[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for October 25, 2018
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Fri Oct 26 10:03:52 EDT 2018
Preview
If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2018-10-25
The ARRL Letter
October 25, 2018
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=2018-10-25&t=t>
* Successful Ham Radio Contact between Students and Space Station
Excites and Inspires<#toc01>
* Ham Aid Kits Positioned to Deploy as Typhoon Yutu Ravages Central
Pacific Islands <#toc02>
* Waterlogged VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition Reported to be "Progressing
Well" <#toc03>
* Practice Makes Perfect with FT8 and Other /WSJT-X/ Protocols <#toc04>
* The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc05>
* Achieving a "Clean Sweep" is the Brass Ring of ARRL November
Sweepstakes <#toc06>
* ARISS Plan Under Consideration for NASA's Deep Space Gateway Program
<#toc07>
* Detained Norwegian Radio Amateur Allowed to Leave Chad <#toc08>
* In Brief... <#toc09>
* The K7RA Solar Update <#toc10>
* Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc11>
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc12>
Successful Ham Radio Contact between Students and Space Station Excites
and Inspires
"My best day as a teacher!" was educator Kathryn Craven's exuberant
reaction following a successful October 22 ham radio contact between
International Space Station (ISS) crew member Serena Auñón-Chancellor,
KG5TMT, and youngsters at Ashford School in Ashford, Connecticut. ARRL
Headquarters provided equipment for the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org>)-sponsored
event, and several ARRL Headquarters staffers were among those assisting
in setting up the station, working with teachers, students, and the
media, shooting photos, and offering other support.
*ECARA's Bernard Dubb, KD1DGY, holds the microphone as Amena Perry asks
astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, KG5TMT, her question. [Michelle
Patnode, W3MVP, photo]*
The entire student body of the kindergarten-through-eighth grade school
in northeastern Connecticut sat in rapt attention during the event, as a
dozen of their classmates spoke directly to Auñón-Chancellor, who was at
the helm of NA1SS on the ISS. Using ARRL's equipment, members of the
Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Association (ECARA
<http://www.ecara.net/>) set up the Earth station (KZ1M), with technical
and hands-on help from W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, who also
assisted in summoning NA1SS for the approximately 10-minute pass.
One reporter asked Carcia what was being displayed on the large screen.
"I explained that the program we were using -- /SatPC32/ -- allowed us
to see where the ISS is located and controlled the rotators with respect
to our location," he said.
Some Ashford School students have been studying microgravity and are
working on a research project that they hope will eventually be selected
to be conducted on the ISS. Auñón-Chancellor, the Mission 56/57 flight
surgeon, answered 16 student questions that ranged from "Do you wear
sunscreen into space?" to "What is the hardest thing about having zero
gravity?" and "How many flips can you do?"
Others attending on behalf of ARRL were ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager
Kris Bickell, K1BIC; Lifelong Learning and Knowledge Department
Administrator Ally Riedel, KM3ALF; ARRL Communications Content Producer
Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL Communications Manager David Isgur,
N1RSN.
*W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, sets up Earth-station gear in
advance of the ARISS event at Connecticut's Ashford School. [Michelle
Patnode, W3MVP, photo]*
"It was great!" Patnode said afterward. "The space station responded
right away, and everyone instantly got so excited."
Crews from four local television stations and print publication
reporters joined an audience of more than 400.
"We are so incredibly grateful to ARISS, ECARA, and ARRL for making this
possible for the entire Ashford School community," a statement on the
school's website <http://ashfordadventures.weebly.com/> said.
"Our students were literally bursting with excitement at the end of the
contact. Look out universe -- here comes the Mars generation!"
Ham Aid Kits Positioned to Deploy as Typhoon Yutu Ravages Central
Pacific Islands
In a little more than one day, the cyclone that became Super Typhoon
Yutu grew from tropical storm to a Category 5 monster. Yutu is said to
be the strongest storm on record to hit the Northern Mariana Islands,
home to about 55,000 people. The storm made landfall on Wednesday
evening (October 24), destroying homes, wreaking severe wind and
storm-surge damage and flooding, and knocking out water, power, and
telecommunications on the islands. Utilities could remain down for an
extended period.
Before reaching the islands, Yutu's sustained winds were reported to be
175 MPH. The storm is now tracking northwest toward the Philippines and
Taiwan.
ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, said that four
ARRL HF/VHF Ham Aid <http://www.arrl.org/ham-aid> kits in Guam are
available for use in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
(CNMI), a US territory. Another seven kits are positioned in Hawaii.
ARRL has received from the Amateur Radio community in Hawaii, Guam, and
Saipan. Corey said that radio amateurs in Guam and Hawaii are attempting
to get in touch with hams who can assist on Saipan, part of the CNMI.
Amateur Radio teams that had planned to operate in the CQ World Wide SSB
Contest from Saipan this weekend have cancelled their trips.
"There is a small group of radio amateurs on Saipan who do VHF work,"
Corey said. "We are in process of reaching out to them, as well as to
radio amateurs who go to Saipan and Tinian for the CQ WW SSB event."
While Guam is reporting no serious communication issues, public service
communication on Saipan is offline. Several stations in Hawaii,
including large contest stations, have HF capability to Guam and Saipan,
and some have agreed to pass traffic to Guam/Saipan if needed, Corey said.
One PACTOR-4-equipped station is available on Guam, and Winlink (radio
email) gateways exist in Hawaii.
"There are no transportation arrangements available to ARRL at this time
to move Ham Aid kits from Hawaii to Guam," Corey said. "We don't intend
to move them unless we have operators in Guam/Saipan to use them."
The Marianas Amateur Radio Club (AH2G) in Guam has posted photos and
updates <http://ah2g.net/2018/10/25/saipan-damage/> from Saipan on its
website. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-aid-kits-positioned-to-deploy-as-typhoon-yutu-ravages-central-pacific-islands>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2018-10-25&p=0>
Waterlogged VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition Reported to be "Progressing Well"
Significant rainfall this week hampered the ability of the VP6D Ducie
Island <https://vp6d.com/> DXpedition team to erect additional antennas
but did not dampen spirits.
"It's been raining; we're waterlogged," an October 24 update said. "In
24 hours we expect a significant storm to pass through, with heavy
rainfall and up to 25-knot winds with potential for stronger gusts.
Pileups continue to be energetic and reasonably well behaved. One
request on SSB: please do not call over the station we're working."
At this point, VP6D is approaching 30,000 contacts with nearly 10,000
unique call signs. Some 4,000 contacts had been made on FT8 as of
October 24, and 141 DXCC entities were in the log. "We know some FT8 Qs
are not in the log yet [but we're] working that problem," the update
said. The VP6D team has also acknowledged issues with the near-live DXA
online log display.
As the DXpedition got under way last weekend, operators reported that
signals on their end were loud. "We are progressing well," an earlier
update said, also noting that some callers were using the wrong version
of FT8. The correct version is /WSJT-X/ 1.9.1 in DX mode, in "hound"
configuration.
The VP6D site consists of a main camp and kitchen, tents for sleeping,
and generators, with the SSB camp located at the main camp and a CW camp
about a 30-minute walk from the main camp.
A couple of /Braveheart/ crew members are on the island to assist the
operators. The DXpedition is set to continue until November 3.
Ducie Island is the 19th most-wanted DXCC entity, according to Club Log
<https://clublog.org/mostwanted.php>.
Practice Makes Perfect with FT8 and Other /WSJT-X/ Protocols
FT8 co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, recommended in a recent post to the
Pack Rats reflector
<https://www.packratvhf.com/index.php/email-reflector> that those
planning to use FT8 or other /WSJT-X/
<https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html> protocols, such
as MSK144, should practice using the software before jumping into a
contest or other activity. A short FT8 demonstration contest
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ft8-to-be-permitted-in-2019-arrl-rtty-roundup>
will take place on Thursday, October 25, 0200 - 0300 UTC (Wednesday,
October 24, in North American time zones).
"[O]ne thing is for sure: Downloading the software and trying it out a
week before the contest is /not/ a good plan, either for you or for
those of us who write and polish the software," Taylor said. "You need
practice and experience with the software before the contest." Taylor
reminded readers that the original motivation for developing nearly all
of the /WSJT-X/ modes was VHF DXing and contesting; however, the
software became very popular on HF. A couple of major DXpeditions have
included FT8 in their mix of modes, and FT8 lately has been edging into
the contesting arena, with its inclusion in the ARRL RTTY Roundup in 2019.
FlexRadio CEO Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, recently suggested
<https://www.flexradio.com/ft8-tipping-point-for-ham-radio/> that FT8
has attained "killer app" or "tipping point" status in Amateur Radio.
The protocol permits working stations on seemingly "dead" bands,
countering the current dearth of sunspots, Youngblood pointed out, and
also lets operators of modest or antenna-restricted stations work HF DX,
just like larger, well-equipped stations.
*FlexRadio CEO Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR. *
"In my humble opinion, FT8 is at the very heart of what Amateur Radio
has been about from its inception -- amateurs who love the art of radio
enhancing the art of radio," Youngblood wrote. He continued,
speculating, "What will ultimately kill Amateur Radio is not FT8. To the
contrary, FT8 is an example of what will keep it alive and relevant.
What will kill Amateur Radio is if we cease to innovate, become old and
grumpy, and no longer bring new blood into the hobby."
Taylor believes that digital modes, such as FT8, can significantly boost
contact and multiplier totals in contests that permit its use, not to
mention in efforts to attain DXCC and other awards. "How best to merge
digi-modes into your operating plan, along with CW and SSB, will be
different for each station and each operator," he said. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/practice-makes-perfect-with-ft8-and-other-wsjt-x-protocols>.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2018-10-25&p=1>
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Do you really need a tower?" is the topic of the new (October 25)
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 email 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>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Achieving a "Clean Sweep" is the Brass Ring of ARRL November Sweepstakes
ARRL November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> (SS) is just
ahead. The popular operating events -- one for CW and the other for
phone (SSB) -- typically attract approximately 3,000 logs combined. For
this 77th running ARRL November Sweepstakes, the CW event is November 3
- 5 (UTC), and phone is November 17 - 19 (UTC), each starting at 2100
UTC on that Saturday and running through 0259 UTC on that Monday.
Stations may operate 24 of the available 30 hours. /*Logs are due within
7 days after the event is over.*/ Last year saw 1,275 entries for the CW
weekend, while the phone weekend attracted 1,674 logs.
The challenge of SS -- or "Sweeps" -- is to work as many stations in as
many of the 83 ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
<http://www.arrl.org/section-abbreviations> sections as possible within
the 24 hours available to operate. The number of sections worked is a
score multiplier. Making a "clean sweep" is the goal of many SS
aficionados -- working all 83 of the available US and Canadian
multipliers, and qualifying for a clean sweep coffee mug. In the 2017 CW
event, only 10 operators managed to work them all. Phone participants
had better luck, with 78 clean sweeps. Last year, Puerto Rico (PR) and
the US Virgin Islands (VI) were still reeling from devastating
hurricanes, making those sections rare.
At one time, the most difficult SS multiplier was Northern Territories
(NT) in Canada, where J. Allen, VY1JA, in Yukon Territory, was often the
only station available. That's changed now that the VY1JA station not
only has been thoroughly upgraded but can be remotely operated (as
VY1AAA), although by a Canadian operator, thanks to Gerry Hull,
W1VE/VE1RM, who told ARRL this week that VY1AAA is ready for SS action.
Other hard ones in 2017 appear to have been Alberta (AB), Northern New
York (NNY), US Virgin Islands (VI), and Wyoming (WY).
SS is a "domestic" contest with broad appeal, and even stations with
modest equipment and antennas can enjoy success. Many stations like to
operate in the QRP category (output of 5 W or less), although that
challenge is more daunting at this point in the solar cycle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SS and the Traffic-Handling Tradition
ARRL November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>is the oldest
domestic radiosport event (the first was in 1930). The SS contest
exchange has deep roots in message-handling protocol and replicates a
radiogram preamble. In SS, stations exchange:
*
A *consecutive serial number* (NR). Operators do /not/ have to add
leading zeros on numbers less than 100.
*
*Operating category* -- *Q* for Single Operator, QRP; *A* for Single
Operator, Low Power (up to 150 W output); *B* for Single Operator,
High Power (greater than 150 W output); *U* for Single Operator,
Unlimited, regardless of power; *M* for Multioperator, regardless of
power, and *S* for School Club.
*
*Your call sign.*
*
*Check* (CK) -- the last two digits of the year of first license for
either operator or station.
*
*Section* -- ARRL/RAC Section
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-sections-list>.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Casual operators are very important to SS, so I would advise that if
you come across [operators] who just want to help you out with a QSO,
take the time to walk them through the proper exchange sequence, and
encourage them to work other stations and to submit a log," said
now-retired SS Manager Larry Hammel, K5OT. "Your patience might be
rewarded with a motivated op next year!"
The SS /Operating Guide/ package, available for download
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>, explains how to participate in the
Sweepstakes, including all rules and examples of log formatting. Read
more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/achieving-a-clean-sweep-is-the-brass-ring-of-arrl-november-sweepstakes>.
-- /Thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE; Larry Hammel, K5OT, and Bart Jahnke, W9JJ/
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2018-10-25&p=2>
ARISS Plan Under Consideration for NASA's Deep Space Gateway Program
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org/>) International delegates were pleased to learn
last week that an ARISS plan is under consideration by NASA's Deep Space
Gateway (DSG
<https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_exploration_upddate_29_aug_2018_tagged.pdf>)
program. NASA Gateway Utilization Manager John Guidi, ex-KF4YUI,
informed those attending the annual ARISS-International in-person
meeting, held in College Park, Maryland, that ARISS is the only
noncommercial entity whose ideas are under study by the program. The
ARISS plan focuses on Amateur Radio communication, including optical
communication channels, as well as equipment development, team
cooperation, education, and public outreach.
*NASA Gateway Utilization Manager John Guidi, ex-KF4YUI, spoke at the
annual ARISS International in-person meeting.*
"Naturally, because the NASA Deep Space Gateway program is so new and
has yet to be fleshed out, ARISS needs to follow NASA's lead in being
open to how the DSG program flows," ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie
White, K1STO, explained. "ARISS's first moves need to be loose enough
that the plan, development, and execution can go in ways that dovetail
with what is needed."
The Deep Space Gateway would be a small outpost orbiting the moon that
would act as a "spaceport for human and robotic exploration to the moon
and beyond," NASA has said. Crewed by four people, it would provide an
operational platform for further exploring the lunar surface and a hub
to deeper space destinations. NASA hopes to have the completed Gateway
in lunar orbit as early as 2024.
The ARISS-International annual meeting on October 17 - 19 ran back to
back with the first-ever ARISS Education Summit, held October 15 - 16.
At the ARISS-International sessions, delegates and team members from
around the world presented and listened to talks on all aspects of
ARISS, from operations to education to hardware -- current and upgrades
-- to future projects. The team heard the latest news on HamTV, the
Interoperable Radio System, the antenna change-out required by the
European Space Agency's /Bartolomeo/ platform, and proposed Astrobee
<https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee> activities, HamTV II, and Radio-Pi
projects.
*Left to right: ARISS-International Vice Chair Oliver Amend, DG6BCE;
ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO; ARISS-Canada Delegate
for Radio Amateurs of Canada Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA, and
ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. At the meeting, MacDonell
was designated as one of the two ARISS-Canada delegates.*
Astrobee is a robot that will fly around the ISS with the astronauts to
help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in
zero-gravity, aid astronauts with routine chores, and offer Houston
flight controllers additional eyes and ears on the spacecraft.
Team members enjoyed viewing a live-streamed ARISS contact in Belgium.
Team members unable to travel to Maryland were able to teleconference
into the sessions.
On hand for the earlier ARISS Education Summit were teachers from the US
and elsewhere; ARISS-US Education Committee members; STEM educators from
College Park Airport Museum; education leaders from various NASA
entities, including the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)
office, nearby Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and the manager of
the ISS US National Laboratory -- Center for the Advancement of Science
in Space (CASIS <https://www.iss-casis.org/>); a group of SCaN-sponsored
mid-Atlantic teachers, and University of Maryland educators and
students. Attendees saw a demonstration of ARISS slow-scan television
(SSTV) and several ham satellite contacts. ARISS-US Education Committee
teacher Melissa Pore, KM4CZN, arrived from Virginia with eight of her
students, who talked about their ARISS-related STEM studies. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ariss-plan-under-consideration-for-nasa-s-deep-space-gateway-program>.
-- /Thanks to Rosalie White, K1STO/
Detained Norwegian Radio Amateur Allowed to Leave Chad
A tense situation involving a Norwegian radio amateur that reached the
diplomatic and foreign ministry level in the African Republic of Chad
has now been resolved. Kenneth Opskar, LA7GIA, had only operated as
TT8KO for about a day before security police shut down his station on
October 10. At that point, he'd logged and uploaded 2,150 contacts and
had installed all antennas except a 160-meter vertical. Opskar
considered the incident a minor distraction, until he was told that he
had to remain in Chad pending undetermined scrutiny of his station and
activity. Now, after having been detained in Chad for more than a week,
Opskar said on October 24 that he's free to go.
"I received the news that I can leave Chad immediately," Opskar told
<https://dx-world.net/tt8ko-chad/> /DX-World/, which has been posting
updates on a running basis. His solo DXpedition is over, however.
"I am not allowed to transmit. All antennas are to be taken down today
before sunset, because there is a presidential event at the hotel
tomorrow, and he will be here," Opskar said. "[The] hotel is now packed
with VIPs, police, and military personnel. I am done with sightseeing,
so my flight is booked for tomorrow."
Initially, Opskar had remained optimistic that all would be well after
the security police chief's personal inspection of his equipment. Things
got more stressful on October 13, however, after he underwent two
interrogations by the security police. "My gear has been disconnected,"
he said at the time. "The antennas on the roof are locked down, [and] I
cannot access them even for visual inspection or maintenance. I am not
allowed to touch anything."
On October 14, Opskar reported that the security police had deemed all
of his documents to be in order, but then was told that the security
police needed to confer with ARCEP, Chad's telecommunications regulator.
Opskar made plans to leave Chad on October 18, but he was not permitted
to disassemble his equipment until an inspection was completed. However,
on October 18, Opskar reported that a police order had been issued
preventing him from leaving Chad, even without his equipment. The
Norwegian embassy and foreign ministry then stepped in to work on the
matter.
Opskar said the many encouraging emails every day from DXers around the
world helped to keep up his spirit, in addition to the support he
received from his hotel's staff.
Ad <http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2018-10-25&p=3>
In Brief...
*Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, resigned on October 19 as Rocky Mountain Division
Director. *In a letter to ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, Allen
cited time constraints and competing duties with work and family. The
Secretary of the Corporation declared the position vacant, and in
accordance with Article 7 of the /Articles of Association/, Vice
Director Jeff Ryan, K0RM, has assumed the Director position. President
Roderick will appoint a new Vice Director.
*Boy Scouts of America Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Coordinator Jim
Wilson, K5ND, is urging JOTA participants to file
<https://k2bsa.net/jota-station-report/> post-JOTA reports.* JOTA and
the companion Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) took place over the
October 19 - 21 weekend. The reporting system combines JOTA and JOTI
reports. "It's critical that we demonstrate the activity level for this
event to support further work in developing support systems,
information, and activities for the 2019 JOTA-JOTI event," Wilson said.
Station information will be compiled into the US JOTA-JOTI report and
filed with the World Organization of the Scout Movement for their
overall 2018 JOTA-JOTI report. More than 9,000 locations signed up on
the World JOTA-JOTI website.
*WRTC 2018 QSL cards are on order.* World Radiosport Team Championship
2018 (WRTC 2018 <http://www.wrtc2018.de/index.php>) chair Christian
Janssen, DL1MGB, says QSL cards for contacts with the competing
Y8-prefix stations are now at the printer. WRTC 2018 will not
automatically send QSL cards, but everyone who wants a paper QSL will
get one. Janssen said all logs have been uploaded to Club Log
<https://clublog.org/> for request via the Online QSL Requests (OQRS)
system and recommends using it to request cards by Y8 call sign (OQRS
lets stations worked to request QSL cards through a log search on Club
Log. It's available to registered Club Log users). "Please don't send
paper QSL cards to us," Janssen advised. All contacts have been uploaded
to Logbook of The World (LoTW
<http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>). If a contact is not showing
up in LoTW, contact WRTC 2018 <mailto:contact at wrtc2018.de>.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We saw no sunspots during the October
18 - 24 reporting week, so the average daily sunspot number dropped from
12.6 to 0. The average daily solar flux declined from 71 to 70.4.
Geomagnetic indicators were quieter, with the average daily planetary A
index declining from 7.4 to 3.3, and the average daily middle latitude A
index dropping from 7.3 to 2.1.
Predicted solar flux is 70 on October 25 - 26; 68 on October 27 -
November 5; 70 on November 6 - 18; 69 on November 19 - 20; 68 on
November 21 - December 2, and 70 on December 3 - 8.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on October 25 - 26; 5 on October 27; 8
on October 28 - 29; 5 on October 30 - November 2; 22 and 20 on November
3 - 4; 15 on November 5 - 6; then 8, 5, 12, 8, and 10 on November 7 -
11; 5 on November 12 - 13; 12 on November 14; 5 on November 15 - 17; 6,
5 and 12 on November 18 - 20; 8 on November 21 - 22; 5, 8, and 12 on
November 23 - 25; 5 on November 26 - 29, 22 and 20 on November 30 -
December 1; 15 on December 2 - 3, and 8, 5, 12, 8, and 10 on December 4 - 8.
Sunspot numbers for October 18 - 24 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.5, 69.6, 70.4, 71, 70.9,
71.6, and 69.7, with a mean of 71. Estimated planetary A indices were 2,
2, 2, 4, 6, 4, and 3, with a mean of 7.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 0, 1, 0, 4, 5, 3, and 2, with a mean of 7.3.
Share <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> your reports and observations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
*
October 27 - 28 -- ARRL EME Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest> (CW, phone, digital)
*
October 27 - 28 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB
*
October 31 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)
*
November 1 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
*
November 1 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (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
email preferences.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
*
November 2-4 -- AMSAT Symposium
<https://www.amsat.org/amsat-symposium/>, Huntsville, Alabama
*
November 3-4 -- Georgia Section Convention
<http://stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia
*
November 10 -- Alabama Section Convention
<http://www.w4ap.org/Events/Hamfest.htm>, Montgomery, Alabama
*
November 10 -- HamJam 2018 Convention <http://hamjam.info/>,
Alpharetta, Georgia
*
November 17-18 -- Central Division Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana
*
December 1 -- Arkansas DX Association Conference
<http://www.adxa.org/>, North Little Rock, Arkansas
*
December 7-8 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://fgcarc.org/>, Plant City, Florida
*
January 5 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Brookville, New York
*
January 18 - 19 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://swflhamfest.info/>, Fort Myers, Florida
*
January 18 - 19 -- North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas
*
January 20 - 26 -- Quartzfest Convention
<http://www.quartzfest.org/>, Quartzsite, Arizona
*
January 25 - 26 -- Mississippi State Convention <http://msham.org/>,
Jackson, Mississippi
Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>
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