[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for March 17, 2016
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Mar 17 19:07:17 EDT 2016
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
March 17, 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=2016-03-17&t=t>
* ARRL Urges FCC Not to Impose Overbroad Notification Requirement on
2200 and 630 Meter Operation <#toc01>
* ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Respond to Heavy Rain, Flooding in
Louisiana <#toc02>
* Southern Florida ARES Volunteers Support Biennial Nuclear Power
Plant Drill <#toc03>
* National Parks on the Air Update <#toc04>
* ARRL Now on Instagram! <#toc05>
* RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- Now Includes Coverage
Maps <#toc06>
* ARISS Marks its 1000th Contact! <#toc07>
* Over the Horizon Radars Becoming Routine Visitors on Amateur HF
Bands <#toc08>
* National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Sessions to be Live
Streamed <#toc09>
* Young Connecticut Ham Off to an Award-Winning Start <#toc10>
* Former DX QSL Manager Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, SK <#toc11>
* In Brief... <#toc12>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
<#toc15>
ARRL Urges FCC Not to Impose Overbroad Notification Requirement on 2200
and 630 Meter Operation
In an /ex parte/ statement
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001498728> filed March 10
with the FCC, the ARRL has asked the Commission not to adopt "an
overbroad" requirement for notification of utilities in advance of
intended Amateur Radio operation on the pending 2200 (135.7-137.8 kHz)
and 630 meter (472-479 kHz) bands. The statement, filed in ET Dockets
12-338 and 15-99
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-50A1.pdf>,
supplemented the League's earlier comments in the proceeding. The FCC is
expected to provide Amateur Radio with access to both bands and to spell
out service rules and operational requirements sometime within the first
quarter of 2016. Regulatory provisions under consideration have included
a possible notification requirement by some radio amateurs to utilities
that operate PLC systems in that region of the spectrum, prior to
operating on either new band. Utilities use unlicensed, mostly LF PLC
systems to control parts of the electrical power grid.
"ARRL does not object to such a notification requirement, provided that
it is appropriately circumscribed, not overbroad in its applicability,
and not overly burdensome for radio amateurs to comply with," the
League's statement asserted.
The ARRL noted that comments filed by the Utilities Telecom Council
(UTC) called for a system of "quasi-coordination" by radio amateurs
before commencing operation on 2200 meters. In its remarks to the FCC,
the ARRL pointed out, however, that the UTC has not volunteered any
information with respect to how a notification process might work, nor
offered any PLC database information to the ARRL or to the amateur
community so prospective users of the band could determine if their
operation might be problematic.
The ARRL expressed concern that "this vague reference" to a notification
procedure by UTC might lead the FCC to adopt an overbroad notification
requirement for radio amateurs intending to operate in either the 2200
or 630 meter band. The League further pointed out that PLC systems
operating between 9 and 490 kHz are not subject to protection from
licensed services.
*Utilities use unlicensed, mostly LF PLC systems on transmission lines
to control parts of the electrical power grid.*
The League reiterated its willingness to accept distance-separation
criteria between amateur stations operating on either band and
PLC-carrying transmission lines using frequencies in either band, and a
notification process in the few instances in which an amateur station
intends to operate on either band within close proximity to a
transmission line with a PLC using the same frequencies. The League said
interference potential to PLC systems from Amateur Radio operation on
2200 or 630 meters is very low, with the possible exception of amateur
operation within 1 kilometer of an existing transmission line carrying
/co//-channel/ PLC signals.
"It would be an unreasonable regulatory burden to require more than
this, and there is no record justification for a requirement that all
radio amateurs who wish to operate in these bands to have to participate
in a notification process," the ARRL said in its /ex parte/ statement.
Any sort of blanket notification requirement prior to transmitting on
2200 or 630 meters "would be clear regulatory overkill," the ARRL
concluded. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-urges-fcc-not-to-impose-overbroad-notification-requirement-to-operate-on-2200-and-630-meters>.
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Respond to Heavy Rain, Flooding in Louisiana
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN volunteers in
Louisiana assisted the National Weather Service (NWS), as record-setting
rainfall led to severe and widespread flooding. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a disaster declaration for the
state. Region 7 District Emergency Coordinator John Mark Robertson,
K5JMR, in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, said Amateur Radio
involvement began on March 8, when the NWS-Shreveport Office requested a
SKYWARN activation during a tornado watch.
*Flooding in Bossier Parish, Louisiana.*
For the next 17 hours, Robertson reported, a group of volunteers handled
weather-spotting duties over linked repeaters, filing some 70 reports.
Their coverage included parts of Texas and Arkansas. The severe weather
included hail as well as major flooding that closed Interstate 20 in
three Louisiana parishes and inundated entire neighborhoods. On March
10, the ARES team in Tangipahoa Parish in southeastern Louisiana was
active for nearly 2 days in response to heavy rain and flooding.
"Local hams operating [fixed, portable, or mobile] provided updates on
local conditions and were able to offer road reports to travelers on the
state highways and Interstate 12, which crosses all of the major rivers
in our area," ARES Region 9 DEC Bob Priez, WB5FBS, told ARRL. He said
numerous rivers, streams, and waterways were well above flood stage by
the afternoon of March 11.
*Some livestock in this flooded area took refuge under the porch of a
home under construction on higher ground. [Photo courtesy Bossier Parish
Sheriff's Office]*
"We were able to receive and send weather bulletins and flood conditions
to and from the NWS in Slidell, Louisiana, using our 147.000 repeater
and the Slidell 147.270 repeater. The 147.000 repeater also provided
communication with the EOC at Southeastern Louisiana University and
Tangipahoa Parish EOC in Amite, Louisiana," he said. Fixed stations used
packet radio on VHF as well as conventional e-mail to relay NWS weather
bulletins and to forward local reports to NWS.
Priez said the March activation was the third for his ARES crew since
two events in February, when the area was hit with heavy rain and wind.
He said that event gave the group the opportunity to test recently
revised plans to interface directly with the NWS Office in Slidell via
repeaters in Tangipahoa and St Tammany parishes, and via packet.
"This plan proved really effective in the February 23 event, which, in
addition to rains and winds, also spawned numerous tornadoes across the
southeast region," Priez said. "Our widespread ham radio observers were
able to send real-time reports of tornado activity in Livingston,
Montpelier, and Convent, and from Washington and St John parishes in
Louisiana, and also from southwestern Mississippi." The group also kept
in contact with the Southeastern Louisiana University EOC and the
Tangipahoa Parish EOC via the local VHF repeater.
On March 13, Robertson said three SKYWARN volunteers activated in
response to severe weather, posting 25 messages dealing with tornado
watches and warnings, reports of hail, and continued major flooding.
As the National Weather Service reported, the highest reported rainfall
total was "a whopping 26.96 inches!" southeast of Monroe. The NWS has
posted
<https://nwschat.weather.gov/p.php?pid=201603151525-KSHV-NOUS44-PNSSHV>
rainfall totals for the March 8-12 period. The flooding has led to road
closings over a wide area, and law enforcement personnel assisted by the
Louisiana National Guard used boats to reach and rescue stranded
residents and their pets.
Southern Florida ARES Volunteers Support Biennial Nuclear Power Plant Drill
ARES teams from five Florida counties took part in a February 24
exercise at the St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant on Hutchinson Island in
Jensen Beach. The plant is required to hold an exercise every 2 years to
test and evaluate the responses of plant personnel, law enforcement,
emergency managers, and communication personnel in the event of an
emergency, such as a radiation release. The exercises are evaluated by
personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The 2016 scenario involved
overloaded and unusable public telecommunication systems. In a real
emergency, ARES volunteers would provide radio communication among the
county emergency operations centers and other critical entities and
locations.
ARES teams participated from St Lucie, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River,
and Brevard counties. Operators successfully employed the linked UHF
repeater-based Statewide Amateur Radio Network
<http://www.sarnetfl.com/home> (SARnet) for most communication, as well
as an HF net on 7.245 MHz.
*The St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant in Florida. [Florida Power & Light photo]*
The dual nets provided for redundancy and reliability for the ARES
mission to support the EOCs. SARnet serves the State of Florida; it's
interconnected by a Florida Department of Transportation network.
All ARES communication tests and requirements were successfully passed
and met, and evaluators praised the use of dual nets for enhanced
reliability. Martin County ARES also had a display of go-kits. A FEMA
representative visited with ARES EC Steve Marshall, WW4RX, who discussed
the kits and answered questions about SARnet and its coverage./-- Thanks
to the /ARRL ARES E-Letter <http://www.arrl.org/ares-el>
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-03-17&p=0>
National Parks on the Air Update
ARRL has created a certificate for National Park Service employees who
go the extra mile in helping to promote or assist National Parks on the
Air (NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>) activity in their parks. The NPOTA
/Certificate of Appreciation/ is available to any NPS employee or
volunteer who is recommended by the NPOTA Activator community for
exceptional assistance in promoting NPOTA. Show your appreciation for
the NPS staffer who helped to make /your/ activation a success; nominate
them for the NPOTA /Certificate of Appreciation/. E-mail
<mailto:npota at arrl.org> the name, title, and NPS unit of your nominee.
There are 52 activations scheduled for the week of March 17-23,
including Mammoth Cave National Park (NP39) in Kentucky, and the newest
addition to the National Parks System, Castle Mountains National
Monument (MN82) in California.
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 onTwitter
<http://www.twitter.com/> (*@ARRL_NPOTA*).
ARRL Now on Instagram!
ARRL now has a presence on Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/>, a
social networking app made for sharing photos and videos. Similar to
Facebook or Twitter, everyone who creates an account has a profile and a
news feed. Photos or videos you post on Instagram will be displayed on
your profile. Other users who follow you will see your posts in their
own feed. Likewise, you'll see posts from other users who you choose to
follow. Instagram is available for free on /iOS/, /Android/, and
/Windows/ phone devices. It can also be accessed on the web from a
computer, but users can only upload, share photos or videos, and create
an account from their devices.
Before you can start using the app, Instagram will ask you to create a
free account. You can sign up via your existing Facebook account or
through the app itself. After you sign up, you may be asked if you want
to follow some friends who are on Instagram in your Facebook network.
Instagram is all about visual sharing. Every user profile has a
"Followers" and "Following" count, representing how many people they
follow and how many users are following them. Every user profile has a
button you can tap to follow them. If a user has their profile set to
private, they will need to approve your request first. Interacting
within posts is fun and easy. You can double tap any post to "like" it
or add a comment at the bottom. The @ sign represents a link to your
user profile. For example, if you choose your username to be JaneDoe,
other users can tag you in their posts by commenting @JaneDoe, which, by
clicking it, will bring them directly to your profile.
If you want to find more friends or interesting accounts to follow, use
the search tab (marked by the magnifying glass icon) to browse through
posts recommended to you. You can also use the search bar at the top to
look for specific users or #hashtag.
ARRL uses Instagram to promote current events, happenings at
Headquarters, and news. ARRL is on Instagram as *@arrlhq*. Follow us,
and you'll have instant access to all photos and videos that we post.
It's an interesting and entertaining collection that will only grow over
time! /-- Thanks to Erin Day/
RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- Now Includes Coverage Maps
RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- now will include coverage
maps for all repeaters on Earth. In February, the ARRL established an
agreement with RFinder, the creator of a web- and app-based directory of
Amateur Radio repeaters worldwide, to serve as its preferred online
resource of repeater frequencies. RFinder has partnered with CloudRF.com
to provide the maps.
"Our systems are busy rendering and indexing coverage maps, based on
ground-path loss using the Longley-Rice irregular terrain model
<http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/resources/radio-propagation-software/itm/itm.aspx>,"
explained RFinder Creater Bob Greenberg, W2CYK. "We have worked with
Alex Farrant, M6ZUJ, creator of CloudRF.com, to render coverage maps for
nearly the entire collection of repeaters in RFinder's database."
*An RFinder screenshot of the Long Island, New York, vicinity.*
RFinder has downloaded and will serve as a host for KMZ (Keyhole Markup
Language Zipped) overlays for Google Earth. The resulting KMZ place
marker files will be viewable in Google Earth on /Windows/ and /Mac/
platforms (via web.rfinder.net and routes.rfinder.net) and on /Android/
and /iOS/ versions of RFinder. The /Windows/ and /Mac/ versions allow
the viewing of multiple coverage maps at the same time.
As part of this project, RFinder will provide free access to repeater
coordinators worldwide. As coordinators update repeaters with height
above average terrain (HAAT), power and gain, and latitude and
longitude, maps will be automatically re-rendered within a few minutes
and made available to subscribers. The sign-up procedure for the
repeater coordinator program will be announced later this month. The new
capability is expected to ease the work of repeater coordinators, as
they will easily be able to see repeater coverage maps side by side for
both coordinated and uncoordinated machines -- information critical as
simplex nodes for Internet linking, cross-band repeaters, and homebrew
repeaters crop up worldwide.
Users of the trial version of RFinder on /Android/ will have access to
coverage maps for a limited time, after which only subscribers
<http://subscribe.rfinder.net/> will have access. An annual $9.99
RFinder subscription provides access to repeater data worldwide.
RFinder will be an ARRL EXPO exhibitor at Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.hamvention.org/>^® , May 20-22. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/rfinder-now-includes-coverage-maps>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-03-17&p=1>
ARISS Marks its 1000th Contact!
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) program has celebrated a milestone -- its
1000th school radio contact. The first ARISS contact with students on
Earth took place a little more than 15 years ago. On March 10, ISS crew
member Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, did the honors for number 1000 -- a contact
with students from schools in North Dakota and Minnesota gathered at the
University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, organized by the North Dakota
Space Grant Consortium (NDSGC <http://ndspacegrant.und.edu/>). The ARISS
contact was the first to be hosted in North Dakota, and some 500
students and visitors were on hand for the big event. ARISS
International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, congratulated the ARISS team on
what he called "this phenomenal accomplishment."
*Astronaut Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, on the air as NA1SS from the International
Space Station. [NASA photo]*
"With the outstanding support of NASA and the international space
agencies participating in ISS, the ISS on-orbit crew members
encompassing all 48 expeditions and the hundreds of ARISS volunteers
worldwide, the ARISS team has reached a tremendous milestone: 1000 ARISS
contacts between schools on the ground and the ISS crews on orbit," he
said. "Since our first contact in December 2000 to today's contact in
North Dakota, hundreds of thousands of students have participated in the
hands-on STEM learning that ARISS affords, and many millions from the
general public have witnessed human spaceflight in action through an
ARISS contact."
During the 10-minute ARISS contact Kopra answered 20 questions posed by
young people ranging from kindergarten to graduate school.
Veteran astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, marveled at the number of
contacts completed to date. "A thousand contacts. Who would have ever
thought?" he said in a NASA video marking the milestone. "That means a
thousand times we've had a chance to reach down to Planet Earth to make
contact and to inspire the next generation of explorers. So, I
congratulate the ARISS program."
Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI -- one of Kopra's crew mates on the ISS --
said in another NASA video marking the milestone that talking to schools
via Amateur Radio has been "one of the most rewarding activities" of his
time in space.
Ahead of the actual contact, a consortium team led youngsters at
participating schools in hands-on activities and learning about
aerospace, priming them for the interview with Kopra. The students, many
from smaller rural communities, built and launched rockets, crafted and
tested parachutes similar to those on NASA's /Orion/ capsule, and
designed and tested neutral buoyant objects. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ariss-marks-its-1000th-contact>.
Over the Horizon Radars Becoming Routine Visitors on Amateur HF Bands
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (Europe/Africa)
Monitoring System (IARUMS <http://www.iarums-r1.org>) has reported a
spate of over the horizon (OTH) radar signals on various Amateur Radio
HF bands -- exclusive and shared. Many of these signals are being heard
outside of the Region 1 confines.
*A signal from the Australian "JORN" OTH radar (FM CW burst mode) on
21,293 kHz with different sweep rates. [Courtesy of Wolf Hadel, DK2OM]*
A 50 kHz wide Russian OTH radar has been heard in the evening on 80
meters, often in the CW part of the band. An "often long-lasting"
Russian OTH signal about 13 kHz wide is being heard on the 7000-7100 kHz
segment of 40 meters, while some digital traffic (FSK or PSK), and a
"Codar-like radar from the Far East" are being heard in the 7000-7200
kHz segment as well as non-amateur CW transmissions.
The same OTH radar being heard on 40 meters also is appearing on 20
meters, along with digital traffic in FSK or PSK and on CW and broadband
OTH radar signals from China. Some monitoring reports are intriguing,
such as this one on 14.280 MHz from IARU Region 1 Monitoring System
Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM: "Female voice with encrypted msgs --
figures -- 'SZRU' = Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine in Rivne --
every Wednesday at 1005 UTC."
Broadband OTH radars from China, Australia, Cyprus, and Turkey have been
monitored in 15 meters. On 10 meters, radars from Iran with FM CW and
different sweep rates have been monitored, as well as fishery buoys on
CW, and taxi operations on voice from Russia.
Voice traffic from fishing operations has been heard on all or most HF
bands, as have a variety of broadcasters, including the third harmonic
of Radio Tajik (4765 kHz) on 14.295 MHz, Radio Taiwan and Myanmar Radio,
both on 7.200 MHz, and Radio Hargeysa in Somalia on 7.120 MHz/./
The February 2016 IARU Region 1 Monitoring System newsletter
<http://www.iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2016/news1602.pdf> offers more
details. There is an online archive
<http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=39&Itemid=87>
of past issues./-- Thanks to the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System/
National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Sessions to be Live Streamed
Sessions focusing on the role of Amateur Radio in major weather events
will be a part the 2016 National Hurricane Conference
<http://hurricanemeeting.com/>, set for later this month in Orlando,
Florida. The goal of the annual conference is to improve hurricane
preparedness. Attendance is free to all Amateur Radio sessions, which
will take place Tuesday, March 22, from 1:30 until 5 PM ET (1830-2200
UTC). Amateur Radio presentations will be live streamed
<http://www.nsradio.org/stream> via YouTube and recorded.
At the 1:30 PM session, National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb
will discuss the importance of Amateur Radio surface reporting. Other
presenters will include Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, of the Canadian Hurricane
Centre, who will speak on hurricane meteorology and give a brief
overview of his center's operation, and WX4NHC Assistant Amateur Radio
Station Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, who will talk about activities
at WX4NHC, the National Hurricane Center's Amateur Radio station.
The 2 PM session will feature presentations from Hurricane Watch Net
(HWN) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, discussing the HWN, personal weather
stations, and back-up power and antennas; VoIP Hurricane Net director of
operations and ARRL ARES Eastern Massachusetts Assistant SEC Rob Macedo,
KD1CY, on the VoIP Hurricane Net and best practices in SKYWARN tropical
systems, and ARRL Assistant Emergency Preparedness Manager Ken Bailey,
K1FUG, who will offer an ARRL beginner's course in Amateur Radio
hurricane preparedness.
A question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.
The National Hurricane Conference takes place March 21-24 at the Hilton
Orlando. Some 2000 attendees are expected.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-03-17&p=2>
Young Connecticut Ham Off to an Award-Winning Start
Fifteen-year-old Matt Shea, KC1DLY, had no Amateur Radio ticket 1 year
ago. Today, he's an Amateur Extra class licensee and already
*ARRL CEO-Elect Tom Gallagher, NY2RF (left), with Matt Ettus, KC1DLY,
and his WAS and DXCC certificates. [Sean Kutzko, KX9X, photo]*
holds two of the League's flagship operating awards -- DXCC
<http://www.arrl.org/dxcc> and Worked All States (WAS
<http://www.arrl.org/was>). His 100 W station is quite modest, with a
35-foot end-fed wire in the attic for his antenna (and he even operates
on 160 meters!). He confirmed all of the contacts necessary for the two
awards using Logbook of The World (LoTW
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>). ARRL CEO-Elect Tom
Gallagher, NY2RF, on March 7 congratulated Shea and presented him with
his awards.
"I play radio daily and absolutely love it," Shea, a high school
sophomore in Southington, Connecticut, said on his QRZ.com
<http://www.qrz.com> profile. In addition to ham radio, he's on the
Southington High School Robotics Team, and he's been busy recruiting new
radio amateurs among his friends at school. "I am hoping to get a few
more new hams on the air to keep the great hobby going!" he said./--
Thanks to Sean Kutzko, KX9X/
Former DX QSL Manager Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, SK
Well-known QSL manager for DX stations and a former manager of the Third
Call Area QSL Bureau Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, of Duncannon,
Pennsylvania, died on March 12 after a period of failing health. An ARRL
member, she was 91. DX chasers during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s likely
received QSL cards from DX stations for which she handled QSLing duties.
*Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP.*
In 2005, the ARRL Executive Committee voted unanimously to name Crider
the recipient of ARRL President's Award for her contributions to the
cause of international goodwill through her long service as a QSL
manager and as manager of the ARRL Third Call Area Incoming QSL Bureau.
When she stepped down, the National Capitol DX Association (NCDXA) took
over the bureau, with noted DXer Fred Laun, K3ZO, at the helm. At the
time, Laun cited Crider's "encyclopedic knowledge of DXCC entities and
call sign prefixes...built by her work in the trenches, as illustrated
by her DXCC confirmed total of 360 entities."
Before she became the bureau's manager, Crider served as a sorter for 11
years. Among the DX operators she served as QSL manager was King Hussein
of Jordan, JY1, and she made several trips to Jordan to visit him.
Crider was licensed as a Novice in 1967. Her late husband was W3GE
(ex-W3HTO).
A service is set for Saturday, March 19. /-- Thanks to Glenn
Kurzenknabe, K3SWZ, Kay Craigie, N3KN, and to/ The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/>
In Brief...
*ARRL 2016 August UHF Contest Cancelled:* The ARRL August UHF Contest
for 2016 has been cancelled, while the ARRL VHF Contest Revitalization
Committee mulls its future. The Contest Revitalization Committee fielded
dozens of comments from members concerning possible changes to this
annual UHF operating event, traditionally held on the first weekend of
August each year. Many commenters expressed dissatisfaction with the
timing of the contest, occurring as it does at the hottest time of the
year, and that it was too close on the calendar to other VHF/UHF events.
In response to this member input, the Contest Revitalization Committee
recommended to the Programs and Services Committee (PSC) that the 2016
August UHF Contest be cancelled, and the PSC agreed. The ARRL VHF
Contest Revitalization Committee continues to study the possibility of
redesigning the August UHF Contest or replacing it with a similar event
at another point in the calendar -- possibly in the spring -- for 2017.
The Committee will solicit member comments in the near future, as it
weighs several alternatives.
*Boston Marathon Communications Committee Seeks Additional Amateur Radio
Volunteers:* Registration
<http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/event-information/volunteer-information.aspx>
for Boston Marathon <http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/> Amateur
Radio volunteers remains open with assignments available for new
volunteers with a passion for public service as well as for experienced
hands. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) sponsors the marathon, and
preparations are in high gear for the April 18 Patriots' Day event. Each
spring, some 300 trained Amateur Radio volunteers staff the event,
providing vital communication services over the entire 26-mile course.
Amateur Radio volunteers are recruited, selected, and managed by the
BAA's Communications Committee. The marathon attracts approximately
30,000 runners and 10,000 volunteers. Registration is easy and one-stop.
Visit the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Communications website for more
information <http://hamradioboston.org/>. -- /Thanks to Brett Smith,
AB1RL, BAA Communications Committee Volunteer Coordinator/
*Russian "Inventors of Telecommunications" Stations on the Air:* Special
event stations in Russia will be on the air from March 16 until June 16
as part of the international scientific-educational radio marathon
called "Inventors of Telecommunications <http://rt73.net/>," established
by the Russian Geographical Society and supported by radio clubs and
Amateur Radio operators. There will be awards and certificates. Each
RT73-prefix station represents a historical figure in the area of
telecommunications or electronics. For example, RT73BA represents
Alexander Graham Bell, RT73EA represents Edwin Howard Armstrong, RT73VZ
represents Vladimir Kosmich Zworykin, and RT73NT represents Nikola Tesla
(photo)./-- Thanks to /The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com/>
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar indicators were lower this week,
while geomagnetic indicators were higher.
Compared to the previous 7 days, average daily sunspot numbers in our
reporting week (March 10-16) dropped by 12.7 points to 51.7, and average
daily solar flux was down by 3.2 points to 93.6. The average planetary A
index was up by 2.8 points to 15.7, and the average mid-latitude A index
increased from 8.6 to 12.
The latest forecast has predicted solar flux at 95 on March 17-19; 90 on
March 20-21; 85 on March 22-23; 95 on March 24-28; 100 on March 29-31;
95 on April 1-9; 93 on April 10; 90 on April 11-15; 95 on April 16-17,
and 90 on April 18-19. Flux values then rise to 100 on April 25-27.
The predicted planetary A index is 14, 8, and 5 on March 17-19; 4, 6,
and 8 on March 20-22; 5 on March 23-31, and 8, 30, 25, and 8 on April
1-4. The planetary A index rises to 25 on April 11, and to 30 on April 29.
Sunspot numbers for March 10 through 16 were 61, 48, 56, 43, 57, 44, and
53, with a mean of 51.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 95, 94.2, 95,
92.6, 93.4, 94.1, and 91, with a mean of 93.6. Estimated planetary A
indices were 10, 23, 13, 4, 14, 24, and 22, with a mean of 15.7.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 21, 11, 4, 11, 17, and 13, with
a mean of 12.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
March 19 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
*
March 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint
*
March 19-20 -- SARL VHF/UHF Analog/Digital
*
March 19-20 --F9AA Cup (SSB)
*
March 19-20 -- Russian DX Contest (CW, SSB)
*
March 19-20 -- Louisiana QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
March 19-20 -- Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
March 19-21 -- BARTG HF RTTY Contest
*
March 20 -- UBA Spring Contest (SSB)
*
March 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
*
March 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
*
March 24 -- 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 and Events
*
March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention <http://www.w5ddl.org/>,
Rayne, Louisiana
*
March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention
<http://www.houstonhamfest.org/>, Rosenburg, Texas
*
March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention
<http://hamfest.w5qgg.org/>, Midland, Texas
*
March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference
<http://www.microhams.com/mhdc>, Redmond, Washington
*
March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention <http://www.w1npp.org/>,
Lewiston, Maine
*
April 1-2 -- OzarkCon QRP Conference <http://www.ozarkcon.com/>,
Branson, Missouri
*
*
April 2 -- Delta Division Convention
<http://www.hangingjudgehamfest.com/>, Fort Smith, Arkansas
*
April 2 -- North Carolina Section Convention
<http://rars.org/rarsfest>, Raleigh, North Carolina
*
April 2 -- Wisconsin Section Convention
<http://www.aesham.com/aes-superfest>, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
*
April 8-9 -- Oklahoma State Convention
<http://greencountryhamfest.org/>, Claremore, Oklahoma
*
April 9-10 -- Communications Academy <http://commacademy.org/>,
Seattle, Washington
*
April 15-17 -- International DX Convention
<http://dxconvention.org/>, Visalia, California
*
April 15-17 -- VHF Super Conference
<http://vhfsuperconference.com/>, Sterling, Virginia
*
April 16 -- Delaware State Convention
<http://www.radioelectronicsexpo.com/>, Georgetown, Delaware
*
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
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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