required, or browse the
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or
Android devices.
If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's
guide <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-04-21&p=0>
National Parks on the Air Update
National Parks Week is April 16-24, and NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>
activity is through the roof! Saturday, April 23, offers two events:
International Marconi Day (IMD <http://gx4crc.com/gb4imd/>) and the
National Park Service's "Instameet" on the social media site Instagram.
People will be posting photos of themselves as they enjoy being in an
NPS unit, using the hash tag #FindYourParkInstameet. If you're an
Amateur Radio operator and on Instagram, April 23 will be a great day to
get some visibility for NPOTA on social media.
The ARRL is looking for high-quality photos and video of NPOTA
activators in the field for display at the Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.hamvention.org>® NPOTA booth! Photos and video should be
high-resolution and tell a story that includes both ham radio and
details about the park unit. E-mail <mailto:npota at arrl.org> us, if you
have material to share. There will be 42 activations
<https://npota.arrl.org/nps-events.php> on the air April 21-27,
including Tonto National Monument (MN70) in Arizona, and Colonial
National Historic Park (HP09) in Virginia.
Details <https://npota.arrl.org/nps-events.php> about these and other
upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar.
Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/NPOTA/>. Follow NPOTA on Twitter
<http://www.twitter.com/> (@ARRL_NPOTA).
Amateur Radio Praised Following Participation in Washington
Interoperability Exercise
Amateur Radio came in for high praise following its role in a March 30
to April 3 Washington National Guard interoperability communication
exercise, sponsored by the US Northern Command. The so-called "Vital
Connection-Cascadia 2016" exercise was aimed at improving
interoperability among Department of Defense entities, federal, state,
and local first responders, and Amateur Radio operators.
Interoperability was tested on 5 MHz frequencies. The spring drill was a
run-up to June's "Cascadia Rising/Vigilant Guard/Ardent Sentry"
exercise. It included voice and data radio and satellite communication
plus video integration from airborne assets.
"The largest success of this exercise by far was the use of the 60 meter
HF interoperability bands to successfully pass voice and data traffic
between military and civilian entities," the /After Action Report/ said.
"There was great integration among military units from Washington and
other states, Army and Air Force MARS, Washington State Guard, state and
county EOCs, and the ARES and RACES Amateur Radio communities."
Lt Col Lawrence Hager of the Washington Air National Guard also had kind
words for Amateur Radio. "I would like to thank everyone who
participated in the Vital Connection-Cascadia [communications
exercise]," he said. "We had many successes, such as HF radio
interoperability between military, government, and civilian sectors on
the 60 meter (5 MHz) band." Hager is an Air Force officer responsible to
The Adjutant General (TAG) for communications in both the Army Guard and
Air Force Guard.
"It was truly a pleasure exercising with you folks," allowed State RACES
Officer Ed Leavitt, K7EFL, in a message to the Washington National
Guard. "Thanks for inviting us." Regarding the use of the 60 meter
channels as a conduit for outreach to civilian entities, Leavitt said,
"While I am hesitant to use phrases like 'This has never been done
before,' I suspect that may actually be the case."
ARRL Western Washington ARRL Section Manager Monte Simpson, K2MLS, who
is also Washington State RACES Officer, said the feedback he's received
regarding Amateur Radio participation has been positive. "The 60 meter
band proved to be excellent," he said. "While at the State EOC I had the
occasion to hear a 60 meter conversation that was crystal clear with
nearly no noise. The Mason County Emergency Coordinator/RACES Officer
reported that he had used /Fldigi/ to communicate with the National
Guard. The Washington State Guard provided soldiers who are Amateur
Radio operators as the ham radio connection to the National Guard."
US ARDF Champions Now Looking Toward September World Championships in
Bulgaria
The results <http://www.texasardf.org/usa2016/results.shtml> of the
United States 16th national championships
<http://www.texasardf.org/usa2016/> of Amateur Radio Direction Finding
(ARDF), held earlier this month in Central Texas, are now in the record
books. Stateside winners of these championships, as well as medalists
from the 2015 championships
<http://www.homingin.com/farsnews.html#colo15> in Colorado, are being
considered for ARDF Team USA, which will travel to Albena, Bulgaria, for
the 18th ARDF World Championships <http://ardf2016.com/> in September.
"The categories for men between over age 40 and women over age 60
already have a full slate of team candidates," ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe
Moell, K0OV, said, adding that "uncontested openings" on Team USA exist
for younger men and women. A maximum of three competitors in each
age/gender category may be on a nation's team.
Moell said ARDF fans came to Texas from all over the US to see who was
best at finding radio transmitters hidden in the woods. An optional
training day kicked things off on April 6. The next day was devoted to
foxoring <http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html#foxoring>, a combination
of radio direction finding and classic orienteering on 80 meters.
Friday, April 8, was the formal 80 meter sprint
<http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html> event. Classic 2 meter and 80
meter competitions took place Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Category winners of gold medals were (in alphabetical order): Vadim
Afonkin, KB1RLI (M40 2 meters, 80 meters); Dick Arnett, WB4SUV (M70 2
meters); Natalia Bondarenco (W35 sprint); Ruth Bromer, WB4QZG (W60 2
meters, sprint, foxor); Bob Cooley, KF6VSE (M70 80 meters, sprint,
foxor); Joseph Huberman, K5JGH (M60 2 meters, sprint, foxor); Lori
Huberman (W21 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Dale Hunt, WB6BYU
(M60 80 meters); Illia Ivanko (M21 2 meters, 80 meters); Iurii
Kolesnykov (M50 foxor); Karla Leach, KC7BLA (W60 80 meters); Norbert
Linke (M21 sprint, foxor); Nicolai
*Ken Harker, WM5R, and Jen Harker, W5JEN, organized and hosted the 2016
USA ARDF Championships near Killeen, Texas. Here they are getting ready
to deploy the transmitters that Jen built for the 80 meter competitions.
[Joe Moell, K0OV, photo]*
Mejevoi (M50 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint); Alla Mezhevaya (W35 2 meters,
80 meters, foxor); Patrick Sears, AK4JE (M40 foxor); Evghenii Vorsin
(M40 sprint), and Zhonghao Xu (M19 sprint).
Lead organizers, hosts, and course planners for the event were Jennifer
and Kenneth Harker, W5JEN and WM5R, both veteran ARDF competitors and
medalists. Members of the Austin Orienteering Club assisted. The
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) sets ARDF championship rules.
Participants are divided into 11 age/gender categories
<http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#categories>.
Contact <mailto:k0ov at homingin.com> Moell for more information on ARDF
and on attending or participating in the World Championships this
September in Bulgaria. Moell stressed that ARDF participants do not need
an Amateur Radio license. Visit Moell's Homing In
<http://www.homingin.com/> website for additional information on ARDF.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-04-21&p=1>
On-the-Air Activity to Highlight International Marconi Day on April 23
Around-the-world Amateur Radio activity will mark the 29th annual
International Marconi Day (IMD <http://gx4crc.com/imd>), a 24-hour event
held annually to celebrate the anniversary of wireless pioneer Guglielmo
Marconi's birth on April 25, 1874. IMD is observed each year on a
Saturday close to Marconi's birthday, and this year it will be observed
on Saturday, April 23, with many special event stations
<gx4crc.com/imd-stations/> on the air -- some operating from
Marconi-related sites that count as points toward the Marconi Award.
Certificates are available for both transmitting stations and shortwave
listeners (SWLs).
*Wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi.*
The event is not a contest; it is an opportunity for amateurs around the
world to make point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites on HF,
and to earn an award certificate for working or hearing a requisite
number of Marconi stations.
International Marconi Day special event station GB4IMD will operate from
Cornwall, helmed by members of the Cornish Amateur Radio Club, which
organizes the IMD event each year. IMD 2016 has been dedicated to Norman
Pascoe, G4USB (SK), one of the event's founders, who died in February.
Cornwall was home to some of Marconi's early work. GK3MPD will be on the
air from the inventor's Poldhu site.
The Kerry Amateur Radio Group <http://kerryamateurradiogroup.com> in
Ireland will be among those taking part as an Award Station in this
year's IMD activities. The station will be set up on the site of the
former Marconi Station at Ballybunnion by the "Expeditionary Radio Team"
of the radio club. Two HF stations are planned, and special event call
sign EI6YXQ will commemorate the original YXQ that the Marconi Station
at Ballybunnion used.
*Colin Hendry, G0ODR, and his daughter Leanne, 2E0OCL, talk to other
radio amateurs on International Marconi Day 2015 from GB0CMS at Caister
Lifeboat in Norfolk.*
Radio amateurs in Norfolk, England, will once again be active from
Caister Lifeboat as part of the International Marconi Day celebrations.
The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club (NARC
<http://www.norfolkamateurradio.org/>) will be on the air from special
event station GB0CMS from the Caister Lifeboat Visitor Centre to
commemorate the village's original Marconi wireless station, established
in 1900. The station's initial purpose was to communicate with ships in
the North Sea and the Cross Sands lightship.
While it's not part of the official International Marconi Day
activities, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) school contact in England will take place on
April 23, and the Marconi observance prompted the proposed initial
question to ISS crew member Tim Peake, KG5BVI. Twelve-year-old Benny
plans to ask, "Today is International Marconi Day; how do you think
Marconi would feel about this radio communication?"
Other IMD sites with historical links to the inventor's work include
Cape Cod, Massachusetts (WA1WCC); Glace Bay, Nova Scotia (VE1IMD); Villa
Griffone, Bologna, Italy (IY4FGM); Signal Hill, St Johns, Newfoundland
(VO1AA), and many others.
A Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=gb4imd> is also
available.
The "Other" Heard Island DXpedition -- VK0LD
The recently ended Heard Island VK0EK DXpedition <https://vk0ek.org/>
logged more than 75,000 contacts, but the brief, under-the-radar,
contemporaneous VK0LD operation also put a new one into a few more logs.
VK0EK logistics team member Mike Coffey, KJ4Z, operated as VK0LD from
California, remotely controlling one of the VK0EK Elecraft K3S operating
positions. He used a K3/0-Mini and the free RemoteHams.com
<http://www.remotehams.com/> /RCForb/ client and remote server software
to work 41 stations on 20 meters.
*Mike Coffey, KJ4Z, briefly operated as VK0LD on Heard Island from the
comfort of his California home.*
"More than a year before the /Braveheart/ set sail, I knew I wanted to
try to operate a remote ham radio station from Heard Island during the
VK0EK DXpedition," Coffey said. "Co-organizers Bob Schmieder, KK6EK, and
Rich Holoch, KY6R, were enthusiastic and gave me the green light." From
Tennessee, Coffey, who was off the air from 2003 until 2014, is once
again active from California, and, he said on his QRZ.com profile,
"eager to make up for lost time."
Lacking the expertise to set up and configure the equipment and
connection for the remote operation, Coffey approached Elecraft, which
supplied the K3S transceivers for VK0EK. Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, and
Brandon Hansen, KG6YPI, introduced him to the Elecraft K3/0-Mini remote
control panel -- basically a K3 front panel sans radio -- combined with
Hansen's RemoteHams.com software. Leading up to the DXpedition he
conducted tests from Elecraft to verify that operation with a satellite
connection and the Remote Hams /RCForb/ client software was possible.
*A far cry from California: Heard Island, as seen from the sea.
*
On April 4, VK0LD transmitted its first CQ from Heard Island on 20 meter
CW, with Coffey at the helm from his home in Palo Alto. "Over the course
of the next 50 minutes, VK0LD logged 41 QSOs across Asia and then Europe
as the band began to open up," he recounted. Alan Cheshire, VK6CQ, is
the licensee of VK0LD.
On DX Summit <http://www.dxsummit.fi/>, one Australian station declared
VK0LD to be a pirate. "NOT a pirate!" KY6R posted in response.
"Finally, control was handed back over to regular VK0EK operations,"
Coffey said. "But for 50 minutes, I was having the amazing, incredible
experience of working a pileup from a Top 10 DXCC entity on the other
side of the world." Coffey said the K3/0 setup made it "almost like
being there."
"I was sorry to stop," he said. "I would have happily worked the pileup
for hours." /-- Thanks to Elecraft via Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ/
In Brief...
*Islands on the Air (IOTA) Management Shifts to Not-For-Profit Company:*
Following agreement with the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB
<http://rsgb.org/>), management of the Islands on the Air (IOTA
<http://www.rsgbiota.org/>) program has transitioned to "Islands on the
Air (IOTA) Ltd," a new not-for-profit company. This entity will assume
full responsibility for all aspects of the program. The company has been
registered in the names of its current directors -- Roger Balister,
G3KMA, and Stan Lee, G4XXI; a full board of directors will established.
"It will take a little time to carry through all aspects of the changed
governance, but IOTA enthusiasts should be assured that the new company
is fully committed to completing the paperless QSLing project that will
allow electronic confirmation of contacts," Balister said. He added that
no significant policy changes are anticipated.
*Commemorative ARISS Slow-Scan TV Transmissions a Success:* The recent
commemorative Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) slow-scan television (SSTV) transmissions from
April 11 to April 14 were successful, with images received by many
stations around the world. The SSTV transmissions marked the 15th
anniversary (in 2015) of continuous Amateur Radio operations on the
International Space Station. The first ISS crew conducted its inaugural
ham radio contact from NA1SS in November 2000, and the first ARISS
school/group contact took place the following month. Since then more
than 1000 ARISS school/group contacts have been completed. Images
<http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php> received from
the ISS have been posted on the gallery website. The SSTV transmissions
were in PD180 format. Additional "MAI-75 Experiment
<http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/researches/education-26.html>" SSTV
transmissions took place on April 14 and April 15. The commemorative
SSTV images showed a few of the radio amateurs who have served aboard
the ISS.
*Brazil Eases **Authorization for Radio Amateurs Attending the 2016
Summer Olympics: *IARU Region 2 News Editor Joaquín Solana, XE1R,
reports that radio amateurs hoping to operate in Brazil during the 2016
Olympic Games <http://www.rio2016.com/en> in Rio this summer are in luck
and will be able to be on air without bureaucracy. During August and
September any foreign radio amateur will be able to operate in Brazil,
whether or not a reciprocal agreement between the respective countries
exists. No IARP or CEPT license is necessary, and there are no fees. The
Brazilian Amateur Radio League LABRE <http://www.labre.org.br/> has
obtained permission from Brazilian telecommunications regulator ANATEL
to handle authorizations. Amateurs who want to operate in Brazil should
send LABRE these documents: Copy of a valid passport (identification
pages); copy of Amateur Radio license; list of cities in which the radio
amateur plans to operate and the respective dates, and an e-mail
address. Send <mailto:executiva at labre.org.br> scanned documents to LABRE
via e-mail.
*New AO-85 Distance Record Claimed:* A new distance record of 5751
kilometers (3565.6 miles) has been claimed for an AO-85
<http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=4690> (Fox-1A) satellite contact. Betrand
Demarcq, FG8OJ, in Saint-Francois, Guadeloupe (FK96ig) worked Jose Elias
Diaz Rodriguez, EB1FVQ, in Vigo, Spain (IN52pe) at 19:15 UTC on April
14, 2016. A recording
<https://www.dropbox.com/s/s0o1b1as1xlcrjs/eb1fvq.mp3> of the contact is
available. AMSAT posts records <http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=4751> on
its AMSAT Satellite Distance Records page. Send <mailto:n8hm at amsat.org>
new claims to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM. The AO-85 CubeSat was launched last
October. It carries a U/V FM transponder./-- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service via Paul Stoetzer, N8HM/
*New Orleans Ham Radio & Computer Flea Market Cancelled:* The New
Orleans Ham Radio & Computer Flea Market scheduled for May 7 has been
cancelled, its sponsor, the Crescent City Amateur Radio Group, has
announced.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-04-21&p=2>
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the reporting week April 14-20,
average daily sunspot numbers rose from 32 to 40, while average daily
solar flux declined from 106.1 to 100.8.
Average daily planetary A index declined from 12.4 to 10.9, but average
daily mid-latitude A index rose slightly from 8.3 to 8.9.
We continue to see weak sunspot groups. There were new ones on April 13,
April 16, and April 20.
The Wednesday, April 20, prediction has solar flux values at 85 on April
21-27; 95 on April 28-May 2, except 98 on April 30; 100 on May 3-5; 95
on May 6; 98 on May 7-12; 92 on May 13-14; 102 on May 15-16; 95 on May
17-18; 97 on May 19-20, and 95 on May 21-26.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on April 21-22; 12 on April 23-24; 10
on April 25-26; then 8, 5, 20, 15, and 8 on April 27-May 1; 5 on May
2-3; 12 on May 4; 5 on May 5-8; then 18, 25, 20, 8, and 5 on May 9-13;
12 on May 14-16; 8 on May 17; 5 on May 18-19; 10 and 12 on May 20-21,
and 10 on May 22-23. The planetary A index then rises to 20 on May 26
and slips back to 5 for 6 of the 7 days ending the 45-day forecast period.
Sunspot numbers for April 14 through 20 were 45, 69, 51, 35, 28, 28, and
24, with a mean of 40. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 111.1, 112.4, 113.2,
102.1, 94.6, 89.1, and 83.2, with a mean of 100.8. Estimated planetary A
indices were 23, 9, 12, 19, 5, 3, and 5, with a mean of 10.9. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 14, 9, 8, 17, 7, 3, and 4, with a mean of 8.9.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Week in Radiosport
*
April 25 -- Helvetia Contest
*
April 25-26 -- Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest
*
April 25-26 -- QRP to The Field (CW)
*
April 25-26 -- Florida QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
April 26 -- BARTG 75 Sprint (Digital)
*
April 29 -- VHF Spring Sprints (CW, phone, digital)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for
more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio contesting,
subscribe to /The ARRL Contest Update/
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues> via your ARRL member profile
e-mail preferences.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
*
April 22-24 -- Idaho State Convention <http://voiceofidaho.org/>,
Boise, Idaho
*
April 23 -- Aurora '16 Conference <http://www.nlrs.org/>, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota
*
April 23 -- Nebraska State Convention
<http://www.lincolnhamfest.org/>, Lincoln, Nebraska
*
April 29-May 1 -- Nevada State Convention <http://www.nvcon.org/>,
Las Vegas, Nevada
*
May 7 -- South Carolina Section Convention <http://brars.org/>,
Spartanburg, South Carolina
*
May 13-15 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention
<http://www.hamconcolorado.org/>, Keystone, Colorado
*
May 14 -- Iowa State Convention <http://3900club.com/>, Boone, Iowa
*
May 20-22 -- Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/>, Dayton,
Ohio
*
June 3-5 -- Northwestern Division Convention
<http://www.seapac.org/>, Seaside, Oregon
*
June 4 -- Georgia Section Convention
<http://www.atlantahamfest.com/>, Marietta, Georgia
*
June 5 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://breezeshooters.org/>, Prospect, Pennsylvania
*
June 10-11 -- West Gulf Division Convention
<http://www.hamcom.org/>, Irving, Texas
*
June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/>,
Knoxville, Tennessee
*
July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention
<http://www.miltonarc.org/>, Milton, Florida
*
July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention
<http://thegreatsaltlakehamfest.org/>, Sandy, Utah
*
July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.hamholiday.com/>, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
*
July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference
<http://2016.csvhfs.org/>, Rochester, Minnesota
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 <https://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org/>! Follow us on
Twitter <https://twitter.com/>and Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/>!
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2016-04-21&t=r&p=0>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2016-04-21&t=r&p=1>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2016-04-21&t=r&p=2>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2016-04-21&t=r&p=3>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2016-04-21&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 © 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>
More information about the SFDXA
mailing list