QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
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This week's winner in the QRZ Anniversary Sweepstakes
Posted: 09 Oct 2014 04:58 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...s&goto=newpost
Today's the day we've been looking forward to for quite a while folks,
because today our weekly prize winner in the QRZ Anniversary Sweepstakes
will be receiving a 40 Meter Fat-Boy Dipole antenna from NI4L Antennas and
Electronics along with a $20 Gigaparts Giftcard and a One Year Premium
subscription to QRZ.
That winner, is none other than Michael R. Hoyt, KA9LEK from Carmel,
Indiana. According to his QRZ Biography page, Michael is a "Lifelong
Hoosier" with an Extra Class license. We certainly congratulate you
Michael, and hope that you'll make excellent use of your prizes!
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 beautiful 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, October 9, 2014
Posted: 09 Oct 2014 12:04 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...4&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
October 9, 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.]
Radio Amateur is Among Nobel Prize in Chemistry WinnersARRL Investigating
Web Server BreachARRL Vice Director Candidate Steve Putman, N8ZR, SKWorld
Radiosport Team Championship 2018 Will Be in GermanyLate October Exercise
to Test MARS-ARES InteroperabilityW1AW Centennial Operations Head for
Alabama and Michigan Starting October 15 (UTC)Scouting's 57th Jamboree On
The Air Takes Place October 18-19JOTA Founder Les Mitchell, G3BHK,
SKNominations Open for the George Hart Distinguished Service AwardARRL
Hosts 31st USTTI Amateur Radio Administration CourseIARU Region 1 Announces
Awards to ON4WF, OthersPast Western New York Section Manager, Atlantic
Division Assistant Director Steve Ryan, N2ITF, SKAdaptive Technology
Pioneer Fred Gissoni, K4JLX, SKA Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRLThe
K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead in RadiosportUpcoming ARRL Section, State and
Division Conventions and Events
Radio Amateur is Among Nobel Prize in Chemistry Winners
A California radio amateur and ARRL member was among the three winners of
the Nobel Prize in chemistry. William Moerner, WN6I, of Los Altos, a
chemistry professor at Stanford University, will share the prestigious
award equally with two other researchers -- Eric Betzig and Stefan Hell
--for their work in high-resolution microscopy, or nanoscopy. For many
years scientists had believed that an optical microscope could never yield
greater than 0.2 micrometer resolution. The three scientists overcame that
limitation through what the Nobel panel called "the development of
super-resolved fluorescence microscopy."
"I was just incredibly excited and thrilled, and, of course, your heart
races, and you say, 'Oh, can this be? Can this be?'" was how Moerner
reacted when formally notified that he was a prize winner. "I'm incredibly
happy about the recognition of the field, especially of all the workers and
all the scientists at many places around the world who have contributed to
the effort." In Brazil for a conference, Moerner had already heard the news
from his wife, who learned of it from an Associated Press reporter who had
called their home for a comment.
As a Stanford University news release explained, "Optical microscopy was
long limited by the presumption that it could never obtain a better
resolution than half the wavelength of light. Moerner, Betzig, and Hell
circumvented this limitation through the clever implementation of
fluorescent molecules, which made it possible for optical microscopes to
operate at the nanoscale and visualize individual molecules moving within
cells." Read more.
ARRL Investigating Web Server Breach
Late last month, a security breach occurred, involving a web server at ARRL
Headquarters. ARRL IT Manager Mike Keane, K1MK, said that League members
have no reason to be concerned about sensitive personal information being
leaked.
Keane said that servers were taken offline and isolated from the Internet
when the hack was discovered. Certain ARRL web functions -- online DXCC in
particular -- were temporarily disabled.
"Legacy" URLs (ones containing "p1k.arrl.org") have been restored, as has
access to the ARRL Periodicals Archive.
Keane stressed that it is highly unlikely that any sensitive information
was compromised. Any information the hacker might have been able to glean
from the ARRL server, he said, is already publicly available -- data such
as names, addresses, and call signs that appear in the FCC database.
The hacker may have been able to obtain site usernames and passwords that
were established prior to April 2010, and that have not been changed since
then. Members who have not changed their ARRL website passwords since early
2010 should do so at this time.
Keane confirmed that it's always prudent to change passwords on a routine
basis. "That's the best practice," he said.
Keane said that his department is still looking into what types of
information may have been vulnerable to the hack.
"They were poking around, trying all the doors," he explained. "We don't
keep anything of value [to a hacker] there. Hackers don't care about DXCC
totals or want to read the online issue of QST. There's nothing of
financial value there."
Keane said that in addition to reporting the security breach to federal law
enforcement authorities, his department is working to increase the League's
Internet security posture.
ARRL Vice Director Candidate Steve Putman, N8ZR, SK
Steve Putman, N8ZR, of Fairborn, Ohio, one of the candidates for the Great
Lakes Division Vice Director's chair, died unexpectedly on October 5. He
was 58 and an ARRL Life Member. Balloting is already underway for the Great
Lakes Vice Director position, currently held by Tom Delaney, W8WTD, the
only other candidate. The ARRL Ethics and Elections Committee has
determined that all votes cast by members in the Great Lakes Division will
still be counted. If Putman receives the most votes, a vacancy will be
declared that ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, would fill by appointment.
In declaring his candidacy, Putman, a professional engineer, said that he
got into Amateur Radio "to have fun!" Born in Michigan, he was licensed as
a Novice in 1972 as WN4ZRR while living in Alabama. Putman became an ARRL
VEC volunteer examiner in 1985, in the early years of the volunteer
examiner program, and he established a VE program for the USECA Amateur
Radio Club in Utica, Michigan. Putman served as an ARRL Volunteer
Consulting Engineer.
In addition to the ARRL, Putman belonged to the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association and was a volunteer at Dayton Hamvention®. He also was a QCWA
Life Member, and he held the Australian call sign VK2IZR. Putman founded
the Antioch Shrine ARC and served as trustee of its club station, N8FEZ.
In his spare time, Putman enjoyed playing the trumpet in the Antioch Shrine
Band, the Fairborn Civic Band, and at his church.
Putman earned a BS in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University
and master's degrees (mechanical engineering; MBA) from Bowling Green State
University and the University of Dayton. He retired in 2013 as a professor
of systems engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright
Patterson AFB.
The family invites memorial donations to the Shriners Hospitals for
Children.
World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 Will Be in Germany
The next World Radiosport Team Championship -- WRTC 2018 -- will take place
in Germany. The WRTC Sanctioning Committee announced on October 5 that it
had granted the application of a group representing the Deutscher Amateur
Radio Club (DARC), the Bavarian Contest Club (BCC), and the Rhein Ruhr DX
Association (RRDXA) to organize what are often called "the Olympics of
Amateur Radio." In July, German participants of WRTC 2014 in New England
initiated a petition, urging the WRTC Sanctioning Committee to name Germany
as the site of the next international competition among elite teams of
Amateur Radio contesters. With initial support of the contesting community
in hand, the organizing team of "about 20 contest enthusiasts" defined a
basic project plan, according to the WRTC 2018 website.
"During the next weeks, the team will launch an official organization to
finance and conduct WRTC 2018 in Germany," the Organizing Committee said.
The team is recruiting volunteers and evaluating three geographical regions
within Germany as possible WRTC 2018 venues. General areas under study are
Muenster/Westphalia, Maerkisch-Oderland east of Berlin, and
Jessen/Wittenberg.
Christian Janssen, DL1MGB, heads the WRTC 2018 Organizing Committee.
In announcing the selection of Germany, WRTC Sanctioning Committee Chairman
Tine Brajnik, S50A, said, "The German application was very well prepared,
and, knowing their experience, we all expect another outstanding meeting
and competition among the world's best contesters." The Sanctioning
Committee evaluates requests to host a WRTC and selects the successful
applicant. Brajnik said the committee would be making public information
regarding the qualifying process. It is not known if the committee
considered any other applications.
Qualifying events for WRTC 2018 will start with 2015 ARRL International DX
CW and end with 2016 CQ World Wide CW. Detailed rules will be published by
the end of November. "The rules will follow the WRTC 2014 approach, with
some marginal changes," the committee said. In accordance with feedback
from WRTC 2014 competitors, the committee said it would be decreasing the
number of qualifying contests and, consequently, the qualifying period.
An announcement regarding the location of WRTC 2018 had been expected at
the closing ceremony for WRTC 2014, but no formal proposals had been
received at that point.
A World Radiosport Team Championship features between 50 and 60 two-person
Amateur Radio teams competing in a test of operating skill. The event takes
place concurrent with the IARU HF Championship in July, although WRTC rules
vary from those of the IARU event. All stations use identical antennas and
power level and operate from equivalent sites in the same geographical
region in an effort to eliminate all variables except operating ability.
WRTC 2014 included 59 competing teams from 29 qualifying regions around the
world.
The first WRTC was held in 1990 in Seattle. Read more.
Late October Exercise to Test MARS-ARES Interoperability
US Army and Air Force Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) stations will
participate in a 48-hour nationwide contingency communication exercise on
October 27 and 28 as part of an effort to develop greater cooperation
between the Department of Defense (DoD) sponsored MARS program and the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). MARS is encouraging its members to
discuss communication interoperability in advance of the exercise with
their ARES section and district or local emergency coordinators.
"This communications exercise is sponsored by the DoD to provide MARS
operators the opportunity to develop and train interoperability procedures
with their state/local ARES emergency coordinators and their Amateur Radio
colleagues," explained Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY. He
told ARRL that the DoD/MARS exercise has "full participation" from Army and
Air Force MARS, and that he anticipates that some individual Navy MARS
members may participate as well.
The plan calls for MARS members, using their Amateur Radio call signs and
operating on amateur frequencies, to establish two-way communication with
ARES leadership or members in as many US counties as possible by using
VHF/UHF simplex channels or local repeaters or near vertical incidence
skywave (NVIS) propagation on HF. "The contact can be with any amateur in
the county, if an ARES member or leader is not available," English added.
"Ultimately we would like the MARS operator to join an existing ARES net,
if one is operational during the exercise," English said. If no net is
available, MARS members should come up on local repeaters or check into HF
traffic nets to see what amateurs are available and to determine their
counties. "We want to use existing net times and frequencies to the extent
possible," English continued. "Any mode of operation is fine."
Only one ARES/Amateur Radio contact per county is needed, but more are
okay. The contact must be person to person and cannot rely on
Internet-linked repeaters, Internet connectivity systems, or
store-and-forward e-mail systems, such as Winlink, English said.
The information exchange requested from ARES for each county is the county
name and the county Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code,
if available.
There are two preferred windows of opportunity to conduct the
interoperability exercise. These are from 1201 to 1800 UTC on October 27,
and from 0001 to 0600 UTC on October 28.
Contact Paul English, WD8DBY, for more information.
W1AW Centennial Operations Head for Alabama and Michigan Starting October
15 (UTC)
The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014
from each of the 50 states are now in Missouri and Virginia. They will
transition at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, October 15 (the evening of October 14
in US time zones), to Alabama (W1AW/4) and Michigan (W1AW/8). In addition,
W1AW/KH0 also will be active October 8-21 from Tinian Island in the
Northern Marianas.
So far during 2014, W1AW has visited each of the 50 states for at least 1
week, and by year's end W1AW will have been on the air from every state at
least twice.
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.
Scouting's 57th Jamboree On The Air Takes Place October 18-19
Scouting's 2014 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) is set for the October 18-19
weekend. The annual event links Scouts around the world via Amateur Radio.
More than a half million Scouts and Guides get together over the airwaves
each third weekend of October for JOTA. According to the World Scout
Bureau, JOTA is the largest Scouting event in the world, with nearly
750,000 Scouts participating from 6000 stations in 150 countries around the
world. Scouts of any age can participate, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and
Venture crew members. Not a contest, JOTA's goal is to foster
Scout-to-Scout communication across borders and oceans.
"The idea is to contact other Scout stations and allow as many Scouts as
possible to talk to other Scouts and learn about who they are and what they
are doing," the Boy Scouts of America has said in its JOTA guidelines,
which offer suggested frequencies.
On-the-air exchanges typically include such information as name, location,
Scout rank, age, and hobbies, but the conversation can certainly go beyond
that. Amateur Radio licensees should be aware that international
third-party traffic agreements may prohibit direct person-to-person
communication between unlicensed individuals in certain other countries. In
those cases, the station control operator may serve as an intermediary.
Licensed mentors often open their stations to Scouts on JOTA weekend,
serving as control operators. Radio operation will be on 80 through 6
meters, all modes, and 2 meters and 70 centimeters FM simplex. Upward of
14,000 stations were on the air for JOTA 2013.
A JOTA participant patch is available, as is a certificate/log sheet that
can also be used to fulfill a Radio merit badge requirement.
JOTA 2014 gets underway on Saturday, October 18, at 0000 local time and
concludes on Sunday, October 19, at 2400 local time. The ARRL website also
has information on JOTA.
JOTA Founder Les Mitchell, G3BHK, SK
With JOTA 2014 a little more than 1 week away comes word that its "founding
father," Les Mitchell, G3BHK, died on October 6. Mitchell started JOTA in
1958, after launching the idea a year earlier at the World Scout Jamboree.
That was the first year the Jamboree had an Amateur Radio station on site,
and it's had one at every World Scout Jamboree since. Mitchell realized
that many scout leaders also were hams, and that it would be possible to
arrange a "Jamboree On The Air."
"Little did I think when I drew up the plans and rules for the first event
in 1958 that its popularity would increase and spread around the world,"
Mitchell reminisced in 2000. "Even more astonishing is the fact that after
all this time it still holds its popularity. In fact it has become the
largest international Scout event ever."
Mitchell said that far fewer Scouts were licensed in 1958, but over the
years Scouts taking part in JOTA got so interested that they became radio
amateurs themselves.
"JOTA is great fun," Mitchell said, adding, "If you put nothing into the
event you may get nothing out of it! JOTA is your chance to speak to Scouts
and Guides over the horizon. Silence makes no friends!"
Nominations Open for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award
The ARRL is accepting nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service
Award. The deadline to receive nominations and supporting materials is
November 1. The award honors long-time ARRL Communications Manager George
Hart, W1NJM (SK), the chief developer of the National Traffic System (NTS).
Hart died in 2013 at the age of 99.
Established by the ARRL Board of Directors in 2009, the George Hart
Distinguished Service Award is given annually to an ARRL member for
exemplary service to the League's Field Organization. Selection criteria
include NTS operating record, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
participation, or service to the ARRL Field Organization in terms of
appointments and/or leadership positions held.
Nominations should thoroughly document the nominee's lifetime activities
and achievements within the ARRL Field Organization. Nominees are expected
to have at least 15 years of distinguished service.
The Programs and Services Committee will serve as the Review Committee, and
the ARRL Board of Directors will make the final determination at its Annual
Meeting in January.
Submit nominations and related supporting material and letters of
recommendation to ARRL Headquarters or mail nominating documents to ARRL
Field Organization Team Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111.
ARRL Hosts 31st USTTI Amateur Radio Administration Course
Students from Thailand, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea attended the 31st
United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) Amateur Radio
Administration Course (ARAC) September 29-October 3 at ARRL Headquarters.
Two participants got their US Amateur Radio licenses as the course wrapped
up. ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, coordinated the
session and administered the course, which is designed for government
officials in developing countries who regulate and manage Amateur Radio.
Those taking part in the program work in their respective government's
telecommunication offices, where they have responsibilities for Amateur
Radio licensing and regulation as well as preparation for international
conferences.
"Our students -- Annop Nittaya, HS1PLO, and Virat Uansri from Thailand,
Peter Djakwah, KM4EQL, of Ghana, and Oki Gari, KM4EQM, of Papua New Guinea
-- were already quite knowledgeable about Amateur Radio, and are committed
to the further development of Amateur Radio in their countries," Price
said. "All left with a profound understanding of the unique nature and
needs of the Amateur Radio Service."
The ARAC curriculum covers a variety of Amateur Radio topics and concerns,
including licensing, spectrum requirements, disaster communications, and
antenna requirements. The curriculum also covers the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and its regulations, as well as the process
leading to the upcoming 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).
Several ARRL staff members delivered classroom presentations within their
areas of expertise. Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, taught
a unit on Amateur Radio's public service, emergency, and disaster
communication capabilities. ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND, and ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, discussed
licensing, examination and regulatory issues. Membership and Volunteer
Programs Assistant Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, talked about developing
Amateur Radio capabilities through club activity.
ARRL Laboratory Engineer Bob Allison, WB1GCM, assisted by ARRL Laboratory
Volunteers Lori Kosior, KB1ZML, and Pete Turbide, W1PT, supervised each
student's successful assembly of a 40 meter receiver kit. Each student took
his assembled receiver home. ARRL Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
and Meeting Planner Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, coordinated the League's
participation with USTTI and hosted the students.
The students had a particular interest in licensing, and Djakwah and Gari
took examinations for the United States Technician license during their
time at ARRL Headquarters. An ARRL VEC team comprising Somma, Corey, Field
Organization Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, and Outgoing QSL Bureau
Associate Rose-Anne Lawrence, KB1DMW, administered the test, which both
passed.
USTTI is a non-profit joint venture of leading US-based communications, IT
corporations, and federal government officials, who collectively provide
tuition-free management, policy and technical training for talented
professionals from the developing world. The ARRL hosts a course on Amateur
Radio to introduce or further educate regulators and other spectrum users
to its needs and unique issues. The next ARAC course is planned for the
fall of 2015.
IARU Region 1 Announces Awards to ON4WF, Others
At its recent Regional Conference in Bulgaria, International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) Region 1 awarded the Region 1 Roy Stevens, G2BVN, Memorial
Trophy to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF. IARU Region 1 recognized Bertels for his
many years of serving first as chairman of the Eurocom Working Group and
then of the Amateur Radio Space Exploration (ARSPEX) Working Group.
Bertels, who is 87, has said that he will be stepping down as chairman of
the ARSPEX working group. For many years, Bertels has chaired Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station -- Europe (ARISS-EU). Region 1
conference delegates gave Bertels a standing ovation when the award was
announced. The trophy is awarded to a radio amateur who has best
exemplified the work and dedication of Roy Stevens, G2BVN in international
radio.
The IARU Region 1 Medal was awarded to several radio amateurs for their
meritorious service and their valued contributions to and support of
Amateur Radio.
The recipients were past IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman,
PB2T; Hani Raad, OD5TE; Andreas Thiemann, HB9JOE; Panayot Danev, LZ1US;
Nikola Percin, 9A5W; Michael Kastelic, OE1MCU, and Martin Harrison, G3USF.
In September, IARU Region 1 named Mitchel Mynhardt, ZS6YH, as the first
recipient of its Outstanding Ham Youth Award. Mynhardt received the 2013
award at the Radio Technology in Action Symposium in Pretoria, South Africa.
International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 is a federation of national
Amateur Radio member societies in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and
Northern Asia.
Past Western New York Section Manager, Atlantic Division Assistant Director
Steve Ryan, N2ITF, SK
Past ARRL Western New York Section Manager Stephen M. "Steve" Ryan, N2ITF,
died on October 3. He was 62. Ryan was appointed SM in November 2010, to
serve the remaining term of Scott Bauer, W2LC, who had resigned. Ryan lost
his bid for election to the section leadership position in 2012. ARRL
Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, subsequently appointed Ryan
as an Assistant Director.
"Steve's counsel and participation in Atlantic Division meetings and events
greatly assisted me in representing the members of the Division," Edgar
said. "His friendship and counsel with be sorely missed." Edgar said Ryan
had been diagnosed almost 2 years ago with an aggressive form of cancer.
In addition to his ARRL membership, Ryan was a member and former president
of the Chautauqua County Amateur FM Association, an ARRL affiliated club.
He had been a ham for about 35 years. Read more.
Adaptive Technology Pioneer Fred Gissoni, K4JLX, SK
Fred L. Gissoni, K4JLX, of Louisville, Kentucky, died September 21. He was
84. Born blind, Gissoni was the co-developer of the Porta-Braille and
Pocket-Braille note-taking devices as well as other adaptive technology. He
also authored a popular instruction manual, "Using the Cranmer Abacus."
Gissoni retired in 2011 after 23 years with the American Printing House
(APH) for the Blind.
"Fred contributed 60 years of service to people who are blind and visually
impaired," Deborah Kendrick wrote for Access World, a publication of the
American Foundation for the Blind. "Fred was known across the United States
and around the world for his brilliant intellect, inventiveness, and impish
sense of humor."
A New Jersey native, he became interested in Amateur Radio at a very young
age, and his passion for technology continued through his lifetime. Gissoni
and Wayne Thompson developed the Pocket-Braille and Porta-Braille in the
1980s, while both were working at the Kentucky Department for the Blind.
With the Pocket-Braille, the user entered data from a Perkins-style
keyboard, and the device would render it in speech. The Porta-Braille
included a refreshable Braille "display." He also developed the Janus
Slate, a two-sided interline Braille slate that holds a 3 × 5 index card
for brailling on both sides. Other inventions he developed for APH included
a pocket Braille calendar.
"I also used other ideas that Gissoni came up with or invented," said Bob
Ringwald, K6YBV. "All the time I marveled at his genius, inventive mind,
but never knew he was also a ham radio operator, K4JLX." Read more.
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
Part of the 220 MHz band, perpetually under attack by other radio services,
was snatched from the Amateur Service on August 4, 1988, by the FCC, which
reallocated 220-222 MHz to the Land Mobile Service. ARRL had been fighting
this battle for some time and would continue efforts have that band segment
return to the Amateur Service.
January 1989 QST published "The Listener," a quick, but interesting, look
at the efforts of pioneer radio astronomer Grote Reber, W9GFZ.
On January 30, 1989, the FCC released the news that the much-awaited 17
meter ham band was open for business in the US!
The editorial in the May 1989 QST, "Spectrum Management, or Abdication?"
decried a recent FCC action to allow manufacturers of electronic equipment
to radiate unlicensed signals on hams bands from 902 MHz upward. The ARRL
continued its defense of amateur frequencies by preparing to go to Congress
for relief, using this as the latest example of FCC out-of-control decision
making.
A two-part article by KO5I and N4HY in the May and June 1989 issues of QST
introduced the latest generation of OSCAR satellites -- microsats.
In July 1988, a team of hams from Finland and the Soviet Union mounted a
DXpedition (4J1FS) to a new DXCC country, Malyj-Vysotkskij ("M-V Island").
This ended an 18-year effort to put the island on the DXCC List.
Participant Martti Laine, OH2BH, recounted the experience in a June 1989
QST article. [The lease of Malyj-Vysotkskij to Finland expired in 2012, the
island reverted to Russia, and MVI was deleted from the DXCC list. -- Ed.]
On May 11, 1989, a congressional oversight committee summoned the FCC's
chief engineer to defend the Commission's decision to take 220 to 222 MHz
away from amateurs and allocate it to another service. Following the
hearing, the committee chairman wrote the FCC, asking it to reconsider
alternatives. The FCC stonewalled and did nothing. The ARRL subsequently
filed a federal court appeal.
On July 20, 1989, the newly renovated W1AW building was rededicated. Nearly
10,000 individual donors had put up almost a half million dollars to fund
the renovation.
In the "How's DX?" column in the September 1989 issue of QST, Ellen White,
W1YL, noted "Pitcairn Island's Bicentenary," a fascinating read. White
noted that Pitcairn was the country with the highest per capita number of
hams in the world -- 6 hams out of a population of 60! The island's 200th
anniversary was celebrated in part by special event station VR200PI.
In 1990, a husband-and-wife team achieved DXCC on 6 meters. The wife, K5FF,
was first, and her husband, W5FF, was right behind.
An interesting photo in "Up Front in QST" in September 1990 showed Samuel
F. B. Morse III, W6FZZ, operating at a special event station to celebrate
his great-grandfather's 199th birthday.
An article by NU1N appeared in the September and October issues of QST
telling how we could get on the air using lasers. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers
from October 2-8 dropped from 170.1 in the previous 7 days to 98. Average
daily solar flux also declined from 168.9 to 131.9.
Predicted solar flux for the near term is 125, 120, and 115 on October
9-11, 110 on October 12-14, then 115 and 125 on October 15-16, 145 on
October 17-18, 140 on October 19, 135 on October 20-21, and 140 on October
22-25. Solar flux then drops to a low of 110 on November 7-9, and rises
again to 145 for November 12-14.
The prediction for the planetary A index is for a more-active geomagnetic
future, at least in the near term. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on
October 9-10, 8 on October 11, 5 on October 12-14, then 8, 15, 8, and 5 on
October 15-18, then 8, 10, and 20 on October 19-21, 15 on October 22-24,
and 10 on October 25-28.
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.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
October 10 -- 10-10 Sprint
October 11 -- Arizona QSO Party
October 11 -- Pennsylvania QSO Party
October 11 -- EU Autumn CW Sprint
October 11-12 -- Great Pumpkin Sprint (Digital)
October 11-12 -- ARRL EME Contest
October 11-12 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest
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///////////////////////////////////////////
HamRadioNow at the Beach; AMBE vocoder EXPOSED! at the DCC
Posted: 09 Oct 2014 10:43 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...C&goto=newpost
HAMRADIONOW.tv
Episode 166: TAPR and the Beach
Episode 167: AMBE Exposed! K6BP at the DCC
I've just uploaded a pair of new episodes. Finally...
Episode 166, TAPR and the Beach (or Hey! You got sand in my SDR! - play it
below) mixes the 2014 ARRL and TAPR DCC Friday morning Introduction from
Steve Bible into my beach vacation. Up go the antennas (not very far up,
alas), and out come the radios.
Episode 167, AMBE Exposed (play it on the web site), sees Open Source czar
Bruce Perens K6BP admit he was wrong about the AMBE vocoder that everyone
seems to be using for digital voice. Scandal!
Here's Episode 166:
See Episode 167 on HamRadioNow.tv
And in case you missed them (because I didn't promote them here on QRZ),
there are a couple of videos of my drive home from the DCC in Austin.
They're in Epsiode 165, also on HamRadioNow.tv
Watch all our programs on our web page:
HAMRADIONOW.tv
HamRadioNow is supported by viewer contributions
If you enjoy the programs, visit www.HamRadioNow.tv and "click the pig"
THANK YOU to all our contributors!