2014-07-25

QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News

///////////////////////////////////////////

ISEE-3 spacecraft presentation in Guildford Saturday

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:36 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...y&goto=newpost

ice.jpgISEE-3 spacecraft presentation in Guildford Saturday

Achim Vollhardt DH2VA and Mario

Lorenz DL5MLO from AMSAT-DL Bochum will be giving a presentation on ISEE-3

(ICE) to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn,

Guildford, GU2 7XZ. The event is open to all

The presentation takes place from 1:50-2:40pm

(1250-1340 GMT) on Saturday, July 26 and it is hoped to have a live

demonstration of telemetry reception from the spacecraft during the

presentation.

The International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE-3) is a

NASA spacecraft that was launched in 1978 to study EarthÂ’s magnetosphere.

It was repurposed and renamed the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) in

1983 to study two comets and has been in a heliocentric orbit since then,

traveling just slightly faster than Earth. ItÂ’s finally catching up with

Earth from behind with the closest approach expected in August, 2014.

Since NASA no longer has the capability to receive

and command the spacecraft a group of amateurs, with NASAÂ’s permission,

decided to do it for themselves.

On March 1-2, 2014 radio amateurs at the Bochum

Amateur Radio Facility in Germany were able to detect the beacon signal

from the spacecraft over a distance of 43 million km. After some changes

to the ground equipment and aligning the receive antenna to the predicted

position in the sky, the 2 GHz beacon signal could positively be

identified due to its frequency, the position in the sky and the frequency

shift due to the radial velocity (Doppler shift).

The 20m dish at Bochum was used to receive the

signals. In 2003, AMSAT-DL converted this former industrial monument into

a fully functional groundstation for deep space probes. Since 2009 the

facility is being used by volunteers almost full time as ground receive

station for data from the STEREO mission with its two spaceprobes

monitoring the sun from different viewing angles.

In June Dennis Wingo KD4ETA and other volunteers

succeeded in commanding the spacecraft using the Arecibo dish in Puerto

Rico.

Admittance to the Colloquium is £10 a day. You can

register in advance at

http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/category_10/

Colloquium-2014-Fri-25-July-to-Sun-27-July.html

registration can also be done on the day.

The schedule and map is at

http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2014/

Live video streaming

http://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/23/batc-...ce-colloquium/

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...d_saturday.htm

Follow Southgate News on Twitter

Become a Facebook fan

Attached Images

ice.jpg

(38.0 KB)

///////////////////////////////////////////

4,000 Scouts to experience Ham Radio at Scout AirFest in Illinois

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:29 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...s&goto=newpost

4,000 Scouts to experience Ham Radio at Scout AirFest in Illinois

The Rainbow Council Amateur Radio Committee will operate

a Special Event Station during Scout AirFest on August 8-10, 2014.

With nearly 4,000 registered Scouters expected to

attend, Scout AirFest is one of the largest Scout events in Northern

Illinois in this year. The “camporee” will take place on the grounds of

the Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, Illinois.

The K2BSA Amateur Radio Association has given the

Rainbow Council permission to operate as K2BSA. Nearly two dozen ham radio

operators will be ambassadors to one of the most interesting hobbies in the

world during AirFest.

Scouts and Unit Leaders who attend AirFest can

participate in the program, even if they are not licensed operators. The

K2BSA operation will feature a variety of Radio Scouting opportunities.

Requirements for the Radio Merit Badge HF Voice and Digital Communication

Low Earth Orbiting Satellite Demonstrations Morse Code Demonstrations UHF

Talk-In for Out-of-Town Scout Units VHF Camp Net for Rag Chewing

After Taps each night, K2BSA will operate as a

traditional Special Event Station in an attempt to work as many stations

on as many bands as possible. K2BSA will participate in the WAE CW DX

Contest and Maryland QSO Party during the AirFest weekend.

World Scouting Band

Segments Several amateur bands have

designated frequencies where Scout stations can meet. K2BSA will operate

Phone, CW, and PSK modes during AirFest, giving Scouts the opportunity to

experience several communication modes. K2BSA also will attempt LEO

satellite communication from grid EN51wo.

HF Voice Communication

Band

NCS Call Sign

Purpose

Calling Freq. (MHz)

Minimum License

2 m

K2BSA

Campfire Radio

147.540 (No Tone)

Technician

70 cm

K2BSA

Talk-In Net (Primary)

443.525 (PL 114.8)

Technician

70 cm

K2BSA

Talk-In Net (Back Up)

442.550 (PL 114.8)

Technician

HF CW Frequencies Band

Mode

Segment (MHz)

Calling Freq. (MHz)

Minimum License

80

CW

3.560 – 3.570

3.570

Technician

40

CW

7.030 – 7.040

7.030

Technician

20

CW

14.050 – 14.060

14.060

General

15

CW

21.130 – 21.140

21.140

Technician

PSK Frequencies

Band

Mode

Segment (MHz)

Calling Freq. (MHz)

Minimum License

80

PSK

3.570 – 3.600

3.580

Technician

40

PSK

7.030 – 7.040

7.035

Technician

20

PSK

14.070 – 14.095

14.070

General

15

PSK

21.070 – 21.110

21.080

Technician

Campfire Radio Net and Talk-In

For Scouters traveling from outside Will County, K2BSA

will provide a directed Talk-In Net. Net Control will be part of the Camp

MasterÂ’s tent. When Scouters arrive, they can communicate and Rag Chew on

an undirected net called Campfire Radio. K2BSA will guard both

frequencies.

Band

NCS Call Sign

Purpose

Calling Freq. (MHz)

Minimum License

2 m

K2BSA

Campfire Radio

147.540 (No Tone)

Technician

70 cm

K2BSA

Talk-In Net (Primary)

443.525 (PL 114.8)

Technician

70 cm

K2BSA

Talk-In Net (Back Up)

442.550 (PL 114.8)

Technician

QSLs

All QSLs will come via K9RSR on Log Book of the World (LOTW) and

QRZ.com. We will provide paper QSL cards only to operators who provide

return postage. No QSL cards for Echolink

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...n_illinois.htm

Follow Southgate News on Twitter

Become a Facebook fan

///////////////////////////////////////////

The ARRL Letter, July 24, 2014

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:28 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...4&goto=newpost

The ARRL Letter

July 24, 2014

Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, Editor

[Note: Clicking on the story links below will take you to the news article

as it appears in The ARRL Letter on the ARRL website.]

ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second

CenturyCentennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio Parity

Act," HR.4969FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham

Radio "Resilient"FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs

Alleging Deliberate Interference, Failure to IdentifyARRL VEC Conducts

Remote Exam Session with Applicants in AntarcticaW1AW Centennial Operations

Move to Indiana, Rhode IslandHam Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado

HikerCincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its

SystemARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major DonorsNobel Laureate

Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio Will ThriveIndia's VO-52

Satellite Goes DarkA Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second Century

With the ARRL National Centennial Convention, July 17-19, now a part of

Amateur Radio history, the League's second century has arrived! The ARRL

welcomed some 3300 visitors to the Connecticut Convention Center in

Hartford for the 3-day event, which went smoothly for the most part, said

ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. She noted that many conventioneers even

stayed around for the official closing ceremony on Saturday afternoon --

and beyond.

"Even as late as Sunday, people were shaking my hand at the convention

hotel and saying how much they enjoyed the convention," Craigie

said. "Despite a few hitches and glitches, the event as a whole met our

objective of being a truly memorable and meaningful celebration of the

centennial, in the city where it all began 100 years ago."

Craigie expressed appreciation for the efforts of ARRL Headquarters

staffers and the many volunteers who helped to make the convention a

success. "The ARRL also appreciates the Training Track and forum

presenters, who made the program as fine as anything ever brought together

for an Amateur Radio convention," she added. "The exhibitors who supported

the show with their presence gave visitors an excellent opportunity to

learn more about the products, services, and organizations in today's

Amateur Radio. That was really helpful when I walked through the exhibits

with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and later with Congressman

Joseph Courtney of Connecticut -- an original co-sponsor of HR.4969 -- for

some show and tell about Amateur Radio activities and technology."

The winner of a drawing for a $5000 grand prize certificate from the ARRL

and R&L Electronics was ARRL Life Member John C Davison, N2OXV, of

Poughkeepsie, New York. The winner of a $2500 gift certificate from the

ARRL and FlexRadio Systems was Robert The, AC2II, of Germantown, New York.

"Just before the prize drawing on Saturday afternoon, I invited the

youngest hams at the closing ceremony onto the main stage," said

Inderbitzen. "There were four 13-year-olds -- Stu Cichon of Meriden,

Connecticut (a prospective ham); Dahnesh Upton, KB1OTB, of Mont Vernon, New

Hampshire; Tobias Park, KD2EOM, of Warwick, New York; and Brandon

Turrentine, KF5QYU, of Winnie, Texas. "Brandon pulled the tickets of the

two prize winners," Inderbitzen continued. "Each of these young hams will

be sent a hardcover edition of the ARRL Centennial Handbook signed by

members of the staff, and some other 'goodies.'"

At the convention, Craigie said, she saw some youngsters in strollers who

likely will be around for the League's 150th anniversary in 2064. "Our job

now is to do our part to make sure that Amateur Radio and the ARRL are

strong for them when it's their turn to celebrate the next milestone in the

history of our League," she said.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, concluded the closing ceremony. "With this

moment, we say good-bye to ARRL's first century with fondness [and] great

memories," he said. "You're all part of that history, and now we're all

part of the ARRL's second century."

Centennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio Parity Act,"

HR.4969

The just-concluded ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford,

Connecticut, helped to infuse some energy into efforts to line up

co-sponsors for "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" -- HR.4969.

The measure, introduced in the US House of Representatives with bipartisan

support in late June, calls on the FCC to apply the "reasonable

accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy to

private land-use restrictions regarding antennas. The bill's primary

sponsor is Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). It received initial co-sponsorship

from Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT). An additional four co-sponsors have since

signed aboard the bill. Courtney visited the ARRL Centennial Convention on

July 19 to speak with League officials and those attending the event. At

present PRB-1 only applies to state and municipal land-use ordinances, and

the FCC has indicated that it will not act to provide the same legal

protections from private land-use agreements -- often called covenants,

conditions, and restrictions (or CC&Rs) -- without direction from Congress.

Convention visitors began sporting League-supplied "Get Behind HR 4969"

stickers as the event shifted into high gear. Behind the stickers is a

grassroots effort to encourage members to contact their congressional

representatives to seek their support as co-sponsors for HR.4969. The

effort at the Convention to entice visitors to sign letters to lawmakers

yielded some 1400 constituent letters that will be hand delivered to

members of Congress, a July 19 Convention Legislative Update Forum was told.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said there already is precedent for

the FCC to act. He explained that the Commission's so-called Over-the-Air

Receiving Device (OTARD) rules currently preempt private land-use

agreements to permit the installation of television antennas and satellite

dishes. He suggested that making the leap to reasonably accommodating

outdoor Amateur Radio antennas is within the FCC's regulatory scope, given

the established strong federal interest in effective Amateur Radio

communication.

"People don't always get to choose where they live," Imlay said. CC&Rs

enforced by homeowner's associations may or may not permit antennas or may

only permit them with approval. He said that by 1990, some 29 million US

residents were affected by private land-use agreements. "In 2011, that

number changed to 62.3 million people," Imlay said. The goal, he explained,

is to compel homeowner's associations to negotiate "reasonable

accommodation" with an affected radio amateur. That could mean an outdoor

wire antenna or something more elaborate; Imlay said it's not the intent of

the bill to specify any particular type of antenna.

HR.4969 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep

Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panel's Communications and

Technology Subcommittee, which will consider the measure. The League had

approached Walden, who helped to engineer the current legislation.

"All [the bill] says is, take PRB-1, and apply it to all land-use

regulation," Imlay said. "This couldn't be any simpler."

Imlay said the bill faces opposition from the Community Associations

Institute and an organization called Associa, which has suggested to

Kinzinger that he "re-think" the bill.

"We need to get a lot of co-sponsors for this bill," Imlay said.

A principal proponent of HR.4969 is ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike

Lisenco, N2YBB. "We are the ones who are responsible for our own future.

The way to get things done is to be active on a grassroots level -- small

scale," he told the gathering of about 50 interested radio amateurs. "This

way you're dealing with your representatives as a constituent." Several

forum attendees left early so they could visit the ARRL exhibit on the

convention floor to obtain the necessary materials.

ARRL Regulatory Affairs Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, pointed out that the

League has opened a HR.4969 page on the ARRL website. It contains

information and resources for clubs and individuals wishing to support

efforts to gain co-sponsors for the measure by contacting their members of

Congress. It includes a sample letter to a member of Congress and a list

of "talking points." Lisenco recommended organizing small teams of

knowledgeable and articulate radio amateurs to approach lawmakers one to

one to plead their case.

Just prior to the Convention, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, released a

video appeal to all radio amateurs to get behind a grassroots campaign to

promote co-sponsorship of HR.4969.

FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio "Resilient"

The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced

a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will enhance cooperation between the

League and FEMA in the area of disaster communication. FEMA Administrator

Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed the

agreement July 18 during the ARRL National Centennial Convention in

Hartford, Connecticut.

"Radio is one of the most resilient communications technologies we have,"

Fugate said. "When the power is out and telecommunications are down, the

Amateur Radio community can serve as a vital resource in support of

emergency responders and survivors during a disaster. This MOA will

strengthen FEMA's partnership with ARRL and build upon our work to expand

emergency communications capabilities and the use of Amateur Radio in

emergency management."

The new agreement will allow FEMA and ARRL to work together to provide

resources, services and personnel, as available, in order to strengthen

capacity in areas of emergency communications, mass care and emergency

assistance, disaster preparedness, response and recovery, while also

raising public awareness about the use of Amateur Radio as a public safety

resource. The pact also outlines the ways in which FEMA and ARRL will

cooperate to carry out their respective responsibilities, with respect to

disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations in the

event of a natural or manmade disaster.

Craigie said that from radio's earliest days of experimentation to the

present, ham radio volunteers have combined a passion for technology with a

devotion to assisting agencies that respond to disasters. "This combination

of inventiveness and service has saved lives for a century," she said. "We

look forward to working with FEMA to further develop opportunities for

trained, equipped and prepared Amateur Radio operators to serve the public

interest whenever and wherever disasters affect our country and its

communities."

Fugate echoed his afternoon remarks as the keynote speaker at the ARRL

National Centennial Convention Banquet Friday evening. He said that before

he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him that Amateur

Radio could support ad hoc communication without relying on conventional

communication systems. "The more sophisticated our systems become, the more

fragile they become," he told the gathering of some 900 dinner guests. He

again emphasized the need for resiliency in communication systems, and

asked, "How many public safety networks can come close to ham radio's

bandwidth?"

"The relevancy of ham radio only grows," he asserted. "Amateur Radio is

taking that hobby and turning it into saving lives."

FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs Alleging Deliberate

Interference, Failure to Identify

The FCC Enforcement Bureau came down hard on two radio amateurs this week,

proposing substantial fines for alleged deliberate interference with other

Amateur Radio communications -- in one case by transmitting music and

animal noises -- and failure to properly identify. In similar Notices of

Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALs) released July 22, the Commission

proposed fining Michael Guernsey, KZ8O (ex-ND8V), of Parchment, Michigan,

$22,000, and Brian Crow, K3VR, of North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, $11,500.

In both cases, the FCC said the evidence indicated that the transmissions

at issue were aimed at interfering with other radio amateurs with whom

each "has had a long-standing and well-documented dispute" that had spilled

out onto the air.

The FCC in both instances responded last March to "several complaints of

intentional interference" on 14.313 MHz. Commission agents used radio

direction-finding techniques to pin down the source of the transmissions.

According to the NAL issued to Guernsey, the FCC agents monitored

transmissions from his station for approximately 40 minutes on March 7,

2014, "and heard him transmit a pre-recorded song and various animal noises

on the frequency."

According to the NAL issued to Crow, FCC agents monitored transmissions

from his station for approximately 3 hours on the morning of March 14,

2014, and heard him transmit slow-scan television (SSTV) signals and "a

pre-recorded voice transmission of another amateur station on the

frequency."

"These transmissions prevented other amateur licensees from communicating

over the frequency," the NALs said, adding that neither Guernsey or Crow

transmitted their assigned call signs while the agents were listening.

The FCC agents later the same day visited Crow's residence and asked to

inspect his station, which they confirmed was capable of operating on

14.313 MHz. Crow denied operating his station that morning, however, and

claimed that he was not at home when the interfering transmissions occurred.

The Enforcement Bureau has warned both Guernsey and Crow in the past

regarding interference to other Amateur Radio operators. In Crow's case,

the FCC said the fact that he subsequently interfered with other amateur

operators "demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the Commission's

authority," and warranted an upward adjustment of $3500 to his proposed

base forfeiture. Guernsey first came to the Enforcement Bureau's attention

in the late 1990s and, the FCC said in the NAL, "has a history of causing

interference to the communications of other Amateur Radio operators and has

been warned repeatedly in writing." Guernsey's lengthy history with the

Commission warranted an upward adjustment of $14,000 to his proposed base

forfeiture.

The Commission gave both licensees 30 days to pay their fines or to file

written statements "seeking reduction or cancellation of the proposed

forfeiture."

The NALs to Guernsey and Crow came in the wake of a June 5 Notice of

Violation (NoV) alleging that Thomas Ryan Price, W7WL, of Sweet Home,

Oregon, caused malicious interference to other radio communications on 3908

kHz, transmitted music on the same frequency, and failed to properly

identify.

ARRL VEC Conducts Remote Exam Session with Applicants in Antarctica

The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) administered several Amateur

Radio examination elements to applicants at Amundsen-South Pole Station in

Antarctica -- the home of KC4AAA. The examination was the first

administered under new FCC rules which became effective on July 21,

permitting VECs to administer Amateur Radio examinations remotely.

"All six candidates earned a new or upgrade license," said ARRL VEC Manager

Maria Somma, AB1FM. There were three new Technicians, two upgrades to

Amateur Extra, and one candidate who went from unlicensed to Amateur Extra."

Joe Musachia, W5FJG, served as the volunteer examiner at the South Pole,

while Penny Harts, N1NAG, and Rose-Anne Lawrence, KB1DMW, were the VEs at

ARRL Headquarters.

"Chet Waggoner and Bartley Davis are the first at the South Pole and

possibly on the continent to pass the General exam," Musachia said in a

posting on the ARRL Facebook page. Two previous exam sessions were held at

the South Pole, but special permission from the FCC was required to conduct

them.

The logistics were somewhat daunting, since the video link required a

satellite connection and clearance from NASA, and it was subject to

possible last-minute changes, should the International Space Station

require additional Satcom time. Musachia, who is the satellite engineer at

the station, said NASA was aware that the VEs had requested a large block

of time to perform the exam session and did not change it.

Somma said the video exam session went ahead as scheduled on July 22 at 8

AM EDT, which was 8 PM in Antarctica. "The summer day was a pleasant 80°

here at Headquarters in Newington, while in Antarctica it was 80 below!"

she pointed out. Read more.

W1AW Centennial Operations Move to Indiana, Rhode Island

The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from

each of the 50 states now are in Indiana and Rhode Island. They will

relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, July 30 (the evening of July 29 in US

time zones), to South Dakota (W1AW/0) and Kentucky (W1AW/4). During 2014

W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US

territories, and it will be easy to work all states solely by contacting

W1AW portable operations.

The ARRL Centennial QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a year-long

operating event in which participants can accumulate points and win awards.

The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and appointees,

elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL Centennial QSO Party

points.

Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact, even

when working the same state during its second week of activity. The ARRL

has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that participants can

use to determine how many points they have accumulated.

Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker

While Bill Eberle, AB0MY, of Boulder, Colorado, and his wife Mary were

hiking in the back country on July 21, they encountered a team of

paramedics rendering aid to a 67-year-old man -- Michael Schuett, of

Bloomfield, Colorado -- who had lost his footing while crossing a stream.

Schuett had struck his head on a boulder and was found unconscious and face

down in the water by another hiker, who had pulled him to safety. The

paramedics, en route to a youth camp, also had stumbled onto the scene.

Lacking cell telephone coverage, Eberle put out a distress call on the

hand-held transceiver he always takes along when he hikes. Promptly

answering his call on the statewide Colorado Connection Repeater system was

Ryan Frederick, KD0TSZ, in Colorado Springs. Frederick contacted the

Boulder County Sheriff's office. Authorities quickly turned to Scott

Whitehead, KA0QPT, of Longmont, a sheriff's department radio specialist and

30-year veteran of the Rocky Mountain Rescue Team. Whitehead was able to

contact Eberle via the repeater network, and the two coordinated equipment

and rescue personnel.

Schuett was evacuated from the scene, treated at an area hospital, and

released. He credited ham radio for bringing the rescuers to him. -- Thanks

to John Bigley, N7UR, Nevada Amateur Radio Newswire

Cincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its System

A Cincinnati, Ohio, broadband-over-powerline (BPL) Internet service

provider is throwing in the towel and yielding to more modern technology.

Cincinnati Communications will pull the plug on its BPL system on August 1,

according to a report on The Enquirer newspaper's Cincinnati.com website.

"The failure of the Cincinnati system will come as no surprise to anyone

familiar with BPL technology," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,

commented. "It's rather remarkable that they managed to keep it going this

long."

Thomas Balun of Broadband Ventures LLC, which operates Cincinnati

Communications, told The Enquirer that the company essentially would be

starting over from scratch with more up-to-date technology. "The technology

to subscribers' homes was really antiquated," Balun told The Enquirer. "We

tried to figure out how to convert subscribers, but we can't do it. We have

to shut the system down and start over."

The Enquirer report said Cincinnati Communications customers had

endured "on-again, off-again service" with the BPL system, with some

service outages lasting for days.

Balun conceded that the technology "was painfully slow," the Cincinnati.com

report said, and the company plans to upgrade to an optical fiber system.

The Cincinnati system was never a significant source of interference to

radio amateurs, Sumner said, because it used Current Technologies

hardware. "The medium-voltage lines used low-band VHF frequencies," he

explained. "The drops to homes used HF, but with the ham bands notched."

Read more.

ARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major Donors

Visitors to ARRL Headquarters will be greeted with something new in the

area in front of the main entrance. Complementing the terrace of memorial

bricks and benches on the left side of the entrance, a new Centennial

Terrace on the right side of the main entrance was dedicated on July 17 at

a ribbon-cutting and reception held in conjunction with the ARRL National

Centennial Convention. The Centennial Terrace features an impressive

central granite pillar bearing the visage of ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy

Maxim, W1AW, and the names of the ARRL Second Century Campaign (SCC)

Committee, chaired by David Brandenburg, K5RQ. The central pillar, which

also displays the SCC logo, is flanked by two granite panels. Engraved on

these are the names of those who contributed major gifts to the ARRL Second

Century Campaign.

ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, told the gathering of about 200 that

contributing to the Second Century Campaign "is not so much a donation to

the ARRL as an investment in the future of Amateur Radio."

"We are the conduit. We are the means. Amateur Radio is the end," she added

in thanking all contributors.

The permanent installation is a means to "make sure that future generations

remember your generosity," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said.

ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, hosted the gathering,

which Sumner called "bittersweet," since Hobart is stepping down at the end

of July to retire. "We'll miss her tremendously," he said.

Sumner said the Centennial Terrace dedication and the convention are "a

part of the history of Amateur Radio," which, he continued, would have

ended long ago had it not been for "the vision of the founders of this

organization."

"The only way we have to repay that debt is to pay it forward to the future

to make sure that Amateur Radio and the ARRL as the defender and supporter

of Amateur Radio, are here long after we're gone." Donors to the

campaign "now are a part of the ARRL's history and of Amateur Radio's

history," he concluded.

Brandenburg said he stepped up to chair the Second Century Campaign

Committee because he felt a need to help those coming into the hobby in the

same way he was helped when he got into Amateur Radio when he was 14. "For

everybody here," he said, "ham radio is a big deal to us, and it's very

important to us that we keep it going."

Sumner predicted that when the week was over, there would be two groups of

radio amateurs: Those who attended the ARRL National Centennial Convention

and those who wish they had.

Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio Will

Thrive

Among the things the Amateur Radio community can count on in its second

century, according to Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, is that ham radio

will continue to thrive and serve the public interest. While his primary

topic at his standing-room-only presentation on July 19 during the ARRL

National Centennial Convention was "DXing with Weak Signals and Beyond,"

Taylor -- who detailed the development of his WSJT suite of "weak-signal"

DSP software -- also broke out his crystal ball.

"Radios are going to become increasingly digital," he said, with

analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion occurring "closer and

closer to the antenna -- in fact, pretty much at the antenna can be done

already." Taylor also said that in the future, good engineering will

definitely be a combination of hardware and software. Beyond that, he said,

science, technology, and Amateur Radio will continue to benefit from a

healthy cross-fertilization between amateurs and professionals.

"I know that is true in my own case," said Taylor, whose interest in

Amateur Radio at a young age helped guide his career path. "My own boyhood

fascination with the art and science of radio got me into this hobby, and,

from there, it launched me on a path leading to advance degrees in physics,

to teaching university physics, to making fundamental research

contributions to mankind's knowledge of the laws of nature," Taylor told

the rapt audience.

Taylor recounted that in Amateur Radio's infancy, scientists of the day did

not believe short wavelengths could support useful communication. The

government listened, and gave that part of the spectrum to hams, who soon

proved them wrong. "The experts truly were astonished," Taylor said,

exhorting his listeners to make whatever contributions they can to the art

and science of radio and to the public good.

"It's a great story and it couldn't have happened the same way without the

ARRL," he continued. "Let us also work to keep our League a strong and

effective voice on our behalf. I'd like to think that someone will be

here100 years from now looking back fondly on all the good things

accomplished by Amateur Radio during ARRL's second century."

India's VO-52 Satellite Goes Dark

Despite efforts to keep the flagging VUSat OSCAR-52 (VO-52) Amateur Radio

satellite in operation for a while longer, ground controllers have yielded

to the nearly decade-old spacecraft's failing technology and have

permanently taken it out of service. Launched into low-Earth orbit in 2005,

the VO-52 microsatellite carried two Amateur Radio transponders for SSB and

CW. B.A. "Mani" Subramani, VU2WMY/KJ6LRS, of the Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) said that VO-52's lithium-ion batteries had failed, and

the satellite was officially decommissioned on July 21. Read more.

A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

During the decade of the 1960s and subsequently, Gus Browning, W4BPD,

traveled the world and operated from over 100 countries, many of them

extremely rare ones and sometimes the first ham operation for that country.

Gus was an ordinary guy, always a gentleman, and an unflappable pileup

operator. He was the first DXer elected to the DX Hall of Fame.

On December 12, 1961, OSCAR 1, the first Amateur Radio satellite, was

launched into orbit. OSCAR 2 followed on June 2, 1962. Both paved the way

for the amateur satellites that followed.

By 1963, the US ham population had reached a quarter of a million, although

at that time there were more CB operators than hams.

During the 1960s, repeater operation began on 2 meters. At first, there was

a fair amount of confusion -- questions of legality had to be sorted out by

the FCC, a lot of hams thought channelized operation wasn't a good thing,

equipment had to be developed, etc. But eventually things settled down, and

repeater operation on 2 meters took off, with repeater operation on other

VHF/UHF ham bands and 6 meters soon to follow.

On March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake and the resulting tsunami

struck Alaska and caused extensive damages in many parts of the state. As

in most natural and man-made disasters, hams were quick to put together

emergency communication links to help with disaster relief.

Late in 1967, incentive licensing returned to ham radio. This had been an

on-again/off-again issue with FCC for about 15 years. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, Washington, reports: On Thursday, July 17,

there were no sunspots at all! This serves a sobering reminder of how weak

this solar cycle is. By July 23, new sunspot regions had emerged and the

sunspot number was 55. Solar flux ranged from a low of 86.1 on July 19 to a

high of 99.1 on July 23.

Predicted solar flux for the near term is 100, 105, and 115 on July 24-26,

125, 140, and 155 on July 27-29, 170, 160, 150, and 155 on July 31 through

August 2, 150 on August 3-5, then dropping to 85 on August 18, and rising

to 150 on August 29.

The planetary A index was quiet over the past week, and it's predicted to

be at 5 on July 24, 8 on July 25-26, 5 on July 27-28, 12 and 10 on July

29-30, 5 on July 31 through August 4, 8 on August 5-6, 5 on August 7-9, 8

on August 10-11, then 5 on August 12-16, 8 on August 17-18, 5 on August

19-20, and 10 and 8 on August 21-22.

This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of

the "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an

archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.

In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reader reports on 6

meters, HF conditions and the usual fear and loathing concerning weak solar

activity. Send me your reports and observations.

Just Ahead in Radiosport

July 26-27 -- RSGB IOTA Contest

July 27 -- Flight of the Bumblebees

August 1 -- NS Weekly Sprint

August 1 -- International Lighthouse-Lightship Contest

August 2 -- 10-10 Summer Phone QSO Party

August 2 -- ARRL UHF Contest

August 2-3 -- TARA Grid Dip Shindig

August 2-3 -- European HF Championship

August 2-3 -- North American QSO Party (CW)

August 2-3 -- South Africa DX SSB Contest

August 3 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest

August 3 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.

Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

July 25-26 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

August 1-2 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas

August 7-9 -- Young Ladies Radio League Convention, Vancouver, Washington

August 8-10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 16-17 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Regional ARRL Centennial

Event, Huntsville, Alabama

August 17 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas

August 23 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia

August 23-24 -- JARL Ham Fair, Tokyo, Japan

August 24 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,

Pennsylvania

August 30-31 -- North Carolina State Convention, (Shelby Hamfest), Shelby,

North Carolina

September 5-7 -- ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference, Austin, Texas

September 6 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky

September 6 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia

September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention, San Diego, California

September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

The ARRL Letter appreciates the support of these advertisers:

Icom

Radio City

Radio Lights

DX Engineering

RF Concepts

Low Loss PWRgate

HRD Software

Timewave Technology, Inc

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc

ARRL members can opt to receive The ARRL Letter (with color images!)

directly via e-mail. If you are not an ARRL member, consider joining now to

receive this and other benefits, including the monthly ARRL journal, QST

(and the QST online digital edition). The ARRL — the national association

of Amateur Radio is the only organization representing Amateur Radio in the

US. As an ARRL member you support the ranks of thousands of other ham radio

enthusiasts shaping the Amateur Radio Service today. If you consider

yourself an active ham, you need ARRL now. Membership costs as little as

$39 a year. ARRL members have access to the ARRL Archive and Periodical

Search, the Product Review Archive, E-Mail Forwarding, a voice in the

affairs of ARRL and ham radio through locally appointed volunteers and much

more! Become part of the future of ham radio. Join the ARRL today!

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information

Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most

popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.

Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...

NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by

top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO

Parties.

QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly,

features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items

of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly

public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update

(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and

much more!

Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members

and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing

their profile.

Copyright © 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved

///////////////////////////////////////////

NASA evaluates CME of July 2012: We were lucky

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:18 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...y&goto=newpost

Upon examining data from the Coronal Mass Ejection of July 23, 2012, NASA

now says Earth very narrowly missed a repeat of the Carrington Event of

1856. It's questionable how prepared any of us really are for such an

event, which is estimated to have a 12% chance of recurring in the next 10

years.

Read here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news...ul_superstorm/

Show more