QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
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Week 11 of the QRZ Subscriber Rewards program
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:12 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...m&goto=newpost
It's hard to believe, but we've been giving away a radio a week for 10
weeks now in our Subscriber Rewards program! Each prize is a brand new, in
the box, Baofeng UV-5R Plus, dual band (144/440 Mhz) transceiver,
complete with hands-free headset and a drop-in charger each week!
This is a great little radio that is field programmable right from the
keypad. It also includes a built-in flashlight as well as many great
operating features.
Subscriber Rewards is our way of saying thanks our loyal subscribers
upon whose support we humbly depend to keep the site running. All
current QRZ subscribers are eligible, regardless of their subscription
plan, and regardless of whether they are a US HAM or International.
If your callsign page has a QRZ Subscriber badge, then you're eligible
to win.
Our 11th winner is Rex Reddoch, WD5CCA, an XML subscriber here on QRZ from
the state of Mississippi. We truly appreciate Rex's long time support of
QRZ and hope that he will enjoy this prize.
If you are not yet a QRZ subscriber, we'd love for you to take a look at
the options that we offer. We're pretty sure you'll find one of the
subscriptions very useful: https://ssl.qrz.com/products/index.html
QRZ SUbscriber Awards winners are announced here in the News forum as well
as on the official QRZ.com Facebook page and Twitter feed. Follow us and
see what other fun things we're posting!
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South Africa may transmit 1kW from 1 April.
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:05 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...l&goto=newpost
For years HAMÂ’s in South-Africa have called for the legalpower limit to be
raised. The maximum output power was limited to 400 Watt PEPfor decades. A
workgroup was established to campaign for higher power. Afternegotiating
for a couple of years the South African authorities was satisfiedthat the
call for higher power was well motivated. The updated regulation
waspublished in the South African Government Gazette in this week and the
new 1kWoutput power privilege became effective on 1 April 2015. Some HAMÂ’s
thought itto be an April foolÂ’s joke as the new law became effective, on
well, April foolÂ’sday, but it was not. The new 1kW privilege was welcomed
by the South-African Hamfraternity, especially among low band DXÂ’ers end
EME operators. Please pointyour antennas towards the bottom of Africa,
there are eager ZS-HAMÂ’s justwaiting to do real QRO for the first time
ever. Best 73 from ZS land, ZS6FDX.(Francois Reyneke)
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The ARRL Letter, April 2, 2015
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 01:14 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...5&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
April 2, 2015
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.]
The FCC's "Ham Guy," Bill Cross, W3TN, to Retire on April 3Oklahoma Amateur
Radio Volunteers Activate Net to Track Severe WeatherPuerto Rico ARES Takes
Part in Caribe Wave/LANTEX 2015 ExerciseUtah Group Puts Broadband-Hamnet to
Work for Food ProjectAmateur Radio to Have a Presence, Special Event at
Preparedness Summit 2015Two More Radio Amateurs Join International Space
Station CrewARISS School Contact Proposal Window Open Until April 15Amateur
Radio "EduTeam" Wows the Crowds at Georgia Super STEM EventAmateur Radio
Television Pioneer Don Miller, W9NTP, SKIn Brief...The K7RA Solar
UpdateJust Ahead in RadiosportUpcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division
Conventions and Events
ARRL Headquarters Will Be Closed on Good Friday, April 3: ARRL Headquarters
will be closed on Good Friday, April 3. There will be no W1AW bulletin or
code practice transmissions and no ARRL Audio News on that day. ARRL
Headquarters will reopen Monday, April 6, at 8 AM Eastern Daylight Time. We
wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday!
The FCC's "Ham Guy," Bill Cross, W3TN, to Retire on April 3
Amateur Radio's point man at the FCC is retiring. Bill Cross, W3TN,
officially a "program analyst" in the Commission's Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), is stepping down on April 3, after nearly
4 decades at the FCC. Many radio amateurs have had the opportunity to meet
Cross when he conducted the once popular Dayton Hamvention Amateur Radio
forum, which has since fallen victim to FCC budget trimming.
"Most people [at the Bureau] know me as 'The Ham Guy,'" Cross quipped in an
interview with ARRL, "and they send anything relating to Amateur Radio to
me -- as quick as they can." Cross said he did consider making April 1 his
retirement date but, "I didn't want to take any chances."
Cross started with the Amateur Radio Group in what was then the Private
Radio Bureau. That morphed into the WTB when other services were added in
1989. Prior to that, he worked in the Common Carrier Bureau -- now the
Wireline Competition Bureau -- and his academic background in engineering
and economics came in handy.
A ham since 1968, the married father of two said he's still active on the
air, strictly on HF SSB and CW, and he hopes to expand his time for ham
radio once away from the daily grind. He has achieved DXCC Honor Roll and
actively participates in the Islands on the Air program (IOTA).
When he arrived at the FCC in 1976, Cross didn't anticipate making it a
career. But in time, his hobby became his work, and over the years he
witnessed considerable change in Amateur Radio. The Commission's 2007
decision to drop Morse code as a requirement for obtaining an Amateur Radio
license was one example. "We heard that fabric of the universe had become
unglued," he said, "but it didn't." CW seems to be used much more than it
was before 2007, he said, and some DX or IOTA stations are CW only.
Cross acknowledged that Amateur Radio rule making proceedings at the FCC
move with seeming glacial torpor but pointed out that the Amateur Service
competes with an incoming barrage from other services and
bureaus. "Amateurs have a view that the Commission has three bureaus -- the
Bureau of Ham Radio, the Bureau of All Other, and the Bureau of
Administration," he said. "I understand why they wish it was that way, but
it's not."
Looking ahead, Cross said he can see a day when there may be only one
Amateur Radio license class. "Do we really need three license classes
anymore?" he asked. "I can see in the future the number of license classes
decreasing again -- to two or maybe one -- because the differences really
are not that much."
Among the disappointments for Cross has been the rise in questionable
on-the-air behavior, including intentional interference with DXpeditions,
which he believes reflects such less-desirable societal trends as road
rage. "People lose perspective," he said. "No one lives or dies, if they
don't work Navassa Island." FCC budget cutbacks will lead to less
enforcement, he said, and with stretched resources, "something's gotta
give."
That applies in Cross's own Bureau. When he steps down on April 3, no
new "Ham Guy" is standing in the wings to replace him. "The plan is to
divide up my work among other staff members, based on topic," he said.
Waxing philosophical, Cross said people choose to get into ham radio as
something enjoyable and fun. "When the joy and the fun go out of it, and it
becomes a frustration, it might be time to take a step back," he
advised. "Find a new aspect of the hobby. If it doesn't make you happy,
there's something wrong. There's something for everyone. Just have fun."
And Bill Cross plans to do just that.
Oklahoma Amateur Radio Volunteers Activate Net to Track Severe Weather
Amateur Radio SKYWARN volunteers in Oklahoma went on alert March 25 as
severe thunderstorms sparked tornadoes. The Southwest Independent Repeater
Association (SWIRA) and Tulsa Region SKYWARN nets were active in support of
tornado warnings in both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Metropolitan areas. No
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) activation was required, however.
"March 25 was a busy afternoon and evening in Oklahoma," ARRL Oklahoma
Section Manager Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, told ARRL.
Oklahoma Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said that
ARES-OK Tulsa Region was put on standby. "No communication support was
requested by served agencies," he said. "Other than some local cell service
overload, normal communications were up and working."
The WX5TUL Tulsa National Weather Service SKYWARN Net activated on VHF and
UHF, with approximately 25 stations checking in. Weather spotters reported
four tornadoes, two causing major damage and injury, along with large and
frequent severe hail, minor street flooding and significant damage due to
straight-line winds, causing widespread power outages. The severe weather
has been blamed for at least one death.
Colston said the SWIRA net control stations received reports -- at times
under challenging conditions -- that were relayed to the National Weather
Service office in Norman. "Both the Tulsa and Norman offices have Amateur
Radio stations," he pointed out. "Both encourage SKYWARN and Weather Ready
Nation initiatives in their service areas."
Colston said that as the storm progressed across the Tulsa Metro area, many
of the early damage reports were passed to the Tulsa Area Emergency
Management Agency via Amateur Radio. "Oklahoma Section radio amateurs
reported on this storm system until it exited the state late that evening,"
he said. Colston and Conklin noted that many early "ground truth" and
tornado observations came from SKYWARN spotters.
Conklin said that the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club (TARC) UHF Superlink System
is used for SKYWARN traffic outside the Tulsa Metro area, while TARC's VHF
repeater handles SKYWARN net traffic inside the Tulsa Metro area.
A preliminary damage assessment from the National Weather Service Office in
Norman confirmed more than one tornado, the most severe being in Moore. The
NWS survey rated damage from the tornado as "high-end EF1." Widespread
damage also resulted from winds of from 70 to 80 MPH, the NWS said. Read
more.
Puerto Rico ARES Takes Part in Caribe Wave/LANTEX 2015 Exercise
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Puerto Rico took part
in the 2015 Caribe Wave Large Atlantic Tsunami Exercise (LANTEX) -- an
annual tsunami drill for the US East Coast, Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, and
the Caribbean Basin. The exercise involved some 50 nations. The aim of the
March 25 exercise was to test the reliability of communication systems and
protocols between centers of tsunami alerts and to help emergency
management agencies to improve their preparedness in the event of a tsunami
alert. Since 2010, Amateur Radio operators have played a role in the
exercise, executed in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Seismic Network
(RSPR), the Caribbean Warning Tsunami Exercise (Caribe Wave), FEMA, the
Puerto Rico Emergency Management Administration (PREMA-AEMEAD), and NOAA.
This year, Puerto Rico Amateur Radio Emergency Service, under the direction
of Section Emergency Coordinator Carlos A. Rosado, KP4CAR, took part for
the first time.
This year's exercise offered two possible scenarios: An
earthquake-generated tsunami off the north coast of Panama, and a
sub-marine landslide off the coast of Florida. The Puerto Rico Seismic
Network chose the Panama scenario. At 10:04 AM Eastern Time, the Emergency
Alert System (EAS) was activated on broadcast and cable TV outlets to
announce the "situation" -- with reminders that it was only a drill. An
hour later, siren systems were tested to verify how well they performed in
coastal areas. Also, many government, public, schools, and senior
institutions in different cities ran their own evacuation drills to test
their preparedness in getting people to the nearest local refuge.
The PREMA activated all 12 of its zones. Each zone is equipped with a
Kenwood TS-2000, funded through a federal grant. The main responsibility of
radio amateurs was to gather reports from other amateur stations around the
island regarding how they were alerted: Broadcast radio, TV, cable, or
other means, such as sirens. The information was delivered to PREMA
Headquarters for post-exercise evaluation session that will involve all of
the involved agencies.
The exercise made use of two repeaters -- one in Jayuya, the highest point
on the island and equipped with emergency power, and the other in Cayey.
Tito Colón, WP4CBC, and Johnny Figueroa, WP4CXG, served as net control
stations, and many hams throughout Puerto Rico participated in the exercise
-- helping to renew their interest in emergency communication.
PREMA Director Miguel A. RÃ#os Torres called LANTEX 2015 a great success,
with performance within parameters established by the agency. -- Thanks to
Angel Santana, WP3GW, Puerto Rico Section Public Information Coordinator
Utah Group Puts Broadband-Hamnet to Work for Food Project
A small band of Amateur Radio volunteers in Utah's Salt Lake Valley
successfully used a broadband Wi-Fi network set up on the 2.4 GHz amateur
band to help coordinate the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) "Scouting for
Food" project on March 21. Scouting for Food is the Boy Scouts' annual
community service event, in which Scouts collect items for donation to a
food bank. Local radio amateurs provide both voice and digital mode
communication.
This year for the first time they used a Broadband-Hamnet (BBHN) system
that coupled modified wireless router gear operating on amateur frequencies
to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network to share audio and video over a
generous patch of real estate. BBHN is a descendent of the former ARRL High
Speed Multimedia (HSMM) Working Group efforts, earlier known as
the "Hinternet" and pioneered by John Champa, K8OCL (SK), and others in the
early 2000s.
"[W]e would call it Wi-Fi on steroids!" said David Bauman, KF7MCF. The Utah
hams linked 13 nodes across the valley to form a network "that is like a
mini private Internet," Bauman explained. They then used this network to
send live video and audio back to the BSA Headquarters, showing them what
was happening at food drop-off sites and at the [truck dispatch]
headquarters. Bauman called it "a huge step forward in technology from the
old days of Morse code." Retired clergyman Robert Jelf, KG7OHV, of Magna,
headed up the team.
Just outside BSA Headquarters near the University of Utah, Brandon Bauman,
KG7RWO, was able to watch via his laptop as volunteers miles away dropped
off canned food items and as YRC freight dispatched trucks to pickup sites
around the valley. Brandon was part of an Amateur Radio group that assists
the Boy Scouts in the Scouting for Food Project each year by providing
communications. This marked the first time BBHN technology was used to
support the project in the Salt Lake Valley. Their Wi-Fi network, known as
a wireless mesh network, was able to cover a large portion of the valley.
"The farthest point from our hub site was 8.5 miles across the city through
a narrow path lined with lots of manmade objects for signals to bounce
off," Jelf said. "While the mesh group was used to show video of the
dispatch of trucks and of truck trailers at collection points within the
hub site path, collection took place throughout the Wasatch Front area and
elsewhere in Utah." Read more.
Amateur Radio to Have a Presence, Special Event at Preparedness Summit 2015
Amateur Radio will be part of the program when Preparedness Summit 2015
convenes April 14-17 in Atlanta. Special event station N4P will also be on
the air from the conference location. The theme of this 10th Preparedness
Summit is "Global Health Security: Preparing a Nation for Emerging Threats."
"Global health security preparedness issues such as protecting against
infectious disease, the health effects of climate change and extreme
weather, and cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure, impact all
levels of governmental public health and healthcare agencies," a
Preparedness Summit 2015 announcement explained. The National Association
of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) organizes the event, which
attracted 1600 participants in 2014.
Preparedness Summit 2015 will once again offer an Amateur Radio licensing
prep session on April 14, with testing the following day. A ham radio
demonstration, "When All Else Fails, Amateur Radio Gets Through," will take
place on April 14 as well.
Special event station N4P will be on the air from the Preparedness Summit
2015 venue. Listen for N4P on or around 7.265, 14.265, 21.365, and 28.36
MHz. EchoLink activity using the Georgia Tech Radio Club's W4AQL call sign
also will take place. A commemorative QSL card will be available for
stations working N4P.
The complete Preparedness Summit agenda and more information are on the
conference's website. -- Thanks to Chuck Motes, K1DFS
Two More Radio Amateurs Join International Space Station Crew
The ISS ham radio population expanded to three, following the arrival of
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF,
and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, on March 28 (UTC). Kelly, 51, and Kornienko,
54, will remain aboard the ISS for 1 year -- the longest space mission ever
assigned to a NASA astronaut.
European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, will head
back to Earth in May, after Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX,
and Kimiya Yui arrive at the ISS as part of a scheduled crew rotation.
Cristoforetti has conducted several Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station school contacts during her ISS duty tour.
ARISS School Contact Proposal Window Open Until April 15
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program
coordinator is seeking proposals from schools and organizations that are
interested in hosting an Amateur Radio contact with a member of the
International Space Station crew. The US ARISS contact proposal window will
remain open until April 15.
ARISS is seeking formal and informal educational institutions and
organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio
contact with an ISS crew member between January 1 and June 30, 2016. Crew
scheduling and space station orbits will determine the exact contact dates.
ARISS is looking for organizations that have the potential to draw large
numbers of participants and can integrate the contact into a well-developed
educational plan.
Details on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines, proposal form, and
dates and times of information sessions are on the ARRL website. Contact
ARISS with any questions.
Amateur Radio "EduTeam" Wows the Crowds at Georgia Super STEM Event
Members of the North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL) EduTeam in Fulton
County, Georgia, offered students and other members of the public an
opportunity to experience ham radio. The EduTeam hosted an Amateur Radio
booth at the Sandy Springs Education Force's Super STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) Event on March 5 at North Springs
Charter High School.
"The theme of this year's STEM Event was Communications Technology, so we
were a perfect fit," said Martha Muir, W4MSA. "Waves of the North Springs
students flooded our booth from the morning until early afternoon. Then it
was time for students from the local middle schools."
That evening, Muir said, officials from the Sandy Springs Education Force
as well as other members of the community visited.
"Our booth was busy all day, tantalizing and educating our visitors with
various aspects of Amateur Radio," she said, "especially about how much fun
it is, and how easily it fits into STEM classrooms."
Mike Cohen, AD4MC, and Wes Lamboley, W3WL, installed an antenna at the
school, so visitors could make voice contacts on 20 and 10 meters. Chuck
Catledge, AE4CW; Sam Wolff, KK4NVJ; Megan Brown, KM4HFY, and Eli Musgrave,
KM4HFZ -- all Mill Springs Academy students -- assisted the guests in
getting on the air.
John Kludt, K4SQC, set up his Mars Lander Amateur Radio Robotics
Exploration Activity (MAREA) robot to simulate how NASA scientists use
radio signals to control the movement of the Mars rovers. "John's MAREA
clearly stood out with the students and other visitors to our booth," Muir
said. He also showed a video of the Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact at Mill Springs Academy.
"We received rave compliments from the students, parents, teachers, and
administrators who visited our booth," Muir said. "Several students from
both the high school and middle school expressed interest in starting
Amateur Radio programs at their schools." Muir said she hoped the positive
feedback would help enlist teachers and schools to form ham radio clubs and
help more students to become licensed. Read more.
Amateur Radio Television Pioneer Don Miller, W9NTP, SK
Amateur Radio television pioneer and past ARRL Central Division Director
Don C. Miller, W9NTP, of Waldron, Indiana, died March 22. He was 91. An
ARRL Life Member, he was licensed in 1943. In the 1960s, Miller was
instrumental in developing slow-scan TV (SSTV) for ham radio, working with
Cop MacDonald, VY2CM, and others. Miller wrote several articles on SSTV for
QST. In 1972, Dayton Hamvention® honored Miller as Amateur of the Year.
Miller served as the Central Division Director from 1977 until 1980.
During World War II, Miller served in the US Army Signal Corps before being
recruited to work at the Trinity atomic weapons test site in New Mexico as
part of the Manhattan Project.
"I went to work one day and finally figured out that we were building a
nuclear bomb. But that's all I knew about it," Miller told The Rushville
Republican newspaper in 2007. Miller said he worked with J. Robert
Oppenheimer, who oversaw the Manhattan Project.
Miller also was a collector of Native American and other historical
artifacts, and in 2014, FBI agents raided his Indiana home and confiscated
objects alleged to have been collected in violation of federal and state
laws and of several treaties. Miller's collection included artifacts from
all over the world. He told investigators that he had began collecting as a
youngster.
In 1984, Miller and his wife, Sue, W9YL (SK), founded Wyman Research Inc,
which developed and marketed Amateur Radio SSTV and ATV equipment. Wyman
Research engineered the SSTV gear used onboard the Russian Mir space
station. -- Thanks to The Shelbyville News; The Daily DX
In Brief...
Young Ham's First Contact is via OSCAR Satellite: Eight-year-old radio
amateur Hope Lea, KM4IPF, in Virginia, made her first radio contact just 45
minutes after her call sign appeared in the FCC database. The contact with
K4YYL via the FO-29 satellite took place on March 11. Hope's older sister
Faith, WA4BBC, and her brother Zechariah, WX4TVJ, also worked K4YYL. The
older siblings had earned their Technician tickets in February and upgraded
to General a couple of weeks later. The youngest sibling is studying for
her license. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT-UK
W7FG.net and Trueladderline.com Change Hands: Brian Duerr, WB2JIX --
operating as WB2JIX LLC -- has acquired the assets of W7FG.net and
TrueLadderLine.com in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, formerly operated by Charlie
Redding, K5JYB (SK). "I look forward to carrying on the 20-year tradition
of manufacturing and selling the original W7FG open wire-fed dipoles and
accessories," he said. "I am adding several items to the website, so
purchasers can find everything needed to use this efficient and affordable
antenna." Duerr notes that the antennas and ladder line are assembled by
individuals with disabilities through an Oklahoma program that provides a
place for job training, sheltered employment and a supervised work
environment. "They all take pride in their work, care about what they do
for us, and appreciate your support," he said. Contact Brian Duerr, WB2JIX,
for more information.
Astronaut Mark Vande Hei is Newest Astro-Ham: NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei
is now KG5GNP. He attended license classes on March 11 and 12, passed the
Technician exam the following day, and his call sign showed up in the FCC
ULS database on March 24. Vande Hei is a member of the 20th NASA astronaut
class and has qualified for a future flight assignment. -- Thanks to AMSAT
News Service via Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, and ARISS
Nigel Cawthorne, G3TXF, is Single-Op Cass Award Recipient: Nigel Cawthorne,
G3TXF, is the winner of the 2014 Single-Operator Cass Award. The Cass Award
encourages DXpedition operating excellence. While operating as ZD9XF from
the island of Tristan da Cunha in September 2014, G3TXF worked 9314
individual stations during the first 14 days of his one-person DXpedition,
demonstrating an outstanding effort to log as many DXers as possible and
setting a new Single-Operator Cass Award record. ClubLog founder Michael
Wells, G7VJR (right in photo), presented Cawthorne with his plaque and
prize at the CDXC Annual Dinner on March 21. The annual Cass Award
encourages DXpeditions to maximize the number of DXers worked with a $1000
prize for the Single-Operator DXpeditioner who works the most discrete call
signs over a 2-week period. This award's namesake is Cass Cassidy, WA6AUD
(SK). -- Thanks to The Daily DX
Rich Hallman, N7TR, Named Technologist of the Year: Well-known Nevada
contester Rich Hallman, N7TR, has been named Technologist of the Year by
Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET). The award
honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated innovative and
effective use of technology in support of their organizations' strategic
initiatives. "I'm honored to be named NCET's 2015 Technologist of the Year
and to be part of a company that has been recognized by NCET for the third
year in a row for its technological advancements," said Hallman, who is
chief information officer for Employers Insurance. He'll receive the award
on April 9. -- Thanks to Tom Taormina, K5RC
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: This week's numbers have average daily
solar flux and sunspot number averages headed in opposite directions. For
the March 26 through April 1 period, average daily sunspot numbers fell 6
points to 77.9, and average daily solar flux increased 13.3 points to
135.7, compared to the previous 7 days. Geomagnetic indices were quieter,
with average daily planetary A index declining 10.7 points to 8.7, and
average daily mid-latitude A index dropping 6.6 points to 7.7.
We saw four new sunspot regions over the past week, one each on March 26,
28, 29, and April 1.
The latest short term prediction for solar flux has 130 and 135 for April
2-3, 125 for April 4-6, 130 for April 7-8, 140 for April 9, 145 for April
10-13, 140 on April 14, 135 for April 15-18, 130 on April 19, and 125 for
April 20-22. Then solar flux sinks to a low of 120 for April 23-25 and hits
a high of 150 on April 28 before declining again.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 20, and 15 for April 2-4, 8 for April
5-8, 5 for April 9-11, then 15, and 30 for April 12-13, 20 for April 14-16,
15 on April 17, 20 for April 18-19, 12 on April 20, 5 for April 21-22, 8
for April 23-24, 25 on April 25, and 29 for April 26-27.
At 2328 UTC on March 31, the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a
geomagnetic disturbance warning. Increased geomagnetic activity is expected
due to a high-speed solar wind from a coronal hole. The geomagnetic
activity forecast is for active conditions on April 2 and unsettled
conditions April 3.
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, we will track solar cycle progress with some new
averages ending March 31. It looks like the 3-month moving average of
sunspot numbers centered on February 2015 (containing all data from January
1 through March 31) puts us back at the August 2013 level. The highest
monthly average sunspot number for this cycle was 174.6 in February 2014.
For March 2015 the average was 61.7.
Send me your reports and observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA
Just Ahead in Radiosport
April 3 -- NS Weekly RTTY Sprint
April 3 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
April 3-12 -- Lighthouse Spring Lites QSO Party
April 4 -- LZ Open 40 Meter Contest (CW)
April 4 -- Missouri QSO Party
April 4-5 -- QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party (CW)
April 4 -- PODXS 31 Flavors Contest
April 4-5 -- Texas State Parks Contest
April 4-5 -- Mississippi QSO Party
April 4-5 -- SP DX Contest (SSB, CW)
April 4-5 -- EA RTTY Contest
April 4-5 -- Montana QSO Party
April 6 -- Low Power Spring Sprint
April 6 -- Easter Contest (SSB, CW)
April 6 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
April 7 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
April 4 -- West Central Florida Technical Conference, Sebring, Florida
April 4 -- North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 4 -- Arkansas State Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas
April 11 -- Delta Division Convention, Bartlett, Tennessee
April 11-12 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington
April 17-19 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California
April 17-19 -- Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference, Manchester, Connecticut
April 24-25 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference, Morehead, Kentucky
April 25 -- Aurora Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
May 1-3 -- Nevada State Convention, Verdi, Nevada
May 2 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina
May 15-17 -- Dayton Hamvention®, Dayton, Ohio
June 5-7 -- Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac), Seaside, Oregon
June 6 -- Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia
June 12-13 -- West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com), Irving, Texas
June 13 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
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
RIGOL Technologies, Inc
ARRL members can opt to receive The ARRL Letter (with color images!)
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(and the QST online digital edition). The ARRL — the national association
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enthusiasts shaping the Amateur Radio Service today. If you consider
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APRS.FI Down with Google Map Issue
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:45 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...e&goto=newpost
For all you aprs.fi users, it looks like the website is down because of a
possible google map licensing conflict.
Heikki Hannikainen response to the issue below
----------------------------------------------------------------------
aprs.fi's Google Maps should be back soonish. I see the speculation for
the reasons is already getting on. :)
Google had noticed that aprs.fi has integrated support for OSM map tiles
*and* Street View. I hadn't noticed that the combination of Street View on
top of anything else than Google Maps is forbidden according to the Maps
API Terms Of Service document. Or I had just forgotten about it when
implementing OSM or Street View (there was probably a year or two of time
in between..).
They had sent me a few emails to warn about the unapproved configs,
starting on 5th of March. I had moved away from reading emails regularly
in Gmail a long while back, but forgotten to arrange for these emails from
Google APIs to go to my primary email address. Silly me.
Oh well. OSM support is disabled for now, and I notified Google that
aprs.fi is again compliant with the terms. Should be back soonish.
I might put OSM support back later, and remove Street View instead, as OSM
is probably more useful in practice at some areas (although admittedly
less visual and "cool"). Or maybe make some sort of arrangement where
Street View only works if you have Google Maps selected instead of OSM.
Have to check with the Google folks if that's OK.
- Hessu
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News from Ham Radio Deluxe
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...e&goto=newpost
Ham Radio Deluxe News
Tampa, FL; Dallas, TX; St. Paul, MN — April 2, 2015
In recognition of the Easter and Passover holidays, HRD Software, LLC
announces it will close its offices on Friday, April 3rd. The sales and
support phones will reopen on Monday at 10:00 am EST.
HRD Software managing partner Rick Ruhl, W4PC is proud to announce that
long-awaited support for the Yaesu FT-767GX transceivers has been added in
build 6.2.9.355, released April 2, 2015.
W4PC also adds "For users of Windows XP, Ham Radio Deluxe will continue its
extended support of Windows XP until April 20th, 2015. HRD software has
carried its support one year past the date which Microsoft ended its
support for the venerable operating system. While future versions will not
run on Windows XP, users running earlier versions of Ham Radio Deluxe with
Windows XP should still be able to operate the software as-is.”
As always, HRD is available to “try before you buy,” with a FREE 30-day
trial that includes live technical support. Now is the time to try out HRD
or renew your support package!
If you have been thinking about buying Ham Radio Deluxe or upgrading, now
is the time to get in on a deal – type the coupon code bunny to receive 10%
off your purchase of anything in the store.
Purchase and download Ham Radio Deluxe 6.2 at
http://www.ham-radio-deluxe.com.
HRD Paid Support: http://tickets.hrdsoftwarellc.com
HRD Peer Support Forum: http://forums.hrdsoftwarellc.com
HRD YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/hrdsoftware
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White Oak Tree Antenna
Posted: 01 Apr 2015 07:23 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...a&goto=newpost
A Ham Radio operator in Bella Vista, Arkansas has just stumbled upon what
may be the newest way to communicate without a wire antenna on Radio
Frequencies more commonly known as RF.
The Ham who wants to remain anonymous until he can get all the engineering
data compiled will try to hold a press conference on approximately April
15, 2015. The data should shake the radio industry like leaves from an Oak
tree in the fall.
What the Ham has discovered is; an Oak tree can be used... as an antenna
on most radio bands and alternately as an excellent ground both DC and RF
ground by tapping into the tree with various length stainless steel screws
at various locations and depths on the tree trunk. He has discovered that
some of the taller White Oak trees seem to perform the best on the lower HF
bands such as 160 through 40 meters. Also through his extensive research
this past few winters he has discovered that by loading several trees with
a special phased array antenna tuner the system can be quite directional if
there are a lot of trees available that can be phased into the proper
orientation for 360 degree directionability with a proper antenna switching
device.
Some research has been done using other trees but time and resources have
limited the results from this research although one specie of tree has
shown some better results than the White Oak and that is the rare tree
known as the Black Haw, however one problem noted with the Black Haw is the
terrible odor when loaded to a kilowatt for a prolonged period.
More information may be available as further studies progress.
In the mean time Happy Hamming, 73s, 88s, etc.