2015-01-16

eHam.net News

///////////////////////////////////////////

Hams On the Air at Eagle Days:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:08 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33880

LAKE OZARK, Mo. -- It was a cold and windy weekend for this year's Eagle

Days, but local amateur radio operators were sheltered from the elements as

they joined in the event activities. The Lake of the Ozarks Amateur Radio

Club applied for and received a Special Event call sign "N0J" from the

American Radio Relay League just for Eagle Days. They operated from their

emergency communications trailer parked at the new Ameren building near

Willmore Lodge. The club operated two transceivers, contacting ham radio

operators in 43 states and three Canadian provinces. In total, seventeen

hams and guest operators logged 484 contacts.

///////////////////////////////////////////

Experimental Film Exhibition 'Seek You' Explores Morse Code:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:07 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33879

Inside the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, light bounces off of the walls,

telegraphs buzz, fish swim under ice and goats can be heard running through

a field. This is Erin Colleen Johnson's "Seek You." "Seek You" is an

experimental film installation currently on display at the Sella-Granata

Art Gallery, located in Woods Hall, Room 109. The title of the exhibit

comes from a code in the Morse Code Community, CQ, which is also the title

of one of the pieces in the exhibit. "Seek You" is comprised of many

different installations, ranging from images of the historic Marconi

transmitting station to audio of an interview with an ice fisherman

overlaid with images of Johnson trying ice fishing for herself. "Hole,"

which documents Johnson's foray in ice fishing, is housed in a wooden box.

The box is reminiscent of one an ice fisherman would use and helps draw the

patron into Johnson's setting. Most pieces in "Seek You" center around

Morse code in some way. In her piece, "In to Sea," Johnson overlays an

environmental report on the state of the ocean written in Morse code over

16 mm film of the sea, resulting in the ocean being encapsulated in dots

and dashes. "Morse code was the first digital technology, and when it was

invented, people projected many utopian ideals onto it," Johnson said. "I

am interested in the history of Morse code, but even more interested in

what it means in this 2015."

///////////////////////////////////////////

Supporting Role: San Diegan Was WWII 'Enigma' Code-Breaker:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:07 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33878

It began as an attempt to avoid loneliness. But in 1944, when young

Margaret Francis joined the British military, she became part of a historic

project now the subject of a major Oscar contender. Francis, 91, recently

saw "The Imitation Game" -- nominated for eight Academy Awards, including

Best Picture, and memories of her 1 1/2-year stint as an operator of the

top-secret "Bombe" decoding machine came flooding back. "It was an

experience that I wouldn't have missed for anything," said Francis, a

longtime San Diegan. "I feel very privileged to have been part of such a

wide organization, (being) a little country girl." The film, starring Best

Actor nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, profiles mathematician Alan Turing and

his efforts to decipher "unbreakable" German codes generated by the Enigma

machine during World War II. The scene was Bletchley Park in

Buckinghamshire, England, an hour northwest of London.

///////////////////////////////////////////

The First Big Solar Flare of the Year:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:06 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33877

The sun emitted an M-class flare last night that peaked at11:24 p.m. EST on

January 12, 2015 (0424 UTC on January 13). Classified by solar scientists

as an M5.6-class flare, it came from Sunspot AR2257. Solar flares are

powerful bursts of radiation from the sun. They release potentially harmful

radiation. In this case, however, there was no significant coronal mass

ejection (CME) emerging from the spot of origin of the flare. This

signifies that there will be no increased sun-Earth interaction with this

event. As a result, there will be no geomagnetic storms and also no

possibility of intense auroras caused by this flare. Although radiation

from a solar flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to affect humans

on the ground, an extremely intense flare is capable of disturbing Earth's

atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This

particular solar flare caused a pulse of extreme UV radiation, which

ionized Earth's upper atmosphere over Australia and the Indian Ocean. It

might have caused a brief communications blackout at frequencies below

about 10 MHz.

///////////////////////////////////////////

DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #2:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:55 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33876

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by

F5SJB, KB4FB, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL,

Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web

sites. Thanks to all.

///////////////////////////////////////////

Just Ahead In Radiosport:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:55 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33875

Just Ahead In Radiosport:

///////////////////////////////////////////

ARRL Board Of Directors Annual Meeting Set for January 16-17:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:55 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33874

Two newly elected members will be at the table when the ARRL Board of

Directors holds its annual meeting Friday and Saturday, January 16-17,

in Windsor, Connecticut. Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, will participate for the

first time as Atlantic Division Director. Formerly the Division's Vice

Director, Abernethy was elected last fall to replace Bill Edgar, N3LLR,

who did not run for another term as Director. Rod Blocksome, K0DAS,

will take part in his first meeting as the Midwest Division Director,

following his election last fall. The former Vice Director succeeded

Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, who opted not to run for another term as Director.

///////////////////////////////////////////

ARRL Centennial QSO Party Awards, W1AW/P QSL Cards In Process:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:54 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33873

Certificates and plaques for stations that participated in the ARRL

Centennial QSO Party are

being processed.

///////////////////////////////////////////

The ARRL January VHF Contest Offers a Break from Winter's Doldrums:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:54 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33872

If the Polar Vortex has been getting you down, then the ARRL January

VHF Contest might just be the

antidote! The event gets under way at 1900 UTC on Saturday, January 24,

and it wraps up at 0359 UTC on Monday, January 26. The object is for

amateurs in the US and Canada (and possessions) to work as many amateur

stations in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible using

frequencies above 50 MHz. It's the US and Canada (and possessions)

working each other and the rest of the world (think F2 propagation!).

///////////////////////////////////////////

ARRL Library Goes Live!

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:52 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33871

After several months of planning, The ARRL Library is now live! The online

Library is a free

repository of educational presentations and oral histories. It is aimed

at helping to preserve Amateur Radio's history and to educate clubs and

individuals.

///////////////////////////////////////////

FCC Fines Pennsylvania Ham $11,500 for Causing Intentional Interference:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:53 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33870

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has affirmed an $11,500 fine against Brian

Crow, K3VR, of North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, for deliberately

interfering with other Amateur Radio communications. The FCC had first

proposed the fine last July in a Notice of Apparent Liability for

Forfeiture (NAL),

and it released a Forfeiture Order on

January 13.

///////////////////////////////////////////

YASME Foundation Announces Award Winners, Grant Recipients:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:53 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33869

The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has

announced the recipients of several awards and monetary grants. The

Foundation named four individuals to receive the Yasme Excellence Award

for 2014 as well as eight specific grant recipients.

///////////////////////////////////////////

ARRL's 'First Couple' Spotlighted In Article Highlighting Skywarn's Role:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:51 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33868

A January 9 article in Virginia's Roanoke Times newspaper featured the

participation of

ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, and her husband Carter, N3AO, in the

SKYWARN weather-spotting program. The

Craigies, who live in the Southwest Virginia town of Blacksburg -- home

to Virginia Tech -- have a home weather station and, when severe

weather threatens, are able to supplement local National Weather

Service (NWS) office meteorologists with "ground-level" weather

observations.

///////////////////////////////////////////

EP6T Iran DXpedition Team En Route:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:52 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33867

Members of the Rockall DX Group in Belgium are on their way to their

Kish Island, Iran (IOTA AS-166), DXpedition site. The group plans to

operate starting this weekend for about 10 days as EP6T. Iran is number 33

on

ClubLog's DXCC Most Wanted List.

///////////////////////////////////////////

CQ Magazine Combining Jan, Feb Issues, Closing CQ Plus Digital Supplement:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:51 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33866

CQ magazine has announced plans to

publish a combined January/February 2015 issue and to cease publication

of its CQ Plus digital supplement as of the March 2015 issue. Publisher

Dick Ross, K2MGA, said that both moves are intended to help restore the

magazine's normal schedule for its print edition and to strengthen its

foundations moving forward as it enters its 8th decade of publication.

///////////////////////////////////////////

Shin'en 2 Designated as Fuji OSCAR-82:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:52 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33865

AMSAT has designated the Shin'en 2 spacecraft as Fuji OSCAR-82

(FO-82), in response to a request from Seiji Fukushima, JH6RTO. OSCAR

Number Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO, congratulated Fukushima and the

Fuji OSCAR-82 team on behalf of AMSAT-NA and the Amateur Satellite

community, and expressed the hope that the spacecraft would "fulfill

all of its mission objectives."

///////////////////////////////////////////

BSA Encouraging Early Start On JOTA 2015 Planning:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:50 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33864

The word from Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Jamboree on the Air

(JOTA) Organizer Jim

Wilson, K5ND, is: "Start planning for JOTA 2015. It's

never too early."

///////////////////////////////////////////

Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) Invites Scholarship Applications:

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:49 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33863

The non-profit Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) for the Amateur

Radio-related scholarships it

administers. These academic awards are sponsored by individuals and by

Amateur Radio clubs across the US. The FAR scholarship application

process is open to Amateur Radio licensees worldwide.

///////////////////////////////////////////

In Brief...

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:49 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/33862

ARRL President to Attend Puerto Rico State Convention, January 23-25:

While a good part of the US is experiencing frigid temperatures, snow,

and ice, radio amateurs in Puerto Rico will be warmly welcoming

visitors to their third ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention, January

23-25 at the Francisco "Pancho" Deida Coliseum in Hatillo. ARRL

President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will head an ARRL contingent to

Caribbean's largest ham radio convention.

Show more