[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for December 1, 2016
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Dec 1 18:18:08 EST 2016
Preview
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The ARRL Letter
December 1, 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=2016-12-01&t=t>
* ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur
Radio Parity Act <#toc01>
* Transatlantic Reception Anniversary Special Event Set for December
11 <#toc02>
* Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Shelter Communication Support in
Tennessee <#toc03>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc04>
* National Parks on the Air Update <#toc05>
* ARRL Expands Initiative to Fire Up Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs
<#toc06>
* FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith Says Amateur Enforcement Will Be
Aggressive <#toc07>
* Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Hurricane Otto <#toc08>
* Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, Overcomes
Challenge to Win Election <#toc09>
* Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals! <#toc10>
* SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3
<#toc11>
* ARRL Seeks Nominations for Six Awards <#toc12>
* Hamvention^® Solicits Nominations for 2017 Awards <#toc13>
* In Brief... <#toc14>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc15>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc16>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc17>
ARRL Issues Urgent Last Call to Press for Senate Passage of Amateur
Radio Parity Act
It's now down to the wire: ARRL has issued a last call for members to
urge their US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R.
1301 <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act>) when it comes up
during the "lame duck" session of Congress that adjourns in a couple of
weeks. The House of Representatives approved the bill in September, and
the Senate must follow suit if the bill is to succeed. If it fails in
the Senate, the entire process will have to be repeated in the new
Congress. The legislation is now in the Senate in two forms -- as H.R.
1301 and alternately in the packaged bill S. 253.
"We are on our final push for the Amateur Radio Parity Act before
Congress adjourns," said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. "The
grassroots effort by the Amateur Radio community has been outstanding.
Since September, over 110,000 e-mails have been sent to legislators in
Congress. Thanks to everyone who has helped, but we can't stop now.
Please, keep the e-mails coming and also work the phones down the
stretch. Call your Senators! We are almost there. Let's get it done!"
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL
Board's Legislative Advocacy Committee and has been heavily involved in
efforts to move H.R. 1301 forward, echoed President Roderick's
sentiments. He said the bill was just starting to build momentum in the
Senate following its unanimous passage in the House, when Congress shut
down for the 4 weeks prior to Election Day. He pointed out that H.R.
1301 has received broad support from both parties.
Lisenco had a special request of Florida radio amateurs. "Please write
and call Sen. Bill Nelson <https://www.billnelson.senate.gov/> and
demand that he remove his hold on H.R. 1301 and support passage of this
critical legislation."
Urging your US Senators' support is simple: Go to our Rally Congress
<https://arrl.rallycongress.net/ctas/urge-us-senate-to-pass-amateur-radio-parity-act>
page, enter your ZIP code, fill in your name and address, press enter,
and e-mails will go directly to your Senators. Members may do this even
if they have already contacted their US Senators for support.
There are no guarantees, Lisenco has pointed out. "In order to have a
chance at overcoming political obstacles that have little or nothing to
do with the legislation, we need our voices to be heard," he said. "And
we need that input today!"
President Roderick urged members to "reach out one more time to your
Senators /today/! Right away. Right now!" Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-issues-urgent-last-call-to-press-for-senate-passage-of-amateur-radio-parity-act>.
Transatlantic Reception Anniversary Special Event Set for December 11
An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th
anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between
Greenwich, Connecticut <http://www.greenwichhistory.org/DYK_message>,
and Scotland. A school near the original site is hosting the event.
ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB <http://rsgb.org/>), and
the Radio Club of America (RCA <http://radioclubofamerica.org/>), are
partnering in sponsoring the activity. The Greenwich Historical Society
will also participate.
On December 11, 1921, reception in Ardrossan, Scotland, of a radio
signal transmitted from the official test station of Minton Cronkhite,
1BCG, in a small shack on the corner of Clapboard Ridge Road and North
Street in Greenwich, helped to usher in the age of global communication.
The special event will use N1BCG
<http://www.internetwork.com/radio/n1bcg/>, the call sign of Clark
Burgard of Greenwich, who obtained that call sign to commemorate this
bit of radio history. Burgard was instrumental in making arrangements
for the event.
The N1BCG special event will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and
conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. It will include an attempt at a
two-way contact between N1BCG and GB2ZE, operated by Jason O'Neill,
GM7VSB, in Ardrossan.
*The 1BCG 1 kW CW transmitter.*
Reception in Scotland of the 1BCG signal was part of the second series
of ARRL transatlantic tests. For the receiving end, the ARRL Board had
selected a receiver designed by Paul Godley, 2ZE, and Godley traveled to
the UK to oversee that end of the circuit. Joining Godley in a field in
Ardrossan, southwest of Glasgow, was Marconi Company District Inspector
D.E. Pearson. As the /QST/ article, "The Transatlantic Tests" (/QST/
Dec. 2014) by Michael Marinaro, WN1M, recounted, "The two attempted to
keep out of the driving wind and rain by sheltering themselves -- and
their equipment -- in a tent. This rough listening post was comprised of
a (superheterodyne and regenerative) receiver, a 1,300-foot Beverage
antenna suspended 12 feet above ground, batteries, and auxiliary
equipment."
*January 1922 /QST/ trumpeted the success of the transatlantic tests.*
On the morning of December 10, CW signals of 1BCG, which had been
designed and constructed by Radio Club of America members -- were
solidly copied on 230 to 235 meters (about 1.3 MHz). They were the only
signals heard that morning in Ardrossan. By the end of the test, eight
spark and 18 CW stations had been heard as well.
N1BCG operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 meters; CW and SSB on 40
meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 meters.
Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM), 7.235 (SSB), 7040
(CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125 (SSB), and 18.088
MHz CW.
Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Shelter Communication Support in Tennessee
Amateur Radio volunteers this week provided communication support to
American Red Cross shelters in Sevier County, Tennessee, where area
residents fleeing wildfires took refuge. At the peak, an estimated 1,300
evacuees occupied six Red Cross or independently operated shelters,
state authorities said. Wind-driven flames and embers from the Chimney
Top Fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, now closed, spread on
November 28 to threaten the communities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
in East Tennessee. Highway 441 into Gatlinburg remains open only to
emergency traffic and outbound evacuation traffic. The fire caused
considerable destruction in Gatlinburg.
"At this point, no additional Amateur Radio support has been requested,"
ARRL Tennessee Section Manager Keith Miller, N9DGK, said on Tuesday
evening. "Members of nearby ARES^® groups should remain aware of the
potential for this situation to change rapidly."
Miller said no amateurs had been requested to support fire teams, law
enforcement, EMS, or the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
"Unless conditions begin to deteriorate, we expect not to be asked to
fully activate but rather continue to monitor the situation and be ready
to support when and if asked to do so," Miller said.
"/Do not self-deploy/," he stressed. "If you show up uninvited, you will
be sent home."
TEMA said on November 30 that rain has provided some relief in Sevier
County. "Gatlinburg reports all wildfires out, though some are still
smoldering," TEMA said. Gatlinburg remains under a mandatory evacuation
order and a 6 PM to 6 AM curfew remains in effect.
In Pigeon Forge -- home to the Dollywood theme park -- officials
estimate that 500 residents and visitors were evacuated on Monday.
"State agencies and local officials likely evacuated thousands of
residents and visitors from Sevier County [Tuesday] night, due to
devastating wildfires in and around the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon
Forge," TEMA estimated on November 29. "It is very likely that 14,000+
residents and visitors evacuated from Gatlinburg alone."
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Yagi Antennas" is the topic of the latest (December 1) episode of the
"ARRL The Doctor is In <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>" podcast.
Listen...and learn!
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 the Doctor 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=2016-12-01&p=0>
National Parks on the Air Update
ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>)
program is down to its final month. Over 460 of the 489 NPOTA units have
been activated, with over 15,500 visits to eligible sites. With 30 days
to go, there is a big push to cross the 1 million contact threshold.
This past week saw nearly 30,000 contacts uploaded to Logbook of The
World, bringing the year-to-date total to more than 915,000 contacts.
There will be plenty of NPOTA activity in December; how many stations
can you work in the final month?
Seventeen activations are scheduled for the week of December 1-7,
including Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial in Washington, DC,
and Sitka National Historical Park in Alaska. 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).
ARRL Expands Initiative to Fire Up Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs
A growing number of campus radio clubs and student radio amateurs have
begun to share ideas and suggestions on the ARRL Collegiate Amateur
Radio Initiative (CARI <https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARRLCARI/>)
Facebook page, which is aimed at sparking renewed participation,
activity, and idea-sharing among this special sector of the Amateur
Radio community. The now-expanded initiative stemmed from two
well-attended ARRL New England Division Convention forums for radio
amateurs attending college, one hosted by the Amateur Radio clubs at
Harvard (W1AF) and Yale (W1YU). As the forum explained, the activity
level at campus Amateur Radio club stations can vary wildly from one
year to the next, as students graduate and newcomers arrive.
"The most common difficulty stems from uneven interest over time," said
ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, in his "Second Century" editorial,
"Cheers for College Amateur Radio: Sis-boom-bah!" in the December 2016
issue of /QST/. "Even the strongest leaders in college Amateur Radio
graduate every 4 years, sometimes leaving their clubs without adequate
continuity or leadership succession."
Gallagher pointed out that "recognized" student activities require
/students/ in order to maintain that status. However, even officially
recognized college club stations may find themselves at the mercy of
administrations in terms of space for a station and antennas, and some
clubs have had to move more than once to accommodate their schools'
space requirements. Issues involving safety and security can also affect
college radio clubs.
In a recent post, Kenny Hite, KE8CTL, a graduate teaching assistant at
West Virginia University, said the university's Amateur Radio club,
W8CUL, has been unable to participate in recent on-the-air events "due
to lack of working equipment and questionable antenna setups," as he put
it. Another poster, Dennis Silage, K3DS, who's associated with the
Temple University Amateur Radio Club (K3TU
<http://www.temple.edu/k3tu>), said, "A key to a successful and
long-running college club seems to be faculty involvement for stability
and recognition." He invited other CARI participants to check out the
club's website.
"It occurred to us that, if college Amateur Radio could galvanize
[mutual interests], then colleges might just provide the ideal bridge
between youthful interest in the subject and lifelong participation in
our community," Gallagher wrote. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-expands-initiative-to-fire-up-collegiate-amateur-radio-clubs>.
FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith Says Amateur Enforcement Will Be Aggressive
FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith told a standing-room-only audience at
the ARRL Pacific Division Convention (Pacificon) in October that,
despite FCC cutbacks, Amateur Radio enforcement will not be compromised.
Smith spoke for nearly an hour and a half on a variety of FCC issues
related to Amateur Radio, and the entire presentation
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZlP4OUfEt8> is available on YouTube,
thanks to Bob Miller, WB6KWT, and his son Robert, KA7JKP, who recorded
the forum. Smith said that with the FCC set to shut down 11 field
offices across the country in January, the Enforcement Bureau has
reorganized into three US regions, and she does not anticipate any
significant issues for the Amateur Service as a result.
*FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith at Pacificon. [Courtesy of HamRadioNow]*
"The amateur community will go forward," she said, noting that amateurs
have "an incredible ability to self-police." In light of the field
office closings, she has been working with ARRL to revamp the Official
Observer (OO <http://www.arrl.org/official-observer-1>) program.
"We are going to redo the entire program," she told the Pacificon forum.
Given that the field office cutbacks have left the FCC short staffed,
the OO program will step into the gap, with OOs serving as the first
line of defense in Amateur Radio enforcement, she explained. Working
more closely with the OOs, Smith said, will get information on problems
to the field staff more quickly, so they can follow up.
Smith praised the OOs for contributing their time and effort to monitor
the bands and to alert licensees both to problematic and positive
behavior on the air.
She also said the FCC is more aggressively policing the Amateur Radio bands.
/HamRadioNow/'s Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, used Smith's talk as the centerpiece
of his episode 281 <https://www.hamradionow.tv/home>. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-special-counsel-laura-smith-says-amateur-enforcement-will-be-aggressive>.
Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Hurricane Otto
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org>) activated on
Thanksgiving Day for Hurricane Otto. The Category 2 storm with maximum
sustained winds of 110 MPH made landfall on the southern Nicaraguan
coast on November 24 and passed over Central America with no reported
fatalities, but it generated flooding. The net stood down at 2200 UTC.
Amateur Radio emergency nets also convened in Central America on 40 and
75 meters in anticipation of Tropical Storm Otto, which was the
strongest Atlantic hurricane on record this late in the year.
"All members of HWN gave their best effort to obtain weather data from
the affected areas of Nicaragua and Costa Rica," said Net Manager Bobby
Graves, KB5HAV. He said that, with poor propagation on both 20 and 40
meters, the only station in the affected region the HWN was able to
contact was in Costa Rica. Graves said that during the off-season, he
would reach out to /all/ hurricane-prone countries in the Atlantic
Basin, to encourage their radio amateurs to participate in the net
during hurricane emergencies.
The HWN meets on 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz, depending upon conditions.
Graves thanked the amateur community for cooperating in keeping those
frequencies open. "Your help in keeping the frequency clear allows us to
hear those affected by hurricanes," he said. "For instance, when
commercial power goes out, some reporting stations have to revert to
battery backup and perhaps operate at QRP power, as was the case [on
November 24]."
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-12-01&p=1>
Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, Overcomes
Challenge to Win Election
*ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD.*
ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, has won
election to a 3-year term. As Vice Director, Allen assumed the
Director's seat last January, after the Board of Directors elected
former Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, as Second Vice President. Allen
outpolled challenger Garth Crowe, WY7GC (ex-N7XKT), 1,112 to 528 votes,
to win the seat in his own right. Ballots were counted November 18 at
ARRL Headquarters.
The Rocky Mountain Division Director's seat was the only contested
election for the 2017-2019 cycle. Allen served previously as Wyoming
Section Manager, from 2005 until 2007.
New terms of office begin on January 1, 2017, at 12 noon Eastern Time.
Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals!
<http://www.arrl.org/12-days-of-deals>We're making a list and checking
it twice. Beginning Thursday, December 1, 2016, ARRL will be offering 12
days of deals. Subscribe <http://www.arrl.org/12-days-of-deals> by
entering your name, call sign, and e-mail address in the fields provided.
You'll receive an e-mail a day for 12 days with a special online deal.
Each deal is valid for 1 day only at www.arrl.org/shop
<http://www.arrl.org/shop>, and concludes Friday, December 16, 2016.
Sign up now <http://www.arrl.org/12-days-of-deals> and unwrap a new deal
every day!
SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3
The annual SKYWARN <http://www.skywarn.org> Recognition Day (SRD
<http://www.arrl.org/skywarn-recognition-day>) on-the-air activity will
take place Saturday, December 3, from 0000 until 2400 UTC (starts on the
evening of Friday, December 2, in US time zones).
Developed by ARRL and the National Weather Service (NWS) in 1999,
SKYWARN Recognition Day honors the contributions that SKYWARN volunteers
make to the NWS mission -- the protection of life and property during
threatening weather. During the SKYWARN Special Event, hams will operate
from several NWS offices. W1AW will take part in the event. So will
WX4NHC <http://w4ehw.fiu.edu> at the National Hurricane Center, on HF,
VHF, and UHF, plus APRS and /WinLink/ <mailto:wx4nhc at winlink.org>/./
WX4NHC activity will center on the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN
<http://www.hwn.org>) frequency, 14.325 MHz.
The object of the event is for all participating Amateur Radio stations
to exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on
80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters, plus 70 centimeters. Contacts via
repeaters are permitted.
Stations will exchange call signs, signal reports, locations, and a one
or two-word description of the weather at their respective locations
(e.g., "sunny," "rainy," "partly cloudy," "windy"). NWS stations will
use various modes, including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, and PSK31. While
using digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their
call signs (e.g., N0A/NWS).
Event certificates will be electronic and printable from the main
website after the conclusion of SRD. An online submission form
<http://www.arrl.org/srd-form> is available to submit your log summary
for SRD.
ARRL Seeks Nominations for Six Awards
The ARRL is inviting nominations for awards that recognize educational
and technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. Nominations are also open
for the League's premier award to honor a young licensee.
*The Hiram Percy Maxim Award* recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL member
under age 21, whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most
exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities.
Nominations for this award need to be made through your ARRL Section
Manager, who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by
March 31, 2017.
*The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award* honors an ARRL
volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or an ARRL professional classroom
teacher who uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the
highest values of the Amateur Radio community. The award highlights
quality of and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations are due
by March 15, 2017.
*The ARRL Microwave Development Award* pays tribute to a radio amateur
or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the
Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017.
*The ARRL Technical Service Award* recognizes a licensed radio amateur
or group of radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical
assistance or training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017.
*The ARRL Technical Innovation Award* is granted to a radio amateur or
group of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or
techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2017.
*The Knight Distinguished Service Award *was established to recognize
exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health
and vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2017.
The ARRL Board of Directors selects all award recipients. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-seeks-nominations-for-six-awards>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-12-01&p=2>
Hamvention^® Solicits Nominations for 2017 Awards
The 2017 Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/>*^® * Awards Committee,
chaired by Frank J. Beafore, WS8B, has announced that nominations are
open for 2017 awards, sometimes considered the Academy Awards of Amateur
Radio. The program will bestow awards for Amateur of the Year, Technical
Achievement, Special Achievement, and Club of the Year.
"The Hamvention Awards event has been held since 1955," a Hamvention
news release said. "Over these years, many amateurs have been honored
for their dedication and selfless contributions to our avocation and to
mankind." Nominees are invited for these awards.
*Technical Achievement Award:* Given to a selected Amateur Radio
operator who has achieved technical excellence within the realm of
Amateur Radio. Examples are inventions, processes, discoveries,
experiments, other technical accomplishments, or any other outstanding
technical achievement that contributed to Amateur Radio.
*Special Achievement Award:* Presented to a deserving radio amateur who
has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the radio art
and/or science. This award is usually given to a respected amateur who
has spearheaded a single significant project.
*Amateur of the Year Award:* Honors a radio amateur who has made a
long-term commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio. This
individual will have a history of contribution to ham radio and will be
dedicated to service, professionalism, and the advancement of Amateur
Radio avocation.
*Club of the Year:* Recognizes a club that clearly demonstrates its
involvement in varied aspects of Amateur Radio for the greater good of
their community and/or the nation.
Below are links to forms dedicated to the appropriate award nomination.
At a minimum, each form should be completed with the information
indicated. Please make sure that the nominating person is identified
with a method to reach them in the case of questions from the nomination
committee.
Separate nomination forms are provided for individual awards
<http://hamvention.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Individual-Award-for-2017.doc>
and for the club award
<http://hamvention.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Club-award-2017.doc>.
Submit forms via e-mail to awards at hamvention.org
<mailto:awards at hamvention.org> or via USPS to Hamvention Awards
Committee, Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401-0964. The nomination period closes
on February 1, 2017. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/hamvention-solicits-nominations-for-2017-awards>.
In Brief...
*JOTA 2016 Report Shows Participation was Up:* The Boy Scouts of America
has released the final report
<http://k2bsa.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=56ce1526bb2372707f5868e21&id=ddea17a2ca&e=f04efd1977>
on the 2016 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), and the news is good.
Participation was up from 2015, despite what the report called "terrible
propagation." According to the report, 10,761 Scouts took part, an
increase of more than 50% from a year earlier, and the number of
stations filing reports, at 267, jumped by 28% from 2015 (the record was
271 in 2013). The number of Amateur Radio operators was up by 14% to
1,120, although the number of radios reported in use dropped by 25% to
631. Total JOTA 2016 contacts remained flat at 8,254. Over the next
several months, the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee will review
various suggestions to determine improvements that can be made for JOTA
2017. These include concerns over conflicting on-the-air activities and
the need for better advance publicity./-- Thanks to JOTA Coordinator Jim
Wilson, K5ND/
*Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Offering Complete Ham Station to Essay
Contest Winner:* The Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) has announced
an exciting essay competition <http://qsl.net/n6jrl> for young radio
amateurs. Due to the generosity of the 2016 raffle winner Paul Ewing,
N6PSE, and the co-founders of the YDXA, the winner of the essay contest
will receive a complete Amateur Radio station. The prize includes an
Alinco SR8T HF, a 12 V, 30 A power supply (Jetstream or equivalent),
vertical antenna (Jetstream JTV680 or equivalent), and 100 feet of coax
feed line fitted with PL-259 connectors. Eligibility is limited to
Technician class or higher US licensees 12 to 18 years old, residing in
the 48 contiguous US states. Entrants are to submit an essay of up to
500 words describing their involvement in, personal future plans for,
and importance of Amateur Radio. All entries must be postmarked (or
system dated, in the case of e-mail entries) by December 23, 2016. The
winner will be announced no later than January 31, 2017. Entrants should
adhere to all contest rules <http://qsl.net/n6jrl>.
*NCVEC Question Pool Committee Seeks Comments on the Technician Question
Pool: *The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC
<http://www.ncvec.org/>) Question Pool Committee (QPC) is reviewing the
2014-2018 Technician question pool for revisions and updates. The QPC
will accept comments and suggestions from the Amateur Radio community
via e-mail <mailto:qpcinput at ncvec.org> through March 31, 2017. The NCVEC
QPC will take all comments and suggestions into consideration as it
updates the Technician question pool for 2018-2022. Input from the
Amateur Radio community may include suggestions for new questions,
changes to the topic areas, or changes to existing questions in /any/ of
the current Amateur Radio examination question pools.
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The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers rose
from 28.7 to 32.9 over the November 24-30 reporting week. Average daily
solar flux rose from 78.5 to 82.6. Geomagnetic indicators rose only
slightly, with average planetary A index changing from 12.7 to 13.6, and
average mid-latitude A index rising from 10.1 to 10.3.
Predicted solar flux is 85 on December 1-3; 80 on December 4-8; 78 on
December 9-11; 80 on December 12-13; 82 on December 14-15; 80 on
December 16-17; 78 on December 18-19; 80 on December 20-22; 82 on
December 23-24; 84 on December 25; 83 on December 26-27; 80 on December
28-29; 82 on December 30-31; 80 on January 1-2; 78 on January 3-7, and
80 on January 8-9.
Predicted planetary A index is 6 on December 1-6; 15, 12, 18, 20, and 10
on December 7-11; 5 on December 12-17; 8, 12, 16, and 22 on December
18-21; 30, 12, and 10 on December 22-24; 8 on December 25-27; 5 on
December 28-January 2, and 15, 12, 18, 20, and 10 on January 3-7.
Sunspot numbers for November 24 through 30 were 12, 12, 13, 31, 44, 43,
and 75, with a mean of 32.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 79, 80.9,
81.2, 82.6, 85.2, 85.5, and 83.6, with a mean of 82.6. Estimated
planetary A indices were 24, 33, 12, 10, 8, 5, and 3, with a mean of
13.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 17, 24, 9, 9, 7, 4, and 2,
with a mean of 10.3.
Here is an interesting chart <http://dailym.ai/2gNNtwq> from London's
/Daily Mail/. The blue line is an average of Solar Cycles 1 through 23.
The red line is the current cycle 24, and the gray line is Solar Cycle
5, which may be similar to the current cycle.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports or observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
December 1 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
*
*December 2-4 -- **ARRL 160 Meter Contest*
<http://www.arrl.org/160-meter>*(CW)*
*
December 3 -- TARA RTTY Melee
*
December 3 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
*
December 3-4 -- TOPS Activity Contest (CW)
*
December 4 -- 10 Meter RTTY Contest
*
December 4 -- SARL Digital Contest
*
December 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
*
*December 10-11 -- **ARRL 10 Meter Contest*
<http://www.arrl.org/10-meter>*(CW, phone)*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
*
December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.tampabayhamfest.org/>, Plant City, Florida
*
January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York
*
January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention <http://www.techfest.info/>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia
*
January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas
*
January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention <http://gaares.org/>, Forsyth,
Georgia
*
January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention <http://quartzfest.org/>,
Quartzsite, Arizona
*
January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention <http://msham.org/>,
Jackson, Mississippi
*
January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrlpr.org/>, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
*
February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://hamboree.org/>, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
*
February 4 - South Carolina State Convention <http://wa4usn.org/>,
North Charleston, South Carolina
*
February 4 -- Virginia State Convention <http://www.frostfest.com/>,
Richmond, Virginia
*
February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.hamcation.com/> (HamCation), Orlando, Florida
*
February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention
<http://www.yumahamfest.org/>, Yuma, Arizona
*
February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention
<http://w5wra.org/winterfest_2017.ht>, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference
<http://www.arrlwcf.org/>, Sarasota, Florida
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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