QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
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WIA plans a submission on new VK operating conditions
Posted: 19 Sep 2014 04:33 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...s&goto=newpost
wia.jpgWIA plans a submission on new VK operating conditions
The expiring Australian Licence Condition Determination
or LCD for the Amateur Service is an excellent opportunity to re-think how
to regulate its existence now, and in the future.
The Amateur LCD is due to 'sunset' in October 2015 and
needs replacement, so the Amateur Service can continue. It includes how
Australia's three licence grades operate, their frequency bands, modes and
maximum permitted powers.
The WIA board of directors has identified several
issues for evaluation and invites all to have input on them and any
related LCD matter, before it makes a final submission next year.
The WIA says many of the current LCD provisions have
been outdated by technology and practice. It wants the LCD to be better
aligned with international standards, able to adapt to emerging
technologies, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.
It takes a holistic view to make sure all radio
amateurs now, and where possible in the future, enjoy the hobby and bring
some benefit to the community.
According to the WIA, the new Amateur LCD must include
references to the Electro Magnetic Emission (EME) requirements for all in
the Amateur Service, to support other awareness and compliance action.
The WIA wants no limit on experimentation to allow
flexibility in communications technologies and applications, and for it to
remain a self-regulating service with no reduction or downgrading from the
current Apparatus Licence principles.
The WIA review covers all licence grades. For the
highest or Advanced Licence it seeks a relaxation of permitted bandwidths
on 1.8 MHz to 430 MHz to enable emerging and newly developed technologies.
In line with greater awareness and compliance with the
EME requirements, the WIA seeks that the Advanced Licence be given a power
limit of up to 1000w pX, as a right without a permit. Several microwave
allocations are also to be sought.
The WIA will seek to raise the Standard Licence
conditions to better match similar intermediate licence grades in other
countries. That includes allowing up to 200w pX instead of the former
Novice Licence carry-over power of 100w pX.
It is looking at increasing the Standard Licence access
to a number of bands between 1.8 MHz and 28 MHz, and particularly access
to the lower part of 6-metres at 50-52 MHz.
The WIA seeks a relaxation of the permitted bandwidths
relating to the Standard licence on all bands over 1 GHz, to allow the use
of wideband digital and image transmission modes by that licence. For the
entry level Foundation Licence, the WIA will seek to add digital modes,
commercially made transmitter kits, conversion of non-amateur transceivers
to ham bands, unattended operation and remote control. An increase of
power level to 25 watts pX is advocated because of the tyranny of distance
of Australia, the noisy urban environment, and that more available
transceivers are routinely fitted with the higher power. The WIA also
notes the Foundation Licence permitted bands are quite restricted when
viewed in the context of other entry level licences across the world.
The WIA also will seek access to the 5 MHz band,
subject to the World Radio Conference 2015 preferably at least enabling
overseas contact, a primary allocation 50-52 MHz and consideration of 70
MHz access overlapping other countries.
Jim Linton VK3PC
Wireless Institute of Australia
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SpaceX to launch SpinSat Saturday
Posted: 19 Sep 2014 04:29 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...y&goto=newpost
SpinSat.jpgSpaceX to launch SpinSat Saturday
On Saturday, September 20 at 0616
UT SpaceX plan to launch a Falcon 9 from Florida carrying the satellite
SpinSat with its amateur radio payload to the ISS
On arrival at the ISS it will be put into storage
until deployment, later in the Fall, from the airlock of the Japanese
Experiment Module (JEM).
Developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
SpinSat is a 56 cm sphere weighing 57 kg that has 12
Electronically-controlled Solid Propellant (ESP) thrusters spread in pairs
throughout the surface of the satellite.
They will be fired in pairs to spin the spacecraft.
With just primary batteries and only 4.8 grams of fuel this phase may last
between three to six months.
The spacecraft will be used to calibrate the space
surveillance network. Lasers will be fired at SpinSat from the ground, the
light reflected back will be measured to determine where in time and space
the satellite is passing overhead. SpinSat will also model the density of
the atmosphere.
The IARU Satellite Coordination Panel report that
SpinSat carries a 2 watt RF output AX.25 packet radio store and forward
system on 437.230 MHz.
Read all about SpinSat at
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2014/
with-spinsat-mission-nrl-will-spin-small-satellite-in-space-with-new-thruster-technology
Falcon 9 launch status
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/013/status.html
NASA - SpinSat
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/st...ents/1019.html
AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/
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Live webcast from K6H - 'Last Man Standing' special event station
Posted: 19 Sep 2014 04:26 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...n&goto=newpost
Live webcast from K6H - 'Last Man Standing' special event station
W5KUB.COM will be webcasting the Special Events Station
K6H live from Hollywood on Sept 27 and 28th from the stage of TV's hit Last
Man Standing.
See interviews, visit the set, see the different
operating positions. Communicate directly with us on our chat room during
the show. As usual, we will be giving out prizes to lucky viewers
throughout the day.
Schedule:
Saturday Sept 27 9:00 until 12:00 Noon PST (1600-2000
UTC) watch the Papa System group set up on the stage for the next days
operation. See the set and watch for interviews.
Sunday Sept 28 7:00AM until 3:00 PM PST (1400 - 2200
UTC) watch the special events station make contacts, see special guests,
interviews, and prizes.
Keep up with latest details on our webcasts at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/w5kub/
Thanks,
Tom W5KUB
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Wisconsin Ham falls from tower and dies
Posted: 19 Sep 2014 04:23 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...s&goto=newpost
Wisconsin Ham falls from tower and dies
James G. Linstedt W9ZUC of Eau Clair, Wisconsin died
Tuesday evening from injuries he sustained when he fell 95 feet from a ham
tower in Eagle Point, just outside of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Linstedt, age 59, is reported to have had extensive
experience climbing and working on towers. He also was reported to have
been wearing an over the shoulder safety harness, but was not tied off
while working on the 100 ft. tower at the home of Ronald Anderson W9RMA,
located on the shore of Lake Wissota.
Linstedt was a member of the Chippewa Valley Amateur Radio Club
John N7UR
Original story at: Nevada Amateur Radio Newswire
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QRZ Anniversary Sweepstakes Weekly Winner
Posted: 18 Sep 2014 02:36 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...r&goto=newpost
Believe it or not, we're only 5 weeks away from November 1st, when we'll
give away that TS-990S to one lucky Ham! And today it's time to name our
weekly winner. Tim Ferguson, KI5L will be receiving a $20 gift certificate
from our sponsor Gigaparts as well as a License Wall Certificate from
QRZ. From the looks of his biography page, Tim appears to be an extremely
musical Ham from the state of Mississippi. We congratulate him on his
exciting win this week!
We also want to remind you all that we have a very special prize from NI4L
Antennas and Electronics that will be given away on October 9th. You can
read about the prize here.
Congratulations to this week's winner and a big thanks to all of you who
have entered the contest so far! Don't forget that you can continue to
enter the contest once per day at the Sweepstakes page to win that much
coveted TS-990s! If you haven't entered yet, you've still got plenty of
time! You can check in on the QRZ News Forum and on the QRZ.com Facebook
Page to stay up to date on the latest weekly giveaways and sponsor
additions. You can also follow us on Twitter @QRZ. Until next time, Good
luck and 73 from the entire QRZ.com team!
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The ARRL Letter, September 18, 2014
Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:40 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...4&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
September 18, 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 Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 WeekendHigh-Value
ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21W1AW Centennial
Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New Mexico, Idaho in the
BullpenNew $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in EffectIARU Region 1 General
Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet in BulgariaAmateur Radio
Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio Licensing RulesRare
Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short TimeMoon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will
Transmit Earthly Messages from SpaceQatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include
AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur Radio TranspondersAMSAT-NA Announces Board of
Directors Election ResultsColorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in
Citizen Corps Awards"Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September
28No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward SlideA Century of Amateur
Radio and the ARRLThe K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead in RadiosportUpcoming
ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Website Unavailable on September 19 Starting at 2000 UTC
The ARRL website is scheduled to be offline on Friday, September 19,
starting at 2000 UTC. The length of the outage could run for several hours
and possibly into Saturday, September 20. The ARRL IT Department will be
performing maintenance in the process of testing and, if feasible,
switching the site to a new server.
A "Down for Maintenance" message will appear for the duration of the outage
whenever someone attempts to access www.arrl.org.
All e-mail functionality will remain online -- only the website will be
down for testing.
ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 Weekend
The national ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is slated for the October
4-5 weekend, although the window for local and regional exercises is
September 1 through November 30 each year. All groups conduct their events
over the course of 48 hours. The SET is a nationwide exercise in disaster
response and emergency communication, administered by ARRL emergency
coordinators and net managers, in which volunteers respond to a mock
emergency or disaster, such as an earthquake or hurricane. Members of the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service (RACES), the National Traffic System (NTS), SKYWARN, the ARRL Field
Organization, and other groups work together to plan and develop simulated
emergency and disaster scenarios, in consultation with the various served
agencies that rely on radio amateurs during emergencies.
The SET offers volunteer public service communicators the opportunity to
focus on their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses while interacting
with NTS nets. It also provides a public demonstration -- to served
agencies such as the Red Cross, state and local emergency managers, and the
news media -- of the value that Amateur Radio provides. The SET helps radio
amateurs gain communication experience using standard procedures and a
variety of modes, under simulated disaster-response conditions.
Participating groups earn points toward an overall SET score, adding a
competitive component to the activity. Results are listed in QST (see pages
71-73 of the July issue of QST for the 2013 SET results). Visit the ARRL
Public Service/Field Services page and click on "SET Score Card" for an
explanation of how points are earned.
Many ARES groups across the country will be participating, and all ARES
members are invited to support the national SET and their local ARES
group's activity.
During this year's SET, participating ARES/NTS members can earn SET bonus
points by participating in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party. During the
October 4-5 SET weekend, ARES and NTS field members and appointees are
encouraged to get on the air and call "CQ Centennial." The exchange is
signal report, name, location, and your designator. There will be a special
bonus for groups that include Centennial QSO Party participation. Each
station making at least 5 contacts is worth an additional 3 points toward
your group's SET score. Those taking part in a SET on another weekend may
participate on the national SET weekend and count it later (or submit an
amended SET report form).
See page 78 in the July issue of QST, and page 75 in the September issue of
QST for more information on the SET. -- Thanks to the ARES E-Letter
High-Value ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21
The next ARRL "Red Badges on the Air" activity is just days away. On
Sunday, September 21 UTC (starting the evening of Saturday, September 20,
in US time zones), holders of red ARRL name/call sign badges will be on the
air en masse, offering a chance to boost your ARRL Centennial QSO Party
total. ARRL officers, elected officials such as Director or Section
Manager, as well as Headquarters staffers and volunteers, and other members
of the ARRL family will take to the air in numbers. Contacts with red badge
wearers are worth as much as 300 points per contact for working ARRL
President Kay Craigie, N3KN. ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager
Dave Patton, NN1N, said he expects many of the 200 or so Red Badgers will
be on the air on September 21, along with other ARRL appointees, VEs, and
members.
"The first Red Badge Day was a huge success but left many operators wanting
more. Nine months into ARRL's Centennial year, the Centennial QSO Party and
W1AW activations already have proven to be the largest and most active
special events in the history of Amateur Radio, with more than 20,000
participants on the air from all continents."
The event is considered an activity day, not a contest, and operation is
permitted on all bands. Participants can call "CQ ARRL Centennial QSO
Party" on phone or "CQ CENT" on CW or digital modes. While the focus is to
encourage ARRL red badge holders to hand out Centennial QSO Party points,
all activity is welcome, regardless of point value.
ARRL members are worth at least one point in the Centennial QSO Party.
Participants get credit for each band/mode contact, regardless of point
value. ARRL Centennial QSO Party participants can use the leader board to
determine how many points they have accumulated. Read more.
W1AW Centennial Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New Mexico,
Idaho in the Bullpen
The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014
from each of the 50 states are now in North Carolina (W1AW/4) and
Connecticut (W1AW/1). W1AW operations will transition starting at 0000 UTC
on Wednesday, September 24 (the evening of September 23 in US time zones),
to New Mexico (W1AW/5) and Idaho (W1AW/7). W1AW has visited each of the 50
states for at least 1 week so far during 2014. By year'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.
New $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in Effect
The new Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee of $21.40 became
effective on September 11. The FCC released a Report and Order and Further
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (R&O) on August 29, in which it recalculated
the fee to $21.40 for the 10-year license term. The $5.30 increase
represents the largest vanity fee hike in many years. In the past, new
vanity fees did not become effective until 30 days after their publication
in The Federal Register, which occurred on September 11.
The FCC reported there were 11,500 "payment units" in FY 2014, and that the
vanity program generated an estimated $230,230 in FY 2013 revenue. The
Commission estimated that it would collect nearly $246,100 in FY 2014
vanity call sign fees.
The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable when applying for a new
vanity call sign or when renewing any vanity call sign designated as "HV"
in the FCC's ULS database.
As of October 1, 2013, the Commission no longer accepts checks -- including
cashier's checks -- for the payment of regulatory fees. All payments must
now be made by online ACH payment, online credit card, or via wire
transfer. Any other form of payment will be rejected and returned to the
applicant.
IARU Region 1 General Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet in
Bulgaria
Representatives of the countries comprising IARU Region 1 (Europe, Africa,
the Middle East, and Northern Asia) will gather this month for the Region 1
General Conference. The Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs, (BFRA) will
host the meeting September 21-26 in Albena on the Black Sea Coast. Regional
general conferences are held every 3 years.
"At General Conferences IARU Region 1 makes major decisions on the future
of Amateur Radio and determines the way ahead with administrative,
operational, technical, and financial matters," Region 1 Chairman Hans
Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, explained. Conference delegates will elect the
Executive Committee as well as working group chairmen, and coordinators.
General Conference participants will tackle a plethora of papers on a wide
variety of Amateur Radio topics -- from administrative to operational and
technical.
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will raise the issue of malicious
QRM, especially in the wake of intentional interference to well-publicized
DXpeditions that have attracted huge pileups. "It is now time for all
Region 1 Member Societies to treat malicious QRM as a major and urgent
priority and to take positive action against this form of anarchy that
threatens the future of Amateur Radio," the RSGB said in its
paper, "Malicious QRM -- Time for Action." Among other approaches, the RSGB
will recommend that member societies use their media outlets to "highlight
the self-regulatory ethos of Amateur Radio, to condemn the actions of the
malicious QRMers, and to publicize where direct action has been taken." The
RSGB also will recommend that Region 1 appoint an Amateur Radio Observation
Service (AROS) network.
The topic of transnational Amateur Radio remote-controlled operation also
will come up for discussion. A recommendation from the Irish Radio
Transmitters Society (IRTS) would mandate the incoming Executive Committee
to set up a working group of individuals experienced in radio regulatory
affairs "to examine the question of transnational remote-controlled
operation and to establish under what conditions such operation might be
regulated."
IARU Region 1 Youth Coordinator Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, has submitted a
proposal to form a Region 1 Youth Working Group, which would be responsible
for Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) activities in addition to promoting
Amateur Radio youth activities within the region. Leenders will recommend
that IARU Region 1 become the "main funder" of a week-long YOTA summer
camp, where youngsters take part in Amateur Radio activities.
Other presentations that delegates to the IARU Region 1 General Conference
will hear include a presentation on CW operating procedure by the Icelandic
Radio Amateurs (IRA) -- Iceland's IARU member-society.
The IARU Administrative Council will meet September 27-28, following the
Region 1 General Conference.
Amateur Radio Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio
Licensing Rules
The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) -- India's International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) member-society -- is continuing an effort to make it
easier to obtain an Amateur Radio license in that country, where excessive
red tape is an accepted reality when dealing with government agencies. The
latest attempt came in an August 19 letter from ARSI President Gopal
Madhavan, VU2GMN, to Ravi Shankar Prasad, who heads the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology.
"In India we are hampered by some very archaic rules, which were possibly
formulated during the British [colonial] times, when everything was done to
restrict radio licenses being given to Indians," Madhavan wrote. "The most
restrictive and time-consuming aspect is the 'security clearance' that is
being done before a license is granted," he continued. "In most cases, this
takes months or even years, and often the paperwork is totally lost in
transit between the various agencies."
Such "inordinate delays" in receiving a license after passing the
examination can cause applicants to simply lose interest, said Madhavan,
who is also IARU Region 3 chairman. "[G]enuine aspirants to Amateur Radio
are denied licenses for months, year, and sometimes forever, as the papers
are lost," he said.
In his letter, Madhavan took pains to spell out Amateur Radio's public
service role in past disasters and emergencies, such as the Indian Ocean
tsunami, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the Latur and
Gujarat earthquakes. Amateur Radio also contributes in terms of technical
training, experimentation, and communication, he said.
The Department of Telecommunications within Prasad's ministry issues
Amateur Radio licenses. The Indian government has suggested that ham radio
technology may fall into hands of terrorists and has begun requiring a
security clearance. Madhavan pointed out that the security clearance
requirement is not listed in India's Amateur Radio regulations, and he
called it "totally irrelevant" at a time when many other means of
communication are available.
"Every country has serious concerns about security, but they have not found
it necessary to vet aspirants to Amateur Radio as is done only in India,"
he wrote. In most countries, he noted, applicants can obtain a license
within a week of passing the required exam and paying any necessary fees.
Madhavan requested Prasad's "intervention and coordination" with the
Ministry of Home Affairs to help ease the process of issuing a new amateur
license and to grow India's Amateur Radio population, which currently
stands at some 17,000 in a country of more than 1.2 billion people. Read
more.
Rare Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short Time
Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, is on the air until September 22 from Eritrea as
E30FB, at present running 100 W to a vertical antenna on 20 and 15 meters,
SSB. Eritrea now stands at number 17 (mixed) on ClubLog's DXCC Most Wanted
List (number 10 on CW, number 22 on SSB). Eritrea has not been activated
since 2001.
This is not a DXpedition. Miyazawa is in Eritrea as part of an official
Japanese delegation. He plans to operate as his schedule permits.
Additional gear has arrived, but he is still missing the shipment
containing an amplifier. He does not have Internet access, and logs will be
uploaded when he returns to Japan.
Once a part of Ethiopia, Eritrea is a small country on the Horn of Africa
that is home to some 6.2 million people. -- Thanks to Jay Oka, JA1TRC
Moon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will Transmit Earthly Messages from Space
The Amateur Radio payload on the lunar-orbiting 4M-LXS spacecraft is set to
carry up to 2500 brief digital messages into space for retransmission via
JT65B mode on 145.990 MHz. China recently announced plans to launch the
orbiter carrying the 14 kg battery-powered payload, developed by LUXspace
in Luxembourg. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is a partner in
the experiment. Getting a message into space required registering and
uploading one via the 4M website. A "73 de W1AW" message was among those
uploaded before the message collection site closed on September 17. While
the window was open, the site gathered messages of up to 13 characters --
the maximum for JT65 transmissions -- to transmit "from the moon," the 4M
Manfred Memorial Moon Mission website said.
Signals from the Amateur Radio payload can be decoded using the free WSJT
software by Joe Taylor, K1JT. The Manfred Memorial Moon Mission
memorializes Manfred Fuchs, the late founder and chairman of LUXspace
parent company OHB of Bremen. He died in April. The 4M mission is expected
to launch sometime after 1800 UTC on October 23.
According to LUXspace, the 4M spacecraft will transmit continuously on
145.980 MHz (± 2.9 kHz) at 1.5 W into a simple quarter-wave monopole
antenna. "This will give S/N comparable to EME signals at Earth's surface,"
LUXspace said. "The transmission is based on a 1-minute sequence and a
5-minute cycle. The transmission will start 4670 seconds (77.8 minutes)
after launch."
The 4M mission was detailed during a presentation the EME 2014 conference
held recently in France. A paper, "4M Mission: A Lunar Flyby Experiment"
also is available. During the lunar flyby, the spacecraft will be about
nearly 248,000 miles from Earth and between 7440 and 14,480 miles from the
Moon. The spacecraft will be part of the last stage of the lunar mission.
The planned trajectory calls for a lunar flyby and return to Earth, with a
90 percent chance that the spacecraft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
LUXspace has provided a tracking tool on its website. Read more. -- Thanks
to LUXspace, AMSAT-UK
Qatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur Radio
Transponders
Gunter's Space Page has reported that the Es'hail 2 communications
satellite will carry analog and digital Amateur Radio transponders. The new
satellite, which will be operated by Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite
Company, will be in a geostationary orbit, positioned at the 26°
East "hotspot" position for TV broadcasting to the Middle East and North
Africa. Launch is planned for late 2016.
Es'hail 2 will provide the first Amateur Radio geostationary communication
capability linking Brazil and India. It will carry two AMSAT-DL-designed
Phase 4 Amateur Radio transponders, consisting of a 250 kHz linear analog
transponder and an experimental digital modulation transponder with an 8
MHz bandwidth. Uplinks will be in the 2.400-2.450 GHz range, with downlinks
in the 10.450-10.500 GHz Amateur-Satellite Service allocation. Both
transponders will be equipped with antennas capable of providing full
coverage over about one-third of Earth's surface.
The Qatar Amateur Radio Society and Qatar Satellite Company are cooperating
on the Amateur Radio project. AMSAT-DL is providing technical support. --
Thanks to Gunter's Space Page via AMSAT News Service
AMSAT-NA Announces Board of Directors Election Results
AMSAT-NA has announced the results of its recent Board of Directors
election. Tom Clark, K3IO; JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; and Lou McFadin, W5DID,
were elected to serve 2-year terms.
Jerry Buxton, N0JY, will serve the remaining year on the term of the late
Tony Monteiro, AA2TX.
The First Alternate is Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and the Second Alternate is
Frank Griffin, K4FEG. Read more.
Colorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in Citizen Corps Awards
The Boulder County (Colorado) ARES team (BCARES) received an honorable
mention in the Citizen Corps 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness
Awards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced its list
of nationwide award recipients on September 3.
BCARES was cited under the Technical Innovation category for its use of
Amateur TV and APRS and for its Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN)
project during its response to the 2013 flooding in the Boulder area. MERN
was created in conjunction with BCARES, the Inter-Mountain Alliance (IMA),
and the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management. The goal of the
system is to facilitate community emergency preparedness and insure
uninterrupted communication between and within six mountain communities in
Western Boulder County, county emergency services, and their resources
prior to and during an emergency via an Amateur Radio network.
FEMA is planning an award presentation. -- Thanks to ARRL Colorado Section
Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G
"Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September 28
A Hollywood-style Amateur Radio special event is set for later this month
from the so-called "Seinfeld Stage" on the CBS Studio Center lot in Studio
City, California. The K6H "Hollywood Hamnado" special event station will be
on HF and D-STAR on September 28, from 1400 until 2200 UTC. Hosts for the
event will be Amateur Radio crew members of the ABC television series "Last
Man Standing." On the show, actor Tim Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT. The
show's producer is John Amodeo, NN6JA
The Southern California-based PAPA Repeater System, in association with the
Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARS) and Disney Emergency
Amateur Radio Service (DEARS) are sponsoring the special event.
Operation will take place on 10, 20, and 40 meters on HF and D-STAR
reflector 12A. Rob Antonacci, AA6RA, said K6H is planning to run three SSB
stations, operating on or around 28.420, 14.250, and 7.260 MHz. The PAPA
website, the W5KUB chat room, and the Mike Baxter KA0XTT Facebook page will
provide up-to-the-minute updates.
K6H also will use the Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect to link the WB6AJE
repeater in Los Angeles to Disney/ABC-sponsored repeaters in
Manhattan-Bristol, Connecticut; Washington, DC, and Orlando, Florida.
Various IRLP and EchoLink nodes will be available. Those contacting K6H
will receive a limited-edition QSL card.
Tom Medlin, W5KUB, will be on Stage 9 to interview the participants and
report on the special event activity. The PAPA website will stream video
directly from the operating stations. So far, 26 members of the "Last Man
Standing" crew have been inspired by the show's Amateur Radio component to
get licensed. -- Thanks to Rob Antonacci, AA6RA
No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward Slide
Back in the day, RadioShack employees would answer the phone by
saying, "You've got questions, we've got answers." But RadioShack now seems
stumped, and the "B" word is looming ever larger as the retailer -- once
the go-to place for electronic components and, at one point, even some
Amateur Radio gear and shortwave receivers -- casts about for a white
knight. Last March, in the wake of a substantial drop in holiday sales and
a big fourth-quarter loss, the Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack announced
plans to close 1100 of its outlets, leaving the chain with 4000 stores,
including more than 900 dealer franchises. The company's second-quarter
2014 report has been deemed "dismal" by investment advisors.
According to CNNMoney, though, the retailer has been able to shutter only
200 of those shops -- because it costs a lot of money even to close
locations, and RadioShack has none to spare. It's already bleeding cash --
some $149 million just this year --in its struggle to board up unprofitable
locations and keep its head above the rising waters, and, as CNNMoney
reported, credit rating agency Moody's expects the company's bank account
to run dry within another 12 months. One Wall Street analyst already has
warned of impending bankruptcy, and Forbes.com reported last week that the
retailer itself has confirmed the likelihood of a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11
bankruptcy filing, if it cannot find a buyer or restructure its debt.
RadioShack CEO Joseph Magnacca said in a statement on September 11 that
while the company was making progress in its turn-around efforts, "we are
actively exploring options for overhauling our balance sheet and are in
advanced discussions with a number of parties."
A filing the retailer submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) this week was far more blunt. In short, it said that if RadioShack
cannot sell the firm, partner with another company, or restructure its
debt, "we may not have enough cash and working capital to fund our
operations beyond the very near term, which raises substantial doubt about
our ability to continue as a going concern." And if Plan A does not work
out, the retailer told the SEC, "we would likely be required to liquidate
under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code." Read more.
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
In March 1980, Mount St Helens spectacularly exploded. Before the
explosion, radio amateurs had been assisting with communication among a
number of sites where ongoing measurements were being taken, because
scientists had concluded that the mountain was nearing the point of
eruption. The hams continued to work after the volcano's several eruptions,
with both emergency communications and a continuation of their previous
support work. Sadly, two of those hams lost their lives during the disaster
-- W6TQF and KA7AMF.
By the 1980s, some towns and neighborhoods had begun to impose very
restrictive rules about antennas and towers -- rules that would prohibit
effective amateur antennas. Many of these cases were fought through the
legal system successfully by the affected hams. As with so many issues that
involve many hams all over the country, ARRL joined the fight, providing
legal assistance through the League's general counsel and volunteer
counselors who were also hams.
The ARRL introduced a new periodical in December 1981 -- QEX. Its purposes
were (1) to publish articles that documented advanced technical work in
areas that were not of wide general interest, and (2) to act as a catalyst
for technical development in the Amateur Radio and Amateur-Satellite
Services.
On May 21, 1981, at the request of the ARRL, the FCC restored 160 meters to
exclusive Amateur Radio use. Before this, the FCC rules included an array
of restrictions on 160 meter operation, to protect the LORAN (Long-Range
Aid to Navigation) system. Now, hams could run a full kilowatt on 160, day
and night, anywhere in the country!
In the 1980s, packet radio and packet repeaters -- digipeaters -- came into
being. Numerous QST articles detailed this mode of operation, helping
interested hams to get up and running on packet.
In 1982, cable TV systems expanded across the US, bringing with them the
potential for CATVI -- cable TVI. Some cable channels were on 2 meter
amateur frequencies, and because many poorly installed and maintained cable
systems "leaked" TV signals, causing interference on the 2 meter band. Of
course, if signals could leak out, other signals could leak in, and hams
sometimes caused interference when their signals got into the cable TV
system. Cable companies often blamed the problem on hams, rather than take
the blame for their poor equipment and maintenance. In the meantime, the
FCC was in a fiscal crisis, because of budget cutbacks. Although it was
willing to enforce the regulations and bring the cable companies in line,
it was unable to fund that enforcement effort. This problem continued for
some time before it was corrected.
During the 1980s, the SKYWARN system was established and became affiliated
with the National Weather Service, so hams could report dangerous weather
events that they saw. To this day, SKYWARN members have proven extremely
valuable for monitoring weather conditions and providing "ground truth"
reports to the NWS. Much SKYWARN communication occurs via 2 meter repeaters.
Harry Dannals, W2HD, had been ARRL President for 10 years when he decided
to step down in 1982. At the same time, ARRL Secretary and General Manager
Richard Baldwin, W1RU, retired. At their first 1982 meeting, the ARRL Board
of Directors elected Vic Clark, W4KFC, as the League's new president, and
David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the new Secretary and General Manager.
On the afternoon of January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 took off from
Washington National Airport. But the Boeing 737 slowly settled toward
Earth, clipping the 14th Street Bridge (I-395) and destroying seven cars
that were on it, before crash landing in the ice-covered Potomac River. The
area's ARES operators and nets sprang into immediate action and provided
much-needed communication support among the various governmental agencies
that had responded. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, On September 11 and 12 two powerful coronal mass
ejections (CMEs) hit Earth, producing a G3-class geomagnetic storm. The
result was a planetary A index of 44 on September 12, and during the final
3 hours of the day (UTC), the planetary K index reached a very lofty 7!
Overall solar activity is down, with the average daily sunspot number
declining from 152 to 124.9 in the September 11-17 period. Average daily
solar flux dropped from 155.8 to 139.8.
Predicted flux values have declined as well. As an example, the daily
45-day forecast for solar flux on September 21 was 120 on August 6-10, 125
on August 11-17, 135 on August 18 through September 7, 150 on September
8-12, 130 on September 13, 120 on September 14-15, and 115 on every day
since.
Predicted solar flux is 125 on September 18-19, 120 on September 20, 115 on
September 21-22, 110 on September 23-25, 115 on September 26, 120 on
September 27-28, 130 on September 29, 135 on September 30 and October 1,
140 on October 2, 145 on October 3-5, and 150 on October 6-7.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 18-25, 15 on September 26-27,
12 on September 28-29, 10 on September 30, 5 on October 1-2, 8 on October
3-4, 5 on October 5, and 10 on October 6-7.
The autumnal equinox occurs on September 23 at 0229 UTC, Monday evening in
North America. The equinox portends improved worldwide communication on the
HF bands. As an example, modeling propagation using W6ELprop and a modest
solar flux of 120, 20 meter signals between California and Japan on the
equinox run about 6 dB hotter in the early evening on the West Coast than
they would have a month earlier.
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 Friday's
bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from readers, including a
report of aurora seen in Arizona.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
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 -- Red Badges on the Air
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
September 24 -- SKCC Straight Key Sprint
September 27 -- Texas QSO Party
September 27-28 -- CQ WW RTTY Contest
September 27-28 -- Maine QSO Party
September 28 -- Peanut Power Sprint
September 30 -- 222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois
September 26-27 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention, 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:
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Copyright © 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
///////////////////////////////////////////
QSO Today Podcast - ham radio expertise to build and serve a new nation
Posted: 17 Sep 2014 12:43 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...n&goto=newpost
One of the original founders of the Amateur Radio Service in Israel, Amnon
Bar Giora, 4X1DF, joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in a conversation about his early
beginnings as a radio operator for the pre-Israel Haganah, his training of
Yugoslav partisans in the use of radio behind the Nazi lines, his pursuit
of the Nazi doctor of Auschwitz across South America, and his co-founding
of the Amateur Radio service in Israel. At 91 years of age, Amnon has a
rich history of radio, service to his country and people, and
entrepreneurship.
Show Notes: http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/4x1df
Podcast Link:http://goo.gl/4dVGuK
iTunes Store: http://goo.gl/CvLNmV
Stitcher: http://goo.gl/uhf1XZ