[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for November 9, 2017
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Thu Nov 9 18:27:41 EST 2017
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
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The ARRL Letter
November 9, 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=2017-11-09&t=t>
* Announcing: The ARRL International Grid Chase <#toc01>
* FCC Chairman Recognizes Amateur Radio in Praising those Assisting
Puerto Rico <#toc02>
* Emergency HF Net Convened in Colombia in Wake of Landslide, Flooding
<#toc03>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc04>
* New Book: /ARRL's Best of The Doctor is In/ Now Shipping <#toc05>
* Amateur Radio Volunteers Continue New York City Marathon Tradition
<#toc06>
* ** Amateur Radio Poised to Bring a Brighter Future to Dominica <#toc07>
* RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Delayed; AMSAT Asks for Patience During
Commissioning <#toc08>
* Yasme Foundation Announces 2017 Excellence Awards and Supporting
Grant <#toc09>
* Canada C3 Voyage Carrying /WSPR/ Concludes; Beacon May Remain Active
on Return Trip <#toc10>
* In Brief... <#toc11>
* Getting It Right <#toc12>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc13>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc14>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc15>
Announcing: The ARRL International Grid Chase
A new and exciting operating event will kick off on January 1, 2018, at
0000 UTC (New Year's Eve in US time zones), when the ARRL International
Grid Chase <http://www.arrl.org/aigc2018> gets under way. The year-long
event hopes to build on the success of the highly successful 2016
National Parks on the Air (NPOTA). The objective is to work stations on
/any/ band (/except/ 60 meters) in as many different Maidenhead grid
squares as possible, and then upload your log data to ARRL's Logbook of
The World (LoTW). Registration
<https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started/> in LoTW is free, and
it costs nothing to participate
Many hams are familiar with grid squares from the VHF/UHF and satellite
realms, and everyone lives in one. ARRL's VUCC is based on grid squares,
and some contests on HF, VHF, and UHF also use them as a scoring factor.
The Maidenhead grid square system divvies up the entire globe into 324
fields, each containing 100 grid squares 1° latitude × 2° longitude in
size. With 32,400 potential grid squares, it's not likely that anyone
will run out of challenges, even though some grid squares are surrounded
entirely by water or are in areas that are uninhabited or difficult to
access.
If you don't know your grid square, David Levine, K2DSL, has an online
calculator <http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php>. Just
enter a postal address, ZIP code, or even a call sign, and his site will
tell you the grid square for that location. For example, enter "W1AW"
and the site will return "FN31pr." For the purposes of the ARRL
International Grid Chase, though, just the two initial letters and the
two numbers that follow (e.g., FN31) are all you'll need to know.
Once you get active in the chase and start uploading your log data, each
new grid square contact confirmed through LoTW will count toward your
monthly total <http://www.arrl.org/aigc2018>. Getting started is simple.
Turn on the radio and just call CQ or "CQ Grid Chase" or listen for
others doing the same. Make a contact, exchange grid squares, log it,
and move on to another. At the end of each month, your totals on the
Grid Chase leader board will reset to zero, although the system retains
these to determine top finishers in various categories at the end of the
year.
*A map segment showing part of the EN field of grid squares. Note that
some grid squares are very nearly surrounded by water. [Photo courtesy
of Icom America]*
Any contact you make in 2018 can count toward your Chase score; it
doesn't have to involve an exchange of grid squares. As long as the
other operators also participate in LoTW, you'll get credit
automatically when they upload their logs. This means that contest
contacts also count, as will contacts with special event stations or
other on-air activity that uses LoTW to confirm contacts.
Some radio amateurs live in sparsely populated grid squares, and if
you're one of those, you could find yourself handling a pileup!
Expeditions to hard-to-reach or rare grid squares undoubtedly will
evolve. You also can travel to one of those grid squares yourself. Some
vehicle or handheld GPS units can be set to display when you are in a
particular grid square. Apps are available for smartphones or tablets,
such as /Ham Square/ for iOS devices or /HamGPS/ for Android devices.
There are no restrictions on modes or bands, as long as they are legal.
Satellite contacts are valid for the Chase. The event is open to all
radio amateurs.
Full details of the ARRL International Grid Chase will appear in the
December 2017 issue of /QST/. The digital edition is available on
Friday, November 10.
For more information, contact <mailto:contests at arrl.org> the ARRL
Contest Branch. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/announcing-the-arrl-international-grid-chase>.
FCC Chairman Recognizes Amateur Radio in Praising those Assisting Puerto
Rico
Wrapping up a 2-day visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, FCC Chairman Ajit
Pai, recognized Amateur Radio volunteers as he praised those who turned
out to help the stricken commonwealth in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
"[T]he worst of tragedies can also bring out the best in people. I saw
that firsthand during my 2 days in Puerto Rico," Pai said. "Everyone is
pitching in: the people of Puerto Rico helping their neighbors,
hardworking Federal Emergency Management Agency staff -- including
communications personnel in Emergency Support Function #2 -- the
dedicated regulators of the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory
Board, and the FCC's own Roberto Mussenden, who has spent the past month
away from his family on the mainland in order to help the island where
he grew up."
"Additionally, Amateur Radio operators, broadcasters, cable operators,
fixed wireless companies, wireline carriers, and mobile providers have
stepped up to the plate, working overtime to connect the disconnected,"
Pai continued. "All of this work reflects the ethos I saw on many signs
and t-shirts during my time on the island: 'Puerto Rico Se Levanta'
[Puerto Rico is Rising]."
Pai said recovering from Hurricane Maria will require an
all-hands-on-deck effort, and the FCC "remains committed to doing
everything we can to help restore communications networks as quickly as
possible."
In October, the FCC granted ARRL's request to waive current Amateur
Radio rules to permit data transmissions at a higher symbol rate than
currently permitted, in order to facilitate hurricane relief
communications between the continental US and Puerto Rico. The temporary
waiver will enable the use of PACTOR 3 and PACTOR 4.
"The path to recovery has met several challenges, most notably the lack
of power and functional infrastructure," Pai said. "One thing is clear:
overcoming these challenges won't be easy." Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-chairman-recognizes-amateur-radio-in-praising-those-assisting-puerto-rico>.
Emergency HF Net Convened in Colombia in Wake of Landslide, Flooding
Radio amateurs in Colombia were put on Orange Alert on November 8, and
an HF net activated on 7.117 kHz in the wake of an avalanche of mud and
rocks the previous evening on the La Paila River in the town of Corinto.
The incident at dusk killed at least five and injured dozens more.
Upward of 20 people are missing after a flood of mud and debris swept
through the small town some 60 kilometers southeast of Cali.
*Mud and debris were flushed into Corinto by the avalanche. [Red Cross
video]*
"The Emergency Network of radio amateurs in Cali and Popayan are working
together at this time to keep the risk management authorities informed
about injured and missing people and temporary shelters," Juan Manuel
Yanguas, HK5AKN, Director and Coordinator of the Emergency Service for
Liga de Radioaficionados de Ca, said on November 7. "We continue
monitoring and will inform about more risks." Yanguas said the Corinto
hospital had been evacuated, and a hospital facility has been set up in
a camp in the city's principal park, and the population is being
evacuated to higher ground. Relief agencies have evacuated the community
to the village of San Rafael.
The spreading footprint of the avalanche had affected some 60 families
-- about 300 people in all. A half-dozen injured were taken to the local
coliseum, which was activated as a shelter, and a crisis room was
installed at the Corinto Fire Department command center. /-- Thanks to
IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator Cesar Santos, HR2P; media reports/
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The Doctor Will See You Now!
"NVIS: Near Vertical Incidence Skywave" is the topic of the new
(November 9) 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>.
New Book: /ARRL's Best of The Doctor is In/ Now Shipping
For more than a decade, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, has been offering ideas and
advice to radio amateurs in /QST/'s "The Doctor is In" column. Each
month he educates, dispenses cures for troublesome problems, and
indulges in more than a little technical myth-busting. Now the Doctor's
advice is available in Volume 1 of /ARRL's Best of The Doctor is In/
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRLs-Best-of-The-Doctor-is-In/>/. /
In this series, ARRL has gathered the most frequently asked questions,
as well as Joel's detailed answers, on the topic of antenna systems.
Many answers include comprehensive illustrations. You'll find helpful
information about VHF/UHF antennas, HF wire antennas, HF vertical
antennas, HF Yagi antennas, and transmission lines.
If you're puzzling over how to improve your station antennas or how to
solve a problem with your antenna system, chances are someone else has
shared the same questions with -- and received helpful answers from --
The Doctor. Having /ARRL's Best of The Doctor is In/
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRLs-Best-of-The-Doctor-is-In/> at hand is
the next best thing to a visit from W1ZR himself!
/ARRL's Best of The Doctor Is In/
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRLs-Best-of-The-Doctor-is-In/> is available
from the ARRL Store <http://www.arrl.org/shop> or your ARRL Dealer
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-publication-dealers>. (ARRL Item no. 0741),
ISBN: 978-1-62595-074-1, $22.95 retail, special ARRL Member Price
$19.95). Call 860-594-0355 or, toll-free in the US, 888-277-5289. It is
also available as an e-book <http://a.co/dzVD8rw> for the Amazon Kindle.
Amateur Radio Volunteers Continue New York City Marathon Tradition
More than 175 hams from all directions on the compass converged on New
York City this past weekend to support communications for the 2017 New
York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5. Tata Consultancy Services is
the event's primary sponsor. Along with more than 50,000 runners and an
estimated crowd of some 2.5 million spectators, Amateur Radio volunteers
were on the scene to assist in numerous communications and other
race-related activities.
Ham radio and the Marathon have a relationship dating back to the 1970s,
when former ARRL Hudson Division Director and later First Vice President
Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML (then WA2DHF, now Silent Key), began organizing a
cadre of ham radio volunteers to support race communications. In an era
before cell phones and widespread deployment of digital mobile radio,
Mendelsohn and his volunteers provided a major share of the
communications, logistical, and organizational support for the growing
event. Over the past decade and a half, as the Marathon has become more
and more prominent as a major international athletic gathering,
dependence on Amateur Radio has been partially supplanted by
non-volunteer, paid resources.
*Deborah Kerr, KC2GPV, the 2017 TCS NYC Marathon Amateur Radio
Communications Director (left), and ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF.*
Hams still staff all 26 mile stations along the route, along with
medical facilities set up near most mile stations, as well as a large
communications center in Central Park. Amateur Radio operators act as
course marshals, closely observing the participants, calling in for
medical assistance, relaying logistical requirements, and, in general,
lending a hand as needed.
When a runner drops out of the race, even for a short period, hams alert
medical resources and advise NYPD officers nearby. A downed runner may
get a bottle of fluids, a package of high-sugar candy, and the jacket of
a ham volunteer draped over his or her shoulders to protect from a
chilly shock.
The task of marshaling all the ham radio resources for the New York City
Marathon falls to Deb Kerr, KC2GPV, who succeeded Mendelsohn as Amateur
Radio Communications Director for the NYC Marathon. This past weekend,
she was on her game./-- Thanks to Tom Gallagher, NY2RF./
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-11-09&p=1>
**Amateur Radio Poised to Bring a Brighter Future to Dominica
Despite the devastating blow Hurricane Maria dealt to the Caribbean
island nation of Dominica, Brian Machesney, K1LI, is optimistic that the
recent delivery of Amateur Radio gear to the island will help to
expedite ongoing recovery and better prepare Dominica for any similar
disasters in the future. Machesney is recently back from Dominica, where
he and others helped deploy the nearly 600 pounds of radio equipment,
transported by air, thanks to Dave Bridgham, N1AHF. Assisting him was
Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, who circumnavigated the globe
<http://www.arrl.org/news/project-amelia-earhart-pilot-brian-lloyd-wb6rqn-back-in-the-continental-us>
earlier this year.
*Gordon Royer, J73GAR (left), and John Mitchel, J73MH, at the Canefield
Airport, in contact via HF ALE with the Douglas-Charles Airport across
the mountainous center of the country.*
"I wish we could have accomplished more in the 10 days we were on the
ground in Dominica but, as any reasonable person would concede, the
weeks immediately following the region's most devastating hurricane in
living memory were not the best time to deploy new radio equipment,"
Machesney said. Nonetheless, the gear was delivered safely to the
Dominica Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (DARCI
<http://www.facebook.com/HurricaneMariaDARCI/>). Many DARCI members lost
everything in the hurricane. All of the ham radio gear was donated or
purchased with donations. Some of the primary players included the Yasme
Foundation, the Foundation for Amateur International Radio Service
(FAIRS), and Yaesu.
"The first challenge the hams faced in providing communications after
the hurricane was the lack of power to recharge their HT batteries,"
Machesney said. "The solar-charged battery power systems supplied by
FAIRS were quickly dispersed to stations from Jimmit to Castle Comfort
where, in addition to powering ham equipment, they served to recharge
neighbors' mobile devices and further raised ham radio's profile in
Dominica."
*"RJ" Raymond, J73RJ, tests a solar-powered FT-8900 cross-band VHF/UHF
station for deployment to a village that may not have grid power for
months.*
Machesney sees a productive future on Dominica for HF Automatic Link
Establishment (ALE <http://hflink.com/>), a mode widely used by the
government and the military. Through a cooperative arrangement with the
Dominica Air and Seaports Authority, HF ALE transceivers, purchased by
the Yasme Foundation, were installed at a station at Canefield Airport,
with a companion station at the larger Douglas-Charles Airport. A third
HF ALE station was set up at the DARCI club station, J73Z, and powered
by solar panels. FAIRS provided six solar-charged battery power kits,
Machesney said. Yaesu also supplied 10 FT-8900 transceivers and 30
FT-65R handheld transceivers and accessories. Generous donations to a
GoFundMe <https://www.gofundme.com/hurricane-maria-dominica-ham-radio>
campaign provided the cash to purchase antennas and other gear.
"All parties are thoroughly sold on HF ALE as a valuable addition to
their local and long-range communication capabilities," Machesney said.
"Once the state of emergency has passed, the HF ALE stations will be
re-deployed to private amateur stations strategically located around the
island." He hopes that HF ALE will augment the island's VHF/UHF repeater
coverage.
"It was a great, cooperative effort that resulted in an integrated
package of equipment that should 'keep the lights on' for the
foreseeable future," Machesney said.
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Delayed; AMSAT Asks for Patience During
Commissioning
The launch of the Delta II vehicle carrying RadFxSat (Fox-1B)
<https://www.amsat.org/countdown-to-launch-radfxsat-fox-1b/> and other
payloads has been delayed, due to a faulty battery on the booster,
United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced
<http://www.ulalaunch.com/delta-ii-to-launch-jpss1.aspx> on November 6.
The launch now is scheduled for no earlier than Tuesday, November 14.
RadFxSat is one of four CubeSats making up the NASA ELaNa XIV mission,
riding as secondary payloads aboard the Joint Polar Satellite System
(JPSS-1) mission, which will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California.
RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University's Institute for
Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE <http://www.isde.vanderbilt.edu/>)
and hosts four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial
off-the-shelf components. It will carry a Fox-1 style FM U/V repeater
with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960
MHz. Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the DUV
subaudible telemetry stream, which can be decoded using /FoxTelem/
<https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/> software.
AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said
RadFxSat/Fox-1B will automatically come up in beacon mode, transmitting
a beacon and voice ID ("RadFxSat Safe Mode") every 2 minutes, starting
about 50 minutes after deployment. He said AMSAT command stations will
want to see voltage and current data to determine that the spacecraft is
healthy and to conduct various tests before opening it up for general use.
Telemetry should begin about 55 minutes after deployment. "[F]or the
next 72-96 hours at least, we look for successful startup, watch the
general health and function as the satellite begins to acclimate to
space, and perform the on-orbit checkout," Buxton said. Ground stations
are invited to continue uploading received telemetry for the life of the
satellite.
"You can help AMSAT and everyone waiting to get on the air with RadFxSat
tremendously, by capturing RadFxSat telemetry," Buxton said. He called
on the satellite community to be "polite and patient" as RadFxSat is
commissioned. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/radfxsat-fox-1b-launch-delayed-amsat-asks-for-patience-during-commissioning>.
/-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service/
Yasme Foundation Announces 2017 Excellence Awards and Supporting Grant
The Yasme Foundation <http://www.yasme.org> Board of Directors has
announced five Excellence Awards and one supporting grant for 2017. The
Yasme Excellence Award is presented to individuals and groups who,
through their own service, creativity, effort, and dedication, have made
a significant contribution to Amateur Radio.
Their contribution may recognize technical, operating, or organizational
achievement. The Yasme Excellence Award consists of a cash grant and an
individually engraved crystal globe.
Receiving Yasme Foundation Excellence Awards were:
* *Dayton Amateur Radio Association (**DARA* <http://w8bi.org/>*):* To
pick up the nation's largest Amateur Radio event -- Hamvention^® --
on a few months' notice and move it to a completely different
facility is a daunting task. That it went so smoothly was a
testament to the extraordinary efforts of the 600 volunteers and
event leadership.
* *Paul Verhage, KD4STH, and Bill Brown, WB8ELK: *For their leadership
and continued technical innovation in Amateur Radio high-altitude
ballooning (ARHAB). While not the traditional means of introduction,
ARHAB is exposing hundreds of students to Amateur Radio through an
interest in science experimentation. Both honorees have written
extensively about ARHAB and have contributed material to /The ARRL
Handbook/.
* *Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, and Magda Moses, KM4EGE:* For creating
and leading the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI
<http://hamsci.org/>) organization that sponsored the Solar Eclipse
QSO Party (SEQP). The SEQP was the largest Amateur Radio experiment
ever devised, and it generated the world's most extensive set of HF
propagation observations during an eclipse. Beyond the SEQP, HamSCI
is attracting the interest of professional/academic researchers from
numerous universities, the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico,
MIT's Haystack Observatory, and the HAARP facility in Alaska.
* *The /WSJT/ Development Team: *Initially the work of Joe Taylor,
K1JT, the /WSJT/
<https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html> software
suite is now maintained and extended by a team of developers led by
Bill Somerville, G4WJS; Steve Franke, K9AN; Greg Beam, KI7MT;
Michael Black, W9MDB; Edson Pereira, PY2SDR, and Nico Palermo,
IV3NWV, in collaboration with Taylor. FT8, their latest digital
mode, combines the extraordinarily low signal-to-noise ratio
performance of JT9 and JT65 with a much faster decoding and exchange
process.
* *Dale Hughes, VK1DSH:* For his excellent work as chairman of the
Amateur Working Group in ITU-R Working Party 5A and as Chairman of
the sub-Working Group that addressed the allocation of a worldwide
60-meter Amateur Radio band during World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015.
Receiving a Yasme Foundation Supporting grant was:
* *Gary Pearce, KN4AQ*, for his production and distribution of videos
of interest to the Amateur Radio community through /HamRadioNow/
<https://www.hamradionow.tv/> and YouTube. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/yasme-foundation-announces-excellence-awards-and-supporting-grant>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-11-09&p=2>
Canada C3 Voyage Carrying /WSPR/ Concludes; Beacon May Remain Active on
Return Trip
The epic Canada C3 voyage of the /Polar Prince/ to commemorate Canada's
150th Anniversary of Confederation celebration ended successfully on
October 28. Over the course of the 150-day expedition from Toronto,
Ontario, to Victoria, British Columbia via the Northwest Passage, the
CG3EXP /WSPR/ HF beacon was received on every continent except
Antarctica, CG3EXP trustee Barrie Crampton, VE3BSB, told ARRL this week.
*The /Polar Prince/ receives a Victoria Fire Department salute as it
arrives in British Columbia.*
"The Ultimate 3S beacon transmitter made 64,800 transmissions that
resulted in 397,964 uploads to WSPRnet.org
<http://wsprnet.org/drupal/>," Crampton said. The CG3EXP /WSPR /beacon
-- which transmitted on 40, 30, and 20 meters -- provided an opportunity
for the Amateur Radio community to follow the vessel's progress and
share in the celebration.
However, the end of the voyage does not mean the end of the beacon's
transmissions. Crampton said the CG3EXP beacon "will likely remain on
the air as the /Polar Prince/ returns to the east coast of Canada via
the Panama Canal."
The deadline for Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Canada C3 Expedition
Award
<http://wp.rac.ca/operating/rac-awards/canada-c3-expedition-award/>
submissions is November 30. The purpose of the award was to track the
voyage of the /Polar Prince/ from Toronto to Victoria and to study radio
propagation in the Arctic regions of Canada. Stations listened for
/WSPR/ signals from CG3EXP and recorded the 6-character Maidenhead grid
square that was transmitted, as well as the location of the ship.
The /WSPR/ beacon consists of a QRP Labs Kits U3S beacon transmitter.
The antenna is a 30-meter resonant end-fed dipole from MyAntennas.com
<http://myantennas.com/wp/>, sloping at 62° up to the mid-mast.
Earlier this year, Crampton explained that the /Polar Prince/ did not
carry a full-blown Amateur Radio station because of logistics, space,
technical requirements. A /WSPR/ beacon was far easier to implement, he
said. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/canada-c3-voyage-carrying-wspr-concludes-beacon-may-remain-active-on-return-trip>.
/-- Thanks to Barrie Crampton, VE3BSB, and RAC MarCom Director Alan
Griffin./
In Brief...
*ARI President Mario Ambrosi, I2MQP, SK: *Associazione Radioamatori
Italiani (ARI) President Pietro "Mario" Ambrosi, I2MQP, of Rodano,
Millepini, Italy, died November 6 after serving for several decades at
the head of Italy's national Amateur Radio organization and IARU member
society. An ARRL member, DXCC card checker, and 2005 CQ Amateur Radio
Hall of Fame inductee, Ambrosi was credited with growing ARI and with
bringing younger people into ham radio. Ambrosi was a DXer and
contester, a member of the ARI DX Club Contest Team, and held #1 Honor
Roll and 9-Band DXCC. He also served as a QSL manager for multiple
stations. Ambrosi was the author of several books on radio and the
editor of ARI's journal, /Radiorivista/.**
*Tehu Kharel, 9N1DX.*
*Mother, Daughter Radio Amateurs Active from Nepal:* Kalpana Kharel,
9N1MM, and her daughter Tejaswita (Tehu), 9N1DX, both are active radio
amateurs from Nepal's capital of Kathmandu. Husband and father Satish is
9N1AA. Both women are reported operational on HF, mostly on RTTY and
FT8. Kalpana Kharel is believed to be the first female Amateur Radio
licensee from Nepal, and her daughter is the youngest ever to obtain a
ham license there (an American, Jinny Beyer, 9N1RA, was active in the
1970s). Tehu Kharel, who attends Rato Bangala School in Patan, Nepal,
said on her QRZ.com profile <https://www.qrz.com/lookup/9n1dx> that she
is working to improve her Morse code skills. "I was very keen to learn
about ham radio since my childhood," she said there. "I always observed
RTTY QSOs of my dad. So, I am more comfortable with digital modes." QSL
cards for 9N1MM and 9N1DX are said to be in production. 9N1MM, now held
by Kalpana Kharel, once was the famous call sign of Father Marshall
Moran, the first radio amateur active in Nepal from the 1950s until the
early 1990s.
Getting It Right
The article "CQ World Wide SSB Event Inaugurates Fall Contest Season,"
in the November 2 edition of /The ARRL Letter/, contained inaccurate
information. The CQ World Wide SSB contest claimed score for K3LR was
the top US high-power multi-multi score.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2017-11-09&p=3>
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots have been visible so far
in November. The average daily sunspot number dropped from 17.7 last
week to zero this week, November 2-8. The average daily solar flux
declined from 75.4 to 70.8, while the average daily planetary A index
went from 6.4 to 15.6, and average mid-latitude A index rose from 4.7 to
12.4.
Predicted solar flux is 68 on November 9-11; 69, 70, and 72 on November
12-14; 73 on November 15-16; 75 on November 17-30; 72 on December 1; 71
on December 2-3; 70 on December 4-10; 71, 72, 73, 73, and 74 on December
11-15, and 75 on December 16-23.
Predicted planetary A index is 38, 30, 26, and 12 on November 9-12; 5,
8, and 16 on November 13-15; 10 on November 16-17; 5 on November 18-19;
20 on November 20-22; 5 on November 23-28; 10 on November 29-30; 5 on
December 1-2; 10 and 27 on December 3-4; 30 on December 5-6; 28, 25, and
10 on December 7-9; 5 on December 10-11; 10 on December 12-14; 5 on
December 15-16; 20 on December 17-19, and 5 on December 20-23.
Sunspot numbers for November 2-8 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 73.6, 73.2, 72.1, 71.1, 69.4,
68.3, and 67.6, with a mean of 70.8. Estimated planetary A indices were
8, 9, 4, 3, 2, 36, and 47, with a mean of 15.6. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 12, 7, 2, 1, 0, 26, and 39, with a mean of 12.4.
Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
November 11-12 -- WAE DX Contest (RTTY)
*
November 11-12 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (Digital)
*
November 11-12 -- JIDX Phone Contest
*
November 11-12 -- OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
*
November 11-12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
*
November 11-12 -- Kentucky QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
*
November 11-13 -- CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
*
November 13 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
*
November 13 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Data)
*
November 16 -- 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 11 -- HamJam Convention <http://hamjam.info/>, Alpharetta,
Georgia
*
November 18-19 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana
*
December 2 -- Arkansas DX Association's 50th Anniversary Convention
<https://www.adxa.org/>, North Little Rock, Arkansas
*
December 8-9 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.fgcarc.org/>, Plant City, Florida
*
January 6 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Brookville, New York
*
January 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention <http://gaares.org/>, Forsyth,
Georgia
*
January 19-20 -- North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas
*
January 20 -- GARS TECHFEST Convention <http://techfest.info/>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia
*
January 21-27 -- Quartzfest Convention <http://quartzfest.org/>,
Quartzsite, Arizona
*
January 26-27 -- Delta Division Convention
<http://hamfest.msham.org/>, Jackson, Mississippi
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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