QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
///////////////////////////////////////////
Government Shutdown's Latest Casualty -- Wake Island DXpedition
Posted: 04 Oct 2013 09:00 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...n&goto=newpost
Media attention from bloomberg.com on the DXpedition (K9W) to Wake Island
being put on hold, the latest casualty from the federal government
shutdown. The operators, who planned to be QRV on Oct. 7, are being forced
to revise their schedule. Story by John McCormick (N0FCD) of Bloomberg News:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-1...-massacre.html
///////////////////////////////////////////
The ARRL Letter, October 3, 2013
Posted: 04 Oct 2013 06:24 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...3&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
October 3, 2013
Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, Editor
Regulatory: FCC -- "We Regret the Disruption." Commission Shutdown
CompleteRegulatory: FCC Issues Warnings for Amateur Radio Infractions,
Unlicensed OperationYour League: ARRL Executive Committee to Consider
Numerous Regulatory IssuesInternational: IARU Administrative Council
Studying Ways to Work with Non-IARU OrganizationsInternational: First IARU
Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Focuses on Awareness,
CooperationDX: Government Shutdown Stalls K9W Wake Island DXpeditionDX: QSL
via Bureau? Check First!Events: Scouting's Jamboree on the Air 2013 Will Be
the Last for HB9SEvents: 2013 US Direction Finding Competition Starts
October 8People: K6OSC Steps Down as Queen Mary W6RO Wireless Room
ManagerPeople: Raleigh "Lee" Shaklee, W6BH, SKPeople: HF Design Pioneer
Warren B. Bruene, W5OLY, SKPeople: WW II POW, Bronze Star Recipient Dorothy
D. Thompson, KF5IX, SKPeople: Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, is New Advertising Chief
at CQGetting it Right!Solar UpdateThis Week in RadiosportUpcoming ARRL
Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
Regulatory: FCC -- "We Regret the Disruption." Commission Shutdown Complete
The FCC appears to have ground to a complete halt for all intents and
purposes beyond emergencies, as the Federal Government shutdown continues.
This includes functions at the Commission's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
facility, which handles all Amateur Radio licensing transactions, as well
as the FCC's main website and the Amateur Radio call sign database (ULS).
"We regret the disruption, but during the Federal Government-wide shutdown,
the FCC is limited to performing duties that are immediately necessary for
the safety of life or the protection of property." a message on the FCC
website says. "FCC online systems will not be available until further
notice." The Commission refers anyone calling regarding an
emergency "affecting the safety of life or the protection of property" to a
Washington, DC, number, 202-418-1122, or an e-mail address.
Assistant ARRL VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O, said October 1 that the FCC
appeared to have accepted "a small number" of modification and renewal
applications, apparently as the shutdown was in process, but it took "far
longer than usual" for that to happen. The ARRL VEC did not attempt to file
additional applications, and it will hold for filing any applications
resulting from Amateur Radio Volunteer Examiner-administered examination
sessions.
"We have not submitted any VE sessions, which require batch filing and are
assigned an FCC filing number," Green added. "At this point, we are unable
to file any applications with the FCC, because it has shut down its
servers. We do not expect the FCC to resume granting applications until it
reopens." Green stressed that the ARRL VEC remains open for business and
continues to monitor the situation. The ARRL VEC also is still processing
International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP) applications.
While the FCC has stopped processing new, renewal or vanity call sign
applications for the duration, it is still possible to reserve a 1 x 1
special event call sign, since that is not an FCC function.
Green points out that ARRL VEC exam sessions will go on as scheduled, at
the option of the sponsors, but the ARRL VEC will not be able to file
session paperwork for processing until the shutdown ends and the FCC is
back in business again.
Green notes that exam session candidates have to put an FCC Registration
Number (FRN) on their applications, if they have one. FRNs for current
licensees are available via the ARRL's "Call Sign/Name Search" utility on
the League's home page. If the FRN is not available or has not yet been
issued, applicants may use their Social Security numbers, which candidates
must provide to obtain an FRN.
"So in this time of shutdown, they will need to submit their SSN on the VE
session paperwork and gain their password at a later time," Green
explained. "If that is not to their liking, they will have to wait for the
FCC to open up again, which I'm sure at some time it will."
Radio amateurs whose licenses expire between October 1 and the day after
normal FCC operations resume may continue to operate until then, even if
they have not yet filed a renewal application. Pending an official FCC
announcement that states otherwise, renewal applicants should apply no
later than one day after the FCC reopens, if they want to continue to
operate.
Amateur Radio applicants who passed an upgrade examination may still
operate with their new privileges, even if their applications have not been
accepted for filing by the FCC. Applicants must have a Certificate of
Completion of Examination (CSCE), issued by the VE team. When using their
new privileges, such applicants should continue to identify by appending
the appropriate designator to their current call signs, ie, /KT for
Technician, /AG for General and /AE for Amateur Extra, as noted on the back
of the CSCE.
If the closing date for comments on an open proceeding falls during the
shutdown, comments will be considered timely filed on the day after the
Commission reopens for business.
In late September the FCC posted a "Plan for Orderly Shutdown" in the event
of a federal government shutdown. Only a handful of the FCC's 1754
employees were scheduled to remain on duty, including eight
employees "retained to conduct interference detection, mitigation and
disaster response operations." Only one "senior management official" in the
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau -- which oversees Amateur Radio -- was
scheduled to be on duty for the extent of the shutdown. The Commission
emphasized earlier that it would not be open for normal operations "during
any government-wide shutdown."
See "The FCC Shutdown at a Glance!" for updates.
Regulatory: FCC Issues Warnings for Amateur Radio Infractions, Unlicensed
Operation
The FCC's Enforcement Bureau recently made public warning letters to
several individuals for alleged infractions of the Part 97 Amateur Service
rules or Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. On
August 9, Special Counsel Laura L. Smith wrote Jack Hartley, K4WSB, of
Tampa, Florida, citing evidence received from members of the Amateur
Auxiliary (Official Observers) that Hartley had operated outside of his
Advanced class privileges while attempting to work a station on Kwajalein
Atoll in the South Pacific.
"According to the OOs, the operator refused the contact noting that you
were not authorized to be operating in the band," Smith wrote. "This was
your 4th attempt to contact this operator. As a result of your three prior
attempts to contact the operator, the OOs had sent you three OO advisory
cards for out-of-band operation. Rather than sending you a 4th advisory,
they contacted the Commission and asked us to remind you that your
continued attempts to contact the operator on Kwajalein Atoll constitute a
violation of our rules, as you are not authorized to be operating in that
band." The three prior instances occurred in 2007 and 2008.
Smith cautioned Hartley that continued operation outside the parameters of
his license could lead to enforcement action that could include revocation
or suspension and fines. "It could also jeopardize any attempts to obtain
an upgraded Amateur Radio license," she added.
On June 24, Smith sent identical warning notices to Eric J. Christianson,
KNØCW, and Thomas E. Barnes, N7OVC, both of Reno, Nevada, to inform them
that the trustee of the WA7DG repeater in Sparks, Nevada, had requested
that they refrain from using his repeater.
"The written request was issued as a result of your failure to follow
operational rules set forth by the licensee/control operators of the
repeater system for their users," Smith said. "The Commission requires that
repeaters be under the supervision of a control operator and not only
expects, but requires, that such control operators be responsible for the
proper operation of the repeater system. Control operators may take
whatever steps they deem appropriate to ensure compliance with the repeater
rules, including limiting the repeater use to certain users, converting the
repeater to a closed repeater or taking it off the air entirely."
Smith advised the licensees that the FCC expects them to abide by the
repeater owner's request and "any other similar requests to cease
operations on any other repeaters by any other repeater licensees, control
operators or trustees."
She said continued use of the WA7DG repeater could subject them to "severe
penalties, including license revocation, monetary forfeiture (fine) or a
modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon which you may
operate."
On July 8, Smith warned James E. Richburg, address withheld and unknown,
against unlicensed radio operation in the Amateur Radio bands. "It has come
to the attention of the Federal Communications Commission that at multiple
times in the last several months you have made radio transmissions in the
amateur band, for which a license is required," Smith wrote. "You have no
such license."
Smith pointed out that operating transmitting equipment without a valid FCC
license violated Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934 as
amended, "and may subject the responsible parties to substantial monetary
forfeitures, in rem arrest action against the offending radio equipment,
and criminal sanctions including imprisonment."
All of Smith's warning notices concluded with this advisory: "Fines
normally range from $7,500 to $10,000."
Read more.
Your League: ARRL Executive Committee to Consider Numerous Regulatory Issues
The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) will face an agenda heavy on FCC and
regulatory issues when it meets Saturday, October 5 in the Denver,
Colorado, area.
Among action items, the EC is expected to consider the filing of a Petition
for Rule Making, now in draft, seeking to delete restrictions on symbol
rates for data communication and to establish a 2.8 kHz maximum authorized
bandwidth for HF digital data emissions. At its July meeting, the ARRL
Board of Directors directed ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, to
prepare a Petition for Rule Making with the FCC seeking to modify Sec
97.307(f) to delete all references to "symbol rate." The Petition would ask
the FCC "to apply to all amateur data emissions below 29.7 MHz the existing
bandwidth limit, per Sec 97.303(h), of 2.8 kHz."
The Board determined that the current symbol rate restrictions in Sec
97.307(f) "no longer reflect the state of the art of digital
telecommunications technology," and that the proposed rule change
would "encourage both flexibility and efficiency in the employment of
digital emissions by amateur stations." ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
explained the Board's action on symbol rate regulation in his September
2013 QST "It Seems to Us" editorial.
The EC also will consider authorizing comments on an FCC Public Notice on
recommendations approved by the WRC-15 Advisory Committee. The Committee
will consider approving the filing of comments with the FCC that express
concerns about expanding proposed radiolocation use of the 77.5 to 78 GHz
band beyond on-vehicle applications to, for example, fixed roadside
applications. The comment deadline is October 11, although the FCC shutdown
may change that date.
The EC also will continue to evaluate strategies to improve the FCC's
Amateur Radio enforcement program and consider filing reply comments on FCC
ET Docket 13-84, regarding a reexamination of RF exposure regulations
(reply comments are due November 11, subject to the FCC shutdown). While
the FCC proposals do not alter existing RF exposure limits, they do call
for the elimination of existing special evaluation exemptions spelled out
in Sec 97.13(c) of the Commission's rules. Minor rules changes adopted in
the Report and Order section of the document took effect August 5.
In addition the EC will discuss a manufacturer's proposal to delete Sec
97.317(a)(2), requiring that amplifiers operating below 144 MHz "not be
capable of amplifying the input RF power (driving signal) by more than 15
dB gain." The Committee will consider whether to propose the rules change
described.
The EC will hear status updates on other regulatory matters, including the
ARRL's Petition for Rule Making filed last November to create a new MF
allocation for the Amateur Service at 472-479 kHz. The FCC's ET Docket
13-101 regarding receiver performance standards also will come up for
discussion, as will pending amendments of the Amateur Service rules
governing qualifying exam systems, Amateur Radio use of TDMA equipment, and
remote proctoring of exam sessions.
Other topics on the EC agenda for review include the FCC's proposed
revision of Part 15 rules to permit unlicensed National Information
Infrastructure (U-NII) devices in the 5 GHz band, the effects of
communications towers on migratory birds, and amendments to the FCC's CORES
system. There has been no recent FCC action on these items.
The EC also will hear a report on the status of the effort to have
the "Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2013" introduced in the
113th Congress. The objective of the League's draft bill is an instruction
from Congress to the FCC to extend the existing limited preemption of state
and local regulation of Amateur Radio station antenna structures to private
land-use regulations.
International: IARU Administrative Council Studying Ways to Work with
Non-IARU Organizations
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council (AC) is
looking into ways to work with non-IARU Amateur Radio organizations in
countries where the IARU member-society may not be representing all of that
country's hams. The issue came under discussion at the annual AC meeting
September 21-22 in Cancun, Mexico.
"For example, some do not participate in their regional organization
activities, some do not pay their regional dues, some are unwilling to
handle non-member QSL cards even on a cost-recovery basis and some even
fail to respond to inquiries from their regional organizations," an IARU
news release on the meeting said. "In many of these countries, there are
other non-IARU member-societies. The Administrative Council is studying
ways to work with the non-IARU societies to ensure that the interests of
all the amateurs are represented in those countries where the IARU
member-society fails to do so."
According to the IARU, possible solutions could include establishing
communication with the non-IARU societies to allow input from the country's
amateur community on IARU and amateur-related issues or by recommending the
use of QSL bureaus that will serve all amateurs within a particular country.
The AC is responsible for the policy and management of the IARU and
consists of the three IARU international officers and two representatives
from each of the three IARU regional organizations (Region 1, Region 2 and
Region 3).
In other business, the Administrative Council:
reviewed IARU positions for World Radio Conference 2015 agenda items and
future WRC agenda items and discussed the strategy for achieving IARU
objectives at WRC-15.
named David Wardlaw, VK3ADW, and Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM, as joint
recipients of the Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award. Both have contributed time,
effort, and expertise to the IARU for many years. The AC created the award
to recognize individuals who best exemplify the dedication and hard work of
IARU volunteers.
adopted the theme "Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communications"
for the next World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2014.
Read more.
International: First IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop
Focuses on Awareness, Cooperation
The first IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop, held September
24-25 in Cancun, Mexico in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 XVIII General
Assembly, explored international issues facing Amateur Radio's response to
emergencies and disasters. Sponsored by IARU Region 2 and the ARRL, the
event was co-chaired by ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey,
KI1U, and IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator Dr. Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P.
Participants represented many nations within and outside of Region 2 --
Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Chile, India, Australia,
Canada, US, and Panama. Over the two-day session, attendees heard
presentations that covered ITU response to disasters, technical innovations
in disaster response, the IARU Emergency Communications Handbook project,
and organizational updates. Attendees and presenters also took part in a
tabletop exercise. Discussion inside and outside the workshop focused on
several key points.
There is a need for greater public education on the value of Amateur Radio.
The general public as well as served agencies need to be aware of what
Amateur Radio can do and why it is valuable.
The IARU should consider approaching the ITU about developing partnerships
with Amateur Radio equipment manufacturers to assist with the
communications response to large international disasters.
There should be more participation from young amateurs as presenters and
attendees in international emergency communications workshops such as this
and GAREC.
Cross border cooperation and coordination of Amateurs should be encouraged.
Along with this Amateurs need to be aware of cultural differences that may
arise in international response.
There is a greater need from served agencies for high-speed video, data,
and high resolution imagery.
More input is needed for the IARU Emergency Communications Handbook project.
Read more.
DX: Government Shutdown Stalls K9W Wake Island DXpedition
The long-anticipated K9W Wake Island DXpedition has been put on hold
because of the US government shutdown, "pending a revised schedule," the
organizers said in an announcement on the K9W webpage. The DXpedition was
expected to kick off October 7 and continue until October 18. It depends
upon availability of USAF transport aircraft, and flights are only every 2
weeks.
"We will announce new dates for the DXpedition as soon as possible," the
announcement continued. "Thank you for your patience and understanding."
Some team members were reported to have been planning to fly out to the
Pacific today. According to an announcement in late September, the Wake
Atoll commemorative team was in its final stages of preparation, with all
equipment received in Hawaii for transport to Hickam Air Force Base for
delivery to Wake Island. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
DX: QSL via Bureau? Check First!
Fred Laun, K3ZO, who manages the NCDXA/ARRL Third Call Area Incoming QSL
Bureau, advises operators who routinely send cards "via the bureau" to
first check the DX station's QRZ.com or personal websites first to find out
if the DX station replies to cards sent via the bureau.
"Each month our bureau receives hundreds of cards for rare DX stations and
DXpeditions who...state that they will not answer bureau cards," he
says. "We recognize that one reason people use the bureau is that they
don't have to check QRZ.com or another online lookup service before sending
off the card."
Laun says his bureau spends many hours each month redirecting such cards to
QSL managers or to the station's own bureau, "and even after our efforts,"
he adds, "almost all of these cards will not be answered anyway."
The bottom line: "If an operator says he/she will not answer bureau cards,
he/she in all likelihood means it," Laun says. "That means that there is no
cheap way to get around the [DX station's QSLing] instructions. He further
notes that some operators have informed the bureau that they don't want to
get bureau QSL cards. His bureau sends most of those unwanted cards to Tom
Roscoe, K8CX, for use on his Ham Gallery website, while it provides others
to schools for classroom use. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
Events: Scouting's Jamboree on the Air 2013 Will Be the Last for HB9S
The 2013 running of Scouting's Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) is less than a
month away. The 56th JOTA will take place the weekend of October 19-20,
from 0000 local time Saturday to 2400 local time Sunday. JOTA gives members
of the Boy Scouts of America a chance to experience Amateur Radio
firsthand, perhaps planting the seed for a lifetime of hamming. But this
year's running of the world's largest Scouting event will be the last for
the crew at HB9S at the World Scout Bureau, which plans to move its
headquarters next year. JOTA 2013 will be a farewell party for HB9S, with a
special QSL card (QSL via HB9AOF). An international team of Scout
operators, including PA3BAR, the World JOTA Organizer, will be at the
station for the occasion.
JOTA attracts nearly 750,000 Scouts, participating from 6000 stations in
150 countries. JOTA's goal is to foster Scout-to-Scout communication across
borders, to allow as many Scouts as possible to talk to each other and
learn about one another's activities and interests. The JOTA guidelines
offer suggested frequencies and additional information.
Licensed mentors often open their stations to Scouts on JOTA weekend,
serving as control operators. Radio operation will be on 80 through 6
meters and 2 meters and 70 centimeters FM simplex, all modes. Last year
more than 18,500 US Scouts took part in JOTA from more than 200 stations --
up by nearly 500 percent from a year earlier. -- Some information from The
Daily DX
Events: 2013 US Direction Finding Competition Starts October 8
The 13th USA Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Championships of
on-foot hidden transmitter hunting gets underway in North Carolina October
8-13. Backwoods Orienteering Klub (BOK) will host the event. This year's
USA Championships are being combined with the Seventh ARDF Championships of
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 (the Americas).
An e-mail reflector is available for Q&A with the organizers as well as for
coordinating transportation and arranging equipment loans. -- Thanks to Joe
Moell, KØOV, ARRL ARDF Coordinator
People: K6OSC Steps Down as Queen Mary W6RO Wireless Room Manager
Effective October 1, Nate Brightman, K6OSC, has reluctantly resigned as the
W6RO Wireless Room Manager aboard the Queen Mary museum ship, anchored in
Long Beach, California. Brightman cited his recent illness and
hospitalization and his advanced age -- he turns 96 on October 9 -- as
reasons for his decision.
Brightman was the W6RO Wireless Room Manager for 34 years, plus another 10
years arranging for the GB5QM "Last Voyage" Amateur Radio operation and
establishing W6RO, the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach club station.
In a farewell statement, Brightman said ham radio operations now aboard
some 90 museum ships such as the Queen Mary have introduced Amateur Radio
to millions of people. "These amateurs give the public direct personal
information on how Amateur Radio benefits the public," he said. "This means
of introducing Amateur Radio to the public is the biggest publicity stunt
ever for Amateur Radio, and we should be proud that it all started with
W6RO!"
Succeeding Brightman is his second in command, David Akins, N6HHR.
People: Raleigh "Lee" Shaklee, W6BH, SK
Raleigh "Lee" Shaklee, W6BH, of Newport Beach, California, died September
23 following a brief illness. He was 91. Born in Iowa, he co-founded
Shaklee Corporation with his father and brother in 1956 -- pioneering
natural vitamin and nutritional products and following with an assortment
of "green" household and personal products. Shaklee Corporation became a
Fortune 500 company traded on the NYSE. The business was sold in 1989, and
Shaklee retired.
First licensed in 1937 as W6PQW, Shaklee says in his online biography that
he got interested in DX and contesting the following year and began
experimenting with Yagi-Uda antennas. World War II broke out while Shaklee
was attending UC Berkeley; he joined the Navy and became involved with the
then-cutting edge radar systems. He spent 2½ years in the Pacific Theater,
where he contracted malaria, leaving the Navy in 1945.
After the war, he resumed hamming, experimenting a lot on 10 meters with
various antennas that combined driven and parasitic elements and with new
AM techniques. He obtained W6BH in 1968, and in 1972, he co-founded and
funded the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF).
In 1996, after a slow period in ham radio, he sought out and found his
dream location near Anza, California, and his Radio Ranch became a
reality. "After more than 70 years of hamming and with a new sunspot cycle,
this is a dream come true," he wrote. Shaklee had plans to establish a
501(c)(3) foundation to leave the Radio Ranch for clubs and new hams.
Shaklee could remotely control his Radio Ranch station from his home in
Newport Beach. -- Some information from Inside Bay Area
People: HF Design Pioneer Warren B. Bruene, W5OLY, SK
Warren B. Bruene, W5OLY, of Richardson, Texas, died September 28. He was
96. A pioneer in HF communication, Bruene worked closely with the late Art
Collins, WØCXX, on many aspects of HF design during his 44 years with the
Collins Radio/Rockwell Collins.
"I worked at Collins Radio for many years and knew Warren," Earl Milliken
Jr, WB5M, told ARRL. "He was very dedicated, intelligent, and a very quiet
individual. He didn't 'blow his horn,' because he didn't need to. Everyone
there knew he was an outstanding contributor to both the company and
communications in general. The HF design world has lost an outstanding
engineer."
Bruene was a longtime member of the IEEE, the Richardson Wireless Klub,
Collins Collectors Association and other organizations. He held 22 patents
and authored numerous articles for technical publications. In the 1950s he
designed transmitters for the Strategic Air Command and the Voice of
America. He was recognized for his work with the Professional Achievement
Citation in Engineering from Iowa State University.
Services were October 3 in Texas.
People: WW II POW, Bronze Star Recipient Dorothy D. Thompson, KF5IX, SK
Dorothy D. Thompson, KF5IX, of San Antonio, Texas, died September 2. She
was 95. Born and raised in China where her grandparents were missionaries,
Thompson -- then Dorothy Davis -- came to the US and graduated from nursing
school. After the Japanese invaded China, her family fled to the
Philippines.
She traveled to Manila, reunited with her parents and began working in a
hospital there, but when Manila fell to the Japanese, she and her family
found themselves in an internment camp. While there she put together a
60-bed infirmary, using her nursing skills to care for the captured. After
nearly 2 years' imprisonment, she became gravely ill with rheumatic fever
and was released with her mother in a prisoner exchange.
Months later, and then a US Army Nurse Corps second lieutenant, she
returned as one of the liberators of the POW camp. Reunited with her father
and sister, she remained in Manila on a nursing assignment, going on to win
the Bronze Star and earn a promotion to first lieutenant (and later to
captain). Thompson later detailed her POW experience in The Road Back: A
Pacific POW's Liberation Story.
At about this time she met and married Jack Thompson, later N5GTJ (SK).
After a nursing career in the US, she retired as director of nursing at
Methodist Hospital. She and her husband became avid RVers and extremely
active with the Red Cross and the Military Affiliate (now Auxiliary) Radio
System (MARS). She and her husband had been ARRL members.
A memorial service is set for October 4, 10 AM, at St Paul's Episcopal
Church, 1018 E Grayson, San Antonio, with interment to follow at Fort Sam
Houston National Cemetery. -- Thanks to John Bigley, N7UR,
www.nevadahamradio.com/
People: Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, is New Advertising Chief at CQ
Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, has been named to head CQ Communications' advertising
department. He succeeds Charlie Payne. Kummer will oversee advertising for
CQ Amateur Radio, Popular Communications, CQ VHF and WorldRadio Online
magazines. Kummer previously was on the advertising staff for CQ Amateur
Radio, Popular Communications and WorldRadio Online, as well as for Modern
Electronics and Electronic Servicing & Technology when those were CQ
publications.
An avid collector and restorer of antique radios and TVs, Kummer is the
editor and publisher of Antique Radio Classified. -- CQ Communications
Getting it Right!
In the story "'Amazing Help:' Hams Play Critical Role in Colorado Flood
Evacuation," which appeared in The ARRL Letter, September 26, 2013, we
inadvertently swapped the call signs of Mountain Emergency Radio Network
Volunteers Karel Kosman, KDØRFQ, and Steve Coles, KDØRFT.
The story "National Silent Key Archive Includes Unique Call Sign Lookup"
which appeared in The ARRL Letter, September 26, 2013, requires some
amplification. The National Silent Key Archive™ of Amateur Radio
Operators that Mike Carroll, N4MC, founded now includes the "Unique Call
Lookup" utility, carried over from Carroll's now-defunct Vanity HQ web
site. The Unique Call Lookup permits users to research the history of a
given call sign.
Solar Update
Tad "Sunshine on My Shoulders" Cook, K7RA, reports from Seattle: Solar
activity weakened again, with the average daily sunspot number dropping
from 75.6 to 52, and average daily solar flux down three points to 106.6,
when compared to the previous week.
Geomagnetic activity was up, with planetary A index at 39 on October 2,
mid-latitude A index at 29, and the high latitude college A index at 64.
The cause of the upset was a coronal mass ejection barreling toward Earth
at 2,000,000 MPH on September 30, triggering a G2-class geomagnetic storm
on October 2 and auroral displays well south of the Canadian border.
Predicted solar flux values:
110 on October 3-7
105 and 100 October 8-9
95 on October10-13
100 on October 14-15
105 on October 16-18
110 on October 19-24.
Predicted planetary A index:
20 on October 3
8 on October 4
5 on October 5-9
8 on October 10-11
5 on October 12-13
8, 10 and 8 on October 14-16
5 on October 17-20
10 on October 21
5 on October 22-26.
In this week's bulletin look for an updated forecast, some reader reports
and updated sunspot averages. I hope the flow of data does not end as the
federal government shutdown continues.
This Week in Radiosport
Oct 4 -- NS Weekly SprintOct 4-6 -- DX/NA YLRL Anniversary PartyOct 5 --
TARA PSK RumbleOct 5 -- EU Autumn Phone SprintOct 5-6 -- EPC Russia DX
ContestOct 5-6 -- Oceania DX Phone ContestOct 5-6 -- Worked All Britain HF
ContestOct 5-6 -- California QSO PartyOct 6 -- RSGB 21/28 MHz ContestOct 7
-- OK1WC Memorial ContestOct 8 -- ARS Spartan SprintOct 9 -- 432 MHz Fall
VHF SprintOct 9 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT TestOct 10 -- 10-10 SprintOct 10
-- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
October 6 -- Maryland State Convention, West Friendship, MarylandOctober 12
-- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference, Moses Lake, WashingtonOctober 11-13 --
Pacific Division Convention Pacificon 2013, Santa Clara, CaliforniaOctober
12-13 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, FloridaOctober 13 --
Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, ConnecticutOctober 13 -- Iowa State
Convention, Sergeant Bluff, IowaOctober 18-19 -- Microwave Update
Conference, Morehead, KentuckyOctober 26 -- Delaware State Convention,
Georgetown, DelawareNovember 2 -- Fall TechFest, Lakewood, ColoradoNovember
2-3 -- Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, GeorgiaNovember 8-9 --
Midwest Division Convention, Lebanon, MissouriNovember 9 -- All-Ohio ARES
Conference, Reynoldsburg, OhioNovember 16-17 -- Indiana State Convention,
Fort Wayne, IndianaDecember 6-7 -- West Central Florida Section Convention,
Plant City, Florida
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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 © 2013 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
///////////////////////////////////////////
Gobble Gobble Is The Sound of ALE
Posted: 04 Oct 2013 12:11 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...E&goto=newpost
If you tune into your shortwave radio this week, you may hear a
gobble-gobble noise. What may seem like a flock of wild turkeys are
actually the sounds of the HF Interoperability Exercise 2013, and it is in
full swing today. It started Friday the 4th of October, and runs for
another 10 days. Ham operators all over the world are on the air for this
international communications preparedness exercise, using Automatic Link
Establishment (ALE). The innovative ALE system is a digital selective
calling method, enabling radio users to ring each other up on High
Frequency shortwave using their callsigns like a phone number. HFIE, as it
is known among hams, happens several times per year and is sponsored by
HFLINK.COM and the Global ALE High Frequency Network (HFN) organization.
Kurt Stephens KJ4AYT, a radio operator in Florida, had this to say: "I use
ALE a lot, both in my professional career and as a ham. I'm really excited
to be participating in HFIE. Within the first hour, I was able to easily
get signals to three different continents with my Micom 2 radio. I recently
designed a new antenna for my station and I'm checking the performance of
it in this exercise. I call it the WOLF antenna. It has good broadband SWR
on all the HF bands, perfect for ALE. I look forward to making lots of new
contacts with it."
Another ham, John Lawson W4JML, commented, "I'm in Wyoming and I need to
use ALE with Army MARS, so I decided to get some more experience with it
during this exercise on the ham bands. I downloaded the free PCALE software
and hooked the computer up to my Icom IC-765, running into an 80m delta
loop antenna. Amazingly, within a few minutes after setting it up to scan,
I made my first ALE contact when Kurt KJ4AYT called me on 7 megahertz, and
did some texting. I'll be on this again tomorrow for sure."
Over three thousand ALE stations have registered so far, and many of them
are on-the-air this week talking by single sideband (SSB) analog voice or
digital texting. Some use the exercise to provide training or maintain
their proficiency in HF Interoperability; an important issue these days,
due to the new digital standards for governmental and non-governmental
organizations in emergency and disaster communications. After completion,
those operators can look forward to certificates and wallet cards showing
they are qualified in ALE. It's not a contest, and many just do it for fun.
They will continue to keep track of each other on the air and by using an
inter-connected chat room with a map feature that picks up their
transmissions.
Automatic_Link_Establishment_Global_HF_Network_HFL INK_NET.jpg
The distinctive turkey gobble sounds of ALE can usually be found on the
following frequencies.
newfreqs.jpg
GLOBAL ALE HIGH FREQUENCY NETWORK (NETCALL= HFN)
==KHZ===SSB===COMMON USE
03596.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
05371.5 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING Non-Automatic USA
07102.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
10145.5 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
14109.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
18106.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
21096.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
24926.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
28146.0 USB ALE DATA/SOUNDING International
2g_ale_spectrum.jpg
INTERNATIONAL ALE SSB VOICE NET (NETCALL= HFL)
==KHZ===SSB===COMMON USE
03791.0 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
03996.0 USB ALE VOICE-SSB North America
05371.5 USB ALE VOICE-SSB Non-Automatic USA
07185.5 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
07296.0 USB ALE VOICE-SSB North America
14346.0 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
18117.5 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
21432.5 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
24932.0 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
28312.5 USB ALE VOICE-SSB International
ALE_Antennas_2013_Poll_HFLINK_Members.jpg
Note: This article is open for release to the general public.
..
Attached Images
ALE_Antennas_2013_Poll_HFLINK_Members.jpg
(71.7 KB)
newfreqs.jpg
(5.6 KB)
Automatic_Link_Establishment_Global_HF_Network_HFL INK_NET.jpg
(324.9 KB)
2g_ale_spectrum.jpg
(50.4 KB)
///////////////////////////////////////////
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1886 October 4 2013
Posted: 03 Oct 2013 07:05 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...3&goto=newpost
Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1886 – October 4 2013
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1886 with a release date of October 4
2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a Q-S-T. The FCC in shutdown. How will it affect ham
radio? A new report says that faulty radio communications may have led to
deaths of 19 firefighters in Arizona; Hams in Pakistan stand ready to
assist following devastating earthquakes; The IARU Administrative Council
looks for ways to work with non member societies; D-Star comes to 40 meters
down-under and rappelling off a 367 foot hotel was all in a days work for a
California ham. Find out the details are on Amateur Radio Newsline™ report
number 1886 coming your way right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RADIO LAW: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFFECTS THE FCC
With the government shutdown that came into affect on October 1st, one of
the many agencies affected is the FCC. Amateur Radio NewslineÂ’s Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom and takes a look at how this will
affect the United States world of Amateur Radio: