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The ARRL Letter, September 11, 2014
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 12:05 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...4&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
September 11, 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.]
"Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" Co-Sponsor List Swells to 32ARES/RACES
Volunteers Mobilize in Wake of Nevada Flash FloodingFCC Enforcement Bureau
Warns Two Hams for Failure to Identify ProperlyCanadian Regulator Accepts
Radio Amateurs of Canada's International 60 Meter Allocation ProposalW1AW
Centennial Trifecta: Colorado, New Hampshire, and Texas. North Carolina,
Connecticut Starting September 17 (UTC)Keynote Convention Speech of FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, Available on YouTubeMorse Learning
Machine Challenge Catching on with HamsSelected "Ham Radio" 2014
Presentations Now Available OnlineRound Two of 2014 ARRL 10GHz and Up
Contest Just Ahead!Radio Scouting Webinar SetTuskegee Airman and
Congressional Gold Medal Recipient George Mitchell, K6ZE, SKRed Cross
Volunteer Stu Press, KC8HQT, SKA Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRLThe
K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead in Radiosport Upcoming ARRL Section, State and
Division Conventions and Events
“Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014” Co-Sponsor List Swells to 32
The number of co-sponsors for H.R. 4969, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of
2014, has reached 32 members of the US House of Representatives. The list
includes 21 Republicans and 11 Democrats representing 17 states and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The push to persuade additional House members
to sign on as H.R. 4969 co-sponsors continues. ARRL Regulatory Information
Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, has pointed out that the House may adjourn as
early as Friday, September 19, and not reconvene until after the mid-term
elections on November 4. Members of the ARRL team have been in Washington,
DC, to contact House members while Congress is still in session.
“The bump in co-sponsors is a direct result of two things: ARRL’s
letter-writing campaign and the efforts by many ARRL members to meet with
their members of Congress and their staffs in person,” said Henderson, who
has spent the past few weeks collecting additional letters of support from
League members to forward to US House members by next week.
Letters directed for forwarding to US House of Representatives members via
ARRL Headquarters will be printed beforehand. Henderson explained that this
approach speeds delivery, since individual pieces of mail to members of
Congress are scanned for threats.
“We have received more than 3000 letters since the bill was introduced,”
Henderson said, adding that he was not sure how many more might arrive by
week’s end. “The more noise we make, the better our chances for the bill’s
passage,” he said. Henderson emphasized that a successful outcome requires
as many co-sponsors as possible, and letting House members hear from ARRL
members in their role as voters and constituents can contribute to making
that happen. The current campaign in support of H.R. 4969 only targets
members of the US House, since the bill has not yet reached the Senate.
While Congress was on break in August, the League encouraged members to
meet with their representatives while they were home on break in their
districts, and urge their support for H.R. 4969, Henderson said.
In addition to a list of current co-sponsors, the LeagueÂ’s H.R. 4969 page
contains information and guidance for clubs and individuals promoting
efforts to gain co-sponsors for the measure by contacting their members of
Congress. The web page includes a sample letter to a member of Congress and
a list of “talking points.” Direct letters to H.R. 4969 Letter Campaign,
ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. If e-mailing your letter as an
attachment, include the billÂ’s number, H.R. 4969, in your subject line.
Letters may also be faxed to 860-594-0259.
The bill, which was introduced in the US House of Representatives with
bipartisan support in late June, would call 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 billÂ’s
primary sponsor is Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and it received initial
co-sponsorship from Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT).
The limited PRB-1 pre-emption currently applies only to state and municipal
land-use ordinances. The FCC has indicated its reluctance to provide the
same legal protections from private land-use agreements -- often called
covenants, conditions, and restrictions or CC&Rs -- without direction from
Congress.
H.R. 4969 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep
Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panelÂ’s Communications and
Technology Subcommittee, which will consider the measure.
ARES/RACES Volunteers Mobilize in Wake of Nevada Flash Flooding
ARES/RACES members in Clark County, Nevada, activated Monday, September 8,
after heavy rains sparked flash flooding. The Amateur Radio volunteers
deployed after being called up by local emergency managers to support
communication during recovery efforts in the Moapa Valley northeast of Las
Vegas. At least two people died as a result of the flooding.
A slow-moving storm that spun off from Hurricane Norbert dumped nearly 4
inches of rain within the space of 90 minutes onto the town of Moapa. Heavy
flooding and mud closed nearly 50 miles of Interstate 15, stranding
motorist and truckers, buckling or washing away pavement in many areas.
Nevada Department of Transportation officials said they expected that it
would take several days before the highway would be reopened. Some
alternate routes also were impassible. The flooding has been called the
worst in more than 30 years.
Emergency sheltering was needed for nearly 200 tribal members of the Moapa
River Reservation, as well as nearly 90 elementary and high school
students. Stranded motorists were being cared for at a middle school in
Mesquite, on the Arizona border.
ARES personnel staffed the Emergency Operations Center in Las Vegas, and
the Clark County Mobile Communications Vehicle was on the scene. -- Thanks
to ARRL Nevada PIC John Bigley, N7UR
FCC Enforcement Bureau Warns Two Hams for Failure to Identify Properly
The FCC Enforcement Bureau has released Warning Notice letters it sent in
July to two radio amateurs, advising them that it had monitored
transmissions during which the licensees had failed to identify properly.
The Bureau posted the correspondence earlier this month on its Amateur
Radio Service Enforcement Actions web page. The two notices from FCC
Enforcement Bureau Special Counsel Laura L. Smith, both dated July 21,
contain essentially the same wording.
In a Warning Notice to Gary E. Davis, W1IT, of Inman, South Carolina, Smith
told Davis that he was monitored on July 15 and 16 at the FCCÂ’s High
Frequency Direction Finding Center (HFDFC) in Maryland, failing to properly
identify while operating on 7.185 MHz. “[Y]ou were heard by a Commission
employee operating your Amateur Radio station for 20 minutes without
identifying in a timely manner,” Smith wrote. “The Commission employee used
direction-finding equipment and confirmed the transmissions were coming
from your location.”
Smith pointed out that Section 97.119(a) of the Amateur Service Rules
requires each amateur station to “transmit its assigned call sign on its
transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every
10 minutes during a communication.”
In a nearly identically worded Warning Notice to John J. Krajewski, KB3MZQ,
of Newark, Delaware, Smith said the HFDFC also had monitored transmissions
by him on July 15 and 16, also on 7.185 MHz, during which he failed to
identify properly.
Smith said the FCC had “recorded the offending transmissions” in both
instances and offered to make copies available to Davis and Krajewski. She
further advised Davis and Krajewski that recurring “operation of this type”
after receipt of the warning letters, could subject them to “severe
penalties, including license revocation, monetary forfeiture (fines), or a
modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon which you may
operate.”
In 2006, in response to a Petition for Rule Making, the FCC declined to
modify its Amateur Service station identification rules. The petition
received some 100 comments. In dismissing the petition the following year,
the FCC concluded that the changes requested were “neither necessary nor
supported by the Amateur Radio community,” and that the failure-to-identify
problem “would be better addressed by enforcement of the present rule,
rather than a rule change.”
Canadian Regulator Accepts Radio Amateurs of CanadaÂ’s International 60
Meter Allocation Proposal
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has announced that its proposal to establish
an international 60 meter Amateur Service allocation has been accepted by
the Industry Canada consultative committee for World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The regulator uses that panelÂ’s conclusions to
determine its position on WRC-15 issues. The RAC proposal specifically
addresses WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.4 -- to establish a 60 meter allocation for
Amateur Radio on a secondary basis. The Canadian proposal will be
considered by other International Telecommunication Region (ITU) Region 2
countries in October.
“This proposal will be [submitted] at the CITEL meetings in Merida, Mexico,
next month to be considered as the CITEL position going into WRC-15,” said
RAC International Affairs Officer George Gorsline, VE3YV. CITEL, the
Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, is the telecommunications and
telecommunications technology advisory body of the Organization of American
States. Its members include all ITU Region 2 countries except Cuba.
The RAC proposal recommends two 25-kHz band segments for Amateur Radio --
5330 to 5355 kHz and 5405 to 5430 kHz. Amateur access would be on a
secondary, non-interference, listen-before-transmit basis.
Gorsline credited the efforts of Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, the RAC
representative on domestic committees and a Canadian and International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) delegate at ITU meetings.
“His role and the hours of work -- essentially an unpaid job -- attending
many, many formal and informal meetings with our regulator and with
interested parties in Canada and internationally are a key factor in
gaining formal Canadian government support,” he said. “We are very
fortunate to have his talents and willingness to sacrifice his on-the-air
time for all of us.”
RAC also acknowledged “the strong support of Industry Canada at Working
Party meetings and on other committees and at ITU WRC-15 preparatory
meetings.”
Gorsline said that a “firm proposal” from his country citing specific
frequencies for support by Region 2 countries at the CITEL meeting “is a
giant step toward a favorable outcome at WRC-15.”
W1AW Centennial Trifecta: Colorado, New Hampshire, and Texas. North
Carolina, Connecticut Starting September 17 (UTC)
The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014
from each of the 50 states are now in Colorado (W1AW/5), New Hampshire
(W1AW/1), and Texas (W1AW/5). W1AW operations will transition starting at
0000 UTC on Wednesday, September 17 (the evening of September 16 in US time
zones) to North Carolina (W1AW/4) and Connecticut (W1AW/1). W1AW has
visited each of the 50 states for at least 1 week so far during 2014. By
yearÂ’s, end W1AW will have been on the air from every state at least twice,
as well as from most US territories.
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.
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. Participants must work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A
W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available.
An ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board shows participants 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.
Keynote Convention Speech of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ,
Available on YouTube
The July 18 keynote speech of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, at
the ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, has been
posted on YouTube. Fugate spoke before some 800 guests at the Friday
evening convention banquet. Earlier that day, he and ARRL President Kay
Craigie, N3KN, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at enhancing
cooperation between the League and FEMA in the area of disaster
communication. In his remarks at the banquet, Fugate said that before he
even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him that Amateur Radio
could support ad hoc and innovative communication without relying on
conventional telecommunication systems.
“The more sophisticated our systems become, the more fragile they become,”
he told the gathering. He emphasized the need for resiliency in
communication systems. “The relevancy of ham radio only grows,” asserted
Fugate, who recently upgraded to General class. “Amateur Radio is taking
that hobby and turning it into saving lives.”
After FugateÂ’s talk, President Craigie presented him with the ARRL Medal of
Honor.
Morse Learning Machine Challenge Catching on with Hams
Experimenter Mauri Niininen, AG1LE, of Lexington, Massachusetts, reports
that his Morse Learning Machine Challenge has been catching on among
members of the Amateur Radio community. The goal of the competition is to
build a machine that can learn how to decode audio files containing Morse
code. Niininen said his project has been approved by Kaggle, which bills
itself as “the world’s largest community of data scientists.” Niininen said
that it takes humans many months of effort to learn Morse code, and, after
years of practice, the most proficient operators can decode Morse code up
to 60 or more words per minute
“Humans have extraordinary ability to quickly adapt to varying conditions,
speed, and rhythm. We want to find out if it is possible to create a
machine learning algorithm that exceeds human performance and adaptability
in Morse decoding.”
The computer-generated Morse data for the competition includes various
levels of added noise. The signal-to-noise ratio, speed, and message
content of the files vary randomly to simulate real-life ham radio HF Morse
communication.
“I hope to attract people from the Kaggle community, who are interested in
solving new, difficult challenges using their predictive data modeling,
computer science, and machine learning expertise,” Niininen added.
During the competition, participants will build a learning system capable
of decoding Morse code, using development data consisting of 200 WAV audio
files containing short sequences of randomized Morse. Data labels are
provided for a training set, so participants can self-evaluate their
systems.
“To evaluate their progress and compare themselves with others, they can
submit their prediction results online to get immediate feedback,” he
explained. “A real-time Kaggle leader board shows participants their
current standing based on their validation set predictions.” Niininen has
provided a sample Python Morse decoder to make it easier to get started.
Niininen said that within the first 24 hours of the competition, he had 33
downloads. “We have already 53 downloads of the materials for this
competition,” he said on September 5, “and it is growing by the hour, as
the word about this challenge is spreading.”
Selected “Ham Radio” 2014 Presentations Now Available Online
Key presentations from the 2014 “Ham Radio“ international exhibition in
Friedrichshafen, Germany, have been posted online. The Vienna-based
DokuFunk archive offers both audio and video presentations from the 2014
Ham Radio, which is EuropeÂ’s largest Amateur Radio gathering.
PowerPoint presentations in English include “The Enigma and Other famous
Cipher Machines” by Tom Perera, W1TP; “FT5ZM -- Amsterdam Island
DXpedition” by Ralph Fedor, K0IR; “K9W -- Wake Atoll 2013 Commemorative
Expedition” by Lou Dietrich, N2TU, and “VK9MT -- Mellish Reef DXpedition”
by Leslie P. Kalmus, W2LK. The German-language presentation “Yagi und Quad
Antennen für den Kurzwellenamateur” (“Yagi and Quad Antennas for HF”) by
Martin Steyer, DK7ZB, also is available.
The DokuFunk site offers selected Ham Radio presentations dating to 2008.
Round Two of 2014 ARRL 10GHz and Up Contest Just Ahead!
Round two of the 2014 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest arrives the weekend of
September 20-21. Experimentation, building, and contesting all come
together when radio amateurs competitively explore the microwave portion of
the radio spectrum. The contest runs from 6 AM local time on Saturday until
midnight local time on Sunday.
The exchange is your six-character Maidenhead Locator or “grid square,”
(eg, FN64co). Participants earn points based on the distance of each
contact. Operating from several locations during the event is not only
allowed, itÂ’s encouraged. Many stations will run just a few hundred
milliwatts, using parabolic dishes to maximize gain. Along with
line-of-sight contacts -- often made from mountaintops -- stations may make
use of tropospheric and rainfall scatter or bounce signals off large
objects, such as buildings or mountains.
A list of resources with more information is available. Complete rules and
entry forms are on the ARRL website. All logs must be e-mailed or
postmarked no later than 2359 UTC on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. Send paper
logs to ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Radio Scouting Webinar Set
A webinar, “What is Radio Scouting and What Does it Mean to Me?” is set for
September 18 at 0100 UTC (Wednesday, September 17, in US time zones). The
presenter will be Jim Wilson, K5ND, chairman of the Boy Scouts of AmericaÂ’s
Radio Scouting Committee, president of the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association,
and member of the World Scouting JOTA-JOTI Team.
“Radio Scouting” includes all things Amateur Radio and Scouting. Topics
will include the upcoming Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), the worldÂ’s largest
Scouting event, with 700,000 Scouts, 13,500 stations, and more than 22,000
Amateur Radio operators in 140 countries taking part. Advance registration
is required. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update via Keith Kaiser, WA0TJT
Tuskegee Airman and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient George Mitchell,
K6ZE, SK
ARRL Life Member, longtime Amateur Radio operator and Tuskegee Airman
George T. Mitchell, K6ZE, of San Diego, California, died September 4. He
was 94. During World War II Mitchell taught Morse code to the pioneering
black aviators known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
In 2007, Mitchell was among the group of Tuskegee Airmen veterans to
belatedly receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the United StatesÂ’ highest
civilian award, for his wartime service. African-American servicemen had
been barred from training as military pilots until the Roosevelt
Administration, faced with a federal lawsuit and mounting protests, opened
an aviation school at Tuskegee Institute, a traditionally black college in
Alabama.
“The world looked at us as second-class citizens,” Mitchell said in a 2003
San Diego Union-Times interview about his time with the Tuskegee Airmen.
“We knew we were in a fishbowl. We knew we couldn’t fail.” Some 450
Tuskegee fighter pilots flew more than 15,000 sorties over North Africa and
Europe during the war. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen was the subject of
a 1995 film.
A Philadelphia native, Mitchell, who got into ham radio at the age of 12,
belonged to several Amateur Radio organizations, including the OMIK Amateur
Radio Association, the Air Force Flyers Club, the Old Old Timers Club, and
the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), from which he received a
75-year certificate in 2012.
Following the war, Mitchell went to work as a civilian engineer for the US
Navy. He retired to San Diego, but subsequently returned to work on the
sea, this time for the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. He frequently
spoke to school and civic groups about the role the Tuskegee Airmen played
in the nationÂ’s history.
Survivors include his widow, DÂ’Andrea Mitchell, and children, actor Brian
Stokes Mitchell, George Mitchell, Richard Mitchell, Lorna Mitchell, and
stepsons Deon and Robert Coons. -- Thanks to John Bigley, N7UR/Nevada
Amateur Radio Newswire and media accounts
Red Cross Volunteer Stu Press, KC8HQT, SK
American Red Cross Disaster Service Technology Group (DST) volunteer Stuart
“Stu” Press, KC8HQT, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died September 5. He was 61.
Press, an ARRL member, is reported to have become ill during a DST
deployment to the State of Washington to assist with communication in a
fire-stricken area, and he returned to Cincinnati, where he died.
“Stu was a very active national volunteer, who called the Cincinnati
Chapter of the American Red Cross his home base,” said ARRL Public
Information Officer Cindy Ebner, K8CJE, an ARC volunteer. “He volunteered
numerous hours helping maintain their Amateur Radio station (W8VVL), [and]
worked closely with the IT team to grow and maintain the network.” The DST
team oversees the technical component of a response. It also can serve as a
liaison between local Amateur Radio groups and the ARC to facilitate
initial emergency communication.
Ebner called Press “an instrumental cog in the machine of emergency
response to both the American Red Cross organization and the Amateur Radio
community,” and said his loss would be felt by both.
Survivors include his wife, Susan, and two daughters. Services were
September 9. In-memoriam donations may be made to the American Red Cross.
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
When the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) concluded,
Amateur Radio had gained new bands at 10, 18, and 24 MHz. Those bands would
become available to US hams later, after the FCC had done its work to put
them in place. The term “WARC bands” for 30, 17, and 12 meters persists to
this day.
Also in 1979, the FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry on the subject of radio
frequency interference (RFI). The great expansion of consumer electronic
gear that was susceptible to RFI had led an increase in complaints of
interference from hams, largely through no fault of the hams or their
equipment.
In the March 1980 issue of QST, VE2AEJ’s article, “Observance of
Long-Delayed Echoes on 28 MHz” concluded that long-delayed echoes are a
result of transmitted signals getting into a natural duct, probably between
the E and F layers of the ionosphere, and circling the globe many times
before re-emerging. After the explanation of LDEs was set forth, scientists
asked for hams to help with reports of their LDE experiences, to better
understand the details of the propagation.
As QST articles in the 1980s reflected, the main topics of interest to the
amateur community were new antenna ideas -- from simple and inexpensive to
large, complex, and very expensive -- the use of new solid state technology
in the ham shack, VHF/UHF/microwave equipment and activities, 2 meter FM
and repeaters, DXing, contesting, and moonbounce communication.
When microprocessors and microcomputers emerged in the early 1980s, hams
began putting them to work. Later, stand alone computers began to be
integrated into the stations of hams who were pushing the state of the art.
Another area where digital technology helped amateurs was the construction
of frequency synthesizers.
In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union’s “woodpecker” over-the-horizon
(ionospheric) radar had started its strong and annoying peck-peck-peck that
slowly swept through the HF amateur bands as well as the allocations of
other radio services.
In 1980 the ARRL Board of Directors established a Long-Range Planning
Committee, to look far into the future and plan for Amateur Radio to remain
strong enough to weather the efforts of other radio services to chip away
at our frequency allocations. The LRPC was also tasked to find ways to
strengthen the cooperation between Amateur Radio and governmental agencies
at all levels.
The Amateur Radio space effort suffered a huge disappointment in May 1980,
when the first attempt to launch a Phase 3 (OSCAR 9) satellite was
unsuccessful. The Ariane launch vehicle failed right after liftoff, and
Phase 3 landed in the Atlantic Ocean. The AMSAT-OSCAR community regrouped
and went to work building another Phase 3 unit. The ARRL Foundation
launched a fund-raising drive for building the new Phase 3 satellite that
was highly successful. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
The K7RA Solar Update
We saw a nice increase in the level of solar activity this week, and the
outlook for the near term is good -- or at least interesting.
Average daily sunspot numbers for the period September 4-10 jumped from
85.1 to 152.1, and average daily solar flux rose from 126.7 to 155.8.
Geomagnetic indicators were quiet, with the average planetary A index
declining from 14.7 to 7.9, and the average mid-latitude A index dropped
from 13.4 to 8.3. These latest numbers are compared with those of the
previous 7 days, August 28 through September 3.
Spacenews.com has reported that a couple of coronal mass ejection (CME)
blasts, launched September 9 and 10 from sunspot 2158, are headed toward
Earth. The sunspot was in a most favorable position for launching CMEs in
our direction; it was right in the center of the visible solar disc from
EarthÂ’s perspective. DonÂ’t worry, though. This is not a doomsday event,
although it is strong.
At 0520 UTC on September 11, the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a
geomagnetic warning. The Centre has predicted increased geomagnetic
activity for September 11-13, due to CMEs. The CentreÂ’s forecast calls for
unsettled conditions, with minor storm periods possible on September 11,
active-to-major storm levels on September 12, and active geomagnetic
conditions on September 13.
From NOAA/USAF the predicted planetary A index is 5, 32, and 18 for
September 11-13, 5 for September 14-24, then 18 on September 25, 15 for
September 26-27, 12 for September 28-29, and 10 on September 30.
Predicted solar flux is 160 on September 11, 165 for September 12-14, then
170, 165 and 155 for September 15-17, 145 for September 18-20, then 150,
145 and 135 for September 21-23, 130 for September 24-25, 125 for September
26-27, 130 for September 28-29, and 145 for September 29-30.
Expect aurora borealis displays in northern latitudes of the Northern
Hemisphere and rough HF conditions on Friday, September 12. The predicted
planetary A index of 32 for Friday is typical during a geomagnetic storm.
You can watch the fun on NOAAÂ’s Space Weather Prediction Center geomagnetic
data page, updated every 3 hours. A K index above 3 indicates active
geomagnetic conditions. Each single point higher represents a large
increase in activity.
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 FridayÂ’s bulletin look for an updated forecast and some interesting
reports from readers.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
September 13-14 -- Worked All Europe DX Contest (SSB)
September 13-14 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
September 13-14 -- Arkansas QSO Party
September 13-15 -- ARRL September VHF Contest
September 14 -- North American Sprint (SSB)
September 14-15 -- Classic Exchange (phone)
September 15 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)
September 18 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)
September 20 -- Feld-Hell Hell on Wheels Sprint
September 20 -- Pirate QSO Party
September 20-21 -- ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest
September 20-21 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)
September 20-21 -- South Carolina QSO Party
September 20-21 -- Washington State Salmon Run
September 21 -- BARTG Sprint 75
September 21-23 -- Classic Exchange (CW)
September 22 -- 144 MHz Fall VHF Sprint
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention, San Diego, California
September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois
September 26-27 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
September 26-28 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference, Bensalem,
Pennsylvania
September 27 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
September 27 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington
October 4 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware
October 5 -- Iowa Section Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
October 10-11 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
October 10-12 -- Pacific Division Convention (Pacificon), Regional ARRL
Centennial Event, Santa Clara, California
October 11 -- Iowa State Convention (Sioux City Ham Convention), Sergeant
Bluff, Iowa
October 11 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference, Seaside, Oregon
October 12 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
October 18 -- Arkansas State Convention, Batesville, Arkansas
October 18 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
October 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Ardmore, Oklahoma
November 1 -- TechFest 2014, Lakewood, Colorado
November 1-2 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
November 8 -- Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama
November 15-16 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
December 12-13 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
Florida
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
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TX Talk interviews National Hamfest 2014 organiser about this years's big
show!
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:03 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...!&goto=newpost
Bob McCreadie G0FGX has been talking to Mark Holmes M0ZLE the Chairman of
Lincoln Shortwave Club which organises The National Hamfest on behalf of
the RSGB.
Hear the interview at www.txfactor.co.uk/txtalk.shtml
The event takes place at the Newark and Nottinghamshire show-ground on
Friday 26th and Saturday 27th of September.
Full details on the National Hamfest 2014 website
www.nationalhamfest.org.uk
TX Factor will be there to film a special episode of the only UK TV show
dedicated to Amateur Radio.
You will find the team on the Martin Lynch and Sons stand so come and say
hi to Nick 2E0FGQ, Mike G1IAR and Bob G0FGX.
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UK Ham Radio Reg Plans to Drop 15min Callsign Interval And Allow Encryption
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...n&goto=newpost
Quote:
A consultation published by the UK Radio Regulator Ofcom seeks views on
its plan to remove the mandatory 15 minute callsign identifier interval for
amateur radio licensees. The regulator also intends to permit the use of
encryption by a single volunteer emergency communications organisation.
The consultation is open until 20th October, and views are sought by
interested parties.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/con...-radio-licence
I hope this isn't a re-post and that this is the right forum.
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Radio Shack--Bankruptcy?
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 07:28 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...y&goto=newpost
Electronic Retailer Radio Shack aka 'The Shack' reports a disasterous
quarter and is running out of cash for continued operations. It is publicly
stating the option of bankruptcy.
Story link:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemc...of-bankruptcy/
73
Chip W1YW