QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
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The ARRL Letter, June 4, 2015
Posted: 04 Jun 2015 12:14 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...5&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
June 4, 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.]
Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe
WeatherWX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane SeasonRadio Call Saves SOTA
Climber Following FallIt's Alive! LightSail Spacecraft Restored After Being
Silenced by Software IssueDelayed Return of Astronaut Samantha
Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for June 11British Astronaut to Share His ISS
Experience with Students via Amateur RadioSarah Brightman Spaceflight
PostponedNayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube TransponderAnother Australian
Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates EarthIn Brief...The K7RA
Solar UpdateJust Ahead in RadiosportUpcoming ARRL Section, State, and
Division Conventions and Events
Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe Weather
Severe storms and flooding in Texas and Oklahoma that extended beyond the
Memorial Day holiday weekend kept ARES and SKYWARN volunteers busy or on
alert through the rest of May, which now is being crowned as the wettest
month on record in both states. Texas received more than 8.8 inches of
rainfall during May, while Oklahoma got a whopping 14.4 inches. Wichita
Falls, Texas, saw 17 inches of rain during May, while Oklahoma City got
nearly 19.5 inches. The resulting flooding and property damage -- with some
severe wind incidents thrown in -- caused numerous ARES callouts and
SKYWARN net activations.
In Oklahoma, Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said
Amateur Radio volunteers provided communication for several American Red
Cross damage assessment teams in the wake of flooding in Comanche County
and elsewhere. "ARES-OK volunteers in action this month have provided 436
hours of service," Conklin reported on May 31. "Teams were deployed to the
Bridge Creek community and Comanche and Leflore counties. In addition,
Conklin added, nearly every storm complex that rolled through Oklahoma
spawned numerous SKYWARN nets with volunteers providing "many hours of
service."
ARES teams in his state stood down on June 2.
South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Frank Aguilar, N5SSH, said all
districts in his Section had stood down by June 1. "Weather events are
over, and the forecast does not show rain for the next week or two, which
means search and rescue and clean-up will be the main focus," he said. A
summary of activity showed that ARES volunteers assisted in local emergency
operations centers and the Red Cross. In addition, he noted, SKYWARN nets
were called up in vulnerable counties, and other ARES teams remained on
standby in case they were needed.
ARRL South Texas Section Manager Lee Cooper, W5LHC, called the spate of
heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and flooding over some two-thirds of his
state "pretty much unprecedented" for the region. "The main event is over,"
Cooper said this week. "We are looking at a approximately 10-day period of
dry sunny weather in South Texas and do not anticipate any additional
activations."
This spring's torrential rains stood in stark contrast to the severe
drought the region had experienced over the past few years. May's heavy
rains have been linked to a burgeoning El Niño in the Pacific.
While fair weather returned to the region this week, forecasters fear the
now rain-saturated ground could make things worse during the hurricane
season, which began on June 1.
WX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane Season
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in
Miami, reports that it has stood the test and is ready for the 2015
Hurricane Season, which began on June 1 and will continue through November.
WX4NHC conducted its Annual Station Test on May 30, at the end of Hurricane
Preparedness Week. This marked the 35th year of volunteer public service by
the WX4NHC Group at the NHC. WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator Julio
Ripoll, WD4R, said the station was tested on many frequencies and modes,
including digital modes, and that all radio equipment and antennas
performed well.
"The WX4NHC test event is also good practice for Amateur Radio operators
worldwide, but especially in hurricane prone areas, to test their station's
ability to contact WX4NHC, should they need to during a hurricane," Ripoll
said. "It was also a good opportunity for NWS Office staff to become aware
of the unique capabilities of Amateur Radio during severe weather and
disaster communications, when conventional communication modes fail."
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has forecast that the 2015 Atlantic
hurricane season will likely be below normal, but, it added, "that's no
reason to believe coastal areas will have it easy."
For the 2015 hurricane season, NOAA has predicted a 70 percent likelihood
of anywhere from six to 11 named storms (winds of 39 MPH or higher), of
which three to six could become hurricanes (winds of 74 MPH or higher).
That forecast included up to two "major hurricanes" (Category 3, 4, or 5)
with winds of 111 MPH or greater.
"A below-normal season doesn't mean we're off the hook," NOAA Administrator
Kathryn Sullivan said. "As we've seen before, below-normal seasons can
still produce catastrophic impacts to communities."
Ripoll said WX4NHC logged contacts during the test with some emergency
communication notables. These included FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
KK4INZ, on EchoLink and on the Florida UHF SARnet, plus a 20 meter contact
with FEMA Chief Technical Officer Ted Okada, K4HNL. WX4NHC also worked ARRL
Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, and Hurricane Watch Net
(HWN) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.
"Mike, Bobby, Craig, and Ted all understand very well how Amateur Radio can
help their communities during and after severe weather and other natural
disasters," Ripoll said. "We expressed our thanks to all of them for their
strong support of the Amateur Radio volunteers and WX4NHC." Ripoll also
expressed appreciation to SKYWARN volunteers.
"You may never know, but your efforts may someday save someone's life," he
added.
During the 8-hour test, contacts were made and surface reports received
from many stations throughout the US and Canada, as well as in the
Caribbean, Central America, and South America, Ripoll said. He noted that
more than 40 D-STAR/D-RATS surface weather reports were received at WX4NHC.
John Davis, WB4QDX, coordinated the D-Star/D-RATS net and reporting, Ripoll
said.
"We are excited of the potential that D-STAR/D-RATS modes can produce
hurricane surface reports in a similar format that is used at WX4NHC," he
said. "These reports may someday fill a very important gap in surface data
during a hurricane that we could not receive on other modes."
WX4NHC also took part in the Florida State Hurricane Exercise on the UHF
SARnet, making contacts throughout Florida and with stations in emergency
operations centers. SARnet currently has 25 UHF repeaters connected
statewide, including one on the NHC campus.
Radio Call Saves SOTA Climber Following Fall
A Littleton, Colorado, radio amateur and mountaineer was happy to have his
handheld transceiver along on May 17 after he slipped and fell from an icy
ledge in Berthoud Pass while snowshoeing. Summits On The Air (SOTA)
enthusiast Brad Byland, WA6MM, said he's been climbing and mountaineering
for many years now and never before came this close to what he called "a
possible life-ending disaster."
"I'm doing fine," Byland told ARRL. "I didn't get hurt...only bad wind and
sunburn on my face! My daughter says my geeky hobby -- ham radio -- saved
me from my dangerous hobby -- climbing and mountaineering!"
Byland said that while this was his first climb in the Berthoud Pass area,
he was never "lost," as some media accounts reported. He had prepared to
climb Mount Flora -- which would have been his 29th SOTA peak -- by
studying maps and others' trip reports, plus he had his iPhone with GPS, a
compass, and his radio along.
"[T]hings went smoothly until about 12,700 feet," Byland said, at which
point, with visibility deteriorating, he decided to turn back. "It wasn't
long before I was in a total whiteout," he recounted. "The ground is white,
the air around me is white, and I had no perception of direction and
elevation. My iPhone GPS was of no use, as I couldn't read the display. I
pulled out my compass for navigation." Byland said he knew the basic
heading he should follow along the ridge, and he proceeded.
"A short time later I had a strange feeling I was floating in air. I didn't
realize I was falling until I landed on my back on a snow-filled ledge
about 20 feet below a cornice," Byland continued. "I was quite surprised
and amazed that I suffered no injuries."
But he was essentially "stuck," and, while his snowshoes remained on, he
was unable to climb back up, due to the overhanging nature of the
cornice. "I needed to wait for better conditions," he concluded. "After
about an hour I decided to make a call for help, as I knew it would take
time for a rescue party to mobilize and find me. Spending the night would
probably not end well, and I might have had to take on significant risk to
attempt a self-rescue."
Byland said he'd programmed his radio to a few local mountain repeaters, he
was able to quickly contact another ham, "and the rest of the story
unfolded with my eventual rescue."
While well equipped for his situation, he remained on the ledge for 4 or 5
hours. "I was in good spirits," he said, "and I can't tell you enough about
how comforting it is to have another person on the radio keeping me
informed of the rescue process. I didn't feel so alone on that ledge."
Byland thanked the Alpine and Grand County Search and Rescue members who
got him off the ledge. "Words alone cannot express my feelings of gratitude
for the work you do and the countless hours you invest in this service," he
said. "My donations to both SAR groups are forthcoming."
He also expressed his gratitude to the hams who picked up his distress call
and quickly notified authorities. "The outcome would have certainly been
different without their help," he said. "I particularly want to thank
Alpine SAR ham radio operator Mike, KC0CNT, who spent countless hours with
me exchanging vital information during the rescue operation."
In retrospect, Byland said, he should have taken another route or hunkered
down and waited for better visibility before descending.
It's Alive! LightSail Spacecraft Restored After Being Silenced by Software
Issue
After going silent for a few days, The Planetary Society's LightSail™
spacecraft has resumed transmitting. A suspected software glitch had caused
the satellite to stop sending telemetry back to Earth on the 70 centimeter
Amateur Radio band. The communication issue now out of the way, the
LightSail team will soon determine when to attempt deployment of the
spacecraft's Mylar® solar sails.
"Our LightSail called home! It's alive!" The Planetary Society's CEO Bill
Nye (The Science Guy) said in a statement on the organization's
website. "Our LightSail spacecraft has rebooted itself, just as our
engineers predicted. Everyone is delighted. We were ready for three more
weeks of anxiety."
According to Nye's statement, the LightSail team has coded a software patch
and has it ready to upload. "After we are confident in the data packets
regarding our orbit, we will make decisions about uploading the patch and
deploying our sails -- and we'll make those decisions very soon," Nye
said. "This has been a rollercoaster for us down here on Earth, all the
while our capable little spacecraft has been on orbit going about its
business."
In a lengthy May 26 blog post, the Planetary Society's Jason Davis said the
LightSail mission had "paused, while engineers wait out a suspected
software glitch that has silenced the solar sailing spacecraft." Following
its successful May 20 launch, LightSail sent about 140 data packets back to
Earth, Davis said. Over the Memorial Day weekend, however, the spacecraft's
automated telemetry went silent.
Telemetry data are sent on 437.435 MHz (AX.25, 9600 bps FSK). Davis said a
lot of radio amateurs have been helping to track LightSail and sent in data
packets.
According to Davis, the LightSail team believes that "a vulnerability" that
controls the primary avionics board was the problem. As he explained, the
CubeSat's onboard Linux-based flight software writes beacon packets to a
spreadsheet file -- beacon.csv -- which, when it reaches a certain size,
can cause the flight system to crash. A patch was devised to address the
problem in later software revisions, but LightSail's software did not
include the update, and before the fix could be uploaded, the satellite
went silent.
Delayed Return of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for June 11
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, now on an International Space
Station duty tour that was extended by about a month, will return to Earth
on June 11. Cristoforetti has conducted several Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts during her ISS stay. In
early May, NASA and its international partners postponed the return of
Cristoforetti, astronaut Terry Virts, and cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov,
following the failure in late April of the Russian robotic Progress 59
cargo spacecraft to reach the ISS. The Progress went out of control,
eventually burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
"NASA and its international partners agreed to set a new schedule for
spacecraft traffic to and from the International Space Station," NASA said
in a May 12 media release.
"Looks like it's not time to get my spacesuit ready yet...what a present!"
Cristoforetti reacted, after the delay was announced. She arrived on the
ISS in November.
Cristoforetti's departure from the ISS will leave only Russian cosmonauts
to support the ARISS program until late July, when Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS;
Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui arrive at the ISS as part of a
scheduled crew rotation. Before flights were reshuffled, they had been
scheduled to arrive in May. All three are set to return December 22.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF,
and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, arrived on station in March as part of the
Expedition 43/44 crew increment. Kelly and Kornienko will remain on the ISS
for 1 year. Padalka also will return to Earth in December.
The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July to
deliver several tons of food, fuel, and supplies. The space station has
sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall.
A private SpaceX robotic Dragon capsule is still slated to blast off on its
next resupply mission on June 19, but the timing of that flight is now
under review, NASA officials said.
British Astronaut to Share His ISS Experience with Students via Amateur
Radio
The UK's first European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake, KG5BVI, plans to
share his "Principia" mission space adventure with students on Earth via
Amateur Radio. He's invited youngsters in his country to contact him while
he's onboard the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. Peake
is scheduled to head to the ISS in November for a 6-month duty tour. Nearly
a year in development, the program represents a collaboration of the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, the UK
Space Agency (UKSA), the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the
European Space Education Research Office in the UK (ESERO-UK), and the
European Space Agency (ESA) to raise awareness in Space, Amateur Radio, and
STEM subjects.
"I hope to share as much of my mission as possible and am delighted that I
will be able to talk to UK students when the ISS flies over Britain, thanks
to the Amateur Radio equipment on board the International Space Station and
the ARISS program," Peake said.
The RSGB lead for ARISS and ARISS operations in the UK, Ciaran Morgan,
M0XTD, said, "ARISS...is delighted to help UK students connect with Tim
whilst he is in space, using only Amateur Radio equipment on the ISS and in
schools, to help inspire our future generations of scientists, technicians,
engineers, and mathematicians."
Schools throughout the UK have been solicited to host one of the limited
number of contacts. The events will include space workshops, where students
can explore space and space-related technologies, and analyze data from
satellites in orbit.
Students taking part in the contact events would have to obtain a full UK
Amateur Radio license in order to operate the radio gear, and one lucky
student at each of the schools selected will be responsible for making
contact with the ISS. An RSGB team and the ARISS UK operations team will
work with the chosen schools to prepare them for this exceptional
opportunity during the mission of the first British ESA astronaut.
Selected schools/organizations will host a direct ham radio link-up with
the ISS during a 2-day, space-related STEM workshop. ARISS-UK will provide
and set up all necessary radio equipment, including low-Earth orbit
satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a direct radio link
with the space station while the ISS is over the UK so that students can
ask Peake about his life and work on board the ISS. The program also plans
to promote many aspects of Amateur Radio, including the Amateur-Satellite
service, obtaining data from orbiting spacecraft (FUNcube and the Fox
satellites), the latest equipment on the ISS, and, if operational, the "Ham
Video" digital amateur television (DATV) system.
Peake will use the GB1SS call sign when in contact with UK-based schools.
The British Amateur Television Club will stream the contacts live on the
web. Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via the RSGB and AMSAT-UK
Sarah Brightman Spaceflight Postponed
Singer Sarah Brightman has announced that she is postponing plans to go
into space as a paying guest aboard the International Space Station. She
was set to launch on the September Soyuz TMA-18M mission with Danish
astronaut Andreas Mogensen, KG5GCZ, and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov,
RU3DIS.
There had been some speculation that Brightman might use Amateur Radio
during her ISS stay; she apparently would be eligible to do so using the
GB1SS call sign.
The British soprano is reported to have paid $52 million to be
a "spaceflight participant" for 10 days. Brightman said she was putting her
spaceflight on hold for personal and family reasons, and she has postponed
her cosmonaut training and flight plans.
"Since 2012, Sarah has shared her story of a lifelong dream to fly to
space," said Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures
Ltd, which arranged the flight. "We've seen firsthand her dedication to
every aspect of her spaceflight training and to date [she] has passed all
of her training and medical tests. We applaud her determination and we'll
continue to support her as she pursues a future spaceflight opportunity."
Nayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube Transponder
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL have announced that a FUNcube communication package
has been selected as a major payload for the Nayif-1 CubeSat mission.
FUNcube-1 (AO-73) carries an inverting U/V SSB/CW transponder. The Nayif-1
mission, tentatively set to launch toward the end of 2015, is intended to
provide students in the United Arab Emirates with a tool to design and test
systems in space.
The CubeSat is being developed by the Emirates Institution for Advanced
Science and Technology (EIAST) in partnership with American University of
Sharjah (AUS). It is expected that this payload will provide a large amount
of valuable environmental data from space together with a new, enhanced,
UHF to VHF linear transponder. The AMSAT team will work closely with the
Emirati students in collaboration with support partner Innovative Solutions
In Space BV from the Netherlands to develop the new system.
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL announced the news on April 25, during the
Dutch "Interessedag Amateursatellieten" (Amateur Satellite Interest Day)
event in Apeldoorn. More details, including frequencies and planned
operating schedules, will be made available as soon as possible. -- Thanks
to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT-UK
Another Australian Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates Earth
The circumnavigation of another party-type foil balloon from Australia has
demonstrated that having one circle the Southern Hemisphere is no fluke.
Andy Nguyen, VK3YT, launched his PS-46 balloon, which carried an Amateur
Radio payload, on May 25. The balloon completed the trip on June 4.
Nguyen's earlier PS-41 balloon was the first such balloon to circle Earth.
"This time it was in the right position -- before arriving in Western
Australia -- for the jet stream to push it over land," Nguyen said.
The helium balloons in this series carried a solar-powered 25 mW
transmitter which sent WSPR, JT9, and sometimes Olivia signals on 30 and 20
meters, enabling their tracking and the gathering of reports on altitude,
speed, direction, and battery condition. The PS-46 balloon completed its
journey around the globe in slightly more than 12 days. - Thanks to Jim
Linton, VK3PC
In Brief...
HEX-BEAM® Manufacturer Traffie Technologies Shutting Down Traffie
Technologies, the Massachusetts-based family business that has pioneered
and manufactured the HEX-BEAM line of rotatable wire beams, is closing its
doors. "This is to inform everyone that we are closing down production of
the HEX-BEAM®," an announcement on the HEX-BEAM website said. The
company's principal, Mike Traffie, N1HXA, has indicated that he is open to
having someone else take over the business. The small firm came into being
in 1992, and HEX-BEAM antennas have been developed for 40 meters through 2
meters in various monoband and multiband versions. The company's latest
product is the HX5Bi, which covers 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters.
Past Mississippi Section Manager Richard L. Redd, SK Former ARRL
Mississippi Section Manager Richard Redd, KA5WRX, of Jackson, died on May
10. He was 75. Redd served as Mississippi SM from 1991 to 1995. Redd was
the retired CEO and chairman of the board of Redd Pest Control. Services
were May 14 in Madison. Survivors include his wife, Joyce, and several
children.
SATERN to Mark The Salvation Army Anniversary in Early July: The Salvation
Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) will mark the 150th anniversary
of The Salvation Army with a Salvation Army 150th Anniversary QSO Party,
Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5. All are welcome to take part.
Operators who make contact with a SATERN station are eligible for a special
event QSL card. The QSO party is being sponsored by a partnership between
The Salvation Army National Headquarters, the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi
Division of The Salvation Army, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Amateur Radio
Club.
W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Set for Late September: The Southeast's
largest ham radio event, the W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention will take
place September 25-26 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dollywood).
Sponsored by The SouthEastern DX and Contesting Organization (SEDCO), the
event features presentations on DXing and contesting topics and, of course,
prize drawings. Ham radio equipment manufacturers and dealers will be on
hand to demonstrate new products and answer equipment questions. A banquet
rounds out the day. This year's convention will offer a daylong "Ham Radio
Boot Camp" to Elmer newcomers on station and antenna construction,
operating, DXing, and contesting.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: From May 28 through June 3, average daily
sunspot numbers dropped from 56.1 the previous week to 34.3. Average daily
solar flux barely changed from 97.6 to 97.8 over the same period. But, both
numbers have begun showing an upward trend.
Predicted solar flux is 110 on June 4-5; 115 on June 6; 120 on June 7-11;
115 on June 12-13; 110 on June 14; 100 on June 15-16; 95 on June 17-22; 90
on June 23-25; 95 on June 26-28, 100 on June 29, and then peaking at 120 on
July 7-8.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 4-5; 8 on June 6; 12 on June 7-8;
then 30, 10, 8, 5, 8, 15; and 12 on June 9-15; 5 on June 16 through July 3,
and then 10, 25, 20, and 12 on July 4-7.
On May 28 the daily sunspot number was 11, the lowest non-zero sunspot
number, meaning that just one sunspot was visible. There are no sunspot
numbers between 1 and 10, because each sunspot group represents a value of
10, with a value of 1 for each sunspot in the group.
The last time the daily sunspot number was 11 was July 16, 2014, and the
sunspot number dropped to zero the next day. This was just a few months
after the peak of Cycle 24, which I reckon to be around February and March
2014, using our 3-month moving average.
Prior to that we'd have to look back to January 14-15, 2011, to find the
sunspot number at 11 on both days. This was on the ascendant side of Cycle
24.
In Friday's bulletin, look for reports from readers, an updated forecast,
and an update on our 3-month moving average of sunspot numbers. Send me
your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
June 5 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
June 5 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)
June 6 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
June 6-7 -- 10-10 Int'l Open Season PSK Contest
June 6-7 -- DigiFest
June 6-7 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, SSB)
June 6-7 -- SEANET Contest (CW)
June 6-7 -- UKSMG Summer Contest
June 6-7 -- RSGB National Field Day (CW)
June 6-7 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW)
June 6-7 -- Alabama QSO Party
June 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
June 10 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW)
June 10 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW)
June 13-15 -- ARRL June VHF Contest
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
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
July 4 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
July 10-11 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
July 13-16 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club Convention, The Villages,
Florida
July 17-19 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
July 23-26 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Westminster, Colorado
July 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
July 31-August 2 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Bryce Canyon, Utah
August 1 -- Great Lakes Division Convention, Columbus, Ohio
August 7-8 -- South Texas Section Convention, Austin, Texas
August 7-9 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
August 7-9 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington
August 15-16 -- Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
August 16 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
August 21-23 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough, Massachusetts
August 22 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
August 30 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,
Pennsylvania
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
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HRD Software
Timewave Technology, Inc
RIGOL Technologies, Inc
Debco Electronics
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Company Extends Alkaline Battery Life With Voltage Booster
Posted: 04 Jun 2015 10:03 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...r&goto=newpost
Company Extends Alkaline Battery Life With Voltage Booster
Batteroo is a Silicon Valley company preparing to release its Batteriser
product in September. The Batteriser is a small sleeve that fits around
alkaline batteries toboost the voltage to 1.5V. This means that batteries
that would otherwise be thrown into the trash when the voltage dips to
1.3V or 1.4V could be used until the unboosted voltage reaches 0.6V,
extending the useful life of a battery 8x, according to the company. This
product has the potential to reduce the number of batteries in landfills
as well as increasing the time between replacing batteries. The expected
price of the sleeve is $10 for a pack of 4 sleeves.
It can also extend the use of rechargeable batteries in HT's, emergency
lights, etc. Should be a useful item in a go kit as well as around the
shack.
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HamRadioNow: Dayton DX Forum - Mellish Reef; Navassa; Don Miller W9WNV
Posted: 03 Jun 2015 06:59 AM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...V&goto=newpost
HAMRADIONOW.tv
Episodes 203, 204 and 205
from the Dayton Hamvention® DX Forum
Episode 203: VK9MT Mellish Reef. Gene Spinelli K5GS presents the slide show
on the 2014 DXpedition to Mellish Reef, a spit of coral barely above sea
level northeast of Australia. Not easy to get to, not comfortable to stay
on, but that's what DXers do to let you make contact with "a new one."
Episode 204: Don Miller W9WNT. If you were a DXer in the 1960's, you knew
all about Don. Or you thought you did. I became a ham in 1965, but my
attention was elsewhere, so learning about this now, decades later, has
been fascinating. Don wasn't the first DXpeditioner, but he expanded and
refined the game. He helped demonstrate the need for clear rules and
definitions, sometimes by breaking them. He spent time in prison (serious,
disputed, but not ham related), and regained his ham license after his
release in 2002.
Google Don's name and call sign, and spend a few hours digesting all the
material about him out there. In this episode from the Hamvention DX Forum,
Don talks about much of this (not the prison part). His story may not be
over...
Episode 205: K1N Navassa Island. Did you work'em? I didn't, but I didn't
try all that hard. Everybody I know did, though. Seems like an easy chip
shot from North America, both for propagation and transportation.
Propagation: pretty good. Transportation: not so much. Co-organizers Glenn
Johnson W0GJ and Bob Allphin K4UEE explain what it took to get there, and
to 'be' there.
We've got one more coming up - EP6T Kish Island, Iran - presented its own
unique set of problems. We're still editing that one, so it should be out
soon.
And for our 'embedded video' here on QRZ, I'll choose the first one,
because they're all compelling (go to HamRadioNow.tv to see the rest), but
this one includes the DX Forum introduction, so we should start at the
beginning....
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