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The ARRL Letter, July 10, 2014
Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:27 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...4&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
July 10, 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, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial
ConventionGrassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship
of "Amateur Radio Parity Act"ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership
ChangesFCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired
Music, and Failed to IdentifyFCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to
Operate Non-Certificated Transmitters on GMRSPassengers Now Must Be Able to
Power Up Some Electronics During TSA ScreeningsHurricane Watch Net Shuts
Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First 2014 Atlantic HurricaneA
Contesting Confluence this Weekend: The IARU HF Championship and
WRTC-2014!W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye WeekFirst Signals Heard from
UKube-1AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates"Brendan Quest"
Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK"Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th
Anniversary of Last US Commercial Morse OperationARDF Enthusiasts Win
Medals at 14th Annual USA National ChampionshipsA Century of Amateur Radio
and the ARRLWARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT,
SKThe K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead in Radiosport Upcoming ARRL Section,
State and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial Convention
The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will sign a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the ARRL National Centennial Convention,
taking place July 17-19 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will join FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate, KK4INZ, on Friday, July 18, at 4:15 PM, in signing the MOA, which
is aimed at fostering greater cooperation between the League and FEMA in
the area of disaster communication and support. Fugate will speak at the
Centennial Banquet later that evening, and more than 850 are expected to
attend.
All-day workshops and a Thursday lunch at the Convention Center will kick
off the Centennial Convention (advance online registration required).
Keynoting the Thursday lunch will be ARRL First Vice President Rick
Roderick, K5UR. ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky,
N5ZGT, will serve as the MC. Later in the day, a reception will be held to
welcome international guests. Delegations from several countries are
expected to attend the convention, along with individual visitors. The
League is anticipating some 4000 visitors, with registrations received from
all 50 US states and more than 30 countries.
The official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting take place Friday morning
at 8:30, with President Craigie and Convention Co-Chairs ARRL Chief
Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, and New England Division Vice
Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, welcoming attendees.
The theme for the ARRL National Centennial Convention is "Advancing the Art
and Science of Radio -- Since 1914." On Friday and Saturday, more than 100
vendors and exhibitors will be in the main Convention Center exhibit hall,
and dozens of presenters will lead nearly 70 hours of forums.
Transportation to Newingtwon will be available to shuttle convention
registrants for tours of ARRL Headquarters and W1AW.
President Craigie will host a Presidents Breakfast on Saturday morning, and
Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will speak at noon. The closing ceremony
and prize drawing will take place Saturday at 4 PM in the Convention Center
Ballroom.
Online registration is now limited to 2-day adult and youth tickets ($25),
good on Friday and Saturday. Online registration ends on Tuesday, July 15.
Two-day tickets will be available at the Convention Center for $30.
Grassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship of "Amateur Radio
Parity Act"
A grassroots effort is underway to encourage radio amateurs to promote
co-sponsorship of HR.4969, the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The measure,
introduced in the US House with bipartisan support on June 25, 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), and it
has initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT). With Congress
going on its August recess in a few weeks, the campaign is focusing on
contacting Members of Congress or their staffers at or through their
district offices during the break. Getting additional lawmakers to sign on
as HR.4969 co-sponsors is considered essential to the bill's success.
"This is the ideal time for you to develop small teams of constituents to
approach members of Congress in their district offices," said ARRL Hudson
Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, a principal proponent of
HR.4969. "Ideally, you'd want no more than three members to go to a meeting
with a Member of Congress or top staff members. These need to be active,
articulate individuals who present themselves well." Individual radio
amateurs or clubs also may wish to e-mail or write their representatives to
urge them to cosponsor the bill.
The primary point to convey is that the greatest threat to Amateur Radio
volunteer emergency and public service communication is restrictions that
prohibit the installation of outdoor antenna systems. Nearly 30 years ago
the FCC, in adopting its PRB-1 policy, acknowledged a "strong federal
interest" in supporting effective Amateur Radio communication. In the
intervening years, PRB-1 has helped many amateurs to overcome zoning
ordinances that unreasonably restricted Amateur Radio antennas in
residential areas. The 11-page PRB-1 FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order is
codified at § 97.15(b) in the FCC Amateur Service rules, giving the
regulation the same effect as a federal statute.
After the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ordered the FCC to enact
regulations preempting municipal and private land-use regulation over small
satellite dishes and broadcast TV antennas, the FCC further acknowledged
that it has jurisdiction to preempt private land-use regulations that
conflict with federal policy. At this point, PRB-1 only applies to state
and local zoning laws and ordinances. The Commission has indicated that it
won't extend the policy to private land-use regulation unless Congress
instructs it to do so.
If HR.4969 passes the 113th Congress, it would compel the FCC, within 120
days of the Bill's passage, to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service rules to
apply PRB-1 coverage to include homeowners' association regulations and
deed restrictions, often referred to as "covenants, conditions, and
restrictions" (CC&Rs). 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.
Among other tips, Lisenco advises groups setting up in-person visits with
representatives to pick a leader, listen carefully, and leave behind
information [see below] that supports your primary points, plus a business
card. "Business cards are a big thing in DC," he pointed out. "Make certain
to take them when going to DC or a district office."
"This isn't rocket science, but it does take planning and the ability to
state your case succinctly in no more than 15 minutes," Lisenco advised. He
said delegations should follow up with a thank you note within a day and a
telephone call a week later.
An information sheet on HR.4969, a list of "talking points," and a sample
constituent letter to a Member of Congress will be available soon.
ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership Changes
The leadership of the ARRL Great Lakes Division has changed. Director Jim
Weaver, K8JE, announced his retirement from the ARRL Board of Directors,
effective on July 7. Vice Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, of Dundee,
Michigan, has succeeded him as Director. The Great Lakes Division is made
up of Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky.
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, appointed W. Thomas "Tom" Delaney, W8WTD,
of Cincinnati, Ohio, to fill the resulting Vice Director vacancy. Both
Williams and Delaney will attend the ARRL National Centennial Convention
and the July ARRL Board of Directors' meeting following the convention in
Hartford, Connecticut.
Weaver, of Mason, Ohio, had served as the League's Great Lakes Division
Director since January 2003. He was a member of the Programs & Services and
CEO Candidate Screening committees. He continues to hold several Field
Organization appointments in Ohio.
Williams had been Great Lakes Division Vice Director since January 2012. He
previously served as ARRL Michigan Section Manager -- from 1992 until 1997,
and from 2003 until 2011.
Vice Director Delaney was a Public Information Officer for about a decade.
He is active with the Queen City Emergency Net and belongs to several clubs
in Cincinnati. Delaney also is the volunteer chairman of the Communications
Committee for Disaster Services at the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the
American Red Cross.
FCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired Music, and
Failed to Identify
In a Notice of Violation (NoV) released June 5, the FCC has alleged 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. The FCC said agents
from its Portland, Oregon, office on May 13, 2014, used radio
direction-finding techniques to pinpoint the source of the interfering
signal to Price's residence and further observed that Price was
transmitting music and did not identify at the end of each communication,
as required.
The FCC has called on Price to submit within 20 days a written statement
explaining each violation, stating specific actions taken to correct each
violation and preclude their recurrence, and include a time line to
complete any pending corrective actions.
The FCC said issuance of the NoV "does not preclude the Enforcement Bureau
from further action if warranted, including issuing a Notice of Apparent
Liability for Forfeiture for the violations cited."
FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated
Transmitters on GMRS
The FCC has denied a Petition for Rule Making (PRM) filed by a Florida
radio amateur that sought to permit hams who also hold General Mobile Radio
Service (GMRS) licenses to operate on GMRS channels with transmitters that
have not been certificated for GMRS use, provided the transmitter meets
GMRS technical standards. Mark Friedlander, KV4I, of New Smyrna Beach had
asserted in his May 29 filing that the proposed rule change would
facilitate interoperability in emergency situations, since many emergency
response groups utilize both radio services.
Transmitters used in the Part 95 GMRS must have FCC certification prior to
sale and marketing; in general, Part 97 Amateur Radio transmitters do not.
In a June 20 letter to Friedlander, the FCC pointed out that GMRS
transmitters that also can be used on Amateur Radio frequencies will not be
certificated. The FCC said it adopted that rule "to prevent the possible
proliferation of GMRS equipment that is also capable of operating on
frequencies for which the GMRS licensee is not authorized."
Friedlander argued that Amateur Radio operators who are authorized to
design, build, and operate transmitters without equipment certification in
the 420-450 MHz amateur band should be allowed to do so on the 462/467 MHz
GMRS channels, the FCC said.
"We conclude that the proposed rule change would undermine the prohibition
on GMRS equipment with Amateur Radio frequency capability," the FCC
said. "An exception to [the rule] would allow for the proliferation of
home-built, non-standardized transmitters in the GMRS, with no practicable
way for the Commission to monitor and enforce regulatory compliance for
these devices."
Passengers Now Must Be Able to Power Up Some Electronics During TSA
Screenings
Airline passengers boarding direct flights to the US from overseas may be
asked to power up certain electronic devices being carried aboard,
including cell phones. The announcement did not single out any other
electronics. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners at certain overseas
airports with direct flights to the US to "implement enhanced security
measures." All electronics typically undergo screening during pre-boarding
TSA inspections.
"DHS continually assesses the global threat environment and reevaluates the
measures we take to promote aviation security," DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson
said on July 2. "As part of this ongoing process, I have directed TSA to
implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas
airports with direct flights to the United States. We will work to ensure
these necessary steps pose as few disruptions to travelers as possible."
During security inspections, TSA officers may ask passengers to power up
some devices, including cell phones. Devices that are unable to be turned
on "will not be permitted onboard the aircraft," DHS said, adding, "The
traveler may also undergo additional screening."
While the TSA generally permits Amateur Radio equipment aboard aircraft,
including that packed in carry-on baggage, such items, according to
existing TSA policy, "may be subject to additional screening or not allowed
through the checkpoint, if it triggers an alarm during the screening
process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security
concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items
on the plane."
DHS said that the TSA "will continue to adjust security measures to ensure
that travelers are guaranteed the highest levels of aviation security
conducted as conveniently as possible."
Hurricane Watch Net Shuts Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First 2014
Atlantic Hurricane
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) wrapped up operations around midday on July 5
for Hurricane Arthur -- by then a tropical cyclone -- headed out over the
Canadian Maritimes. The HWN initially activated for Arthur on Thursday,
July 3, as the storm threatened to make landfall along North Carolina's
Outer Banks. The net moved to 40 meters (7.268 MHz), after propagation was
lost on its primary 14.325 MHz frequency. The first activation lasted 18
hours. The HWN activated again on Saturday, July 5, at 1100 UTC, as
Hurricane Arthur, still a Category 1 storm, worked its way up the Eastern
Seaboard headed for Canada.
"This storm seemed to be mainly a heavy rain and strong wind event, unlike
the Category 1 landfall of Sandy in 2012. Thankfully, Arthur weakened to a
tropical storm a few hours prior to [our] activating and was downgraded
further to a post-tropical cyclone at 1200 UTC," said HWN Manager Bobby
Graves, KB5HAV. "Reports from CANWARN indicated nearly 84,000 lost power in
Nova Scotia and nearly 59,000 in New Brunswick." CANWARN -- the (CANadian
Weather Amateur Radio Network -- is Canada's equivalent of the SKYWARN
program in the US. The storm also generated heavy rain and high wind in
Down East Maine, blowing down trees and limbs leaving thousands of homes in
the dark. The net stood down at 1400 UTC.
"We were able to link the National Hurricane Center and the Canadian
Hurricane Center together by means of our Internet back channel," Graves
noted. "This link not only allows direct communication between forecasters
at each center but also the forecasters with our net control operators."
Although the number of reporting stations was low for this initial
activation of the 2014 Hurricane Season, Graves said the HWN was "grateful
for all reports that came in." Read more.
A Contesting Confluence this Weekend: The IARU HF Championship and
WRTC-2014!
This weekend, July 12-13, will present the sort of operating opportunity
that comes along only about as often as leap year -- the IARU HF
Championship and World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 (WRTC-2014). It's
essentially two sides of the same coin, though, since these events occur
concurrently. While the IARU HF Championship is an annual event, WRTCs
typically take place every 4 years and use the IARU event as a framework
for their international team competition.
Everyone works everyone in these events, which run 24 hours (1200 UTC on
Saturday until 1200 UTC on Sunday). In the IARU, both single and
multioperator stations are welcome, but single operators may not take
advantage of any spotting nets, packet, or multi-channel decoders (such as
CW Skimmer). Stations may elect to operate CW only, SSB only, or both
modes. In general, stations exchange signal report and ITU zone.
For WRTC-2014, 59 international two-operator teams are gathered in New
England to determine the world's top contesters. Competing teams will
deploy to essentially equivalent stations that run 100 W to a wire antenna
for the low bands and a Yagi for the high bands. Stations taking part in
the IARU event can win WRTC-2014 awards, including one for working all 59
teams, which will be sporting 1 × 1 US first district call signs.
Operators in both events will be seeking out "HQ stations" representing
various IARU member societies; these count as multipliers. Many will
include the letters "HQ" in their call sign suffix. Some will include the
organization's abbreviation, and it might be helpful to review these
beforehand. Member societies are listed by region on the IARU website. IARU
International Secretariat club station NU1AW will be on the air from New
England and counts as a HQ station. W100AW, operating from Newington, will
be the ARRL headquarters station (W1AW will not be active).
Member-society HQ stations will send a signal report and their
organization's initials, eg, "599 IARU" for working NU1AW. Members of the
IARU Administrative Council and the three IARU regional Executive
committees will send "AC," "R1," "R2," and "R3" as appropriate, following
the signal report.
There are some differences in the rules between the IARU HF Championship
and the WRTC-2014 events. For instance, WRTC-2014 stations will not use 160
meters, and all WRTC teams will use both CW and SSB. While WRTC-2014
competitors are restricted to 100 W, IARU HF Championship participants may
opt to run high power, low power or QRP; there are entry categories for
each.
The IARU HF Championship and WRTC-2014 offer a lot of operating enjoyment
and a chance to check out your station and antennas well in advance of the
2014 "contest season" this fall and winter.
W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye Week
The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from
each of the 50 states are on hiatus from July 9 until July 16, during which
the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-2014) and the IARU HF
Championship take place. W1AW Centennial Operations will resume at 0000 UTC
on Wednesday, July 16 (the evening of July 15 in US time zones), from South
Carolina (W1AW/4). There will be only one state that week. 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. WRTC-2014
competitor stations with 1 x 1 call signs are also worth 5 points.
To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating
portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does
not count for Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants must
work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be
available.
The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that
participants can use to determine how many points they have accumulated in
the Centennial QSO Party and in the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your
Logbook of The World (LoTW) user name and password, and your position will
appear at the top of the leader boards. Results are updated daily, based on
contacts entered into LoTW.
First Signals Heard from UKube-1
Following its July 8 launch from Kazakhstan, UKube-1 -- the UK Space
Agency's first CubeSat -- has been heard around the world.
"AMSAT-UK has congratulated the UKube-1 team on the successful launch and
deployment of the spacecraft," Graham Shirville, G3VZV, said Tuesday in an
AMSAT-BB post. "Signals have already been heard from both transmitters in
many countries."
UKube-1 "hosts" FUNcube-2 -- actually a set of FUNcube boards flying as a
sub-system of the 3U UKube-1 CubeSat. FUNcube-2 will include a 400 mW
inverting SSB/CW transponder (435.080-435.060 MHz up/145.930-145.950 MHz
down), with a CW beacon on 145.840 MHz. The transponder is not yet active.
Built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, Scotland, UKube-1 is the first satellite
built in Scotland.
The FUNcube project is aimed at supporting science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives now underway in the US, the
UK, and elsewhere. The target audience is primary and secondary school
students.
The UKube team asks stations to continue monitoring the downlinks and, if
possible, to forward reports to the FUNcube team. Send CW beacon reports
(145.840 MHz) to and
. Read more.
AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates
AMSAT-NA has announced the 2014 candidates for its Board of Directors. In
alphabetical order by last name, they are Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Tom Clark,
K3IO; Steve Coy, K8UD; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Frank Griffin, K4FEG; Bryan
Klofas, KF6ZEO; Lou McFadin, W5DID, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM.
In addition to the three Board seats to be filled this year, plus two
alternates, there will be an additional Board seat to fill the remainder of
the term of Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, who died earlier this year.
The top three recipients of votes will have 2-year terms, the fourth
highest vote recipient will serve for 1 year, and the fifth and sixth
highest vote recipients will serve as first and second alternates,
respectively.
Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA membership by July 15, 2014, and
must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2014, to be counted.
There are approximately 3000 AMSAT members. -- AMSAT -- AMSAT News Service
"Brendan Quest" Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK
A group of Amateur Radio operators from Atlantic Canada is operating from
Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, until July 12 in a bid to complete a 2 meter
transatlantic contact and claim the Brendan Quest trophy. VC1T is on the
air from grid GN37os on 144.155 MHz. The group activated on July 4, and a
couple of days later, on July 6 at 1341 UTC, G4SWX was able to completely
decode an FSK441 transmission from VC1T.
"They attempted to complete the QSO for 4 hours, but were not successful,"
the team reported. "However, this reception should qualify for the Brendan
Plate." The team said a station in Ireland was able to copy parts of three
transmissions. Because of the initial success, the group now will use
FSK441 exclusively in its Brendan bid. VC1T had been concentrating its
efforts on JT65B, but it has CW and SSB capability, which the team will try
if it is able to achieve an FSK441 two-way. Part of the WSJT software
package developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT, FSK441 was primarily designed to
detect very brief "pings" from meteor trails. VC1T is running 750 W into a
rope-supported 43 element, 100 foot long Yagi directed at Europe. It has a
gain of more than 23 dBd. When driven with 750 W, the effective radiated
power (ERP) in the center of the major lobe should be about 150 kW, the
group estimated.
The Brendan Trophy is a series of awards offered by the Irish Radio
Transmitters Society (IRTS) to the first Amateur Radio operators to
complete a 2 meter transatlantic contact. According to the IRTS, the
Brendan Trophy is awarded for the first "traditional mode" two-way contact
-- ie, SSB or CW capable of being copied without machine assistance. The
Brendan Shield is awared for the first "nontraditional mode" two-way
contact, ie, digital modes and high-speed CW. The Brendan Plate is given
for the first verified reception of a transatlantic signal in any mode.
The group has a Facebook page, where it is posting updates. Read more. --
Thanks to AMSAT News Service, Brendan Quest 2 Meter Transatlantic Attempt
"Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th Anniversary of Last US Commercial Morse
Operation
This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the last US commercial Morse
operation -- commemorated each year in a "Night of Nights" event in which
historic coast stations KPH and KSM in California and others across the US
reopen briefly and again take to the MF and HF airwaves. The Maritime Radio
Historical Society (MRHS) sponsors the event, which will take place Sunday,
July 13, from 0001 UTC until 0700 (Saturday, July 12, from 1701 until
midnight PDT). What is believed to have been the last commercial Morse
transmission in the US took place from KPH in 1999. MRHS member Richard
Dillman, W6KWO, a veteran coast station operator, has called July 12,
1999, "a sad day" for him and his colleagues.
We knew it was coming, but when the end finally arrived, it was a shock,"
he said. "It was the supposed last day of Morse code. The final sign off
took place at a remote station on the Pacific Coast. Women attending the
event were dressed as if at a funeral. Grizzled, hard-bitten old men -- the
kind you wouldn't mess with in a barroom -- had tears in their eyes as the
last message was keyed out to the world at 0000 GMT. And then there was
silence."
"It was just beeps in the air. But that's how much Morse code means to the
men and women who made the profession of radiotelegrapher one of honor and
skill," Dillman added.
The MRHS has posted a schedule of participating stations and operating
frequencies. The MRHS also operates Amateur Radio station K6KPH, run by
veteran Morse hands, including former KPH staff members with years of
experience "sitting the circuit." K6KPH will monitor 3550, 7050, 14,050,
18,097.5, and 21,050 kHz. Read more.
ARDF Enthusiasts Win Medals at 14th Annual USA National Championships
Newcomers and long-time enthusiasts turned out in early June to take part
in the 14th USA National Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding
(ARDF). The events took place June 5-8 in New England, near Boston.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) sets the rules for ARDF
competitions. The object of ARDF -- also called foxtailing and
radio-orienteering -- is to find as many of the required hidden
transmitters as possible within the shortest time, and then navigate to the
finish line, using only direction-finding equipment, a compass, and the
provided map. Classic competitions on 2 meters and 80 meters take place on
separate days, with up to five hidden transmitters deployed in an area of
about 1000 acres. Each transmitter is on the air for 60 seconds at a time
in rotating sequence.
There are also two new events, both on 80 meters. The sprint is a shortened
course with 10 transmitters and a faster transmitter cycle. Foxoring is a
combination of orienteering and foxhunting, in which competitors receive
maps marked with the approximate locations of 1 dozen very low power
transmitters to find. Competitors for all events are divided into age
categories, six for men, five for women, with medals awarded to the winners
in each category.
The top US finishers in each age/gender category were Leszek Lechowicz,
NI1L (M40, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Nicolai Mejevoi (M50, 2
meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Bill Noyce, AB1AV (M60 sprint); Bob
Cooley, KF6VSE (M70, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint); Alla Mezhevaya (W35, 2
meters, sprint); Addison Bosley, KJ4VCV (M21, 2 meters, 80 meters, foxor);
Joseph Huberman, K5JGH (M60, 2 meters, 80 meters, foxor); Jen Harker, W5JEN
(W35, 80 meters, foxor), and Marji Garrett, KJ4ZKC (W50, 80 meters).
Complete results of all championship events are available online on the
Homing In website. Read more. -- Joe Moell, K0OV, ARRL Amateur Radio
Direction Finding Coordinator
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
In the early 1950s, television interference -- TVI -- became a major
problem for hams. The ARRL took two important steps toward educating hams
and the public about TVI, and how TVI was often the fault of the TV set,
not the ham. Talk about a hard sell! Lew McCoy, W1ICP, went on the road
with a live TVI-education show, complete with "fixed" and "unfixed" TV
sets, ham transmitters, etc. His show was a success but it couldn't reach
everyone. The ARRL also scripted and supplied photographs for a 15-minute
slide presentation that could be shown on local TV stations or to live
audiences. As more hams started using 50 MHz, TVI problems frequently
showed up there, especially in areas that had a TV station on channel 2,
which was immediately above 6 meters.
The League also began a strong effort to get more hams on 220 MHz, to show
the FCC the band was being used and to help fight off other services'
efforts to take over the shared band.
As more hams became seriously interested in 2 meters for long-haul
communication, beams became enormous. Articles and photos in QST showed
rotatable arrays with as many as 104 elements. Long-haul 2 meter tests were
pursued by W4HHK, W4AO, W2UK, W1HDQ, and others, pushing the 2 meter DX
envelope. In 1954, the first successful coast-to-coast message relay on 2
meters occurred. With such efforts underway, it was no surprise that the
1954 ARRL VHF Sweepstakes broke all records.
Modern-day DXpeditions started being staged. A notable one was the 1954
effort to put much-wanted Clipperton Island on the air. The FO8AJ
DXpedition was organized and executed by W0NWX and a large supporting cast.
Multiband tank circuits became quite popular, used in projects such as
W1JEQ's three-control, six-band, 500 W transmitter, described in QST. New
10 GHz DX records were set and reset by W7JIP and W7OKV, out in the land of
tall mountains. The 813 beam-power tube, developed during World War II and
available on the surplus market, became a very popular final tube. The
popular CK722 germanium transistor showed up in various small projects in
QST, such as W6CHB's tiny code-practice oscillator. Herbert Hoover Jr,
W6ZH, was appointed Undersecretary of State. And, effective June 10, 1954,
Novice and Technician license exams would be sent by mail and administered
by a qualified local radio amateur, rather than making applicants appear in
person. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
WARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT, SK
Charles "Chuck" Dorian, W3JPT, of Issaquah, Washington, died June 20. He
was 92. Dorian had a long and distinguished history of support to Amateur
Radio and the Amateur-Satellite Service. A veteran member of the Potomac
Valley Radio Club (PVRC), Dorian served on the US Amateur Radio FCC
Advisory Committee for World Administrative Radio Conference 1979
(WARC-79), in which Amateur Radio gained the so-called "WARC bands" -- 30,
17, and 12 meters. His primary focus, however, was the Amateur-Satellite
Service. Dorian and AMSAT's Perry Klein, W3PK, developed the US
Amateur-Satellite positions for WARC-79, and Dorian was on the US
delegation to the international conference. He also served as a member of
the ARRL Long-Range Planning Committee in the 1970s.
A Massachusetts native, Dorian was first licensed in 1939 as W1LXO. He
graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy with a BS in engineering and
completed post-graduate work in communications at the US Naval Academy.
Dorian spent 30 years in the US Coast Guard in various communication roles,
rising to the rank of captain. During World War II, he served on vessels in
the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Great Lakes, and in the Pacific.
Dorian served from 1964 until 1967 as Chief of Coast Guard Communications,
retiring in 1972 as Deputy Director of the Office of Telecommunications for
the US Department of Transportation.
According to his Seattle Times obituary, Dorian received the US Armed
Forces Legion of Merit in 1967 for exceptional meritorious achievement to
improve maritime safety via radiocommunications, stressing the benefits of
satellites dedicated to maritime emergencies.
After retiring from the DOT, he worked for the Communications Satellite
Corporation as Director of International Relations, dealing with mobile
satellite communications. For more than 20 years, he served on US
Department of State delegations to International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) conferences in Geneva, and was considered one of the "fathers" of the
maritime satellite communication system now in use.
Dorian was a past member of the AMSAT Board of Directors and served as the
Board's secretary. He was a past president of the Washington, DC, Chapter
of QCWA and of the Foundation for Amateur Radio. For 8 years, he served as
the ARRL's representative in Washington.
Dorian was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Donations in his memory
may be made to the Washington Talking Books Library.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity has
strengthened recently, with average daily sunspot numbers for the 7 days
ending June 25 at 72.3, rising 43.3 points to 115.6 for the 7 days ending
July 2, then rising 89.5 to an average of 205.1 for the period ending July
9. Average daily solar flux for the 7 days ending on June 25 was 98.8. That
rose 30.7 points to 129.5 on July 2, and then by another 64.4 points to
193.9 on July 9.
We don't have predictions for daily sunspot numbers, but the predicted
average solar flux for the 7 days following July 9 is 157.9, a decline of
36 points from the previous 7 days.
Predicted solar flux for the near term is 190, 180, 170, 155, and 140 for
July 10-14, 135 for July 15-16, 125, 110 and 105 for July 17-19, 100 for
July 20-21, 95 for July 22-23, then 100, 110, 125 and 135 for July 24-27,
respectively. Solar flux then peaks at 205 on August 3-5, and declines to
95 on August 18-19, before rising again in the following days.
Predicted planetary A index is 7 for July 10-11, 8 for July 12-13, then 7
and 12 for July 14-15, 8 for July 16-17, 5 for July 18-25, and 8 on July 26.
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 reports from
readers. Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
July 11 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
July 11 -- FISTS Summer Sprint (CW)
July 12-13 -- IARU HF World Championship/WRTC-2014 (CW, SSB)
July 12-13 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
July 13 -- CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush (CW)
July 17 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)
July 19 -- Feld-Hell High Road Sprint
July 19-20 -- 144 MHz Digital EME Championship
July 19-20 -- DMC RTTY Contest
July 19-20 -- CQ World Wide VHF Contest
July 19-20 -- North American QSO Party RTTY
July 20 -- RSBG Low Power Contest (CW)
July 21 -- Run For the Bacon
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
July 17-19 -- ARRL National Centennial Convention, Hartford, Connecticut
July 18-19 -- Arizona State Convention, Williams, Arizona
July 18-20 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
July 24-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Austin, Texas
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
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National Convention
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///////////////////////////////////////////
WRTC makes Front Page in San Diego UNION!
Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:39 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...!&goto=newpost
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...contact-sport/
Front page of July 9th edition! Features story writeup on Contestant John
Barcroft K6AM of our San Diego DX Club, and Glen Rattmann K6NA who is
acting as a Contest Referee!
Great PR for Ham Radio!
///////////////////////////////////////////
Nova Scotia amateurs transmitting from Newfoundland span Atlantic on 2m.
Posted: 08 Jul 2014 01:39 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...m&goto=newpost
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...cord-1.2699961
It looks like the long awaited Brenden Plaque/Trophy may finally be awarded!
Apologies if this has been posted somewhere here already but i could not
find it.