QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
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HamRadioNow: Adventures of a Hacker turned Ham; Intro to DMR from the
Hamvention
Posted: 09 Jul 2015 02:04 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...n&goto=newpost
HAMRADIONOW.tv
Episodes 210: Introduction to DMR
Episodes 211: Adventures of a Hacker turned Ham
Episode 210: Introduction to DMR. This is John Burningham W2XAB's forum at
the Hamvention. John explains the in's and out's of DMR, Digital Mobile
Radio (often referred to as MotoTRBO). DMR is a commercial radio system
that's been making serious inroads in VHF/UHF Amateur Radio digital voice.
If you're curious about it, this forum will take you to the point where you
can get a radio and jump in.
Episode 211: Adventures of a Hacker turned Ham. I'll put this one in the
video window below. It's the program from the TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday
at the the Hamvention. The Hacker turned Ham is Michael Ossmann AD0NR,
inventor of the HackRF SDR board. As he tells his story, he weaves in the
question (and answer) where is the next generation of hams coming from?
AMSAT President Steve Bible N7HPR introduces Michael, and leads off with an
interesting survey of the assembled audience.
Before Michael begins, (and after I make my pitch for participation in the
KICKSTARTER to fund making video of the ARRL/TAPR DCC in October), we hear
from Thani Ali al-Malki, a guest from the Qatar Satellite Company with the
exciting news that their next satellite, Es'HailSAT-2, will carry a ham
radio transponder in geosynchronous orbit. It's a project of the Qatar
Amater Radio Society and AMSAT DL (Germany). This satellite's footprint
will be the Middle-East, Europe, Africa and the western side of Asia, but
(alas for us in North America), no coverage in the Western Hemisphere
except a bit of far-eastern South America). But AMSAT's foot is in the door
of geosynchronous satellites, and the pitch to others to host ham radio
will be easier.
Don't have time for the video? Our audio podcast RSS feed is at
http://HamRadioNow.tv/hrnrss.xml. You'll need to enter that manually in
your podcast app. Then you can subscribe and get podcasts automatically as
we produce them, and listen on your next commute to work.
Download the audio, or subscribe to the RSS podcast feed
by manually entering http://hamradionow.tv/hrnrss/xml
in your podcast app
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!
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The ARRL Letter, July 9, 2015
Posted: 09 Jul 2015 12:35 PM PDT
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...5&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
July 9, 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.]
Amateur Radio Becomes Primary on 1900-2000 kHz on August 6ARRL Patrons
Donate Warhol Print to League; Auction Proceeds Will Create EndowmentMuseum
Donates Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Homebrew Equipment to ARRLHam Radio Volunteers
Support Oklahoma Freewheel Bicycle RideFriedrichshafen HAM RADIO 2015 Hosts
International Youth GatheringPioneering Remote Multi-Multi K4VV Contesting
Station Closes, But Project ContinuesUK Government Holds Up Export of Early
Amateur Radio-Related TV ArchiveIn Brief...The K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead
in RadiosportUpcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and
Events
Amateur Radio Becomes Primary on 1900-2000 kHz on August 6
Amateur Radio will be upgraded from secondary to primary in the 1900-2000
kHz segment of 160 meters in the US on August 6. That's the effective date
of the WRC-07 implementation Report and Order and WRC-12 Order portions of
a lengthy FCC document released on April 27. Both appeared in the Federal
Register on July 7; the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) of the same
proceeding was published in the Federal Register on July 2. The
Radiolocation Service (RLS) has been primary in the band segment. The FCC
also made a secondary allocation of 135.7-137.8 kHz to the Amateur Service,
but this band will not be available until service rules have been adopted.
"The FCC action with respect to 1900-2000 kHz reduces the possibility that
we might suffer in the future from new Radiolocation Service deployments,"
said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "On the other hand, we will have to put
up with radio buoys that have been operating illegally in the band but that
now have been 'regularized' by the Commission."
The FCC said that while it had believed there was no non-Federal RLS use of
the 1900-2000 kHz band, the record indicated there are maritime users,
including the US "high seas" migratory species fishing fleets, making use
of radio buoys in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as within 200
nautical miles of the coast. It did not identify these users in the WRC-07
proceeding, however, "because they did not appear in its licensing
database," it said.
"Apparently, fishing vessels have operated radio buoys in US waters under
the belief that a ship station license issued under Part 80 of the
Commission's rules permits operation of the buoys," the FCC Order
continued. The FCC said a Part 80 license applies only to stations in the
maritime services and does not authorize operation of radio stations
requiring a Part 90 license, "such as the radio buoys at issue here."
The FCC said its action regarding 1900-2000 kHz supports increased use of
160 meters as reported by commenters in the proceeding and
provides "spectrum support" for Amateur Radio emergency communication. The
FCC said its action also offers the Amateur Service "the long-term security
that primary status entails."
In removing the primary RLS allocation, the FCC added a new footnote to the
US Table of Allocations that provides for radio buoy operations in the
1900-2000 kHz segment on a primary basis in Region 2 (the Americas) and on
a secondary basis in Region 3, which limits operations to the open sea.
The FCC also concluded that it is in the public interest to establish a
secondary Amateur Radio allocation at 135.7-137.8 kHz -- 2200 meters,
although the new band is not yet authorized for amateur use. "In accordance
with the WRC-07 Final Acts, the Commission also restricted use of this
secondary Amateur Service allocation to amateur stations transmitting a
maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) of 1 W." The
Commission is inviting comments until August 31 on how it should structure
operational rules for that allocation as well as for a proposed 472-479 kHz
allocation, 630 meters. Read more.
ARRL Patrons Donate Warhol Print to League; Auction Proceeds Will Create
Endowment
ARRL patron and well-known Hollywood producer Dave Bell, W6AQ, and his wife
Sam, W6QLT (she's a quilter), have donated a signed Andy Warhol print to
the ARRL. The artwork -- "Myths: Superman 1981" -- will be sold at auction
and the proceeds used to create "The Dave Bell, W6AQ, Endowment Fund" to
benefit the League. The print's value has been estimated to be in the
vicinity of $150,000. Bell said he wanted to encourage other radio amateurs
who might own valuable artworks to consider donating them to ARRL.
"I suspect that I'm not the only amateur art collector among the ham radio
population," Bell told ARRL recently. "I'm not sure that it's ever occurred
to any of these hams that one way to make a donation is to give a painting
to the League."
Bell, a ham since 1951 and a past chairman of the ARRL Public Relations
Committee, acquired the Superman print in the early 1990s, and it hung in
his Hollywood office for years. "I was looking around for a Warhol, and a
friend of mine was an art dealer, and he came across this 'Superman' print
and he gave me a very good price on it, so I bought it," Bell said. He once
owned another Warhol, which he gave to Hiram College, his alma mater.
Hollywood movie producer David Wolper sold the print to Bell, who said it
had hung in Wolper's screening room for a decade or so. During his own
working years, Bell was a television and movie producer. He started
TV's "Unsolved Mysteries" and also produced some movies ("Nadia," "The Long
Walk Home"). Amateur Radio was the focus of some of his productions,
including "The World of Amateur Radio" and
"Amateur Radio Today." In 2003 the League presented Bell with its first
Lifetime Achievement Award, for his work on films and videos about Amateur
Radio. "I had an entertaining career," he punned. He was also the Dayton
Hamvention® Amateur of the Year in 1984. His book World's Best Hobby,
available from ARRL and elsewhere, details his professional and Amateur
Radio lives.
One reason he purchased the Superman print in particular, he said, was that
he could imagine an Amateur Radio handheld in the Man of Steel's
outstretched hand. "He should be 'Superham,'" Bell quipped.
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, announced the donation in May at an ARRL
donors' reception in conjunction with Dayton Hamvention®. "Dave and Sam
have always supported ARRL most generously, and this latest gift to the
Endowment Fund will ensure their support never stops," President Craigie
told the gathering. "I would like to say 'thank you' for your thoughtful
support. You are truly a 'Superman' to ARRL!" Read more.
Museum Donates Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Homebrew Equipment to ARRL
The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut (VRCMCT) has
donated equipment designed by former ARRL staffer Doug Demaw, W1FB (SK), to
ARRL Headquarters for exhibit. One of the most widely published technical
writers in Amateur Radio, DeMaw -- who earlier held the call signs W1CER
and W8HHS -- was on the HQ staff for 18 years, from 1965 to 1983, and he
served as Senior Technical Editor and Technical Department Manager from
1970 to 1983. Beginning in 1970, he engineered a shift in emphasis toward
solid-state design in QST and in The ARRL Handbook. After retiring in 1983,
DeMaw founded Oak Hills Research, but he continued to write construction
articles for QST as well as books, including W1FB's QRP Notebook and W1FB's
Antenna Notebook.
"The ARRL has a significant collection of Amateur Radio-related historical
documents and equipment," said ARRL Senior Test Engineer, Bob Allison,
WB1GCM. "Besides the 'Evolution of Amateur Radio Equipment' exhibit at the
Lab, we have a 'Made in the Lab' exhibit. Doug DeMaw and his Lab staff
built equipment that many radio amateurs duplicated at home. They are an
important part of the history of Amateur Radio and ARRL."
It's still unclear just how the museum ended up with its collection of
DeMaw project prototypes. With the exception of his famous "Tuna Tin" QRP
transmitter, which was detailed in the May 1976 issue of QST and also
appeared on its cover, DeMaw retained his projects after the articles about
them had been published, in line with the HQ custom of that era. When DeMaw
died in 1997, though, the whereabouts of many of his construction projects
was unknown. Recently, Allison spotted something that looked familiar in a
box of parts at the VRCMCT. Allison, who is a museum board member and ARRL
historical collection curator, instantly recognized a receiver that DeMaw
had featured in a series of articles.
After some digging, more boxes containing other DeMaw construction projects
were discovered. Apparently, an anonymous donor at some point had dropped
off the items, some bearing Oak Hills Research stickers, at the museum.
During an impromptu meeting conducted by Museum Director John Ellsworth,
the museum board -- all ARRL members -- agreed that DeMaw's work belonged
at ARRL Headquarters.
"We're in the preservation business too," said Ellsworth. "We're glad to
make this donation to ARRL, which will preserve and display DeMaw's work."
Read more.
Ham Radio Volunteers Support Oklahoma Freewheel Bicycle Ride
A small group of Amateur Radio operators and volunteers supported the
Oklahoma Freewheel -- a cross-state bicycle tour -- June 7-13. Kenneth
Baucum, KG5CBM, led the Amateur Radio contingent.
"This year, Freewheel started in Hollis, Oklahoma, and finished in Fort
Smith, Arkansas," Baucum said. "Bicyclists completed a tour of about 500
miles in 7 days, completing an average of 65 miles each day." He said some
of those in the ham radio contingent are also ARES volunteers.
Baucum said SAG support driver responsibilities included carrying water to
replenish rest stops and rider water bottles on the route, as well as
having spare tubes and tire pumps on hand to fix flat tires. "Cyclists
would request support by flagging down a support vehicle, or calling the
support number," he said. Baucum then would relay messages, as appropriate,
to the driver nearest the incident.
"Common issues included flat tires, slipped chains, and shifters needing
adjustment," Baucum said. "A few calls for medical support were handled by
providing first aid, water, and shade or air conditioning for riders in
distress."
Oklahoma Freewheel expressed its appreciation to the radio amateurs who
volunteered and to for the support of local radio clubs and the use of
their repeaters. Read more. -- Thanks to Kenneth Baucum, KG5CBM, and Lloyd
Colston, KC5FM
Friedrichshafen HAM RADIO 2015 Hosts International Youth Gathering
The just-ended HAM RADIO 2015 in Friedrichshafen, Germany hosted an
international gathering of Amateur Radio youth. HAM RADIO sponsors reported
that more than 17,000 visitors attended the combined HAM RADIO and the
Maker World 2015 events -- about the same as in 2014. HAM RADIO celebrated
its 40th year this year and attracted visitors from around the world to the
shores of Lake Constance.
"HAM RADIO 2015 went really well," said Steffen Schöppe, DL7ATE, chairman
of the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC), which co-sponsored HAM RADIO and
marked its 65th anniversary this year. "It met our expectations in every
way. We are very pleased with the supporting program, such as teacher
training, the Ham Rally, and the presentations."
On Saturday, June 27, German Youth Coordinator Annette Coenen, DL6SAK, and
IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group Chair Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, jointly
hosted the International Youth Meeting. IARU Region 1 sponsors
a "Youngsters On The Air" (YOTA) program -- a 1-week summer youth exchange
program involving 75 youthful radio amateurs and prospective hams from 22
countries -- held this year in Italy. Region 1 also sponsors a YOTA Month
program each December.
One main discussion topic concerned the difficulty of obtaining an Amateur
Radio license in some countries. Roadblocks cited included fees, minimum
age, exam locations and levels, and availability of learning materials.
Presentations included the introduction of the new Youth Contest Program in
IARU Region 1, and the youth contesting initiative at 9A1A and 9A1RBZ --
the "Amateur Radio in School" station of the Croatian DX Club. An Amateur
Radio course has been integrated into the elective courses at the Technical
School Rudera Boskovica in Croatia.
Each year there is a beginner's class, and students who pass can
participate in 9A1RBZ activities. Since 2012, some 165 youngsters have
completed the class. Aspiring young contesters are paired with experienced
contesters at 9A1A. In 2014, nine youngsters joined the world-class 9A1A
team for the CQ World Wide RTTY contest. By this year, 39 percent of the
Croatian DX Club members were between the ages of 16 and 19.
"Youngsters are not interested only in mobile and Internet communications,"
the club concluded. "If you approach them in an appropriate way, they are
recognizing Amateur Radio as a very interesting hobby." 9A1A will host an
international youth contesting team twice a year starting in 2016.
The IARU R1 Youth Contest Program plans to pair teams of about six visiting
young operators with about six home country operators at well-known contest
stations throughout Europe. It will get under way this fall with a
four-contest 2015-2016 schedule.
Several PowerPoint and synchronized-audio keynote lectures from HAM RADIO
2015 are available on the Documentary Archive website.
Pioneering Remote Multi-Multi K4VV Contesting Station Closes, But Project
Continues
Due to health issues facing Jack Hammett, K4VV, the Virginia mountaintop
station bearing his call sign that pioneered totally remote multioperator,
multitransmitter (MM) contesting, has been shut down. The equipment is
being dismantled and sold off. The K4VV remote multi-multi contest station
project team won't be disbanding, however. Instead, it will transition
from "Team K4VV" to "Team W0YR," operating from another Virginia station
some 18 miles from the K4VV site, said Mike Lonneke, W0YR.
"This past winter's brutal conditions caused serious damage to antennas on
three of the towers at the big K4VV contest station, sitting atop
Virginia's Catoctin Ridge," Lonneke told ARRL. He said Hammett, a veteran
contester, had built K4VV into a contest superstation, but more recent
health problems had prevented him from being actively involved in the
station's activities. The 20-member Team K4VV has been operating Hammett's
station for the past 5 years at his invitation, and the contest enthusiasts
turned K4VV into the first completely remote MM contesting superstation.
With no operators in the K4VV shack, Team K4VV finished 10th in the ARRL
International DX SSB this past March, with a claimed score of 5.3 million
points. At the end of March, the team managed an 11th place claimed finish
in the CQ World Wide WPX SSB, operating as AC3U, racking up 14.3 million
points.
"Then, things came apart," Lonneke said. "The drive mechanism on K4VV's
Super Bertha failed, boom guys on the top four element 40 meter OWA Yagi
worked loose and hung down, endangering other antennas, and several other
serious problems came to light." He said Team K4VV members were ready to
carry out the repairs, but when Lonneke approached Hammett to have the work
done, he learned that, in view of Hammett's worsening health, his family
had decided to close the station.
With its new name and renewed spirit, Team W0YR has begun planning to
resume its totally remote MM contesting activities in earnest this
September. W0YR recently took delivery of a new, additional tower. In June,
Lonneke upgraded his station's vital Internet connection to equal the data
throughput speeds that had been available at K4VV.
"The team is getting ready to work the IARU HF World Champsionship in order
to 'wring out' any faults," Lonneke told ARRL this week. "Even though there
is no MM category in the IARU, we will run MM and turn in a checklog." Read
more. -- Thanks to Mike Lonneke, W0YR
UK Government Holds Up Export of Early Amateur Radio-Related TV Archive
Most encyclopedias say that the first transatlantic television
transmissions took place via the Telstar I satellite in 1962, but TV images
actually crossed the Atlantic in the late 1920s via an Amateur Radio
transmitter, according to historical accounts. An archive of documents and
other material related to that event from television pioneer John Logie
Baird and his colleague Benjamin Clapp, [G]2KZ, is at risk of being
exported, and the government doesn't want to see it leave Britain. Clapp's
2 kW transmitter was used to send the crude images to a receiving station
near New York City, and the archive includes some of his Amateur Radio
logbooks as well as a hand telegraph key. UK Culture Minister John Vaizey
has declined to issue an export license in an effort to prevent the
historic archive from leaving the UK.
According to a UK government statement, Baird -- a Scottish engineer -- and
Clapp first transmitted the television images over telephone lines from
Baird's laboratory in London to Clapp's house in Surrey. From there,
Clapp's transmitter, identified by his Amateur Radio call sign, was used to
send the images across the Atlantic, where Clapp was among those on hand in
Hartsdale, New York, to receive them.
"Man's vision had spanned the ocean; transatlantic television was a
demonstrated reality, and one more great dream of science was on the way to
realization," said a February 9, 1928, account in The New York Times that
cited an Associated Press reporter who witnessed the accomplishment. The
Times article listed the operator of the "vision sound" receiving station
as R.M. Hart, 2CVJ. The Times put Baird's feat on a par with Marconi's
legendary transatlantic reception of the Morse code letter "s" many years
earlier.
The archive, valued at more than $50,000, consists of Clapp's radio
logbooks for the US receiving station as well as for his own [G]2KZ amateur
station, plus "related paper ephemera," and a so-called "Phonovision" disc
that contains an early video recording, made in the fall of 1927, depicting
images of Baird's ventriloquist's dummy, "Stookie Bill." The Phonovision
disc is believed to be the oldest surviving video recording. Baird had
demonstrated his electro-mechanical television system to members of the
Royal Institution a year earlier.
Vaizey based his decision to bar the possible export of the items on a
recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and
Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by Arts Council
England. "The Columbia disc and the notes connected with this world first
of a transantlantic video recording represents British ingenuity and
invention at the highest level," said RCEWA Member Christopher Rowell. "The
notes contain the first ever use of the acronym 'TV' for television. The
excitement of the achievement rests in these objects, which we hope will
remain in this country as a permanent testament to Logie Baird and his
team. Their departure abroad would also be a serious loss to scholarship."
Read more.
In Brief...
ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Seeks Papers: The 34th annual
ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) invites technical papers
for presentation at this year's conference. The 2015 DCC will take place
October 9-11 in Chicago. Technical papers are solicited for presentation at
DCC and publication in the Conference Proceedings, published by ARRL.
Presentation at the conference is not required for publication. Submit
papers by August 17 to Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, at ARRL (or mail to Maty
Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111). Papers will be published
exactly as submitted, and authors will retain all rights. Early conference
registration closes on September 19.
Get Ready for the Golden Packet Event! APRS Developer Bob Bruninga, WB4APR,
has invited radio amateurs to take part in the annual Golden Packet Event
on Saturday, July 18. Begun in 2009, the event is a demonstration of the
ability to relay text messages via the Automatic Packet Reporting System
(APRS®) along the length of the Appalachian Trail -- all without the use of
the Internet. All participants need is an APRS digipeating transceiver and
an APRS handheld transceiver for backup messaging.
CAMSAT Renames, Postpones Six-Satellite Launch: CAMSAT has announced new
nomenclature for the six satellites that it planned to launch this summer.
CAS-3A through F have been re-designated as the XW-2 (Hope-2) amateur
satellite system -- XW-2A through F. CAMSAT said this week that all six
satellites have completed environmental testing and are currently
undergoing burn-in testing. The satellites will be moved to the launch site
in mid-August, but the launch has been postponed from mid-July until early
September. The six satellites are equipped with substantially identical
Amateur Radio payloads -- a U/V mode linear transponder, a CW telemetry
beacon and an AX.25 19.2k/9.6k baud GMSK telemetry downlink, a CAMSAT
announcement said in May. CAMSAT said that each Amateur Radio complement
has the same technical characteristics, but will operate on different 70
centimeter uplink and 2 meter downlink frequencies.
MRHS "Night of Nights 2015" Set for July 12: The Marine Radio Historical
Society (MRHS) will hold its annual "Night of Nights" event, in which
historic maritime CW stations such as KPH and WLO return to the air for a
few hours on July 13 UTC (July 12 in US time zones) along with some US
Coast Guard stations. The event commemorates the days when coast station
and shipboard radio operators transmitted their message traffic via Morse
code. A pair of Amateur Radio stations -- K6KPH and W4WLO -- will be active
on CW as well, and QSL cards will be sent to those who copy the text of the
maritime stations' CW signals or work the ham stations. The coast stations
shut down in the late 1990s, but the MRHS has resurrected KPH and attempts
to preserve the history of the era.
AMSAT 2015 Symposium Invites Papers: AMSAT has issued the first call for
papers for its Annual Meeting and Space Symposium, set for October 16-18 in
Dayton, Ohio. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster
presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite
community. AMSAT requests a tentative title no later than August 1. Final
copy must be submitted by September 15 for inclusion in the printed
proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz, N8FGV. The
2015 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting will be held at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service
International DX Association Encourages Humanitarian Dimension to
DXpeditions: The International DX Association (INDEXA) has announced that
it intends to make additional funding available to DXpedition groups that
carry out pre-approved plans to provide humanitarian aid and services that
benefit the communities they visit. The incentive can be as much as an
additional 15 percent to any financial support INDEXA offers the
DXpedition. "INDEXA believes that many of the DXpeditions we support have a
unique opportunity to perform humanitarian activities which will improve
the lives of those indigenous people and communities they encounter on a
DXpedition," INDEXA said in a June 29 news release. "Humanitarian
activities come in a variety of forms including education, medical, and
dental assistance, infrastructure improvements, and physical donations of
goods and other services." INDEXA said there are many ways a DXpedition
team or individual team members could "positively impact the lives of the
people of the community or country the DXpedition team is visiting." --
Thanks to The Daily DX
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity perked up over the July
2-8 period, with average daily sunspot numbers increasing from 35.9 to
109.1, compared to the previous 7 days. Likewise, average daily solar flux
increased from 100.7 to 123.2. Daily sunspot numbers were below 100 for
June 16-July 3, bottoming out at 25 on June 27.
A moderate geomagnetic storm July 4-5 was caused by a solar wind stream.
The mid-latitude A index from Fredericksburg, Virginia, for July 4-6 was
21, 16, and 9. The planetary A index, based on observations from a number
of Northern Hemisphere magnetometers, was 19, 25, and 10 for the same days,
and the college A index from Fairbanks, Alaska was 13, 31, and 18. The July
8 outlook predicted solar flux over the following 7 days at 121.1.
You can check how the daily 45-day forecast of solar flux has done
historically. Click "Download this file."
The latest prediction has solar flux at 125 for July 9-11; 122 on July 12;
120 on July 13, 115 on July 14-15; 125 on July 16; 130 on July 17-18; then
125, 115, 110, and 105 for July 19-22, then 100 on July 23-26; 105, 110,
and 112 for July 27-29; 115 for July 30-31; 120 on August 1, and 125 on
August 2-4. Solar flux then peaks at 130 for August 10-14, then goes to 100
after August 18.
The planetary A index predictions are 5, 12, 25, and 20 for July 9-12; 8 on
July 13-14; 5 on July 15-17; 8 on July 18-19; 5 for July 20-25; 8 on July
26, 5 for July 27-30; then 18, 25, and 12 for July 31-August 2; 5 for
August 3-5; then 20 and 25 on August 6-7; 8 on August 8-9, and 5 for August
10-13.
For the near term, USAF and NOAA predict the geomagnetic field at quiet
levels on July 9, quiet to active levels July 10, and unsettled to minor
storm levels on day July 11.
In Friday's bulletin look for reports from readers, 6 meter updates, and
updated forecasts. Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
July 11 -- FISTS Summer Sprint
July 11-12 -- IARU HF World Championship (CW, SSB)
July 11-12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon
July 12 -- CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush (CW)
July 15 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB)
July 15-16 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
July 16 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
July 17 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
July 17 -- NCCC Sprint
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
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
September 5-6 -- Roanoke Division Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
September 11-12 -- W9DXCC, Schaumburg, Illinois
September 11-13 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Torrance, California
September 12 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia
September 26 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
The ARRL Letter appreciates the support of these advertisers:
Icom
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