February 9, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive Audio News
+ FCC News: New Rules for 5 MHz (60 Meters) To Go Into Effect March 5
+ WRC-12: Agenda Item 1.23 Passes Committee, Moves to Plenary
+ WRC-12: How Are Agenda Items Processed at a WRC?
+ WRC-12: Proposed Maritime Mobile Allocation Gets First Reading at WRC-12 Plenary Session
+ WRC-12: Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, Addresses Plenary Session at WRC-12, Receives ITU Gold Medal
On the Air: The 2012 ARRL International DX CW Contest Takes to the Air Next Weekend
ARRL HQ: Save the Date! Take a Virtual Tour of W1AW on February 12
+ ARRL Field Day: 2012 Field Day Packet Now Available
Solar Update
This Week in Radiosport
Be a Star! Deadline for Second Annual ARRL Video Contest is February 29
+ Silent Key: Former ITU-R Director Dick Kirby, W0LCT/HB9BOA (SK)
+ Silent Key: Astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK (SK)
Silent Key: WorldRadio Founder Armond Noble, N6WR (SK)
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ FCC News: New Rules for 5 MHz (60 Meters) To Go Into Effect March 5
On November 18, the FCC released a Report and Order, defining new rules for the 60 meter (5 MHz) band. These rules are in response to a Petition for Rulemaking filed by the ARRL more than five years ago and a June 2010 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. In the February 3 edition of the Federal Register, the FCC announced that these new rules will go into effect on March 5, 2012. Read more here.
+ WRC-12: Agenda Item 1.23 Passes Committee, Moves to Plenary
A Plenary Session from WRC-03. Agenda Item 1.23 -- creating a 7 kilohertz-wide amateur secondary allocation between 472-479 kHz -- is expected to get its first reading in Plenary Session on Friday, February 10. The new allocation will not be official until it is read a second time in Plenary, which should happen sometime next week.
On the afternoon of February 7, Committee 4 of the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) approved Option 1 to satisfy Agenda Item 1.23, with minor editorial amendments to the text received from Working Group 4C. Option 1 calls for a worldwide secondary allocation to the Amateur Service at 472-479 kHz, with a power limit of 1 W EIRP, with a provision for administrations to permit up to 5 W EIRP for stations located more than 800 km from certain countries that wish to protect their aeronautical radionavigation service (non-directional beacons) from any possible interference. Option 2 was NOC (no change to the current rules).
In keeping with the rules of the Conference, Committee decisions must be read twice in Plenary Session; the decision of the Conference is not final until after second reading in Plenary. According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, quite a few additional administrations -- mainly in the former Soviet Union and Arab states -- will be adding their country names to the Footnotes prior to consideration in Plenary. Sumner said that Agenda Item 1.23 should have its first reading in the Plenary on Friday, February 10, with its second reading sometime next week. Read more here.
+ WRC-12: How Are Agenda Items Processed at a WRC?
By IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD
IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD
The procedures used by the International Telecommunication Union before and during a World Radiocommunication Conference seem complicated. They are somewhat complicated, but they are understandable with a bit of background. Each Agenda Item that will be decided at a WRC has been studied for at least three or four years leading up to a WRC. ITU Study Groups and Working Parties discuss the issues involved in the Agenda Item. Compatibility studies, sharing studies and experiments take place whenever needed, so that discussions and decisions can be made based upon facts, rather than opinions. Read more here.
+ WRC-12: Proposed Maritime Mobile Allocation Gets First Reading at WRC-12 Plenary Session
At the February 3 Plenary Session of the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12), delegates heard the first reading and approved a worldwide exclusive allocation to Maritime Mobile of 495-505 kHz. There will need to be a second reading to finalize the allocation. According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, discussion of this allocation to Maritime Mobile "has been in the works throughout the conference preparation (i.e. since 2008) and was the reason why the MF amateur allocation could not be made in this band as some amateurs had hoped. That's why we [the Amateur Radio Service] had to look elsewhere and is what put us in conflict with aeronautical radionavigation."
+ WRC-12: Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, Addresses Plenary Session at WRC-12, Receives ITU Gold Medal
On February 3, delegates and attendees at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference had the pleasure of listening Joe Taylor, K1JT, share his vision of the future of radiocommunication. Taylor -- an ARRL Member -- won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993 for the discovery of a binary pulsar, a discovery which has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation. After the speech, International Telecommunication Union Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré, HB9EHT, presented Taylor with the ITU Gold Medal in recognition of Taylor's outstanding contribution to the research in the field of radiocommunication.
ITU Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré, HB9EHT, introduces Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to the Plenary at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference. [Screengrab courtesy of video provided by Andy Clegg, W4JE]
Dr Touré introduced Taylor to the Plenary. In his introduction, he told the audience that Amateur Radio led to Taylor's career as a radio astronomer, and ultimately to his winning the Nobel Prize: "I'm told that an early interest in Amateur Radio led Joe Taylor to an exciting career in radio astronomy, which then earned him the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics. I share his interest in Amateur Radio with passion, but will that lead me to a Nobel Prize? I'm working on it!"
Taylor began his speech by thanking the WRC-12 delegates for the job they were doing at the Conference. "I understand that you have come to Geneva from more than 150 of the ITU's Member States," he said. "You are here to do an important job, an essential one, for nearly all of humanity in today's world. You are charged to do your upmost to accommodate the wide variety of competing interests of all users of the radio frequency spectrum and its available orbits for Earth satellites. This is surely not an easy task. Most people give very little thought to the complicated issues that you face. Why should they, since for most of us, most of the time, the technologies that depend on these limited resources just seem to work. But I know, and each one of you knows, that much background work and many long negotiations are often necessary in order to make everything fit together and work in harmony."
Taylor noted new discoveries "that have fundamentally changed or expanded our understanding of nature's laws, or might do so in the near future." But, he said, these discoveries will not affect the ITU or future WRCs for "at least not for many decades to come. This is because our fundamental understanding of electromagnetism is already in a mature state. Maxwell's equations, after all, have been thoroughly tested now for 150 years. And in principle, they tell us everything we need to know in order to exploit the wonders of telecommunications at the speed of light. Our understanding of these laws of nature, including what they tell us is possible and not possible, is not likely to change, even in the more distant future. But of course we can still develop new and improved ways of generating, controlling and detecting electromagnetic radiation, as well as clever new ways of effectively sharing the spectral resources that we have. Such advances as these will surely continue, and perhaps they will even increase. The fundamental science may be mature, but technology's ability to exploit and build upon electromagnetic phenomena is still rapidly developing.
After Taylor's speech, Touré presented him with the ITU Gold Medal in recognition of Taylor's outstanding contribution to the research in the field of radiocommunication. [Screengrab courtesy of video provided by Andy Clegg, W4JE]
"It's interesting to comment in passing on the fundamental differences between the bounded radio frequency spectrum and the balance, for example, on accessible fossil fuels. Limitations of the radio spectrum are a result of fundamental laws of nature. Every nation on Earth, and indeed every person on Earth, has access, in principle, to the same spectrum as everyone else. The amount of accessible oil, on the other hand, depends on the much more complicated way on how the Earth formed and evolved over time, and fossil fuels are not evenly distributed over the Earth and they are expendable. When it's gone, there's none left. The electromagnetic spectrum, on the other hand, will always be there, whether or not we humans are around here to enjoy using it. Moreover, the spectrum can be shared by many users simultaneously, and shared use can be especially effective if adequate planning is done in advance. That planning, of course, is an essential part of your assignments here.
"Future technologies will surely make even better uses of wireless communication than we do today. I foresee plenty of scope for contributions for new technologies. Information and communication technologies have much to offer for the betterment of the human condition everywhere, and perhaps especially so in the developing world. It is extremely important to continue seeking the best efficiencies in the use of the spectrum. I wish you every success in your task of creating wise and fair guidelines for regulators and policy makers who must allocate the limited resources in the very best interest of all mankind."
You can view Taylor's speech on YouTube, courtesy of Andy Clegg, W4JE.
On the Air: The 2012 ARRL International DX CW Contest Takes to the Air Next Weekend
It's never to early to start getting kids interested in Amateur Radio! Then-ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, operates in the 2009 ARRL International DX CW Contest in the Single Band (80 meters) Single Operator (High Power) category. [Photo courtesy of Joel Harrison, W5ZN]
CW DXing and contesting take center stage the weekend of February 18-19, as the 2012 ARRL International DX CW Contest takes to the airwaves. "After years of lackluster conditions on 15 and 10 meters, 2011 finally saw the propagation gods giving us a break," said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. "Since September 2011, the high bands have been in excellent shape, with worldwide openings on 15 and 10 meters becoming an almost-daily occurrence. As a result, activity has spiked in almost every major contest, with hundreds more logs being submitted. If conditions hold -- and I don't see why they wouldn't -- we're in for another high-band treat in another week or so." Read more here.
ARRL HQ: Save the Date! Take a Virtual Tour of W1AW on February 12
Join W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, on a virtual tour of W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, the Amateur Radio station at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Carcia will lead this tour via a live webcast on Sunday, February 12 at 5 PM EST (2200 UTC). Anyone with an Internet connection will be able to watch the tour here.
W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, inside W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]
"We want viewers of this live Internet tour to feel as if they are actually at W1AW," Carcia explained. "If you came to W1AW in person, you would see the same things that we are going to show on the virtual tour: The three operating stations, the W1AW workshop, the transmitter racks that we use to send out our bulletins and use for the code practice transmission, the control console and Old Betsy, Hiram Percy Maxim's personal spark gap transmitter."
Al Petrunti, KA1TCH, of the New Day Group, will follow Carcia as he leads viewers through the station. ARRL Staff members, including Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, and Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, as well as local television weatherman Geoff Fox, K1GF, will also be on hand at W1AW during the tour.
"Hams around the world know of W1AW, and thousands have made contacts with this impressive station -- but most hams never get to see it," Pitts said. "Thanks to Al Petrunti's group, we hope that folks enjoy seeing what's at the other end of the signals. As in all live broadcasts, you never know just what might happen. We invite you to join us." Pitts is producing the live web tour.
This is the second video that the New Day Group has made for the ARRL. In 2011, they created the HR 607 video that educated radio amateurs of a bill in Congress that addressed certain spectrum management issues, including the creation and maintenance of a nationwide Public Safety broadband network using current Amateur Radio spectrum.
+ ARRL Field Day: 2012 Field Day Packet Now Available
It's that time of year again -- time to start gearing up for ARRL Field Day, June 23-24, 2012! ARRL's flagship operating event -- always held the fourth full weekend in June -- brings together new and experienced hams for 24 hours of operating fun. Field Day packets are now available for download and include the complete rules, as well as other reference items such as forms, ARRL Section abbreviation list, entry submission instructions, a Frequently Asked Questions section, guidelines for getting bonus points, instructions for GOTA stations and a kit to publicize your event with the local press. A brief one-page flyer with basic "What is Field Day" information has also been included in this year's Field Day packet. Amateur Radio clubs and individuals are encouraged to reproduce this flyer as a handout for information tables.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.
Tad "The Sun rolling high through the sapphire sky" Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity was down again this week -- this is the third week in a row with sunspot numbers lower than the week prior. On January 20, we reported an average daily sunspot number of 116.9 for January 12-18, 98.7 the next week, followed by 62 the week of January 26-February 1, and now 40.4 during the latest period. The solar flux forecast -- which roughly tracks sunspot numbers; we don't have access to any short term sunspot number forecast -- is also lower. The latest forecast from NOAA/USAF has solar flux at 100 on February 9-11, 105 on February 12, and 110 on February 13-24. The predicted planetary A index is 8 on February 9-10, 5 on February 11, 8 on February 12-13, 5 on February 14-22, 8 on February 23, and 5 from February 24 through the end of the month. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, February 10. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Circle of Life from The Lion King.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
February 10 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
February 11 -- FISTS Winter Sprint
February 11-12 -- Louisiana QSO Party; New Hampshire QSO Party; CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest
February 12 -- North American Sprint (SSB); SKCC Weekend Sprint
February 12-13 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)
February 13-17 -- ARRL School Club Roundup
February 14-15 -- PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint (local time)
February 15 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint; AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening
Next week:
February 17 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
February 17-18 -- Russian PSK WW Contest
February 18 -- Feld Hell Sprint
February 18-19 -- ARRL International DX Contest (CW); AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party
February 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
February 22 -- SKCC Sprint
February 22-23 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Be a Star! Deadline for Second Annual ARRL Video Contest is February 29
If you've ever wanted a way to show the world how exciting Amateur Radio can be, here's your chance: The ARRL is sponsoring its Second Annual Video Contest! Here's a chance to put that video camera to use: Shoot a ham radio-related video and send it our way. All videos must be postmarked by February 29, 2012. Burn your video to a CD or DVD using the appropriate software and mail it to ARRL Video Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Do not attempt to send it via e-mail, as our e-mail system cannot accommodate large files. Read more here.
+ Silent Key: Former ITU-R Director Dick Kirby, W0LCT/HB9BOA (SK)
Former ITU-R Director Dick Kirby, W0LCT/HB9BOA (SK)
Richard "Dick" Kirby, W0LCT/HB9BOA, passed away on January 26. He was 89. In 1974, Kirby -- an ARRL Life Member -- was elected Director of the International Telecommunication Union's International Radio Consultative Committee; he served as Director until his retirement in 1995. In 1992, under Kirby's tenure as Director, the Committee became the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). One of three sectors at the ITU, ITU-R is responsible for matters concerning radio communication. Its role is to manage the international radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources, and to develop standards for radiocommunication systems with the objective of ensuring the effective use of the spectrum. While at the ITU, Kirby also served as President of the International Amateur Radio Club, 4U1ITU, the Amateur Radio station at ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more here.
+ Silent Key: Astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK (SK)
Astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK (SK)
NASA astronaut Janice Voss, KC5BTK, of Houston, Texas, passed away on February 7 from cancer. She was 55. One of only six women who have flown in space five times, Voss' career was highlighted by her work and dedication to scientific payloads and exploration. Voss participated in making ham radio contacts from space via the Space Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), the precursor to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Read more here.
Silent Key: WorldRadio Founder Armond Noble, N6WR (SK)
WorldRadio Founder Armond Noble, N6WR (SK)
Armond Noble, N6WR -- the founder of WorldRadio magazine and its publisher for 37 years -- passed away February 1 in Sacramento, California after a short illness. He was 77. WorldRadio was published monthly in printed form from July 1971 until the end of 2008, when Noble sold the magazine to Hicksville, New York-based CQ Communications Inc. With its February 2009 edition, the publication was renamed WorldRadio Online and became the first online-only major Amateur Radio publication . Read more here.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The ARRL This Week 01/19/2012
January 19, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ ARRL Board of Directors Holds 2012 Annual Meeting, Okays Electronic Balloting for Division Elections
+ ARRL Bestows Awards at 2012 Annual Meeting
+ ARRL Board Welcomes Rick Niswander, K7GM, as New Treasurer
+ A Reminder: Postage Rates To Rise this Month
+ Army MARS Resumes Use of Winlink 2000
+ US District Court for Maine Issues Order Granting Summary Judgment against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN
Solar Update
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ ARRL Board of Directors Holds 2012 Annual Meeting, Okays Electronic Balloting for Division Elections
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, (in red), presided over the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting, held January 13-14. She was re-elected to a second term as ARRL President. [Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Photo]
The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2012 Annual Meeting January 13-14, 2012 in Windsor, Connecticut, under the chairmanship of President Kay Craigie, N3KN. Newly elected Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ, attended his first Board meeting as Director. In addition, two recently elected Vice Directors -- Glen Clayton, W4BDB, Delta Division, and Dale Williams, WA8EFK, Great Lakes Division -- attended their first Board meeting.
After viewing a demonstration of electronic balloting, the Board adopted amendments to the ARRL Bylaws that will permit the implementation of electronic voting in the 2012 fall elections for Director and Vice Director of the Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions. Plans call for paper ballots still to be mailed to those members who have not shared their e-mail addresses with the ARRL, or who simply prefer to cast their votes by mail. Supervision of the balloting is the responsibility of the Ethics and Elections Committee. Read more here.
+ ARRL Bestows Awards at 2012 Annual Meeting
The ARRL Board of Directors had the pleasure and distinction of bestowing three annual awards on six recipients at its 2012 Annual Meeting: The George Hart Distinguished Service Award, the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award for print, audio and video, and the ARRL International Humanitarian Award. Read more here.
+ ARRL Board Welcomes Rick Niswander, K7GM, as New Treasurer
When ARRL Treasurer Jim McCobb, K1LU, announced last year that he would retire after more than three decades of volunteer service to the ARRL, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, appointed a search committee to find a suitable replacement. The committee received many resumes from League members, and after interviewing several applicants, selected Rick Niswander, K7GM, of Greenville, North Carolina. At the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting, Niswander was elected by the Board of Directors as the sixth Treasurer of the ARRL.
Rick Niswander, K7GM, of Greenville, North Carolina, was elected as the sixth ARRL Treasurer at the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting.
Niswander -- an ARRL Life Member -- has been the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance for East Carolina University since 2010, where he is the senior executive responsible for all financial, administrative, and operational activities at the university. Prior to that appointment, he served as ECU's Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs and Dean of its College of Business. He is also a Professor of Accounting at the university. Niswander is also the Executive Treasurer for the ECU Foundation, the ECU Medical Foundation, the ECU Alumni Association and the Pirate Club (the ECU athletic booster club). A Certified Public Accountant since 1981, he holds a BBA in Accounting from Idaho State University and a PhD in Accounting from Texas A&M University. Read more here.
+ A Reminder: Postage Rates To Rise this Month
Beginning Sunday, January 22, it will cost more to mail first class letters, postcards and packages within the US. The cost to mail a first class letter will be 45 cents, an increase of 1 cent. According to the USPS, this is the first increase since May 2009. The cost of mailing a postcard will be 32 cents, an increase of 3 cents. This is the second increase for postcard postage in less than a year; in April 2011, the USPS boosted the postcard stamp price from 28 cents to 29 cents. You will also pay more to send letters to Canada, Mexico and other international destinations. Click here for more information on all the postal increases.
+ Army MARS Resumes Use of Winlink 2000
According to Government Liaison for Army MARS Pudge Forrester, AAA9GL, Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence has reversed the decision to phase out the use of the Winlink 2000 global radio e-mail system by Army MARS members. General Lawrence stated that the Army -- after reviewing its capabilities -- had decided that the continued use of Winlink 2000 was a valuable asset to Army MARS members and to the agencies that were using the service. She issued a statement to that effect on December 21, 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Chief of Army MARS officially notified his membership that the phase out notice had been rescinded. Army MARS members and agencies who had been using the service hailed the decision by General Lawrence and resumed use of Winlink 2000.
+ US District Court for Maine Issues Order Granting Summary Judgment against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN
On January 10, the US District Court for Maine issued a ruling in the FCC's lawsuit to collect monetary forfeitures issued to Glenn Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The FCC had assessed forfeitures in the amount of $21,000 against Baxter on three asserted violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and its regulations: Failure to respond to an FCC inquiry in violation of Title 47, Section 308 of the US Code, willful or malicious interference with other radio transmissions in violation of Section 97.101(d), and engaging in communications in which he has a pecuniary interest in violation of Section 97.113(a)(3).
Chief US District Judge John A. Woodcock Jr, in writing for the Court, agreed with the FCC on the first two counts -- willful or repeated failure to respond to FCC requests for information, and willful or malicious interference -- and granted summary judgments to the FCC in the amount of $3000 and $7000, respectively. On the third claim -- communications in which an amateur station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest -- the Court declined to grant a summary judgment to the FCC, holding that there were issues of material fact to be litigated in the Court in later proceedings. Find a link to the complete decision here.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 19, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This MDI (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.
Tad "Fooling me like the Sun in the winter" Cook, K7RA, reports: New sunspot groups appeared on every day over the past week. On January 12, new sunspot group 1396 appeared, and the next day two more -- 1397 and 1398 -- popped into view. On January 14, four new sunspot groups appeared: 1399, 1400, 1401 and 1402. January 15 saw group 1391 vanish and new group 1403 emerge. Two more appeared January 16 -- 1404 and 1405 -- while 1397 vanished. On January 17, 1406 appeared and 1395 disappeared, while 1407 emerged on January 18. The average daily sunspot numbers rose this week, from 90.6 to 116.9, while the solar flux stayed about the same, changing from 134.9 to 133.4. The latest predictions have a solar flux of 150 on January 19-20, 155 on January 21-22, 160 on January 23-25, 155 on January 26, 140 on January 27-29, and 135 on January 30-February 6; we are still looking for a solar flux peak of 165 on February 17-21. The predicted flux values of 160 on January 23-25 are markedly higher than the 145 predicted last week for the same dates. The predicted planetary A index is 6, 8, 5, 8 and 12 on January 19-23, and 5 on January 24 through the end of the month. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 20. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Max Graham's Sun in Winter.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 20 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint; LZ Open Contest
January 21-22 -- North American QSO Party (SSB); Hungarian DX Contest; YL-ISSB QSO Party (SSB)
January 21-23 -- ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
January 25 -- SKCC Sprint
January 25-26 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
Next week:
January 27 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint; NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 27-29 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW)
January 28-29 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint; REF Contest (CW); UBA DX Contest (SSB); SPAR Winter Field Day
January 28 -- WAB 1.8 MHz Phone Contest
January 29 -- QRP ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint
January 29-30 -- Classic Exchange (CW)
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!
Click here to advertise in this newsletter.
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile.
Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ ARRL Board of Directors Holds 2012 Annual Meeting, Okays Electronic Balloting for Division Elections
+ ARRL Bestows Awards at 2012 Annual Meeting
+ ARRL Board Welcomes Rick Niswander, K7GM, as New Treasurer
+ A Reminder: Postage Rates To Rise this Month
+ Army MARS Resumes Use of Winlink 2000
+ US District Court for Maine Issues Order Granting Summary Judgment against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN
Solar Update
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ ARRL Board of Directors Holds 2012 Annual Meeting, Okays Electronic Balloting for Division Elections
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, (in red), presided over the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting, held January 13-14. She was re-elected to a second term as ARRL President. [Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Photo]
The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2012 Annual Meeting January 13-14, 2012 in Windsor, Connecticut, under the chairmanship of President Kay Craigie, N3KN. Newly elected Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ, attended his first Board meeting as Director. In addition, two recently elected Vice Directors -- Glen Clayton, W4BDB, Delta Division, and Dale Williams, WA8EFK, Great Lakes Division -- attended their first Board meeting.
After viewing a demonstration of electronic balloting, the Board adopted amendments to the ARRL Bylaws that will permit the implementation of electronic voting in the 2012 fall elections for Director and Vice Director of the Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions. Plans call for paper ballots still to be mailed to those members who have not shared their e-mail addresses with the ARRL, or who simply prefer to cast their votes by mail. Supervision of the balloting is the responsibility of the Ethics and Elections Committee. Read more here.
+ ARRL Bestows Awards at 2012 Annual Meeting
The ARRL Board of Directors had the pleasure and distinction of bestowing three annual awards on six recipients at its 2012 Annual Meeting: The George Hart Distinguished Service Award, the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award for print, audio and video, and the ARRL International Humanitarian Award. Read more here.
+ ARRL Board Welcomes Rick Niswander, K7GM, as New Treasurer
When ARRL Treasurer Jim McCobb, K1LU, announced last year that he would retire after more than three decades of volunteer service to the ARRL, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, appointed a search committee to find a suitable replacement. The committee received many resumes from League members, and after interviewing several applicants, selected Rick Niswander, K7GM, of Greenville, North Carolina. At the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting, Niswander was elected by the Board of Directors as the sixth Treasurer of the ARRL.
Rick Niswander, K7GM, of Greenville, North Carolina, was elected as the sixth ARRL Treasurer at the 2012 ARRL Annual Meeting.
Niswander -- an ARRL Life Member -- has been the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance for East Carolina University since 2010, where he is the senior executive responsible for all financial, administrative, and operational activities at the university. Prior to that appointment, he served as ECU's Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs and Dean of its College of Business. He is also a Professor of Accounting at the university. Niswander is also the Executive Treasurer for the ECU Foundation, the ECU Medical Foundation, the ECU Alumni Association and the Pirate Club (the ECU athletic booster club). A Certified Public Accountant since 1981, he holds a BBA in Accounting from Idaho State University and a PhD in Accounting from Texas A&M University. Read more here.
+ A Reminder: Postage Rates To Rise this Month
Beginning Sunday, January 22, it will cost more to mail first class letters, postcards and packages within the US. The cost to mail a first class letter will be 45 cents, an increase of 1 cent. According to the USPS, this is the first increase since May 2009. The cost of mailing a postcard will be 32 cents, an increase of 3 cents. This is the second increase for postcard postage in less than a year; in April 2011, the USPS boosted the postcard stamp price from 28 cents to 29 cents. You will also pay more to send letters to Canada, Mexico and other international destinations. Click here for more information on all the postal increases.
+ Army MARS Resumes Use of Winlink 2000
According to Government Liaison for Army MARS Pudge Forrester, AAA9GL, Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence has reversed the decision to phase out the use of the Winlink 2000 global radio e-mail system by Army MARS members. General Lawrence stated that the Army -- after reviewing its capabilities -- had decided that the continued use of Winlink 2000 was a valuable asset to Army MARS members and to the agencies that were using the service. She issued a statement to that effect on December 21, 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Chief of Army MARS officially notified his membership that the phase out notice had been rescinded. Army MARS members and agencies who had been using the service hailed the decision by General Lawrence and resumed use of Winlink 2000.
+ US District Court for Maine Issues Order Granting Summary Judgment against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN
On January 10, the US District Court for Maine issued a ruling in the FCC's lawsuit to collect monetary forfeitures issued to Glenn Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The FCC had assessed forfeitures in the amount of $21,000 against Baxter on three asserted violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and its regulations: Failure to respond to an FCC inquiry in violation of Title 47, Section 308 of the US Code, willful or malicious interference with other radio transmissions in violation of Section 97.101(d), and engaging in communications in which he has a pecuniary interest in violation of Section 97.113(a)(3).
Chief US District Judge John A. Woodcock Jr, in writing for the Court, agreed with the FCC on the first two counts -- willful or repeated failure to respond to FCC requests for information, and willful or malicious interference -- and granted summary judgments to the FCC in the amount of $3000 and $7000, respectively. On the third claim -- communications in which an amateur station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest -- the Court declined to grant a summary judgment to the FCC, holding that there were issues of material fact to be litigated in the Court in later proceedings. Find a link to the complete decision here.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 19, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This MDI (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.
Tad "Fooling me like the Sun in the winter" Cook, K7RA, reports: New sunspot groups appeared on every day over the past week. On January 12, new sunspot group 1396 appeared, and the next day two more -- 1397 and 1398 -- popped into view. On January 14, four new sunspot groups appeared: 1399, 1400, 1401 and 1402. January 15 saw group 1391 vanish and new group 1403 emerge. Two more appeared January 16 -- 1404 and 1405 -- while 1397 vanished. On January 17, 1406 appeared and 1395 disappeared, while 1407 emerged on January 18. The average daily sunspot numbers rose this week, from 90.6 to 116.9, while the solar flux stayed about the same, changing from 134.9 to 133.4. The latest predictions have a solar flux of 150 on January 19-20, 155 on January 21-22, 160 on January 23-25, 155 on January 26, 140 on January 27-29, and 135 on January 30-February 6; we are still looking for a solar flux peak of 165 on February 17-21. The predicted flux values of 160 on January 23-25 are markedly higher than the 145 predicted last week for the same dates. The predicted planetary A index is 6, 8, 5, 8 and 12 on January 19-23, and 5 on January 24 through the end of the month. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 20. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Max Graham's Sun in Winter.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 20 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint; LZ Open Contest
January 21-22 -- North American QSO Party (SSB); Hungarian DX Contest; YL-ISSB QSO Party (SSB)
January 21-23 -- ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
January 25 -- SKCC Sprint
January 25-26 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
Next week:
January 27 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint; NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 27-29 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW)
January 28-29 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint; REF Contest (CW); UBA DX Contest (SSB); SPAR Winter Field Day
January 28 -- WAB 1.8 MHz Phone Contest
January 29 -- QRP ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint
January 29-30 -- Classic Exchange (CW)
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The ARES E-Letter 01/18/2012
January 18, 2012
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
Army MARS and Winlink Update
Reminder to ARRL local Emergency Coordinators and Section Emergency Coordinators
Nacogdoches (Texas) ARC Assists in Angelina River Bottom Fire
Operators to Demo EmComms in Michigan
Michigan EmComm Group Selects One of its Own for Award
Letters: COML
ARES Supports Major Extreme Racing Event in Kentucky
K1CE For a Final
_________
Army MARS and Winlink Update
According to Pudge Forrester, AAA9GL, government liaison for Army MARS, Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence has reversed the decision to phase out the use of the WinLink 2000 global radio e-mail system by Army MARS members.
Ms Lawrence stated that the Army, after reviewing its capabilities, had decided that the continued use of WinLink 2000 was a valuable asset to Army MARS members and agencies that were using the service. She issued a statement to that effect on December 21, 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Chief of Army MARS officially notified his membership that the phase out notice had been rescinded.
Army MARS members and agencies who had been using the service hailed the decision by Ms Lawrence and resumed use of WinLink 2000.
Reminder to ARRL local Emergency Coordinators and Section Emergency Coordinators
Do not forget to submit your 2011 annual reports to ARRL HQ. EC's may access form C "EC Annual Report" on the Public Service page. The form may be downloaded as a Word document. Once completed email it to ARRL Field Services Supervisor, Steve Ewald, WV1X, sewald@arrl.org or you may mail it to ARRL HQ, 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111.
Section Emergency Coordinators are reminded to submit their monthly SEC reports. This can be done online.
Nacogdoches (Texas) ARC Assists in Angelina River Bottom Fire
"Command, this is Lilbert."
"Go ahead Lilbert; this is Command."
"Command, a civilian stopped by just now and notified us that some heavy smoke is visible south of County Road 343 within a mile of the Angelina River bridge. She says the smoke was not there earlier."
"Roger, Lilbert. We will pass that information on. KD5GEN"
"Thank you, Command. KE5EXX"
This was one of the QSOs between Rusty Sanders, KD5GEN, and myself on the afternoon of September 7, 2011. Sanders was at the Angelina River Bottom Fire Command Center that was established in the small town of Douglass, Texas. I was located in a small church in the Lilbert community that was acting as a supply point for the firefighters. Douglass is just three miles north of where the Piney Woods of East Texas was ablaze.
Earlier that day, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office had contacted Kent Tannery, KD5SHM, and asked if the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club could provide communications assistance to the firefighters. Tannery then called the Nacogdoches County Emergency Management Planning Section Chief, Tara Triana, to find out what was needed and where. Tannery said, "They told me they wanted three hams at the three places (Douglass, Lilbert, and Sacul), but then Tara told me they needed help monitoring the three different fire locations that were using the Texas Fire frequencies and relay for them."
The State of Texas has an Interoperability Channel Plan that allows multiple agencies to communicate with each other. In the case of Texas Fire1, Texas Fire2, and Texas Fire3, these are all VHF simplex frequencies. The density of the forest, as well as the distance between outposts, were barriers for firefighters' communication with each other or the command post, with their VHF hand-helds in simplex mode.
Tannery continued, "Then I knew what to take and what we needed to do and looked up those frequencies and e-mailed them to Army Curtis, AE5P." Curtis immediately activated an emergency net on the club's 147.32 MHz repeater and coordinated activating Rusty Sanders, KD5GEN, to man the Command Center; Kent Tannery, KD5SHM, to operate from Sacul; and myself, KE5EXX, to operate from Lilbert.
We ended up using two ICOM IC-2720 units and a Yaesu FT-1500 to communicate between the three remote locations and act as relays to the different fire departments who could not communicate over the large forest. The Sheriff's Office supplied each of us with portable radios. We also provided health and welfare traffic, such as confirming that assets were moved to the correct location or that food and drinks were provided to the firefighters.
The club maintains three ready-to-go kits: An "Orange Box Kit" that contains an ICOM IC-2720H, a Kantronics KPC-3+; another box kit that contains a Yaesu FT-8800; and a "Wooden Box Kit" that contains a Yaesu FT-1500. At the time of the fires, the club also had one W3FF
"Orange Box" Ready to Go Kit.
mast, tripod, a guying assembly, and a VHF 1/4 wave ground plane manufactured by Centerfire Antenna. (The club has since been provided with three additional mast/tripod/antenna kits.)
As soon as I arrived on location, I checked in with the point of contact and told her why I was there. I looked for the best place to setup, preferably someplace quiet and out of the way. I originally attempted to use a 5/8's wave mag mount on a cookie sheet from the inside of the building, but I was unable to make the repeater. In order for me to get on the air, I put the mag mount on the roof of the metal building I was in and ran the coax in through a window.
Lessons Learned
We learned quite a bit from this event. Although all of us were activated during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and numerous hurricanes that have hit our area, this was new territory for many of us. Until now, we had not operated from such remote areas. We found that we needed to add more coax to our go kits. We also found that we needed more of the mast/tripod/antenna kits that were later donated to us.
Nacogdoches County Sheriff Thomas Kerss commented, "We realized the value of incorporating the use of Amateur Radio into our operations several years ago during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. We continue to see that value today. Thanks to the efforts of the local Amateur Radio operators during the Angelina River Bottom Fire we were able to establish communication links with emergency responders in areas of our county that would not have been possible otherwise." -- Andy Delgado, KE5EXX, Nacogdoches, Texas
Operators to Demo EmComms in Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan - Hundreds of Amateur Radio operators across the country will be displaying their emergency communication capabilities on Saturday, January 28, 2012. The public is invited to step out and view what Amateur Radio communications can do in times of emergencies. The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR) established a Winter Field Day event in 2007 and invited Amateur Radio operators to participate. Using emergency power, operators will construct, and operate portable emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools, and backyards across the country. Operators will demonstrate long and short range voice, data, and Morse code communications.
In the Muskegon area the Muskegon County Emergency Communication Services, Inc. (MCECS) and the Muskegon Area Amateur Radio Council (MAARC) will be demonstrating their communication skills at the Muskegon Conservation Club, North Muskegon, on that Saturday from noon until 7:00 PM. Other groups from around the country are encouraged to join in. -- James Duram, K8COP, Emergency Coordinator, Muskegon County, Michigan
Michigan EmComm Group Selects One of its Own for Award
The Muskegon County (Michigan) Emergency Communication Services, Inc. a local non-profit amateur radio group involved in emergency communications, has awarded Barbara Grob, K9BLG, the Al Ronning Outstanding Service Award. The award is given each December to a member of the group that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to this organization. This recognition is given in memory of Al Ronning, K8AER, who was an inspiration to other members of the group in his tireless effort in public service. Ronning was a member of the group who died in an automobile crash in December, 2006. James Duram, K8COP, Emergency Coordinator, Muskegon County, awarded the plaque to Grob at their December meeting.
Letters: COML
The item in the December 21, 2011 ARES E-Letter does a good job of describing the role of the Type III Communications Unit Leader (COML). However, readers should be aware that actual certification requires task completion and sign-off of a task book that may be impossible to achieve if one is not already appropriately employed in a public-safety agency. Thus, I don't think the rating is achievable for hams not already "in the business." -- Marty Woll, N6VI, Vice Director, ARRL Southwestern Division; Assistant DEC, ARESLAX BCUL 15 and Training Officer, LAFD ACS, CERT III
In the recent ARES E-Letter there was the statement "This COML training will qualify emergency responders to lead ICS communications units if they possess the necessary prerequisites, including knowledge of the following: local communications; communications systems; and regional, State, and local communications plans." To be more correct, the training alone doesn't "qualify" emergency responders by itself after one takes the COML Training (and I have). The most important part of the process to achieve COML qualification is completion of a task book that the student receives. This document gets signed off on each of the tasks by served agency staff in authority to see first hand that the student demonstrates the capabilities of the position. This task book must be signed off when the student demonstrates experience in real world events or exercises. Then, the task book must be submitted to a State Level organization that has the responsibility for certifying the student before they can say anything other than they attended the course. The COML qualification is not awarded until those additional steps take place. Merely taking the course is not sufficient. I should note that the Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (DHS - OES) is also running other courses that would be useful to radio amateurs: COMT and RADO, all being important and specific roles in the NIMS/ICS framework.
Here in North Carolina we (ARES and MARS) have a strong effort to support the agencies we serve - and I'm sure the effort is equally as strong in other states. That being said, I can say with some confidence that a good number of COMLs in North Carolina who have had their task books submitted for approval are hams! The DHS OEC staff just last week came to North Carolina for our second State Communications Interoperability Summit. There were many hams in attendance, and among the many events and training opportunities, with Amateur Radio having a major role in this Summit, there was a two day exercise for COML students from previous COML courses and a small number of students demonstrated all the task book capabilities to multiple COML qualified evaluators so that some or all of their COML tasks could be signed off by DHS and State qualified evaluators for submission to our State Interoperability Executive Committee, which certifies COMLs here.
North Carolina has led the way in the number of ARES operators getting ICS course completion as well as AUXCOMM training: North Carolina ARES/MARS/AUXCOMM hams are in exercises and real-world demonstrations, showing our served agencies the benefits of having a partnership with NIMS/ICS-trained Amateur Radio operators serving the emergency response agencies in our State, along with the communities they protect and support. -- P. A. Sadowski, AH6LS, IT Manager, North Carolina State Highway Patrol Technical Services Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina
ARES Supports Major Extreme Racing Event in Kentucky
The United States Adventure Race Association (USARA) National Championship Extreme Racing event was held October 7 to 8, 2011 in McCreary County, Kentucky. It is a cross country extreme Ironman event consisting of three person coed teams from across the United States, involving hiking, biking, canoeing, and orienteering.
The event was coordinated at Cumberland Falls State Park, with the race starting at Blue Heron in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area at 8:00 AM on Friday. The first team finished exactly 20 hours and 15 minutes later in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Communications was provided by Region 5 ARES from McCreary, Pulaski, and Whitley counties, Kentucky. Operators were positioned at six Transition Areas, and reported arrivals and departures of each team at each Areas.
Many legs were involved, starting with a short hike from the start point before the teams transitioned to mountain bikes. An orienteering course tested the teams' map and compass ability. At Bell Farm the teams started a time trial event called "The King of the Mountain," which tested the teams' endurance for a climb to the top of Peter's Mountain Lookout Tower. More biking was followed by the teams transitioning to canoes to paddle a distance of 5.7 miles, with another orienteering course at the end of the paddle. More paddling and biking was followed by more orienteering courses. Total distance was 78.2 miles through some of the most beautiful country in the eastern United States.
Lessons Learned
ARES operators performed with excellence, totaling 23 hours of continuous operation. The repeater used was the 444.050 MHz machine, Williamsburg, Kentucky, owned and maintained by Will Jones, KB4PTJ, which offered outstanding coverage including hand-held coverage in most places along the river gorge.
The challenge was the size of the course and the number of operators who were able to volunteer their time and resources to such a major task. I was forced to ask several operators to move from one Transition Point to another to provide information as the contestants checked in and out. I have had a difficult time recruiting enough ARES members and that was the main reason for some lack of coverage.
The ARES net control station (NCS) was established in a room at DuPont Lodge and sent information upstairs to race officials who in turn posted it on the USARA website. Due to limited access of an entry point for our coax and antenna location we were forced to be in a separate room from the race officials. This problem was overcome by the NCS operators' adaptability, relaying reports from the field by texting and sending e-mails to race officials. But, the bottom line is the NCS operation and the USARA bloggers should have been co-located.
Another issue was lack of food for the communications personnel at each Transition Point. Since all operators were informed to bring their own food should none be available, it was not a problem. The lesson is: When deployed on any type of public service event or an actual emergency, an ARES member should be self sustaining, and not rely on being provided with this type of support.
The participation by ARES members from different Kentucky districts was great. Operators fell into place without any problems. NCS was up and running before the race start and was well staffed with four operators and several radios to cover the primary as well as the secondary frequency. Net Control operators were members of the Lake Cumberland ARA, due to their duty-specific training by Don Munsey, AC4DM, Pulaski County, and performed flawlessly.
Our effort was typical of an actual emergency response and was excellent training for all involved. More information on the race here. -- Randall E. Gilreath, AD4WB, District Emergency Coordinator, District 11 ARES Kentucky Section
K1CE For a Final
Here is a news story from my home town of Palm Coast, in Flagler County, Florida, written by Public Information Officer Eddie Cail, KJ4LRB, that I particularly enjoyed:
2012 ARRL KID'S DAY EVENT
By Eddie Cail, KJ4LRB
Flagler County ARES and The Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club hosted the ARRL Kid's Day event this past Sunday in Palm Coast. Participants included Boy Scout Troop 402 who were working on Radio merit badges and youth from all over the county.
The objective was to get youth on the air and get them interested in Amateur Radio by passing basic traffic over HF and other modes. Children were able to log their traffic and see what it was like to work stations near and far.
Both groups are working to garner youth's interests and advancing their education to the point of obtaining their licenses. FPCARC runs a cadet program year round educating students on various aspects of Amateur Radio and both organizations hope to run similar events during the year.
_________
ARRL - Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ - the National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX - A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to The ARRL Letter (weekly e-letter filled with news and features), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news -- and much more!
ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio. Visit the site often for new publications, specials and sales.
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!
____________________________
The ARES E-Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/.
Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
Army MARS and Winlink Update
Reminder to ARRL local Emergency Coordinators and Section Emergency Coordinators
Nacogdoches (Texas) ARC Assists in Angelina River Bottom Fire
Operators to Demo EmComms in Michigan
Michigan EmComm Group Selects One of its Own for Award
Letters: COML
ARES Supports Major Extreme Racing Event in Kentucky
K1CE For a Final
_________
Army MARS and Winlink Update
According to Pudge Forrester, AAA9GL, government liaison for Army MARS, Lieutenant General Susan Lawrence has reversed the decision to phase out the use of the WinLink 2000 global radio e-mail system by Army MARS members.
Ms Lawrence stated that the Army, after reviewing its capabilities, had decided that the continued use of WinLink 2000 was a valuable asset to Army MARS members and agencies that were using the service. She issued a statement to that effect on December 21, 2011. On January 5, 2012, the Chief of Army MARS officially notified his membership that the phase out notice had been rescinded.
Army MARS members and agencies who had been using the service hailed the decision by Ms Lawrence and resumed use of WinLink 2000.
Reminder to ARRL local Emergency Coordinators and Section Emergency Coordinators
Do not forget to submit your 2011 annual reports to ARRL HQ. EC's may access form C "EC Annual Report" on the Public Service page. The form may be downloaded as a Word document. Once completed email it to ARRL Field Services Supervisor, Steve Ewald, WV1X, sewald@arrl.org or you may mail it to ARRL HQ, 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111.
Section Emergency Coordinators are reminded to submit their monthly SEC reports. This can be done online.
Nacogdoches (Texas) ARC Assists in Angelina River Bottom Fire
"Command, this is Lilbert."
"Go ahead Lilbert; this is Command."
"Command, a civilian stopped by just now and notified us that some heavy smoke is visible south of County Road 343 within a mile of the Angelina River bridge. She says the smoke was not there earlier."
"Roger, Lilbert. We will pass that information on. KD5GEN"
"Thank you, Command. KE5EXX"
This was one of the QSOs between Rusty Sanders, KD5GEN, and myself on the afternoon of September 7, 2011. Sanders was at the Angelina River Bottom Fire Command Center that was established in the small town of Douglass, Texas. I was located in a small church in the Lilbert community that was acting as a supply point for the firefighters. Douglass is just three miles north of where the Piney Woods of East Texas was ablaze.
Earlier that day, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office had contacted Kent Tannery, KD5SHM, and asked if the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club could provide communications assistance to the firefighters. Tannery then called the Nacogdoches County Emergency Management Planning Section Chief, Tara Triana, to find out what was needed and where. Tannery said, "They told me they wanted three hams at the three places (Douglass, Lilbert, and Sacul), but then Tara told me they needed help monitoring the three different fire locations that were using the Texas Fire frequencies and relay for them."
The State of Texas has an Interoperability Channel Plan that allows multiple agencies to communicate with each other. In the case of Texas Fire1, Texas Fire2, and Texas Fire3, these are all VHF simplex frequencies. The density of the forest, as well as the distance between outposts, were barriers for firefighters' communication with each other or the command post, with their VHF hand-helds in simplex mode.
Tannery continued, "Then I knew what to take and what we needed to do and looked up those frequencies and e-mailed them to Army Curtis, AE5P." Curtis immediately activated an emergency net on the club's 147.32 MHz repeater and coordinated activating Rusty Sanders, KD5GEN, to man the Command Center; Kent Tannery, KD5SHM, to operate from Sacul; and myself, KE5EXX, to operate from Lilbert.
We ended up using two ICOM IC-2720 units and a Yaesu FT-1500 to communicate between the three remote locations and act as relays to the different fire departments who could not communicate over the large forest. The Sheriff's Office supplied each of us with portable radios. We also provided health and welfare traffic, such as confirming that assets were moved to the correct location or that food and drinks were provided to the firefighters.
The club maintains three ready-to-go kits: An "Orange Box Kit" that contains an ICOM IC-2720H, a Kantronics KPC-3+; another box kit that contains a Yaesu FT-8800; and a "Wooden Box Kit" that contains a Yaesu FT-1500. At the time of the fires, the club also had one W3FF
"Orange Box" Ready to Go Kit.
mast, tripod, a guying assembly, and a VHF 1/4 wave ground plane manufactured by Centerfire Antenna. (The club has since been provided with three additional mast/tripod/antenna kits.)
As soon as I arrived on location, I checked in with the point of contact and told her why I was there. I looked for the best place to setup, preferably someplace quiet and out of the way. I originally attempted to use a 5/8's wave mag mount on a cookie sheet from the inside of the building, but I was unable to make the repeater. In order for me to get on the air, I put the mag mount on the roof of the metal building I was in and ran the coax in through a window.
Lessons Learned
We learned quite a bit from this event. Although all of us were activated during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and numerous hurricanes that have hit our area, this was new territory for many of us. Until now, we had not operated from such remote areas. We found that we needed to add more coax to our go kits. We also found that we needed more of the mast/tripod/antenna kits that were later donated to us.
Nacogdoches County Sheriff Thomas Kerss commented, "We realized the value of incorporating the use of Amateur Radio into our operations several years ago during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. We continue to see that value today. Thanks to the efforts of the local Amateur Radio operators during the Angelina River Bottom Fire we were able to establish communication links with emergency responders in areas of our county that would not have been possible otherwise." -- Andy Delgado, KE5EXX, Nacogdoches, Texas
Operators to Demo EmComms in Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan - Hundreds of Amateur Radio operators across the country will be displaying their emergency communication capabilities on Saturday, January 28, 2012. The public is invited to step out and view what Amateur Radio communications can do in times of emergencies. The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR) established a Winter Field Day event in 2007 and invited Amateur Radio operators to participate. Using emergency power, operators will construct, and operate portable emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools, and backyards across the country. Operators will demonstrate long and short range voice, data, and Morse code communications.
In the Muskegon area the Muskegon County Emergency Communication Services, Inc. (MCECS) and the Muskegon Area Amateur Radio Council (MAARC) will be demonstrating their communication skills at the Muskegon Conservation Club, North Muskegon, on that Saturday from noon until 7:00 PM. Other groups from around the country are encouraged to join in. -- James Duram, K8COP, Emergency Coordinator, Muskegon County, Michigan
Michigan EmComm Group Selects One of its Own for Award
The Muskegon County (Michigan) Emergency Communication Services, Inc. a local non-profit amateur radio group involved in emergency communications, has awarded Barbara Grob, K9BLG, the Al Ronning Outstanding Service Award. The award is given each December to a member of the group that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to this organization. This recognition is given in memory of Al Ronning, K8AER, who was an inspiration to other members of the group in his tireless effort in public service. Ronning was a member of the group who died in an automobile crash in December, 2006. James Duram, K8COP, Emergency Coordinator, Muskegon County, awarded the plaque to Grob at their December meeting.
Letters: COML
The item in the December 21, 2011 ARES E-Letter does a good job of describing the role of the Type III Communications Unit Leader (COML). However, readers should be aware that actual certification requires task completion and sign-off of a task book that may be impossible to achieve if one is not already appropriately employed in a public-safety agency. Thus, I don't think the rating is achievable for hams not already "in the business." -- Marty Woll, N6VI, Vice Director, ARRL Southwestern Division; Assistant DEC, ARESLAX BCUL 15 and Training Officer, LAFD ACS, CERT III
In the recent ARES E-Letter there was the statement "This COML training will qualify emergency responders to lead ICS communications units if they possess the necessary prerequisites, including knowledge of the following: local communications; communications systems; and regional, State, and local communications plans." To be more correct, the training alone doesn't "qualify" emergency responders by itself after one takes the COML Training (and I have). The most important part of the process to achieve COML qualification is completion of a task book that the student receives. This document gets signed off on each of the tasks by served agency staff in authority to see first hand that the student demonstrates the capabilities of the position. This task book must be signed off when the student demonstrates experience in real world events or exercises. Then, the task book must be submitted to a State Level organization that has the responsibility for certifying the student before they can say anything other than they attended the course. The COML qualification is not awarded until those additional steps take place. Merely taking the course is not sufficient. I should note that the Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (DHS - OES) is also running other courses that would be useful to radio amateurs: COMT and RADO, all being important and specific roles in the NIMS/ICS framework.
Here in North Carolina we (ARES and MARS) have a strong effort to support the agencies we serve - and I'm sure the effort is equally as strong in other states. That being said, I can say with some confidence that a good number of COMLs in North Carolina who have had their task books submitted for approval are hams! The DHS OEC staff just last week came to North Carolina for our second State Communications Interoperability Summit. There were many hams in attendance, and among the many events and training opportunities, with Amateur Radio having a major role in this Summit, there was a two day exercise for COML students from previous COML courses and a small number of students demonstrated all the task book capabilities to multiple COML qualified evaluators so that some or all of their COML tasks could be signed off by DHS and State qualified evaluators for submission to our State Interoperability Executive Committee, which certifies COMLs here.
North Carolina has led the way in the number of ARES operators getting ICS course completion as well as AUXCOMM training: North Carolina ARES/MARS/AUXCOMM hams are in exercises and real-world demonstrations, showing our served agencies the benefits of having a partnership with NIMS/ICS-trained Amateur Radio operators serving the emergency response agencies in our State, along with the communities they protect and support. -- P. A. Sadowski, AH6LS, IT Manager, North Carolina State Highway Patrol Technical Services Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina
ARES Supports Major Extreme Racing Event in Kentucky
The United States Adventure Race Association (USARA) National Championship Extreme Racing event was held October 7 to 8, 2011 in McCreary County, Kentucky. It is a cross country extreme Ironman event consisting of three person coed teams from across the United States, involving hiking, biking, canoeing, and orienteering.
The event was coordinated at Cumberland Falls State Park, with the race starting at Blue Heron in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area at 8:00 AM on Friday. The first team finished exactly 20 hours and 15 minutes later in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Communications was provided by Region 5 ARES from McCreary, Pulaski, and Whitley counties, Kentucky. Operators were positioned at six Transition Areas, and reported arrivals and departures of each team at each Areas.
Many legs were involved, starting with a short hike from the start point before the teams transitioned to mountain bikes. An orienteering course tested the teams' map and compass ability. At Bell Farm the teams started a time trial event called "The King of the Mountain," which tested the teams' endurance for a climb to the top of Peter's Mountain Lookout Tower. More biking was followed by the teams transitioning to canoes to paddle a distance of 5.7 miles, with another orienteering course at the end of the paddle. More paddling and biking was followed by more orienteering courses. Total distance was 78.2 miles through some of the most beautiful country in the eastern United States.
Lessons Learned
ARES operators performed with excellence, totaling 23 hours of continuous operation. The repeater used was the 444.050 MHz machine, Williamsburg, Kentucky, owned and maintained by Will Jones, KB4PTJ, which offered outstanding coverage including hand-held coverage in most places along the river gorge.
The challenge was the size of the course and the number of operators who were able to volunteer their time and resources to such a major task. I was forced to ask several operators to move from one Transition Point to another to provide information as the contestants checked in and out. I have had a difficult time recruiting enough ARES members and that was the main reason for some lack of coverage.
The ARES net control station (NCS) was established in a room at DuPont Lodge and sent information upstairs to race officials who in turn posted it on the USARA website. Due to limited access of an entry point for our coax and antenna location we were forced to be in a separate room from the race officials. This problem was overcome by the NCS operators' adaptability, relaying reports from the field by texting and sending e-mails to race officials. But, the bottom line is the NCS operation and the USARA bloggers should have been co-located.
Another issue was lack of food for the communications personnel at each Transition Point. Since all operators were informed to bring their own food should none be available, it was not a problem. The lesson is: When deployed on any type of public service event or an actual emergency, an ARES member should be self sustaining, and not rely on being provided with this type of support.
The participation by ARES members from different Kentucky districts was great. Operators fell into place without any problems. NCS was up and running before the race start and was well staffed with four operators and several radios to cover the primary as well as the secondary frequency. Net Control operators were members of the Lake Cumberland ARA, due to their duty-specific training by Don Munsey, AC4DM, Pulaski County, and performed flawlessly.
Our effort was typical of an actual emergency response and was excellent training for all involved. More information on the race here. -- Randall E. Gilreath, AD4WB, District Emergency Coordinator, District 11 ARES Kentucky Section
K1CE For a Final
Here is a news story from my home town of Palm Coast, in Flagler County, Florida, written by Public Information Officer Eddie Cail, KJ4LRB, that I particularly enjoyed:
2012 ARRL KID'S DAY EVENT
By Eddie Cail, KJ4LRB
Flagler County ARES and The Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club hosted the ARRL Kid's Day event this past Sunday in Palm Coast. Participants included Boy Scout Troop 402 who were working on Radio merit badges and youth from all over the county.
The objective was to get youth on the air and get them interested in Amateur Radio by passing basic traffic over HF and other modes. Children were able to log their traffic and see what it was like to work stations near and far.
Both groups are working to garner youth's interests and advancing their education to the point of obtaining their licenses. FPCARC runs a cadet program year round educating students on various aspects of Amateur Radio and both organizations hope to run similar events during the year.
_________
ARRL - Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The ARRL This Week 01/12/2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ ARRL Board of Directors Gather this Weekend for 2012 Annual Meeting
+ FCC News: FCC Denies ARRL Petition on Vanity, Club Call Signs
+ ARRL Meets 2011 Fundraising Goals
+ Get Ready for the February Issue of QST
On the Air: The ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes Means Winter Contesting Fun for Everyone
+ FCC News: FCC Grants Special Temporary Authority for Amateur Spread Spectrum Experiments
+ FCC News: Radio Amateurs Not Affected by Narrowbanding Requirements
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
Solar Update
Technology News: Videos of 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Now Available Online
Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ ARRL Board of Directors Gather this Weekend for 2012 Annual Meeting
ARRL policy is made by its Board of Directors. The 15 voting members of the Board are the Directors who are elected by the ARRL members in their respective divisions. The Board meets in January and July, usually in the Hartford area. ARRL members also elect Vice Directors who may attend the meetings. ARRL Directors and Vice Directors are volunteers who work hard to represent the ARRL in their divisions, to represent the members who elect them on policy issues and to conduct the committee work that is so important to good decision-making.
The 2012 Annual Meeting begins on Friday, January 13 and is expected to run through Saturday afternoon. Usually, the Annual Meeting is held the third full weekend in January, but with the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) beginning January 23, the Board voted to hold its meeting early.
The two Standing Committees -- the Administration & Finance (A&F) Committee and the Programs & Services Committee -- will meet on Thursday, January 12. These two committees are made up of five Directors and a Vice Director, with the treasurer serving as an additional member of the A&F Committee. Read more here.
+ FCC News: FCC Denies ARRL Petition on Vanity, Club Call Signs
On January 11, the FCC denied an ARRL Petition for Reconsideration concerning vanity and club call signs. Filed with the Commission in January 2011, the ARRL's Petition was in response to the FCC's Report and Order that detailed rules changes to the vanity call sign system and call signs for Amateur Radio clubs. These new rules went into effect on February 14, 2011.
The FCC noted that the ARRL supports its efforts to prevent club stations from obtaining an unfair share of desirable call signs, but expresses concern that the specific rule language adopted by the Commission "does not preclude the abuses that the Report and Order intended to preclude." In its Petition, the ARRL stated that if a club has multiple station trustees, each of these trustees could obtain a vanity call sign for the club, thereby allowing the club to obtain multiple vanity call signs. The ARRL also argued that a club could "'gam[e]' the club station vanity call sign system" by obtaining multiple FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs) and applying for a vanity call sign under each FRN. "We do not believe that the vanity call sign system is subject to the abuses identified by the ARRL," the FCC said, "or that it's suggested rule changes are necessary." Read more here.
+ ARRL Meets 2011 Fundraising Goals
Thanks to the generosity of dedicated members and friends, the ARRL successfully met its 2011 fundraising goals. More than 6000 individuals and clubs supported the efforts of the ARRL this past year through gifts to the Diamond Club, the Spectrum Defense Fund, the Education & Technology Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, the W1AW Endowment Fund and the ARRL Endowment Fund.
Many of the ARRL's programs and services would not be possible without the additional support of its members. The Development Office -- managed by Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH -- worked tirelessly throughout 2011 to make the membership aware of these needs. "I am proud to report that our members have enthusiastically and generously responded to our appeals all year long," Hobart said. "Our overall goal for 2011 was $960,000. As of the end of the year, we had met -- and exceeded -- all expectations. To everyone who made this possible, thank you!" Read more here.
+ Get Ready for the February Issue of QST
The February issue of QST is jam-packed with all sorts of things that today's Amateur Radio operator needs. This issue celebrates 50 years of the Amateur Satellite Service, marking the December 1961 launch of OSCAR 1, the first Amateur Radio satellite. Discover articles, projects and tips to improve your station, as well as information about operating activities that will keep you active on the air throughout 2012.
With energy costs skyrocketing, many people are looking to find ways to save on their electric bill. It's no secret that radios, amplifiers and all the peripherals in your shack can drive up the cost of your monthly usage. With this in mind, Mert Nellis, W0UFO, presents "Characterizing Solar Panels for Amateur Radio Applications." Solar panels use the Sun to produce electrical current to charge a battery, providing steady power for radios and small appliances. And moving your station off the grid may be easier than you think. In his article "Going Totally Green," Dave Gauger, W9CJS, explains that it is simple to make your station environmentally friendly. Gauger notes that he didn't set out to "go green" to save money on his electric bill, but did it for the fun and challenge, as well as to have the ability to provide substantial HF communications in the event of a major power outage.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the ARRL's DXCC Award, the world's preeminent DXing award. To celebrate this milestone, the ARRL is presenting the Diamond DXCC Challenge. We are challenging DXers worldwide to work at least 100 of the 231 entities representing those on the original 1937 DXCC List. And when you're out there hunting that DX, why not swing your beam south for Antarctic Activity Week? Ruth Vano, KB0USC, tells the story of this annual event sponsored by the Worldwide Antarctic Program in her article "To the End of the Earth -- Antarctic Activity Week."
ARRL Contributing Editor Phil Salas, AD5X, takes a look at the Elecraft KPA500 HF/6 meter power amplifier in this month's Product Review. He says this "fully featured amplifier looks and works great on your desk or at your DX location. It's 160 to 6 meter 500 W capability, auto band switching and PIN diode switching integrate well with all transceivers." QST Product Review Editor Mark Wilson, K1RO, test drove four 25 A switch mode power supplies: the Jetstream JTPS30M, the Powerwerx SS-30DV, the QJE DX PS30SWII and the Ten-Tec model 941.
Of course, there are the usual columns you know and expect in the February QST: Happenings, Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is In, How's DX, Vintage Radio and more. Look for your February issue in your mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL Web page.
On the Air: The ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes Means Winter Contesting Fun for Everyone
Stuart Turner, W0STU, of Monument, Colorado, participated in the 2011 ARRL January 2011 Sweepstakes -- his first contest ever! Turner operated portable from the top of Mount Herman near his home. "I had some troubles with my hastily homebrewed 6 meter dipole -- I should have checked it out better before the contest," he said. But I still snagged several 6 meter contacts and grids. I had a blast contacting a herd of recently licensed technician boy scouts from my local Troop 6 in Monument. Overall, this was a terrific and exciting day for my first contest experience." [Photo courtesy of Stuart Turner, W0STU]
VHF operators will be on the bands in force the weekend of January 21-23, as the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes hits the airwaves. This contest gives the VHFer in all of us a chance to do some contesting during the winter months. "Don't let the cold weather in much of the US dissuade you from getting on the air," said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. "Many a portable or Rover operation has done just fine in January. While propagation enhancement can seem fleeting in January, there have been some monstrous openings during this contest in years past. Who knows? Perhaps the propagation gods will grant us a late holiday gift with an extended aurora or tropospheric event!" Read more here.
+ FCC News: FCC Grants Special Temporary Authority for Amateur Spread Spectrum Experiments
Phil Williams, KA1GMN, has been granted a Special Temporary Authority (STA) by the Federal Communications Commission to conduct Spread Spectrum experiments within 2.5 kHz signal bandwidths on 160 through 2 meters, at a maximum of 100 W effective radiated power. The six month authorization takes effect February 1 and expires on July 31. The FCC has assigned Williams the call sign WF9XJD for use during his experimental transmissions. Read more here.
+ FCC News: Radio Amateurs Not Affected by Narrowbanding Requirements
The FCC released a Public Notice on January 6, reminding land mobile licensees, frequency coordinators and equipment manufacturers that they have less than one year to transition to narrowband operations in the 150-174 and 421-512 MHz bands. While the latter frequency range includes amateur service allocations, radio amateurs are not affected by the narrowbanding requirement. Land mobile operation is permitted in parts of the 421-430 MHz band in the areas around Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, and land mobile licensees in these areas are among those who will have to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz or narrower) technology by January 1, 2013. Amateur operation is not permitted along the Canadian border (north of Line A as defined in the FCC Rules) in the band 420-430 MHz.
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
In November 2011, the FCC released a Report & Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. As of January 12, these rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. The R&O brings with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. Considering the expected increase in 60 meter activity when the R&O finally takes effect, the ARRL is asking for feedback to assist in crafting a proposed band plan. Read more here.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.
Tad "Searching for a way to January Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot numbers were up this week by a tiny bit, from 88.1 to 90.6, while the average daily solar flux was down slightly, from 136.2 to 134.9. The latest daily projection from NOAA/USAF shows the solar flux about 15 points lower than the average for the week, at 120 on January 12-15, 125 on January 16-19, and then a jump of 20 points to 145 on January 20-26. It should decline again, and then rise to a peak of 165 on February 17-21. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on January 12, 8 on January 13-14, 5 on January 15-17, 8 on January 18-19, and then back to 5 on January 20-27. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 13. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Vanden Plas' January Sun.
Technology News: Videos of 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Now Available Online
Amateur Radio Video News (ARVN) has released high-definition videos of all the talks presented at the 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), held September 16-18. The programs are now available online on the ARVN website.
The DCC is a three-day conference on Amateur Radio digital technology. Among the video presentations are 18 seminars, the Saturday Banquet and the welcome introduction by TAPR Chairman Steve Bible, N7HPR. According to ARVN Producer Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, most of the talks are fairly technical, although there are four separate sessions that cover "Intro to" topics. "All of the talks -- except the 'Intro to' talks -- were shot in three-camera high-definition, with wireless mics for 'close-up' audio of the presenter, as well as the question-and-answer period," he explained. "The 'Intro to' talks were shot with a single, standard-definition camera.
This year, Pearce decided to release the programs on the web instead of the DVDs that have been produced in previous years (although the DVDs will be available later). "I wanted to make the programs available more quickly and easily to a worldwide audience," he said. "The web has become an easy, high-quality distribution medium."
Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
Four new poll questions have just been published on the QuickStats page on the ARRL website. Let your voice be heard!
Questions in this month's QuickStats poll:
Do you have a call sign license plate on your vehicle?
Do you still have some vacuum tubes in your parts box?
Will the new privileges on the 60 meter band make you more inclined to operate there?
Are you active on APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System)?
Visit the QuickStats page and be sure to bookmark it in your browser. Results from this QuickStats poll will be published in the April 2012 issue of QST on the QuickStats page, located in the rear advertising section of the magazine. Along with monthly poll results, QST QuickStats offers colorful charts and graphs that highlight interesting Amateur Radio statistics.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 13 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 14-15 -- North American QSO Party (CW); WW PMC Contest; Michigan QRP January CW Contest
January 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
January 19 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
Next week:
January 20 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint; LZ Open Contest
January 21-22 -- North American QSO Party (SSB); Hungarian DX Contest; YL-ISSB QSO Party (SSB)
January 21-23 -- ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
January 25 -- SKCC Sprint
January 25-26 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
+ ARRL Board of Directors Gather this Weekend for 2012 Annual Meeting
+ FCC News: FCC Denies ARRL Petition on Vanity, Club Call Signs
+ ARRL Meets 2011 Fundraising Goals
+ Get Ready for the February Issue of QST
On the Air: The ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes Means Winter Contesting Fun for Everyone
+ FCC News: FCC Grants Special Temporary Authority for Amateur Spread Spectrum Experiments
+ FCC News: Radio Amateurs Not Affected by Narrowbanding Requirements
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
Solar Update
Technology News: Videos of 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Now Available Online
Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ ARRL Board of Directors Gather this Weekend for 2012 Annual Meeting
ARRL policy is made by its Board of Directors. The 15 voting members of the Board are the Directors who are elected by the ARRL members in their respective divisions. The Board meets in January and July, usually in the Hartford area. ARRL members also elect Vice Directors who may attend the meetings. ARRL Directors and Vice Directors are volunteers who work hard to represent the ARRL in their divisions, to represent the members who elect them on policy issues and to conduct the committee work that is so important to good decision-making.
The 2012 Annual Meeting begins on Friday, January 13 and is expected to run through Saturday afternoon. Usually, the Annual Meeting is held the third full weekend in January, but with the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) beginning January 23, the Board voted to hold its meeting early.
The two Standing Committees -- the Administration & Finance (A&F) Committee and the Programs & Services Committee -- will meet on Thursday, January 12. These two committees are made up of five Directors and a Vice Director, with the treasurer serving as an additional member of the A&F Committee. Read more here.
+ FCC News: FCC Denies ARRL Petition on Vanity, Club Call Signs
On January 11, the FCC denied an ARRL Petition for Reconsideration concerning vanity and club call signs. Filed with the Commission in January 2011, the ARRL's Petition was in response to the FCC's Report and Order that detailed rules changes to the vanity call sign system and call signs for Amateur Radio clubs. These new rules went into effect on February 14, 2011.
The FCC noted that the ARRL supports its efforts to prevent club stations from obtaining an unfair share of desirable call signs, but expresses concern that the specific rule language adopted by the Commission "does not preclude the abuses that the Report and Order intended to preclude." In its Petition, the ARRL stated that if a club has multiple station trustees, each of these trustees could obtain a vanity call sign for the club, thereby allowing the club to obtain multiple vanity call signs. The ARRL also argued that a club could "'gam[e]' the club station vanity call sign system" by obtaining multiple FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs) and applying for a vanity call sign under each FRN. "We do not believe that the vanity call sign system is subject to the abuses identified by the ARRL," the FCC said, "or that it's suggested rule changes are necessary." Read more here.
+ ARRL Meets 2011 Fundraising Goals
Thanks to the generosity of dedicated members and friends, the ARRL successfully met its 2011 fundraising goals. More than 6000 individuals and clubs supported the efforts of the ARRL this past year through gifts to the Diamond Club, the Spectrum Defense Fund, the Education & Technology Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, the W1AW Endowment Fund and the ARRL Endowment Fund.
Many of the ARRL's programs and services would not be possible without the additional support of its members. The Development Office -- managed by Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH -- worked tirelessly throughout 2011 to make the membership aware of these needs. "I am proud to report that our members have enthusiastically and generously responded to our appeals all year long," Hobart said. "Our overall goal for 2011 was $960,000. As of the end of the year, we had met -- and exceeded -- all expectations. To everyone who made this possible, thank you!" Read more here.
+ Get Ready for the February Issue of QST
The February issue of QST is jam-packed with all sorts of things that today's Amateur Radio operator needs. This issue celebrates 50 years of the Amateur Satellite Service, marking the December 1961 launch of OSCAR 1, the first Amateur Radio satellite. Discover articles, projects and tips to improve your station, as well as information about operating activities that will keep you active on the air throughout 2012.
With energy costs skyrocketing, many people are looking to find ways to save on their electric bill. It's no secret that radios, amplifiers and all the peripherals in your shack can drive up the cost of your monthly usage. With this in mind, Mert Nellis, W0UFO, presents "Characterizing Solar Panels for Amateur Radio Applications." Solar panels use the Sun to produce electrical current to charge a battery, providing steady power for radios and small appliances. And moving your station off the grid may be easier than you think. In his article "Going Totally Green," Dave Gauger, W9CJS, explains that it is simple to make your station environmentally friendly. Gauger notes that he didn't set out to "go green" to save money on his electric bill, but did it for the fun and challenge, as well as to have the ability to provide substantial HF communications in the event of a major power outage.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the ARRL's DXCC Award, the world's preeminent DXing award. To celebrate this milestone, the ARRL is presenting the Diamond DXCC Challenge. We are challenging DXers worldwide to work at least 100 of the 231 entities representing those on the original 1937 DXCC List. And when you're out there hunting that DX, why not swing your beam south for Antarctic Activity Week? Ruth Vano, KB0USC, tells the story of this annual event sponsored by the Worldwide Antarctic Program in her article "To the End of the Earth -- Antarctic Activity Week."
ARRL Contributing Editor Phil Salas, AD5X, takes a look at the Elecraft KPA500 HF/6 meter power amplifier in this month's Product Review. He says this "fully featured amplifier looks and works great on your desk or at your DX location. It's 160 to 6 meter 500 W capability, auto band switching and PIN diode switching integrate well with all transceivers." QST Product Review Editor Mark Wilson, K1RO, test drove four 25 A switch mode power supplies: the Jetstream JTPS30M, the Powerwerx SS-30DV, the QJE DX PS30SWII and the Ten-Tec model 941.
Of course, there are the usual columns you know and expect in the February QST: Happenings, Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is In, How's DX, Vintage Radio and more. Look for your February issue in your mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL Web page.
On the Air: The ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes Means Winter Contesting Fun for Everyone
Stuart Turner, W0STU, of Monument, Colorado, participated in the 2011 ARRL January 2011 Sweepstakes -- his first contest ever! Turner operated portable from the top of Mount Herman near his home. "I had some troubles with my hastily homebrewed 6 meter dipole -- I should have checked it out better before the contest," he said. But I still snagged several 6 meter contacts and grids. I had a blast contacting a herd of recently licensed technician boy scouts from my local Troop 6 in Monument. Overall, this was a terrific and exciting day for my first contest experience." [Photo courtesy of Stuart Turner, W0STU]
VHF operators will be on the bands in force the weekend of January 21-23, as the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes hits the airwaves. This contest gives the VHFer in all of us a chance to do some contesting during the winter months. "Don't let the cold weather in much of the US dissuade you from getting on the air," said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. "Many a portable or Rover operation has done just fine in January. While propagation enhancement can seem fleeting in January, there have been some monstrous openings during this contest in years past. Who knows? Perhaps the propagation gods will grant us a late holiday gift with an extended aurora or tropospheric event!" Read more here.
+ FCC News: FCC Grants Special Temporary Authority for Amateur Spread Spectrum Experiments
Phil Williams, KA1GMN, has been granted a Special Temporary Authority (STA) by the Federal Communications Commission to conduct Spread Spectrum experiments within 2.5 kHz signal bandwidths on 160 through 2 meters, at a maximum of 100 W effective radiated power. The six month authorization takes effect February 1 and expires on July 31. The FCC has assigned Williams the call sign WF9XJD for use during his experimental transmissions. Read more here.
+ FCC News: Radio Amateurs Not Affected by Narrowbanding Requirements
The FCC released a Public Notice on January 6, reminding land mobile licensees, frequency coordinators and equipment manufacturers that they have less than one year to transition to narrowband operations in the 150-174 and 421-512 MHz bands. While the latter frequency range includes amateur service allocations, radio amateurs are not affected by the narrowbanding requirement. Land mobile operation is permitted in parts of the 421-430 MHz band in the areas around Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, and land mobile licensees in these areas are among those who will have to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz or narrower) technology by January 1, 2013. Amateur operation is not permitted along the Canadian border (north of Line A as defined in the FCC Rules) in the band 420-430 MHz.
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
In November 2011, the FCC released a Report & Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. As of January 12, these rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. The R&O brings with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. Considering the expected increase in 60 meter activity when the R&O finally takes effect, the ARRL is asking for feedback to assist in crafting a proposed band plan. Read more here.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.
Tad "Searching for a way to January Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: The average daily sunspot numbers were up this week by a tiny bit, from 88.1 to 90.6, while the average daily solar flux was down slightly, from 136.2 to 134.9. The latest daily projection from NOAA/USAF shows the solar flux about 15 points lower than the average for the week, at 120 on January 12-15, 125 on January 16-19, and then a jump of 20 points to 145 on January 20-26. It should decline again, and then rise to a peak of 165 on February 17-21. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on January 12, 8 on January 13-14, 5 on January 15-17, 8 on January 18-19, and then back to 5 on January 20-27. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 13. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Vanden Plas' January Sun.
Technology News: Videos of 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Now Available Online
Amateur Radio Video News (ARVN) has released high-definition videos of all the talks presented at the 2011 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), held September 16-18. The programs are now available online on the ARVN website.
The DCC is a three-day conference on Amateur Radio digital technology. Among the video presentations are 18 seminars, the Saturday Banquet and the welcome introduction by TAPR Chairman Steve Bible, N7HPR. According to ARVN Producer Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, most of the talks are fairly technical, although there are four separate sessions that cover "Intro to" topics. "All of the talks -- except the 'Intro to' talks -- were shot in three-camera high-definition, with wireless mics for 'close-up' audio of the presenter, as well as the question-and-answer period," he explained. "The 'Intro to' talks were shot with a single, standard-definition camera.
This year, Pearce decided to release the programs on the web instead of the DVDs that have been produced in previous years (although the DVDs will be available later). "I wanted to make the programs available more quickly and easily to a worldwide audience," he said. "The web has become an easy, high-quality distribution medium."
Amateur Radio Fun: New QuickStats Poll Now Available on ARRL Website
Four new poll questions have just been published on the QuickStats page on the ARRL website. Let your voice be heard!
Questions in this month's QuickStats poll:
Do you have a call sign license plate on your vehicle?
Do you still have some vacuum tubes in your parts box?
Will the new privileges on the 60 meter band make you more inclined to operate there?
Are you active on APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System)?
Visit the QuickStats page and be sure to bookmark it in your browser. Results from this QuickStats poll will be published in the April 2012 issue of QST on the QuickStats page, located in the rear advertising section of the magazine. Along with monthly poll results, QST QuickStats offers colorful charts and graphs that highlight interesting Amateur Radio statistics.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 13 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 14-15 -- North American QSO Party (CW); WW PMC Contest; Michigan QRP January CW Contest
January 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
January 19 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
Next week:
January 20 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint; LZ Open Contest
January 21-22 -- North American QSO Party (SSB); Hungarian DX Contest; YL-ISSB QSO Party (SSB)
January 21-23 -- ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
January 25 -- SKCC Sprint
January 25-26 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The ARRL This Week 01/05/2012
January 5, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ BPL Provider IBEC Announces Shutdown
+ On the Air: ARRL Announces Diamond DXCC Challenge
+ Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Re-enters Earth's Atmosphere, Falls Silent
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio Makes Its Debut on Last Man Standing
On the Air: Round Up Those Digital QSOs in the 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup
DIY: ARRL Launches New DIY Campaign
+ Yaesu's Amateur Radio Division Breaks with Motorola, Changes Name to Yaesu Musen
+ On the Air: ARRL 10 Meter Contest Sets Record
+ DXCC News: 2011 Sees Tremendous Increase in DXCC Applications
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio a Plot Point in Major Motion Picture
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Can I Have "Amateur Radio" for $800, Alex?
Solar Update
ARRL Congratulates: Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, Win December QST Cover Plaque Award
Dayton Hamvention: Nomination Deadline for Dayton Hamvention Awards Approaching
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ BPL Provider IBEC Announces Shutdown
IBEC -- one of the very few remaining operators of Access BPL systems -- has announced that it is closing down. In an undated announcement that appeared on the IBEC website, the company announced that it has "no other option than to close our doors and cease operations." IBEC claims that it cannot recover financially from the April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama that "ravished [sic] some of our major service areas." IBEC provided Internet service via broadband over power lines (BPL) to rural communities.
In this letter dated December 23, 2011, IBEC notified their customers that it would be discontinuing service. According to a utility company that serves portions of Tennessee and Virginia, they only found out about IBEC's closure on January 3, 2012. Click here for a larger image.
"While we regret the loss of jobs brought about by IBEC's BPL business failure, in the long run the rural areas that IBEC was trying to serve will be better served by broadband technologies that are superior to BPL and do not pollute the radio spectrum," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "While initially IBEC was cooperative in addressing the ARRL's concerns about interference to licensed radio services -- including Amateur Radio -- the ARRL was dismayed to find that the systems as actually deployed fell short of meeting even the inadequate requirements of the FCC's rules. We hope that this latest in the long string of Access BPL failures will persuade the few remaining fans of BPL to turn their attention elsewhere." Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL Announces Diamond DXCC Challenge
2012 is the 75th anniversary of the ARRL's DXCC Award, the world's preeminent DXing award. To celebrate this important milestone, the ARRL has gone back to the beginning -- the 1937 DXCC List.The Diamond DXCC Challenge will test DXers ability to contact all the 231 entities on the original DXCC List.
We tried to find corresponding entities today that would represent the places listed in 1937, and we were mostly successful. There are a couple of places that were merged, like French and British New Hebrides, and the Papua and New Guinea Territories. In those places, for 2012 if you work a YJ or a P29 (on the main island of New Guinea) you will get credit for working two entities! Many other oddities are sprinkled throughout the list, too. Returning to the air in 2012 will be the Canal Zone (any HP operating within 8 kilometers of the Panama Canal), the Cities of Gdansk, Poland, as well as Ifni, Morocco and Balochistan.
For some entities that now consist of multiple countries, you may work any of today's entities to qualify for that single 1937 country. For example, French Equatorial Africa will be considered worked if you log a station in TL, TN, TR or TT in 2012. The Diamond DXCC country tables show the current entity names and prefixes that qualify for the 1937 countries. Read more here.
+ Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Re-enters Earth's Atmosphere, Falls Silent
According to AMSAT, ARISSat-1 stopped transmitting on the morning of January 4. It is believed that the satellite re-entered the Earth's atmosphere around 0700 UTC (+/- three hours) and was destroyed soon after. Telemetry reports showed that the temperature aboard ARISSat-1 had been rising as the atmospheric drag began to affect the satellite The predicted decay location is an open part of the South Atlantic, well west of Angola.
Sergei Volvok, RU3DIS, and Alexander Samokutyaev deployed ARISSat1-1 from the ISS on August 3, 2011. [Screenshot courtesy of NASA TV]
The last telemetry reports indicated that the internal temperature had topped 167 degrees Fahrenheit and was rising rapidly. Konstantin Vladimirovich, RN3ZF, sent a reception report of a pass at 0842 UTC and stated, "The telemetry was absent, voice messages were not legible, very silent and interrupted. Most likely, I saw the last minutes in the life of the satellite." The last full telemetry captured was received from ground stations as the satellite passed over Japan at 0602 UTC on January 4.
ARISSat-1 was deployed from the International Space Station on August 3, 2011 during EVA-29 on by Cosmonaut/Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov, RU3DIS, and Alexander Samokutyaev. The satellite carried a student experiment from Kursk State University in Russia that measured atmospheric density. Students from around the world provided the voices for the FM voice announcements.
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said that ARISSat-1 marked a new type of satellite that captured the attention of the national space agencies around the world. "With ARISSat-1, we have we have been able to design, launch, and operate a unique educational opportunity," he explained. "By designing an educational mission aligned with NASA's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics goals, radio amateurs around the world have been able enjoy a new satellite in orbit."
ARISSat-1 achieved several "firsts" for Amateur Radio in space, including the first flight test of the AMSAT Software Defined Transponder, which included an FM voice downlink cycling between student messages, spoken telemetry and SSTV; a 16 kHz bandwidth linear transponder; a CW beacon carrying telemetry and call signs of radio amateurs (noting their significant contributions to Amateur Radio in space) and a robust, forward-error-corrected 1kbps BPSK digital downlink carrying satellite telemetry and Kursk experiment telemetry.
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio Makes Its Debut on Last Man Standing
Make Baxter, KA0XTT -- played by Tim Allen -- records his video blog. Notice the tripod is on top of the 2011 ARRL Handbook, next to a stack of QSTs. Last Man Standing airs on Tuesday nights at 8 PM (Eastern) on ABC. [Screengrab courtesy of ABC]
If you watched the January 3 episode of Last Man Standing -- the ABC hit situation comedy starring Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, KA0XTT -- you were in for a treat. While this episode didn't feature Amateur Radio per se, it did show Mike's shack in the background. Viewers could see the DXCC, Worked All States, Worked All Continents and the Morse Code Proficiency Certificate -- all provided by the ARRL -- in the first scene. Later on in the show, Mike records his video blog. Sharp-eyed viewers spotted the 2011 ARRL Handbook underneath the mini-tripod, next to issues of QST!
In the opening scene of the January 3 episode of Last Man Standing, viewers get their first glimpse of Mike's shack -- along with his impressive wall of ARRL awards and his QSL card collection. Mike's wife Vanessa (played by Nancy Travis) and his boss Ed (played by Hector Elizondo) also appear in the scene. [Screngrab courtesy of ABC]
The episode airing on January 17 will introduce Mike Baxter as KA0XTT. According to Last Man Standing Producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, Mike will have a QSO on the show. "We had two Amateur Extra class staff members complete a QSO on 10 meters and we recorded it," Amodeo explained. " Unfortunately, we were set up on a stage that is basically a Faraday cage. The very QRP signal made it radio-to-radio. We varied the RIT [receiver incremental tuning] to give it a little extra SSB sound, but I don't think the signal made it much past the stage walls. The recording will be on the show. We thought our ham viewers would get a kick out of it. Non-hams will think it's just distorted." Read more here.
On the Air: Round Up Those Digital QSOs in the 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup
We're in the heart of the 2011-2012 contest season and this weekend offers the first major event of 2012: The ARRL RTTY Roundup. According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, participation in the digital modes has been growing at an amazing rate. "It's not difficult to get on the digital modes," he explained. "All it takes these days is a computer, a piece of free software and an interface to connect your computer to your rig. It's never been easier!"
Because of that ease, log submissions for the RTTY Roundup have increased about 33 percent since 2007, with 1539 logs received in 2011. "There are plenty of stations to work, including lots of DX," Kutzko said. "Many stations have achieved RTTY DXCC and RTTY WAS in a weekend. You can work toward other awards as well, such as the ARRL Triple Play Award, earned for working all 50 states on CW, SSB and digital modes (including RTTY) and confirming all of those QSOs via Logbook of The World (LoTW). Do you think you have what it takes to set a new record score for your ARRL Division or Section? Check the record scores for the RTTY Roundup and see if you can beat the best!
The 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800 UTC Saturday, January 7 through 2359 UTC Sunday, January 8. Logs may be submitted electronically via e-mail. Paper logs should be sent to ARRL RTTY Roundup, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All logs must be postmarked no later than 2359 UTC Tuesday, February 7, 2012.
DIY: ARRL Launches New DIY Campaign
The ARRL Public Relations Department has released the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) suite of interrelated promotional materials aimed at exposing the growing Do It Yourself/Maker community to Amateur Radio opportunities. The DIY movement is nothing new to Amateur Radio. For more than a century, hams have been working in basements and attics, taking things apart and putting them back together in new ways, just for the fun of it. Meanwhile, there has been a growing population of DIY hobbyists who do not know about the opportunities of Amateur Radio.
To reach this growing group, the ARRL Public Relations Department has created an entirely new set of campaign materials for ARRL Public Information Officers, groups and individual hams to use in reaching out to the DIY/Maker community. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and Dave Bell, W6AQ, were recruited to create the new video. Recruiting volunteers throughout 2011, the duo shot more than 65 hours of high-definition video, and then edited it down to a mere 8 minutes. Titled The DIY Magic of Amateur Radio, it shows ham-makers projects from around the country. Read more here.
+ Yaesu's Amateur Radio Division Breaks with Motorola, Changes Name to Yaesu Musen
After four years under the Motorola umbrella, Yaesu has split from that company. According to Vertex Standard President and Chief Executive Officer Jun Hasegawa, effective January1, 2012, Motorola will keep the Vertex Standard Land-Mobile Division, while the amateur, marine and air-band will be under the Yaesu Musen banner. The new company will be known as Yaesu USA in the US. Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL 10 Meter Contest Sets Record
As of January 5, almost 5200 logs have been received for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Contest Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is happy to have sunspots back: "This just goes to show what sunspots can do for activity. When the solar flux climbed to 190 in September, it was like the first warm day after a long winter; people came out to play -- and play they did, in unprecedented numbers! Activity during this contest season has been nothing short of tremendous, and it seems to have reached a zenith for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Old Timers and new licensees from all around the world got on the air and had one heck of a good time on 28 MHz the second weekend in December, shattering the participation record by more than 2300 logs. And we still have a week to go before the log submission deadline!"
+ DXCC News: 2011 Sees Tremendous Increase in DXCC Applications
With the coming of more sunspots, comes more DX. And when more amateurs are working DX, that means the ARRL's Membership and Volunteer Programs Department -- especially the DXCC Desk and the ARRL Incoming and Outgoing QSL Bureaus -- goes into high gear.
"In 2011, we saw an increase in the number of cards we received from ARRL members that were sent to foreign QSL bureaus, as well as the number of cards we sent out to the bureaus," said DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L. "In addition, the number of DXCC applications -- including those for initial awards and endorsements -- also increased."
As the number of QSL cards has increased, so have the number of DXCC applications. In 2010, the DXCC Desk processed 7134 applications for initial awards and endorsements; these 2010 applications included 853,462 QSOs. In 2011, the DXCC Desk processed 11,175 applications, containing 1,250,864 QSOs. "Comparing 2010 to 2011, this represents a 47 percent increase in the number of QSOs and a 57 percent increase in the number of applications," MVP Administrative Manager Sharon Taratula explained. "With all of the year's applications not yet fully processed, we've seen a substantial increase in the number of QSOs over 2010."
"Through December 31, 2011, the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau received 802,500 cards destined for foreign QSL bureaus from ARRL members in the US," Taratula said. "This represents an increase of 4 percent over the 2010 number of about 771,900 cards. In 2011, the ARRL shipped 799,675 cards -- or close to 5400 pounds of cards -- to foreign bureaus." Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
In November 2011, the FCC released a Report & Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. These rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. The R&O brings with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. Considering the expected increase in 60 meter activity when the R&O finally takes effect, the ARRL is asking for feedback to assist in crafting a proposed band plan. Read more here.
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio a Plot Point in Major Motion Picture
According to previews, the plot of the movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island -- set to be released February 10 -- hinges on Amateur Radio. The movie's hero Sean Anderson (played by Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal that comes from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Sean decides to follow the signal with the unwilling assistance from his stepfather Hank (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).
Sean explains to Hank why he wants to hunt down the signal: "A few nights ago, a radio signal got sent out from these coordinates. It could be the mysterious island that Jules Verne wrote about." Hank replies: "You think you're gonna travel halfway around the world and meet up with some lunatic who's messing around on a ham radio?" "That's not some lunatic," Sean says. "That's my grandfather." Read more here.
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Can I Have "Amateur Radio" for $800, Alex?
If you were watching the popular television game show Jeopardy! -- where contestants have to answer in the form of a question -- on December 15, you might have noticed there was a question featuring Amateur Radio. In the first round, returning champ Boomie Aglietti was playing the category "Pastimes" when he encountered this "answer" worth $800: "The FCC assigns call signs, like N8DNR, to use in this hobby." Aglietti answered correctly with "ham radio."
N8DNR is the call sign of Debbie Dorfman of West Bloomfield, Michigan. Debbie is the mother of Stephen Dorfman, N6DIW (SK). Stephen was a writer for Jeopardy! from 1984 until he passed away in 2004 at age 48 due to complications from cancer. According to the New York Times, Dorfman was Jeopardy!'s longest serving and most prolific writer, with more than 50,000 clues to his credit. As part of a team of writers, he won six Daytime Emmy Awards for special-class writing, given for shows that do not fit into traditional categories. On the Jeopardy! episode that aired January 3, 2008, another Dorfman call sign was featured -- this one of Stephen's father Neil -- also for $800, in the category "If You're...": "...using a call sign like K8RX, you're engaged in this hobby."
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 5, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This MDI (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.
Tad "We all live for the Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: We're continuing to see good conditions, although sunspot activity has declined a bit. The average daily sunspot numbers for December 29-January 4 declined nearly 20 points (when compared to the previous seven days) to 88.1; this is the lowest reported weekly sunspot number average since September 2011. The average daily solar flux was off 6.4 points to 143.1. Another problem seems to have cropped up with NOAA reporting of data that we use in this bulletin. Last month, the sunspot numbers had to be corrected. Now it appears that some of the geophysical data does not check out. Check the planetary A index for the last few weeks of December 2011 here and check the same dates here. They should match, but they don't (unless the problem has been corrected by the time you read this). But the numbers for all of 2011 match what we have reported in the bulletin, and I suspect it is the correct version. The near term outlook is for solar flux at 140 on January 5-6, 135 on January 7-8, 130 on January 9-11, 125 and 135 on January 12-13, and then back to 140 on January 14-21. The next short term peak is expected at 150 on January 24-26. The expected planetary A index for January 5-9 is 5, 8, 15, 10 and 8, then back down to 5 on January 10-27. That predicted A index of 15 on January 7 -- if accurate -- will be the highest since October 25, when it was 27, and 31 the day before. That activity was sparked by a coronal mass ejection that affected earth around 1800 UTC on October 24. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 6. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by The Sunrays' I Live for the Sun.
ARRL Congratulates: Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, Win December QST Cover Plaque Award
The winners of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December are Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, for their article "An Inverted V Wire Yagi with Switchable Pattern Rotation for 14 MHz." Congratulations Ashraf and Klaus! The QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the January issue today.
Dayton Hamvention: Nomination Deadline for Dayton Hamvention Awards Approaching
It's not too late to nominate individuals and clubs for the 2012 Dayton Hamvention® awards. The deadline to make your nominations for the Amateur of the Year Award, Special Achievement Award, Technical Excellence Award, and the Amateur Radio Club of the Year Award is Sunday, January 15. The winners will be recognized at the 2012 Dayton Hamvention, May 18-20. Read more here.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 6 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 7 -- PODXS 070 Club PSKFest; QRP ARCI Pet Rock Celebration
January 7-8 -- ARRL RTTY Roundup; CWops Mini-CWT Test; Original QRP Contest; EUCW 160 Meter Contest
January 8 -- ARRL Kids Day; SKCC Weekend Sprint; DARC 10 Meter Contest; Midwinter Contest
January 11-12 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
Next week:
January 13 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 14-15 -- North American QSO Party (CW); WW PMC Contest; Michigan QRP January CW Contest
January 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
January 19 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 8 -- ARRL New York/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
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Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ BPL Provider IBEC Announces Shutdown
+ On the Air: ARRL Announces Diamond DXCC Challenge
+ Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Re-enters Earth's Atmosphere, Falls Silent
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio Makes Its Debut on Last Man Standing
On the Air: Round Up Those Digital QSOs in the 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup
DIY: ARRL Launches New DIY Campaign
+ Yaesu's Amateur Radio Division Breaks with Motorola, Changes Name to Yaesu Musen
+ On the Air: ARRL 10 Meter Contest Sets Record
+ DXCC News: 2011 Sees Tremendous Increase in DXCC Applications
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio a Plot Point in Major Motion Picture
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Can I Have "Amateur Radio" for $800, Alex?
Solar Update
ARRL Congratulates: Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, Win December QST Cover Plaque Award
Dayton Hamvention: Nomination Deadline for Dayton Hamvention Awards Approaching
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
+ BPL Provider IBEC Announces Shutdown
IBEC -- one of the very few remaining operators of Access BPL systems -- has announced that it is closing down. In an undated announcement that appeared on the IBEC website, the company announced that it has "no other option than to close our doors and cease operations." IBEC claims that it cannot recover financially from the April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama that "ravished [sic] some of our major service areas." IBEC provided Internet service via broadband over power lines (BPL) to rural communities.
In this letter dated December 23, 2011, IBEC notified their customers that it would be discontinuing service. According to a utility company that serves portions of Tennessee and Virginia, they only found out about IBEC's closure on January 3, 2012. Click here for a larger image.
"While we regret the loss of jobs brought about by IBEC's BPL business failure, in the long run the rural areas that IBEC was trying to serve will be better served by broadband technologies that are superior to BPL and do not pollute the radio spectrum," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "While initially IBEC was cooperative in addressing the ARRL's concerns about interference to licensed radio services -- including Amateur Radio -- the ARRL was dismayed to find that the systems as actually deployed fell short of meeting even the inadequate requirements of the FCC's rules. We hope that this latest in the long string of Access BPL failures will persuade the few remaining fans of BPL to turn their attention elsewhere." Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL Announces Diamond DXCC Challenge
2012 is the 75th anniversary of the ARRL's DXCC Award, the world's preeminent DXing award. To celebrate this important milestone, the ARRL has gone back to the beginning -- the 1937 DXCC List.The Diamond DXCC Challenge will test DXers ability to contact all the 231 entities on the original DXCC List.
We tried to find corresponding entities today that would represent the places listed in 1937, and we were mostly successful. There are a couple of places that were merged, like French and British New Hebrides, and the Papua and New Guinea Territories. In those places, for 2012 if you work a YJ or a P29 (on the main island of New Guinea) you will get credit for working two entities! Many other oddities are sprinkled throughout the list, too. Returning to the air in 2012 will be the Canal Zone (any HP operating within 8 kilometers of the Panama Canal), the Cities of Gdansk, Poland, as well as Ifni, Morocco and Balochistan.
For some entities that now consist of multiple countries, you may work any of today's entities to qualify for that single 1937 country. For example, French Equatorial Africa will be considered worked if you log a station in TL, TN, TR or TT in 2012. The Diamond DXCC country tables show the current entity names and prefixes that qualify for the 1937 countries. Read more here.
+ Amateur Radio in Space: ARISSat-1 Re-enters Earth's Atmosphere, Falls Silent
According to AMSAT, ARISSat-1 stopped transmitting on the morning of January 4. It is believed that the satellite re-entered the Earth's atmosphere around 0700 UTC (+/- three hours) and was destroyed soon after. Telemetry reports showed that the temperature aboard ARISSat-1 had been rising as the atmospheric drag began to affect the satellite The predicted decay location is an open part of the South Atlantic, well west of Angola.
Sergei Volvok, RU3DIS, and Alexander Samokutyaev deployed ARISSat1-1 from the ISS on August 3, 2011. [Screenshot courtesy of NASA TV]
The last telemetry reports indicated that the internal temperature had topped 167 degrees Fahrenheit and was rising rapidly. Konstantin Vladimirovich, RN3ZF, sent a reception report of a pass at 0842 UTC and stated, "The telemetry was absent, voice messages were not legible, very silent and interrupted. Most likely, I saw the last minutes in the life of the satellite." The last full telemetry captured was received from ground stations as the satellite passed over Japan at 0602 UTC on January 4.
ARISSat-1 was deployed from the International Space Station on August 3, 2011 during EVA-29 on by Cosmonaut/Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov, RU3DIS, and Alexander Samokutyaev. The satellite carried a student experiment from Kursk State University in Russia that measured atmospheric density. Students from around the world provided the voices for the FM voice announcements.
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said that ARISSat-1 marked a new type of satellite that captured the attention of the national space agencies around the world. "With ARISSat-1, we have we have been able to design, launch, and operate a unique educational opportunity," he explained. "By designing an educational mission aligned with NASA's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics goals, radio amateurs around the world have been able enjoy a new satellite in orbit."
ARISSat-1 achieved several "firsts" for Amateur Radio in space, including the first flight test of the AMSAT Software Defined Transponder, which included an FM voice downlink cycling between student messages, spoken telemetry and SSTV; a 16 kHz bandwidth linear transponder; a CW beacon carrying telemetry and call signs of radio amateurs (noting their significant contributions to Amateur Radio in space) and a robust, forward-error-corrected 1kbps BPSK digital downlink carrying satellite telemetry and Kursk experiment telemetry.
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio Makes Its Debut on Last Man Standing
Make Baxter, KA0XTT -- played by Tim Allen -- records his video blog. Notice the tripod is on top of the 2011 ARRL Handbook, next to a stack of QSTs. Last Man Standing airs on Tuesday nights at 8 PM (Eastern) on ABC. [Screengrab courtesy of ABC]
If you watched the January 3 episode of Last Man Standing -- the ABC hit situation comedy starring Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, KA0XTT -- you were in for a treat. While this episode didn't feature Amateur Radio per se, it did show Mike's shack in the background. Viewers could see the DXCC, Worked All States, Worked All Continents and the Morse Code Proficiency Certificate -- all provided by the ARRL -- in the first scene. Later on in the show, Mike records his video blog. Sharp-eyed viewers spotted the 2011 ARRL Handbook underneath the mini-tripod, next to issues of QST!
In the opening scene of the January 3 episode of Last Man Standing, viewers get their first glimpse of Mike's shack -- along with his impressive wall of ARRL awards and his QSL card collection. Mike's wife Vanessa (played by Nancy Travis) and his boss Ed (played by Hector Elizondo) also appear in the scene. [Screngrab courtesy of ABC]
The episode airing on January 17 will introduce Mike Baxter as KA0XTT. According to Last Man Standing Producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, Mike will have a QSO on the show. "We had two Amateur Extra class staff members complete a QSO on 10 meters and we recorded it," Amodeo explained. " Unfortunately, we were set up on a stage that is basically a Faraday cage. The very QRP signal made it radio-to-radio. We varied the RIT [receiver incremental tuning] to give it a little extra SSB sound, but I don't think the signal made it much past the stage walls. The recording will be on the show. We thought our ham viewers would get a kick out of it. Non-hams will think it's just distorted." Read more here.
On the Air: Round Up Those Digital QSOs in the 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup
We're in the heart of the 2011-2012 contest season and this weekend offers the first major event of 2012: The ARRL RTTY Roundup. According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, participation in the digital modes has been growing at an amazing rate. "It's not difficult to get on the digital modes," he explained. "All it takes these days is a computer, a piece of free software and an interface to connect your computer to your rig. It's never been easier!"
Because of that ease, log submissions for the RTTY Roundup have increased about 33 percent since 2007, with 1539 logs received in 2011. "There are plenty of stations to work, including lots of DX," Kutzko said. "Many stations have achieved RTTY DXCC and RTTY WAS in a weekend. You can work toward other awards as well, such as the ARRL Triple Play Award, earned for working all 50 states on CW, SSB and digital modes (including RTTY) and confirming all of those QSOs via Logbook of The World (LoTW). Do you think you have what it takes to set a new record score for your ARRL Division or Section? Check the record scores for the RTTY Roundup and see if you can beat the best!
The 2012 ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800 UTC Saturday, January 7 through 2359 UTC Sunday, January 8. Logs may be submitted electronically via e-mail. Paper logs should be sent to ARRL RTTY Roundup, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All logs must be postmarked no later than 2359 UTC Tuesday, February 7, 2012.
DIY: ARRL Launches New DIY Campaign
The ARRL Public Relations Department has released the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) suite of interrelated promotional materials aimed at exposing the growing Do It Yourself/Maker community to Amateur Radio opportunities. The DIY movement is nothing new to Amateur Radio. For more than a century, hams have been working in basements and attics, taking things apart and putting them back together in new ways, just for the fun of it. Meanwhile, there has been a growing population of DIY hobbyists who do not know about the opportunities of Amateur Radio.
To reach this growing group, the ARRL Public Relations Department has created an entirely new set of campaign materials for ARRL Public Information Officers, groups and individual hams to use in reaching out to the DIY/Maker community. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and Dave Bell, W6AQ, were recruited to create the new video. Recruiting volunteers throughout 2011, the duo shot more than 65 hours of high-definition video, and then edited it down to a mere 8 minutes. Titled The DIY Magic of Amateur Radio, it shows ham-makers projects from around the country. Read more here.
+ Yaesu's Amateur Radio Division Breaks with Motorola, Changes Name to Yaesu Musen
After four years under the Motorola umbrella, Yaesu has split from that company. According to Vertex Standard President and Chief Executive Officer Jun Hasegawa, effective January1, 2012, Motorola will keep the Vertex Standard Land-Mobile Division, while the amateur, marine and air-band will be under the Yaesu Musen banner. The new company will be known as Yaesu USA in the US. Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL 10 Meter Contest Sets Record
As of January 5, almost 5200 logs have been received for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Contest Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is happy to have sunspots back: "This just goes to show what sunspots can do for activity. When the solar flux climbed to 190 in September, it was like the first warm day after a long winter; people came out to play -- and play they did, in unprecedented numbers! Activity during this contest season has been nothing short of tremendous, and it seems to have reached a zenith for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest. Old Timers and new licensees from all around the world got on the air and had one heck of a good time on 28 MHz the second weekend in December, shattering the participation record by more than 2300 logs. And we still have a week to go before the log submission deadline!"
+ DXCC News: 2011 Sees Tremendous Increase in DXCC Applications
With the coming of more sunspots, comes more DX. And when more amateurs are working DX, that means the ARRL's Membership and Volunteer Programs Department -- especially the DXCC Desk and the ARRL Incoming and Outgoing QSL Bureaus -- goes into high gear.
"In 2011, we saw an increase in the number of cards we received from ARRL members that were sent to foreign QSL bureaus, as well as the number of cards we sent out to the bureaus," said DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L. "In addition, the number of DXCC applications -- including those for initial awards and endorsements -- also increased."
As the number of QSL cards has increased, so have the number of DXCC applications. In 2010, the DXCC Desk processed 7134 applications for initial awards and endorsements; these 2010 applications included 853,462 QSOs. In 2011, the DXCC Desk processed 11,175 applications, containing 1,250,864 QSOs. "Comparing 2010 to 2011, this represents a 47 percent increase in the number of QSOs and a 57 percent increase in the number of applications," MVP Administrative Manager Sharon Taratula explained. "With all of the year's applications not yet fully processed, we've seen a substantial increase in the number of QSOs over 2010."
"Through December 31, 2011, the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau received 802,500 cards destined for foreign QSL bureaus from ARRL members in the US," Taratula said. "This represents an increase of 4 percent over the 2010 number of about 771,900 cards. In 2011, the ARRL shipped 799,675 cards -- or close to 5400 pounds of cards -- to foreign bureaus." Read more here.
+ On the Air: ARRL Requests Feedback for 60 Meter Band Plan
In November 2011, the FCC released a Report & Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. These rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. The R&O brings with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. Considering the expected increase in 60 meter activity when the R&O finally takes effect, the ARRL is asking for feedback to assist in crafting a proposed band plan. Read more here.
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio a Plot Point in Major Motion Picture
According to previews, the plot of the movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island -- set to be released February 10 -- hinges on Amateur Radio. The movie's hero Sean Anderson (played by Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal that comes from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Sean decides to follow the signal with the unwilling assistance from his stepfather Hank (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).
Sean explains to Hank why he wants to hunt down the signal: "A few nights ago, a radio signal got sent out from these coordinates. It could be the mysterious island that Jules Verne wrote about." Hank replies: "You think you're gonna travel halfway around the world and meet up with some lunatic who's messing around on a ham radio?" "That's not some lunatic," Sean says. "That's my grandfather." Read more here.
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Can I Have "Amateur Radio" for $800, Alex?
If you were watching the popular television game show Jeopardy! -- where contestants have to answer in the form of a question -- on December 15, you might have noticed there was a question featuring Amateur Radio. In the first round, returning champ Boomie Aglietti was playing the category "Pastimes" when he encountered this "answer" worth $800: "The FCC assigns call signs, like N8DNR, to use in this hobby." Aglietti answered correctly with "ham radio."
N8DNR is the call sign of Debbie Dorfman of West Bloomfield, Michigan. Debbie is the mother of Stephen Dorfman, N6DIW (SK). Stephen was a writer for Jeopardy! from 1984 until he passed away in 2004 at age 48 due to complications from cancer. According to the New York Times, Dorfman was Jeopardy!'s longest serving and most prolific writer, with more than 50,000 clues to his credit. As part of a team of writers, he won six Daytime Emmy Awards for special-class writing, given for shows that do not fit into traditional categories. On the Jeopardy! episode that aired January 3, 2008, another Dorfman call sign was featured -- this one of Stephen's father Neil -- also for $800, in the category "If You're...": "...using a call sign like K8RX, you're engaged in this hobby."
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, January 5, 2012 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This MDI (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.
Tad "We all live for the Sun" Cook, K7RA, reports: We're continuing to see good conditions, although sunspot activity has declined a bit. The average daily sunspot numbers for December 29-January 4 declined nearly 20 points (when compared to the previous seven days) to 88.1; this is the lowest reported weekly sunspot number average since September 2011. The average daily solar flux was off 6.4 points to 143.1. Another problem seems to have cropped up with NOAA reporting of data that we use in this bulletin. Last month, the sunspot numbers had to be corrected. Now it appears that some of the geophysical data does not check out. Check the planetary A index for the last few weeks of December 2011 here and check the same dates here. They should match, but they don't (unless the problem has been corrected by the time you read this). But the numbers for all of 2011 match what we have reported in the bulletin, and I suspect it is the correct version. The near term outlook is for solar flux at 140 on January 5-6, 135 on January 7-8, 130 on January 9-11, 125 and 135 on January 12-13, and then back to 140 on January 14-21. The next short term peak is expected at 150 on January 24-26. The expected planetary A index for January 5-9 is 5, 8, 15, 10 and 8, then back down to 5 on January 10-27. That predicted A index of 15 on January 7 -- if accurate -- will be the highest since October 25, when it was 27, and 31 the day before. That activity was sparked by a coronal mass ejection that affected earth around 1800 UTC on October 24. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, January 6. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by The Sunrays' I Live for the Sun.
ARRL Congratulates: Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, Win December QST Cover Plaque Award
The winners of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December are Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, for their article "An Inverted V Wire Yagi with Switchable Pattern Rotation for 14 MHz." Congratulations Ashraf and Klaus! The QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the January issue today.
Dayton Hamvention: Nomination Deadline for Dayton Hamvention Awards Approaching
It's not too late to nominate individuals and clubs for the 2012 Dayton Hamvention® awards. The deadline to make your nominations for the Amateur of the Year Award, Special Achievement Award, Technical Excellence Award, and the Amateur Radio Club of the Year Award is Sunday, January 15. The winners will be recognized at the 2012 Dayton Hamvention, May 18-20. Read more here.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
January 6 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 7 -- PODXS 070 Club PSKFest; QRP ARCI Pet Rock Celebration
January 7-8 -- ARRL RTTY Roundup; CWops Mini-CWT Test; Original QRP Contest; EUCW 160 Meter Contest
January 8 -- ARRL Kids Day; SKCC Weekend Sprint; DARC 10 Meter Contest; Midwinter Contest
January 11-12 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
Next week:
January 13 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
January 14-15 -- North American QSO Party (CW); WW PMC Contest; Michigan QRP January CW Contest
January 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
January 19 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 8 -- ARRL New York/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York
January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
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ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!
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The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile.
Copyright © 2012 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The ARRL This Week 12/15/2011
December 15, 2011
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Comedian Tim Allen Stars as Radio Amateur on New TV Show
+ Distracted Driving: NTSB Urges States to Ban Cell Phone Use by Drivers
+ Legislative News: House-Passed Payroll Tax Bill Includes Amateur Radio Study
+ On the Air: New Rules for 60 Meters Have Yet to Take Effect
+ Ham Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Executive Committee Approves Grant Funding for Two Schools
Deadline Approaching for Hams to Recommend Updates to Microwave Band Plan
The Doctor Is IN: Ground Conductivity and Radiation Elevation Patterns
+ Amateur Radio Balloon Flight Crosses Atlantic, Sets Records
Hints and Kinks: Foam PCB Holder
+ ARRL Headquarters to Close for Christmas, New Year's Holidays
Solar Update
+ ARRL Warns Members to be Aware of E-mail Scams
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
This is the final edition of The ARRL Letter for 2011. Both The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will resume on Thursday, January 5, 2012. Thanks for reading The ARRL Letter each week -- we'll see you next year!
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Comedian Tim Allen Stars as Radio Amateur on New TV Show
Last Man Standing -- starring Tim Allen as MIke Baxter, KA0XTT -- airs Tuesday nights on ABC at 8 PM EST. The ARRL has provided Amateur Radio materials, such as issues of QST and certificates for DXCC, WAS and WAC to the show. In this photo, Allen, as Baxter, tunes his IC-92AD handheld transceiver as his boss (played by Hector Elizondo) watches.
Tim Allen -- star of Home Improvement, Toy Story, The Santa Clause and Galaxy Quest, just to name a few -- stars in Last Man Standing, an ABC comedy airing at 8 PM (EST) on Tuesday nights. Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, a married father of three and the director of marketing at an outdoor sporting goods store in Colorado whose life is dominated by women. While Amateur Radio has not been prominently featured in the first episodes, according to John Amodeo, NN6JA -- the producer of Last Man Standing -- it is a part of the show and an important part of Mike's character. At press time, the episode that will establish Mike as a radio amateur is scheduled to air mid-January.
"Tim's character Mike is involved in creating the sales strategy for the store, including their catalog and Internet identity," Amodeo told the ARRL. "The store is like Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas. There is a strong self-sufficiency overtone to Mike's approach to life. Ham radio fits in the story as a means of emergency communication. It's not directly featured in the foreground story, but at the moment, it's a background element on the home set. Once I allow something to be put on the set, there's a chance the writers will feature it. Now that we have actually established Mike Baxter as KA0XTT, we can do more things featuring Amateur Radio." Read more here.
+ Distracted Driving: NTSB Urges States to Ban Cell Phone Use by Drivers
On Tuesday, December 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that States ban the nonemergency use of all cellular telephones and other "portable electronic devices" (PEDs) by drivers of motor vehicles. This would include hands-free cell phone operation and all text messaging while mobile. While this NTSB recommendation has been the lead story in national media, the "distracted driving" issue has been receiving serious attention for several years. A number of states and municipalities have prohibited texting and handheld cellular telephone use by all or some drivers, though none has gone so far as to outlaw all hands-free cell phone use. To avoid unintended consequences to Amateur Radio operation, the ARRL has been closely involved with this issue for several years. The full text of the NTSB report is not yet available, and it is not yet known whether the broad term "portable electronic devices" might be construed as including all or some Amateur Radio equipment.
On January 30, 2009, the Executive Committee of the ARRL Board of Directors approved and released an ARRL position paper on Mobile Amateur Radio Operation. In that paper, the ARRL encourages licensees to conduct Amateur Radio communications from motor vehicles in a manner that does not detract from the safe and attentive operation of a motor vehicle at all times, but points out that mobile two-way radio equipment has been in use for at least 70 years and is quite dissimilar from full-duplex cell phones. Read more here.
+ Legislative News: House-Passed Payroll Tax Bill Includes Amateur Radio Study
The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 (HR 3630) -- the bill to extend the payroll tax reduction that passed the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 13 -- includes among its many other provisions the "Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum Act" or "JOBS Act" that passed the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on December 1. The JOBS Act makes up Title IV of HR 3630. Read more here.
+ On the Air: New Rules for 60 Meters Have Yet to Take Effect
Last month, the FCC released a Report & Order (R&O) detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. These rules have not been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. Any radio amateur who is operating under the new rules before this time is in violation of the current rules. The official date for these new rules will be announced on the ARRL website as soon as the information is available.
+ Ham Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Executive Committee Approves Grant Funding for Two Schools
Earlier this month, the ARRL Executive Committee reviewed grant applications for the ARRL's Education & Technology Program (ETP), awarding instructional resources valued at nearly $2000 to two schools. More than 525 schools across the country have received support from the ETP in the form of equipment, curriculum and resources, as well as teacher in-service training through the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. Applications for equipment and resource grants are accepted twice each year; application deadlines are May 1 and November 1.
A central goal of the ETP is to develop a foundation of wireless technology literacy among America's teachers and students. It employs Amateur Radio to explore radio science and electronics and provide hands-on activities that engage students' minds and imaginations, opening doorways into math, science and technology curriculum topics, as well as other core curriculum areas such as geography and language arts. Read more here.
Deadline Approaching for Hams to Recommend Updates to Microwave Band Plan
Attention microwavers! An ARRL Ad Hoc Committee has been tasked by the Board of Directors with recommending updates to the ARRL band plans for the amateur bands between 902 MHz and 3.5 GHz. If you are now active on any of these bands or are developing plans to do so, the committee would like to hear from you by Thursday, December 15.
The band plans for these bands may be found here:
902-928 MHz
1240-1300 MHz
2300-2310 and 2390-2450 MHz
3300-3500 MHz
You can find additional background and a form for submitting information here.
The Doctor Is IN: Ground Conductivity and Radiation Elevation Patterns
Stan Korzep, W8NNX, of Orlando, Florida, was wondering that if he improved his ground conductivity, would he also improve his radiation elevation pattern? With this in mind, he wrote to the Doctor: Late last night as I pondered why -- with 10 meters so hot -- I was not working any DX stations in the Asia Pacific region. My first thought was that the competition was too great. I still use the three element trap Yagi that was on my tower in the 1980s when I had much better luck. Thanks to my power company, I have a far field noise source that allows a pretty good check of antenna pattern, F/B and the ability to determine if there is a gain compared to my other antennas. With a pretty good SWR, and greater than 20 dB F/B, I believe that the tribander has survived three hurricanes and two decades of use quite well.
The required elevation angle for a small number of F layer hops to the Pacific is quite small.
I seem to recall a QST article ["The Antenna Elevation Pattern -- What's the Big Deal?" Mar 2010, pages 39-40] that noted that the elevation angle of maximum radiation was largely determined by the antenna's height. I wonder if this might be a factor in my lack of success. Since my antenna is limited to 24 feet by homeowners and county rules, the installation has not changed in 32 years -- only the results have deteriorated. The decline in the rainfall over the two decades here at my location (I maintain two rain gauges in the back yard) may have changed the apparent ground.
The ground beneath my house and antenna is what the locals call "sugar sand," one step up from beach sand. Its ability to provide a good ground is akin to pure distilled water. I read some time ago about the relationship of soil fertility, carbon and soil conductivity. Will improving my ground conductivity improve my radiation elevation pattern? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Here's what the Doctor had to say:
A better ground will certainly change the elevation contour of your antennas due to reflections -- in phase for vertical antennas (reinforcing the low angle radiation) and out of phase with horizontal (tending to cancel the lowest angles); however, the major impact will occur at some distance from the antenna. The exception is for vertical antennas that use the Earth as part of their ground system -- their efficiency will improve with better conductivity near the base -- independent of the reflection part of the equation.
Your height of 24 feet is interesting for a tribander. That is about 0.35 wavelengths on 20 meters, just above 0.5 wavelengths on 15 and about 0.7 wavelengths on 10 meters. Over EZNEC's "Typical ground" (0.005 S/m conductivity, dielectric constant of 13), that gives the results in Table 1 below on the 10 and 20 meter bands based on my model of a similar tri-bander.
Band (Meters)
Peak Elevation (degrees)
Gain at Peak (dBi)
Gain at 5 degrees (dBi)
Gain at 10 degrees (dBi)
20
35
8.2
-3.9
1.7
10
20
11.9
4.2
9.3
Table 1: Peak Gain and Gain at Elevation Angles for a 24 foot High Yagi over EZNEC "Typical" Ground
The results for 15 meters will be in between. If your ground is less conductive, it will actually be better (less cancellation at low angles); however, you will not get as much reinforcement at the peak angle at which the reflection is in phase. The extreme would be the "free space" case in which there is no ground at all. There the peak is at the horizon and you have the results shown in Table 2 below.
Band (Meters)
Peak Elevation (degrees)
Gain at Peak (dBi)
Gain at 5 degrees (dBi)
Gain at 10 degrees (dBi)
20
0
4.7
4.6
4.7
10
0
6.9
6.9
6.9
Table 2: Peak Gain and Gain at Elevation Angles for a 24 foot High Yagi in Free Space
Thus, with a low horizontal antenna, the long haul performance will be better with a poor ground than with one of high conductivity. This will change as the antenna gets high enough so that the angle of peak gain gets close to the optimum angle for the distance you want to work. This angle will be quite small for few hops to the Pacific -- typically a 6000 to 10,000 mile path. As seen in Figure 1, even at 5 degrees elevation, it will take two to four hops to get there. Again, this is not the ground directly under the antenna, but the ground from which the reflection takes place, some distance away. The higher the antenna is, the further the distance to the ground that will reinforce the peak of the elevation pattern.
Thanks Doctor! Do you have a question or a problem? Send your questions via e-mail or to "The Doctor," ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 (no phone calls, please). Look for "The Doctor Is IN" every month in QST, the official journal of the ARRL.
+ Amateur Radio Balloon Flight Crosses Atlantic, Sets Records
The high altitude balloon released by the California Near Space project traveled more than 6000 miles before it burst in the Mediterranean Sea. See a larger version here.
Ron Meadows, K6RPT, and his son Lee -- leaders of the California Near Space Project -- successfully launched an Amateur Radio high altitude balloon from San Jose, California on Sunday, December 11 at 4:43 PM PST. The balloon reached a cruise altitude between 105,000 and 115,000 feet, where it continued its travel across the United States, the Atlantic Ocean and Spain and into the Mediterranean Sea. For most of its trip, the balloon traveled at about 150 miles per hour and eventually covered 6236 great circle miles in just 57 hours 2 minutes. According to the CNSP, this is a new Amateur Radio balloon flight record for both distance and duration. Read more here.
Hints and Kinks: Foam PCB Holder
Paul Jacobs, W2IOG, of Naples, New York, sent us this idea for assembling small PC boards. Contact Paul via e-mail for more information.
Here's a simple fixture that makes assembling small PC boards a snap. A scrap piece of 1/4 inch aluminum sheet forms a base for the fixture. Mount two 1-inch standoffs about 1/2 inch farther apart than the longest dimension of the PC board to be assembled. Now cut a piece of 1 inch thick soft foam packing material to slightly larger than the size of the board so that it fits snugly between the standoffs. Mount two crimp type insulated wire terminals to the standoffs; keep the screws slightly loose.
The W2IOG PCB holder in action, keeping components in place for soldering.
To use the fixture, insert several components into the board, turn both the board and the fixture vertical, press the component side of the board to the foam and return both to the horizontal position. Press down on the board to compress the foam and rotate the two wire terminals to hold the board in place. The weight of the fixture keeps the board in place and the pressure of the foam holds the components firmly to the surface of the board. Soldering them in place is easy.
Do you have an idea or a simple project that has improved your operating? Maybe you've taken something commonly found around the home and developed a ham radio use for it? Why not share your hints with fellow hams in "Hints and Kinks," a monthly column in QST. If we publish your hint in QST or The ARRL Letter, you will receive $20. Send your hints via e-mail to h&k(at)arrl(dot)org or to ARRL Headquarters, Attn: "Hints and Kinks," 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Please include your name, call sign, complete mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address.
+ ARRL Headquarters to Close for Christmas, New Year's Holidays
ARRL Headquarters will be closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2 in observance of Christmas and New Year's Day. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice transmissions those days. There will be no ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News on Thursday, December 22 and 29; both the Letter and Audio News will return on January 5, 2012. We wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season and a prosperous 2012.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, December 15, 2011 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.
Tad "Sunshine, go away today" Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity dropped this week, with the average daily sunspot numbers declining more than 39 points to 94.7. It's been 13 weeks since the average daily sunspot number for the week was that low or lower, when we reported an average of 91.7 in the September 16 edition of the Solar Update. The latest USAF/NOAA forecast has the solar flux for December 15-17 at 130, 128 and 126, then 125 on December 18-22, then 150 on December 23-26, 140 on December 27-28, and then 145 on December 29-January 4. The predicted planetary A index is 8 on December 15, 5 on December 16-25, and 8 on December 26-29. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions December 16-18, quiet to unsettled December 19, unsettled December 20 and quiet December 21-22. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, December 16. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Jonathan Edwards' Sunshine (Go Away Today).
+ ARRL Warns Members to be Aware of E-mail Scams
Many ARRL members with arrl.net e-mail accounts have recently received bogus e-mails in a "phishing" attack. These are scams designed to scare people into e-mailing back personal information -- such as user names and passwords -- to the scammer at an unknown address. This particular attack was more sophisticated than usual, but far from unique.
"There is never a time when we would ask via e-mail for user names and passwords of arrl.net users," explained ARRL IT Manager Michael Keane, K1MK. "There is simply no need to ever do so. If you receive an e-mail asking for personal information and it looks like it originated from ARRL, please do not respond. The best thing you can do when receiving bogus e-mails is to simply add it to the spam list in your computer's e-mail program and delete it. Please don't forward it to ARRL HQ -- we will have already seen it and are already responding to it."
ARRL members -- and anyone who uses e-mail services -- should be constantly aware that e-mail is far from secure. If anyone ever asks you for personal information via e-mail, it probably is a scam, no matter how pretty or professional their logo or graphics may appear.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
December 16 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder; Russian 160 Meter Contest; AGB-Party Contest
December 17 -- OK DX RTTY Contest; RAC Winter Contest; Feld Hell Sprint
December 17, 2011-January 1, 2012 -- Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party
December 17-18 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge; Croatian CW Contest
December 18 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (CW); QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint
December 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
Through January 6, 2012:
December 28 -- SKCC Sprint
December 28-29 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
December 29 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
January 1 -- ARRL Straight Key Night; SARTG New Year RTTY Contest; AGCW Happy New Year Contest
January 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
January 6 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 8, 2012 -- ARRL New York/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York
January 27-28, 2012 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4, 2012 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12, 2012 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18, 2012 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18, 2012 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25, 2012 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!
Click here to advertise in this newsletter.
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile.
Copyright © 2011 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Comedian Tim Allen Stars as Radio Amateur on New TV Show
+ Distracted Driving: NTSB Urges States to Ban Cell Phone Use by Drivers
+ Legislative News: House-Passed Payroll Tax Bill Includes Amateur Radio Study
+ On the Air: New Rules for 60 Meters Have Yet to Take Effect
+ Ham Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Executive Committee Approves Grant Funding for Two Schools
Deadline Approaching for Hams to Recommend Updates to Microwave Band Plan
The Doctor Is IN: Ground Conductivity and Radiation Elevation Patterns
+ Amateur Radio Balloon Flight Crosses Atlantic, Sets Records
Hints and Kinks: Foam PCB Holder
+ ARRL Headquarters to Close for Christmas, New Year's Holidays
Solar Update
+ ARRL Warns Members to be Aware of E-mail Scams
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News.
This is the final edition of The ARRL Letter for 2011. Both The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will resume on Thursday, January 5, 2012. Thanks for reading The ARRL Letter each week -- we'll see you next year!
+ Ham Radio in Hollywood: Comedian Tim Allen Stars as Radio Amateur on New TV Show
Last Man Standing -- starring Tim Allen as MIke Baxter, KA0XTT -- airs Tuesday nights on ABC at 8 PM EST. The ARRL has provided Amateur Radio materials, such as issues of QST and certificates for DXCC, WAS and WAC to the show. In this photo, Allen, as Baxter, tunes his IC-92AD handheld transceiver as his boss (played by Hector Elizondo) watches.
Tim Allen -- star of Home Improvement, Toy Story, The Santa Clause and Galaxy Quest, just to name a few -- stars in Last Man Standing, an ABC comedy airing at 8 PM (EST) on Tuesday nights. Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, a married father of three and the director of marketing at an outdoor sporting goods store in Colorado whose life is dominated by women. While Amateur Radio has not been prominently featured in the first episodes, according to John Amodeo, NN6JA -- the producer of Last Man Standing -- it is a part of the show and an important part of Mike's character. At press time, the episode that will establish Mike as a radio amateur is scheduled to air mid-January.
"Tim's character Mike is involved in creating the sales strategy for the store, including their catalog and Internet identity," Amodeo told the ARRL. "The store is like Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas. There is a strong self-sufficiency overtone to Mike's approach to life. Ham radio fits in the story as a means of emergency communication. It's not directly featured in the foreground story, but at the moment, it's a background element on the home set. Once I allow something to be put on the set, there's a chance the writers will feature it. Now that we have actually established Mike Baxter as KA0XTT, we can do more things featuring Amateur Radio." Read more here.
+ Distracted Driving: NTSB Urges States to Ban Cell Phone Use by Drivers
On Tuesday, December 13, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that States ban the nonemergency use of all cellular telephones and other "portable electronic devices" (PEDs) by drivers of motor vehicles. This would include hands-free cell phone operation and all text messaging while mobile. While this NTSB recommendation has been the lead story in national media, the "distracted driving" issue has been receiving serious attention for several years. A number of states and municipalities have prohibited texting and handheld cellular telephone use by all or some drivers, though none has gone so far as to outlaw all hands-free cell phone use. To avoid unintended consequences to Amateur Radio operation, the ARRL has been closely involved with this issue for several years. The full text of the NTSB report is not yet available, and it is not yet known whether the broad term "portable electronic devices" might be construed as including all or some Amateur Radio equipment.
On January 30, 2009, the Executive Committee of the ARRL Board of Directors approved and released an ARRL position paper on Mobile Amateur Radio Operation. In that paper, the ARRL encourages licensees to conduct Amateur Radio communications from motor vehicles in a manner that does not detract from the safe and attentive operation of a motor vehicle at all times, but points out that mobile two-way radio equipment has been in use for at least 70 years and is quite dissimilar from full-duplex cell phones. Read more here.
+ Legislative News: House-Passed Payroll Tax Bill Includes Amateur Radio Study
The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 (HR 3630) -- the bill to extend the payroll tax reduction that passed the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 13 -- includes among its many other provisions the "Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum Act" or "JOBS Act" that passed the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on December 1. The JOBS Act makes up Title IV of HR 3630. Read more here.
+ On the Air: New Rules for 60 Meters Have Yet to Take Effect
Last month, the FCC released a Report & Order (R&O) detailing new rules for the 5 MHz (60 meters) Amateur Radio band. These rules have not been published in the Federal Register. In order to be official, the rules must be published in the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after the publication date. Any radio amateur who is operating under the new rules before this time is in violation of the current rules. The official date for these new rules will be announced on the ARRL website as soon as the information is available.
+ Ham Radio in the Classroom: ARRL Executive Committee Approves Grant Funding for Two Schools
Earlier this month, the ARRL Executive Committee reviewed grant applications for the ARRL's Education & Technology Program (ETP), awarding instructional resources valued at nearly $2000 to two schools. More than 525 schools across the country have received support from the ETP in the form of equipment, curriculum and resources, as well as teacher in-service training through the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. Applications for equipment and resource grants are accepted twice each year; application deadlines are May 1 and November 1.
A central goal of the ETP is to develop a foundation of wireless technology literacy among America's teachers and students. It employs Amateur Radio to explore radio science and electronics and provide hands-on activities that engage students' minds and imaginations, opening doorways into math, science and technology curriculum topics, as well as other core curriculum areas such as geography and language arts. Read more here.
Deadline Approaching for Hams to Recommend Updates to Microwave Band Plan
Attention microwavers! An ARRL Ad Hoc Committee has been tasked by the Board of Directors with recommending updates to the ARRL band plans for the amateur bands between 902 MHz and 3.5 GHz. If you are now active on any of these bands or are developing plans to do so, the committee would like to hear from you by Thursday, December 15.
The band plans for these bands may be found here:
902-928 MHz
1240-1300 MHz
2300-2310 and 2390-2450 MHz
3300-3500 MHz
You can find additional background and a form for submitting information here.
The Doctor Is IN: Ground Conductivity and Radiation Elevation Patterns
Stan Korzep, W8NNX, of Orlando, Florida, was wondering that if he improved his ground conductivity, would he also improve his radiation elevation pattern? With this in mind, he wrote to the Doctor: Late last night as I pondered why -- with 10 meters so hot -- I was not working any DX stations in the Asia Pacific region. My first thought was that the competition was too great. I still use the three element trap Yagi that was on my tower in the 1980s when I had much better luck. Thanks to my power company, I have a far field noise source that allows a pretty good check of antenna pattern, F/B and the ability to determine if there is a gain compared to my other antennas. With a pretty good SWR, and greater than 20 dB F/B, I believe that the tribander has survived three hurricanes and two decades of use quite well.
The required elevation angle for a small number of F layer hops to the Pacific is quite small.
I seem to recall a QST article ["The Antenna Elevation Pattern -- What's the Big Deal?" Mar 2010, pages 39-40] that noted that the elevation angle of maximum radiation was largely determined by the antenna's height. I wonder if this might be a factor in my lack of success. Since my antenna is limited to 24 feet by homeowners and county rules, the installation has not changed in 32 years -- only the results have deteriorated. The decline in the rainfall over the two decades here at my location (I maintain two rain gauges in the back yard) may have changed the apparent ground.
The ground beneath my house and antenna is what the locals call "sugar sand," one step up from beach sand. Its ability to provide a good ground is akin to pure distilled water. I read some time ago about the relationship of soil fertility, carbon and soil conductivity. Will improving my ground conductivity improve my radiation elevation pattern? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Here's what the Doctor had to say:
A better ground will certainly change the elevation contour of your antennas due to reflections -- in phase for vertical antennas (reinforcing the low angle radiation) and out of phase with horizontal (tending to cancel the lowest angles); however, the major impact will occur at some distance from the antenna. The exception is for vertical antennas that use the Earth as part of their ground system -- their efficiency will improve with better conductivity near the base -- independent of the reflection part of the equation.
Your height of 24 feet is interesting for a tribander. That is about 0.35 wavelengths on 20 meters, just above 0.5 wavelengths on 15 and about 0.7 wavelengths on 10 meters. Over EZNEC's "Typical ground" (0.005 S/m conductivity, dielectric constant of 13), that gives the results in Table 1 below on the 10 and 20 meter bands based on my model of a similar tri-bander.
Band (Meters)
Peak Elevation (degrees)
Gain at Peak (dBi)
Gain at 5 degrees (dBi)
Gain at 10 degrees (dBi)
20
35
8.2
-3.9
1.7
10
20
11.9
4.2
9.3
Table 1: Peak Gain and Gain at Elevation Angles for a 24 foot High Yagi over EZNEC "Typical" Ground
The results for 15 meters will be in between. If your ground is less conductive, it will actually be better (less cancellation at low angles); however, you will not get as much reinforcement at the peak angle at which the reflection is in phase. The extreme would be the "free space" case in which there is no ground at all. There the peak is at the horizon and you have the results shown in Table 2 below.
Band (Meters)
Peak Elevation (degrees)
Gain at Peak (dBi)
Gain at 5 degrees (dBi)
Gain at 10 degrees (dBi)
20
0
4.7
4.6
4.7
10
0
6.9
6.9
6.9
Table 2: Peak Gain and Gain at Elevation Angles for a 24 foot High Yagi in Free Space
Thus, with a low horizontal antenna, the long haul performance will be better with a poor ground than with one of high conductivity. This will change as the antenna gets high enough so that the angle of peak gain gets close to the optimum angle for the distance you want to work. This angle will be quite small for few hops to the Pacific -- typically a 6000 to 10,000 mile path. As seen in Figure 1, even at 5 degrees elevation, it will take two to four hops to get there. Again, this is not the ground directly under the antenna, but the ground from which the reflection takes place, some distance away. The higher the antenna is, the further the distance to the ground that will reinforce the peak of the elevation pattern.
Thanks Doctor! Do you have a question or a problem? Send your questions via e-mail or to "The Doctor," ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 (no phone calls, please). Look for "The Doctor Is IN" every month in QST, the official journal of the ARRL.
+ Amateur Radio Balloon Flight Crosses Atlantic, Sets Records
The high altitude balloon released by the California Near Space project traveled more than 6000 miles before it burst in the Mediterranean Sea. See a larger version here.
Ron Meadows, K6RPT, and his son Lee -- leaders of the California Near Space Project -- successfully launched an Amateur Radio high altitude balloon from San Jose, California on Sunday, December 11 at 4:43 PM PST. The balloon reached a cruise altitude between 105,000 and 115,000 feet, where it continued its travel across the United States, the Atlantic Ocean and Spain and into the Mediterranean Sea. For most of its trip, the balloon traveled at about 150 miles per hour and eventually covered 6236 great circle miles in just 57 hours 2 minutes. According to the CNSP, this is a new Amateur Radio balloon flight record for both distance and duration. Read more here.
Hints and Kinks: Foam PCB Holder
Paul Jacobs, W2IOG, of Naples, New York, sent us this idea for assembling small PC boards. Contact Paul via e-mail for more information.
Here's a simple fixture that makes assembling small PC boards a snap. A scrap piece of 1/4 inch aluminum sheet forms a base for the fixture. Mount two 1-inch standoffs about 1/2 inch farther apart than the longest dimension of the PC board to be assembled. Now cut a piece of 1 inch thick soft foam packing material to slightly larger than the size of the board so that it fits snugly between the standoffs. Mount two crimp type insulated wire terminals to the standoffs; keep the screws slightly loose.
The W2IOG PCB holder in action, keeping components in place for soldering.
To use the fixture, insert several components into the board, turn both the board and the fixture vertical, press the component side of the board to the foam and return both to the horizontal position. Press down on the board to compress the foam and rotate the two wire terminals to hold the board in place. The weight of the fixture keeps the board in place and the pressure of the foam holds the components firmly to the surface of the board. Soldering them in place is easy.
Do you have an idea or a simple project that has improved your operating? Maybe you've taken something commonly found around the home and developed a ham radio use for it? Why not share your hints with fellow hams in "Hints and Kinks," a monthly column in QST. If we publish your hint in QST or The ARRL Letter, you will receive $20. Send your hints via e-mail to h&k(at)arrl(dot)org or to ARRL Headquarters, Attn: "Hints and Kinks," 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Please include your name, call sign, complete mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address.
+ ARRL Headquarters to Close for Christmas, New Year's Holidays
ARRL Headquarters will be closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2 in observance of Christmas and New Year's Day. There will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice transmissions those days. There will be no ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News on Thursday, December 22 and 29; both the Letter and Audio News will return on January 5, 2012. We wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season and a prosperous 2012.
Solar Update
The Sun, as seen on Thursday, December 15, 2011 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.
Tad "Sunshine, go away today" Cook, K7RA, reports: Solar activity dropped this week, with the average daily sunspot numbers declining more than 39 points to 94.7. It's been 13 weeks since the average daily sunspot number for the week was that low or lower, when we reported an average of 91.7 in the September 16 edition of the Solar Update. The latest USAF/NOAA forecast has the solar flux for December 15-17 at 130, 128 and 126, then 125 on December 18-22, then 150 on December 23-26, 140 on December 27-28, and then 145 on December 29-January 4. The predicted planetary A index is 8 on December 15, 5 on December 16-25, and 8 on December 26-29. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions December 16-18, quiet to unsettled December 19, unsettled December 20 and quiet December 21-22. Look for more information on the ARRL website on Friday, December 16. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Jonathan Edwards' Sunshine (Go Away Today).
+ ARRL Warns Members to be Aware of E-mail Scams
Many ARRL members with arrl.net e-mail accounts have recently received bogus e-mails in a "phishing" attack. These are scams designed to scare people into e-mailing back personal information -- such as user names and passwords -- to the scammer at an unknown address. This particular attack was more sophisticated than usual, but far from unique.
"There is never a time when we would ask via e-mail for user names and passwords of arrl.net users," explained ARRL IT Manager Michael Keane, K1MK. "There is simply no need to ever do so. If you receive an e-mail asking for personal information and it looks like it originated from ARRL, please do not respond. The best thing you can do when receiving bogus e-mails is to simply add it to the spam list in your computer's e-mail program and delete it. Please don't forward it to ARRL HQ -- we will have already seen it and are already responding to it."
ARRL members -- and anyone who uses e-mail services -- should be constantly aware that e-mail is far from secure. If anyone ever asks you for personal information via e-mail, it probably is a scam, no matter how pretty or professional their logo or graphics may appear.
This Week in Radiosport
This week:
December 16 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder; Russian 160 Meter Contest; AGB-Party Contest
December 17 -- OK DX RTTY Contest; RAC Winter Contest; Feld Hell Sprint
December 17, 2011-January 1, 2012 -- Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party
December 17-18 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge; Croatian CW Contest
December 18 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (CW); QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint
December 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
Through January 6, 2012:
December 28 -- SKCC Sprint
December 28-29 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
December 29 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
January 1 -- ARRL Straight Key Night; SARTG New Year RTTY Contest; AGCW Happy New Year Contest
January 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
January 6 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page, the ARRL Contest Update and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar for more information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
January 8, 2012 -- ARRL New York/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New York
January 27-28, 2012 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
February 4, 2012 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention, Ladson, South Carolina
February 10-12, 2012 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 17-18, 2012 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 18, 2012 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
February 25, 2012 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!
Click here to advertise in this newsletter.
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile.
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