[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for June 16, 2016
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Fri Jun 17 08:34:02 EDT 2016
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
June 16, 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=2016-06-16&t=t>
* ARRL Now Offering New "Radio and Wireless Technology" Patch Program
for Girl Scouts <#toc01>
* FCC Turns Away Petition to Permit Experimental Operation on Amateur
Bands <#toc02>
* Polish DXer 3Z9DX Reported Ready to Return to North Korea on a
Moment's Notice <#toc03>
* Three Radio Amateurs on the ISS Head Home on June 18 <#toc04>
* National Parks on the Air Update <#toc05>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc06>
* Gear Up for ARRL Field Day with Official Merchandise <#toc07>
* Kids Day is Saturday, June 18 <#toc08>
* "The Magic Band" Lives Up to its Name in ARRL June VHF Contest <#toc09>
* White House Honors Limor Fried, AC2SN, Among "Champions of Change
for Making" <#toc10>
* Well-Known DXer, DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, Dies in Fall from
Tower <#toc11>
* Nepal Radio Amateur Describes Earthquake Response Effort at West
Coast Gathering <#toc12>
* Europe's "Dayton" -- Ham Radio 2016 (Friedrichshafen) -- Takes Place
June 24-26 <#toc13>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc14>
* This Week in Radiosport <#toc15>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc16>
ARRL Now Offering New "Radio and Wireless Technology" Patch Program for
Girl Scouts
The ARRL has begun offering a new Girl Scouts "Radio and Wireless
Technology <http://www.arrl.org/girl-scouts-radio-patch>" patch program
that offers opportunities for participants to learn about wireless
technology, including Amateur Radio. Scout leaders and Amateur Radio
volunteers associated with the Greater Atlanta Girl Scout Council and
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains developed the program to
incorporate information and exploratory activities that provide a
backdrop for understanding radio communication. The program will
encourage Girl Scouts to take on activities to gain knowledge and
skills, as well as kindle an interest in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers.
"The initiative for the program came about through my conversations with
hams who wanted to work with Girl Scouts as well as Boy Scouts and
wanted a patch program that would introduce ham radio, as the 'Radio'
merit badge does in the Boy Scouts," said ARRL Education Services
Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ. "I was introduced to a group of leaders
with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta who wanted to work in developing
a new, fun patch program for radio that would fit with the Girl Scout
Leadership Experience
<http://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/transforming_leadership.pdf>
structure. This group was joined by Jill Galus, KB1SWV, of the Girl
Scouts of the Green and White Mountains in New Hampshire. We
collaborated on this over the course of several years." Galus's father,
"Skip" Youngberg, K1NKR, and a team from the Nashoba Valley Radio Club
<http://www.n1nc.org/> helped test-drive the new patch program with Girl
Scouts in New Hampshire, during "Thinking Day on the Air" this past
February.
The program defines the requirements for Girl Scouts to earn the patch
at the Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador levels. Girl
Scouts can learn the fundamentals of radio communication and wireless
technology, from broadcasting to smartphones, and apply what they learn
to connect people, enhance safety, and explore related careers. In
addition to acquiring the fundamentals, participants can explore radio
science through hands-on learning with Amateur Radio, and use radio to
talk around the world and for public service. They also can learn about
the role of wireless technology in everyday life and in careers. Read
more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-now-offering-new-radio-and-wireless-technology-patch-program-for-girls-scouts>.
FCC Turns Away Petition to Permit Experimental Operation on Amateur Bands
The FCC has denied
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-645A1.pdf> the 2015
petition of a Missouri radio amateur seeking to have the Commission
authorize low-power experimental activity on Amateur Radio frequencies.
James Edwin Whedbee, N0ECN, of Gladstone, sought to amend FCC Part 97
Amateur Service rules to let radio amateurs conduct experiments on all
Amateur Radio bands, subject to certain limits on duration, power, and
bandwidth. The FCC declined to put his petition on public notice and
invite comments.
"[T]he Commission's rules contain numerous provisions for
experimentation and development of new radio equipment and techniques,"
the FCC said in a June 9 letter to Whedbee. "The Experimental Radio
Service (ERS) rules contained in Part 5 permit a broad range of
experiments, including in the Amateur Service, and prescribe the manner
in which the radio spectrum may be made available to experiment with new
radio technologies, equipment designs, characteristics of radio wave
propagation, or service concepts related to the use of the radio spectrum."
The letter pointed out that the FCC "recently revised and streamlined"
its Part 5 rules "to provide additional flexibility to innovators" and
noted that Whedbee did not discuss in his petition whether those rule
changes might address his concerns.
In the same stroke of the pen, the FCC denied a 2016 petition from
Whedbee seeking to delegate to the chiefs of the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and the Office of Engineering and
Technology (OET) the authority to dispose of certain requests for
exemptions, waivers, and rulemaking regarding new technologies or new
application of existing technologies.
"The Commission has already delegated to WTB and OET authority to act on
applications, waiver requests, petitions, and even some rulemaking
matters, so long as they do not raise novel questions of law or policy
which cannot be resolved under outstanding Commission precedents and
guidelines," the FCC told Whedbee.
"[W]e conclude that [both] petitions present no evidence of an existing
problem or other evidence meriting a rule change, and we dismiss the
petitions," the FCC concluded.
Whedbee is no stranger to the FCC petition process. Earlier this year he
petitioned
<http://www.arrl.org/news/missouri-radio-amateur-petitions-fcc-to-designate-symbol-communication-subband>
the FCC to designate Morse (radiotelegraphy) Amateur Radio band segments
as "symbol communication" subbands, and the FCC invited public comment
on that request (RM-11769
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001692464>). In 2012, the
FCC turned down Whedbee's request that the FCC declare homeowners
associations' covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) unenforceable.
Polish DXer 3Z9DX Reported Ready to Return to North Korea on a Moment's
Notice
In the wake of a surprise "demonstration" operation from North Korea --
officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- in
December, Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, is eagerly awaiting the call
that will allow him to return to the most-wanted DXCC entity for another
brief activation. Just when that will come could be anytime, however.
/DX-World/ <http://www.dx-world.net/p5-3z9dx-activation-of-north-korea/>
and /The Daily DX/ <http://www.dailydx.com> report that Grzyb has
received confirmation that North Korea will authorize a 5-day operation,
and he is ready to roll as soon as he gets word, which will be on short
notice -- just enough time for him to book his flight, grab his gear,
and head off. /DX World/ reported that no notice would be given prior to
the P5/3Z9DX activation itself.
*Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, during an earlier visit to North Korea.*
There are other conditions: He may only operate on SSB and on one band,
20, 15, or 10 meters. No decisions will be made until Grzyb gets to the
DPRK, however.
Over the course of his unanticipated December 20-21, 2015, activation --
the first in more than a decade -- P5/3Z9DX made nearly 785 SSB
contacts, most of them on 15 meters. Nearly 600 of the contacts were
with stations in Asia; P5/3Z9DX worked just 26 stations in North
America. He has posted <https://secure.clublog.org/charts/?c=P5/3Z9DX>
his log on ClubLog. The ARRL DXCC Department subsequently approved the
P5/3Z9DX operation for DXCC. /-- Thanks to /The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com> /and/ DX-World <http://www.dx-world.net>
Three Radio Amateurs on the ISS Head Home on June 18
Three radio amateurs on board the International Space Station (ISS
<http://www.nasa.gov/station>) will depart the orbiting outpost at the
end of the week. Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra, KE5UDN; Flight
Engineer Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, and Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, will
undock from the space station early on Saturday morning, June 18 (the
evening of Friday, June 17, in US time zones) in a /Soyuz/ TMA-19M
spacecraft commanded by Malenchenko, after having spent 186 days in
space since their December launch. NASA Television will provide coverage
<https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-return-of-nasa-astronaut-two-crewmates-from-space-station>
starting on June 17.
*Seated in front, L-R: ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Timothy
Peake, KG5BVI; NASA astronaut Timothy Kopra, KE5UDN, and Roscosmos
cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, are set to depart the International
Space Station and return to Earth on June 18. Behind them (L-R) are Oleg
Skripochka, RN3FU, Alexey Ovchinin, both of Roscosmos, and Jeff
Williams, KD5TVQ. [NASA photo]*
When the /Soyuz/ undocks, ISS Expedition 48 will begin under the command
of Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ. Williams and crewmates Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU,
and Alexey Ovchinin will operate the station for 3 weeks until the
arrival of the next crew increment. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ;
Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, and Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS, of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are scheduled to launch on July 6
from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
During their stay, Kopra and Peake scored some milestones for the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) program. On March 10, Kopra conducted the 1000th
ARISS school group contact with students in North Dakota. The first
contact occurred in December of 2000. Peake made use of Amateur Radio in
his "Principia Mission <https://principia.org.uk/>" outreach, which
aimed to directly engage students with communication technologies,
inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM) fields.
During his stay in space, Peake hosted <https://youtu.be/ByEf1xlWZyE> 10
ARISS school group contacts, including the first to take advantage of
the HamTV digital Amateur Radio television (DATV) system when he spoke
with students in England on February 11. The DATV system in the
/Columbus /module of the ISS allowed students at Royal Masonic School,
home of GB1RSM, to see as well as to listen, as Peake, operating as
GB1SS, answered their questions about life in space. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/three-radio-amateurs-on-the-iss-head-home-on-june-18>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-06-16&p=0>
National Parks on the Air Update
One of the rarest locations in the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA
<https://npota.arrl.org/>) program will be activated on Saturday, June
18. The HacDX Amateur Radio Club, W3HAC, has secured permission to
operate from the White House Visitor Center
<http://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/white-house-visitor-center.htm>
(DZ10), during ARRL Kids Day <http://www.arrl.org/kids-day>. Announced
frequencies are 14,270, 7270, 14,042, and 7042 kHz from 1800 to 2300 UTC.
The group, which has secured the call sign W3H for this activity, plans
other NPOTA Activations on August 25 -- the actual date of the National
Park Service's 100th anniversary -- and in October for Scouting's
Jamboree On the Air (JOTA <http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota>).
There are 55 NPOTA activations on the calendar for June 16-22, including
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and the James Garfield National
Historic Site in Ohio. 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).
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Grounding" is the topic of the latest (June 16) 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>. Just ahead: "Are Linear Amplifiers
Really Worthwhile?"
Gear Up for ARRL Field Day with Official Merchandise
ARRL Field Day <http://www.arrl.org/field-day> -- the most popular
operating event of all -- is June 25-26. There's still time to show your
support for ARRL Field Day with official merchandise. Shirts
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Supplies/> hats
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Hat-2016>, pins
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Pin-2016>, patches
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Patch-2016>, and coffee mugs
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Mug-2016> are a great way to
acknowledge -- and commemorate -- your participation in this annual
event. Encourage family, friends, and fellow hams to take part in ARRL
Field Day with recruitment posters
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Poster-pack-of-25/> and attractive
"Get on the Air" (GOTA) pins
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/GOTA-Field-Day-Pin/> for newcomers. Get
out...get /on the air/...and leave nothing but footprints!
Order your 2016 ARRL Field Day merchandise from the ARRL online store
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Supplies/> or call (888) 277-5289 in
the US, Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. Outside
the US, call (860) 594-0355). While supplies last.
Kids Day is Saturday, June 18
Kids Day <http://www.arrl.org/kids-day> is Saturday, June 18, from 1800
to 2400 UTC. The twice-yearly (January and June) event, sponsored by the
ARRL and The Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, is an excellent
opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio to youngsters and even to hand
over the keys, so they can get some hands-on hamming experience. Share
the excitement with your own children or grandkids, or with youngsters
in the neighborhood! For youngsters, their positive ham radio experience
may foster an interest that may lead them to become radio amateurs. For
veterans, it's a chance to share their stations and affection for
Amateur Radio with the next generation.
*Brian Szewczyk, NJ1F (left), mentors new radio amateur Lukas Rieben,
KE8EIC, at the Discover the HF Experience demonstration at Hamvention^®
2016. Lukas passed his Technician exam at the show. [Bob Inderbitzen,
NQ1R, photo]*
To solicit contacts, call "CQ Kids Day." The suggested exchange is name,
age, location, and favorite color. There is /no/ limit on operating
time, and stations may work each other more than once if the operator
has changed. Repeater contacts (with permission of the repeater's
sponsor) are okay too, and satellite contacts may provide a /real/
thrill. Observe third-party traffic
<http://www.arrl.org/third-party-operating-agreements> restrictions when
making DX contacts.
All participants are encouraged to post stories and photos to the Kids
Day Soapbox page <http://www.arrl.org/soapbox> and are eligible for a
colorful certificate. You can download
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Kids%20Day/2015%20Kid%27s%20Day%20Certificate%20without%20crops%20indd.pdf>
the free certificate, customized with the youngsters' names, after
filling out the Kids Day Survey found on the same page as the
certificate generator. Alternatively, you can send a 9 × 12 SASE to Kids
Day Certificate Request, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-06-16&p=1>
"The Magic Band" Lives Up to its Name in ARRL June VHF Contest
Six meters sounded more like an HF band during the ARRL June VHF Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf> over the June 11-12 weekend, as sustained
sporadic E (also known as E-skip or E_s ) openings greeted participants.
Some found 6 meter contacts so bountiful that they tended to neglect the
other VHF/UHF bands, where conditions were more typical.
"As for why the contest weekend was so good, all I can say is that June
can be good for E-skip," said Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, the former
"Propagation" editor for /National Contest Journal/ (/NCJ
<http://ncjweb.com/>/). "I think the term 'sporadic' in its name is well
suited. We just don't understand the detailed processes of 6 meter E_s ."
*The well-appointed VHF-UHF tower at K2DRH.*
For many, it was a 6-meters-only event, with the best conditions in
several years and much of the action on CW. "This was the consummate 50
MHz festival, with wide-open bands throughout most of the contest," Bill
Schwantes, W7QQ, in New Mexico, posted in his soapbox comments on the
3830 <http://lists.contesting.com/_3830/> website. "For the first time
in my memory I felt like a rate junkie, often reaching 200 per hour.
What fun on 6, while ignoring long-haul, weak signal contacts on 144,
222, and 432."
Bob Striegl, K2DRH, who boasts some serious VHF-UHF antennas in upstate
Illinois, said the band "was going crazy" in the evening from the East
Coast to Europe, and to Japan from the Midwest and South. "In a lull I
tuned up JA7QVI, who was the strongest, and worked him on CW with low
power!"
Mike Smith, VE9AA, in New Brunswick called it, "A VHF (6 meter) contest
I can write home about." He was one station's first 6 meter contact, and
"was tickled to do that."
Top-tier HF contester Dan Street, K1TO, in Florida, made his first 6
meter contact with Japan during ARRL VHF, only the third time he's
operated in the event. "Conditions were amazingly different for all of
us," Street said in his soapbox post. "I watched in awe as the W1s
seemed to have a contest-long opening to somewhere. EA8DBM's skimmer
made an incredible number of US spots, and he worked stations out to the
West Coast. Yet here in Florida, I never heard him once, nor even one
European."
Eric Gruff, NC6K, in California also didn't get in on the excitement.
"Another frustrating VHF contest from DM13," he posted. "[T]he majority
of the time, I spent listening to the same local stations calling CQ
incessantly, while the rest of the country was enjoying a huge opening."
Charlie Panek, KX7L, in Washington, summed things up this way: "Every
few years the planets line up right, and we get a good E_s opening
during the contest," he said. "This was one of those years!" Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-magic-band-lives-up-to-its-name-in-arrl-june-vhf-contest>.
White House Honors Limor Fried, AC2SN, Among "Champions of Change for
Making"
The White House will honor Adafruit <http://www.adafruit.com/> founder
Limor "Ladyada" Fried, AC2SN, on June 17 as one of 10 "Champions of
Change <http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions> for Making." According to
the announcement, while an engineering student at MIT, Fried became
determined to create a company that focused on supporting the learning
of electronics for makers of all ages and skill levels.
Limor Fried, AC2SN.
"These individuals were selected by the White House for their personal
passion and tireless efforts to make advances in technology and
platforms, educational opportunities, or spaces that empower even more
Americans to become tinkerers, inventors, and entrepreneurs," the
announcement said.
Fried founded Adafruit in 2005, and it has grown to now employ more than
100 individuals in a 50,000 square foot factory in New York City. As the
company's sole owner, she has committed to building both innovation and
community, and is known for creating resources for learning.
"When Limor Fried looks at a circuit board, she sees it as a series of
aesthetic choices -- a vehicle for self-expression, rather than simply
the product of rational optimization," Nicola Twilley wrote
<http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/limor-frieds-artful-electronics>
in the March 3 edition of /The New Yorker/ magazine. Twilley quoted
Fried as saying, "I want to show people that engineering isn't something
cold and calculated. Thinking like an engineer is a beautiful and
fascinating way to see the world, too."
Fried was the first female engineer on the cover of /WIRED/ magazine,
and she was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 by /Entrepreneur/
magazine. She also served on the NYC Industrial Business Advisory Council.
Adafruit has expanded its offerings to include tools, equipment, and
electronics, which Fried personally selects, tests, and approves before
they go into the Adafruit store.
The White House will live stream <http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/> the
recognition ceremony on Friday, June 17, at 1700 UTC. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/white-house-honors-limor-fried-ac2sn-among-champions-of-change-for-making>.
Well-Known DXer, DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, Dies in Fall from Tower
Well-known DXer and DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, of Virden, New
Mexico, died on June 10 after falling from an Amateur Radio tower. An
ARRL Life Member, he was 73. According to the Pima County Sheriff's
Department, Jensen was working on a tower on Arizona's Mount Lemmon when
he fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The mishap is still under
investigation.
*Milt Jensen, N5IA, during the Ducie Island DXpedition in 2008.*
"Milt was on one of his many tower climbing adventures, and, by no
choice of his, it became his last," his oldest son, Jason, wrote in a
QRZ.com post.
Licensed in 1960, Jensen had lived in Virden for his entire life.
Especially well known for his 160 meter activity, he spent several years
constructing an "8-circle array" of full-sized 160 meter verticals --
each 125-foot towers -- at his station site south of Safford, Arizona,
near the New Mexico border, Lee Finkel, KY7M, wrote in an article set to
appear in the July/August issue of /NCJ/. Jensen operated his "dream
station" remotely from his home, often using the call sign N7GP in
contests. In addition to his Top Band operation, Jensen was heavily
involved in designing, installing, and maintaining VHF and UHF
mountaintop repeaters, remotely controlled base stations, and linking
systems. As a contester, he often landed in the Top 10 standings.
Jensen participated in three DXpeditions. He and his wife Rulene,
KB5VTM, were part of the 1998 XZ1N team in Myanmar. In 2000, he returned
to Myanmar as part of the XZ0A multinational team. In 2008, he was part
of the Ducie Island VP6DX DXpedition team. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/well-known-dxer-dxpeditioner-milt-jensen-n5ia-dies-in-tower-fall>.
Nepal Radio Amateur Describes Earthquake Response Effort at West Coast
Gathering
Amateur Radio's "vital role" in the 2015 Nepal earthquake response was
the topic on June 2 as the City of Santa Clara, California, hosted
Sanjeeb Panday, 9N1SP, of Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu Nepal. Given
that the Silicon Valley and the Kathmandu Valley share the common
geography of multiple, nearby earthquake fault lines, the subject was
relevant. The Santa Clara Fire Department sponsored the presentation,
with an eye toward applying the lessons learned in the wake of the Nepal
earthquake to better prepare for a similar disaster in the Silicon Valley.
*Sanjeeb Panday, 9N1SP, spoke in Santa Clara, California, on June 2.*
"The Nepali people have gone through a tremendous ordeal," Panday told
the audience. "If our experience can help others in different parts of
the world [to] better prepare for disasters, then this can be regarded
as a positive outcome."
Nearly 100 spectators attended Panday's presentation, including
firefighters, emergency response officials, City of Santa Clara
ARES/RACES members, Bay-Net <http://www.bay-net.org/> participants, and
members of the Nepali-American Community. Scout leader Richard
Silkebakken, KM6CPH, and members of Cub Scout Pack 32 (Monterey Bay
Council) presented Panday with two handheld transceivers for delivery to
Scouts in Nepal. Also during the event, the office of US Rep Mike Honda
presented the Global Nepali Professional Network (GNPN
<http://www.gnpn.org> or CAN-USA) with a "Certificate of Special
Congressional Recognition." Through its Radio Mala
<http://www.gnpn.org/radio-mala> program, GNPN funded and helped to
construct the only two Amateur Radio repeaters available in Nepal during
the earthquake.
Panday was in the US to attend the International Microwave Symposium
(IMS <http://www.ims2016.org>), where he addressed a panel on Amateur
Radio in post-secondary education. On June 1, he also spoke to the US
Geological Survey.
Second-generation Nepali-American Suresh Ojha, W6KTM, said he was
gratified that the academic community and US jurisdictions are looking
at Nepal's earthquake experience with an eye to applying the lessons
learned to the challenges faced in the US. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/nepal-radio-amateur-describes-earthquake-response-effort-at-west-coast-gathering>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-06-16&p=2>
Europe's "Dayton" -- Ham Radio 2016 (Friedrichshafen) -- Takes Place
June 24-26
ARRL will be well represented this month at Europe's premier Amateur
Radio gathering -- Ham Radio <http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/>
2016. The 3-day event, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the shores of
Lake Constance, gets under way on June 24. ARRL President Rick Roderick,
K5UR, will head the League's contingent to Friedrichshafen, which also
will include International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB; CEO
Tom Gallagher, NY2RF; Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R; Assistant
Field Services and Radiosport Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and retired CEO
David Sumner, K1ZZ. The annual show attracts upward of 15,000 visitors
from around the globe. The co-sponsoring Deutscher Amateur Radio Club
(DARC <http://www.darc.de/>) has set a theme of "Amateur Radio -- On
land, on water, and in the air" for this summer's event. Some 200
exhibitors from 34 countries will be on hand for this 41st
"Friedrichshafen."
*The indoor flea market at Friedrichshafen always draws a crowd.*
"There are as many different ways to operate Amateur Radio as there are
places from which you can send radio transmissions: On land, on water,
and in the air," DARC spokesperson Stephanie Heine, DO7PR, said.
This year's program includes a "foxhunt" in woods near the fairgrounds,
a youth camp <http://www.hamcamp.de>, and the Ham Rally, where the next
generation of radio amateurs can explore the world of technology and
wireless. It's open to young people between the ages of 8 and 18.
A Contest University (CTU
<http://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/dx/contest/ctu/>) sponsored by the
DARC will take place for radiosport beginners on Friday, June 24, and
experienced contesters on Saturday, June 25, with sessions aimed at how
to improve contesting performance.
IARU Region 1 <http://iaru-r1.org/> will host a meeting of those
interested in emergency communication on Friday, June 24. The session
will include an open forum for national coordinators to report on
activities in their respective countries. Also up for discussion will be
GlobalSet and changes to the IARU emergency message procedure.
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org>) President
Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, will head the IARU team to Friedrichshafen,
along with IARU Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and IARU Secretary
Rod Stafford, W6ROD, a past ARRL president.
Next year's big show in Friedrichshafen will take place July 14-16,
owing to a scheduling conflict. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/europe-s-dayton-ham-radio-2016-friedrichshafen-takes-place-june-24-26>.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: It was a little scary to see the daily
sunspot number at zero for 4 days -- June 3-6 -- but conditions seem to
have recovered nicely. The average daily sunspot number for our June
9-15 reporting week was 29.1, up from 7.7 the previous week.
Due to the way sunspots are counted, the minimum non-zero sunspot number
is 11. A sunspot number of 11 means there is one sunspot (counting as
one point) in one sunspot group (adding 10 points). A second sunspot
raises the sunspot number to 12, unless that spot is on its own and not
clustered with the other spot, in which case the sunspot number would be
22. So, that average daily sunspot number of 7.7 from the previous week
is due to the fact that 4 out of the 7 days had sunspot numbers of zero;
you would never see a day with an /actual/ sunspot number of 7.7.
Average daily solar flux this week was 88.3, up from 80.7. Predicted
solar flux for the next month is pretty flat, at 85 on June 16-30; 80 on
July 1-5; 85 on July 6-9; 92 on July 10-11; 95 on July 12-18; 92 and 90
on July 19-20, and 85 on July 21-27.
Predicted planetary A index is 18, 12, and 8 on June 16-18; 5 on June
19-21; 8, 10, 12, and 8 on June 22-25; 1 on June 26-27; 5 on June
28-July 1; then 25, 20, and 8 on July 2-4; 5 on July 5-6; 8 and 10 on
July 7-8; 8 on July 9-10; 5, 8, 12, and 8 on July 11-14; 5 on July
15-19; 10, 12, and 8 on July 20-22; 1 on July 23-24, and 5 on July 25-28.
Sunspot numbers for June 9 through 15 were 22, 28, 40, 39, 27, 26, and
22, with a mean of 29.1. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 85.2, 84.9, 88.2,
94.1, 91, 87.6, and 87.3, with a mean of 88.3. Estimated planetary A
indices were 4, 9, 11, 10, 9, 21, and 14, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 5, 9, 11, 9, 10, 15, and 15 with a mean of 10.6.
In Friday's bulletin look for reader reports on recent 6 meter propagation.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations at
k7ra at arrl.net <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net>.
.
.
.
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.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Week in Radiosport
*
*June 18 -- **Kids Day* <http://www.arrl.org/kids-day>
*
June 18 -- Feld Hell Sprint
*
June 18 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
*
June 18-19 -- SMIRK Contest (CW, phone)
*
June 18-19 -- All Asian DX Contest (CW)
*
June 18-19 -- Ukrainian DX Classic (RTTY)
*
June 18-19 -- IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest (CW, phone)
*
June 18-19 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
*
June 18-19 -- West Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
June 19 -- WAB 50 MHz Phone
*
June 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
*
June 22 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
*
June 23 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
*
June 23 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB)
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
*
June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/>,
Knoxville, Tennessee
*
July 2 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.w3uu.org/>, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
*
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 15-17 -- Montana State Convention <http://gwhamfest.org>, East
Glacier, Montana
*
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
*
August 5-6 -- Texas State Convention
<http://www.austinsummerfest.org/>, Austin, Texas
*
August 5-7 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
<http://pacificnwdxconvention.com/>, Portland, Oregon
*
August 12-14 -- New Mexico State Convention
<http://dukecityhamfest.org/>, Albuquerque, New Mexico
*
August 19-21 -- West Virginia State Convention
<http://www.qsl.net/wvsarc/>, Weston, West Virginia
*
August 20-21 -- Southeastern Division Convention
<http://hamfest.org/>, Huntsville, Alabama
*
August 21 -- Kansas State Convention <http://www.w0cy.org/>, Salina,
Kansas
*
September 3-4 -- North Carolina State Convention
<http://shelbyhamfest.org/>, Shelby, North Carolina
*
September 9-11 -- New England Division Convention
<http://boxboro.org/>, Boxborough, Massachusetts
*
September 10 -- Kentucky State Convention
<http://louisvillehamfest.com/>, Shepherdsville, Kentucky
*
September 10 -- Virginia Section Convention <http://vbhamfest.com>,
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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