[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for June 8, 2017
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Jun 8 19:01:57 EDT 2017
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
June 8, 2017
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=2017-06-08&t=t>
* Hamvention Improvements Already in the Works for 2018! <#toc01>
* Consent Decree, Forfeiture Terminate FCC Interference Investigation
<#toc02>
* Canada C3 Sesquicentennial Voyage May be Tracked via /WSPR/ Beacon
<#toc03>
* FCC and OSHA Release Communications Tower Best Practices Guide <#toc04>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc05>
* The ARRL June VHF Contest is Almost Here! <#toc06>
* New Jersey Radio Amateur Receives International Astronomical
League's Gold Certification <#toc07>
* Jordan's First CubeSat Set for Early 2018 Launch <#toc08>
* Additional Countries Gain Bands at 5 MHz <#toc09>
* SAQ Transmission on Alexanderson Day Cancelled <#toc10>
* Centenarian ARRL Member Claiming Oldest Active Radio Amateur Crown
<#toc11>
* In Brief... <#toc12>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc15>
Hamvention Improvements Already in the Works for 2018!
Even before Hamvention^® 2017 had wound down at its new Xenia, Ohio,
location, plans were on the drawing board to enhance next year's show.
Hamvention 2017 "went reasonably well," spokesperson Mike Kalter, W8CI,
allowed, but he acknowledged that there are still a "lot of things to
work on" for 2018. Kalter, who lives in Xenia, made the remarks in a
video interview <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5eHFv3Q-Y0> with DX
Engineering's Tim Duffy, K3LR, in the wake of the May 19-21 show, which
is sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA
<http://w8bi.org/>).
*Tim Duffy, K3LR (left), speaks with Hamvention's Mike Kalter, W8CI.
[Photo courtesy of DX Engineering]*
Kalter told Duffy that the staff of the Greene County Fairgrounds and
Expo Center on its own initiative met with him, Hamvention General Chair
Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, and others to say they were already formulating
plans for improvements. The food and forum venues at the new location
got high marks, Kalter told Duffy, but the flea market suffered badly
from the effects of heavy rainfall.
"It rained hard, and it rained a lot," Kalter recounted, adding that the
flea market area was not as well drained as organizers had expected.
"What exactly we're going to do at this point, I don't know," he
conceded. "We felt bad about that."
*Heavy rain during Hamvention made parts of the flea market area rather
muddy. [Photo courtesy of DX Engineering]*
The exhibitor tents were another issue, with crowded quarters,
wind-blown rain getting into booth spaces, and a lack of lighting.
Kalter told Duffy that DARA didn't get the tents it wanted, and that
more and better tents are high on the list for next year. DARA also has
asked the Greene County Commission to purchase another building for the
site, and the Commission will be installing air handlers in buildings
for 2018.
On-site parking improvements also are in the works, after a massive
traffic jam on opening day. "Traffic on Friday morning was pretty rough,
for those that got caught in that, but we worked with the
officials...and they fixed it overnight," Kalter said.
"We know that we are stewards of a very important event [for Amateur
Radio]," Kalter told Duffy. Hamvention "is not just DARA's show," and
exhibitors and organizers alike are buying into the concept of "our
Hamvention" and contributing to an effort to improve the event. Kalter
called Hamvention "a pillar" that helps to keep Amateur Radio alive and
"growing and functioning at a much higher level" than anywhere else.
"We're out in front of it," Kalter assured, "and I want to thank all of
our volunteers," referring to the 657 individuals who made Hamvention
2017 happen. "Most of what I heard was very positive."
In a separate interview
<https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/hamradionow-hamvention-wrap-up-show-or-heres-mud-in-your-eye.568787/>
with /HamRadioNow/ <https://www.hamradionow.tv/>'s Gary Pearce, KN4AQ,
Kalter said that while he could offer no firm numbers, attendance was
"the biggest I've seen at any Hamvention I've ever been to. It was
absolutely wall to wall, from one end to the other."
Consent Decree, Forfeiture Terminate FCC Interference Investigation
The FCC has again used a consent decree
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-471A1.pdf> to
resolve an enforcement matter. The FCC Enforcement Bureau recently
concluded a radio interference investigation with "a negotiated
settlement" and a $90,000 civil penalty. The case against AFX Inc.
involved the marketing of unauthorized RF devices that interfered with
AM/FM radio reception.
After the company's NLL Series LED lighting fixtures were reported to be
causing interference to broadcast radio reception last year, the
Enforcement Bureau's Spectrum Enforcement Division issued a /Letter of
Inquiry/ (/LOI/) to AFX directing it to submit a sworn written response
regarding its marketing and sale of the fixtures, considered
unintentional radiators under FCC rules. According to the FCC, evidence
revealed that the suspect lighting fixtures had not been tested and
authorized under FCC rules prior to marketing, and that AFX continued to
market them during an approximately 5-month period after receipt of the
/LOI/.
"[W]e find that the public interest would be served by adopting the
Consent Decree and terminating the referenced investigation regarding
AFX's marketing of unauthorized radio frequency devices, and compliance
with Section 302(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended and
Sections 2.803(b)(2), 15.107(a), and 15.109(a) of the Commission's rules
(Rules)," the FCC said.
Canada C3 Sesquicentennial Voyage May be Tracked via /WSPR/ Beacon
An Amateur Radio /WSPR/ (/Weak Signal Propagation Reporter/) //beacon
has been installed and activated onboard the /Canada C3 /
<https://canadac3.ca/en/homepage/>vessel. The ship departed Toronto,
Ontario, on June 1 on a 150-day expedition to Victoria, British
Columbia, via the Northwest Passage as part of the Canadian
Sesquicentennial celebration. Sponsors are calling it an "epic journey
to celebrate Canada and connect Canadians." According to Radio Amateurs
of Canada (RAC), Canada C3 organizers permitted a group of enthusiasts
under the leadership of Barrie Crampton, VE3BSB, to install the /WSPR/
beacon on the C3 vessel.
<http://canadac3.ca/en/homepage/>
*The /Canada C3/ departed Toronto on June 1. It's trackable via the WSPR
network. *
"This provides a unique opportunity to track the vessel on its 150-day
sailing voyage around the Canadian coast -- the longest coastline in the
world," an RAC bulletin said. The WSPR beacon identifies as CG3EXP
<http://wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/map> (this page also includes /WSPR/
Amateur Radio frequencies). A live tracking link
<http://www.qrp-labs.com/c3.html>, generated by QRP Labs, the supplier
of the tracking hardware, has been activated, hosted by Jeff Milne,
VE3EFF. It generates a series of dots -- one for each Maidenhead grid
square the vessel traverses.
Stopping at a different location every day, /Canada C3/ will visit 50
coastal communities, 36 indigenous communities, 13 national parks, and
20 migratory bird sanctuaries. The /WSPR/ project is part of the science
experiments and research to be carried out during the voyage.
"Many of the locations to be visited by /Canada C3/ lie in areas where
radio communication is difficult," RAC said. //Visit the RAC website for
additional information <http://wp.rac.ca/a-whisper-for-canada-c3/>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-06-08&p=0>
FCC and OSHA Release Communications Tower Best Practices Guide
The FCC and OSHA have announced the release of a free publication,
Communications Tower Best Practices Guide
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2017/db0601/DOC-345150A1.pdf>.
While aimed more at those who tend commercial communication towers, the
guide offers information applicable to the Amateur Radio community and
contractors working on Amateur Radio antenna support structures. The FCC
said the guide was a result of two tower safety workshops.
"Recognizing the risks that tower employees face, OSHA and the FCC held
a workshop on communication tower employee safety on October 14, 2014,"
the new guide explains. "During this workshop, industry stakeholders,
along with employee safety advocates and the families of communication
tower employees who had been killed on the job, gathered to discuss
issues affecting the safety of communication tower employees."
A second workshop followed in February 2016, during which a panel of
industry stakeholders and advocates discussed best practices that could
reduce injuries and fatalities among tower workers. "This document is a
collection of the best practices gathered from those workshops and from
the discussions that continued beyond those events," the guide says.
Among other points, the guide emphasizes that all tower workers need "to
have and use proper safety equipment at all times," and that, "no work
should be done if proper safety equipment is unavailable or if the
safety equipment available is not functioning properly."
The guide also notes an increasing use of drones for tower inspection.
"This technology has the potential to reduce unnecessary climbing and
can avoid putting [tower workers] at risk," the guide points out.
"Every tower climber death is preventable," stressed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"The Mystery of Sporadic E" is the topic of the new (June 8) 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>.
The ARRL June VHF Contest is Almost Here!
One of the premier VHF/UHF events on the contest calendar -- the ARRL
June VHF Contest <http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf> -- gets under way at
1800 UTC on Saturday, June 10, and continues until 0259 UTC on Monday,
June 12. Whether you are new to VHF or new to contesting altogether, the
ARRL June VHF Contest offers /all/ licensees a chance to explore what
they can do on our VHF and UHF bands.
The object for participants in the US and Canada (and possessions) is to
work stations in as many different 2° × 1° Maidenhead grid squares as
possible, using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside
the US and Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the
US (and its possessions) and Canada. Stations in KH0-9, KL7, KP1-KP5,
CY9, and CY0 count as W/VE stations and may be worked by DX stations for
contest credit.
*In the January 2017 ARRL VHF Contest, KM4KMU operated from Reddish Knob
on the Virginia/West Virginia border, FM only, on four bands. *
June is a favorable month for 6-meter band openings, and the contest
occurs at the start of the summer sporadic E season, offering intense
openings on 6 and even 2 meters. Propagation opportunities also can
include tropospheric ducting, aurora, and moonbounce or meteor scatter.
K1JT's /WSJT-X <https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html>
/software suite now includes a new mode for scatter communications --
/MSK144/. It offers 15-second sequencing and improvement in signal
decoding for meteor scatter work, and many VHF operators are talking
about using it on 6 and 2 meters during this event.
Newcomers to VHF contesting may want to try one of these categories:
* Single Operator, Portable: For those who enjoy operating low power
from a portable power source and using portable antennas.
* Rover: For mobile operators who enjoy traveling from one grid square
to another to hand out contacts.
* Single Operator, FM-only: A category for the 50-, 144-, 222-, and
440-MHz bands running 100 W or less.
* Single Operator, Three-Band: Restricted to 50, 144, and 432 MHz
(power limits apply).
Pick a band or mode, and have fun in the June VHF Contest!
Got a question? Contact <mailto:contest at arrl.org> the ARRL Contest Branch.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-06-08&p=1>
New Jersey Radio Amateur Receives International Astronomical League's
Gold Certification
Blair Hearth, KD2EPA, of Oceanport, New Jersey, has joined the select
group of individuals who have received Gold certification in the Radio
Astronomy Observation program of the International Astronomical League
for making at least 10 galactic observations. Hearth, who
*Blair Hearth, KD2EPA.*
already had qualified for Silver certification, used the InfoAge
<http://www.infoage.org/> Science History Museum's TLM-18 dish for a few
of his observations, but most were accomplished by using Amateur Radio
equipment to scan the void. A member of the Garden State Amateur Radio
Association and the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers, Hearth was the
recipient of the ARRL Hudson Division Technical Achievement Award in
2015 for his work in radio astronomy and RFI. As Hearth explains on his
QRZ.com profile:
"I use a low-frequency receiver to collect data that indicates sudden
ionospheric disturbances. My venerable
*The TLM-18 dish at InfoAge.*
Kenwood R-600 receiver is dedicated to receiving Jovian radiation at
20.1 MHz. I also monitor and count meteors via radio reflection using a
NooElec 2 dongle, SDR#, and /HDRFFT /software. I attempt observations of
extra-solar radio objects in the 408 MHz 'band' using GNU Radio, an
excellent LNA, and a DB8 bow-tie antenna."
Hearth said he uses the TLM-18 60-foot dish for research into "the
velocity of the sun with respect to the Local Standard of Rest." He also
will take part in data-gathering during the August solar eclipse. Hearth
will deliver a presentation, "How to Use Ham Radio Gear to Do Radio
Astronomy," at the International Astronomical League's 2018
international meeting. He enjoys QRP operating and has a WSPR beacon on
20 meters.
Jordan's First CubeSat Set for Early 2018 Launch
Jordan's first CubeSat -- JY1SAT -- will be launched next February,
according to a news report
<http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/nasa-trained-young-jordanian-develops-team-nanosatellite-cubesat%E2%80%99>.
The spacecraft's name recalls the famous Amateur Radio call sign of
Jordan's late King Hussein. JY1SAT will carry a FUNcube 435/145 MHz
SSB/CW Amateur Radio inverting transponder and a Slow-Scan Digital Video
(SSDV) system to transmit stored images.
/The Jordan Times/ recently reported that a team of 16 university
students has been constructing the 1U CubeSat, supervised by a group of
experts and academics through weekly meetings at the Royal Jordanian
Radio Amateurs Society (RJRAS). RJRAS members Nart Tahamouqa, JY5IB, and
Rafiq Farmawi, JY4CI, serve as advisers to the project. The JY1SAT team
includes 24-year-old Zeid Kawar, whose 2-month internship at NASA's Ames
Research Center inspired his interest in developing his country's first
nanosatellite.
The student team will develop and operate a special ground station
(JY6JY). JY1SAT will transmit stored images reflecting Jordan's
historical and cultural heritage, which will be selected in advance of
the launch through a national competition. JY1SAT applied to the IARU on
May 15 to coordinate a telemetry downlink on 145.840 MHz and transponder
downlink passband of 145.855-145.875 MHz, with an inverting uplink
passband of 435.100-435.120 MHz.
A SpaceX flight will carry JY1SAT into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force
Base in California. --/Thanks to AMSAT-UK/, The Jordan Times, AMSAT News
Service
Additional Countries Gain Bands at 5 MHz
Radio amateurs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among the latest to
gain access to a 60-meter band. The allocation is 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz at
a maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Malta also has opened a 60-meter band for
its Amateur Radio licensees. The island's telecoms regulator, the Malta
Communications Authority, published an updated National Frequency Plan
in April that includes the WRC-15 secondary Amateur Radio allocation of
5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz at a maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Panama came on
board with the same allocation in December.
The Netherlands telecoms regulator Agentschap Telecom (AT) has added a
60-meter band of 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz to its frequency plan for Bonaire,
Sint Eustatius, and Saba. Eligible licensees may run up to 25 W EIRP.
Radio Amateurs in Poland will soon have access to 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz
with 15 W EIRP. Mexico's telecommunications regulator IFT has approved
Amateur Radio use of 5,351.5-5366.5 kHz at up to 20 W EIRP.
Iceland's telecommunication authority PTA has extended /experimental/
license privileges for radio amateurs in the 5 MHz band until December
31, 2017. The privileges are for 5,260-5,410 kHz, with 100 W EIRP, CW,
USB, PSK31, and other digital modes. Currently 25 licensees in Iceland
have experimental licenses to operate on 60 meters.
In Hungary, the HG7BHB beacon on 5,352.5 kHz has been shut down.
Established in 2015 by Hungary's IARU member society MRASZ, the beacon
went out of order in February. A substantial increase in activity near
its frequency and the lack of a suitable alternative frequency led to
the decision to switch it off altogether.
Meanwhile, Steve Kölcsey, HA0DU, has reported that temporary Amateur
Radio licenses permitting 5 MHz operation in Hungary have expired, and
there has been no 60-meter operation since May 1./-- Thanks to the /5
MHz Newsletter/via Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, /Southgate Amateur Radio News
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-06-08&p=2>
SAQ Transmission on Alexanderson Day Cancelled
There will be no Alexanderson Day over-the-air VLF transmission on
Sunday, July 2, from SAQ, the Alexanderson alternator station in Sweden.
SAQ periodically schedules transmissions with the nearly century-old
electromechanical behemoth, which operates on 17.2 kHz from the World
Heritage Grimeton Radio Station. SAQ said the event was cancelled due to
ongoing maintenance work at the site.
The station will still observe Alexanderson Day with activities that
include two startups of the Alexanderson alternator and a "local"
transmission. These events will be streamed via YouTube. The site will
be open to visitors.
Dating from the 1900s, the Alexanderson alternator -- essentially a
massive ac generator run at extremely high speed and connected to an
extensive antenna system -- could generate 200 kW of very low frequency
RF. The unit at SAQ typically is operated at less than half that power
level. Once providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a
museum piece and only put on the air on special occasions. The unit at
SAQ was built in the 1920s.
Centenarian ARRL Member Claiming Oldest Active Radio Amateur Crown
A 105-year-old ARRL member, Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP, of White Rock, South
Carolina, is claiming the title of "World's Oldest Operating Ham." No
official record of such milestones exists, but ARRL is not aware of any
radio amateurs senior to Kayhart, and he is now quite likely the oldest
active ham, at least in the US. Early this year, Charlie Hellman, W2RP,
died at 106; he also may have been the longest licensed. Hellman
outlived the former "oldest US ham," Harry Wolf, W6NKT, by 8 days. Wolf
was a couple of weeks shy of turning 108. Kayhart now lives at The
Heritage at Lowman Home.
*105-year-old Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP, on the air from the W4DFG club
station of the Dutch Fork Amateur Radio Group.*
"I have had to get help getting set up after moving here from
Tennessee," he said in his QRZ.com profile
<https://www.qrz.com/db/w4kkp>. "Two local clubs, Dutch Fork Amateur
Radio Group and Columbia Amateur Radio Club, have been there to help. It
has been slow going. They tell me I may be the oldest operating ham."
Kayhart is active on 80 meters, as well as other bands.
Born in 1911, Kayhart was first licensed in 1937 as W2LFE in New Jersey.
He then was W9GNQ before becoming W4KKP. Kayhart's interest in Amateur
Radio began in the early 1920s, when he built a crystal radio. After
modifying the inductor, he began hearing hams on AM. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/centenarian-arrl-member-claiming-oldest-active-radio-amateur-crown>.
In Brief...
*New Washington Distracted Driving Law Includes Amateur Radio Exception:
*The State of Washington has a new distracted driving law
<http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5289-S.PL.pdf>
aimed at discouraging the use of certain personal electronic devices
while operating a motor vehicle. Governor Jay Inslee signed SSB 5289
into law on May 16, declaring its implementation an emergency, which
means the new law becomes effective on August 16. In defining a
"personal electronic device," the pending law excludes two-way radio,
Citizens Band radio, or Amateur Radio equipment. The law defines a
"personal electronic device" as "any portable electronic 16 device that
is capable of wireless communication or electronic data retrieval and is
not manufactured primarily for hands-free use in a motor vehicle.
'Personal electronic device' includes, but is not limited to, a cell
phone, tablet, laptop, two-way messaging device, or electronic game."
Their use while driving would be a secondary violation. /-- Thanks to
ARRL Western Washington Section Manager Monte Simpson, AF7PQ/
**
*Oleg Novitskiy (left) and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, ensconced in the
Soyuz vehicle prior to departure. [NASA photo]*
*Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, and Oleg Novitskiy Return to Earth after 6
Months in Space:* European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Pesquet,
KG5FYG, and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy returned to Earth on June 2 after a
6-month duty tour on the International Space Station (ISS). It took the
pair more than 3 hours to descend to Earth in a /Soyuz/ MS-03
transporter. During his time on the ISS, Pesquet participated in several
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) school contacts. "It's been a fantastic
adventure and amazing ride. We got a lot of work done up here," Pesquet
tweeted just prior to his departure. The two space travelers landed
without incident in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The departure of Pesquet
and Novitskiy leaves three crew members on board the ISS -- Commander
Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI; Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, and Jack Fischer,
K2FSH. The Expedition 52/53 crew increment of Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA;
Randy Bresnik, and Sergey Ryazanskiy will head to the ISS in July.
*Register Now for the 2017 Central States VHF Society Conference:*
Registration
<https://www.csvhfs.org/index.php/annual-conference/2017-annual-conference-registration>
is now open for the 2017 Central States VHF Society (CSVHFS
<http://www.csvhfs.org/>) Conference
<http://2017.csvhfs.org/index.php/>, which is expected to attract
VHF/UHF/microwave operators from across the US, Canada, and elsewhere to
sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico (DM65) on July 27-30 at the Sheraton
Airport Hotel. Lodging information
<http://2017.csvhfs.org/index.php/lodging-and-travel/lodging>, including
the special conference hotel rate and reservation deadline, are on the
convention website. An up-close-and-personal tour of the iconic NRAO
Very Large Array (VLA) near Magdalena, New Mexico, has been arranged for
Thursday, July 27. The deadline to submit papers for publication in the
/Proceedings/, or to propose a presentation for this year's conference,
is Monday, June 12. CSVHFS continues its tradition of highlighting
experimentation, research, design, and construction within the
VHF/UHF/microwave community, and information, contact information, and
guidance <http://2017.csvhfs.org/index.php/guidance-documents/authors>
for all interested in providing papers or posters also is on the
conference website. You do /not/ need to attend or present at the
conference for your paper to be published.
*W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Registration Now Open:* Registration
now is open for the 2017 W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention
<http://www.w4dxcc.com/>, the Southeast's largest and most popular DX
and contesting event, September 22-23, at the MainStay Suites in Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee. The event will feature presenters speaking on DX and
contesting, equipment manufacturers -- on hand to demonstrate new
products and answer questions face to face, and a banquet. This year's
convention will continue the Ham Radio Bootcamp to mentor newcomers and
experienced hams alike on station and antenna construction, operating,
digital modes, DXing, and contesting. The convention website
<http://www.w4dxcc.com/> has full details. /-- Thanks to Dave Anderson,
K4SV/
*Amateur Radio Volunteers Sought to Assist with Silicon Valley Tour de
Cure Communications:* Amateur Radio rest stop and SAG volunteers are
being sought to assist with communications during the Silicon Valley
Tour de Cure
<http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=informational&fr_id=11757&type=fr_informational&sid=23765>
on Sunday, June 11 (approximately 9 AM until 4 PM PDT), sponsored by the
American Diabetes Association. This is a walk/run/cycling event, and all
race legs begin and end at the Hewlett-Packard campus in Palo Alto. Fred
"Fast Freddie" Rodriguez, four-time National Road Race Champion, will be
the Celebrity Pro-Rider at the event. Amateur Radio volunteers will need
a VHF/UHF mobile capable of at least 25 W, and a gain antenna. Rest stop
volunteers can use a beam antenna and battery. Handheld transceivers
will not be sufficient. Contact Fred Townsend <mailto:ae6ql at arrl.net>,
AE6QL, to volunteer and for additional details.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-06-08&p=3>
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: The average daily sunspot number rose
this week from 15.6 to 19.3, largely due to the fact that there was one
zero-sunspot day last week, and none this week. The average daily A
index -- planetary and mid-latitude -- were both 5.6 this week. Last
week they were 13.3 and 10.6, respectively.
The predicted solar flux is 72 on June 8-10; 75 on June 11-13; 72 on
June 14; 78 on June 15-26; 80 on June 27-July 1; 78 on July 2-8; 80 on
July 9, and 78 on July 10-22.
The planetary A index is predicted at 5 on June 8-11; 8 on June 12-13;
5, 12, 25, and 10 on June 14-17; 8 on June 18-19; 5 on June 20-July 10;
10, 12, 25, and 10 on July 11-14; 8 on July 15-16, and 5 on July 17-22.
Field Day weekend, June 24-25, shows a changed prediction for June 23-25
with a solar flux at 78, and planetary A index of 5 on all 3 days, an
improvement from last week's forecast, which projected a higher
geomagnetic (A index) forecast and lower solar flux.
Bruce Smith, AC4G, of Taft, Tennessee wrote: "Just wanted to inform your
readers that on 7 June at approximately 2100 Z, I heard PA2M
(Netherlands) calling CQ into my area EM65, southern Tennessee. I went
down to 50.081, called CQ (CW), and began working many European stations
on 6. When the band finally faded after about 2 hours, I ended up making
QSOs with 18 European stations such as PA, G, GM, GD."
Boy Scouts of America Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Coordinator Jim Wilson,
K5ND, of Grapevine, Texas, wrote to say he's observed daily openings
into Europe on 6 meters but has had no luck working anyone. "But this
afternoon was able to work into Japan for the first time ever, running
100 W, JT65, into a Moxon antenna at 25 feet." He has posted a narrative
<https://www.k5nd.net/2017/06/six-meters-once-more-magic/> on his
experience. Jim also maintains a blog <http://www.k5nd.blog/>.
Sunspot numbers for June 1 through 7, 2017 were 18, 19, 22, 23, 22, 18,
and 13, with a mean of 19.3. The 10.7-cenitmeter flux was 75.7, 78.2,
77.9, 77.7, 79.4, 75.4, and 75.5 with a mean of 77.1. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 5, 9, 3, 5, 5, and 5, with a mean of 5.6.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 6, 9, 3, 5, 5, and 5, with a
mean of 5.6.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
June 9 -- HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest (CW)
*
June 10 -- Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB)
*
June 10-11 -- DRCG WW RTTY Contest
*
June 10-11 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, phone)
*
June 10-11 -- Portugal Day Contest (CW, phone)
*
June 10-11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
*
June 10-11 -- GACW WWSA CW DX Contest
*
June 10-11 -- REF DDFM 6-Meter Contest (CW, phone)
*
*June 10-12 -- **ARRL June VHF Contest*
<http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf>*(CW, phone, digital)*
*
June 11 -- Cookie Crumble QRP Contest (CW, phone, digital)
*
June 12 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
*
June 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
*
June 14 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW)
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 9-10 -- West Gulf Division Convention <http://www.hamcom.org/>,
Irving, Texas
*
June 16-18 -- Utah State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/utah-state-convention-1>, Garden City,
Utah
*
June 17 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/>,
Knoxville, Tennessee
*
Jul 7-8 -- Northern Florida Section Convention
<http://miltonarc.org/>, Milton, Florida
*
July 14-16 -- Montana State Convention <http://www.gwhamfest.org/>,
Essex, Montana
*
July 21-22 -- Oklahoma State Convention <http://hamholiday.com/>,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
*
July 27-30 -- Central States VHF Society Conference
<http://2017.csvhfs.org/>, Albuquerque, New Mexico
*
August 4-5 -- South Texas Section Convention
<http://www.austinsummerfest.org/>, Austin, Texas
*
August 4-6 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
<http://pacificnwdxconvention.com/>, Spokane, Washington
*
Aug 11-13 -- New Mexico State Convention
<https://dukecityhamfest.org/>, Albuquerque, New Mexico
*
August 12 -- Delta Division Convention
<http://www.shreveporthamfest.com/>, Shreveport, Louisiana
*
August 18-20 -- West Virginia State Convention
<http://qsl.net/wvsarc/>, Weston, West Virginia
*
August 19-20 -- Alabama State Convention <http://www.hamfest.org/>,
Huntsville, Alabama
*
August 20 -- Kansas State Convention <http://www.w0cy.org/>, Salina,
Kansas
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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