[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for November 10, 2016
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Nov 10 20:31:08 EST 2016
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
November 10, 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=2016-11-10&t=t>
* Amateur Radio "Uniquely Situated" to be at Leading Edge Again,
Conferees Told <#toc01>
* Naval Academy Students Planning CubeSat with HF Uplink <#toc02>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc03>
* National Parks on the Air Update <#toc04>
* US JOTA 2016 "Flash Numbers" Show Participation was Up <#toc05>
* Austrian Moonbounce Enthusiast Demonstrates Success with Small-Scale
Setup <#toc06>
* Quest Continues for 1 kW Power Privileges in Australia <#toc07>
* /Reminder:/ // NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Application Deadline
is November 22 <#toc08>
* Free Cubes in Space^™ Program Offers Opportunity for Youth to Put
Experiments into Space <#toc09>
* Latest Edition of the ITU Radio Regulations is Available Online <#toc10>
* DX Notes from All Over <#toc11>
* Hurricane Watch Net Honors Bermuda Radio Amateur <#toc12>
* Getting it Right! <#toc13>
* In Brief... <#toc14>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc15>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc16>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc17>
Amateur Radio "Uniquely Situated" to be at Leading Edge Again, Conferees
Told
The dawn of so-called "smart" -- or cognitive -- radio has presented
Amateur Radio with an opportunity to regain the leading edge in radio
technology in the near future. It will also alter our view of spectrum
as a limited resource. Those points and others were part of a
forward-looking, tag-team Sunday Seminar presentation, "Spectrum (It's
the frequency crunch for real)," by Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, and Bob
McGwier, N4HY, at the 2016 ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications
Conference (DCC <http://tapr.org/conferences.html>), September 16-18 in
St. Petersburg, Florida. Thompson heads the AMSAT Ground Terminal Team,
a component of the Phase 4B geosynchronous satellite project. McGwier is
chief scientist at the Hume Center for National Security and Technology
at Virginia Tech. This week,/HamRadioNow/ made the entire 3-hour
presentation available as part of its conference coverage: HamRadioNow
Episode 276 Parts 1, 2, and 3 <http://www.hamradionow.tv/episodes/>.
"If you put the smarts in the radio, what can possibly go wrong?"
quipped Thompson, pointing to an example that demonstrated how
sufficiently complicated technology is also more likely to fail.
*Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, at the ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications
Conference. [Photo courtesy of /HamRadioNew/]*
Thompson said cognitive radio technology will alter the paradigm of
treating spectrum as if it were land. "Spectrum is immediately
reusable," she said, "and land is not." Regulation and spectrum
allocation have been necessary to manage interference among services,
but smart radios can avoid collisions among users, she said.
"[I]t hasn't been until fairly recently that we've been able to
inexpensively and quickly reconfigure a radio," she said. Thompson's
Phase 4B project will take maximum advantage of cognitive radio
technology, which can -- among other things -- determine an optimal
clear frequency, mode, and path on the fly, transparently, and without
human intervention.
McGwier called the computer "the tidal wave that has swept over Amateur
Radio." And, he predicted, "It is going to bring us back to becoming
technical innovators." He said radio amateurs "are uniquely situated to
be the leading edge in radio again."
McGwier said the innovation needed in Amateur Radio will come about
through what he called "Amateur Radio freedom," that encourages
experimentation and thinking outside the box. "It's the ultimate
democratic assignment of frequencies in the world," he said.
*Bob McGwier, N4HY, at the ARRL and TAPR DCC. [Courtesy of /HamRadioNow/]*
He painted a picture of intelligent radio technology that will operate
like the human brain. "It's going to design the radio on the fly, from
scratch, without a subject-matter expert involved," he said. "The radio
will be done by artificial intelligence, from beginning to end. The
object becomes not the radio, but the activity it allows."
Responding to a question, McGwier conceded that today's hams may balk at
this sort of paradigm shift, since it's far removed from how most
Amateur Radio communication takes place today. But he said embracing
smart radio technology is what will attract a younger generation of new
hams.
"We need to not limit what these kids can do with Amateur Radio," he
maintained. "They are going to outdo us, if we only allow them. We can't
limit them, because this is a fundamental paradigm shift."
Predicted McGwier: "You will not recognize your world in 10 years." The
/HamRadioNow/ presentation also is available in audio
<http://www.hamradionow.tv/rss> format, and a highly condensed 11-minute
synopsis <https://youtu.be/Bwk-r8AJBR0> is available on YouTube. /--
Thanks to Gary Pearce, KN4AQ//HamRadioNow
Naval Academy Students Planning CubeSat with HF Uplink
Students at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, are planning an
Amateur Radio CubeSat -- dubbed /HFSAT/ <http://aprs.org/hfsat.html> --
that would carry an HF transponder as a primary payload as well as
2-meter APRS as a secondary mission when power is available. The 1.5 U
CubeSat will have a linear uplink at 21.4 MHz and a downlink at 29.42 MHz.
"/HFSAT/ is a small 1.5 U CubeSat that**will demonstrate the viability
of HF satellite communications as a back-up communication system using
existing ubiquitous HF radios that are often a part of every amateur
station," said USNA Instructor Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, who developed APRS.
Bruninga said /HFSAT/ would be similar to the 1990s-era RS-12/13 Russian
Amateur Radio satellite.
"/HFSAT/ will continue the long tradition of small amateur satellites
designed by students and hams at the US Naval Academy," Bruninga told
ARRL. The uplink will be at 21.4 MHz and downlink at 29.42 MHz, similar
to [earlier] Mode K HF satellites. No launch has yet been identified."
Bruninga said /HFSAT/ would be gravity gradient-stabilized by its
full-sized, 10-meter, thin-wire, half-wave dipole.
Other unique features of /HFSAT/ include its APRS telemetry
command-and-control capability. "For VHF the students have modified a
popular Byonics.com MTT4B all-in-one APRS Tiny-Track4 module for
telemetry, command, and control to fit on a single 3.4-inch square card
inside the CubeSat, that they will use for this and for future
CubeSats," Bruninga said. The students are working with Bill Ress,
N6GHZ, on the HF transponder card, which will provide a bandwidth of 30
kHz, employing an inverting transponder to minimize Doppler. Todd
Bruner, WB1HAI, will be the /HFSAT/ control operator.
*Bob Bruninga, WB4APR.*
Bruninga said the HF transponder is a follow-on from the USNA's existing
/PSAT/ 10-meter PSK31 transponder, still operational. /HFSAT/'s
telemetry downlink will be captured via stations in the worldwide
ground-station network. The packet link is a secondary mission compared
to the HF transponder on this spacecraft.
Once /HFSAT/ is in space, Bruninga recommended using a vertical HF
antenna, because it would match well with the antenna patterns and
geometry of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. "When low on the horizon,
both the satellite and the user antennas are in their main lobes,
providing maximum gain at the distant horizons," Bruninga said. "At the
higher elevations, the satellite is 6 dB to 10 dB closer, significantly
making up for the reduced antenna pattern geometry."
He said hams would be able to use "simple, manual" pass-prediction
tools, much as they used the old Oscar Locator in the early years of
Amateur Radio satellites.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Anderson Powerpole Connectors, and Antenna Polarization" are the topics
of the latest (November 3) 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>.
National Parks on the Air Update
A couple of milestones were reached in the ARRL National Parks on the
Air (NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>) program last week. Washington,
DC-based Activator Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, became the first amateur to
activate from all 28 NPOTA units in DC, completing that feat on November 7.
Pete Kobak, K0BAK, also deserves credit for activating all of the NPS
units in the Eastern Pennsylvania Section. These include some difficult
urban units in Philadelphia.
These are two examples of the efforts that Activators are putting forth
to achieve 1 million total NPOTA contacts by year's end. Activity
remains strong, with more than 25,000 contacts uploaded to Logbook of
The World every week.
Fifty-four activations are scheduled for November 10-16, including
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York, and
Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida.
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).
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-11-10&p=0>
US JOTA 2016 "Flash Numbers" Show Participation was Up
According to the US Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) 2016 "flash numbers
<http://www.k2bsa.net/2016/11/usa-jota-2016-flash-numbers/>,"
participation swelled in the annual Scouting event this fall. JOTA
Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, released the preliminary report last weekend.
"After sifting through the reports and eliminating a few duplicates
along with reports from countries outside the US, we've compiled the
early flash numbers," Wilson said. "The great news is that there have
been some excellent increases in participation."
The total number of Scouts taking part was up by 51% to 10,761, while
the visitor total was up by 30% to 6,668. Perhaps the best news was an
increase in the number of stations reporting -- up by 28% to 267 this
year, just short of the record 271 in 2013.
After station reports slumped last year, the Boy Scouts made a big push
that included prize drawings to encourage participants to file post-JOTA
reports. Station registrations dropped by 15% this fall to 295. Jamboree
on the Internet (JOTI) registrations were up from 100 last year, to 505
this time around.
The stats showed that the number of Amateur Radio operators was up by
14% to 1,120, but they used fewer radios -- down 25% in 2016 to 631.
"The next steps are to do further analysis and finalize the report for
full publication," Wilson said. "We'll be sifting through the written
reports and suggestions, finding memorable quotes, and photos/videos, as
well as searching for other insight. We know for starters that there was
far more interest this year in JOTA-JOTI from Scout leaders and parents,
based on the new 2016 Arrow of Light award requirement."
Wilson said he expects to have the final report out by month's end. The
grand prize winner of the drawing for an Icom ID-51A Plus, donated by
Icom America
<http://blog.icomamerica.com/2016/08/30/radio-scouting-mentoring-the-next-generation/>,
was Leroy Wignot, WA4OTD.
Austrian Moonbounce Enthusiast Demonstrates Success with Small-Scale Setup
Hannes Fasching, OE5JFL, of Braunau am Inn, Austria, has demonstrated
that you don't need a huge antenna system to operate EME (moonbounce)
successfully. Fasching fired up for the October 22-23 weekend of the
ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>, using a small horn
antenna on 1.2 GHz.
*The small-scale moonbounce setup at OE5JFL in Austria.*
"Because of other commitments I had only a few hours to be QRV in the
first part of the ARRL EME Contest," he said in a Moon-Net post on
October 26. "As tests with my recently built 23-centimeter horn antenna
were promising, I decided to give it a try to work some stations."
Fasching placed the horn on his balcony with an 80 W solid-state
amplifier. Operating /WSJT/, he logged contacts with Switzerland,
Russia, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
He also heard stations in the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, and Italy
on digital modes and in the UK, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Italy on
CW. Fasching, who also has a 7.3-meter homemade dish, has uploaded
<http://www.qsl.net/oe5jfl/small_stn_eme.htm> recordings of some EME
signals to his website, along with the results of tests with his small
system.
Quest Continues for 1 kW Power Privileges in Australia
On the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA <http://www.wia.org.au/>)
VK1WIA National News <http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/>,
WIA Director Roger Harrison, VK2ZRH, recently remarked on efforts to
raise the Amateur Radio power limit to 1 kW there. A 1 kW limit was
trialed in 2012-2013, but Harrison said he does not expect the
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to repeat that test.
The central issue comes down to that of compliance with electromagnetic
radiation standards in Australia," Harrison said, not what other
countries may allow. He noted that radiocommunication regulation in
Australia is embodied both in license conditions and in compliance with
electromagnetic radiation standards, and ACMA has a responsibility to
ensure that emissions from /all/ radio transmitting systems do not
expose the public to harm.
"In fulfilling that responsibility, the ACMA needs to know where
possibly harmful transmitter systems are located and that such locations
are recorded on a license," Harrison continued. "With that
understanding, the [WIA] Spectrum Strategy Committee is working with
ACMA to develop suitable procedures under which amateurs interested in
running high power can make an application that meets the ACMA's
technical and regulatory requirements. Talks are continuing."/-- Thanks
to Southgate Amateur Radio News; WIA/
/Reminder:///NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Application Deadline is
November 22
The application deadline to take part in NASA's CubeSat Launch
Initiative (CSLI
<http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative>) is
Tuesday, November 22. NASA has invited accredited education
institutions, nonprofit organizations, and NASA centers to join the
adventure and challenge of space, while helping the agency to achieve
its exploration goals. Many research CubeSats launched as part of the
CSLI have carried Amateur Radio payloads.
CSLI provides CubeSat developers with a low-cost pathway to space, in
order to conduct research that advances NASA's strategic goals in
science, exploration, technology development, education, and operations.
The initiative provides students, teachers, and faculty members with a
chance to gain hands-on flight hardware development experience by
designing, building, and operating small research satellites. NASA will
announce its selections by February 17, 2017; selection does not
guarantee a launch opportunity. Selected experiments are considered
auxiliary payloads on NASA launches or for International Space Station
deployment starting next year and continuing through 2020. More
information
<http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative> on CSLI
is on the NASA website./-- Thanks to NASA/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-11-10&p=1>
Free Cubes in Space^™ Program Offers Opportunity for Youth to Put
Experiments into Space
The free Cubes in Space <http://www.cubesinspace.com/>^™ program
provides students ages 11 to 18 an opportunity to design and compete to
launch an experiment into space at no cost. Cubes in Space is offered by
idoodledu inc, in partnership with the NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center's Wallops Flight Facility, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium,
and the NASA Langley Research Center.
Based on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and
mathematics), the global education initiative enables students to learn
about space exploration using innovative problem-solving and
inquiry-based learning methods. Participants have access to resources
that help prepare them to design and develop an experiment to be
integrated into a small cube.
There are two launch opportunities in 2017 -- into space via sounding
rocket from Wallops Island or via high-altitude balloon, launched from
NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico.
The registration deadline is January 6, 2017. E-mail
<mailto:info at cubesinspace.com> or visit <http://www.cubesinspace.com/>
the Cubes in Space website for more information, or call (888) 735-4565.
/-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via NASA/
Latest Edition of the ITU Radio Regulations is Available Online
What the International Telecommunication Union (ITU
<http://www.itu.int/en/>) calls "The global treaty behind your mobile
communications" -- the ITU Radio Regulations
<https://www.itu.int/pub/R-REG-RR-2016> (2016 edition) -- now is
available online and at no cost via the ITU website. Published in ITU's
six official languages, the new edition of the Radio Regulations is also
available for purchase in hard copy format and as a multilingual DVD.
"Following the successful completion of World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015, I am pleased to announce the issue of the ITU Radio
Regulations, edition of 2016, which will come into force for all the
signatory parties on 1 January 2017," said François Rancy, Director of
the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. Calling the treaty "an incredible
success story," ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao noted that the global
treaty upon which mobile communication and other uses of wireless
technology internationally depend, will celebrate its 110th anniversary
this year.
Delegates to the World Radiocommunication Seminar (WRS-16
<https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/seminars/wrs/2016/Pages/default.aspx>) in
Geneva this December will mark the occasion./-- Thanks to ITU (//media
release/ <http://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/Pages/2016-CM22.aspx>/)/
DX Notes from All Over
The ZL7G DXpedition to Chatham Island wrapped up on November 9 after
logging more than 42,000 contacts, including nearly 3,000 of them on
RTTY. The DXpedition team has dismantled stations and antennas and plans
to depart the island on November 19. Chatham Island was number 95 on the
ClubLog DXCC Most Wanted List <https://secure.clublog.org/mostwanted.php>.
*A ZL7G vertical is silhouetted against a sunrise on Chatham Island.*
"We continued with RTTY (2,900 QSOs now) and had hoped for one last grey
line on 160," a team news release said. "However, thunderstorms over New
Zealand and Australia meant that 160-meter QSOs on the morning of
[November 9] were hard to come by."
Earlier, the team had complained of "dire HF conditions," although
things did improve. ZL7G recorded nearly 10,400 contacts with North
American stations, more than 16,400 with stations in Europe, and nearly
14,000 with Asian stations. The contact count with stations in Africa
and Asia were only in the triple digits. Complete results
<http://www.clublog.org/charts/?c=ZL7G#r> of the DXpedition are
available on the ClubLog website.
Rebounding from his aborted "Cows Over the World" DXpedition, Tom
Callas, KC0W, commenced a CW-only operation from the Philippines on
November 8, as 4I7COW. This marks the first time the 4I7 prefix has been
used. The Minnesota DXer plans to focus on 160 meters. He will operate
from 4I7COW until November 22.
Callas was forced to abruptly cancel the rest of his "Cows Over the
World" Pacific DXpeditions earlier this fall, after his belongings were
stolen in Kiribati.
*Tom Callas, KC0W, and friends on Kiribati. *
After he returns to the US, Callas plans to travel to Equatorial Guinea,
where he will apply in person for 3C and 3C0 call signs. Given the
complexity of the Equatorial Guinea licensing process, Callas has said
he believes it's best to make the preliminary trip to submit all 20
documents required for each call sign and increase his chances of
getting the ones he wants.
He plans to activate Annobon (3C0) and Equatorial Guinea (3C) in January
for at least 25 days from each entity. He may do some SSB operation too,
but no digital modes. Annobon is number 35 on the ClubLog DXCC Most
Wanted List <http://www.clublog.org/mostwanted.php>, while Equatorial
Guinea is number 43.
Peripatetic DXer Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, will be part of a team that
will activate Myanmar (XZ), November 15-22. Joining him will be Champ
Muangamphun, E21EIC; Franz Langner, DJ9ZB, and Madison Jones, W5MJ. The
primary purpose of the trip is to support the Olympic and Paralympic
Committee in Myanmar.
Activity will be on 80 through 10 meters on CW, SSB, and RTTY, with two
stations. The call sign has not yet been announced. Myanmar is number 49
on the ClubLog DXCC Most Wanted List.
Ken Opskar, LA7GIA, is heading to the Central African Republic, hoping
to get on the air as TL8AO <http://la7gia.com/tl8ao/index.html> on
November 11. He'll be there until November 22, running 400 W to a
variety of antennas, mostly on CW, on 80 through 10 meters. He will
upload his log to Logbook of The World.
*JG2MLI's QSL card from his 8J1RL operation in Antarctica.*
Yath Yoshikawa, JG2MLI, will head back to the Japanese Polar Research
Syowa Station on East Ongul Island to operate with the commemorative
call sign 8J60JARE <https://www.qrz.com/db/jg2mli>, marking the 60th
anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) from
January 2017 until January 2018. He will operate SSB, CW, RTTY, and
digital modes on 40 through 10 meters and will post his logs to Club Log.
CW operator Tony Wanschura, KM0O, will be on the air November 19-28 --
including the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest -- from Vientiane, Laos, as
XW0YO. He'll be on CW and SSB (but not RTTY) on 160 through 10 meters.
"Fortunately, in this time of low solar activity and weak signals, this
particular QTH has virtually zero noise," he said. -- /Thanks to KC0W,
/The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>/, /DX-World
<http://dx-world.net>/, and the ZL7G team/
Hurricane Watch Net Honors Bermuda Radio Amateur
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org>) has recognized one of
its longtime members, Antony "Tony" Siese, VP9HK. HWN Manager Bobby
Graves, KB5HAV, announced on October 20 that the net would confer upon
Siese the title of "Honorary Member," in recognition of his 31 years of
service. Graves said Siese is the first non-manager to be named an
Honorary Member.
*Tony Siese, VP9HK.*
VP9HK joined the HWN in 1985, although, he said, he took a "sabbatical"
last year. In 2003, his reports during Hurricane Fabian gave forecasters
at the National Hurricane Center valuable ground-truth information and
insight as to what the storm was doing in Bermuda, Graves said, earning
Siese the Message in a Bottle Award from W4EHW (now WX4NHC) for the 2003
Hurricane Season.
"It is very rare for any individual to be so dedicated to an
organization, especially as a volunteer," Graves said. "Tony, on behalf
of the Hurricane Watch Net, thank you for all you have done and continue
to do."
Siese was first licensed in the UK as G4CIL in the 1970s. He's lived in
Bermuda for more than 52 years./-- Thanks to the Hurricane Watch Net/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2016-11-10&p=2>
Getting it Right!
In the story "Rule Making Petition to FCC Calls for Vanity Call Sign
Rule Changes" in /The ARRL Letter/ for November 3, 2016, the correct
number of the /Petition for Rule Making/ is RM-11775
<https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1004220986407/Petition%20.pdf>. Interested
parties may comment using the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS
<https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/>). Comments are due within 30 days of the
October 26 posting date.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Brief...
*The American Legion Amateur Radio Club Sponsoring Veterans Day Special
Event:***American Legion members will honor fellow veterans with a
special event on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. The American Legion
Amateur Radio Club (TALARC <http://www.legion.org/hamradio>) will
sponsor the activity, which will begin on the HF bands at 1400 UTC and
conclude at 2130 UTC, using the call sign K9TAL. Operators who contact
the station are eligible to receive a full-color commemorative
certificate by sending a 9×12 self-addressed, stamped envelope to The
American Legion Amateur Radio Club, 700 N Pennsylvania St.,
Indianapolis, IN 46204. /-- Thanks to Ed Brown, AA3EB/
*ARISS Packet System on Board the ISS Switched to UHF* Due to the recent
failure of the Ericsson VHF radio in the ISS /Columbus/ module, the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) APRS packet system that normally operates
145.825 MHz has not been available. Crew member Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD,
has activated an ARISS UHF radio that had been in storage on the ISS,
and it is now operational on 437.550 MHz. The packet system uses the
same protocol as the VHF system. Operators using the system should
adjust for increased Doppler shift at UHF. The ARISS team is currently
working on Kenwood TM-D710GA models to replace all Amateur Radio
transceivers on board the ISS. The target date for delivery is late
2017. /-- Thanks to ARISS/
*Papers Solicited for 2017 Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference*
Organizers for the 2017 Eastern VHF/UHF Microwave Conference have issued
a first call for papers. The event will take place April 21-23, 2017, at
Baymont Inn in Manchester, Connecticut. Papers on all VHF-and-up
activities are invited, from operating, contesting, and propagation to
antennas, amplifiers, low-noise preamps, homebrewing, microwaves,
moonbounce, Arduinos, and more. Photos of projects are especially
welcome. For more information, contact <mailto:w1ghz at arrl.net> Paul
Wade, W1GHZ. /-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via the Microwave List/
*Video of Forum Explaining How Ham Radio Clubs Can Obtain Tax-Exempt
Status Now Available:* A video <http://www.near-fest.com/?page_id=2947>
of the presentation by Certified Public Accountant Lynn Baxter, W0LTB,
at the New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest
<http://www.near-fest.com/>) in October is now available online. Most
radio clubs are set up as nonprofit corporations, but this does not mean
that they are tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) tax code. Some changes that took place in 2014 simplified
the process for smaller organizations with less than $50,000 in annual
gross revenues and reduced the amount of red tape. In the presentation,
Baxter explains how clubs and nonprofits can attain 501(c)(3) status
under the new rules and how to file a simple online annual report to
maintain that status, which, under some circumstances, would allow
Amateur Radio clubs to accept donations and issue receipts for tax
purposes, as well as enjoy other benefits. /-- Thanks to Mike Crestohl,
W1RC /
*Changes Made to 60-Meter Allocations in Portugal and Finland:* José E.
Ribeiro Sá, CT1EEB, has reported on changes to Portugal's 60-meter
allocation, which includes some of the existing discrete channels plus a
new contiguous band. He said his just-renewed, 60-meter band license
authorizes him to operate CW and SSB on 5,371.5 kHz and 5,403.5 kHz, as
well as on 5,351.5 kHz to 5,366.5 kHz. He said his license specifies no
power limit. In Finland, Jari Jussila, OH2BU (aka OH2P on 60 meters),
reported that radio amateurs there should gain access to 5,351.5-5,366.5
kHz,//starting on January 1, with 15 W EIRP. The 60-meter band in
Finland is divided into sub-bands by mode bandwidth. Amateur Radio is
secondary on all 60-meter allocations./-- Thanks to Southgate Amateur
Radio News/
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: At 0002 UTC on November 9, this
geomagnetic warning was distributed by Australia's Space Forecast
Centre: Increased geomagnetic activity expected due to coronal hole
high-speed wind stream and possible glancing blow from CME [coronal mass
ejection] associated with November 5 filament on November 9-10 2016. The
Centre said the forecast for November 10 is "Active."
But the USAF Ap forecast predicts the disturbance will occur perhaps a
few days later. The USAF forecast was issued about 21 hours later than
the Australian forecast.
Predicted planetary A index is 8, 14, 26, 20, 12, and 8 on November
10-15; 5 on November 16-18; 8, 15, 54, 42, and 24 on November 19-23; 18,
22, 18, 12, and 10 on November 24-28; 8 on November 29-30; 5 on December
1-3; 8, 20, and 8 on December 4-6; 10, 12, and 20 on December 7-9; 18,
10, and 8 on December 10-12; 5 on December 13-15; 8, 15, 54, 42, and 24
on December 16-20.
Predicted solar flux is 80 on November 10-12; 85 on November 13-14; 90
on November 15-16; 78 on November 17-18; 77 and 75 on November 19-20; 78
on November 21-22; 79 on November 23-25; 78 on November 26; 77 on
November 27-28; 76 on November 29-30; 77 on December 1-3; 75 on December
4-5, and 78 on December 6-15.
Sunspot numbers for November 3 through 9 were 23, 25, 24, 23, 24, 0, and
12, with a mean of 18.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 75.6, 76.7, 76.7,
76.2, 76.5, 76.9, and 79.9, with a mean of 76.9. Estimated planetary A
indices were 18, 5, 3, 5, 4, 3, and 7, with a mean of 6.4. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 12, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, and 5, with a mean of 4.3.
Were you active in the ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW) last weekend? Send
<mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me a report of your observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
November 12-13 -- WAE DX Contest (RTTY)
*
November 12-13 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (Digital)
*
November 12-13 -- JIDX Phone Contest
*
November 12-13 -- OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
*
November 12-13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
*
November 12-13 -- Kentucky QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
November 12-14 -- CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
*
November 17 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
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
*
November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana
*
November 19 -- Alabama State Convention
<http://www.w4ap.org/news/Hamfest.htm>, Montgomery, Alabama
*
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 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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