The ARRL Letter
August 22, 2019

* Candidates for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors Announced
* FCC Dismisses ARRL, AMSAT Requests in Small Satellite Proceeding
* Ending the Great Radio Silence after "The Great War"
* So Now What? Podcast
* WWV Centennial Committee to Conduct Trial Run of WW0WWV Special
Event
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts
* Radio Amateurs in India Support Rescue and Relief Operations in the
Face of Flooding
* 2-Meter Sharing Proposal is on CEPT Conference Preparatory Group
Agenda
* Questions Raised About Current Process for Awarding the E.T.
Krenkel Medal
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Candidates for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors Announced

Two races for the office of ARRL Director and one contest for Vice
Director are set for this fall. In the Southeastern Division, incumbent
Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, faces a challenge from Mickey Baker,
N4MB. A three-way race is set for the office of Southeastern Division
Vice Director, with incumbent Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW, facing James
Schilling, KG4JSZ, and Jeff Stahl, K4BH.

In the West Gulf Division, incumbent John Stratton, N5AUS, faces a
challenge from Madison Jones, W5MJ. Seats for Director and Vice
Director in three other ARRL Divisions are unchallenged, with
incumbents running for election in all but one case: In the
Southwestern Division, Mark Weiss, K6FG, is running unopposed for the
seat being vacated by Ned Stearns, AA7A. All candidates having no
opposition have been declared elected.

The candidates are:

Pacific Division

Director

Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT

Vice Director

Kristen McIntyre, K6WX

Rocky Mountain Division

Director

Jeff Ryan, K0RM

Vice Director

Robert Wareham, N0ESQ

Southeastern Division

Director

Greg Sarratt, W4OZK

Mickey Baker, N4MB

Vice Director

James Schilling, KG4JSZ

Jeff Stahl, K4BH

Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW

Southwestern Division

Director

Richard Norton, N6AA

Vice Director

Mark Weiss, K6FG

West Gulf Division

Director

John R. Stratton, N5AUS

Madison Jones, W5MJ

Vice Director

Lee Cooper, W5LHC

In Divisions where more than one candidate is seeking the same
position, full members in that Division in good standing as of
September 10, 2019, will have the opportunity to cast ballots. Official
paper ballots and candidates' statements will be mailed no later than
October 1, 2019, to members who are eligible to vote.

Completed ballots must be received at the address on the envelope
provided by noon Eastern Time on Friday, November 15, 2019, when
ballots will be counted at ARRL Headquarters and successful candidates
announced.
FCC Dismisses ARRL, AMSAT Requests in Small Satellite Proceeding

An FCC Report and Order (R&O) released August 2 in the so-called "small
satellite" rulemaking proceeding, IB Docket 18-86, failed to address
concerns expressed by ARRL and AMSAT. Both organizations filed comments
on the FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the proceeding last
year, seeking changes in the FCCs interpretations and procedures
affecting satellites operating on Amateur Satellite Service
frequencies.

"These comments address topics outside the scope of this proceeding,
and we decline to adopt any of the requested rule modifications or
updates at this time," the FCC said in the R&O. The FCC did mention
amateur satellites in its 2018 NPRM, explaining what they are and
describing the documentation and authorization process, but it did not
solicit comments.

"The Commission did not seek comment in the NPRM on any modifications
or updates to the rules governing Experimental or amateur satellite
licensing. The streamlined Part 25 small satellite process adopted in
the Order is an alternative to existing license processes and does not
replace or modify the authorization procedures for satellites currently
contained in Parts 5, 25, or 97 of the Commission's rules," the FCC
explained. "Nevertheless, we received a number of comments in response
to the NPRM, particularly regarding the rules applicable to amateur
satellite operations, suggesting that aspects of those rules be
improved or clarified."

In its 2018 NPRM, the FCC had said, "Because the type of operations
that qualify as amateur [is] narrowly defined, an amateur satellite
authorization will not be appropriate for many small satellite
operations."

In its 2018 comments, ARRL said it wanted the FCC to preclude
exploitation of amateur spectrum by commercial small-satellite users
authorized under Part 5 Experimental rules and suggested that the FCC
adopt a "a bright line test" to define and distinguish satellites that
should be permitted to operate under Amateur Satellite rules.

ARRL's position was to support and encourage college and university
Amateur Radio experiments where the sponsor of the experiment is a
licensed radio amateur and all operation in amateur spectrum is
compliant with Part 97. Part 5 Experimental authorizations for
satellites intended to operate in amateur allocations by non-amateur
sponsors should be discouraged, absent a compelling show of need, ARRL
told the FCC. AMSAT's comments reflected many of the same concerns that
ARRL had expressed. Read more. -- Thanks to Ray Soifer, W2RS, for his
assistance.

Ending the Great Radio Silence after "The Great War"

Practical wireless was still in its infancy at the turn of the 20th
century and unregulated experimentation rampant. Chaos reigned on the
airwaves. Given the technology of the day -- spark gap transmitters
that emitted very, very broad signals -- interference was a problem. As
Al Brogdon, W1AB, explains in "The World War I Shutdown," in the
September 2019 issue of QST (p. 70), hams, passenger ships, and the US
Navy were the main users of wireless, and the Navy went to Congress in
an unsuccessful effort to wrest control over radio and, effectively,
abolish ham radio in the US. Radio amateurs opposing the bill had an
ally in the Marconi Company.

When the US in 1917 joined the European conflict that became World War
I, the federal government ordered hams to disassemble their stations,
lower their antennas, and not use transmitters or receivers. Many hams
who joined the military took their own radio gear along, because, as
Brogdon explains, "the military didn't have enough radio equipment."

The end of the war did not mean the resumption of Amateur Radio. Hams
were allowed to use their receivers again but not transmit. The Navy
was still in charge of all US radio communications, and another bill
introduced in Congress proposed handing over ongoing control of all
radio to the Navy.

ARRL First President Hiram Percy
Maxim, W1AW.

Publication of QST also ceased during the war, and many hams had let
their ARRL memberships lapse for the duration. ARRL officers and key
members dug into their own wallets to thwart the bill, mailing a
"Little Blue Card" to members urging them to ask their congressional
representatives to oppose the Navy proposal. ARRL President Hiram Percy
Maxim went to Washington to speak against the bill, which died in
committee.

It was not until 1919 -- amid another Navy effort to gain control over
radio that was stalled by opposition from hams and others -- that the
transmitting ban was lifted by an act of Congress. As Brogdon explains,
"Maxim went to Washington again and found a sympathetic ear in
Massachusetts Congressman William Greene, who ultimately introduced the
successful House Joint Resolution 217, which asked the Navy 'to remove
the restrictions on the use and operation of Amateur Radio stations
throughout the United States.'"

Hams were back on the air by the fall of 1919 -- 100 years ago!
So Now What? Podcast

"Contesting," with ARRL Contest Program Manager, Paul Bourque, N1SFE,
will be the focus of the new (August 22) episode of the So Now What?
podcast for Amateur Radio newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other Amateur Radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through
the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. Episodes
will be archived on the ARRL website.

WWV Centennial Committee to Conduct Trial Run of WW0WWV Special Event

The WWV Centennial Committee will conduct a trial run of special event
station WW0WWV over the August 24 - 25 weekend in advance of the event
a little more than a month away. WW0WWV will be set up adjacent to the
WWV transmitter site in Fort Collins, Colorado. WWV turns 100 years old
on October 1.

"We'll be testing band and notch filtering, in an attempt to reign in
the extreme RF environment created by WWV and WWVB," said Dave Swartz,
W0DAS, of the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club (NCARC). The special
event is being organized in conjunction with the WWV Amateur Radio Club
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which
operates WWV/WWVH/WWVB. The special event site is within 1/3 of a mile
of all six WWV transmitters and the 50 kW WWVB transmitter.

"On-air tests will start Saturday afternoon, August 24, and run through
Sunday, August 25," Swartz said.

Greg Ella, N0EMP, uses a 10 MHz loop
to monitor the broadcast signal of
WWV at the site of the special event
station. He was able to measure the
drift of a GPS disciplined
oscillator (GPSDO) to about 1 Hz in
90 seconds against the 10 MHz WWV
carrier.

The WWV Centennial special event is set to run from September 28
through October 2, and round-the-clock operation will take place on CW,
SSB, and digital modes. Operations will shift among HF bands following
typical propagation and will include 160 meters as well as satellites
(SO-50, AO-91, and AO-92) and 6-meter meteor scatter. Up to four
stations will be on the air for routine operations. A fifth station
will schedule contacts with schools, universities, and museums, as well
as conducting unscheduled contacts. The additional station will
periodically broadcast an AM carrier from a radio locked with WWV's 10
MHz signal.

Members of the Amateur Radio industry have contributed equipment,
including radios, amplifiers, and antennas. Visit the WWV Centennial
Committee website to see how you can contribute or get involved. Read
more.
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Spotless days continue this week,
with the count of consecutive days without sunspots standing at 15 days
as of August 21, according to Spaceweather.com. Note that 1954 had more
spotless days than 2018, and it was just prior to Cycle 19, the biggest
in recorded history.

Average daily solar flux was virtually unchanged -- from 67.4 last week
to 67.5 this week. Average daily planetary A index edged lower, from
6.3 to 4.4. Predicted solar flux looks to remain steady: 67 on August
22 - September 11; 68 on September 12 - 21, and 67 on September 22 -
October 5.

The planetary A index forecast: 5 on August 22 - 26; 8 on August 27 -
28 and 5 on August 29 - 31. Then, with a recurring coronal hole, 38 and
14 on September 1 - 2; 5 on September 3 - 5; 8 on September 6 - 7; 5 on
September 8 - 15; 7 on September 16 - 17; 6 on September 18; 5 on
September 19 - 21; 8 on September 22 - 24 and 5 on September 25 - 27.
With the return of that coronal hole, 38 and 14 on September 28 - 29; 5
on September 30 - October 2; 8 on October 3 - 4, and 5 on October 5.

Sunspot numbers for August 15 - 21 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.6, 67.5, 68, 67.5, 67.7,
67.3, and 66.8, with a mean of 67.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 4, and 4, with a mean of 4.4. Middle latitude A index
was 4, 6, 6, 7, 4, 7, and 5, with a mean of 5.6.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------


Just Ahead in Radiosport
* August 24 - 25 -- ALARA Contest (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- W/VE Islands QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- SCC RTTY Championship
* August 24 - 25 -- YO DX HF Contest (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- Kansas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- YARC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- Ohio QSO Party (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- CVA DX Contest, SSB
* August 24 - 25 -- 50 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 26 -- Hawaii QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 25 -- SARL HF CW Contest
* August 28 -- SKCC Sprint CW

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts

ARRL has incorporated changes to the rules for all ARRL-sponsored
contests and DXCC, prohibiting automated contacts and requiring that an
actual operator is initiating and carrying out a contact. These changes
also apply to Worked All States (including Triple Play and 5-Band WAS),
Fred Fish W5FF Memorial, and VUCC awards. The changes are effective
immediately and affect the rules for both HF contests, and VHF/UHF
contests as well as DXCC.

A resolution at the July ARRL Board of Directors meeting pointed to
"growing concern over fully automated contacts being made and claimed"
for contest and for DXCC credit. The rules now require that each
claimed contact include contemporaneous direct initiation by the
operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may
either be local or remote.

Radio Amateurs in India Support Rescue and Relief Operations in the
Face of Flooding

Radio amateurs in at least three western Indian states along the coast
of the Arabian Sea are pitching in to support communication for rescue
and relief operations following heavy rainfall and flooding. In Kerala,
Shyam Kumar, VU2JLE, told The Hindu newspaper that he and 15 other
radio amateurs belonging to the Wayanad Hams (WHAMS) group have been
closely monitoring to help the government rescue and relief teams get
to marooned localities. News accounts say more heavy rain is expected
in many parts of India, bringing with it the threat of flooding.
Monsoon rains have been falling for weeks, and more than 270 people
have died, about half of them in Kerala.

In Maharashtra, Amateur Radio and drones have been supplementing relief
and rescue teams dealing with heavy flooding there. Rescue teams were
reported to be using ham radio to pass information into a network. Some
hams have come in from outside the region to assist. Members of the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the military have been
transporting supplies to some 5,000 people stranded in various
locations.

In the northern part of Karnataka state, radio amateurs from the Indian
Institute of Hams (IIH) in Bengaluru (Bangalore) and a ham radio club
consisting of postal department workers were reported to have helped
rescue and relief operations on August 12.

IIH Director Shankar Sathyapal, VU2FI, said three radio-equipped
vehicles fanned out across the region. "This is the second line of
communication," Sathyapal explained for a report in The Hindu. "Relief
officers will be provided with walkie-talkies, while each vehicle can
cover about a radius of around 10 - 15 kilometers, depending on the
topography." -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News and media
reports
2-Meter Sharing Proposal is on CEPT Conference Preparatory Group Agenda

The final European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
ministrations (CEPT) Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting prior
to World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) gets under way on
August 26. Action at that gathering will determine whether a French
proposal to have WRC-23 study the sharing of 144 - 146 MHz with the
Aeronautical Mobile Service (AMS) will be adopted as a CEPT WRC-19
position. International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) experts will be
present at the CPG to explain the IARU position on this and other
topics. The French proposal, raised on short notice at a CEPT meeting
in June, has riled the Amateur Radio community worldwide and prompted
petitions to prevent its passage. The proposed 144 - 146 MHz segment
would be part of a broader consideration of spectrum allocated to the
Aeronautical Mobile Service.

IARU has asked its member-societies to explain the Amateur Service's
concerns over the French proposal to their telecommunications
regulators, and it has submitted a basic technical analysis showing the
impracticality of such a proposal. IARU has said much more appropriate
parts of the spectrum are available to study for non-safety AMS
applications.

Another issue addressed during the June CEPT meeting concerned the
sharing of the Amateur Radio 1240 - 1300 MHz band with Europe's Galileo
GPS system. IARU has asked its member-societies to discuss with
regulators the best way to resolve concerns regarding a few cases of
Amateur Radio interference to the Galileo navigation system specific to
its E6 subband at 1260 - 1300 MHz.

Documents for the CEPT Conference Preparatory Group meeting are
available via the CEPT website. Read more.
Questions Raised About Current Process for Awarding the E.T. Krenkel
Medal

Questions about how the E.T. Krenkel Medal is being awarded, including
whether recipients have to pay a fee to get the medal, have been
brought to ARRL's attention.

In the past, several prominent radio amateurs and organizations --
including QST -- have been awarded and received the medal without any
advance notice and without having to provide any information or
payment.

ARRL has been advised that in recent months "nominees" have been
invited essentially to complete their own nomination forms and asked to
forward a fee for the cost of obtaining the medal, which some nominees
said they have not received. Regulations for the E.T. Krenkel Medal,
issued by "LLC Russian Traveler and National Academy of Researches and
Discoveries," states that the cost of a medal is to be paid by the
sponsor (individual or organization) nominating a medal recipient. Some
evidence suggests that sponsor and recipient may now be one and the
same.

A small tourism enterprise, LLC Russian Traveler, was reportedly
liquidated in January but is believed to be operated by a Russian radio
amateur. A form attached to the Regulations that's designed for an
organization or individual to nominate an honoree is the one now being
sent to individuals who have been told they were nominated.

ARRL takes no official position regarding the current status of E.T
Krenkel Medal nominations, LLC Russian Traveler, or anyone connected
with either. ARRL does, however, want to ensure that members are aware
of the issues that have been called to its attention.
In Brief...

Reminder: The Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration gets under way on
Saturday, August 31, and wraps up on Monday, September 8. The 9-day
operating event commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL
cofounder and first president Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW (HPM) -- born on
September 2, 1869 -- and is open to all radio amateurs. The objective
is to work as many participating stations as possible. W1AW and all
ARRL members will append "/150" to their call signs during this event
(DX operators who are ARRL members may operate as <call sign>/150, if
permitted by their country of license.) Stations will exchange a signal
report and ARRL/RAC Section. A total of 84 multipliers are available.
DX stations will send a signal report and "DX." All Amateur Radio bands
except 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters are available. Contacts may be made on
CW, phone, and digital modes. Incentives are available for using
different modes, operating portable, and using social media, among
others. Logs will be scored, and downloadable certificates will be
available. An announcement and complete rules appear in the September
issue of QST, p. 86.

A message on WWV is prompting listeners to take a survey about the
service. Through Saturday, August 24, WWV and WWVH will transmit a US
Department of Defense (DOD) message in conjunction with the COMEX 19-3
interoperability exercise in Tennessee. The broadcast also urges
listeners to complete a survey on WWV/WWVH listenership and listening
habits. The messages are broadcast on WWV at 10 minutes past the hour
and on WWVH at 50 minutes past the hour. WWV and WWVH transmit on 2.5,
5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 MHz. Following a proof of concept this year, DOD
anticipates making use of the WWV/WWVH broadcast time slot full time,
all year. Read more.

Joseph
Areyzaga,
K1JGA.

A close friend of a radio amateur who died in a recent tower-related
accident has contacted ARRL with additional observations. Joseph
Areyzaga, K1JGA (photo), died in the July 27 incident, and the tower's
owner was seriously injured. The individual reported that Areyzaga and
Mike Rancourt, K1EEE -- the tower's owner -- were in the process of
lowering one of the antennas when the tower tipped over. The friend
said the tower was genuine Rohn 25, with a genuine Rohn BPH25 hinge
plate, and that the apparent -- but not proven -- failure point was not
obvious while the tower was still standing. All three pier posts on the
hinge plate broke off, with the tower section bolts still intact and in
place, he reported. No official determination has been made as to the
specific cause of the failure. Rancourt, who was seriously injured in
the incident, remains hospitalized but is said to be recovering well.

Ulrich L. Rohde, N1UL, has been named as an Honorary Fellow of India's
Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE). The
IETE's Governing Council bestowed the honor on the noted researcher.
The IETE is a prominent professional society in the field of
electronics, telecommunication computer science/engineering,
broadcasting, information technology, and related areas. The Honorary
Fellowship is accorded to an eminent individual in the fields of
science, technology, education, and industry. A presentation ceremony
will be held during the 62nd annual IETE Convention in late September
in India.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* August 24 -- Society of Midwest Contesters Specialty Convention,
Normal, Illinois
* August 23 - 25 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West
Virginia
* September 6 - 7 -- Arkansas State Convention, Mena, Arkansas
* September 6 - 7 -- Wyoming State Convention, Gillette, Wyoming
* September 6 - 8 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts
* September 7 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach,
Virginia
* September 13 - 14 -- W9DXCC 2019, St. Charles, Illinois
* September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
* September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
* September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota
* September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
September 12, 2019

* ARRL and IARU President Emeritus Larry Price, W4RA, SK
* FCC Proposes to Make All Universal Licensing System Filings
Electronic
* Unraveling the Mystery of 1 * 1 Call Signs
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Hurricane Watch Net Sets New Activation Record during Dorian
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Dayton Hamvention Signs 5-Year Contract with Greene County Expo
Center
* UN Headquarters' 4U1UN Making Slow but Steady Progress in Returning
to Air
* YOTA 2019 Summer Camp in Bulgaria Spawns Subregional Camps
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL and IARU President Emeritus Larry Price, W4RA, SK

ARRL and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Emeritus
Larry E. Price, W4RA, of Statesboro, Georgia, died on September 10. An
ARRL Life Member, he was 85. Price was licensed in 1951 at age 16 as
WN5TIA, one of the first Novice licenses issued in the US. A US Army
veteran, Price held BSEE, MBA, and doctoral degrees. He spent most of
his career as a professor of finance and economics at Georgia Southern
University.

Elected as ARRL Southeastern Division Vice Director in 1973, Price
became Director later that year and was elected as an ARRL Vice
President by the Board of Directors in 1980. In 1983 he became First
Vice President following the death of ARRL President Vic Clark, W4KFC,
and was elected President by the Board the following year.

He served as ARRL President for 8 years, serving simultaneously as IARU
Secretary from 1989 until 1992, and continuing as IARU Secretary and
ARRL International Affairs Vice President until his election as IARU
President in 1999, a post he held for 10 years. The IARU ministrative
Council named him President Emeritus upon his retirement in 2009. The
ARRL Board named him ARRL President Emeritus in 2011.

"His accomplishments as President of ARRL and the IARU are too many to
list, but neither organization would be what it is today without his
vision, dedication, and hard work," said former ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ, who now serves as IARU Secretary. "We all owe a great debt to
Larry and his family for their many sacrifices on our behalf."

IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, recalled his many years of association
with Price. "Amateur Radio...has lost a valued colleague today," Ellam
said. "Larry Price was the dean of the IARU, and under his leadership
the organization not only achieved great success for the Amateur Radio
services but the respect of those we work with in the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). His work and tenacity on a number of
issues gave the IARU the admiration of many administrations and senior
leadership at the ITU, which we continue to enjoy today."

In 2014, Dayton Hamvention^(R) honored Price as Amateur of the Year. At
the ARRL Centennial Convention that same year, Price was awarded the
ARRL Medal of Honor. Read more. -- Thanks to David Sumner, K1ZZ
FCC Proposes to Make All Universal Licensing System Filings Electronic

The FCC is seeking comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
that is part of an overall plan to transition completely to electronic
filing, licenses, authorizations, and correspondence. The notice
proposes to make all filings to the Universal Licensing System (ULS)
electronic, expand electronic filing and correspondence elements for
related systems, and require applicants to provide an email address on
the FCC forms related to these systems. Although much of the FCC's ULS
filings are already electronic, the changes suggested in the NPRM (in
WT Docket No. 19-212) would require all Amateur Radio Service
applications to be filed electronically. Under current rules, Amateur
Radio applications may still be filed manually, except those filed by
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs).

"Given the drastic changes that have occurred with regard to the
ubiquity of the internet and increased personal computer access, we
find it unlikely that electronic filing remains infeasible or
cost-prohibitive for the previously exempted types of filers, or that
they lack resources to file electronically," the FCC said in the NPRM,
released on September 6. "We therefore propose to eliminate Section
1.913's exemptions to mandatory electronic filing."

The FCC said that while the vast majority of ULS applications today are
submitted electronically, some are still manually filed, largely from
exempted filers, such as radio amateurs. Last year, the FCC received
some 5,000 manually filed applications out of a total of some 425,000.
The FCC is seeking comment on whether its underlying assumptions about
the ease of electronic filing for previously exempted filers are valid.

This NPRM also seeks comment on additional rule changes that would
further expand the use of electronic filing and electronic service. The
FCC stopped providing printed Amateur Radio license documents in 2015.

"Together, these proposals will facilitate the remaining steps to
transition these systems from paper to electronic, reducing regulatory
burdens and environmental waste, and making interaction with these
systems more accessible and efficient for those who rely on them," the
FCC said.

Comments are due within 30 days of the NPRM's release.

Unraveling the Mystery of 1 * 1 Call Signs

The 1 * 1 Special Event Call Signs system offers a way for clubs,
groups, or even individuals to use a short call sign of special
significance to the amateur community. These 1 * 1 call signs are
reserved in advance for use in conjunction with short-term special
events and commemorative operations. The FCC does not assign 1 * 1 call
signs, so they are not "official."

On the matter of special event call signs, the FCC says, in Section
97.3(a)(11)(iii) of the Amateur Service rules: "The call sign is
selected by the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a
common database coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur
station special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign
must have the single letter prefix K, N, or W, followed by a single
numeral 0 through 9, followed by a single letter A through W or Y or Z
(for example K1A). The special event call sign is substituted for the
call sign shown on the station license grant while the station is
transmitting."

The FCC also says in Section 97.119 (d): "ditionally, the station
must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during such
transmissions." This requirement tends to be widely flouted, however.

A 1 * 1 Special Event Call Sign aids other radio amateurs by calling
attention to the special event or other occasion. 1 * 1 call signs may
be used for a variety of purposes, such as conventions, festivals,
dedications, anniversaries, commemorations, and ARRL Field Day. Even
local events qualify.

There are 750 1 * 1 Special Event Call Sign possibilities, and radio
amateurs of any license class may reserve one as far as a year in
advance to use for up to 15 days. Of course, 1 * 1 Special Event Call
Signs are recycled. It's first come, first served. See the Frequently
Asked Questions page for more information.

The FCC has selected coordinators to approve and post 1 * 1 Special
Event Call Sign reservations to a searchable database. -- Thanks to The
Radiogram (Portage County Amateur Radio Society newsletter)
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Coaxial Cable Connectors" is the topic of the new (September 12)
episode of the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

Hurricane Watch Net Sets New Activation Record during Dorian

Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) volunteers set a new record for total hours
activated during a single storm. The net was active for 157 hours --
139 hours of which were continuous. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV,
said the continuous activation record stands at 151 hours for Hurricane
Matthew in 2018.

"During this marathon activation, members of the Hurricane Watch Net
collected and forwarded countless surface reports to the National
Hurricane Center in Miami," Graves noted.

After devastating Abaco and Grand Bahama islands with winds clocked at
200 MPH or more, Dorian made its way slowly toward Florida, before
sliding up the southeastern US coast and making a second landfall on
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It wasn't over, however. Dorian veered
out into the Atlantic, affecting New England before hitting Maritime
Canada, where it knocked out power and downed trees.

During its lengthy initial activation, the HWN attempted on numerous
occasions to raise stations in the Bahamas but was unable to contact
anyone in the most-affected area.

The HWN activated for the last time during Hurricane Dorian last
Saturday, as the storm was, by then, speeding up the east coast of the
US as a Category 1 storm. Poor propagation plagued net operations
throughout the activation, even right up to the end. At one point,
propagation was lost between net members and Nova Scotia on 40 meters,
although the net continued for a while longer on 20 meters.

Early on, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R)) volunteers went on
alert along the US east coast, preparing for the worst. The major
problem was storm surge-related flooding. Evacuations were ordered
ahead of the storm.

The ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team convened early on to
monitor the situation closely. ARRL officials were in regular
communication with partner agencies, particularly FEMA and the
Department of Homeland Security. W1AW, which had already planned to be
in operation for the Hiram Percy Maxim 150th birthday special event,
remained ready to assist with emergency communications.

The VoIP Hurricane Net activated over the weekend in conjunction with
WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center to keep on top of ground-truth
weather information.
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots this week. The average
daily sunspot numbers declined from 3.4 to 0. At the same time, the
average daily solar flux rose from 67.4 to 69.4.

Geomagnetic activity quieted, with the average daily planetary A index
declining from 19.9 to 8.9, while the average daily mid-latitude A
index went from 16.7 to 7.7.

Predicted solar flux is 68 on September 12 - 22; 69 on September 23 -
October 5; 68 on October 6 - 19; 69 on October 20 - 24; 68 on October
25, and 69 on October 26.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 12 - 22; 8 on September
23; 5 on September 24 - 25; 10, 35, 45, 20, and 10 on September 26 -
30; 8, 10, and 8 on October 1 - 3; 5 on October 4 - 19; 8 on October
20; 5 on October 21 - 22; 8, 25, 30, and 18 on October 23 - 26.

Sunspot numbers for September 5 - 11, 2019 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and
0, with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 68.3, 68.9, 73.9,
67.5, 68.8, 70, and 68.1, with a mean of 69.4. Estimated planetary A
indices were 14, 8, 7, 10, 14, 4, and 5, with a mean of 8.9. Middle
latitude A index was 11, 9, 6, 9, 11, 4, and 4, with a mean of 7.7.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------


Just Ahead in Radiosport
* September 14 -- FOC QSO Party (CW)
* September 14 - 15 -- Worked All Europe DX Contest (SSB)
* September 14 - 15 -- SARL Field Day Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* September 14 - 15 -- All Texas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 14 - 15 -- Alabama QSO Party (CW, phone)
* September 14 - 15 -- Russian Cup Digital Contest
* September 14 - 16 -- ARRL September VHF Contest (CW, phone,
digital)
* September 15 -- North American Sprint (RTTY)
* September 15 - 18 -- Classic Exchange (CW)
* September 15 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (Digital)
* September 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
* September 18 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)
* September 19 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
* September 20 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL
Contest Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

Dayton Hamvention Signs 5-Year Contract with Greene County Expo Center

The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) has signed a 5-year
agreement to keep Dayton Hamvention^(R) at the Greene County Expo
Center. The agreement was announced on September 9 by Hamvention
General Chairman Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT.

"It has been a wonderful experience working with the Expo Center team
in the development of this agreement," Gerbs said. "With the 5-year
agreement signed, the Expo Center and Hamvention can move forward with
additional enhancements to the facilities."

Dayton Amateur Radio Association President Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, said the
DARA Board, in approving the contract, noted that the relationship with
the Expo Center and Greene County, the City of Xenia, and Xenia
Township "has proven especially rewarding." Cramer said, "They all have
worked hard to make Hamvention a success over the last 3 years. We look
forward to a great relationship over the next 5 years and beyond."
Hamvention's 2019 attendance was 32,472 -- the highest recorded since
the move to the Exposition Center in Xenia in 2017, which was
coordinated by Cramer, the Hamvention General Chairman in 2017 and
2018.

The largest Amateur Radio show in the US, Dayton Hamvention is held the
third full weekend in May. The dates for 2020 are May 15 - 17.

UN Headquarters' 4U1UN Making Slow but Steady Progress in Returning to
Air

Responding to inquiries noting the lack of 4U1UN activity, the United
Nations Amateur Radio Club (UNARC) indicated on its Facebook page this
week that it's making slow but steady progress in its efforts to get a
station back on the air from UN Headquarters. The main difficulties in
getting 4U1UN up and running again following its displacement by
renovations at UN Headquarters have been administrative and
organizational, the UNARC team said. The club explained that as a
result of UN Headquarters renovation, the room on the 41st floor
housing the 4U1UN radio equipment was reallocated to the UN Broadcast
and Conference Support Section (BCSS) and is now off limits.

"After the successful activity of 4U70UN back in 2015, with the support
of the UN ministration, we were able to secure a tiny 20-square-foot
room for the club's needs on the ground floor of the building," the
club said in its post. With no opportunity to run a feed line from the
ground floor to the top of the building and the tenuous hold even on
the tiny, bottom-floor shack space, the club is in the process of
installing a remotely controlled station on the 41st floor.

Over a recent weekend, several UNARC members, representatives of UN
services, and guests had an opportunity to continue equipment
configuration. An assembled 19-inch rack and part of the equipment were
disconnected during delivery to the 41st floor so that BCSS personnel
could hand-carry the equipment up several flights of stairs to the top
floor. "After 4 hours of work, the connections of the SteppIR BigIR
vertical antennas were restored, a new SDA-100 controller was
installed, and a RemoteRig 1216H was connected for easy remote access,"
the club post said. "The antenna was tested and configured."

UNARC says remote access from the 1st floor now works, thanks to a
separate Ethernet cable run up the entire height of the building for
UNARC's use. Operation of the ACOM-2000A amplifier also was tested with
an antenna.

"We really hope that in the very near future, after debugging and
setting up all the equipment, we will finally be able to proudly look
at the work done and begin to appear steadily on the bands," the club
said.
YOTA 2019 Summer Camp in Bulgaria Spawns Subregional Camps

Most of those attending the recent Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) summer
camp in Bulgaria were first-timers, observed Monty Schebesta, OE3VVU, a
participant this year. Some 80 young radio amateurs from 27 countries
convened near Sofia August 11 - 17 to, as he put it, "connect and learn
from each other." Monty said the successful 2019 summer camp
demonstrated that YOTA is growing quickly, noting too that 40% of the
YOTA Summer Camp attendees were young women.

During the week, campers engaged in a variety of workshops that
included such activities as building VHF and HF antennas and assembling
electronic kits, which, for many, meant learning how to solder. Monty
said the focus of the activities and presentations involved learning
from each other.

"YOTA is shifting more and more towards a 'youngsters for youngsters'
approach, where youngsters teach each other, rather than relying on
older generations for input," he said. "The main goal of the YOTA
summer camp is to give youngsters the ideas, knowledge, and experiences
they require to go back to their home country at the end of the week
and start their own youth activities."

Monty said the practical workshops are the mostly easily reproducible,
so that young radio amateurs could use them to introduce new young
people into the hobby. "For example," he said, "youngsters might do a
kit building workshop at a local school or use the antenna built at the
camp to do a [Summits On The Air] activation together with some new
youngsters."

Subregional camps such as those held in Finland, Italy, and Germany in
recent years are becoming more common in Region 1, with the next set
for late September in the Czech Republic (OL19CAMP), followed closely
by a camp in the Netherlands in December.

He anticipates many other youth teams will want to stage subregional
YOTA camps of their own. "What the participants learned at the YOTA
summer camp will be an invaluable resource for organizing subregional
camps and youth activities on any scale," he concluded.

Bulgaria's International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society,
BFRA, sponsored the 2019 YOTA Summer Camp.
In Brief...

The IARU recently attended an ITU Inter-Regional Workshop. As part of
its strategy to support topics related to Amateur Radio at World
Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), the International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) was on hand at the third inter-regional workshop in
Geneva, Switzerland, this past week. The workshop, attended by member
states and other International Telecommunication Union (ITU) sector
members, considered and discussed the positions of the six Regional
Telecommunication Organizations (RTO) on the main WRC-19 agenda items.
Attendees also considered how differing regional positions might be
reconciled during WRC to arrive at consensus. The ITU said the meeting
would "provide participants with the opportunity to exchange views and
have a better understanding of the common views, positions and/or
proposals of the concerned entities." The third ITU Inter-regional
Workshop on WRC-19 Preparation took place September 4 - 6. Documents
can be downloaded from the ITU website.

The roster of presentations and speakers for the 2019 ARRL-TAPR Digital
Communications Conference (DCC) is now posted on the TAPR website. The
DCC takes place September 20 - 22 at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott
Hotel. Bill Brown, WB8ELK, father of Amateur Radio ballooning and noted
experimenter and engineer, will be the DCC Saturday evening banquet
speaker. The Sunday Seminar topic will be "Learn to build and operate
your own SatNOGS ground station," presented by Dan White, AD0CQ, and
Corey Shields, KB9JHU. The seminar will be a hands-on, progressive
tutorial, starting with the basics of a SatNOGS (Satellite Networked
Open Ground Station) and ending with the development of telemetry
decoders. Participants should gain an understanding of how SatNOGS
applications work, how to use them, and a basic familiarity with the
technologies behind the scenes, should they wish to contribute to the
development of the project. Participants should bring a laptop and sign
up for a free account. A room will be set aside for demonstrations,
experiments, and show-and-tell projects. Tables and power strips will
be provided.

Former ARRL Iowa Section Manager Bob McCaffrey, K0CY, of Boone, Iowa,
died on September 2. An ARRL Life Member, he was 77. McCaffrey served
twice as Iowa Section Manager -- first, from 1980 until 1986, and again
from 2013 until 2019, after he declined to run for another term. He
served in other Iowa ARRL Field Organization positions as well.
McCaffrey was licensed in 1955 as KN0EJZ. He taught entry-level Amateur
Radio classes within adult education and served as a Volunteer
Examiner. He was an AMSAT and Quarter Century Wireless Association
member and an enthusiastic ARRL Field Day participant. McCaffrey was a
past president of the Des Moines Radio Amateur Association and of the
Boone Amateur Radio Club.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* September 13 - 14 -- W9DXCC 2019, St. Charles, Illinois
* September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
* September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
* September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota
* September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

Thank you for posting ... It is about time this message sub got some traffic.

---

Rocket Town BBS - Telnet: rtbbs.ddns.net
fsxNET: 21:1/203 FidoNET:1:135/383 - Titusville, FL. NASA SPACE Coast

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Rocket Town BBS (1:135/383)

Thank you for posting ... It is about time this message
sub got some traffic.

That's an automated posting, by the way.

Also, if there isn't any traffic, make some. ;)

73 DE KD5COL,
Sean
HAM Moderator


--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:2304 (1:18/200)

BTW, this echo is set to real names only. If your BBS can't/won't allow you to
toggle between real names and aliases, just use your name when closing out the message.

Thanks!

73 DE KD5COL,
Sean


--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:2304 (1:18/200)

Also, if there isn't any traffic, make some. ;)

ahh ... good point!

---

Rocket Town BBS - Telnet: rtbbs.ddns.net
fsxNET: 21:1/203 FidoNET:1:135/383 - Titusville, FL. NASA SPACE Coast

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Rocket Town BBS (1:135/383)

BTW, this echo is set to real names only. If your BBS can't/won't allow you to toggle between real names and aliases, just use your name when closing out the message.

I use Mystic .. i will check the Message setting to see if I have Real Names Only selected and make that change

---

Rocket Town BBS - Telnet: rtbbs.ddns.net
fsxNET: 21:1/203 FidoNET:1:135/383 - Titusville, FL. NASA SPACE Coast

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Rocket Town BBS (1:135/383)

The ARRL Letter
September 19, 2019

* ARRL Renews Request for FCC to Replace Symbol Rate with Bandwidth
Limit
* Hoc Legislative vocacy Committee to Meet with Lawmakers
* A Radio on Your Belt -- 1930s Style
* So Now What? Podcast
* Amateur Radio Digital Communications Announces Grant to ARISS
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Festival of Frequency Measurement Set to Honor WWV Centennial
* Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club Assisting in Restoring Fire-Damaged
Repeaters
* Well-Known Yukon Ham J Allen, VY1JA, is Stepping Away from Amateur
Radio
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Renews Request for FCC to Replace Symbol Rate with Bandwidth Limit

In ex parte comments filed on September 17 in WT Docket 16-239, ARRL
renewed its request that the FCC delete symbol rate limits below 29.7
MHz for data transmissions in the Amateur Service rules. As it did in
its initial filing, ARRL asked the FCC to couple the removal of the
symbol rate limits with the adoption of a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. In
response to ARRL's 2013 ARRL Petition for Rulemaking (RM-11708), the
FCC proposed deleting the symbol rate limits but declined to replace
them with the 2.8 kHz bandwidth that ARRL wanted.

"This proceeding addresses an update to the Commission's rules that is
needed because a limitation in the rules unintentionally is inhibiting
US amateurs from employing the latest improvements to some of the
digital modes," ARRL said in its remarks. "Data signals commonly used
for daily communications as well as in disaster situations have
bandwidths in the range of 2.5 kHz and must co-exist with other modes
that use bandwidths as narrow as 50 Hz."

ARRL said the 1980s-era symbol rate limits today inhibit the use of
some efficient data modes. Repealing the symbol rate limit, ARRL
contended, would "allow shortened transmission times for the same
amount of data without increasing the bandwidth occupied by the signal.
Other Amateurs would benefit by the resulting reduction in potential
interference."

Other Issues

ARRL's remarks also addressed issues raised by other parties.
"Discussion by commenters in this proceeding delve into subjects well
beyond its scope," ARRL said, noting that it had attempted to broker
consensus among "some of the most active commenters" with an eye toward
exploring possible areas of agreement for the FCC's consideration. ARRL
noted that the parties to the ARRL-arranged talks declined to forward
to the FCC "joint recommendations on which conditional agreement had
been reached."

One of those issues involves Automatically Controlled Digital Stations
(ACDS). Commenters' concerns focused on interference that could occur
with a move away from symbol-rate criteria. ACDS with signals wider
than 500 Hz below 29.7 MHz are confined to specific subbands. ARRL
recommended that the FCC consider rules changes that would have all
ACDS stations and digital stations with bandwidths greater than 500 Hz
share identified subbands.

ARRL said if additional signals are added to the ACDS subbands, as
recommended, that it would strongly support expanding the HF ACDS
subbands. But, the League added, "changing the subband boundaries
requires study and careful consideration of trade-offs, because any
changes will affect multiple user interests." ARRL referred subband
reformulation issues to its HF Band Planning Committee for study and
recommendations.

Some commenters also raised the issue of obscure and encrypted
messages. ARRL pointed out in its ex parte remarks that it remains
opposed to encryption in the amateur bands, but disagreed "with
commenters who argue that the digital modes being used by radio
amateurs around the world are per se 'obscured' or 'encrypted.'" Read
more.
Hoc Legislative vocacy Committee to Meet with Lawmakers

ARRL's Hoc Legislative visory Committee will meet with several
members of Congress later this month in Washington to introduce new
Committee members, reacquaint the lawmakers with Amateur Radio's
most-pressing issues, seek their input on the best ways to achieve
ARRL's objectives in Congress, and request their continuing support.
Committee members have completed a comprehensive analysis of Amateur
Radio Parity Act deficiencies for dissemination to Amateur Radio's
backers on The Hill. The panel now is following up on this process with
the meetings later this month.

The Committee has contracted with The Keelen Group to provide advice
and recommendations regarding ARRL's legislative relationships. Keelen
Group advisors also will aid in organizing and guiding the meetings
between ARRL representatives and key congressional allies in support of
Amateur Radio initiatives.

On June 12, the Legislative visory Committee held the first of a
series of meetings in DC with ARRL Washington Counsel David Siddall,
K3ZJ, The Keelen Group, and a small contingent of radio amateurs
associated with various governmental and nongovernmental partners to
solicit their perspectives and assistance in charting a future course
of action. Pacific Division Director and Committee Chair Jim Tiemstra,
K6JAT, described these individuals a "critical allies in ARRL's efforts
to achieve its legislative objectives."

The process of analyzing and clarifying ARRL's aims began when the
Committee was reconstituted with new members at the ARRL Board of
Directors' January meeting. The Board had determined a need to "review,
reexamine, and reappraise the ARRL's regulatory and legislative policy
with regard to private land-use restrictions," with the aim of
renewing, continuing, and strengthening ARRL's effort to achieve relief
from such restrictions.

"There seems to be no countervailing policy that could justify
arbitrary conditions, covenants and restrictions," Tiemstra said.
"Indeed, public policy should clearly favor the needs of the Amateur
Radio operator."

Amateur Radio's role in public service and emergency communication will
be the Committee's strongest argument in seeking relief from private
land-use restrictions that limit amateurs' ability to operate
effectively.

The Committee will analyze the outcomes of this month's meetings and
draft a report with recommendations for the ARRL Executive Committee to
review and consider at its October 12 meeting. The full Board is
expected to take up the issue at its January 2020 meeting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------


A Radio on Your Belt -- 1930s Style

Since the advent of wireless technology, efforts have aimed at
condensing the size of the necessary equipment to permit ease of
transport, mobile installation, and radios that could be hand carried,
slipped into a pocket or -- in this case -- carried on the belt. Hugo
Gernsback's Radio-Craft for December 1936 included the article, "How to
Make the World's Smallest 3-Tube Radio Set" by Arthur Miller (likely
not the playwright). It details how a clever radio crafter could
construct a set worn on a belt around the waist and -- in this case --
with the antenna worn on the head in the manner of an old-time banker's
eyeshade. The individual wearing such equipment today likely would not
only have to endure considerable pointing and laughing but would raise
the alert level at any airport TSA checkpoint.

Vacuum tubes of the day were not too sensitive, required separate
voltage sources for filament and plate, and were pretty hard on
batteries. The filaments for the three tubes came from "a liquid
unspillable storage cell" (i.e., rechargeable) to supply the necessary
2 V. The article says this battery should last from 7 to 10 hours and
came "with an oiled silk bag and fits in the hip pocket." This was the
sort of futuristic innovation that Gernsback typically featured in his
publications, and the entire December 1936 issue of Radio-Craft is
worth perusing.

"When using this 'Belt-Radio' the wearer is quite unmindful that the
latest news or dance music is coming from an ultra-midget receiver
which is actually being worn on the belt!" the article exults. "And it
takes only a minute to put the whole equipment on -- and less to take
it off!"

According to Miller's article, building the three-tube set was easy.
"The loop aerial is wound on a cardboard disc 13 ins. in dia," it
explains. "Litz wire is used and 22 turns are interlaced around the 9
ribs." No mention of gauging hat size.

The article concedes just to "one disadvantage" in having to wear the
antenna on one's head. "The 4-ft. cable connecting it with the receiver
acts as a capacity and restricts the tuning range of the set," it
explains.

The set tuned the AM broadcast band, and with the antenna on the head,
directionality was less of an issue. While it might look silly to us
now, project ideas such as this helped advance the radio art toward the
technology we use and enjoy today.
So Now What? Podcast

"Demystifying the Language of Morse Code" is the focus of the new
(September 19) episode of the So Now What? podcast for Amateur Radio
newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other Amateur Radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through
the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. Episodes
will be archived on the ARRL website.

Amateur Radio Digital Communications Announces Grant to ARISS

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has announced what's being
called "a very generous grant" to Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) to help fund its next-generation Interoperable
Radio System (IORS) and associated infrastructure improvements and
enhancements. ARISS said the IORS will replace the aging amateur
stations on the ISS to ensure the continuation of its primary program
that lets students speak to ISS crew members via Amateur Radio. ARDC
said it believes ARISS helps to engage students with Amateur Radio and
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in general "by
providing exciting capabilities that don't exist" on cell phones or the
internet. A dollar figure was not made public.

"This was fantastic news!" said ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, who expressed appreciation for ARDC's generosity. Bauer said
the ARDC gift would go a long way toward covering the considerable cost
of making the IORS a reality.

ARISS said its next-generation IORS will "enable new, exciting
capabilities for hams, students, and the general public." It also plans
additional enhancements, which would include:
* New Amateur Radio communication and experimentation capabilities,
including an enhanced voice repeater and updated digital packet
radio
* APRS capability
* Two-way slow-scan television (SSTV) in both the US and Russian ISS
segments
* HamTV-2
* A new multi-voltage power supply that will support present and
future Amateur Radio capabilities and enable wireless
experimentation

The ARISS International team has already begun planning for an Amateur
Radio role for NASA's Lunar Gateway initiative. Some ARDC board members
have expressed an interest in ARISS's future plans involving the Lunar
Gateway program, ARISS said.

The donation to ARISS is the first since ARDC announced its grant
program earlier this summer. ARISS invites contributions via its
website. Read more.
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots again this week, and as
of Wednesday, we've seen 15 spotless days in a row. This is the solar
minimum. The current Cycle 24 is expected to end by year's end.

The average daily solar flux dipped from 69.4 to 68.1, while average
daily planetary A index declined slightly from 8.9 to 8.3, while the
average daily mid-latitude A index rose from 7.7 to 8.

Predicted solar flux is 68 on September 19 - 26; 69 on September 27 -
October 6; 70 on October 7; 68 on October 8 - 19, and 69 on October 20
- November 2.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 19 - 21; 8 on September
22 - 23; 5 on September 24 - 26; 35, 45, 20, and 10 on September 27 -
30; 8, 10, and 8 on October 1 - 3; 5, 5, and 12 on October 4 - 6; 5 on
October 7 - 9; 8, 5, and 8 on October 10 - 12; 5, 8, and 10 on October
13 - 15; 5 on October 16 - 19; 8, 5, and 5 on October 20 - 22; 8, 25,
30, and 18 on October 23 - 26; 8, 5, and 8 on October 27 - 29; 5 on
October 30 - November 1, and 12 on November 2.

Sunspot numbers for September 12 - 18 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.4, 68.3, 68.6, 67.7,
68.7, 67.5, and 66.3, with a mean of 68.1. Estimated planetary A
indices were 7, 8, 6, 8, 11, 9, and 9, with a mean of 8.3. Middle
latitude A index was 7, 8, 7, 8, 10, 8, and 8, with a mean of 8.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean," and
check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* September 20 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint
* September 21 -- QRP Afield (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
* September 21 - 22 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- All Collegiate QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone,
digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- SARL VHF/UHF Digital Contest
* September 21 - 22 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW
* September 21 - 22 -- All Africa International DX Contest (CW,
phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- All Iowa QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- New Jersey QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- New Hampshire QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 21 - 22 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, phone,
digital)
* September 22 - 25 -- Classic Exchange, Phone
* September 23 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* September 25 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
* September 25 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)
* September 26 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, Data

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
Festival of Frequency Measurement Set to Honor WWV Centennial

HamSCI and the Case Amateur Radio Club of Case Western Reserve
University (W8EDU) will sponsor a "Festival of Frequency Measurement"
on the day of WWV's centennial, October 1, from 0000 to 2359 UTC
(starting on Monday evening, September 30, in the Americas). The event
invites radio amateurs, shortwave listeners, and others capable of
making high-quality frequency measurements on HF to participate and
publish their data to the HamSCI community on the Zenodo open-data
sharing site.

"Changes in ionospheric electron density caused by space weather and
diurnal solar changes are known to cause Doppler shifts on HF ray
paths," the event announcement says. "HamSCI's first attempt at a
measurement of these Doppler shifts was during the August 2017 total
solar eclipse. We plan a careful measurement during the 2024 eclipse."

Some of the questions the research event is hoping to answer include
how WWV's 5 MHz propagation path varies over a given calendar day, and
how various measurement techniques for understanding the path
variations compare. The objectives are to measure Doppler shifts caused
by the effect of space weather on the ionosphere, and to use a
specified measurement protocol available to Amateur Radio operators and
other citizen-scientists. The experiment will use August 1, 2019 (UTC)
as a control date.

"The recordings in this experiment are expected to show formations of
the D-layer at stations' local sunrise and other daily events of the
ionosphere," the announcement said. "Space weather varies day to day
and some features may be prominent. We'll see what we get!"

Full information is on the Festival of Frequency Measurement website.

Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club Assisting in Restoring Fire-Damaged
Repeaters

The Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC) Disaster Recovery Program
for the 2018 Carr and Camp Fires has made a $1,000 grant to the
California Amateur Radio Linking Association (CARLA) toward the cost of
rebuilding one of its destroyed sites. The CARLA network of repeaters
provides coverage across California and western Nevada to provide
reliable communication during significant local, regional, and
wide-area incidents.

"We are extremely pleased and honored to have been the recipient of
MDARC's generosity through this initiative," said Tom Naso, N6MVT, one
of the founders of CARLA. "Our loss of CARLA system 25 in the Redding
area was a huge hit for us. Not only was it a high-level repeater site
that covered a lot of territory, but it was also a north-south relay
site that connected our primary Bay Area hub to our Shasta Area hub, so
it was a big deal on many levels when it went down that fateful day."

Naso said CARLA, based in the Bay Area, has systems throughout
California and parts of Nevada. The MDARC grant will make "a
considerable dent in the outlay of cash in procuring new equipment to
replace what burned," he said. "We don't have insurance on the
equipment because of how many sites we have. It just becomes cost
prohibitive."

The MDARC Board of Directors has established a fund to assist
organizations that have suffered ham system losses as a result of the
Carr and Camp Fires, and it continues to seek additional clubs with
fire-damaged systems that may require financial aid to rebuild. MDARC
recognizes that many of these repeater systems are in critical areas
that otherwise have very little Amateur Radio or cellular coverage and
are vital in providing important disaster traffic. Contact the club for
more information. -- Thanks to ARRL East Bay Section Manager Jim
Siemons, W6LK, and Tom Naso, N6MVT
Well-Known Yukon Ham J Allen, VY1JA, is Stepping Away from Amateur
Radio

Well-known Canadian radio amateur J Allen, VY1JA, of Whitehorse, Yukon
Territory, has announced that he's retiring from ham radio, citing
long-term health issues and hearing loss. The familiar VY1JA call sign
also has been retired. Allen will begin dismantling his station and
antennas as early as this weekend. His last contact was with KA4UPI on
September 14. He has uploaded his logs to Logbook of The World (LoTW)
and sent copies to his QSL managers.

"After approximately 30 years of operation and over 110,000 contacts,
the station VY1JA has gone QRT for operator health reasons effective
2019-09-14," Allen said on his QRZ.com profile. "All gear and antennas
are for sale."

For years, VY1JA was an eagerly sought-after multiplier in the ARRL
November Sweepstakes and other events, as well as a needed zone in DX
contests. In recent years, as Allen has begun to step away from regular
on-the-air appearances, his station has been operated remotely as
VY1AAA by a team of Canadian-licensed operators located in the US.
Allen said VY1AAA operation would cease on September 22.

Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, who has coordinated VY1AAA operations, told
ARRL that he's been searching over the past 6 months for another
Northern Territories station that would be willing to host remote
operation.

"The VY1AAA team is greatly saddened by this turn of events," Hull
said. "Hams around the world will surely miss J and the VY1AAA team on
the bands. J has been an incredible friend and mentor. Now it is time
for us to help him off the air." Hull said that over the past 4 years,
the remotely operated station has logged more than 35,000 contacts, and
QSL requests will continue to be honored. He invited inquiries via
email.

Allen thanked Hull for "his tireless efforts to keep YT/NT/VY1 on the
air throughout the years of his operation and direction of remote
operations." Read more.
In Brief...

Until October 1, WWV and WWVH are broadcasting a US Department of
Defense message to mark the centennial of WWV and to announce the
WW0WWV special event. The message will air at 10 minutes past the hour
from September 28 until October 2 from the WWV transmitter site near
Fort Collins, Colorado. Kevin Utter, N7GES, a member of the WW0WWV
Centennial Committee, recorded the audio track for the announcement.
Utter has been an integral part of the Committee and is a highly
respected member of the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio community. --
Thanks to Paul English, WD8DBY

A CubeSat with an FM-to-Codec-2 transponder has been launched. The
Taurus-1 (Jinniuzuo-1) CubeSat carrying an Amateur Radio FM-to-Codec-2
transponder was launched on September 12 from China's Taiyuan Satellite
Launch Center. The CubeSat was developed by Aerospace System
Engineering Research Institute of Shanghai for youth education and
Amateur Radio. The transponder is similar to that used on the
LilacSat-1 (LO-90) CubeSat and can use the same software, once
frequencies are changed, receiving FM with 67 Hz CTCSS on 145.820 MHz
and retransmitting it as Codec-2 9,600 bps BPSK digital voice on
436.760 MHz. The telemetry downlink is 435.840 MHz. In addition to the
transponder, the satellite also carries a drag sail. For more
information on the transponder type, see "Digital Voice on Amateur
Satellites: Experiences with LilacSat-OSCAR 90," which appeared in the
January/February edition of The AMSAT Journal. -- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service

North Korea is said to be testing digital broadcasting on 80 meters.
Radio World reports that the People's Democratic Republic of Korea
(North Korea) has resumed testing digital radio broadcasting on the
80-meter amateur band after a 2-year absence. North Korea is
transmitting with the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) protocol. The latest
transmissions on 3.560 MHz began in mid-August. "It appears unclear at
this time, however, whether the current series of transmissions will
soon end or be the start of a regular service," Radio World said.
"According to radio enthusiasts in the region, the signal has been
clear and very audible." Radio World says Voice of Korea, the North
Korean international broadcasting service, has conducted DRM trials off
and on since 2012.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
* September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
* September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota
* September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
September 26, 2019

* ARRL Thanks Official Observers as Volunteer Monitor Program is Set
to Debut
* ARRL Sets Facebook Live Event for Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs
* Nine Schools and Organizations Make the Cut for Ham Contacts with
ISS Crew
* 1921 Solar Event May Have Been Bigger than Carrington Event
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* WWV Centennial Celebration and Special Event Kick Off this Weekend
* Amateur Radio CubeSats among 15 Set to Launch on October 21
* "Storm Area 51" Event Attracts Modest Crowd, Following ARES/RACES
Deployment
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Thanks Official Observers as Volunteer Monitor Program is Set to
Debut

As the September 30 date for the closing of the Official Observer (OO)
program nears, ARRL has expressed deep appreciation to the hundreds of
volunteers who gave their time as Official Observers to help preserve
the integrity of the Amateur Radio bands.

The Official Observer program has served the Amateur Radio community
and assisted the FCC Enforcement Bureau for more than 85 years. The OO
program is giving way to the new Volunteer Monitor (VM) program,
established as part of a formal partnership between ARRL and the FCC.
ARRL and the FCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier
this year that establishes the Volunteer Monitor program as a successor
to the Official Observers. The first Volunteer Monitors should be in
place and ready to begin their duties this fall.

"Thank you for your dedication and service," ARRL Regulatory
Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said. "It was the good work of
the OOs over many years that laid the foundation for the FCC to
recommend this new agreement for enforcement." The FCC proposed the
program following the closures of several FCC regional offices and a
reduction in field staff.

Last February, Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, who once handled Amateur
Radio enforcement for the FCC, was named to oversee the development and
implementation phases of the Volunteer Monitor program.

Under the new VM program, volunteers trained and vetted by ARRL will
monitor the airwaves and gather evidence that could be used to correct
misconduct as well as to recognize exemplary on-air operation. ARRL
will refer instances of flagrant violation to the FCC for action, in
accordance with FCC guidelines, and the FCC will give priority to
enforcement cases developed by the VM program.

Official Observers were invited to apply to become Volunteer Monitors,
and many did. The requirements for being a Volunteer Monitor include:
* Ability to utilize state-of-the-art receiving equipment and to
access no-cost remote receive sites; strong writing and
communication skills
* An understanding of the importance of thorough documentation
* Basic word processing and data entry skills
* The ability to send such information, including recordings, to ARRL
electronically. Applicants must also be ARRL members, have no
history of FCC enforcement action, hold a Technician-class or
higher license, and been licensed for at least 3 years.

Applicants underwent a training and certification program administered
by ARRL and were vetted by ARRL through at least one oral interview and
a preliminary evaluation by ARRL staff. Volunteer Monitors will serve
3-year terms at the pleasure of ARRL.

The objectives of the Volunteer Monitoring Program include improving
and promoting knowledge and compliance of FCC Amateur Radio Service
rules, extending and preserving the tradition of self-regulation and
self-administration of the Amateur Radio Service by volunteers, and
enabling the FCC Enforcement Bureau "to more efficiently and
effectively utilize its resources in enforcing the Communications Act
and Commission rules," according to the MOU.
ARRL Sets Facebook Live Event for Collegiate Amateur Radio Clubs

ARRL is inviting campus radio clubs to join a Facebook Live Event on
Wednesday, October 16, at 6:30 PM PDT and MST; 7:30 PM MDT; 8:30 PM
CDT, or 9:30 PM EDT. The University of Arizona Amateur Radio Club
(K7UAZ) is hosting the event.

ARRL staff member Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, and students from the radio
club will discuss topics involving Amateur Radio clubs at colleges and
universities, including how to recruit student members, popular
activities for campus radio clubs, and Amateur Radio as a springboard
for career connections, networking, and practical experience. Your
ideas and questions are welcome, and student radio club members and
advisors may participate.

This event will stream live on the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio
Initiative (CARI) Facebook group, where collegiate radio clubs may
share information, techniques, and resources. The ARRL Collegiate
Amateur Radio Initiative is sponsored in part by the W1YSM Snyder
Family Collegiate Amateur Radio Endowment Fund.

Nine Schools and Organizations Make the Cut for Ham Contacts with ISS
Crew

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced
that nine schools and organizations have been selected to host Amateur
Radio contacts with International Space Station crew members during the
first half of 2020. The selected host organizations must now complete
an equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham
radio contact. Once a plan is approved, the final selected
schools/organizations will have contacts scheduled as their
availability matches up with the opportunities offered by NASA.

The schools and host organizations are: Celia Hays Elementary School,
Rockwall, Texas; Golden Gate Middle School, Naples, Florida; J.P.
McConnell Middle School, Loganville, Georgia; Kittredge Magnet School,
Atlanta, Georgia; Maple Dale Elementary School, Cincinnati, Ohio;
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville,
Tennessee; Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, California; Ramona Lutheran
School, Ramona, California, and River Ridge High School, New Port
Richey Florida.

The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in
science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) activities and
raise their awareness of space communication, radio communication,
space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.
1921 Solar Event May Have Been Bigger than Carrington Event

Scientific American reports that, according to new data, the "New York
Railroad Storm" of 1921 may have surpassed the intensity of the famous
Carrington Event of 1859. In his paper published in the journal Space
Weather, Jeffrey Love of the US Geological Survey and his colleagues
reexamined the intensity of the 1921 event in greater detail than
previously.

Although different measures of intensity exist, geomagnetic storms are
often rated on an index called disturbance storm time (D_st) -- a way
of gauging global magnetic activity by averaging out values for the
strength of Earth's magnetic field measured at multiple locations.
Earth's baseline D_st level is about -20 nanoteslas (nT), with a
"superstorm" condition occurring when levels fall below -250 nT.
Studies of the very limited magnetic data from the Carrington Event peg
its intensity at anywhere from -850 to -1,050 nT. According to Love's
study, the 1921 storm came in at about -907 nT.

Peter Ward in his 2017 New York History Blog article "Strange
Phenomena: The New York Railroad Storm" recounted that theatre-goers in
New York City "marveled at the spectacle" of an iridescent cloud that
was brighter than the moon. "On the roof of the Times Building,
reporters, having discovered the telegraph lines to be curiously
blocked, gathered to watch the aerial kaleidoscope," he wrote.

As with the earlier Carrington Event, telegraph operators experienced
wild fluctuations in the current on their circuits, while wireless
propagation was enhanced. "The next day, papers reported that the
Central New England railroad station (also home to the telegraph
switchboard) had burned to the ground." Railroad officials later blamed
the fire on the aurora.

According to Ward's article, the lights were visible in New York,
California, and Nevada. Especially in rural areas, "the lights were
said to be brighter, appear closer to the ground, and even move with a
swishing sound."

Railroad and telegraph service were restored the following week,
although one Western Union transatlantic cable showed signs of damage.
"Delays and damage lead to some referring to it as the New York
Railroad Storm," Ward wrote.

A dramatic description of the event on the SolarStorms.org website
said, "At 7:04 AM on May 15, the entire signal and switching system of
the New York Central Railroad below 125th Street was put out of
operation, followed by a fire in the control tower at 57th Street and
Park Avenue."

The short article said a telegraph operator reported being driven away
from his station by flames that enveloped his switchboard and set the
building on fire. "In Sweden a telephone station was reported to have
been 'burned out,' and the storm interfered with telephone, telegraph,
and cable traffic over most of Europe," the article said.

The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Keeping Water out of Coaxial Cables" is the topic of the new
(September 26) episode of the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.
Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sorry, still no sunspots.
Spaceweather.com reported on September 25 that the sun has been
spotless for more than 3 weeks -- 23 consecutive days -- and with 89%
spotless days this summer. So far in 2019, 72% of the days have been
spotless, equal to what it was in the last solar minimum in 2008 and
2009.

We transitioned through the fall equinox this week. This is a good time
for HF propagation, even with low solar activity, whether you are in
Northern Hemisphere's fall or Southern Hemisphere's spring.

Over the September 19 - 25 reporting week, the average daily solar flux
shifted marginally from 68.1 to 67.3, while average daily planetary A
index reflected quiet geomagnetic conditions, dipping from 8.3 to 5.4.
The mid-latitude index went from 8 to 4.6.

Predicted solar flux is 67 on September 26 - October 3, and 68 on
October 4 - November 9.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 28, 45, 24, and 12 on September 26 -
30; 12 and 8 on October 1 - 2; 5 on October 3 - 5; 12 on October 6; 5
on October 7 - 9; 8, 5, 8, 10, 8, and 8 on October 10 - 15; 5 on
October 16 - 19; 12 and 8 on October 20 - 21; 5 on October 22 - 24; 25,
18, 10, 5, and 8 on October 25 - 29; 5 on October 30 - November 1; 10
on November 2; 5 on November 3 - 5, and 8, 5, 8, and 10 on November 6 -
9.

The planetary A index forecast of 28, 45, and 24 for September 27 - 29
is due to solar wind spewing from a large coronal hole, the same one
that gave us planetary A indices of 38 and 45 on August 31 and
September 1 -- now after making a trip around the sun. Look for it
again on October 25 - 26.

Sunspot numbers for September 19 - 25 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.1, 67.2, 67.7, 68.3,
66.1, 67.1, and 67.5, with a mean of 67.3. Estimated planetary A
indices were 4, 3, 7, 4, 3, 13, and 4, with a mean of 5.4. Middle
latitude A index was 4, 3, 7, 2, 2, 11, and 3, with a mean of 4.6.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* September 28 - 29 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY
* September 28 - 29 -- Maine QSO Party (CW, phone)
* September 30 - October 1 -- QCX Challenge (CW)
* October 1 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* October 1 -- 220 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* October 1 - 7 -- IQRP Quarterly Marathon (CW, phone, digital)
* October 2 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (phone)
* October 3 -- German Telegraphy Contest (CW)
* October 3 -- SARL 80-Meter QSO Party (phone)
* October 3 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* October 3 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
WWV Centennial Celebration and Special Event Kick Off this Weekend

The culmination of months of planning will come to a head this weekend
as the WWV Centennial Celebration and the related WW0WWV Amateur Radio
special event get under way. WW0WWV will begin operation on Saturday at
0000 UTC and continue through October 2 at 0000 UTC. The National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Northern Colorado
Amateur Radio Club (NCARC), and the WWV Amateur Radio Club have teamed
up to organize 100th anniversary events. WW0WWV will be active around
the clock on 160 - 6 meters on CW, SSB, and digital modes (FT8
operation will be Fox and Hound, except on 160 meters). WW0WWV will
operate from the challenging RF environment at the WWV site near Fort
Collins, Colorado. Logs will be streamed live to Club Log, and all logs
will be uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW) after the event ends.

WW0WWV committee member Dave Swartz, W0DAS, said he's been addressing
last-minute details and putting out "many little fires." Swartz is
camping out at the WWV site ahead of the special event.

A c1920 WWV transmitter, built by
National Bureau of Standards staff
and coupled with a hand-crank
record player. [Photo courtesy of
WWV/NIST]

WWV is reputed to be among the oldest -- if not the oldest --
continuously operating radio stations in the world. It started out as
an experimental station that eventually became a time and frequency
standard, and WWV often broadcast music in its early years. WWV served
as a beacon for Amateur Radio pioneers, who may only have had a rough
idea of where they were transmitting. When they began, early time
announcements were in CW. Voice announcements did not start until 1950.
Time announcements used to be every 5 minutes, but WWV switched to
announcing the time every 60 seconds in 1971.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

W3V East Coast Special Event Will Also Mark WWV Centennial

An unrelated east coast special event, W3V in Maryland, will also
celebrate the 100th anniversary of WWV. Originally an
experimental/demonstration radio station, WWV was licensed to what then
was called the National Bureau of Standards -- today NIST -- on October
1, 1919. The transmitter site, initially in the Washington, DC,
suburbs, moved to the grounds of the Agricultural Research Center
(BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland, in the 1930s, before relocating to
Colorado in 1966.

The WWV Beltsville, Maryland, home
of WWV from 1943 until 1966. [Photo
courtesy of WWV/NIST]

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) also was located on the
BARC campus, and the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (GARC) will host the
W3V special event September 28 - October 2 at the GARC club station,
just north of the old WWV site. It will use the former WA3NAN space
shuttle HF retransmission frequencies -- 3.860, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395,
and 28.650 MHz -- as well as amateur satellites. For many years, the
GARC retransmissions used 100-foot wooden antenna poles that it
inherited from WWV.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As part of the WWV centennial, HamSCI and the Case Amateur Radio Club
of Case Western Reserve University (W8EDU) invites all radio amateurs
and others capable of making highly accurate HF measurements to
participate in the WWV Centennial Festival of Frequency Measurement.
The event will take place on WWV's centennial, October 1, from 0000 to
2359 UTC (starting on Monday evening, September 30, in the Americas).
Participants are requested to share their data with the HamSCI
community on the Zenodo data-sharing site.

Amateur Radio CubeSats among 15 Set to Launch on October 21

AMSAT reports that an Antares II launch vehicle will carry 15 CubeSats
into orbit on October 21 from Wallops Island as part of NASA
Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) Mission 25. Some will
carry Amateur Radio payloads.
* TJ REVERB, developed by students at Thomas Jefferson High School in
Alexandria, Virginia, will carry a 145.825 MHz APRS digipeater.
* HuskySat, a University of Washington - Seattle project, will be
boosted into a 500-kilometer (approximately 310-mile) orbit via the
Cygnus external deployment device. HuskySat will carry a V/U linear
transponder provided in cooperation with AMSAT.

[IMG]Other satellites announced for the ELaNa 25 launch include Argus
(St. Louis University), 437 MHz telemetry; AzTechSat-1 (NASA Ames
Research Center) 437 MHz telemetry; CySat (Iowa State University) 436
MHz telemetry; Phoenix (Arizona State University) 437 and 2400 MHz
telemetry; RadSat-U (Montana State University) 437 MHz telemetry; SPOC
(University of Georgia) 437 and 2400 MHz telemetry, and SwampSat II
(University of Florida) 437 and 2400 MHz telemetry. -- Thanks to AMSAT
News Service
"Storm Area 51" Event Attracts Modest Crowd, Following ARES/RACES
Deployment

The much-heralded "Storm Area 51" event that started out as a joke on
social media, prompted states of emergency in two Nevada counties

A "Storm Area 51" publicity poster.
[Photo courtesy of Alien Research
Center]

and spurred an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R))/Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service (RACES) deployment. As do many storms, this one
failed to live up to its hype. No one stormed anything, and no
extraterrestrials were sighted, beyond variously costumed earthlings
embracing the vibe. The Storm Area 51 weekend of September 20 - 22
instead morphed into a music festival and other events along a 50-mile
stretch of highway running through the Nevada desert known as
Extraterrestrial Highway (Nevada Highway 375).

At the core of the whole concept was a call urging people to storm the
mysterious US Air Force Facility known as Area 51 in the Nevada Test
and Training Range to see if extraterrestrial life forms said to have
been recovered by the US military following UFO sightings in the 1950s
were being held there. The military issued stern warnings to stay away,
and the FAA was reported to have closed the airspace above the area.

Some 2 million initially indicated they were game for the event, but
attendance predictions subsequently were tempered considerably.
Ultimately, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 visitors heeded the call, and
only a hundred or so even made it to the main gate. A couple of people
were arrested.

The so-called Extraterrestrial
Highway in Nevada, during quieter
times. [Photo courtesy of
TravelNevada.com]

A major concern was that a horde of visitors to the small towns of
Rachel and Hiko would come ill prepared for the desert environment and
overwhelm the few available facilities available. With virtually no
local infrastructure and faced with the possibility of being overrun by
visitors, officials in Lincoln and Nye counties declared states of
emergency. The town of Rachel, in Lincoln County, has just 50
inhabitants, and virtually all of the land is owned by the federal
government. The county has just 20 law enforcement officers. No serious
problems were reported. ARES teams planned to staff and support six
incident-specific locations along Extraterrestrial Highway.

Multiple Facebook sites opened to promote the "Alienstock" music
festival in Rachel, and an Area 51 Basecamp in Hiko. Other UFO-inspired
events popped up along desolate Extraterrestrial Highway. Law
enforcement and medical personnel were posted, along with the Nevada
National Guard. Visitors came from as far away as Australia.
In Brief...

[IMG]Orlando HamCation is accepting nominations for its Carole Perry
Educator of the Year Award through November 1. This award goes to an
individual who has made an outstanding contribution educating and
advancing youth in Amateur Radio. The inaugural award in 2018 went to
its namesake, Carole Perry, WB2MGP, in recognition of her work in
teaching students about ham radio. Submit nominations via email or on
the Orlando HamCation website. Nominations also may be mailed to
Orlando HamCation, PO Box 574962, Orlando, FL 32857. Downloadable
nomination forms are available. For more information, contact the
Awards Committee. The 74th Orlando HamCation will take place February 7
- 9, 2020.

AMSAT has announced the results of its 2019 Board election. After
ballots were tallied, Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA;
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK and Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, were elected by
the AMSAT membership to serve for 2 years. The First Alternate is
Brennan Price, N4QX. The Second Alternate is Howie Defelice, AB2S. Both
will serve 1-year terms. Total number of votes cast was 1,052 (892
electronic plus 160 paper), with the tally as follows: Michelle
Thompson, W5NYV, 675 votes; Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, 585 votes; Jerry
Buxton, N0JY, 526 votes, and Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, 515 votes;
Brennan Price, N4QX, 480 votes; Howie DeFelice, AB2S, 435 votes; Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, 399 votes, and Jeff Johns, WE4B, 366 votes. -- Thanks
to AMSAT Secretary Clayton Coleman, W5PFG

Former long-time ARRL Headquarters staffer John Nelson, K0IO, has died.
Nelson, of Kellogg, Iowa, was an ARRL Life Member. He was 72. Nelson
previously held W1GNC and W0DRE. Over his 25 years (1970 - 1995) on the
Headquarters staff, Nelson served as circulation manager, deputy
publications manager, and planning and financial analysis manager. He
curated the former ARRL lobby display of vintage radio artifacts. In an
article published last year about the 80th anniversary of the Newton
(Iowa) Amateur Radio Association, Nelson told the Newton Daily News
that he first became interested in ham radio when he was in sixth
grade. A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Nelson was vice
president of the Newton Amateur Radio Association, and an active storm
spotter. "Ham radio was truly his passion," his sister Ellen Pierson,
said. After retiring, he pursued a second career publishing books
related to the history of the Rock Island Railroad. "John was always
there to help, in his relatively soft-spoken way," said ARRL Radiosport
and Field Services Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, who had worked with
Nelson.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
* September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota
* September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida

Find conventions and hamfests in your area

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
October 3, 2019

* Bidding in ARRL Online Auction Begins on October 17
* IARU ministrative Council Steps Up Efforts to Combat Radio
Spectrum Pollution
* Ten Teams to Compete in Spectrum Collaboration Challenge
Championship Event
* So Now What? Podcast
* The Weather Channel Cites "Old School Tech" Amateur Radio as Storm
Resource
* ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Ham Radio Contacts with Space
Station Crew
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Belarus Team Dominates 16th IARU High-Speed Telegraphy World
Championship
* Radio Club of America (RCA) Announces its 2019 Award Recipients and
Fellows
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Bidding in ARRL Online Auction Begins on October 17

More than 230 items will go on the block as bidding begins on Thursday,
October 17, at 10 AM EST (1400 UTC) for the 14th Annual ARRL Online
Auction. The auction will continue through Thursday, October 24,
closing at 10 PM EST. An auction preview opens on Monday, October 14.

The 2019 auction includes lab-tested QST "Product Review" gear, vintage
books, used equipment, and one-of-a-kind items, plus the ARRL Lab team
has contributed four of its very popular "Mystery Junque Boxes."

Some premier "Product Review" items up for bid include the Elecraft KPA
1500 legal-limit HF and 6-meter linear amplifier, the Icom IC-7610 HF
and 6-meter transceiver, the Palstar LA-1K 160 - 6 meter amplifier, the
FlexRadio Systems FLEX-6400M HF and 6-meter SDR transceiver, the
Kenwood TS-890S HF and 6-meter transceiver, and many more.

The auction will also offer items donated from the popular television
series Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen, an actual radio amateur
who portrays the fictional Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, in the show, which has
featured ham radio in some episodes.

Among book offerings in the auction are the sold out 2019 Handbook
Boxed Set, a special defense edition of The Radio Amateur's Handbook
from 1942, and a 1949 ARRL Antenna Book.

Proceeds from the annual Online Auction benefit ARRL education
programs. These include activities to license new hams, strengthen
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R)) training, offer continuing
technical and operating education, and create instructional materials.

All bidders must register (your arrl.org user ID and password will not
work on the auction site). If you have registered for a previous ARRL
Online Auction, you may use the same login information. If you have
forgotten your user ID or password, click the "Help" tab for
instructions on how to retrieve these credentials. Make sure your
correct address and other information are up to date. The auction site
only accepts Visa and MasterCard.
IARU ministrative Council Steps Up Efforts to Combat Radio Spectrum
Pollution

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) ministrative Council
(AC) met on September 28 and 29 in Lima, Peru, to conduct a final
review of IARU preparations for the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19). The
Council's annual meeting took place just ahead of the triennial IARU
Region 2 (IARU R2) General Assembly. Responsible for IARU policy and
management, the Council consists of the three IARU international
officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional
organizations.

WRC-19's lengthy agenda includes items of direct interest to the
Amateur Service, including consideration of improvements to the 50 MHz
amateur allocation in Region 1, protection of existing amateur
allocations, and development of the agenda for the next WRC in 2023.
IARU volunteers and member-societies have been working for the past 4
years -- since WRC-15 -- to influence proposals from national
telecommunications administrations and regional telecommunications
organizations (RTOs) that will be considered at WRC-19, which gets
under way late this month in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

"IARU efforts have reduced the number of potentially damaging proposals
that otherwise might have been offered for consideration, but several
challenges remain," IARU said in a news release. "A small team of IARU
observers will attend WRC-19 and will work with amateurs and friends on
national delegations to reach the best possible outcomes."

Front: Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM; IARU
Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR;
Don Beattie, G3BJ; Ken Yamamoto,
JA1CJP; Wisnu Widjaja, YB0AZ. Rear:
Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T; IARU
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA;
David Sumner, K1ZZ; Ram�n Santoyo,
XE1KK, and George Gorsline, VE3YV.

Looking beyond WRC-19, the AC plans to increase its commitment to
influencing the work of standards organizations, particularly the
International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR) and its
participating national committees. IARU cited "the rising level of
radio spectrum pollution caused by unnecessary and unwanted emissions
from electronic devices, such as wireless power transfer for the
recharging of electric vehicles (WPT-EV), is a serious threat to
radiocommunication services including the Amateur Service."

Council participants engaged in an extensive discussion to identify the
principal challenges facing Amateur Radio and how the IARU and its
member-societies might better address them. Upgrading of the current
websites of the IARU and its three regional organizations is under way
and should be completed in the coming months. The AC also adopted a
Brand Guide to ensure a common identity across the IARU organization.

The Council's next in-person meeting will take place in October 2020,
just prior to the IARU Region 1 Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. Virtual
AC meetings are also planned beginning in December 2019 and January
2020. Read more. -- Thanks to IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ

Ten Teams to Compete in Spectrum Collaboration Challenge Championship
Event

Ten teams of academic, industry, and entrepreneurial technologists are
set to compete in the Spectrum Collaboration Challenge (SC2)
championship on October 23 at the Mobile World Congress in Los Angeles.
The Defense vanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -- a US
Department of Defense agency -- announced the qualifiers in September.
SC2 is a 3-year contest to unlock the potential of the RF spectrum
using artificial intelligence (AI). The teams' radio designs will go
head to head during a live competition, and the first-, second-, and
third-place winners will walk away with $2 million, $1 million, and
$750,000 in prizes, respectively.

"These teams have fought long and hard for their chance to compete in
SC2's Championship Event," SC2 Program Manager Paul Tilghman said in a
news release. "After 3 years of competition, this final roster reflects
some of the best minds working at the intersection of AI and wireless
communications."

Teams representing Drexel University; the University of Florida;
Northeastern University; Vanderbilt University; a group from Ghent
University, the University of Antwerp, and Rutgers University will
compete in this month's event, along with teams of independent
researchers.

"Since its beginning in 2016, SC2 has challenged teams to merge recent
advances in AI and machine learning with the expanding capacities of
software defined radios (SDR) to create radio networks capable of
autonomously collaborating on ways to best utilize the spectrum
moment-to-moment," the news release said. "Some teams employ
rule-based, or 'first wave' AI approaches that attempt to capture all
possible moves or scenarios a radio could face and then define a
corresponding response. Others are using more advanced AI and machine
learning, or 'second wave' approaches that exploit pattern recognition
to help their radios avoid interfering with their wireless neighbors
while skillfully navigating to open spectrum. A few teams use a
combination of the two approaches."

The aim of SC2 is to determine if AI-enabled radios can autonomously
navigate the wireless spectrum, eliminating the need for rigid,
human-managed spectrum bands or traditional spectrum allocation.

"The novel approaches developed by our competitors could enable us to
make more efficient use of the spectrum we currently have available,
and possibly forestall spectrum scarcity that threatens future
performance as more and more devices come online," Tilghman said.

DARPA says that SC2 began with more than 30 teams that either submitted
a proposal or successfully completing technical hurdles developed by
SC2 organizers. A championship play-in round was held in early
September to determine the final 10 teams that would compete in the
Championship Event.

Grant Imahara, known for his work on the Discovery series MythBusters
and Netflix series White Rabbit Project, will serve as the master of
ceremonies. He will provide commentary with DARPA's Tilghman and GNU
Radio Foundation President Ben Hilburn, KJ4DDR. The finale is free to
attend and open to all MWC 2019 Los Angeles attendees as well as the
general public. Those without a 3-day pass may email to request a free
1-day pass to the SC2 Championship Event.
So Now What? Podcast

"You're not 'Just' a Tech" -- featuring Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR -- will
be the focus of the new (October 3) episode of the So Now What? podcast
for Amateur Radio newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other Amateur Radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through
the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. Episodes
will be archived on the ARRL website.

The Weather Channel Cites "Old School Tech" Amateur Radio as Storm
Resource

Julio Ripoll, WD4R, Amateur Radio Assistant Coordinator of WX4NHC at
the National Hurricane Center (NHC) explained Amateur Radio's role
during severe weather situations to interviewers from The Weather
Channel (TWC). In a September 16 segment headlined, "Using Old School
Tech During a Storm," Ripoll -- seated at WX4NHC -- told Weather
Channel interviewers Rick Knabb and Mike Bettes, that information NHC
forecasters receive via Amateur Radio volunteers and spotters
"sometimes fills in gaps they can't get from satellites or
reconnaissance."

Knabb recounted an occasion when he was trying to pin down information
about a storm system in Central America. "The only way I was able to
accurately document what happened with that system in Central America
was because of data through the ham radio operators that relayed it,"
he told Ripoll.

Ripoll cited the WX4NHC volunteer staff of approximately 30 radio
amateurs who gather and essentially screen information gathered via
Amateur Radio for weather data that may be of use to forecasters.

Over the weekend, Ripoll expressed appreciation to WX4NHC, Hurricane
Watch Net, and VoIP Hurricane Net volunteers for the time they donate
during hurricanes and the reports they send to WX4NHC.

"Sometimes, we sit for hours listening to static. Sometimes, we receive
many reports that are unremarkable. Sometimes, we receive very few
reports. But then there are those times that one or two reports make a
difference," Ripoll said. He noted that NHC Hurricane Specialist Stacy
Stewart cited Amateur Radio in a Hurricane Humberto advisory.

The advisory noted, "An Amateur Radio operator at Ports Island near the
southern end of Bermuda reported a sustained wind of 75 MPH and a gust
to 104 MPH during the past hour. An Amateur Radio operator in Somerset
Village recently reported a sustained wind of 70 MPH and a gust to 89
MPH." -- Thanks to Julio Ripoll, WD4R
ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Ham Radio Contacts with Space Station
Crew

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is
seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations --
individually or working together -- to host an Amateur Radio contact
with a member of the International Space Station crew. The deadline to
submit a proposal is November 30. Proposal information and documents
are on the ARISS website.

ARISS anticipates that contacts would take place between July 1 and
December 31, 2020. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine
specific contact dates. To make the most of these radio contact
opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large
numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed
education plan.

Crew members aboard the International Space Station routinely conduct
scheduled Amateur Radio contacts throughout the year. These contacts
are approximately 10 minutes long and allow students to interact with
the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.

Amateur Radio organizations around the world -- with the support of
NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe -- make
these contact opportunities available to educational organizations. An
ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur
Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and
classrooms to educate students about what it is like to live and work
in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS.
Students will also have an opportunity to learn about satellite
communication, wireless technology, and radio science.

Amateur Radio organization volunteers provide the equipment and
operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and
students around the world using Amateur Radio.

Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of
scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate
flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and times.

Proposal information and more details, including expectations, proposal
guidelines, proposal forms, and dates and times of informational
webinars, are on the ARISS website.

Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education@gmail.com.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: A new sunspot from old Cycle 24
appeared on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, with the sunspot number
at 11 on both days. Average daily solar flux rose only slightly from
67.3 to 67.6. Geomagnetic indices were higher. Average planetary A
index rose from 5.4 to 14.4, and average mid-latitude A index increased
from 4.6 to 11.

Predicted solar flux is 68 for the next 45 days, October 3 - 16.
Predicted planetary A index is 12 and 8 on October 3 - 4; 5 on October
5 - 9; 8, 5, 8, and 12 on October 10 - 13; 8 on October 14 - 15; 5 on
October 16 - 20; 12, 5, and 5 on October 21 - 23; 18, 25, 12, and 10 on
October 24 - 27; 8, 8, and 12 on October 28 - 30; 8, 8, and 12 on
October 31 - November 2; 5 on November 3 - 5; 8, 5, 8, 10, 8, and 8 on
November 6 - 11, and 5 on November 12 - 16.

Sunspot numbers for September 26 - October 2 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 11,
and 11, with a mean of 3.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.1, 66.4,
67.3, 67.4, 67.9, 68.7, and 68.3, with a mean of 67.6. Estimated
planetary A indices were 4, 21, 27, 13, 15, 13, and 8, with a mean of
14.4. Middle latitude A index was 2, 15, 21, 10, 11, 11, and 7, with a
mean of 11.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* October 5 -- FISTS Fall Slow Speed Sprint (CW)
* October 5 - 6 -- California QSO Party (CW, phone)
* October 5 - 6 -- TRC DX Contest (CW, phone)
* October 5 - 6 -- Oceania DX Contest, Phone
* October 5 - 6 -- Russian World Wide Digital Contest
* October 5 - 6 -- International Hell Contest (Digital)
* October 5 - 6 -- SKCC QSO Party (CW)
* October 5 - 7 -- YLRL DX/NA YL Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* October 6 -- RSGB DX Contest (CW, phone)
* October 6 -- UBA ON Contest, SSB
* October 6 -- Peanut Power QRP Sprint (CW, phone)
* October 9 -- 432 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone)
* October 10 -- 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint (CW, phone,
digital)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

Belarus Team Dominates 16th IARU High-Speed Telegraphy World
Championship

The team from Belarus dominated the 16th High-Speed Telegraphy (HST)
World Championship in mid-September, sponsored by the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Belarus came away with

Stanislau
Haurylenka,
EW8GS.

more than two-thirds of the medals, with several other countries' teams
sharing the rest. Representatives of 19 countries participated in the
championship, which took place in Albena, Bulgaria, sponsored by the
Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs.

Belarus team member Stanislau Haurylenka, EW8GS, ran up a score of
291,597 points, to top the old world record of 288,671 in the male
RufzXP category. The top speed achieved during the attempt was 943
characters/minute or 195 WPM. Teodora Karastoyanova, LZ2CWW, set a new
female record in the same event, with 293,877 points and a maximum
speed of 943 characters/minute or 195 WPM. Last May, she set an
official female record in the Romanian Championships with 286,944
points.

Teodora
Karastoyanova,
LZ2CWW.

In all, 60 male and 30 female competitors took part in the events,
which included reception of five letter/figure/mixed groups for a
period of 1 minute according to the software provided, transmission of
five letter/figure/mixed groups for a period of 1 minute, and "radio
amateur practicing tests," using RufzXP software for call sign
receiving, and Morse Runner software for pileup receiving.

The HST competition also includes entry categories for "young" males
and females (age 16 and younger) and "junior" males and females (up to
age 21). Official results as well as the world record list are
available online.

The 17th IARU HST World Championship will take place in 2020 in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. -- Thanks to IARU Region 1
Radio Club of America (RCA) Announces its 2019 Award Recipients and
Fellows

The Radio Club of America (RCA) has announced its 2019 award recipients
and fellows. Many of those being recognized are radio amateurs.
Honorees will be feted at RCA's 110th Banquet & Awards Presentation on
Saturday, November 23, in New York City.

Awards

Armstrong Medal: Thomas Marzetta, for outstanding achievements and
lasting contributions to the radio arts and sciences and wireless
communications.

Fred M. Link Award: George R. Stoll, WA0KBT, for notable achievements
in land mobile radio communications.

RCA Special Recognition Award: PMC Associates, in recognition of
dedicated service to the Radio Club of America.

Radio Club of America Service Award: David Bart, KB9YPD, in recognition
of dedicated service to the Radio Club of America.

US Navy Captain George P. McGinnis Memorial Award: CTM2 Michael Lee
Heenan, USN (posthumously), in recognition of service and dedication to
the advancement and preservation of US Navy Cryptology.

The Vivian A. Carr Award: Margaret Lyons, in recognition of an
outstanding woman's achievements in the wireless industry.

Jay Kitchen Leadership Award: Jay Kitchen (posthumously), in
recognition of achievement of a high level of success leading a
wireless association.

Lee de Forest Award: Frederick M. Baumgartner, K0FMB, for significant
contributions to the advancement of radio communications.

Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award: Martin F. Jue, K5FLU, for unique
contributions to the field of Amateur Radio.

Lifetime Achievement: Henry Richter, W6VZA, for significant
achievements and a major body of work that has advanced the art and
science of wireless technology.

Frank A. Gunther Award: Robert Strickland, for dedication to the field
of military communications.

Alfred H. Grebe Award: Bob Heil, K9EID, for significant achievements
and demonstrated excellence in the engineering and manufacturing of
radio equipment.

RCA President's Award: Chester "Barney" Scholl, Jr., K3LA, for service
and dedication to the Radio Club of America.

DeMello Award: Chief Barry Luke, for demonstrating the highest level of
personal and professional conduct and performance in Public Safety
Communications.

2019 RCA Fellows

Elevation to Fellow is made by nomination of members in good standing
for at least the previous 5 years, in recognition of contributions to
the art and science of radio communications, broadcast, or the Radio
Club of America.
* Louis T. Fiore, W2LTF
* Dana B. Hanford, Jr., KC7SDD
* Don Root, K6CDO
* Alan Spindel, AG4WK
* Lee A. Ward, K0LW
* Holly Wayt

A complete listing of RCA Awards and previous recipients is on the RCA
website.
In Brief...

The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend (ILLW) will hold its
23rd annual operating event in 2020 a week later than usual. The event
is usually held on the third full weekend in August, but this year,
that date coincides with the 75th anniversary of the cessation of
hostilities in the Pacific during World War II. "The organizers of the
event have decided it would be inappropriate to hold the ILLW event on
the third full weekend of August next year, as many stations will be
involved in commemorating the important anniversary of VP day,
especially those bordering and within the Pacific Rim," said ILLW
Organizer and Webmaster Kevin Mulcahy, VK2CE. "We trust this temporary
move to August 22 - 23 will not inconvenience anyone." Mulcahy said
this year's 22nd annual event "was again very successful," with 426
stations in 50 countries, plus others who did not register
participating. "Several new countries and lighthouses were listed this
year," he reported.

Australian Regulator Reinstates US Amateur Radio License Reciprocity
The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) reports Australia's
communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA) is reinstating the reciprocal arrangement for US
Amateur Radio license holders. "The reinstatement follows a period of
suspension of reciprocity precipitated by a complainant objecting to
the granting of [Australian] licenses," a WIA statement read. "The WIA
believes that irrespective of the motivations of the complainant to
raise their objections, the impact of the suspension was only to
increase barriers to entry to Amateur Radio in Australia, and was most
unhelpful." The WIA expressed its pleasure that the restriction was
lifted. A reciprocal license is valid only for 12 months from the date
of issue and cannot be renewed or extended unless the holder passes the
local regulations examination.

Former ARRL North Texas Section Manager Phil Clements, K5PC, of Ben
Wheeler, Texas, died on September 23. An ARRL Life Member, he was 79.
Clements served as ARRL North Texas Section Communications
Manager/Section Manager from 1979 until 1989. (ARRL changed the
position title to Section Manager in 1984.) Clements was a pilot for
Braniff Airways and Airborne Express.

IARU Region 3 Provides for Satellite Uplinks on 15 Meters International
Amateur Radio Union Region 3 (Asia, Pacific) has approved a modified
interim band plan that provides Amateur Satellite uplink frequencies
between 21.125 - 21.450 MHz. The IARU Region 1 and 2 band plans do not
provide for Amateur Satellite usage. "In all cases of conflict between
a band plan and the national regulations of a country, the latter shall
prevail," the band plan states. "However, it is not recommended to use
frequencies outside of the band plan for the Amateur Satellite Service,
and it should be noted that the IARU cannot coordinate Amateur
Satellite usage of frequencies outside of the band plan." The Region 3
directors met in Tokyo on September 2 - 3. -- Thanks to AMSAT

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida

Find conventions and hamfests in your area

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
October 10, 2019

* FCC Proposes Fining New York Radio Amateur $17,000 for Alleged
Deliberate Interference
* ARRL Public Relations Committee Invites Nominations for Bill
Leonard Award
* US Coast Guard Airs Proposal to End MF Navigational Telex (NAVTEX)
Broadcasts
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Hawaii Contest Station and Winlink Leveraged for 2019 Simulated
Emergency Test
* Ohio Sheriff Observes and Participates in ARES Simulated Emergency
Test
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* FCC Dismisses Three Petitions for Rule Making Filed by Radio
Amateurs
* Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club Celebrates Centennial of ARRL
Affiliation
* Anna Brummer, N2FER, Feted on her 105th Birthday
* Lynyrd Skynyrd Founding Member Larry Junstrom, K4EB, SK
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
FCC Proposes Fining New York Radio Amateur $17,000 for Alleged
Deliberate Interference

Harold Guretzky, K6DPZ, of Richmond Hill, New York, is facing a $17,000
FCC fine for allegedly causing intentional interference on a local
repeater and preventing other radio amateurs from using it. The FCC
issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) on October
3.

"Given his history as a repeat offender, this violation warrants a
significant penalty," the FCC said in the NAL.

The NAL recounted numerous complaints alleging that Guretzky was
deliberately interfering with a repeater in Glen Oaks, New York. In
June of 2017, the FCC issued a Warning Letter to Guretzky, advising him
of the nature of the allegations against him and directing him to stop
using the repeater going forward. Nonetheless, additional complaints
were filed. In April 2018, agents from the FCC New York Enforcement
Bureau office drove to Richmond Hill to investigate and to advise him
in writing that he was prohibited from using the local repeater.

After the FCC received further complaints, an Enforcement Bureau agent
monitored the VHF repeater's input and output frequencies and, after
observing deliberate interference to other stations, used
direction-finding techniques to identify the source of the transmission
as Guretzky's station.

"The agent monitored and recorded the transmissions emanating from
Guretzky's station for several hours that afternoon and heard him
interfering with the local repeater," the NAL said. "Later, the agent
heard Guretzky making threatening comments toward other amateur
operators." The following month, FCC Regional Director David Dombrowski
spoke with Guretzky by telephone, noting the continued complaints and
and cautioning him against using the repeater.

In the NAL, the FCC said Guretzky demonstrated "a deliberate disregard
for the Commission's authority and the very spirit of the Amateur Radio
Service by continuing to interfere with the local repeater" despite
having been warned. Read more.
ARRL Public Relations Committee Invites Nominations for Bill Leonard
Award

The ARRL Public Relations Committee is seeking ARRL members' assistance
in recognizing print, radio, and television/multimedia news stories
that have best showcased Amateur Radio this year. Nominations are open
for the 2019 Bill Leonard Award, which honors professional journalists
or journalistic teams whose outstanding coverage highlights the
enjoyment, importance, and public service value of the Amateur Service.
The award honors its namesake, the late CBS News President Bill
Leonard, W2SKE (SK), who was an avid radio amateur and advocate.

Awards are presented in each of three categories -- print/digital,
audio, and visual. Nominations are judged by members of the ARRL Public
Relations Committee, and the ARRL Board of Directors will make the
final decision on award recipients at its January 2020 meeting. The
award winner in each category, either an individual or a group, will
receive an engraved plaque, and a $250 contribution will be made in
each winning entry's name to the charitable organization of their
choice.

To be considered:
* Nominees must be professional journalists or professional
journalistic teams in print, electronic media, or multimedia.
* A nominee's work must have appeared between December 1, 2018 and
November 29, 2019, in English in a commercially published book,
recognized general-circulation (non-trade) daily or weekly
newspaper, general or special interest magazine (except
publications predominantly about Amateur Radio), commercial or
public radio or television broadcast (including services delivered
via cable), a website operated by a generally-recognized
journalistic organization (e.g., newspaper, magazine, broadcast
station, or network), or multimedia format intended for and readily
accessible to the general public within the US.
* The scope of the work nominated may be a single story or series.
* Stories must be truthful, clear, and accurate, reflecting high
journalistic standards.
* Submission may be by the author of the work or on his or her behalf
by another individual who believes the work merits the award.

Entries must be received at ARRL Headquarters, c/o Communications
Manager, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, by 5 PM on November
29, 2019.

For more information, contact ARRL Communications Manager David Isgur,
N1RSN (telephone 860-594-0328). Visit the award web page for award
rules. Scroll down the page for a link to a downloadable nomination
form.

US Coast Guard Airs Proposal to End MF Navigational Telex (NAVTEX)
Broadcasts

The US Coast Guard is seeking comments on a proposal that it may stop
broadcasting medium-frequency (MF) Navigational Telex (NAVTEX). The
service says it first will ensure that the information contained in
NAVTEX broadcasts is available via International Maritime
Organization-recognized satellite services. Interested parties may
submit comments online by November 12. The proposal is docket
USCG-2019-0702. Comments should include the docket number, specific
section of the document to which each comment applies, and a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation. Comments may be anonymous.

"Current MF NAVTEX equipment is in dire need of replacement. The
equipment is antiquated, and essential replacement parts are difficult
to find and expensive, placing overall operation of MF NATEX at risk,"
the Coast Guard said. "Any approved GMDSS satellite terminal will be
able to receive this information."

NAVTEX is an international automated service for radio delivery of
navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as
urgent maritime safety information. It provides a low-cost means of
broadcasting this information to ships out to approximately 100
nautical miles offshore. NAVTEX is part of the Global Maritime Distress
and Safety System (GMDSS) which has been incorporated into the Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty, to which the US is a party. The US Coast
Guard operates the system nationwide.

System coverage is reasonably continuous in the east, west, and Gulf
coasts of the US, as well as the area around Kodiak, Alaska; Guam, and
Puerto Rico. The US has no coverage in the Great Lakes, although
coverage of much of the Lakes is provided by the Canadian Coast Guard.
The US Coast Guard originally only installed NAVTEX at sites where
Morse code messages had been previously transmitted, and some coverage
gaps exist.

"We believe the transition from terrestrial broadcast to satellite will
provide for more reliable delivery of NAVTEX information and allow
better, more cost-effective products in the future," the Coast Guard
said.
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Antenna EnTRAPment! All about Traps" is the topic of the new (October
10) episode of the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

Hawaii Contest Station and Winlink Leveraged for 2019 Simulated
Emergency Test

ARES volunteers in Hawaii took the opportunity of the 2019 Simulated
Emergency Test (SET) on October 6 (UTC) to test Winlink radio messaging
to the US mainland, using the KH6YY (KH6J) contest station on O'ahu.
One of the premier contest stations in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
KH6YY offers a commanding propagation path over an expanse of
saltwater.

"You have to start with digital modes somewhere," ARRL Pacific Section
Manager Joe Speroni, AH0A, said.

A view from above: The KH6YY (KH6J)
contest station.

A group of radio amateurs has developed a robust Winlink system in the
Hawaiian Islands to help support communication in a natural disaster.
The Amateur Radio email system is well known for its role in emergency
and disaster relief communications, providing the ability for users to
exchange email with attachments, photos, position reporting, weather,
and information bulletins.

KH6YY sports eight antennas, most on 90-foot towers, and nine operator
positions. For the SET, the station was configured to receive traffic
on 7,100 kHz (dial frequency) in PACTOR, WINMOR, ARDOP, and VARA modes.
The four-element 40-meter beam was aimed at Hilo. Simulating an
internet outage, the setup was used to pass received traffic to a
second 20-meter gateway on 14,100.5 kHz and forwarded to a mainland
gateway with internet access.

Incoming message traffic on 40 meters would be automatically forwarded
to the mainland on 20 meters. Most of the traffic went to gateways in
Mexico and Texas for forwarding to the internet. One user reported
receiving email confirmation that a message was received within
minutes. Read more. -- Thanks to Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL
Ohio Sheriff Observes and Participates in ARES Simulated Emergency Test

One public official in Ohio not only observed the ARES Simulated
Emergency Test (SET) this month but participated in it with Greene
County ARES (GCARES). Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer, KX8GCS
("Greene County Sheriff"), checked in when the Resource Net Control,
Bob Baker, N8ADO, called for volunteers. Although the suggested
scenario called for only using simplex, GCARES employed the Xenia
Amateur Radio Weather Net (XWARN) repeater to reach out for as many
volunteers as possible. Volunteers then switched to a simplex tactical
net to communicate with the GCARES Command Center.

Greene County Sheriff Gene
Fischer, KX8GCS.

Before the SET, Fischer let Greene County ARES Emergency Coordinator
Henry Ruminski, W8HJR, know that he planned to participate in the SET
to determine how well his handheld radio would perform in an emergency
situation. While he found it okay for getting into the resource net, it
was less than adequate for effective simplex operation.

Sheriff Fischer had an intense introduction to ham radio in the spring
of 2017 when the Dayton Hamvention^(R) moved to Xenia, and his
department dealt with traffic control and other issues created by the
influx of more than 25,000 visitors. At the urging of several hams,
Fischer subsequently got his license, and his wife became relicensed.
Fischer has since upgraded to General.

Ruminski said the SET was "relatively successful." Signals could have
been better from some locations, but most stations were able to
communicate with command, he said. Lessons learned will be used to
improve future emergency communication plans.

The K7RA Solar Update

No sunspots appeared over the past week, and in the prior week there
were only two days with sunspots, so the average daily sunspot number
declined from 3.1 to 0.

Average daily solar flux nudged higher, but just barely, from 67.6 to
67.8.

Geomagnetic indicators were much lower this week, with average daily
planetary A index retreating from 14.4 to 6.3, while the mid-latitude
average went from 11 to 5.3.

Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 68. That's correct -- on
every day for the next month and a half, October 10 through November
23, the solar flux is forecast to be 68.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* October 12 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW)
* October 12 -- FISTS Fall Unlimited Sprint (CW)
* October 12 -- Microwave Fall Sprint (CW, phone)
* October 12 - 13 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest
* October 12 - 13 -- Nevada QSO Party (CW, phone)
* October 12 - 13 -- Oceania DX Contest, CW
* October 12 - 13 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB
* October 12 - 13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* October 12 - 13 -- Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* October 12 - 13 -- Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* October 12 - 13 -- South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* October 12 - 13 -- PODXS 070 Club 160-Meter Great Pumpkin Sprint
(Digital)
* October 13 -- UBA ON Contest, CW
* October 13 -- UBA ON Contest, 6 Meters (CW, phone)
* October 14 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
* October 14 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)
* October 17 -- AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

FCC Dismisses Three Petitions for Rule Making Filed by Radio Amateurs

The FCC has dismissed petitions for rule making filed in 2018 by three
radio amateurs. All of the petitions were put on public notice earlier
this year and comments invited.

Edward C. Borghi, KB2E, of Farmington, New York, and Jeffrey Bail,
NT1K, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, submitted very similar
petitions seeking changes in how the FCC grants Amateur Radio vanity
call sign applications. Borghi's Petition (RM-11834), would have
prohibited vanity applicants from requesting call signs not designated
for the applicant's geographical region, with some exceptions. He
complained that applicants had to compete with "out-of-area people for
the few 1 * 2 or 2 * 1 or catchy 2 * 3 call signs available in their
area of residence."

Bail's Petition (RM-11835) asked the FCC to give residential preference
in competing applications to applicants whose listed FCC address is
within the same district/region as the applied call sign. He cited
limited availability and increased demand for 1 * 2 and 2 * 1 call
signs. The FCC dismissed both petitions in a single letter.

"When the Commission established the vanity call sign system in 1995,
it rejected a proposal to restrict vanity call sign applicants to call
signs designated for the region in which the applicant resides," the
FCC wrote, because it would restrict a given applicant's choice of
vanity call signs to 10% or less of those otherwise assignable.

The FCC concluded that no need exists to require vanity call signs to
correspond to a licensee's mailing address, "given that call signs do
not automatically change when a licensee moves, and a licensee's
mailing address is not necessarily the location from which he or she is
transmitting." The FCC said it rejected similar proposals in the past
for the same reasons.

The FCC also turned away a Petition (RM-11833) from Jerry Oxendine,
K4KWH, of Gastonia, North Carolina, who asked the FCC to clarify that
states and localities should have no authority to regulate Amateur
Radio with respect to enacting "distracted driving" statutes. Oxendine
argued that such statutes violate FCC rules on scope and operation of
equipment by licensees; violate the intent of the FCC and Congress with
respect to Amateur Radio's role in disasters, and hinder emergency
operations using mobile equipment.

In denying the request, the FCC took issue with Oxendine's assertion
that the strong federal interest in promoting Amateur Radio
communication should preempt distracted driving laws.

"Laws that prohibit talking on handheld communications devices while
driving do not preclude or unreasonably obstruct mobile use of handheld
two-way radios," the FCC said in denying Oxendine's petition. "These
laws apply to the use of handheld devices while driving. A driver can
comply with these laws by using a hands-free attachment or by parking
the vehicle prior to using a handheld device, both of which are
contemplated by our rules regarding two-way radios."

The FCC said, "The record before us does not demonstrate that state and
local laws that prohibit talking on handheld devices while driving
stand as an obstacle to amateur communications or actually conflict
with federal law in any way." Read more.
Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club Celebrates Centennial of ARRL
Affiliation

Members of the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club (MRAC) on September 28
celebrated the radio club's 100th anniversary of ARRL affiliation
during the 2019 ARRL Central Division Convention, held September 27 -
28. The convention, held during the HRO Superfest, was hosted by Ham
Radio Outlet at its Milwaukee location.

MRAC was formed in January 1917. In 1919, after World War I, ARRL
introduced the concept of having local radio clubs officially affiliate
with ARRL to formalize a network for relaying message traffic from
coast to coast. MRAC was granted ARRL affiliation on December 5, 1919,
as one of a group of 10 clubs. In 1970, MRAC was recognized as the only
one of that first group of clubs that was still active, making it the
oldest ARRL-affiliated club.

ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX
(left), presented a plaque to MRAC
Club President David Schank, KA9WXN,
on behalf of the ARRL Central
Division.

MRAC sponsored the first-ever ARRL Central Division Convention in 1928,
and it organized an ARRL National Convention in 1948. The club produced
a video in 2017 that recounts its rich history.

MRAC today has a full calendar of annual activities that include
regular club meetings featuring speakers and presentations covering a
variety of topics. The club participates in ARRL Field Day each June,
conducts regular license exam sessions, and holds an annual swapfest. A
group of club members are currently developing an Amateur Satellite
station and related resources, which they plan to use to support a
local school as part of an educational outreach program. Club members
are also Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R)) volunteers,
supporting public service communication for events throughout the
region and during emergencies.
Anna Brummer, N2FER, Feted on her 105th Birthday

When she turned 80, Anna Brummer, N2FER, of Fort Edward, New York,
predicted she would live to be 100. On September 27, she topped her own
forecast by 5 years, as she celebrated her birthday at the Fort Hudson
Nursing Center, surrounded by family and friends. The only thing she
wanted was a drink of Scotch whiskey, and the nursing home obliged,
along with a slice of cake. Unit Manager Donna Hopkins told Post Star
newspaper reporter Gretta Hochsprung that she didn't attempt to put 105
candles on Brummer's cake because it would have been a fire hazard.
Brummer told Hochsprung that the secret to longevity is being nice to
people.

"Keeps you young when everything's going smooth," she told the
reporter.

Anna Brummer was a latecomer to Amateur Radio. In 1984, her son
Richard, K2JQ (ex-K2REB), got his mom and his dad, Edwin, interested in
Amateur Radio, and Anna obtained her Technician license when she was 69
years old. Edwin Brummer, who died in 1996, was N2FEQ, and held a Tech
Plus ticket. They were married for 56 years.

No official records are kept, but Anna Brummer is among a small circle
of centenarian radio amateurs in the US and may be the oldest woman
holding a license. Read more.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Founding Member Larry Junstrom, K4EB, SK

Southern Rocker Larry "LJ" Junstrom, K4EB, died on October 6. He was
reported to be 70. Junstrom was a founding member and bassist of Lynyrd
Skynyrd, although he left the group before it recorded its first album.
He's better known as a member of another Southern Rock band, 38
Special, with which he performed from 1977 until retiring in 2014.

"The Big Man on the Big Bass has left us," a statement on the 38
Special website said. "He rocked arenas all over the world and
succeeded in living his dream. He was truly one of a kind, a congenial
traveling companion and a great friend to all with a humorous slant on
life that always kept our spirits high -- a kind man with a big heart
for everyone who crossed his path."

Licensed in 1962 as WN2LKF, later becoming WA4LKF, he was a regular
attendee of Orlando HamCation. Junstrom was inactive in Amateur Radio
during his busy years on the road but picked up the hobby again in 1990
and became an avid DXer with 347 entities in mixed DXCC. He was a
frequent check-in to the Musicians' Net on 40 meters.

After retiring, Junstrom worked in real estate in north central
Florida.
In Brief...

The ARRL Board of Directors' Executive Committee (EC) will meet on
October 12 in Denver, Colorado. The meeting agenda includes legal,
legislative, and organizational matters as well as reports from ARRL
President Rick Roderick, K5UR; ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, and
Washington Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ. The EC will consider an ex
parte filing on ARRL's petition for rule making (RM-11785) to the FCC
to create a new, contiguous secondary Amateur Service band at 5 MHz,
filed in January of 2017. In its petition, ARRL asked the Commission to
keep four of the current five 60-meter channels -- one would be within
the new band -- as well as the current operating rules, including the
100 W PEP effective radiated power (ERP) limit.

The Tokelau Islands ZK3A DXpedition has ceased operation early. Due to
the illness of an Island resident, the ZK3A Tokelau Islands DXpedition
shut down a couple of days ahead of schedule. "ALL TEAM MEMBERS ARE
FINE!" said an announcement on the ZK3A website. "A person on the
island is ill. So, they have sent the boat there early to get this
person medical help. The team has ceased operations and [is] packing up
all equipment to get on that boat, because there will not be another
boat for 10 days." As of October 8, ZK3A had logged approximately
50,000 contacts in 7 days of operation on CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and EME,
as well as 10 contacts on slow-scan TV. The DXpedition had been set to
conclude on October 11.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida

Find conventions and hamfests in your area

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

Sean,

The ARRL Letter
October 10, 2019

* FCC Proposes Fining New York Radio Amateur $17,000 for Alleged
Deliberate Interference

I have to wonder at the stupidity of some of these hams who do such
flagrant violations.

Daryl, WX4QZ


* OLX 1.53 * NO CARRIER -- but I've got some warships and F-15's.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)

* FCC Proposes Fining New York Radio Amateur $17,000 for Alleged
Deliberate Interference

I have to wonder at the stupidity of some of these hams who do such flagrant violations.

Daryl, WX4QZ

I read the full article and also referenced the ARRL section on this. This person was asked, warned, visited and asked again. Then was issues a warning letter. What was next ... "pretty please" ... He is getting exactly what he deserves.

Ricky, K4JTT

---

Rocket Town BBS - Telnet: rtbbs.ddns.net
fsxNET: 21:1/203 FidoNET:1:135/383 - Titusville, FL. NASA SPACE Coast

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Rocket Town BBS (1:135/383)

The ARRL Letter
October 17, 2019

* ARRL to Launch New On the Air Magazine
* ARRL Online Auction Bidding is Now Open
* Report Causes Concern and Confusion in California's Amateur Radio
Ranks
* NASA Spacecraft Launches on Mission to Explore Frontier of Space
* So Now What? Podcast
* Next School Club Roundup Set for October 21 - 25
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* PACTOR Developer SCS Announces Monitoring Software
* AMSAT Goal: "Amateur Radio in Every CubeSat"
* Homebrew Heroes Award for 2019 in Amateur Radio Announced
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

ARRL to Launch New On the Air Magazine

ARRL is launching a new magazine, On the Air, in January 2020. To be
published on a bimonthly basis, On the Air will offer new and
beginner-to-intermediate-level radio amateurs a fresh approach to
exploring radio communication. Each issue will include advice and
insights on topics from the variety of Amateur Radio interests and
activities: radio technology, operating, equipment, project building,
and emergency communication. The goal of this new magazine is to be a
vital resource in helping new and newer radio amateurs get active and
involved in radio communications.

"On the Air responds to the brand-new and not-so-brand-new radio
amateur seeking ideas and answers," said QST Managing Editor Becky
Schoenfeld, W1BXY. Schoenfeld is part of the ARRL staff team that
developed the new magazine. The planning included an extensive
national-level study of new Amateur Radio licensees, identifying their
motivations for getting licensed and their experiences of getting
started. A focus group responded positively to a trial sample edition
of the magazine.

"Too many new licensees never take the next step," says Schoenfeld.
"We're excited to introduce a new Amateur Radio magazine for this
audience, aimed at getting them active, getting them involved, and
getting them on the air."

The first issue of On the Air will be published in January 2020
(January/February issue) and will be introduced as a new ARRL
membership benefit. Effective November 1, when eligible US radio
amateurs join ARRL or renew their memberships, they will be prompted to
select the print magazine of their choice -- On the Air or QST. Current
members receiving the print edition of QST, upon renewal, may choose to
continue receiving the print edition of QST (monthly) or the print
edition of On the Air (bimonthly).

All ARRL members, including international members, will be able to
access digital editions of both QST and On the Air. Members who already
access QST on the web or from the mobile app will be able to access QST
and On the Air starting in January.
ARRL Online Auction Bidding is Now Open

Bidding began today, October 17, on more than 230 items on the block in
the 14th annual ARRL Online Auction. Bidding got under way at 10 AM EST
(1400 UTC), and the auction will continue through Thursday, October 24,
closing at 10 PM EST (Friday, October 25, at 0200 UTC).

The 2019 auction includes lab-tested QST "Product Review" gear, vintage
books, used equipment, and one-of-a-kind items. Some premier "Product
Review" items up for bid include the Elecraft KPA1500 legal-limit HF
and 6-meter linear amplifier, the Icom IC-7610 HF and 6-meter
transceiver, the Palstar LA-1K 160 - 6 meter amplifier, the FlexRadio
Systems FLEX-6400M HF and 6-meter SDR transceiver, and the Kenwood
TS-890 HF and 6-meter transceiver.

Among book offerings in the auction are the "sold out" 2019 Handbook
Boxed Set, a special defense edition of The Radio Amateur's Handbook
from 1942, and a 1949 ARRL Antenna Book.

Proceeds from the annual Online Auction benefit ARRL education
programs. Bidders must register (your arrl.org user ID and password
will not work on the auction site). If you have registered for a
previous ARRL Online Auction, you may use the same login information
this year.

Report Causes Concern and Confusion in California's Amateur Radio Ranks

By all credible and reliable accounts, the State of California has not
turned its back on Amateur Radio as an emergency communication
resource, nor have established repeater owners been asked to remove
their equipment from state-owned sites unless they pay sizable fees.
The California controversy, inflamed by a viral YouTube video, stemmed
from a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
communication telling a repeater owner or group that Amateur Radio
equipment would have to be removed from a state-owned site or "vault"
if the owner(s) determined the cost was too great to proceed with a
formal application to keep it there.

"I do understand and appreciate all of the service you have provided in
the past," CAL FIRE's Lorina Pisi, told the unknown repeater owner(s)
or group(s) last month. "However, with constantly changing
technological advances, there is no longer the same benefit to State as
previously provided. Therefore, the Department no longer financially
supports HAM operators [sic] radios or tenancy. If you desire to enter
into a formal agreement to operate and maintain said equipment, you
must complete and submit attached collocation application along with
fee as outlined on page one of application. There is cost associated
with getting an agreement in place."

It's not clear to whom Pisi's memo was addressed, because any name or
names were redacted from the version of the memo that is being
circulated. ARRL reached out to Pisi but has not heard back.

ARRL officials who have also looked into the situation agree that it's
been blown out of proportion by parties with their own agendas.

"The State of California has not made any determination we can find
'that Ham Radio [is] no longer a benefit,'" Pacific Division Director
Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, is quoted on the Sacramento Valley Section
website. "What happened is that CAL FIRE has transferred responsibility
for its communications sites to its property management department.
That department has the task of evaluating each site, its condition,
use, and tenants. If a repeater not known to be associated with the
emergency management function of a local jurisdiction is found in a CAL
FIRE vault, the default action is to move it out or subject it to
commercial rental rates."

ARRL Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, has been
responding to inquiries with the same message. Read more.
NASA Spacecraft Launches on Mission to Explore Frontier of Space

NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft is in orbit
for a first-of-its-kind mission to study a region of space where
changes can disrupt communications and satellite orbits, and even
increase radiation risks to astronauts. ICON was launched on October 11
after a Stargazer L-1011 aircraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
in Florida carried it to about 39,000 feet. Then, a Pegasus rocket
fired the roughly refrigerator-sized ICON into space.

+----------------------------------+
|An artist's rendering of NASA's |
|ICON spacecraft, which was |
|launched into space last week at |
|39,000 feet from a L-1011 |
|Stargazer aircraft. [NASA image] |
+----------------------------------+

The spacecraft's solar panels successfully deployed, indicating it has
power with all systems operating, NASA reported. ICON will start
sending back its first science data in November.

ICON will study changes in the ionosphere, where, in addition to
affecting radio signal propagation, space weather can prematurely decay
spacecraft orbits and expose astronauts to radiation-borne health
risks. "Historically, this critical region of near-Earth space has been
difficult to observe," NASA explained. "Spacecraft can't travel through
the low parts of the ionosphere and balloons can't travel high enough."
ICON's orbit around Earth places it at a 27� inclination at an altitude
of about 360 miles, from which it can observe the ionosphere around the
equator.

Nicola Fox, Director for Heliophysics at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, said that ICON will be the first mission to simultaneously
track what's happening in Earth's upper atmosphere and in space to see
how the two interact, causing the kinds of changes that can disrupt
radio communication. ICON will employ four instruments to explore the
connections between the neutral atmosphere and the electrically charged
ionosphere. Three of these rely on the phenomenon called airglow, which
is created by a process similar to that which causes aurora -- gas is
excited by radiation from the sun and emits light. By way of airglow,
ICON can observe how particles throughout the upper atmosphere are
moving. ICON's fourth instrument provides direct measurements of the
ionosphere around it.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) veteran Will
Marchant, KW4WZ (ex-KC6ROL), is part of the ICON team.

So Now What? Podcast

"Ham Lingo" will be the focus of the new (October 17) episode of the So
Now What? podcast for Amateur Radio newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other Amateur Radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest), and
through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices.
Episodes will be archived on the ARRL website.
Next School Club Roundup Set for October 21 - 25

ARRL's twice-yearly School Club Roundup (SCR) gets under way on Monday,
October 21, at 1300 UTC, and runs through Friday, October 25, at 2359
UTC. Stations may operate for up to 24 hours during the entire contest
and for 6 hours during any single 24-hour period. Any mode -- SSB, CW,
or digital -- is allowed for the event.

Stations will participate in five categories: Elementary/Primary,
Middle/Intermediate/Junior High School, Senior High School,
College/University Club, and Non-School Club. There is also a category
for Individuals to participate.

The most popular time for younger students to be on the air is during
after-school hours, but older students may be on the air at any time.
Groups are limited to one transmitter on the air at any given time.
Stations exchange signal report, category (School, Club, or
Individual), and state, province, or DXCC entity. Stations can be
worked once per band and mode. Participants will now be able to make up
to three contacts with a station on each band using CW, voice, and
digital modes.

The School Club Roundup is co-sponsored by ARRL and the Long Island
Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC), and results appear in QST as well
as online. The top three entries in each category -- Elementary,
Middle/Intermediate/Junior High School, Senior High School
College/University -- will receive an award certificate. Non-school
clubs or multioperator groups and individuals are also eligible for
certificates.

Submit scores and logs via the SCR score entry website. Scores and logs
may be entered from the time the contest begins through the log
submission deadline. Paper logs are acceptable as well. Logs for the
October SCR are due by November 9.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity remains very low. At
the bottom of the sunspot cycle, any sunspot activity is fleeting.
Another week has passed with no sunspots at all. Spaceweather.com
reports no sunspots for the past 2 weeks, and the total number of
spotless days this year is now 213, or 73%, which matches the
percentage of spotless days in 2008 -- 11 years ago.

Average daily solar flux during the week of October 10 - 16 was 67.3,
down insignificantly from 67.6 during the previous week.

The average daily planetary A index was 6.4, down from 14.4 over the
previous week, and the average daily mid-latitude A index declined from
11 to 5.1.

The predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 68, through the end of
November.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on October 17 - 20; 12, 8, 5, 18, 25,
12, 10, and 8 on October 21 - 28; 5 on October 29 - November 9; 8 on
November 10 - 11; 5 on November 12 - 16; 15 on November 17; 5 on
November 18 - 19; 15, 20, 10 and 8, on November 20 - 23, and 5 on
November 24 - 30.

Rick Tucker, W0RT, of Parsons, Kansas, was listening for HZ1TT (Saudi
Arabia) on October 14 on 21.023 MHz at 1045 UTC. The band sounded dead,
but at 1115 UTC he copied several European stations calling and working
the Saudi station. Tucker said he never heard HZ1TT, but HZ1TT was
spotted by a station in New Brunswick, Canada.

Sunspot numbers for October 10 - 16 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 3.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.5, 68.5, 68.3, 67.2,
66.2, 67.2, and 66.3, with a mean of 67.3. Estimated planetary A
indices were 13, 8, 5, 2, 6, 5, and 6, with a mean of 6.4. Middle
latitude A index was 10, 6, 4, 1, 5, 5, and 5, with a mean of 5.1.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* October 18 -- Zombie Shuffle (CW)
* October 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint
* October 19 -- Argentina National 7 MHz Contest (Phone)
* October 19 - 20 -- Araucaria World Wide VHF Contest (CW, phone)
* October 19 - 20 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* October 19 - 20 -- JARTS WW RTTY Contest
* October 19 - 20 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (CW)
* October 19 - 20 -- All New York QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* October 19 - 20 -- Worked All Germany Contest (CW, phone)
* October 19 - 20 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
* October 20 -- Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW)
* October 20 -- UBA ON Contest, 2 Meters (CW, phone)
* October 20 - 21 -- Illinois QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* October 20 -- RSGB RoLo CW
* October 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
* October 21 - 25 -- ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital)
* October 21 - 22 -- Telephone Pioneers QSO Party (CW, phone,
digital)
* October 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
* October 23 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Digital)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

PACTOR Developer SCS Announces Monitoring Software

SCS, the company that created PACTOR, has unveiled software that offers
the ability to monitor the content of PACTOR 1, 2, and 3 transmissions
over the air. The free PMON software runs under the Linux operating
system. A software version to monitor PACTOR 4 is scheduled to become
available next year. PMON will offer "thorough observation and
documentation of all presently available PACTOR 1, 2, and 3
transmissions," SCS said.

"PMON covers all PACTOR levels with the appropriate speed levels and
packet variations," SCS said. "PMON will read in parallel PACTOR 2 and
PACTOR 1. The very wide receiving range (frequency offset �200 Hz), as
well as automatic sideband recognition, ease routine operation of PMON
with PACTOR 2 and PACTOR 3 considerably."

According to SCS, only minimal hardware is required to use PMON. The
equipment complement includes a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ (minimum)
computer and a USB sound device. SCS noted in an October 11 news
release that all SCS PACTOR hardware modems include a command to allow
PACTOR monitoring on the fly. The German company says PMON now makes
this possible without a modem and adds the ability to decode
B2F/LZHUF-compressed messages -- Winlink email and others.

"This exciting new software development for Raspberry Pi complements
and surpasses previously released SCS software that leveraged PACTOR
modems' ability to monitor PACTOR to read Winlink for meaning," SCS
said. The company also said the new software permits modem-less
monitoring of all kinds, something that would be useful for monitoring
Winlink email traffic.

The Winlink Development Team called the new software a "welcome
contribution to the Amateur Radio community."

The issue of message encryption arose in recent months with respect to
renewed attention to ARRL's so-called "symbol rate" petition for
rulemaking (RM-11708) and the accommodation of automatically controlled
digital stations (ACDS) -- many of which employ Winlink. Some
commenters on ARRL's petition have asserted incorrectly that PACTOR
facilitates de facto message encryption, which would violate FCC
Amateur Service rules.

AMSAT Goal: "Amateur Radio in Every CubeSat"

AMSAT wants to see Amateur Radio in every CubeSat, and it's partnering
with non-Amateur Radio partners to make that happen. In the "Apogee
View" editorial for the September/October issue of The AMSAT Journal,
Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, wrote, "[W]e continue to
support a stream of LEO satellites. RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E is ready for
launch no earlier than December 1, 2019, on the ELaNa XX mission. The
linear transponder and telemetry system carried aboard Fox-1E was
designed for use in different CubeSats by merely adding an interface
adapter for connection to the host bus."

+-----------------------------+
|AMSAT Executive Vice |
|President Paul Stoetzer, |
|N8HM. |
+-----------------------------+

Stoetzer said CubeSat programs interested in launching an Amateur Radio
payload may partner with AMSAT to carry a Fox-1E module on their
spacecraft. "By providing Amateur Radio capability, the CubeSat program
gets a worldwide ground station network to receive their telemetry and
experiment data while the Amateur Radio community gets a transponder to
use in orbit," he pointed out.

Stoetzer said the first such partnership will be with the Husky
Satellite Lab at the University of Washington. Its 3U CubeSat --
HuskySat-1 -- is set to launch on the ELaNa XXV mission from Wallops
Island, Virginia, no sooner than November 2. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus
spacecraft will carry HuskySat-1 to the International Space Station,
and after completing its mission there, Cygnus will continue to an
orbit of approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) to deploy HuskySat-1.

"After a 30-day mission to complete tests of its experimental payloads
-- a pulsed plasma thruster, and a K-band (24 GHz) communications
system -- the satellite will be turned over to AMSAT, and the linear
transponder will be made available to the Amateur Radio community,"
Stoetzer said.

AMSAT will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its 2019 Board of
Directors meeting and AMSAT Space Symposium October 18 - 20 in
Arlington, Virginia. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service
Homebrew Heroes Award for 2019 in Amateur Radio Announced

The Homebrew Heroes Award Program has announced its first annual
recipient. He is Hans Summers, G0UPL, of East Sussex in the UK. The
annual award recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations who help
define the frontiers of Amateur Radio technology through the
long-standing tradition of constructing their own equipment.

+-------------------------------+
|Homebrew Hero Hans Summers, |
|G0UPL. |
+-------------------------------+

"Our Steering Committee sought the advice of an anonymous selection
committee that surveyed the landscape of known homebrew designers in
Amateur Radio," Steering Committee member Frank Howell, K4FMH, said in
an October 13th news release. "There are indeed many very deserving
ones! But only one can be chosen each year." Other Steering Committee
members are Martin Butler, M1MRB, and Colin Butler, M6BOY -- all
affiliated with the ICQ Podcast.

For his part, Summers said he was humbled and "just blown away by it
all" to be the first recognized with the Homebrew Heroes Award. Summers
said he's been sharing his homebrew work and that of his company QRP
Labs through his website for years. "To have these efforts publicly
recognized in this way is so personally gratifying," Summers said.

Martin Butler said that Summers "has continually demonstrated to all
with at least one eye open that the traditional homebrew craft and
science is alive and well."

"I've watched Hans Summers continue to innovate in his design of
terrific homebrew kits and products that have made a fantastic impact
on the Amateur Radio marketplace," Colin Butler added. "As publisher of
the ICQ Podcast, I am delighted for us to serve as the official
promotional partner of this awards program." Read more.
In Brief...

Scouting's Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) takes place this weekend. The
largest Scouting event in the world, with an estimated half-million
participants, JOTA links Scouts and hams across the nation and around
the world via Amateur Radio. Typical exchanges may include name,
location, Scout rank, age, and hobbies. JOTA officially starts Friday
evening during the "JOTA Jump Start" and runs through Sunday evening.
The event will be competing for band spectrum with the popular Worked
All Germany (WAG) contest. JOTA participants seeking contacts with
stations in Europe should note that the WAG rules define contest-free
segments, so the two events can operate at the same time with minimal
problems. -- Thanks to Boy Scouts of America and Geert Jan de Groot,
PE1HZG

The legendary Radio Corporation of America (RCA) incorporated on this
date, October 17, in 1919. RCA negotiated patent cross-licensing
agreements with other industry leaders, paving the way for the
explosive development of American radio in the early 1920s. In 1921,
WCC in Chatham, Massachusetts, became the first RCA coastal station
equipped with tube sets offering 2 kW on 600 and 2200 meters. The WCC
Amateur Radio Association (WCCARA) continues its year-long celebration
of the RCA centennial as WA1WCC/100RCA. -- Thanks to Ed Moxon, K1GGI,
trustee, WCC commemorative station WA1WCC

Two separate groups took advantage of the Amateur Radio Emergency Data
Network (AREDN) to monitor wildfires in California. The Mariposa Area
Amateur Radio Organization (MAARO) used the Amateur Radio mesh to
stream -- via microwave -- video from the Briceburg Fire near Yosemite
National Park. The Pleasant Valley Amateur Radio Club (PVARC) employed
the AREDN mesh to stream video from the Saddle Ridge Fire near Los
Angeles from a repeater site overlooking San Fernando Valley. The
Briceburg and Saddle Ridge fires are now under control, but archived
streams are still available. This is the same network that was used to
stream video from the Thomas and Woolsey fires in 2017 and 2018,
respectively. -- Thanks to Ben Kuo, AI6YR

A mail delivery problem has affected delivery of West Gulf Division
Board election ballots. Recent flooding has affected some US Postal
Service distribution centers in the Houston area, damaging some sorting
machines. This is delaying delivery to many members in that area. They
are processing mail, but there are delays in processing bulk mail,
which include the ballots. If you still do not receive your ballot by
Monday, October 21, 2019, please send a request for a new ballot. ARRL
Headquarters will process replacement requests on Tuesday, October 22,
2019, via first-class mail and daily as later requests come in. Read
more.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
October 24, 2019

* ARRL Creates New Online Groups for Members to Communicate with
Leadership
* New ARRL Handbook and ARRL Antenna Book Editions Available in Your
Favorite Format
* New Antenna Concept Uses Saltwater and Plastic Instead of Metal
Conductor
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, Offers Amateur Radio Perspective
on WRC-19
* Pitcairn Island VP6R DXpedition Proving Popular; Injured Operator
Evacuated
* FCC Turns Down Petition to Amend Amateur Radio Identification Rules
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* MARS Members to Work with Radio Amateurs during SET and DOD COMEX
19-4
* Arizona Club Takes vantage of Low Bands to Support 100-Mile
Endurance Run
* Getting It Right!
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Creates New Online Groups for Members to Communicate with
Leadership

ARRL's Committee on Communication with ARRL Members has opened new
online forums where all radio amateurs -- ARRL members and non-members
alike -- can discuss issues and topics in two-way conversation with
ARRL leadership. The new groups are aimed at enhancing communication
among ARRL leadership, staff, members, and prospective members, in a
manner that enables timely updates and collegial discussion.

This project was based on the success over the past several years of
the ARRL-LoTW (Logbook of The World) Group in responding to Amateur
Radio operators' questions and generating discussion on ways to improve
that program. "The LoTW initiative has clearly demonstrated the
effectiveness of online Groups as a means of achieving the desired
interaction," ARRL said in announcing the new groups.

ARRL has added three online groups:
* ARRL-Contesting -- Moderated by ARRL Contest visory Committee
Chairman Dennis Egan, W1UE.
* ARRL-Awards -- Moderated by ARRL Radiosport and Field Services
Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ.
* ARRL-IARU -- Moderated by IARU Secretary Dave Sumner, K1ZZ.

The existing ARRL-LOTW group, which has about 4,750 members, remains
hosted by Groups.io but has moved.

Everyone who subscribes to an ARRL Group is also automatically
subscribed to the "ARRL Groups" group. This administrative feature will
allow ARRL to convey routine announcements relevant to subscribers of
all ARRL groups.

ARRL IT Manager Michael Keane, K1MK, worked with Groups.io to set up
the new groups. Since these new groups are hosted on a Groups.io
platform, those wishing to subscribe must use a Groups.io username and
password, if they have one, or create a Groups.io account if they
don't.

In the months ahead, the Committee envisions creating more online
groups to support two-way communication focusing on areas of additional
interest to radio amateurs, including ARRL activities, services,
initiatives, and policies.

ARRL currently hosts members-only online forums that include Awards and
Contesting. While these forums will continue to operate, participants
will be encouraged to post new threads in the appropriate new groups.

Participants will be expected to adhere to some basic ground rules:
* All questions are welcome, no matter how many times they have
already been asked and answered, or how obvious the answers might
be in the documentation.
* Neither personal attacks nor foul language will be tolerated.
Violators will immediately be placed on "moderated" status, meaning
their subsequent posts will require Moderator approval until the
Moderator's trust has been regained.
* Individuals posting are reminded that these forums are open to
everyone, including prospective hams and operators who are not ARRL
members but may be thinking about joining. Civility and courtesy
are expected, even when you may take issue with a post or thread
topic. Read more.
New ARRL Handbook and ARRL Antenna Book Editions Available in Your
Favorite Format

Now shipping, the latest editions of The ARRL Handbook for Radio
Communications and The ARRL Antenna Book for Radio Communications are
available in formats that best suit your needs. The 2020 edition of the
Handbook offers three choices -- traditional softcover, a six-volume,
shrink-wrapped book set (not a boxed set), and eBook digital editions.
The 24th edition of the Antenna Book now is available as a four-volume
boxed set, in addition to the traditional softcover version, and eBook
digital editions. The Handbook and the Antenna Book also are available
in Kindle editions.

The 2020 Handbook

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications limited-edition six-volume
set is workbench friendly. Grab the volume you need without having to
retrieve the entire Handbook. Volumes are divided by major topic areas.

ARRL introduced the first edition of The Radio Amateur's Handbook in
1926. Ever since, the Handbook has been recognized as a benchmark for
radio communications learning and applied knowledge. This 97th edition
is a complete guide to radio experimentation, discovery, and
innovation.

New Handbook projects and content include an analysis of Solar Cycle
24, and discussion of what we can expect from Cycle 25; an
easy-to-build RF choke that can squelch the line noise from your ac
generator; a guide to compare rotator ratings and how to choose,
install, and maintain rotators; an annual transceiver survey (don't buy
your next radio before reading it), and supplemental content, such as a
high-voltage switching power supply, a tunable RF preamplifier, a 10 W
audio amplifier, and more, available for download.

Both Handbook formats include a unique code so you can download and
install a fully searchable digital edition of the printed book, as well
as expanded supplemental content, software, PC board templates, and
other support files.

The Handbook six-volume book set, ARRL Item No. 1137, ISBN
978-1-62595-113-7, is $59.95 retail. The Handbook softcover edition,
ARRL Item No. 1076, ISBN 978-1-62595-107-6, is $49.95 retail. Order
from the ARRL Store, from your ARRL Dealer, or call 860-594-0355 or,
toll-free in the US, 888-277-5289. The Handbook Kindle edition comes in
six separate volumes, automatically delivered to your Kindle, for $9.99
per volume (Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4, Vol 5, Vol 6).

The ARRL Antenna Book, 24th Edition

ARRL introduces the limited-edition Antenna Book as a four-volume boxed
set, divided into manageable volumes and including a hard slipcase for
easy storage and access. Just reach for the volume you need without
having to retrieve the entire Antenna Book. The four volumes are
divided by major topic areas.

Showcasing 80 years of antenna know-how, this 24th edition of the
Antenna Book represents persistent pioneering development by radio
amateurs, for radio amateurs. You'll find new and time-tested antenna
projects for nearly any conceivable circumstance.

New Antenna Book projects and content include info about the highly
popular HF transmitting loops; an all-new chapter on VHF/UHF antennas;
some new MF, HF, and 6-meter antennas; the importance of ground and
bonding; how to troubleshoot your antenna tuner quickly and easily;
getting the most out of your antenna analyzer, and designing a
high-performance "Band-Optimized Log Periodic Dipole Array."

Both editions of the Antenna Book include a unique code that lets you
download and install a fully searchable digital edition of the printed
book and offers expanded supplemental content, software, PC board
templates, and other support files.

The Antenna Book four-volume boxed set, ARRL Item No. 1144, ISBN
978-1-62595-114-4, is $64.95 retail. The Antenna Book softcover
edition, ARRL Item No. 1113, ISBN 978-1-62595-111-3, is $49.95 retail.
The Antenna Book eBook edition, ARRL Item No. 1113MLD for Mac/Linux or
ARRL Item No. 1113WD for Windows is $49.95. Order from the ARRL Store,
from your ARRL Dealer, or call 860-594-0355 or toll-free in the US,
888-277-5289. The Antenna Book Kindle edition comes in four separate
volumes, automatically delivered to your Kindle, for $9.99 per volume
(Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4). Read more.

New Antenna Concept Uses Saltwater and Plastic Instead of Metal
Conductor

A new antenna that uses saltwater and plastic instead of metal could
make it easier to build VHF and UHF networks, an IEEE Spectrum article
asserts.

Michelle Hamson says, "Being able to focus the energy of a radio signal
toward a given receiver means you can increase the range and efficiency
of transmissions," in her article, "New Antenna Uses Saltwater and
Plastic to Steer Radio Beams." According to the article, beam-steering
or beamforming on a large scale is one of the key underlying mechanisms
behind the rollout of 5G networks. The configuration of the saltwater
antenna allows 360� beam-steering and works for frequencies between 334
and 488 MHz.

In a recent publication in IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation
Letters, Lei Xing and her colleagues at the College of Electronic and
Information Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and
Astronautics in China have proposed a new saltwater-based antenna that
achieves 12 directional beam-steering states, and one omnidirectional
state.

"The proposed design consists of a circular ground plane, with 13
transparent acrylic tubes that can be filled with (or emptied of) salt
water on demand. One tube is located in the center to act as a driven
monopole. Surrounding it are 12 parasitic monopoles," the article
explains. "The 12 remaining monopoles, when filled with water, work
together to act as reflectors and give the broadcasted signal
direction."

"The attractive feature of using water monopoles is that both the water
height and activating status can be dynamically tuned through
microfluidic techniques, which has a higher degree of design
flexibility than metal antennas," explains Xing.

One limitation of salt water-based antennas, she notes, is that that
the permittivity of salt water -- i.e, how it interacts with electrical
fields -- is sensitive to temperature variations.
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Beverage Antennas" is the topic of the new (October 24) episode of the
ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, Offers Amateur Radio Perspective on
WRC-19

Writing in a special World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19)
edition of ITU News Magazine, International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, offers an overview of conference agenda
items and issues pertaining to amateur radio in his article, "Views of
the International Amateur Radio Union on WRC-19 Agenda Items." WRC-19
gets under way on October 28 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and continues
until November 22.

Sumner noted that the IARU has participated in ITU conferences since
1927 and is a member of the ITU Radiocommunication and Development
sectors. According to Sumner, the IARU's overall objectives for WRC-19
are global harmonization of the amateur 50 - 54 MHz allocation;
maintenance of existing spectrum access for amateurs, and strengthening
protections for radiocommunication services against interference from
other RF generators.

"When new technology is developed that generates radiofrequency energy,
it is essential that adequate protection of radiocommunication services
be included in the system design," Sumner said. He concluded by noting,
"No future agenda items for new or harmonized spectrum allocations for
the amateur services are being sought at WRC-19. This position does not
preclude seeking specific allocations in the unallocated spectrum above
275 GHz, if allocations to other services are considered. IARU is
carefully monitoring proposals for future agenda items that may impact
existing amateur and amateur-satellite allocations." Read more.
Pitcairn Island VP6R DXpedition Proving Popular; Injured Operator
Evacuated

At mid-week, the Pitcairn Island VP6R DXpedition reported some 35,000
contacts in the log, including what team leader Glenn Johnson, W0GJ,
called "a lot of activity" on 12 and 10 meters. VP6R also has been
taking advantage of FT8 digital protocol, operating in fox/hound (F/H)
mode. The team arrived at the South Pacific island on October 17 and at
the home of Andy Christian, where the DXpedition's equipment had been
shipped well in advance.

The team is down to 12 operators after one individual fell and suffered
several fractures. "Our evacuated team member has made it to the
hospital in Papeete, French Polynesia," Johnson said in a mid-week
update. "DXpeditions to remote places are not without risk, and medical
care is quite limited at best," he pointed out in an earlier report.
The injured operator is not being identified for privacy reasons.

By Saturday, the DXpedition team had settled into its operating routine
from two sites -- one at Christian's home and the other at an old radio
station site that is serving as VP6R's primary low-band site. "Pitcairn
has power from 8 AM until 10 PM," Johnson explained. "After 10 PM, we
switch to generators until morning. The 'radio site' is 100% generator
powered."

Johnson stressed that those attempting to work VP6R on FT8 in F/H mode
must use a frequency above 1,000 Hz; the DXpedition is transmitting
somewhere below 500 Hz. "The software will move your transmit frequency
down automatically when your turn comes up in the queue, if you have
F/H mode set up properly," he said. "If you see your FT8 contact
confirmed with 'RR73,' you can be assured that you are in the log."

VP6R is active around the clock on 20 meters on more than one mode. The
DXpedition team will be on all bands during the CQ World Wide DX phone
contest, October 25 - 26. The VP6R logs are periodically uploaded to
Club Log.

Third-graders at Dorothy Grant Elementary School in Fontana,
California, and their teacher Bev Matheson, WA6BK, are following the
Pitcairn Island DXpedition teams travels and amateur radio operation,
using the school's club station, K6DGE. They will talk with DXpedition
team members and learn about Pitcairn Island, some geography, a bit
about early explorers, navigation, the oceans, ecology, different
customs and heritages, and communication skills. "We are thrilled to
have these kids following us and expanding their world through amateur
radio," the VP6R team said on its website.

FCC Turns Down Petition to Amend Amateur Radio Identification Rules

The FCC has denied a Petition for Rule Making (PRM) to amend Part 97
station identification rules to better accommodate and simplify station
identification during emergency nets, drills, or activations. ARRL
member Robert A. Dukish, KK8DX, of Canfield, Ohio, had sought a change
to Section 97.119(a) of the rules to allow a single point of
transmission for station ID on those occasions. He proposed permitting
a net control station or other designated participant to announce the
call signs of every station taking part in the net or exercise, when
tactical call signs often are in use, at 10-minute intervals, using
automatic CW identification.

In turning down Dukish's petition, Scot Stone, the Deputy Chief of the
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau's Mobility Division, said commenters
overwhelmingly opposed the proposal.

"They argue that the current rule strikes the appropriate balance
between the need to identify the source of transmissions and ease of
communication," Stone wrote. "Commenters state that, in their years of
experience with amateur emergency communications, the station
identification requirement has not proven to be a burden or obstacle,
and that the current procedure actually contributes to efficient
operations by providing a clear indication that a communication has
ended and the channel is available."

Stone said some commenters asserted that Dukish's proposed procedure
would be unworkable and cause confusion, while others characterized his
proposal as a solution in search of a problem.

"The purpose of the station identification requirement is to make the
source of transmissions clearly known to those receiving those
transmissions," Stone wrote. "Separating the call sign from each
transmission would defeat this purpose." Moreover, he said there's no
evidence that the current station ID requirements have hindered amateur
radio emergency communications.
The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: On Monday, October 21, the
10.7-centimeter solar flux sank to its lowest level in recorded
history. The solar flux was 64, just slightly lower than the 64.4 flux
value recorded on July 2, 1954, at the start of Solar Cycle 19, which
was by far the biggest solar cycle ever recorded. I understand that the
solar flux dipped to 64.2 in 1906.

Over the October 17 - 23 reporting week, the average daily solar flux
was 65.3 -- 2 points lower than last week. The average daily planetary
A index dropped from 6.4 to 4.7, while the average daily mid-latitude A
index declined from 5.1 to 3.1. And, of course, no sunspots showed up.

Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 66 on every day from
October 24 through December 7.

The predicted planetary A index is 22 and 30 on October 24 - 25; 15 on
October 26 - 28; 8 on October 29; 5 on October 30 - November 16; 15, 8,
and 5 on November 17 - 19; 20 and 24 on November 20 - 21; 15 on
November 22 - 23; 12 and 8 on November 24 - 25, and 5 on November 26 -
December 7.

Sunspot numbers for October 17 - 23 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, for a
mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 66.1, 66.1, 66, 65, 64, 65.6,
and 64.5, for a mean of 65.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 6,
5, 6, 5, 3, and 2, with a mean of 4.7. The middle latitude A index was
4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 2, and 1, with a mean of 3.1.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted on Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* October 26 - 27 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest, SSB
* October 30 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)
* October 31 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, SSB

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
MARS Members to Work with Radio Amateurs during SET and DOD COMEX 19-4

During October and corresponding with the ARRL Simulated Emergency Test
(SET), Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) members will be reaching
out to the amateur radio community to continue building working
relationships and improving interoperability. As part of this effort,
MARS will be promoting the use of a serial phase-shift keying protocol,
Military Standard 188-110 (M110), on the 60-meter interoperability
channels. Radio amateurs are authorized to use this digital mode on the
five 60-meter interop channels, although M110 exceeds the allowable
symbol rate that radio amateurs may use on all other HF bands.

Starting on November 2 and continuing until November 17, the MARS
community will be executing Department of Defense (DOD) Communications
Exercise (COMEX) 19-4. MARS members will use the exercise to continue
training and refining their operator skills to provide situational
awareness information, such as county status reports and weather
observations.

To announce the kickoff of the exercise, WWV and WWVH will broadcast
voice announcements starting on or about October 31. WWV will transmit
the announcements at 10 minutes past the hour, while WWVH will transmit
them at 10 minutes before the hour.

The communication exercise will culminate on the evening of November 16
with military stations sending M110 messages to the amateur community
on 60-meter channel 1 (5330.5 kHz USB).
Arizona Club Takes vantage of Low Bands to Support 100-Mile Endurance
Run

The Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) provided safety and coordination
communications for the 100-mile Stagecoach Line Run over the September
21 - 22 weekend. This 31-hour endurance run from Flagstaff to the Grand
Canyon takes place every September. Supporting the event requires
planning and commitment. Because of the geographical coverage required,
the club's amateur radio support even took advantage of 160 meters,
which is not a band typically associated with public service
communication.

The Hull Cabin checkpoint, south of
the Grand Canyon, with Bill Smith,
KQ1S, and Hannah Seidler on duty.
[Photo courtesy of Bill Smith,
KQ1S]

"Because we are in a solar minimum, a combination of bands and
communication methods were required in order to track and maintain
contact with the numerous stations," said Dan Shearer, N7YIQ, the
club's Public Information Officer. "What worked well at 3 o'clock in
the afternoon was not going to work at 2 in the morning." The club's
communication infrastructure required a combination of HF and VHF/UHF
equipment that included setting up portable repeaters and stations
powered by generators and other power sources.

"When you add in the cold weather of the high desert in September and
the possibility of rain and snow, this becomes a test of what Amateur
Radio may be called upon to do to support a disaster somewhere in the
nation," Shearer said.

CARC members invested more than 300 hours of their time in planning and
supporting the race, helped by a few additional volunteers from
Glendale and Prescott. Nineteen club members staffed eight sites, where
volunteers set up camps and kept vigil through the night to track and
make sure runners were accounted for throughout the race.

A typical race checkpoint. This one
was north of Flagstaff. [Scott
Downard, N7SMD, photo]

In addition to tracking runners into and out of each aid station, net
control entered these times into an online spreadsheet as they
progressed through the race, allowing runners to be located easily in
case they did not make it to the next checkpoint.

During the event, CARC members helped locate two missing runners and
helped save the life of another who developed severe asthma. Medical
care and treatment during these types of extreme events poses a
significant challenge, as EMS responses are delayed. "Much of the area
between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon is US Forest Service land, and
travel through these areas by vehicles is slow," Shearer explained.
"Severe emergencies can only be handled by aircraft, if conditions
permit."

During the race, 75 meters worked well during the day, but 160 meters
was put into play after dark. Cross-band repeaters were placed at
remote sites to allow access to existing repeaters. Although VHF and
UHF were used, these links at times became unusable, and alternate
forms and bands were required to maintain contact.
Getting It Right!

The item, "PACTOR Developer SCS Announces Monitoring Software," which
appeared in the October 17 edition of The ARRL Letter, included some
inaccurate language. The story should have said, "The issue of message
transparency arose in recent months with respect to renewed attention
to ARRL's so-called 'symbol rate' petition for rulemaking (RM-11708)
and the accommodation of automatically controlled digital stations
(ACDS) -- many of which employ Winlink. Some commenters on ARRL's
petition have asserted incorrectly that PACTOR facilitates de facto
message encryption, which would violate FCC Amateur Service rules."
(Neither Winlink nor PACTOR are encrypted.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
October 31, 2019

* World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 Opens in Egypt
* Congressional Champion of Amateur Radio Greg Walden, W7EQI,
Announces Retirement
* Taking vantage of Coaxial Cable Capacitance
* So Now What? Podcast
* ARRL November Sweepstakes Offers Two Weekends of Fun
* ARRL Headquarters Welcomes New Section Managers for Orientation
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Revised AMSAT-NA Website in Development
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 Opens in Egypt

World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) is under way in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt. More than 3,500 delegates from 193 member-states
around the world are attending the month-long gathering, sponsored by
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which opened on
Monday, October 28. WRC-19 delegates will discuss changes to the ITU
Radio Regulations. Amateur radio issues are but a small part of the
conference agenda. The ITU is characterizing the aim of the conference
as forging pathways for future digital communications.

"WRC-19 [is] to manage scarce radio-frequency spectrum for rapidly
evolving terrestrial and space-based communication technologies," ITU
said in a news release, describing WRC-19 as an "international
treaty-making conference governing the global management of scarce
radio-frequency spectrum as well as geostationary-satellite and
non-geostationary-satellite orbits." UN Secretary-General Ant�nio
Guterres addressed WRC-19 by video.

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and its member-societies
are representing the Amateur and Amateur Satellite Services with a team
of 14 people from 10 countries. Agenda Items of particular interest to
IARU are:
* Agenda Item 1.1, to allocate spectrum in the 50 - 54 MHz Region in
Region 1 to the Amateur Service.
* Agenda Item 1.13, to consider new spectrum for International Mobile
Telecommunications, which could potentially impact amateur spectrum
at around 47 GHz.
* Agenda Item 1.16, which could impact amateur spectrum at 5 GHz.
* Agenda Item 9.1.6, addressing Wireless Power Transmission (WPT),
where harmonics of WPT systems could negatively impact the MF/HF
radio spectrum.
* Agenda Item 10, to consider WRC-23 agenda items that could impact
the Amateur Service, including the 1240 - 1300 MHz band.

"This meeting is the culmination of 4 years' work by IARU in ITU and
regional telecommunications organizations to protect and enhance
Amateur Service frequency allocations," IARU said.

At WRC-19 this week, the official document on IARU WRC-19 positions on
various current agenda items and views on future proposals that may
impact the Amateur Service was released. Also released was the detailed
50 MHz study report that provides the basis for the consideration of
Agenda Item 1.1. In addition to classical narrow-band analog usage, the
study considers wider-bandwidth digital systems.

IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, reported on the ITU
Radiocommunication Assembly (RA) that took place in Sharm el-Sheikh
just ahead of WRC-19.

"Last week, the RA met to approve standards developed during the 2015 -
2019 cycle of work in the ITU Radiocommunication Sector and to begin
planning the work for the next 4 years," Sumner said in a post to the
ARRL IARU Group. Sumner said Brazilian delegation member Flavio
Archangelo, PY2ZX, with the support of several other administrations,
pressed for greater attention to the growing problem of radio noise.

"There is tight security around the conference center and the official
hotels," Sumner reported.
Congressional Champion of Amateur Radio Greg Walden, W7EQI, Announces
Retirement

One of amateur radio's strongest supporters in the US House of
Representatives, Oregon Republican Greg Walden, W7EQI -- the top
Republican on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee -- said
this week that he will not seek another term in 2020. Walden, 62, who
will have served for 22 years in the US House at the end of his current
term, championed the Amateur Radio Parity Act as the chair of the
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He went on to chair the
US House Energy and Commerce Committee in the 115th Congress, and has
served as the panel's ranking member since the Democratic Party gained
control of the House.

"I will close the public service chapter of my life, thankful for the
friends I've made and the successful work we've done together," Walden
said in a statement.

In 2014, the ARRL Board of Directors voted to confer the first Barry
Goldwater, K7UGA, Achievement Award "in recognition of many years of
exceptional contributions to the strength and vitality of the Amateur
Radio Service in the United States."

In 2002, Walden was an original cosponsor of H.R. 4720, the Amateur
Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act, which aimed to provide
relief to amateurs faced with private deed covenants, conditions, and
restrictions -- CC&Rs -- in erecting antennas by requiring private
land-use regulators, such as homeowners' associations, to "reasonably
accommodate" amateur radio communication

In 2003, he cosponsored H.R. 713, the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection
Act, and during a hearing on the bill, Walden called for a halt to the
"astonishing" erosion of amateur radio spectrum.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Despite [ham radio's] widespread use and importance in times of
emergencies, land-use restrictions in some areas have prioritized
esthetics over the rights of hams. -- US Representative Greg Walden,
W7EQI

-------------------------------------------------------------------

In 2004, Walden wrote the FCC chairman, seeking to have the Commission
defer action on the Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) rulemaking until
the release of a National Telecommunications and Information
ministration (NTIA) study and an opportunity for public comment. That
same year, during a hearing on telecom convergence, Walden grilled a
BPL industry representative about interference.

In 2010, Walden cosponsored H.R. 2160, the Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Enhancement Act -- a subsequent bill addressing the
issue of private land-use constraints on amateur radio antennas.

In 2011, ARRL was invited to testify before Walden's subcommittee on
"Creating an Interoperable Public Safety Network," offering an
opportunity to defend 420 - 440 MHz against reallocation.

During a 2016 Capitol Hill hearing, Walden called the Amateur Radio
Parity Act (H.R. 1301) "a commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues to
support it.

"As a ham radio operator, I'm acutely aware of the passion that amateur
radio operators have for their service," Walden told the subcommittee.
"Despite [ham radio's] widespread use and importance in times of
emergencies, land-use restrictions in some areas have prioritized
esthetics over the rights of hams. H.R. 1301 seeks to ensure that
amateur radio operators get a fair shake and protection from
unnecessary bans on their equipment by instructing the FCC to adopt
rules to this end."

Taking vantage of Coaxial Cable Capacitance

Jeff Blaine, AC0C, had a bad capacitor in the 15-meter filter section
of his 5B4AGN multiband band-pass filter, because as he puts it, "they
have been treated terribly over the years." One way to damage a filter
is to use power levels at the limit of the filter into a load that
presents a high SWR -- especially a high duty cycle mode like RTTY. He
didn't have the required small 14 pF capacitor, so he trimmed a piece
of

Jeff, AC0C, used a small length of
RG58 coaxial cable to replace a
failed low-value capacitor in a
bandpass filter. [Jeff Blaine, AC0C,
photo]

RG-58 to the required value - coaxial cable exhibits a certain amount
of capacitance per unit length.

"The repaired 15-meter filter runs 1.10:1 or better SWR across the band
with an insertion loss of about 0.65 dB," he reports. Blaine advises
that the RG-58 "can be coiled up and secured with some tie wraps" and
that it should be kept away from the toroid to minimize interaction --
a half-inch is probably sufficient. This approach may work well for
other applications where a low-value capacitor is difficult to obtain
and space is available.

Blaine uses an L/C meter to measure the capacitance as the piece of
cable is trimmed to approach the target value, and he leaves the cable
about a quarter of an inch, then trims the braid back to increase the
distance between it and the center conductor. He puts shrink wrap over
the end, and measures the passband of the filter section with the
chassis cover in place. -- Thanks to the ARRL Contest Update
So Now What? Podcast

"A Halloween and Throwback Special with QST Senior Editor, Jen Glifort,
KC1KNL," will be the focus of the new (October 17) episode of the So
Now What? podcast for amateur radio newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed amateur radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other amateur radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and W1AW
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest), and
through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices.
Episodes will be archived on ARRL's website.

ARRL November Sweepstakes Offers Two Weekends of Fun

The ARRL November Sweepstakes (SS) weekends again loom large on the
amateur radio contest horizon. The CW weekend is November 2 - 4 -- this
weekend -- while the phone weekend is November 16 - 18. Both events
begin on Saturday at 2100 UTC and conclude on Monday at 0259 UTC. An
Operating Guide that relates some of the history and evolution of these
North American contests is available. SS offers operating categories
for every preference. The goal for many seasoned SS operators is to
complete a "clean sweep" by working all 83 ARRL and Radio Amateurs of
Canada (RAC) Sections. Some may just want to dabble. Others enjoy
trying to make a clean sweep by working one station in each section.
Most SS operators, though, simply try to run up the contact and
multiplier counts, staying in the chair for the full 24 (out of 30)
allowable hours.

Some multipliers are much rarer than others, although these can shift
from one event to the next. Stations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands have been absent in recent years after hurricanes devastated
those areas. Northern Territories (NT) is often the most difficult, and
for a while, it looked as though the NT mainstay, VY1AAA (at the Yukon
Territory station of J. Allen, VY1JA), might not be on the air this
month. Allen has stepped away from amateur radio, and his station was
supposed to have been dismantled already. But circumstances changed,
the VY1JA station is still intact, and Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, says
he'll be making the NT multiplier available to the SS multitude.

"100% I will be on with guns blazing, CW and SSB," Hull told ARRL this
week. "The big 'if' was getting J's Alpha 9500 back in working order,
and that happened last Friday. After that, we are done. So, a sweep
will be possible."

Hull will operate VY1AAA remotely from New Hampshire. He said that for
the CW event this weekend, he'll either stay very low in the band --
the bottom 5 kHz -- or operate above 40 kHz to avoid interference. And
while he's a snappy CW operator, he promises to slow down for anyone.

"The trick will be finding my own Section," Hull added. "Let's see if
the propagation gods are with us. I hope so, for this swan song."

Once the VY1JA station is finally dismantled, VY1AAA will also be off
the air, unless Hull is able to secure another station. Hull told ARRL
earlier this year that he's been searching for several months for
another Northern Territories station that would be willing to host
remote operation.

Allen cited long-term health issues and hearing loss for his decision
to retire from ham radio, and his familiar VY1JA call sign will retire
with him.

Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, operates
VY1AAA remotely during ARRL Field
Day.

"The VY1AAA team is greatly saddened by this turn of events," Hull
said. "Hams around the world will surely miss J and the VY1AAA team on
the bands. J has been an incredible friend and mentor." Over the past 4
years, VY1AAA has logged more than 35,000 contacts, and QSL requests
will continue to be honored.

Operators with limited time to get on the air may want to raise the
excitement level by "running" -- i.e, calling CQ -- a lot of stations
or by operating later in the contest, when the SS regulars will be on
the lookout for call signs they have not yet encountered.

For both the CW and phone events, stations exchange a sequential serial
number (no leading zeros needed), an operating category (precedence),
call sign, the last two digits of the year of first license for either
operator or station (check), and ARRL/RAC Section.

Many areas of the US change from daylight saving time to standard time
at 2 AM local time on November 3 by moving clocks back 1 hour. UTC is
not affected. -- Thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, and The ARRL Contest
Update
ARRL Headquarters Welcomes New Section Managers for Orientation

Back row (L - R): Rick Breininger,
N1TEK (Wyoming); Tom Preiser, N2XW
(Southern New Jersey); John
Gotthardt, K1UAF (New Hampshire);
Dan Marler, K7REX (Idaho), and
Lelia Garner, WA0UIG (Iowa).
Bottom row (L - R): Paul Stiles,
KF7SOJ (Montana), Steve Ewald,
WV1X (ARRL Field Services
Manager), Steve Smith, KG5VK
(North Texas). [Michelle Patnode,
W3MVP, photo]

Newly elected ARRL Section Managers were at ARRL Headquarters October
11 - 13 for the 2019 New Section Manager Workshop. Attendees got a
detailed tour through ARRL Headquarters to meet and talk with staff
leaders and staff members, participated in various training and
orientation presentations and discussions, and enjoyed the chance to
operate W1AW. Attending were Tom Preiser, N2XW (Southern New Jersey);
Paul Stiles, KF7SOJ (Montana); Steven Lott Smith, KG5VK (North Texas);
Dan Marler, K7REX (Idaho); Rick Breininger, N1TEK (Wyoming); John
Gotthardt, K1UAF (New Hampshire), and Lelia Garner, WA0UIG (Iowa). --
Thanks to Steve Ewald, WV1X

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Still no sunspots, but average daily
solar flux rose this week from 65.3 to 68.5 -- yet there have been
surprising reports of HF stations heard and worked over long distances.

On Friday and Saturday, a coronal hole let loose a solar wind stream,
causing geomagnetic instability, and the average daily planetary A
index rose from 4.7 to 16.4.

Predicted solar flux has increased recently, with values of 70 on
October 31 - November 7; 66 on November 8-23; 70 on November 24 -
December 6, and 69 on December 7-14.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on October 31 - November 1; 5 on
November 2-4; 8 and 10 on November 5-6; 5 on November 7-16; 15, 8, and
5 on November 17-19; 20 and 24 on November 20-21; 15 on November 22-23;
12 on November 24; 5 and 15 on November 25-26; 12 on November 27-28,
and 5 on November 29 - December 14.

Sunspot numbers for October 24 - 30 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 65, 68.6, 68.6, 68.8, 69.4,
69.2, and 69.7, with a mean of 68.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
18, 29, 25, 15, 11, 8, and 9, with a mean of 16.4. Middle latitude A
index was 12, 29, 17, 11, 8, 8, and 6, with a mean of 13.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 1 -- Silent Key Memorial Contest (CW)
* November 2 -- IPARC Contest (CW)
* November 2 - 3 -- Ukrainian DX Contest (CW, phone)
* November 2 - 4 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)
* November 3 -- IPARC Contest (SSB)
* November 3 -- EANET Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* November 3 -- High Speed Club CW Contest
* November 4 -- RSGB FT4 Contest Series
* November 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* November 6 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (Phone)
* November 7 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* November 7 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

Revised AMSAT-NA Website in Development

AMSAT Treasurer and Vice President of User Services Robert Bankston,
KE4AL, has announced that the AMSAT Board has approved his
recommendations for an internet-based membership management system, the
transition to a digital full-color edition of AMSAT Journal, and a
complete overhaul of the AMSAT-NA website.

"I have been putting together these proposals for several months and
thank the Board of Directors for the permission to move these projects
forward," Bankston said at the conclusion of the 2019 AMSAT Symposium
and Annual General Meeting over the weekend. He said the improvements
will modernize how AMSAT serves its members and that the new membership
management system will give members control over their membership
accounts, allowing them to update contact information, pay dues, and
register for events. He did not indicate when the updated website would
be up and running.

Bankston said the new website will aim to make navigating the site more
intuitive with portals for members and friends in the AMSAT community,
how-to guides on getting started in amateur radio satellites, and
information about current satellites and what is needed to work them.

"In addition, the program will automatically push out reminders,
newsletters, and a digital copy of the AMSAT Journal," Bankston
explained. "Transitioning to a digitally delivered AMSAT Journal will
allow us to provide a full-color magazine without raising the cost of
membership. In addition, we will have the opportunity to provide
member-only content on our website and to include back issues of our
AMSAT Journal."

AMSAT is marking its 50th anniversary in 2019. -- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service
In Brief...

Results and certificates from the Hiram Percy Maxim (HPM) Birthday
Celebration August 31 - September 8 are now available. The 9-day
operating event commemorated the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL
cofounder and first president Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW. Amateurs from 57
ARRL/RAC Sections and four countries submitted more than 25,000
contacts over the course of the event. Results of the event and
downloadable certificates are on the ARRL Contests Page. A special HPM
150 QSL card is available for stations that worked W1AW/150 during the
event. To receive a card, send your QSL with an SASE to W1AW, 225 Main
St., Newington, CT 06111.

The ARRL Foundation has announced for additional recipients of
scholarships that it manages. The Albemarle Scholarship was awarded to
Dalton Southerland, W1DGS, of Louisburg, North Carolina; the Atlanta
Radio Club Scholarship was awarded to Emily Wilbourn, KM4JXB, of
Buford, Georgia; the Cordel Scholarship was awarded to Collin Pike,
KJ4AXB, of Roanoke, Alabama, and the Winscot Scholarship was awarded to
Anna Grogen Pike, KD4PCU, of Roanoke, Alabama.

More than 50 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R)) and Auxiliary
Communication Service (ACS) volunteers supported the MCAS Miramar Air
Show. They donated some 500 hours of their time to support public
safety at the largest show of its type in the US over the September 27
- 29 weekend in San Diego, California. Miramar served as the shooting
location for the 1986 film Top Gun. Performances by the US Navy Blue
Angels and the British Royal Air Force Red Arrows drew large crowds
that strained anxious public safety services at the annual event.
Working daily 12-hour shifts, ARES operators continuously patrolled the
crowds looking for air show guests in distress with heat exhaustion or
lost family members, while ACS hams liaised with law enforcement
agencies and kept information flowing between agencies. High noise
levels from low-flying aircraft were challenging. During a barbecue
break, volunteers compared notes about whose noise-cancelling
headphones worked best, as well as how to secure the transceiver
connections and to avoid open mics. -- Thanks to Dave Kaltenborn,
N8KBC, via The ARRL ARES E-Letter

Louisiana and Mississippi amateur radio volunteers supported the "Bike
MS: Dat's How We Roll" Event. Over the October 5 - 6 weekend, 32
amateur radio volunteers from the Southeast Louisiana Amateur Radio
Club (SELARC), the Southwest Mississippi Amateur Radio Club (SMARC),
and Southeast Louisiana ARES supported the "Bike MS: Dat's How We Roll"
event. The tour provided 267 volunteer hours in support of the annual
multiple sclerosis bike ride from Hammond, Louisiana, to Percy Quin
Park, Mississippi, and back. The hams used the SELARC VHF repeater and
the LWARN UHF repeater system to provide communication for safety,
logistics, and medical teams along the route on the back-country roads
of Louisiana and Mississippi. Event sponsors, staffers, and friends and
families of the cyclists as well as the cyclists themselves expressed
their appreciation for the work of the ham radio volunteers and were
impressed with the capabilities of amateur radio, Communications
Coordinator Bob Priez, WB5FBS, said.

[IMG]The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has approved a supporting
grant of $4,000 to Club Log and Club Log Author Michael Wells, G7VJR.
The grant will support capital improvements, needed to take the system
into the future with improved resiliency, enhanced performance, and the
hardware needed for continued innovation, such as an interface to other
online services like CloudLog. Club Log caters to DXers and DXpedition
hosting. Yasme's association with Club Log began with a grant in 2012,
when the system hosted 67 million contacts with 7,300 users. Today,
Club Log boasts some 70,000 active users and some 590 million contacts.
The Yasme Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation organized to
support scientific and educational projects related to amateur radio,
including DXing and the introduction and promotion of amateur radio in
developing countries.

Eric Tichansky, NO3M, and Roger Crofts, VK4YB, are claiming a new world
distance record on 630 meters. They worked each other on October 14 at
1032 UTC using JT9 mode. Tichansky said the contact represented the
culmination of 2 years of effort around every equinox since September
2017. "Hopes were wearing thin as we were moving away from the recent
equinox on September 23," he said. "Even when the path may have been
open over the past 3 weeks, either end would be plagued with QRN." He
said that while the opening that facilitated the record-breaking
contact was not comparably as strong as past openings, "something
special was obviously at play." The contact covered 9,307.5 miles
(14,979 kilometers), topping the previous record of 8,351.9 miles set
by Roger Crofts, VK4YB, and Kenneth Roberson, K5DNL, by nearly 1,000
miles. Tichansky said his transmit antenna is a 67-foot top-loaded
vertical, and the receive antenna is a full-sized eight-circle array
comprised of short verticals. The transmit/receive at VK4YB is a
linear-loaded vertical. -- Thanks to Eric Tichansky, NO3M

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* November 2 - 3 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
November 7, 2019

* IARU Reports Early Progress, Contention on Difficult Issues Mark
First Week of WRC-19
* Pitcairn Island DXpedition Logs More Than 80,000 Contacts
* MARSRADIO is Keeping the Phone Patch Alive
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* W1AW to Commemorate 98th Anniversary of First Amateur Radio Signals
to Span the Atlantic
* SKYWARN Recognition Day Celebrates 20 Years on December 7
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Preparations Resume for 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition
* France Gives its Highest Honor to The Secret Wireless War Author
Geoffrey Pidgeon
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
IARU Reports Early Progress, Contention on Difficult Issues Mark First
Week of WRC-19

The first week of World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) saw
agreement reached on several issues on which discussions prior to the
conference had revealed consensus. Those were the easy ones; the rest
will be more difficult, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
said. The conference is in its second week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The IARU said the early agreements were only possible because of
countless hours of work conducted within the ITU Radiocommunication
Sector and the six regional telecommunications organizations (RTOs)
since WRC-15. Three of those decisions were on issues of interest to
the IARU.
* The band 47.0 - 47.2 GHz was allocated solely to the Amateur and
Amateur Satellite Services by the 1979 World ministrative Radio
Conference (WARC-79). Commercial wireless broadband interests had
expressed some interest in the band being designated for
International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), and there was some
concern that such a proposal might be made at WRC-19. The fact that
none was forthcoming was due in part to the work of the IARU at the
Conference Preparatory Meeting earlier this year and in the RTOs.
The WRC has agreed to "no change" (NOC) at 47.0 - 47.2 GHz.
* Another NOC decision that avoided impact on the Amateur Service
applies to the band 5850 - 5925 MHz, an amateur secondary
allocation in Region 2. Consideration of proposals involving other
parts of spectrum in the 5 GHz range will take much longer,
according to the IARU.
* Consideration of a 50 MHz allocation in ITU Region 1 (Europe,
Africa, and the Mideast) to harmonize the allocations in the three
regions was the subject of spirited debate in a Sub Working Group
chaired by Dale Hughes, VK1DSH, of the Australian delegation. The
four RTOs in Region 1 made disparate proposals to the conference,
and a small group of administrations proposed no change. For 3
days, there was no progress toward a consensus solution, but that
changed on Friday morning. An agreement was made, subject to
confirmation by the regional groups, that will provide
administrations in Region 1 with flexibility in how to accommodate
their radio amateurs.

The WRC agreed to make no frequency allocations or other changes to the
Radio Regulations to accommodate wireless power transmission for
electric vehicles (WPT-EV). "Much more work remains to be done on an
urgent basis in the ITU and other standards organizations if

IARU President Tim Ellam,
VE6SH (right), chats with
IARU Secretary David Sumner,
K1ZZ, on the way to a WRC-19
session. [Jon Siverling,
WB3ERA, photo]

radiocommunication services are to be adequately protected from harmful
interference that may be generated by WPT-EV, both at the fundamental
frequency and from unwanted emissions," the IARU said.

One of the most difficult issues facing WRC-19 is to develop an agenda
for WRC-23. Dozens of proposals for agenda items have been suggested,
and they cannot all be accommodated within available ITU resources.

Delegates have been warned to expect more intensive use of weekend and
evening hours as the conference proceeds toward its conclusion on
November 22. -- Thanks to the IARU
Pitcairn Island DXpedition Logs More Than 80,000 Contacts

The VP6R DXpedition to Pitcairn Island shut down at 1800 UTC on
November 1, reporting 82,700 contacts. They reported excellent weather
for the teardown and got everything packed and aboard the Braveheart,
which is taking them to Mangareva. According to their update, the
oldest resident of Pitcairn Island died on November 1, and the VP6R
team attended the funeral the next day. The individual was buried next
to Tom Christian, VP6TC, who gave many radio amateurs their first
Pitcairn contacts.

During their stay on the island, VP6R team members helped two local
radio amateurs to get on the air -- Meralda Warren, VP6MW, and Mike
Warren, VP6AZ.

The entire VP6R log will be posted to Logbook of The World (LoTW), and
stations may QSL via K9CT.

"On behalf of the team, our off-island support members, and our
sponsors, may I say thank you to our DX audience for your interest,
support, and of course, the QSOs," Ralph Fedor, K0IR, said. "To the
kids at the Dorothy Grant Elementary School, thank you for taking part
in this great adventure with us through ham radio. You brightened our
path."

The DXpedition reported high spirits, big pileups, and good
propagation, giving out "many all-time new ones" during its stay. "We
had fun with this," Fedor said. "We hope you did too."

VP6R operated from two sites on the island. During their stay, the team
took part in the CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB). A DXpedition veteran,
Fedor had to pull out of the Pitcairn Island trip due to health issues,
but maintained a support role.

MARSRADIO is Keeping the Phone Patch Alive

A military plane over the North Atlantic suddenly experiences rapid
decompression. A call goes out to MARSRADIO, explaining the emergency
and requesting a phone patch to the aircraft's command post. Over the
next few hours, a MARSRADIO volunteer handles many phone patches to
help resolve the situation. An adjunct within the Air Force Military
Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), MARSRADIO is reminiscent of an era when
MARS facilitated hundreds of troop morale phone patches each night
between soldiers deployed in Vietnam and their families and loved ones
back home.

Today, MARS is more oriented to official Department of Defense (DoD)
communication, but the venerable phone patch remains viable within
MARSRADIO, a special MARS operations group that provides primary
service and a backup system that handles requests for official and
morale phone patches, weather forecasts, informal messages, selective
calling tests, and radio checks. Membership in MARSRADIO is open to
both Army and Air Force MARS members, and it is seeking additional
volunteers.

MARSRADIO members have advanced station capabilities, put in many hours
of participation, and operate under more stringent requirements than
the standard MARS program does. These include the ability to monitor
two frequencies simultaneously; an amplifier; a directional antenna
(i.e., Yagi) for operation above 13 MHz; dipoles for use below 13 MHz;
internet access; at least 36 hours of participation per quarter, and no
digital requirement, if MARSRADIO is the station's primary assignment.

"MARSRADIO" is the net call sign for the 11th Air Force MARS MARSRADIO
Squadron (11AFMS) under the 1st AFMARS Special Operations Group
(1AFMSOG). MARSRADIO net members guard frequencies as much as possible,
and the net is authorized 24/7/365. MARSRADIO serves as a backup to US
Defense Department communication, including the US Air Force Global
System, handling an average of 2,500 requests each year for assistance
-- from providing estimated times of arrival to communications
involving medical or mechanical emergencies.

MARSRADIO has evolved into a DoD asset that's noteworthy for its
volunteer support, and interest is rising as HF regains importance.
Volunteers handle communication for all branches of the military and
for other US government users. All types of DoD aircraft and ground
units may request support to complete their missions, and the net is
open to US allies.

MARSRADIO is not for every ham or every MARS member, but those
interested in service would be working with real-time traffic on a
daily basis. A fast-track program is in place to bring well-qualified
operators directly into MARSRADIO. While today's MARS is highly digital
and encrypted, the phone patch is a totally different animal. Members
of MARSRADIO do not need digital capability. They don't even need a
landline. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection via the
internet will provide the phone line needed to run a patch.

More information on MARSRADIO is available.
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Antenna Switches" is the topic of the new (November 7) episode of the
ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

W1AW to Commemorate 98th Anniversary of First Amateur Radio Signals to
Span the Atlantic

December 11 marks the 98th anniversary of the success of ARRL's
Transatlantic Tests in 1921, organized to see if low-power amateur
radio stations could be heard across the Atlantic using shortwave
frequencies (i.e., above 200 meters). On that day, a message
transmitted by a group of Radio Club of America members at 1BCG in
Greenwich, Connecticut, was copied by Paul Godley, 2ZE, in Scotland.

While the first two-way contact would not take place until 1923, the
1921 transatlantic success marked the beginning of what would become
routine communication between US radio amateurs and those in other
parts of the world -- the birth of DX.

To commemorate this amateur radio milestone, Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW will be on the air through the day on December 11 with volunteer
operators. The goal is to encourage contacts between radio amateurs in
the US and Europe while showcasing the significance of the
transmissions that pioneered global communication and laid the
groundwork for technology widely used today.

The event will run from 1300 until 0000 UTC. Some details are still
being worked out, but operation will focus on 40 and 20 meters (SSB).

Contact Clark Burgard, N1BCG, for more information.
SKYWARN Recognition Day Celebrates 20 Years on December 7

SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) will mark its 20th anniversary on
December 7, 0000 to 2400 UTC. This is the day each year when radio
amateurs operate from National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices
across the country, celebrating the long relationship between the
amateur radio community and the National Weather Service SKYWARN
program. The purpose of the event is to recognize amateur radio
operators for the vital public service they perform during times of
severe weather and to strengthen the bond between radio amateurs and
their local NWS offices.

Developed in 1999, SRD is cosponsored by ARRL and the NWS.
Traditionally, radio amateurs have assisted the mission of the NWS
through providing near real-time reports of severe weather and storm
development. Reports received from radio amateurs have proven
invaluable to NWS forecasters.

During SRD, participants exchange contact information with as many NWS
stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters, plus 70
centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. Stations should
exchange call signs, signal reports, and locations, plus a quick
description of the weather at your location (e.g., sunny, partly
cloudy, windy, rainy, etc.). EchoLink and IRLP nodes, including the
Voice over Internet Protocol Weather Net (VoIP-WX), are expected to be
active as well.

WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center will also be on the air for
SRD, 1300 - 1700 UTC, for its 21st year of SRD participation.

Event certificates are electronic and printable from the main website
at the conclusion of SRD. To learn more, visit the SKYWARN Recognition
Day website.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Two new sunspot groups appeared this
week on two consecutive days, each lasting for only a day, with a daily
sunspot number of 11 and 13 last Friday and Saturday, just in time for
the ARRL November Sweepstakes CW weekend. Both sunspot groups had a
magnetic polarity signature indicating Solar Cycle 25 and appeared
after 4 weeks of no sunspots.

[IMG]Spaceweather.com reported both appearances as region AR2750, while
NOAA reported a new sunspot group on each day.

Solar flux was higher over the October 31 - November 6 reporting week,
with average daily solar flux rising from 68.5 to 70.4. Geomagnetic
indicators were low, with average daily planetary A index declining
from 16.4 to 4.1, and average mid-latitude A index softening from 13 to
2.7.

Predicted solar flux is 70 on November 7; 68 on November 8 - 14; 67 on
November 15 - 19; 68 and 70 on November 20 - 21; 71 on November 22 -
30; 70 on December 1 - 6; 69 on December 7 - 19, and 70 on December 20
- 21.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on November 7; 5 on November 8 - 10; 8
on November 11 - 12; 5 on November 13 - 19; 15, 25, 18, 12, and 10 on
November 20 - 24; 8 on November 25 - 26; 5 on November 27 - December
16, and 15, 20, 18, 12, and 12 on December 17 - 21.

Even during days with no sunspots, there was notable HF propagation
recently, with the just-ended VP6R Pitcairn Island DXpedition making HF
contacts across the Americas, even on 10 meters.

Sunspot numbers for October 31 - November 6 were 0, 11, 13, 0, 0, 0,
and 0, with a mean of 3.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 71.2, 70.7,
70.7, 69.4, 70.8, 70.4, and 69.3, with a mean of 70.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 4, 2, 2, 4, 5, and 5, with a mean of 4.1.
The middle latitude A index was 5, 2, 1, 1, 4, 2, and 4, with a mean of
2.7.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 9 - 10 -- WAE DX Contest RTTY
* November 9 - 10 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (Digital)
* November 9 - 10 -- JIDX Phone Contest
* November 9 - 10 -- SARL VHF/UHF Analogue Contest (CW, phone)
* November 9 - 10 -- OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
* November 9 - 10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* November 9 - 11 -- CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* November 9 - 11 -- PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint
(Digital)
* November 9 - 17 -- AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (CW)
* November 10 -- North American SSB Sprint Contest
* November 11 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
* November 11 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Digital)
* November 15 -- YO International PSK31 Contest

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

Preparations Resume for 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition

Another attempt to activate Bouvet Island is in the planning stages,
according to the 3Y0I website. Efforts are under way to secure the
necessary funds.

"As you probably know, our first attempt to reach the island of Bouvet
in March 2019 failed," the news update said. "Despite complex
preparations and training received in Cape Town, South Africa, our
vessel got hit by a big storm so badly that we had no choice but to
sail back to Cape Town to reshuffle our plans. We were so close -- just
63 nautical miles offshore!" The 3Y0I sponsors estimate that a second
attempt would cost around $170,000. "[W]e have already secured half of
the required budget to go back to Bouvet," the announcement said,
adding that it's beyond the capacity of the DXpedition team members to
cover the entire cost, so they are trying to collect $85,000 to fund
the second attempt.

The 3Y0I team has a GoFundMe page, set up by 3Y0I team leader Dom
Grzyb, 3Z9DX. No time frame was given for the second attempt by Grzyb's
team, and it's not known if Grzyb has obtained operating permission
from the Norwegian government. The 19-square-mile subantarctic island
is a Norwegian dependency.

"Our intentions are clear: If we don't reach our fundraising goal, we
won't receive nor spend a single cent you donate and it would be
returned to your GoFundMe account for withdrawal, or to support any
other GoFundMe project of your choice," the announcement says.

"The future of amateur radio expeditions, especially in terms of
activating entities placed across cold high-latitude seas, isn't
bright," the 3Y0I statement says. "Apart from the uncertainty of future
solar cycles' strength that may badly reflect radio propagations, there
are still very few of us who realize that visiting remote cold islands
may become very seldom or even almost impossible."

According to Club Log's DXCC Most Wanted List, Bouvet Island is number
2, right behind North Korea. The unrelated 3Y0Z DXpedition attempt to
land on Bouvet in early 2018 failed after the vessel transporting the
team developed engine issues as it lay just offshore. The last
successful Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, during a scientific expedition
over the winter of 2007 - 2008. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio
News via OPDX
France Gives its Highest Honor to The Secret Wireless War Author
Geoffrey Pidgeon

The author of The Secret Wireless War, Geoffrey Pidgeon, recently
became the 6,000th veteran to receive the French Legion of Honor
(Legion d'Honneur). Through his undercover work in British
intelligence, Pidgeon, now 93, played a pivotal role in the D-Day
landings. His book, which recounts the important role of the

Geoffrey Pidgeon. [Forces TV]

Communications Division of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)
during World War II, has long been a favorite among hams.

"There never was, in the whole history of wireless, a bigger role for
the amateur wireless enthusiast," says Pidgeon. "This is an
extraordinary story that includes hams among those patriots that
undoubtedly helped the Allied war effort."

Pidgeon said he was "somewhat overwhelmed" by the turnout for the award
presentation by French Ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna. UK
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also attended. The event attracted news
media as well. Reports included one from Forces TV. Pidgeon also was
interviewed by London's The Sunday Times.

"They made a fuss of me today," Pidgeon told Forces TV.

The Secret Wireless War offers a history of the SIS, its growing use of
wireless in the 1930s, its involvement in the dissemination by wireless
of Enigma (Ultra) intelligence, and a whole range of secret uses of
wireless as part of the successful prosecution of the war.

The book documents the personal tales of those who were part of this
most secret of units, and events that helped to win the war: Secret
agents abroad, wireless operators handling Ultra and agents' traffic,
wireless engineers, interceptors, and administrators; the story of
Churchill's personal wireless operator; a fleet of 70+ Packard motor
cars and converted Dodge ambulances used as mobile wireless stations;
and hams listening to the German secret service and the Gestapo.

Pidgeon's memoir of his days in MI6 Communications during World War II
is distributed in the US by ARRL.
In Brief...

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) will operate special
event station N9V on Veterans Day, November 11. The club's headquarters
station, K9TAL, will anchor the N9V Veterans Day operations, joined by
several TALARC stations around the US, for its annual national salute
to veterans. The American Legion is celebrating its 100th anniversary
this year. Operation will be from 1800 to 0000 UTC on or about 7.285,
14.285, and 21.285 MHz. Certificates will be available to all sending a
QSL card. More information is on the N9V profile page on QRZ.com. --
Thanks to Jim Harris, W0EM, and The National Legion Amateur Radio Club

University of Washington
doctoral candidate Paige
Northway with a HuskySat
engineering model.
[Courtesy of UW News]

A Cygnus cargo spacecraft carrying the University of Washington's
student-built HuskySat-1 CubeSat has been successfully launched. The
Cygnus docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on November 4.
It then is scheduled to depart the ISS on January 13, 2020, and raise
its orbit to approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles), where HuskySat-1
and SwampSat will be deployed. After deployment, HuskySat-1's 1,200 bps
BPSK beacon on 435.800 MHz should be active and decodable with the
latest release of FoxTelem. HuskySat-1 is expected to run its primary
mission for 30 days -- testing a pulsed plasma thruster and
experimental 24 GHz data transmitter -- before being turned over to
AMSAT for amateur radio operation. HuskySat-1 features a 30 kHz wide
145 to 435 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW. "Usually people buy most
of the satellite and build one part of it," said Paige Northway, a
doctoral student who's been involved with the project since inception.
"We built all the parts. It was a pretty serious undertaking." For more
information about HuskySat-1's development and its science, read the UW
News article, "Washington's first student-built satellite preparing for
launch." -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via SpaceNews.com; Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, and UW News

The FCC is looking for a telecommunications specialist to work at the
HF Direction Finding Center in Columbia, Maryland. This is a full-time
position with a competitive salary. The incumbent would perform "watch
duty" and serve as a technical authority, providing technical
assistance and guidance to communication systems users to resolve radio
interference complaints and problems. The telecommunications specialist
collects radio signal analysis information using equipment deployed
throughout the US to collect, correlate, and analyze characteristics of
radio signals involved in interference problems, distress, or
safety-related signals, or other radio signals involved in other
high-priority activities, such as law enforcement or national defense.
This individual analyzes complaints, inquiries, and comments from
multiple sources; investigates compliances with FCC rules and
regulations, and determines appropriate actions, utilizing the FCC's
remote HF network of radio direction finders and radio signal analysis
equipment. For additional information, see the full job description.

The FCC has solicited comments on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling
clarifying Amateur Service rules governing encrypted or encoded
messages. Filed on behalf of New York University (NYU), the Petition
seeks to clarify that Section 97.113(a)(4) of the Amateur Service rules
prohibits the transmission of "effectively encrypted or encoded
messages, including messages that cannot be readily decoded
over-the-air for true meaning." Comments are due by December 2, with
reply comments (comments on comments already filed) due on December 17.
The FCC has requested that all filings refer to WT Docket No. 16-239,
which grew out of an ARRL Petition for Rule Making requesting
elimination of symbol rate limitations on the amateur bands and is
unrelated to the wider encryption issue. The NYU Petition contends that
some communication modes incorporating dynamic compression techniques
"by extension, effectively encrypt or encode the communications."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
November 14, 2019

* HamSCI Founder Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, Wins $1.3 Million
Ionosphere Study Grant
* World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 Enters Its Third Week
* RF-Seismograph Gets Traction in Hackaday
* So Now What? Podcast
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* More Than 1 Million Contacts Logged During 2019 ARRL Field Day
* AMSAT Says HuskySat-1 is Paving the Way for Further Cooperation
* IARU and Amateur Radio Are Reaching "An Inflection Point"
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
HamSCI Founder Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, Wins $1.3 Million Ionosphere
Study Grant

Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, now a University of Scranton physics and
electrical engineering professor, has won a $1.3 million National
Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study weather effects in the
ionosphere by leveraging a network of amateur radio stations. Frissell
is perhaps best known within the amateur radio community as the founder
of HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation initiative. The
Distributed Arrays of Small Instruments (DASI) project will be
implemented over 3 years. As principal investigator, Frissell -- a
space physicist -- will head a collaborative team that will develop
ground-based space science observation instruments and software. His
research effort will recruit multiple universities and radio amateurs
to operate a network of personal space weather stations.

"I'm very excited," Frissell told ARRL. "This grant is extremely
exciting for both ham radio and ionospheric research. Perhaps more than
the money, it means that the NSF is recognizing the good work that we,
as hams, are doing and the contribution we can make in the future."

Frissell said the grant demonstrates that the scientific community is
taking amateur radio seriously. "This is great for ham radio, as it
provides yet another avenue for us to contribute to the art and science
of radio in a meaningful way," he said.

The space weather equipment will be developed at two levels of
sophistication -- one at a low-cost, easy-to-use level for radio
amateurs, and another, more complex version for university partners
that will allow the collection of additional data.

"The equipment and network allows us to measure and characterize
ionospheric and geomagnetic short-term, small-scale variability on a
large geographic scale in order to understand the response of the
ionosphere to sources from above (space weather) and below (atmospheric
forcing)," Frissell explained in his grant proposal. "By designing
personal space weather station variants at multiple price points, open
sourcing the hardware and software, and directly engaging with the ham
radio community, this project maximizes the chances of widespread
adoption of this system." Frissell intends to focus his recruitment
efforts through HamSCI and TAPR. Read more.
World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 Enters Its Third Week

Intense discussions of the most contentious agenda items marked the
second week of World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), but
very little was resolved.

"It is clear that long days and nights are ahead in the last 2 weeks,"
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ,
observed earlier this week. Representatives of the IARU and its
member-societies -- 14 in all -- are attending all or part of the
conference. IARU is admitted in a non-advisory capacity. Those
representing IARU may attend meetings but may not participate unless
asked by the chairman to provide information. Sumner reported on where
issues affecting the amateur services stand at the midway point of the
conference.

50 MHz in Region 1: While a couple of details remain to be worked out
as to how other existing services in Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the
Middle East) will be protected from interference, there is agreement
that the amateur service should gain entry at 50 MHz in the
international Table of Frequency Allocations for Region 1. The present
6-meter allocations in Regions 2 and 3 will be unchanged. Region 1
administrations came to the conference holding disparate views on this
agenda item, ranging from a 4 MHz primary allocation to no allocation
at all. Sumner said a delicate compromise led to a positive outcome.

"While it is too early to celebrate, we are cautiously optimistic that
the compromise will hold," Sumner reported. In a separate report, Radio
Amateurs of Canada Special visor Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, said that
hammering out a 6-meter Region 1 allocation "has been a long and
frustrating process," and that a 4 MHz primary allocation similar to
that available in Regions 2 and 3 is an unlikely outcome.

IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ
(left), gives an encouraging thumbs
up at WRC-19. On the right is IARU
Region 1 representative Dave Court,
EI3IO. [Photo courtesy of the Radio
Society of Great Britain]

Future Agenda Items: The IARU is not seeking any agenda items for
future WRCs at this conference. With the spectrum from 8.3 kHz to 275
GHz fully allocated and some bands above 275 GHz already identified for
particular uses, any proposal for new allocations involves sharing with
one or more incumbent services.

"The pressures for spectrum access to accommodate new uses for
commercial purposes are intense; for an established service such as
ours, any WRC that does not reduce our own useful spectrum access is a
success," Sumner said.

The notion of including 144 - 146 MHz in a study of non-safety
aeronautical mobile service applications has not resurfaced at WRC-19.
The IARU is, however, concerned about a proposed item for WRC-23,
"Review of the amateur service and the amateur-satellite service
allocations to ensure the protection of the radionavigation-satellite
service (space-to-Earth) in the frequency band 1240 - 1300 MHz." A
single, well-documented and quickly resolved case of interference to a
Galileo (GPS) receiver 5 years ago prompted the proposed agenda item.

"The IARU recognizes the concern and does not want the amateur service
to affect the operation of the Galileo system in any way," Sumner said.
WRC-19 will conclude on November 22. Read more.

RF-Seismograph Gets Traction in Hackaday

Alex Schwarz, VE7DXW, has theorized for some time now that his
RF-Seismograph, initially aimed at indicating band openings, seemed to
also act as a real seismograph of sorts, with effects of earthquakes
affecting HF noise levels and -- going out on a limb -- actually
briefly enhancing HF propagation (click on image). Schwarz has some
support from Professor Kosuke Heki of Hokkaido University in Japan, who
has been researching whether changes occur in the ionosphere as a
result of an earthquake.

[IMG]The work of both citizen scientist Schwarz and space geodesy
expert Heki caught the attention of Hackaday, the online publication
with a stated goal of promoting "the free and open exchange of ideas
and information." A November 12 Hackaday article, "HF Propagation and
Earthquakes," outlines the observations of both men. According to the
article, Heki "knew that changes in the ionosphere can affect GPS and
GNSS receivers on the ground, and with Japan's vast network of
receivers to keep track of the smallest of movements of the Earth's
crust, he was able to spot an anomalous buildup of electrons directly
above the devastating 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake that preceded the
earthquake by 40 minutes."

Heki's theory is along these lines: Chemical bonds in the rock --
specifically peroxy bonds between two oxygen atoms -- are broken by
microfractures, leaving one side of the peroxy bond with excess
electrons and the other with a positive hole. "These holes tend to
migrate from high stress to unstressed areas of the rock, which leads
them to eventually reach the surface, leaving it with a net positive
charge," the Hackaday piece says. "As stress in the rock below
increases, the number of positive holes reaching the surface rapidly
multiplies, drawing electrons from the atmosphere to balance the
charge. The moving charges generate an enormous electromagnetic field
that can reach all the way up to the ionosphere, creating just the kind
of anomalies that Professor Heki observed."

Alex Schwarz, VE7DXW, spoke at
the 2015 ARRL-TAPR Digital
Communications Conference.
[Photo courtesy of
HamRadioNow]

This week, Schwarz reported that the US Geological Survey recorded nine
"significant earthquakes" on November 11, eight of which also were
recorded by his RF-Seismograph. According to Schwarz, several small
quakes early in the morning "opened the 40-meter band slightly, but the
precursor of the quake [in Neiafu, Tonga] created a disturbance
starting 4 hours prior to the quake and a total radio blackout between
0330 UTC and 0550 UTC. The quakes in late morning did not have a great
effect on the local propagation. The one from Vanuatu created 80-meter
propagation for 10 minutes only. At 2340 UTC, another quake from
Indonesia opened the 30-meter band again," Schwarz said.

The Hackaday article concludes, "Clearly, the RF-Seismograph is not yet
ready to claim to have a solid predictive ability for earthquakes. For
that matter, Dr. Heki's space-based observations aren't ready to stake
that claim either. But it certainly looks like ionospheric changes can
be correlated to earthquakes, both in time and space..."
So Now What? Podcast

"Navigating the Nets," with guest Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL Field
Services Supervisor, will be the focus of the new (November 14) episode
of the So Now What? podcast for amateur radio newcomers.

If you're a newly licensed amateur radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.

So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other amateur radio products.

ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.

Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through
the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. Episodes
will be archived on the ARRL website.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: With little to no solar activity,
it's amazing how many HF DX contacts are possible, even without taking
advantage of so-called weak-signal modes such as FT8. Recent
DXpeditions, such as the ones on Pitcairn Island and the Marquesas, had
little trouble piling up the contacts, even on 10 meters. It helps that
fall is upon us.

No sunspots over the past week, and average daily solar flux was about
the same as last week, 70.3 compared to 70.4. Geomagnetic indices were
still quiet, with average daily planetary A index at 4 (last week was
4.1) and middle latitude A index at 3 (compared to 2.7).

Predicted solar flux is 71 on November 14 - December 3; 70 on December
4 - 18; and 71 on December 19 - 28.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on November 14 - 15; 12 and 8 on
November 16 - 17; 5 on November 18 - 19; 18, 25, 18, 12, and 10 on
November 20 - 24; 8 on November 25 - 26; 5 on November 27 - December
16; 15, 25, 18, 12, and 10 on December 17 - 21; 8 on December 22 - 23,
and 5 on December 24 - 28.

Sunspot numbers for November 7 - 13 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.8, 70.2, 69.6, 70.8, 69.5,
70.8, and 71.1, with a mean of 70.4. Estimated planetary A indices were
5, 3, 4, 3, 7, 4, and 2, with a mean of 4.1. Middle latitude A index
was 3, 2, 3, 2, 7, 3, and 1, with a mean of 2.7.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 15 -- YO International PSK31 Contest
* November 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint
* November 16 -- All Austrian 160-Meter Contest (CW)
* November 16 -- RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest (CW)
* November 16 - 17 -- REF 160-Meter Contest (CW)
* November 16 - 17 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* November 16 - 17 -- LZ DX Contest (CW, phone)
* November 16 - 18 -- ARRL November Sweepstakes (Phone)
* November 17 -- Homebrew and Oldtime Equipment Party (CW)
* November 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
* November 19 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
* November 20 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Phone)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

More Than 1 Million Contacts Logged During 2019 ARRL Field Day

ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, reports that nearly
1.1 million contacts were made during the 2019 ARRL Field Day -- the
most popular operating event in North America. Bourque reported the
2019 ARRL Field Day results, which are available starting on page 64 of
the digital edition of the December 2019 issue of QST. Bourque says in
his article that more than 36,000 radio amateurs took part in 2019
Field Day across all 83 ARRL/Radio Amateurs of Canada Sections, up
slightly from the 35,250 reported last year. The total number of
contacts was down by about 7% from 2018's 1.18 million contacts.

The Williamsburg Area Amateur
Radio Club (WAARC) operated Field
Day 2019 from Virginia using the
club's call sign K4RC. GOTA
Station operator Solana Stevenson
beams, with her mother Mari Ann
Stevenson in back at the left and
grandfather Randy Altona, KM4YSN,
in back at the right, with GOTA
Coach Chuck White, AI4WU. [Dan
Ewart, WG4F, photo]

"This year, 3,113 entries were received from local clubs and emergency
operations centers (EOCs), as well as individual portable, mobile, and
home stations," Bourque wrote in QST. Most entries were in Class A --
club or non-club groups of three or more.

Of the nearly 1.1 million contacts, approximately 46% were made on
phone, and 456,000 (42%) of contacts were made on CW. The remaining
138,000+ (12%) of the contacts were made on digital modes, such as FT8
and RTTY.

"This is a substantial increase compared to 2018, when total QSOs on
the digital modes numbered just over 56,000," Bourque reported. "With
the late 2018 release of WSJT-X (which now supports Field Day
exchanges), many participants made use of FT8's ability to communicate
when band conditions weren't being cooperative."

Top 10 scores ranged between W3AO's Class 14A entry from Maryland-DC,
with 32,356 points, to W1NVT's 14,876-point Class 2A entry from
Vermont.

Bourque said that 95% of the 3,113 entries received came through the
Field Day web applet.

"Not only is ARRL Field Day an opportunity to sharpen operating skills
in temporary and portable locations, it's also an occasion to showcase
amateur radio to the local community," Bourque wrote.

Soapbox comments for Field Day 2019 are available on the ARRL website.
ARRL Field Day 2020 will take place June 27 - 28.
AMSAT Says HuskySat-1 is Paving the Way for Further Cooperation

AMSAT says it had to maneuver some regulatory challenges in
establishing its partnership with the University of Washington to share
the just-launched HuskySat-1. The satellite went into space on November
2 aboard a Cygnus cargo vessel, which docked to the International Space
Station. HuskySat-1 will be boosted into a higher orbit and deployed in
January, and once it completes its primary mission, it will be turned
over to AMSAT for operation of its linear transponder sometime in the
second quarter of 2020. AMSAT Vice President-Engineering Jerry Buxton,
N0JY, explained this week that the AMSAT-UW partnership presented some
regulatory challenges, but has paved the way for similar partnerships
in the future.

"The [FCC] Part 97 license that AMSAT will operate under does not
include or allow the use of any of the experiments on board," Buxton
explained. "As those experiments were not able to conform to Part 97's
so-called 'educational exemption,' including the K-band radio, two
licenses were required." UW obtained a Part 5 Experimental license to
cover the telemetry downlink of the AMSAT transponder module, but the
transponder must remain off during that operation. The AMSAT
transponder module will operate under an FCC Part 97 Amateur Service
license.

"This was the first partnership with an educational institution where
an AMSAT radio was flown on a non-AMSAT (UW in this case) CubeSat,"
Buxton said. "In the process of working with the FCC and NASA to obtain
a single Part 97 license that was not complicated or restricted by
'pecuniary interest,' the experience developed an understanding with
FCC as to how a mission such as HuskySat-1 could be fully licensed
under Part 97."

AMSAT Vice President-Engineering
Jerry Buxton, N0JY.

Buxton said delays and difficulties encountered in executing all of the
requirements to qualify under Part 97 ultimately bumped up against the
mission deadline to have a license in hand, so the CubeSat could be
integrated on the launch vessel. "The only way forward at that time, in
order for UW to make the launch, was to do the separate licensing,"
Buxton said.

"I thank and commend our partners at University of Washington as well
as the FCC for their work to make it happen, and our friends at NASA
for giving us the opportunity to push for a path to amateur radio
licensing for more of the CubeSat launches they sponsor," Buxton
remarked. "I believe that it has resulted in a known path toward fully
Part 97-licensed educational (e.g., university) CubeSats. That should
in turn offer more opportunities for AMSAT radios to fly as the
communications package for a mission as well as an operating amateur
radio satellite, in the same way as the CubeSats we produce."

After deployment, HuskySat-1's 1,200 bps BPSK beacon on 435.800 MHz
should be active and decodable with the latest release of FoxTelem.
HuskySat-1 is expected to run its primary mission for 30 days --
testing a pulsed plasma thruster and experimental 24 GHz data
transmitter -- before being turned over to AMSAT for amateur radio
operation. HuskySat-1 will feature a 30 kHz-wide 145-435 MHz linear
transponder for SSB/CW. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service

IARU and Amateur Radio Are Reaching "An Inflection Point"

Participants at the 45th meeting of the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) ministrative Council (AC) in late September discussed
the organization's role in advancing amateur radio. The IARU released a
summary record of the meeting last week. IARU President Tim Ellam,
VE6SH/G4HUA, who chaired the AC meeting in Lima, Peru, observed that
the IARU and amateur radio are reaching what he called "an inflection
point." He asserted that amateur radio is changing, but the IARU and
its member-societies are not.

Ellam's remarks prefaced a wide-ranging discussion of the challenges to
be overcome if the IARU and amateur radio itself are to remain
relevant. After several hours of discussion, AC participants agreed on
four top-level headings to identify the challenges that must be faced:
* What is amateur radio?
* The roles of IARU and its member-societies
* Recruitment into amateur radio
* IARU finances

The AC also agreed that it is essential to involve younger people from
outside the Council in determining how to address these challenges, and
the three IARU regions were asked to identify individuals who "could
take ownership of these topics."

A small working group was named, consisting of IARU Region 2 Vice
President Ram�n Santoyo, XE1KK; Region 2 Area A Director George
Gorsline, VE3YV, and IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ. Using
topics discussed to develop a starting point, the panel will aim to
have a draft version of a plan by mid-December to address the
challenges that would serve as a basis for further discussion.

IARU Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East) has been a leader
in marshalling interest among next-generation radio amateurs,
sponsoring Youngsters On The Air (YOTA), and other youth-related
activities, including an annual summer camp attended by young radio
amateurs from around Region 1. IARU Region 3 noted at the Council
meeting that it plans a Youth on the Air activity in Thailand next
October and expressed the hope that Regions 1 and 2 can participate.

To keep informed on IARU happenings, subscribe to the ARRL-IARU online
group, moderated by IARU Secretary Dave Sumner, K1ZZ. Read more.
In Brief...

There's still time to work TX7T in the Marquesas Islands. The Marquesas
TX7T DXpedition, sponsored by the CAN-AM DXpedition Group, moved onto
Hiva Oa on November 6. The team will head home on November 19.
Typically, three or four stations are on the air on CW, SSB, and FT8 on
all of the 160 - 10 meter bands. Europe is a key target area, and
"every attempt will be made to take advantage of propagation," the
DXpedition has indicated. The DXpedition is mostly funded by the
operators themselves, but contributions are welcome and will go toward
freight and shipping costs. The Marquesas Islands rank #59 on the Club
Log DXCC Most Wanted list. The TX7T logs are available on OQRS.

A spectrogram
of the Russian
"Contayner"
OTHR. [Image
courtesy of
Wolf Hadel,
DK2OM]

OTH Radar is now reported to be "everywhere." The latest International
Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) newsletter
reports the Russian "Contayner" over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) has been
active in the 7, 10, 14, and 18 MHz amateur radio allocations (amateur
radio is primary on 40, 20, and 17 meters). The OTHR transmissions have
been 40 sweeps/second, FM on pulse, and 12 kHz wide. ditionally,
IARUMS reports a significant increase in Russian military traffic using
F1B, PSK, and orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) on 40, 30,
20, and 15 meters. IARUMS on November 13 reported an OTHR in northern
Iran on 6.078 - 7.022 MHz, AM on pulse, 81 sweeps/second, 44 kHz wide.

Access to 60 meters continues to expand. According to the latest
edition of The 5 MHz Newsletter, regulatory agencies in an expanding
list of countries have granted amateur radio access to a 60-meter band.
A secondary allocation of 5.351.5 - 5.366.5 MHz was released to radio
amateurs in Kuwait, where they will adhere to the World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) allocation, permitting a
maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Indonesian and Greek hams recently gained
access to the same allocation. Meanwhile, Israel has extended
authorization of 5 MHz amateur permits to the end of December 2023 and
added a Channel 0 to the existing eight channels, where hams may run
100 W PEP on several modes, depending upon the channel. Still under
discussion is ham radio access to a 5 MHz secondary band in Australia,
where the band is used by some emergency services and law enforcement.
Nearly 80 countries offer some level of amateur access to the 5 MHz
band. In the US, ARRL petitioned the FCC shortly after WRC-15 to
allocate a secondary 60-meter band and to permit 100 W PEP, as already
authorized on the existing channels there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
November 21, 2019

* ARRL Legislative vocacy Committee Drafting New Bill dressing
Antenna Restrictions
* WRC-19 Delegates Reach Agreement on 6-Meter Band in ITU Region 1
* Radio Amateur's "Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting" Video Debuts
on YouTube
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Melissa Stemmer Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff as Development
Manager
* Youth on the Air Camp Coming to the Americas
* Southern California Hams Support Major Terrorist Attacks Response
Drill
* Dayton Hamvention^(R) Invites 2020 Award Nominations
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Alaska and Tennessee Getting New Section Managers
* Why Propagation Repeats About Every 27 Days
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ARRL Headquarters will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and
29, for Thanksgiving. The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will not be
available on those days. The next editions will be on December 5 and 6,
respectively. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ARRL Legislative vocacy Committee Drafting New Bill dressing
Antenna Restrictions

The ARRL Board of Directors Legislative vocacy Committee is in the
process of drafting a new bill to address the issue of private land-use
restrictions on amateur radio antennas. The proposed legislation would
be the successor to the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Legislative
vocacy Committee, chaired by Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra,
K6JAT, will report to the Board soon, once plans are fleshed out.
Tiemstra told the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) on October 12 in
Aurora, Colorado, that vocacy Committee members have traveled to
Washington to meet on multiple occasions with members of Congress and
their staffs to inform them of the committee's plans.

ARRL Washington Counsel Dave Siddall, K3ZJ, told the EC last month that
he understands the conditional exemption of amateur radio licensees
from the RF exposure measurement requirements in the FCC's Part 97
Amateur Service rules is proposed to be removed. A Report and Order in
FCC Docket WT 13-84 is making the rounds that, if adopted, would make
amateur licensees subject to the same requirements as all other FCC
licensees. The Report and Order is expected to be released before
year's end.

Siddall also reported to the EC that the FCC is poised to address the
60-meter band amateur allocation adopted at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The National Telecommunications and
Information ministration (NTIA), on behalf of US government primary
users of the band, has insisted that the maximum permitted power for
radio amateurs must not exceed that agreed to at WRC-15 -- 15 W
effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) or 9.1 W ERP -- despite the
fact that Canada has authorized its amateur licensees to use 100 W, and
eliminate the current discrete channels, which ARRL's petition proposed
to retain. NTIA oversees federal government frequency allocations and
users.

Minutes of the October 12 Executive Committee meeting were posted this
week on the ARRL website.
WRC-19 Delegates Reach Agreement on 6-Meter Band in ITU Region 1

World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) has approved a
6-meter allocation for International Telecommunication Region 1
(Europe, Africa, the Middle East). The decision came after more than 2
weeks of strenuous negotiations to reconcile widely disparate views of
Region 1 administrations.

"The result is a dramatic improvement in the international Radio
Regulations for amateurs in Region 1," the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) said in announcing the agreement.

When the Final Acts take effect, 44 countries in Region 1 will have a
primary allocation of at least 500 kHz, including 26 countries with a
primary allocation of the 50 - 54 MHz. The entire region will have an
amateur secondary allocation of 50 - 52 MHz, except in Russia, whose
administration opted for only 50.080 - 50.280 MHz on a secondary basis.

Provisions will be in place to protect other existing services using
the band in Region 1 and in neighboring countries in Region 3. The
existing primary allocation of 50 - 54 MHz in Regions 2 and 3 is
unaffected.

The decision on WRC-19 agenda item 1.1 is the culmination of years of
effort by the IARU and its member-societies.

Delegates this week faced a daunting workload as they tried to reach
consensus on several remaining issues, including the agenda for the
next WRC. The final session of the conference plenary to approve texts
for inclusion in the Final Acts of the conference was set to wrap up on
November 21.

As of the end of last week, no choices had been made as to which of
more than three dozen proposed topics will end up on the agenda for
World Radiocommunication Conference 2023. Each proposed agenda item
would require studies to be conducted between 2020 and 2023, but
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) resources will not
accommodate more than about half of the proposals. Some face strong
opposition, while others remain ill-defined even at this late stage of
the conference.
* Short Duration Satellites: No agreement has been reached on how to
protect existing services and uses of the uplink frequency band
proposed for telemetry, tracking, and command of these "simple"
satellites.
* 5725 - 5850 MHz: This part of the amateur secondary allocation,
which includes an amateur-satellite downlink at 5830 - 5850 MHz, is
the subject of an unresolved conflict over parameters for wireless
access systems, including radio local area networks.
* Frequencies above 275 GHz: This upper frequency range is not
allocated, but several bands are identified for passive
(receive-only) use, and administrations are encouraged to protect
them from harmful interference. With that in mind, WRC-19 has
identified other bands above 275 GHz for the implementation of land
mobile and fixed service applications. The use of these bands for
applications in other services, including amateur experimentation,
is not precluded.

With the 50 MHz issue settled, the IARU team devoted most of its energy
to explaining why the proposed Radionavigation Satellite Service (RNSS)
agenda item for 1240 - 1300 MHz is unnecessary and undesirable. At
issue is compatibility between radio amateurs, who are secondary on
1240 - 1300 MHz, with Galileo RNSS (GPS) system receivers. The amateur
community has advocated that this matter be dealt with through existing
ITU processes rather than the 4 years of study that an agenda item
would entail. Read more.

Radio Amateur's "Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting" Video Debuts on
YouTube

Art Donahue, W1AWX, of Franklin, Massachusetts, has posted his "Tribute
to a Century of Broadcasting" video in recognition of the centennial of
formal radio broadcasts. The video features a complete scan of the AM
broadcast band (530 - 1700 kHz), with station IDs for all 118 AM radio
channels.

Donahue told ARRL he recorded these off the air using two long-wire
antennas in the trees. Each slide highlights one station on each
frequency with call sign, location, power, day/night/gray-line
reception, distance, and year of first broadcast, accompanied by audio
of an actual station identification.

"If you ever spent evenings when you were a kid trying to hear
long-distance radio stations on your AM radio, this video has what they
all sound like today," Donahue said. "I wanted to do something in honor
of the KDKA broadcasting centennial next year and thought I'd try to
get every single channel recorded. It took a lot of time, patience, and
good luck. You'll hear a lot of surprises on the video."

Donhaue added, "It was a fun project to work on."
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Big Wire Antennas" is the topic of the new (November 21) episode of
the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

Melissa Stemmer Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff as Development Manager

Connecticut native Melissa Stemmer has joined the ARRL Headquarters
staff as Development Manager. Born and raised in Waterbury, Stemmer
earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of
Connecticut in 1998, and she worked in that field for more than 15
years. After deciding that a career change was in order, Stemmer went
back to school, earning a master's in organizational leadership in 2015
from Quinnipiac University.

"I am so excited to be on this journey at ARRL, and I am looking
forward to getting to know everyone," Stemmer said.

Before coming to ARRL, she was the development director at Seven Angels
Theatre in Waterbury. In September 2015, Stemmer signed on as
coordinator of the theatre's annual High School Halo Awards -- the
largest high school theatre award program in Connecticut.

During her tenure at Seven Angels Theatre, Stemmer was an active member
of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and the Waterbury Exchange Club. She
served on the executive committee and governing council of the Arts and
Culture Collaborative of the Waterbury Region and was a member of the
Young Professionals Task Force of the Waterbury Region.
Youth on the Air Camp Coming to the Americas

The Electronic Applications Radio Service (EARS) has announced that the
first Youth On The Air (YOTA) camp in the US is set to take place in
June. Sponsors hope the camp will become an annual event.

The inaugural summer camp will take place June 21 - 26 at the National
Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township, Ohio.
The West Chester Amateur Radio Association (WC8VOA) will host the
event. EARS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to
wireless technologies and activities.

According to the announcement, the camp will focus on building peer and
mentor relationships and taking amateur radio "to the next level."
Campers will learn and exercise on-the-air skills at special event
station W8Y.

For more information, email Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, or call
(812) 327-0749. (Read more.)

Southern California Hams Support Major Terrorist Attacks Response Drill

Seventy southern California amateur radio volunteers deployed to 30
local hospitals, clinics, and city emergency operations centers on
November 6 to support public safety and emergency medical functions
during a mock terrorist response drill that tested law enforcement and
medical treatment facilities in San Diego County.

The scenario was a coordinated attack at two locations 50 miles apart
that resulted in mass casualties and inundated local emergency
departments with 1,000 volunteer actors suffering from simulated
injuries and frantic families (also actors) trying to locate loved
ones. One simulated attack occurred at California's LEGOLAND theme
park, which closed for a half day to support the exercise. The other
simulated attack occurred at a 20,000-seat amphitheater. During the
5-hour exercise, hams relayed hundreds of formal ICS 213 messages via
Winlink and voice nets from hospital to hospital and from hospitals to
the County Medical Operations Center.

Participants included hams aboard the 1,000-bed US Navy Hospital Ship
USNS Mercy and those who checked in via HF from across the southwestern
US.

Hospitals used this full-scale exercise to fulfill their annual
accreditation training requirement. Recent changes in California
hospital regulations require smaller medical clinics to conduct annual
certification drills, and that expansion of clinic participation has
led to a flood of requests for trained radio operators at hundreds of
day surgery clinics and group homes not covered previously by ARES.
Because demand far exceeds the availability of ARES operators for
mid-week daytime drills, ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave
Kaltenborn, N8KBC, has encouraged smaller clinics and medical networks
to consider developing their own internal amateur radio capabilities.
Several people involved at the smaller clinics have taken classes and
training provided by ARES.

The exercise included cross-border participation by members of Club de
Radio Experimentadores de Baja California (CREBC) at Tijuana General
Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. CREBC hams maintain an extensive Winlink
and repeater network used by amateurs on both sides of the border. --
Thanks to ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave Kaltenborn, N8KBC
Dayton Hamvention^(R) Invites 2020 Award Nominations

Dayton Hamvention^(R) is inviting nominations for its 2020 awards.
Nominations are due by February 15, 2020. Awards will be granted for
Amateur of the Year, Club of the Year, Technical Achievement, and
Special Achievement.
* The Amateur of the Year Award is given to a radio amateur who has
made a long-term commitment to the advancement of amateur radio.
This individual will have a history of ham radio contributions and
demonstrated dedication to service, professionalism, and the
advancement of the avocation of amateur radio.
* [IMG]The Club of the Year will be honored for clearly demonstrating
its involvement in varied aspects of amateur radio for the greater
good of their community and/or nation.
* The Technical Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has
achieved technical excellence in the world of amateur radio.
Examples are inventions, processes, discoveries, experiments, and
other technical accomplishments or achievements that contributed to
amateur radio.
* The Special Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has
made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the radio
art and/or science. This award is usually given to a respected
amateur who spearheaded a single significant project.

Nomination forms are specific to the award. At a minimum, each form
should be completed with the information indicated. Provide contact
information for the person making the nomination. Submit forms via
email or via USPS to Hamvention, Attention: Awards Committee, Box 964,
Dayton, Ohio 45401-0964.

The Awards Committee will make its selections and announce the
recipients along with details on their accomplishments. An honors
convocation and award presentation will be held on the Saturday evening
of Hamvention. Award presentations will also take place at Hamvention
on Sunday afternoon, prior to the prize award activity.

For more information, contact the Dayton Hamvention Awards Committee.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Still no sunspots since November 2.
Average daily solar flux during the reporting week dipped slightly from
70.3 to 69.9. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet, with the average daily
planetary A index dipping from 4 to 3.6, and the average mid-latitude A
index going from 3 to 2.3.

Predicted solar flux is 70 on November 21 - 22; 68 on November 23; 67
on November 24 - 27; 69 on November 28 - December 8; 70 on December 9 -
22, and 69 on December 23 - January 4.

The predicted planetary A index is 20, 16, and 10 on November 21 - 23;
8 on November 24 - 25; 5 on November 26 - December 12; 6 on December
13; 5 on December 14 - 15; 8, 15, 20, 18, and 10 on December 16 - 20; 8
on December 21 - 23, and 5 on December 24 - January 4.

Sunspot numbers for November 14 - 20 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.9, 70, 69.7, 70.1, 70.4,
69.2, and 70.2, with a mean of 69.9. Estimated planetary A indices were
4, 4, 6, 5, 2, 2, and 2, with a mean of 3.6. The mid-latitude A index
was 3, 2, 5, 3, 1, 1, and 1, with a mean of 2.3.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 23 - 24 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest (CW)
* November 27 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
* November 27 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)
* November 28 -- 3.5 RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)
* December 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* December 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* December 5 -- 1.8 QRP ARCI Topband Sprint (CW)
* December 5 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* December 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
* December 6 - 8 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
Alaska and Tennessee Getting New Section Managers

Two new Section Managers (SMs) have been declared elected in the
just-concluded fall election cycle. Ballots for the Alaska and
Tennessee Section Manager elections were counted on November 19 at ARRL
Headquarters. Eight incumbent Section Managers ran without opposition
during this election cycle. All terms of office start on January 1.

In a very close race in Alaska, David Stevens, KL7EB, received 98
votes, and his opponent, Lara Baker, AL2R, received 88 votes. Both are
from Anchorage. Stevens served previously as Alaska's SM, from 1984
until 1985; from 1998 until 1999, and from 2002 through 2007. Stevens
takes over as Section Manager from Ray Hollenbeck, KL1IL, of Wasilla,
who has led the Alaska Section for the past 4 years.

In Tennessee, David Thomas, KM4NYI, of Knoxville, outpolled Charles
Talley, KJ4KVC, of Lyles, 557 to 417. An active member of the Radio
Amateur Club of Knoxville, Thomas serves on the club's Repeater
Committee as a hands-on technician for the club's repeater suite. He
enjoys restoring tube-type ham gear, operating HF, 6 meters, and
digital modes.

Thomas will be taking the reins of the Tennessee Field Organization
from Keith Miller, N9DGK, of Rockvale, who decided not to run for a new
term. Miller has served as Section Manager since 2012.

These incumbent Section Managers were the only candidates in their
respective sections and have been declared elected. JVann Martin, W4JVM
(Alabama); Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH (Delaware); Jim Siemons, W6LK (East
Bay); Ron Cowan, KB0DTI (Kansas); Jim Kvochick, K8JK (Michigan); Bill
Mader, K8TE (New Mexico); John Kitchens, NS6X (Santa Barbara), and Ray
Lajoie, KB1LRL (Western Massachusetts).
Why Propagation Repeats About Every 27 Days

The sun rotates in about 27 days, but different solar latitudes rotate
with different periods. This is why propagation repeats roughly every
27 days, as NASA explains.

The sun's rotation was first detected by observing the motion of
sunspots. The sun's rotation axis is tilted by about 7.25� from the
axis of Earth's orbit, so we see more of the sun's north pole in
September and more of its south pole in March. Because the sun is a
ball of gas/plasma, it does not have to rotate rigidly, as solid
planets and moons do. In fact, the sun's equatorial regions rotate
faster -- taking only about 24 days -- than the polar regions, which
rotate once every 30+ days.

The source of this "differential rotation" is an area of current
research in solar astronomy. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update and
NASA
In Brief...

OH2BH to Be On the Air from Myanmar The government in Myanmar has given
limited amateur operating privileges to Martti Laine, OH2BH. He will
use XZ2D. Laine reports that authorities in the Southeast Asian nation
have only permitted him to operate on 15 meters and higher, but he is
hoping to obtain permission to operate on a spot frequency on 20
meters. "Getting 14.065 kHz temporarily for the duration of 48 hours
would be magic," Laine said. Members of the world-wide amateur
community wrote the Myanmar government to support Laine. "As Radio
Arcala, OH8X remains at their Climate Park with more than 110,000
mangroves planted," he continued. "[O]ur dream remains to activate the
Union of Myanmar from our own site from the noise-free Ayeyarwady
Region of Myanmar." The XZ2D license is valid until April 17. Laine
said he has been setting up his station and should be on the air on
November 21. According to Club Log's DXCC Most Wanted list, Myanmar is
#48.

Happy 45th Birthday, AMSAT-OSCAR 7! The world's longest-lived
satellite, AO-7, turned 45 years old this month. It was launched on
November 15, 1974, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After
nearly 7 years of service, AO-7 was thought to have reached the end of
its life in June 1981 due to battery failure, and a premature obituary
appeared in the AMSAT Satellite Report. In an interesting footnote,
although AO-7 was thought to be nonfunctional after 1981, it's been
reported that the Polish Solidarity movement used AO-7 to pass messages
in 1982, while Poland was under martial law. Twenty years later, on
June 21, 2002, G3IOR reported hearing "an old-style CW beacon" from an
unknown OSCAR near 145.970 MHz. It didn't take long to identify the
satellite as AO-7, which remains operational and well-used while it's
in sunlight. To celebrate AO-7's 45th birthday, AMSAT plans to auction
a set of gold-plated AO-7 cufflinks and a 50th Anniversary AMSAT lab
coat (size 42R). The auctions are now live on eBay and will conclude
shortly after 0200 UTC on November 26, 2019. AMSAT reports that 100% of
the proceeds will go toward Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. -- Thanks
to AMSAT News Service

ARRL Self-Guided Emergency Communication Course EC-001-S is Now
Available On Demand ARRL's EC-001-S online "Introduction to Emergency
Communication" course is now available to students in an on-demand
format, allowing students to register for the course and begin work at
any time. This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools
for any emergency communications volunteer. In response to the great
course demand and to expand access to EC-001, ARRL developed a
self-guided version of the course, EC-001-S, which launched in June.
This version of the course is designed for those who prefer to work
independently and who do not need guidance from an online mentor.
EC-001-S was previously offered only during specific sessions along
with the traditional mentored version. The course opened for general
enrollment on November 6. Visit the ARRL Online Course Registration
page for more information and to register.

Florida and Georgia Amateur Radio Volunteers Support the Spaghetti 100
Bicycle Ride Two dozen amateur radio volunteers from the Tallahassee
Amateur Radio Society (TARS) in Florida and the Thomasville Amateur
Radio Club (TARC) in Georgia provided communication support for the
Capital City Cyclists' 35th annual Spaghetti 100 Bicycle Ride on
November 9. The Spaghetti 100 funds the Kids on Bikes program, which
teaches hundreds of elementary schoolers how to ride a bicycle safely
and helps to support the Trips for Kids chapter, which takes
disadvantaged youth on bike rides on local trails. The hams used one of
the TARS VHF repeaters to provide communication for safety and
logistics, as well as for the medical and mechanical teams. Cell phone
coverage is very sparse along the 100-mile route on back-country roads
in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Communications Coordinator
Stan Zawrotny, K4SBZ, said the importance of ham radio's traditional
role in filling communication gaps was brought home to him when the
land line at the ride's headquarters was out for several hours, leaving
amateur radio as the only communication for some areas. "In addition to
the thanks given by most of the bicyclists as they passed by, event
sponsors expressed their appreciation for the work of the ham radio
volunteers and were impressed with the capabilities of amateur radio,"
Zawrotny said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
November 21, 2019

* ARRL Legislative vocacy Committee Drafting New Bill dressing
Antenna Restrictions
* WRC-19 Delegates Reach Agreement on 6-Meter Band in ITU Region 1
* Radio Amateur's "Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting" Video Debuts
on YouTube
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Melissa Stemmer Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff as Development
Manager
* Youth on the Air Camp Coming to the Americas
* Southern California Hams Support Major Terrorist Attacks Response
Drill
* Dayton Hamvention^(R) Invites 2020 Award Nominations
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Alaska and Tennessee Getting New Section Managers
* Why Propagation Repeats About Every 27 Days
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ARRL Headquarters will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and
29, for Thanksgiving. The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will not be
available on those days. The next editions will be on December 5 and 6,
respectively. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ARRL Legislative vocacy Committee Drafting New Bill dressing
Antenna Restrictions

The ARRL Board of Directors Legislative vocacy Committee is in the
process of drafting a new bill to address the issue of private land-use
restrictions on amateur radio antennas. The proposed legislation would
be the successor to the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Legislative
vocacy Committee, chaired by Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra,
K6JAT, will report to the Board soon, once plans are fleshed out.
Tiemstra told the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) on October 12 in
Aurora, Colorado, that vocacy Committee members have traveled to
Washington to meet on multiple occasions with members of Congress and
their staffs to inform them of the committee's plans.

ARRL Washington Counsel Dave Siddall, K3ZJ, told the EC last month that
he understands the conditional exemption of amateur radio licensees
from the RF exposure measurement requirements in the FCC's Part 97
Amateur Service rules is proposed to be removed. A Report and Order in
FCC Docket WT 13-84 is making the rounds that, if adopted, would make
amateur licensees subject to the same requirements as all other FCC
licensees. The Report and Order is expected to be released before
year's end.

Siddall also reported to the EC that the FCC is poised to address the
60-meter band amateur allocation adopted at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The National Telecommunications and
Information ministration (NTIA), on behalf of US government primary
users of the band, has insisted that the maximum permitted power for
radio amateurs must not exceed that agreed to at WRC-15 -- 15 W
effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) or 9.1 W ERP -- despite the
fact that Canada has authorized its amateur licensees to use 100 W, and
eliminate the current discrete channels, which ARRL's petition proposed
to retain. NTIA oversees federal government frequency allocations and
users.

Minutes of the October 12 Executive Committee meeting were posted this
week on the ARRL website.
WRC-19 Delegates Reach Agreement on 6-Meter Band in ITU Region 1

World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) has approved a
6-meter allocation for International Telecommunication Region 1
(Europe, Africa, the Middle East). The decision came after more than 2
weeks of strenuous negotiations to reconcile widely disparate views of
Region 1 administrations.

"The result is a dramatic improvement in the international Radio
Regulations for amateurs in Region 1," the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) said in announcing the agreement.

When the Final Acts take effect, 44 countries in Region 1 will have a
primary allocation of at least 500 kHz, including 26 countries with a
primary allocation of the 50 - 54 MHz. The entire region will have an
amateur secondary allocation of 50 - 52 MHz, except in Russia, whose
administration opted for only 50.080 - 50.280 MHz on a secondary basis.

Provisions will be in place to protect other existing services using
the band in Region 1 and in neighboring countries in Region 3. The
existing primary allocation of 50 - 54 MHz in Regions 2 and 3 is
unaffected.

The decision on WRC-19 agenda item 1.1 is the culmination of years of
effort by the IARU and its member-societies.

Delegates this week faced a daunting workload as they tried to reach
consensus on several remaining issues, including the agenda for the
next WRC. The final session of the conference plenary to approve texts
for inclusion in the Final Acts of the conference was set to wrap up on
November 21.

As of the end of last week, no choices had been made as to which of
more than three dozen proposed topics will end up on the agenda for
World Radiocommunication Conference 2023. Each proposed agenda item
would require studies to be conducted between 2020 and 2023, but
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) resources will not
accommodate more than about half of the proposals. Some face strong
opposition, while others remain ill-defined even at this late stage of
the conference.
* Short Duration Satellites: No agreement has been reached on how to
protect existing services and uses of the uplink frequency band
proposed for telemetry, tracking, and command of these "simple"
satellites.
* 5725 - 5850 MHz: This part of the amateur secondary allocation,
which includes an amateur-satellite downlink at 5830 - 5850 MHz, is
the subject of an unresolved conflict over parameters for wireless
access systems, including radio local area networks.
* Frequencies above 275 GHz: This upper frequency range is not
allocated, but several bands are identified for passive
(receive-only) use, and administrations are encouraged to protect
them from harmful interference. With that in mind, WRC-19 has
identified other bands above 275 GHz for the implementation of land
mobile and fixed service applications. The use of these bands for
applications in other services, including amateur experimentation,
is not precluded.

With the 50 MHz issue settled, the IARU team devoted most of its energy
to explaining why the proposed Radionavigation Satellite Service (RNSS)
agenda item for 1240 - 1300 MHz is unnecessary and undesirable. At
issue is compatibility between radio amateurs, who are secondary on
1240 - 1300 MHz, with Galileo RNSS (GPS) system receivers. The amateur
community has advocated that this matter be dealt with through existing
ITU processes rather than the 4 years of study that an agenda item
would entail. Read more.

Radio Amateur's "Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting" Video Debuts on
YouTube

Art Donahue, W1AWX, of Franklin, Massachusetts, has posted his "Tribute
to a Century of Broadcasting" video in recognition of the centennial of
formal radio broadcasts. The video features a complete scan of the AM
broadcast band (530 - 1700 kHz), with station IDs for all 118 AM radio
channels.

Donahue told ARRL he recorded these off the air using two long-wire
antennas in the trees. Each slide highlights one station on each
frequency with call sign, location, power, day/night/gray-line
reception, distance, and year of first broadcast, accompanied by audio
of an actual station identification.

"If you ever spent evenings when you were a kid trying to hear
long-distance radio stations on your AM radio, this video has what they
all sound like today," Donahue said. "I wanted to do something in honor
of the KDKA broadcasting centennial next year and thought I'd try to
get every single channel recorded. It took a lot of time, patience, and
good luck. You'll hear a lot of surprises on the video."

Donhaue added, "It was a fun project to work on."
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Big Wire Antennas" is the topic of the new (November 21) episode of
the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

Melissa Stemmer Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff as Development Manager

Connecticut native Melissa Stemmer has joined the ARRL Headquarters
staff as Development Manager. Born and raised in Waterbury, Stemmer
earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of
Connecticut in 1998, and she worked in that field for more than 15
years. After deciding that a career change was in order, Stemmer went
back to school, earning a master's in organizational leadership in 2015
from Quinnipiac University.

"I am so excited to be on this journey at ARRL, and I am looking
forward to getting to know everyone," Stemmer said.

Before coming to ARRL, she was the development director at Seven Angels
Theatre in Waterbury. In September 2015, Stemmer signed on as
coordinator of the theatre's annual High School Halo Awards -- the
largest high school theatre award program in Connecticut.

During her tenure at Seven Angels Theatre, Stemmer was an active member
of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and the Waterbury Exchange Club. She
served on the executive committee and governing council of the Arts and
Culture Collaborative of the Waterbury Region and was a member of the
Young Professionals Task Force of the Waterbury Region.
Youth on the Air Camp Coming to the Americas

The Electronic Applications Radio Service (EARS) has announced that the
first Youth On The Air (YOTA) camp in the US is set to take place in
June. Sponsors hope the camp will become an annual event.

The inaugural summer camp will take place June 21 - 26 at the National
Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township, Ohio.
The West Chester Amateur Radio Association (WC8VOA) will host the
event. EARS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to
wireless technologies and activities.

According to the announcement, the camp will focus on building peer and
mentor relationships and taking amateur radio "to the next level."
Campers will learn and exercise on-the-air skills at special event
station W8Y.

For more information, email Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, or call
(812) 327-0749. (Read more.)

Southern California Hams Support Major Terrorist Attacks Response Drill

Seventy southern California amateur radio volunteers deployed to 30
local hospitals, clinics, and city emergency operations centers on
November 6 to support public safety and emergency medical functions
during a mock terrorist response drill that tested law enforcement and
medical treatment facilities in San Diego County.

The scenario was a coordinated attack at two locations 50 miles apart
that resulted in mass casualties and inundated local emergency
departments with 1,000 volunteer actors suffering from simulated
injuries and frantic families (also actors) trying to locate loved
ones. One simulated attack occurred at California's LEGOLAND theme
park, which closed for a half day to support the exercise. The other
simulated attack occurred at a 20,000-seat amphitheater. During the
5-hour exercise, hams relayed hundreds of formal ICS 213 messages via
Winlink and voice nets from hospital to hospital and from hospitals to
the County Medical Operations Center.

Participants included hams aboard the 1,000-bed US Navy Hospital Ship
USNS Mercy and those who checked in via HF from across the southwestern
US.

Hospitals used this full-scale exercise to fulfill their annual
accreditation training requirement. Recent changes in California
hospital regulations require smaller medical clinics to conduct annual
certification drills, and that expansion of clinic participation has
led to a flood of requests for trained radio operators at hundreds of
day surgery clinics and group homes not covered previously by ARES.
Because demand far exceeds the availability of ARES operators for
mid-week daytime drills, ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave
Kaltenborn, N8KBC, has encouraged smaller clinics and medical networks
to consider developing their own internal amateur radio capabilities.
Several people involved at the smaller clinics have taken classes and
training provided by ARES.

The exercise included cross-border participation by members of Club de
Radio Experimentadores de Baja California (CREBC) at Tijuana General
Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. CREBC hams maintain an extensive Winlink
and repeater network used by amateurs on both sides of the border. --
Thanks to ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave Kaltenborn, N8KBC
Dayton Hamvention^(R) Invites 2020 Award Nominations

Dayton Hamvention^(R) is inviting nominations for its 2020 awards.
Nominations are due by February 15, 2020. Awards will be granted for
Amateur of the Year, Club of the Year, Technical Achievement, and
Special Achievement.
* The Amateur of the Year Award is given to a radio amateur who has
made a long-term commitment to the advancement of amateur radio.
This individual will have a history of ham radio contributions and
demonstrated dedication to service, professionalism, and the
advancement of the avocation of amateur radio.
* [IMG]The Club of the Year will be honored for clearly demonstrating
its involvement in varied aspects of amateur radio for the greater
good of their community and/or nation.
* The Technical Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has
achieved technical excellence in the world of amateur radio.
Examples are inventions, processes, discoveries, experiments, and
other technical accomplishments or achievements that contributed to
amateur radio.
* The Special Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has
made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the radio
art and/or science. This award is usually given to a respected
amateur who spearheaded a single significant project.

Nomination forms are specific to the award. At a minimum, each form
should be completed with the information indicated. Provide contact
information for the person making the nomination. Submit forms via
email or via USPS to Hamvention, Attention: Awards Committee, Box 964,
Dayton, Ohio 45401-0964.

The Awards Committee will make its selections and announce the
recipients along with details on their accomplishments. An honors
convocation and award presentation will be held on the Saturday evening
of Hamvention. Award presentations will also take place at Hamvention
on Sunday afternoon, prior to the prize award activity.

For more information, contact the Dayton Hamvention Awards Committee.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Still no sunspots since November 2.
Average daily solar flux during the reporting week dipped slightly from
70.3 to 69.9. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet, with the average daily
planetary A index dipping from 4 to 3.6, and the average mid-latitude A
index going from 3 to 2.3.

Predicted solar flux is 70 on November 21 - 22; 68 on November 23; 67
on November 24 - 27; 69 on November 28 - December 8; 70 on December 9 -
22, and 69 on December 23 - January 4.

The predicted planetary A index is 20, 16, and 10 on November 21 - 23;
8 on November 24 - 25; 5 on November 26 - December 12; 6 on December
13; 5 on December 14 - 15; 8, 15, 20, 18, and 10 on December 16 - 20; 8
on December 21 - 23, and 5 on December 24 - January 4.

Sunspot numbers for November 14 - 20 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.9, 70, 69.7, 70.1, 70.4,
69.2, and 70.2, with a mean of 69.9. Estimated planetary A indices were
4, 4, 6, 5, 2, 2, and 2, with a mean of 3.6. The mid-latitude A index
was 3, 2, 5, 3, 1, 1, and 1, with a mean of 2.3.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 23 - 24 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest (CW)
* November 27 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
* November 27 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)
* November 28 -- 3.5 RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)
* December 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* December 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* December 5 -- 1.8 QRP ARCI Topband Sprint (CW)
* December 5 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* December 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
* December 6 - 8 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
Alaska and Tennessee Getting New Section Managers

Two new Section Managers (SMs) have been declared elected in the
just-concluded fall election cycle. Ballots for the Alaska and
Tennessee Section Manager elections were counted on November 19 at ARRL
Headquarters. Eight incumbent Section Managers ran without opposition
during this election cycle. All terms of office start on January 1.

In a very close race in Alaska, David Stevens, KL7EB, received 98
votes, and his opponent, Lara Baker, AL2R, received 88 votes. Both are
from Anchorage. Stevens served previously as Alaska's SM, from 1984
until 1985; from 1998 until 1999, and from 2002 through 2007. Stevens
takes over as Section Manager from Ray Hollenbeck, KL1IL, of Wasilla,
who has led the Alaska Section for the past 4 years.

In Tennessee, David Thomas, KM4NYI, of Knoxville, outpolled Charles
Talley, KJ4KVC, of Lyles, 557 to 417. An active member of the Radio
Amateur Club of Knoxville, Thomas serves on the club's Repeater
Committee as a hands-on technician for the club's repeater suite. He
enjoys restoring tube-type ham gear, operating HF, 6 meters, and
digital modes.

Thomas will be taking the reins of the Tennessee Field Organization
from Keith Miller, N9DGK, of Rockvale, who decided not to run for a new
term. Miller has served as Section Manager since 2012.

These incumbent Section Managers were the only candidates in their
respective sections and have been declared elected. JVann Martin, W4JVM
(Alabama); Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH (Delaware); Jim Siemons, W6LK (East
Bay); Ron Cowan, KB0DTI (Kansas); Jim Kvochick, K8JK (Michigan); Bill
Mader, K8TE (New Mexico); John Kitchens, NS6X (Santa Barbara), and Ray
Lajoie, KB1LRL (Western Massachusetts).
Why Propagation Repeats About Every 27 Days

The sun rotates in about 27 days, but different solar latitudes rotate
with different periods. This is why propagation repeats roughly every
27 days, as NASA explains.

The sun's rotation was first detected by observing the motion of
sunspots. The sun's rotation axis is tilted by about 7.25� from the
axis of Earth's orbit, so we see more of the sun's north pole in
September and more of its south pole in March. Because the sun is a
ball of gas/plasma, it does not have to rotate rigidly, as solid
planets and moons do. In fact, the sun's equatorial regions rotate
faster -- taking only about 24 days -- than the polar regions, which
rotate once every 30+ days.

The source of this "differential rotation" is an area of current
research in solar astronomy. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update and
NASA
In Brief...

OH2BH to Be On the Air from Myanmar The government in Myanmar has given
limited amateur operating privileges to Martti Laine, OH2BH. He will
use XZ2D. Laine reports that authorities in the Southeast Asian nation
have only permitted him to operate on 15 meters and higher, but he is
hoping to obtain permission to operate on a spot frequency on 20
meters. "Getting 14.065 kHz temporarily for the duration of 48 hours
would be magic," Laine said. Members of the world-wide amateur
community wrote the Myanmar government to support Laine. "As Radio
Arcala, OH8X remains at their Climate Park with more than 110,000
mangroves planted," he continued. "[O]ur dream remains to activate the
Union of Myanmar from our own site from the noise-free Ayeyarwady
Region of Myanmar." The XZ2D license is valid until April 17. Laine
said he has been setting up his station and should be on the air on
November 21. According to Club Log's DXCC Most Wanted list, Myanmar is
#48.

Happy 45th Birthday, AMSAT-OSCAR 7! The world's longest-lived
satellite, AO-7, turned 45 years old this month. It was launched on
November 15, 1974, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After
nearly 7 years of service, AO-7 was thought to have reached the end of
its life in June 1981 due to battery failure, and a premature obituary
appeared in the AMSAT Satellite Report. In an interesting footnote,
although AO-7 was thought to be nonfunctional after 1981, it's been
reported that the Polish Solidarity movement used AO-7 to pass messages
in 1982, while Poland was under martial law. Twenty years later, on
June 21, 2002, G3IOR reported hearing "an old-style CW beacon" from an
unknown OSCAR near 145.970 MHz. It didn't take long to identify the
satellite as AO-7, which remains operational and well-used while it's
in sunlight. To celebrate AO-7's 45th birthday, AMSAT plans to auction
a set of gold-plated AO-7 cufflinks and a 50th Anniversary AMSAT lab
coat (size 42R). The auctions are now live on eBay and will conclude
shortly after 0200 UTC on November 26, 2019. AMSAT reports that 100% of
the proceeds will go toward Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. -- Thanks
to AMSAT News Service

ARRL Self-Guided Emergency Communication Course EC-001-S is Now
Available On Demand ARRL's EC-001-S online "Introduction to Emergency
Communication" course is now available to students in an on-demand
format, allowing students to register for the course and begin work at
any time. This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools
for any emergency communications volunteer. In response to the great
course demand and to expand access to EC-001, ARRL developed a
self-guided version of the course, EC-001-S, which launched in June.
This version of the course is designed for those who prefer to work
independently and who do not need guidance from an online mentor.
EC-001-S was previously offered only during specific sessions along
with the traditional mentored version. The course opened for general
enrollment on November 6. Visit the ARRL Online Course Registration
page for more information and to register.

Florida and Georgia Amateur Radio Volunteers Support the Spaghetti 100
Bicycle Ride Two dozen amateur radio volunteers from the Tallahassee
Amateur Radio Society (TARS) in Florida and the Thomasville Amateur
Radio Club (TARC) in Georgia provided communication support for the
Capital City Cyclists' 35th annual Spaghetti 100 Bicycle Ride on
November 9. The Spaghetti 100 funds the Kids on Bikes program, which
teaches hundreds of elementary schoolers how to ride a bicycle safely
and helps to support the Trips for Kids chapter, which takes
disadvantaged youth on bike rides on local trails. The hams used one of
the TARS VHF repeaters to provide communication for safety and
logistics, as well as for the medical and mechanical teams. Cell phone
coverage is very sparse along the 100-mile route on back-country roads
in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Communications Coordinator
Stan Zawrotny, K4SBZ, said the importance of ham radio's traditional
role in filling communication gaps was brought home to him when the
land line at the ride's headquarters was out for several hours, leaving
amateur radio as the only communication for some areas. "In addition to
the thanks given by most of the bicyclists as they passed by, event
sponsors expressed their appreciation for the work of the ham radio
volunteers and were impressed with the capabilities of amateur radio,"
Zawrotny said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

The ARRL Letter
December 5, 2019

* ARRL to Oppose Proposal to Eliminate 3.3 - 3.5 GHz Amateur
Allocation
* President Rick Roderick, K5UR, Heads ARRL Group on FCC Visits
* Oldest Known US Ham Receives ARRL Centurion Award
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, SK
* Election will Result in ARRL Southeastern Division Leadership
Changes
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* YOTA Month Expanding into the Americas
* ITU Posts Provisional WRC-19 Final Acts
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL to Oppose Proposal to Eliminate 3.3 - 3.5 GHz Amateur Allocation

At its December 12 open meeting, the FCC will consider adopting a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes to remove the
amateur radio 9-centimeter allocation at 3.3 - 3.5 GHz. ARRL plans to
comment in opposition to the proposed action. According to an FCC "Fact
Sheet," the proceeding WT Docket 19-348, "Facilitating Shared Use in
the 3.1 - 3.55 GHz Band," is a follow-on from the MOBILE NOW Act,
approved by the 115th Congress, which requires the FCC and the US
Department of Commerce to make available new spectrum for mobile and
fixed wireless broadband use. It also requires the FCC to work with the
National Telecommunications and Information ministration (NTIA) to
evaluate whether commercial wireless services and federal incumbents
could share spectrum between 3.1 and 3.55 GHz. NTIA manages spectrum
allocated to federal government users.

"This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would propose to remove the
existing non-federal allocations in the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band as a step
towards potential future shared use between federal incumbents and
commercial users," the FCC Fact Sheet explains. "By taking the initial
step needed to clear the band of allocations for non-federal
incumbents, the Commission furthers its continued efforts to make more
mid-band spectrum potentially available to support next generation
wireless networks."

The NPRM proposes to clear the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band of existing
non-federal users by removing non-federal secondary radiolocation and
amateur allocations [emphasis added] in the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band and to
relocate incumbent non-federal users out of the band. The FCC would
seek comment on relocation options and "transition mechanisms" for
incumbent non-federal users, either to the 3.1 - 3.3 GHz band or to
other frequencies.

Regarding the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Service allocations, the
FCC NPRM asks whether existing amateur spectrum in other bands might
support operations currently conducted in the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz band. The
3.40 - 3.41 GHz segment is designated for amateur satellite
communication. "We seek comment on the extent to which the band is used
for this purpose, whether existing satellites can operate on other
amateur satellite bands, and on an appropriate timeframe for
terminating these operations in this band," the FCC NPRM says.

Also at its December 12 meeting, the FCC will consider another NPRM in
WT Docket 19-138 that would "take a fresh and comprehensive look" at
the rules for the 5.9 GHz band. The amateur radio 5-centimeter
allocation is 5650.0 - 5925.0 MHz, and the NPRM, if approved, would
address the top 75 MHz of that amateur secondary band. ARRL will also
file comments opposing any changes affecting the 5-centimeter amateur
allocation.

Both draft FCC proposals are subject to change prior to a vote at the
December 12 FCC meeting. Read more.
President Rick Roderick, K5UR, Heads ARRL Group on FCC Visits

President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and members of the ARRL Board's
Executive Committee undertook a round of visits to FCC Headquarters in
Washington on November 4 and 5. Topics focused on a number of pressing
amateur radio-related issues. In addition to Roderick, members of the
ARRL contingent included Atlantic Division Director Tom Abernethy,
W3TOM; New England Division Director Fred Hopengarten, K1VR; Roanoke
Division Director Bud Hippisley, W2RU; West Gulf Division Director John
Robert Stratton, N5AUS, and ARRL Washington Counsel David Siddall,
K3ZJ.

Digital Data Symbol Rate Proceeding

The ARRL delegation emphasized the overwhelming support for and need to
remove symbol rate limits from the amateur rules, contending that the
limits are outdated, no longer serve their original purpose of limiting
signal bandwidth, and inhibit experimentation and development of
digital communications techniques. Removing these limitations would
also allow US radio amateurs to join those in other countries in using
methods not permitted in the US.

In 2016, the FCC had responded to ARRL's petition for rulemaking
(RM-11708) by proposing no bandwidth limit. The ARRL delegation
reiterated that adopting a 2.8 kHz maximum bandwidth in place of the
symbol rate limit would promote sharing and experimentation below 30
MHz.

(L - R) Atlantic Division Director
Tom Abernethy, W3TOM; ARRL President
Rick Roderick, K5UR; West Gulf
Division Director John Robert
Stratton, N5AUS; Roanoke Division
Director Bud Hippisley, W2RU; New
England Division Director Fred
Hopengarten, K1VR, and ARRL
Washington Counsel David Siddall,
K3ZJ.

The ARRL representatives also discussed issues that some have raised --
and on which the FCC did not request comment -- alleging that certain
types of digital signals are "encrypted" because they are digitally
compressed or otherwise can be difficult to receive over the air. The
ARRL group pointed out that the FCC addressed the use of new digital
techniques in 1995, amending its rules to authorize new digital
techniques without prior FCC approval, as long as these were publicly
documented consistent with three techniques specifically approved at
the time. Since then, multiple digital methods have been developed and
deployed without substantive complaints of insufficient documentation,
the ARRL team noted.

The prohibition on encryption is a provision of the ITU Radio
Regulations and applies worldwide. The FCC regulation prohibiting
"messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning" comes
directly from the ITU Radio Regulations, language adopted at World
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) to replace a provision that
limited amateur communications to "plain language." option of this
change made clear that amateur communications encoded for digital
transmission are authorized internationally as long as they're not
encrypted. It was noted that techniques some commenters have targeted
are widely used by amateurs around the world.

60-Meter Band Allocation

ARRL petitioned the FCC in RM-11785 to implement provisions adopted at
WRC-15 that provide for a secondary amateur allocation at 5351.5 -
5366.5 kHz. ARRL also proposed that 100 W ERP be permitted on the new
band, consistent with that authorized for the current five 60-meter
channels.

The National Telecommunications and Information ministration (NTIA)
has proposed in a letter to delete the existing four channels and
substitute a secondary band allocation at a maximum permitted power of
15 W EIRP (9.1 W ERP), as approved at WRC-15. The ARRL delegation
expressed concern that NTIA's proposal would require relocation of
existing channelized amateur activity to a 15 kHz band at a fraction of
the power now authorized, despite an absence of any reported
interference on the current channels. ARRL also expressed concern that
9.1 W ERP would hamper emergency communication on the band, especially
during hurricane season, when noise levels are usually high.

The FCC is expected to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in
December or early next year addressing 60 meters and inviting comments.

Amateur Radio Enforcement

ARRL Executive Committee members met with FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief
Rosemary Harold and her senior staff to discuss amateur enforcement.
The delegation updated progress in setting up the Volunteer Monitoring
Program pursuant to the FCC/ARRL Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
signed last March. The program is in the final stages of training
volunteers and is expected to be brought online in early 2020. Read
more.

Oldest Known US Ham Receives ARRL Centurion Award

The oldest known US radio amateur, Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP, received his
ARRL Centurion Award plaque in November. The award

(L - R) Roanoke Division Director
Bud Hippisley, W2RU; Cliff Kayhart,
W4KKP; Roanoke Division Vice
Director Bill Morine, N2COP, and
South Carolina Section Manager Marc
Tarplee, N4UFP.

recognizes hams who have achieved centenarian status. Kayhart, who
lives in White Rock, South Carolina, is 108. The ARRL Board of
Directors conferred the award on Kayhart at its July 2019 meeting.

At the November meeting of the Dutch Fork Amateur Radio Group in Little
Mountain, South Carolina, ARRL Roanoke Division Director Bud Hippisley,
W2RU, headed an ARRL delegation that presented the Centurion Award
plaque to Kayhart, who was first licensed as W2LFE in 1937 (he's also
held W9GNQ). With Hippisley for the presentation were Roanoke Division
Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, and South Carolina Section Manager
Marc Tarplee, N4UFP.

Kayhart served in Iwo Jima during World War II, shortly after the US
victory there, setting up long-range radio communication from the
island to Tokyo to arrange for the eventual surrender by Japan.

Kayhart remains active, checking into several nets from his assisted
living facility. Centurion Award recipients have their annual ARRL
membership fees waived while continuing to receive QST and other ARRL
member benefits. Kayhart was profiled in the June 2018 issue of QST.
The Doctor Will See You Now!

"VHF/UHF propagation" is the topic of the new (December 5) episode of
the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required,
or browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for
iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast
before, download our beginner's guide.

Past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, SK

A titan of amateur radio, past ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul L.
Rinaldo, W4RI, of Burke, Virginia, died on November 29 after a period
of failing health. An ARRL Life Member, Rinaldo was 88.

"This is really sad news," ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, remarked
upon learning of Rinaldo's passing. "I worked with Paul on a number of
things, and he amazed me with his knowledge and the different ways to
consider issues. Smart. Highly respected. He sure helped us through the
years in so many ways."

First licensed in 1949 as W9IZA, Rinaldo's focus was always in the
arena of technical experimentation. He studied radio engineering at
Valparaiso Technical Institute in Indiana. Rinaldo was a cofounder and
served as president of the Amateur Radio Research and Development
Corporation (AMRAD). His first association with ARRL was an article,
"Amateur Radio in the Computer Age," for the September 1979 edition of
QST. Subsequently, he served in volunteer roles, among them as the
first editor of QEX: The ARRL Experimenters' Exchange.

In 1983, Rinaldo succeeded Doug DeMaw, W1FB, as ARRL Technical
Department Manager and Senior Technical Editor. His efforts led to his
appointment as Publications Manager and, 5 years later, as Manager of
Technical Development with responsibility for preparing for the 1992
World ministrative Radio Conference. This led to Rinaldo's supporting
role in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), and he attended
IARU ministrative Council (AC) meetings from 1996 to 2008.

Rinaldo also took part in several International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) conferences and served on numerous working parties and task
groups. IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, said amateur radio's
successes at the just-ended WRC-19 were, in large part, because of
Rinaldo's good work over the years.

In 1992, Rinaldo established ARRL's Technical Relations Office in the
Washington, DC, area. In 2004, the ARRL Board of Directors elected
Rinaldo as ARRL's first Chief Technology Officer, a post he held until
his retirement in 2008. "For the past 16 years, Paul has been the face
and voice of amateur radio in the technical circles of the federal
government and one of our most visible representatives at the ITU,"
Sumner said at the time.

Murphy Funeral Homes of Falls Church, Virginia, is handling
arrangements. Read more.
Election will Result in ARRL Southeastern Division Leadership Changes

A new ARRL Director and Vice Director will take office on January 1 in
ARRL's Southeastern Division. The vote count in contested Division
races at ARRL Headquarters on November 15 saw Mickey Baker, N4MB,
defeating incumbent Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, 2,132 votes to 1,739
votes. In addition, challenger James Schilling, KG4JSZ, received 1,356
votes to win a three-way race for Vice Director, outpolling incumbent
Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW, who received 1,209 votes, and challenger Jeff
Stahl, K4BH, who received 1,281 votes. In 2016, Sarratt was the lone
candidate for office, regaining the Director's seat after being
narrowly unseated in 2013 when he stood for re-election. Tiritelli was
the only candidate to fill the vacant Southeastern Division Vice
Director's chair that same year.

In the only other contested race, incumbent West Gulf Division Director
John Robert Stratton, N5AUS, defeated challenger Madison Jones, W5MJ,
for re-election, by a vote of 2,498 to 1,405. Stratton moved into the
Director's seat last January after past Director David Woolweaver,
K5RAV, stepped down. West Gulf Division Vice Director Lee Cooper,
W5LHC, was unopposed for a full term after being appointed earlier this
year to succeed Stratton.

Seats for Director and Vice Director in three other ARRL Divisions were
unchallenged, and candidates were considered re-elected. These included
Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, and Vice Director
Kristen McIntyre, K6WX; Rocky Mountain Division Director Jeff Ryan,
K0RM, and Vice Director Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, and Southwestern
Division Director Richard Norton, N6AA. Mark Weiss, K6FG, ran unopposed
for the Southwestern Division Vice Director's seat, being vacated by
Ned Stearns, AA7A.

The ARRL Board of Directors next meets in January.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots again this week. This run
of zero sunspots has gone on for more than 3 weeks.

Average daily solar flux for the November 28 - December 4 reporting
week was 70.2. The predicted solar flux for every one of the next 45
days is 70. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on December 5 - 7; 8
on December 8 - 9; 5 on December 10 - 12; 6 on December 13; 5 on
December 14 - 17; 12, 10, 8, and 8 on December 18 - 21; 5 on December
22 - 29; 8 on December 30 - 31; 5 on January 1 - 3; 8 on January 4; 5
on January 5 - 8; 6 on January 9; 5 on January 10 - 13; 12, 10, 8, and
8 on January 14 - 17, and 5 on January 18.

Spaceweather.com pointed out the Geminid meteor shower will peak
December 13 - 14, just in time for the ARRL 10-Meter Contest December
14 - 15. Ionized meteor trails may enhance 10-meter propagation.

Sunspot numbers for November 28 - December 4 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and
0, with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 70.2, 69.8, 70.4,
71.2, 70.4, 69.9, and 69.6, with a mean of 70.4. Estimated planetary A
indices were 4, 5, 4, 4, 2, 2, and 3, with a mean of 8.3. Middle
latitude A index was 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, and 2, with a mean of 5.7.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

Share your reports and observations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just Ahead in Radiosport
* December 6 - 8 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)
* December 7 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
* December 7 - 8 -- UFT Contest (CW)
* December 7 - 8 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* December 7 - 8 -- International Naval Contest (CW, phone)
* December 7 - 8 -- PRO CW Contest
* December 7 - 8 -- FT8 Roundup
* December 7 - 8 -- EPC Ukraine DX Contest (Digital)
* December 8 -- QRP ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint (CW)
* December 9 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
* December 11 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.

YOTA Month Expanding into the Americas

December is Youth on the Air (YOTA) Month, when stations operated by
young radio amateurs around the world will get on the air to celebrate
youth in amateur radio. YOTA Month began a few years ago in
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1, and the concept has
now taken root in the Americas as YOTA Month in the Americas.

During YOTA Month, radio amateurs aged 25 and younger will be on the
air as special event stations during December on various bands and
modes. In the US, look for K8Y, K8O, K8T, and K8A. Elsewhere in the
Americas, VE7YOTA will be on the air from Canada. XR2YOTA in Chile has
been added to the list of youth stations in the Americas for YOTA
Month. Young hams in other countries may also join in. Listen for other
YOTA Month stations with "YOTA" suffixes.

For more information about YOTA in the Americas, contact YOTA Month in
the Americas Coordinator Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, or YOTA in the
Americas Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

Participants earn certificates by working the various YOTA-suffix
stations on the air throughout December. Not a contest, the event is
aimed at getting as many youngsters on air from as many countries as
possible. The event takes place from 0000 UTC on December 1 until 2359
UTC on December 31.

Other special call signs planning to be on the air include 5B19YOTA,
7X2YOTA, 7X3YOTA, 9A19YOTA, DH0YOTA, E71YOTA, EF4YOTA, EG2YOTA,
EI0YOTA, EM5YOTA, EM6YOTA, ET3YOTA, GB19YOTA, HA6YOTA, HB9YOTA,
HG0YOTA, II4YOTA, II8YOTA, LY5YOTA, OH2YOTA, OL19YOTA, ON4YOTA,
PA6YOTA, PD6YOTA, SH9YOTA, TC19YOTA, TC3YOTA, TM19YOTA, YO0YOTA,
YT19YOTA, ZL6YOTA, and ZS9YOTA.

Most will put their logs on Logbook of The World (LoTW) with paper
cards available through Club Log OQRS. QSL direct via M0SDV. -- Thanks
to YOTA and YOTA in the Americas
ITU Posts Provisional WRC-19 Final Acts

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has posted the
provisional Final Acts of World Radiocommunication Conference 2019
(WRC-19) on its website as a 567-page PDF. Sponsored by the ITU,
WRC-19, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, wrapped up on Friday,

WRC-19 participants (L - R) Hans
Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T; Bryan
Rawlings, VE3QN; Dave Court, EI3IO;
Ulrich Mueller, DK4VW; David Sumner,
K1ZZ; Dale Hughes, VK1DSH, and
Murray Niman, G6JYB. [Ulrich
Mueller, DK4VW, photo]

November 22. The month-long event was the largest ever, with some 3,300
delegates in attendance. The WRC-19 Final Acts will take effect on
January 21, 2021.

During the last week of the conference, meetings often ran into the wee
hours in an effort to get work completed on schedule. The prime amateur
radio agenda item involved agreement on a 6-meter band allocation for
ITU Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East). When the Final Acts
take effect, 44 countries in Region 1 will have a primary allocation of
at least 500 kHz, including 26 countries with a primary allocation of
50 - 54 MHz. The entire region will have an amateur secondary
allocation of 50 - 52 MHz, except Russia, whose administration opted
for only 50.080 - 50.280 MHz on a secondary basis.

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) called the 6-meter outcome
"a dramatic improvement in the international Radio Regulations for
amateurs in Region 1." The next WRC will be in 2023.
In Brief...

[IMG]Orlando HamCation^(R) 2020 visitors in February will be able to
navigate the convention with ARRL's free mobile event app, ARRL Events.
First introduced for the Dayton Hamvention^(R) in May 2019, the app
received extremely positive reviews from users. ARRL has partnered with
Orlando HamCation and Dayton Hamvention to re-introduce the app for
these 2020 events. "The user-friendly event app will help
convention-goers find exhibits and forums, follow prize drawings, and
connect with other attendees," said ARRL Convention and Event
Coordinator Eric Casey, KC2ERC, who has been working with Orlando
HamCation Committee members to help ready the app for the 2020 event.
The free ARRL Events app will be available in late December for both
Apple iOS and Android devices, along with a web-browser version.
Orlando HamCation 2020 takes place February 7 - 9 and has been
sanctioned as the 2020 ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention. Visit
the HamCation website to purchase tickets.

[IMG]Dayton Hamvention^(R) is increasing the cost of admission and its
booth fees. Hamvention General Chair Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, announced this
week that general admission would rise by $4 per ticket to $26 in
advance or $31 at the gate. The cost of flea market spots will go up by
$5 per space, and inside exhibitors will pay $30 more. "Hamvention has
always strived to produce a very high-quality event for amateur radio
enthusiasts from around the globe," Gerbs said. "We have always felt it
is imperative that we give back to amateur radio at many levels. We
have been very generous in our support over the years." He cited "the
economic pressures to present a show like Hamvention" as the reason for
the price increases.

ARRL is inviting listeners of the So Now What? podcast for amateur
radio newcomers to take a brief survey about the bi-weekly podcast. The
survey will close on December 13. -- Thanks to Michelle Patnode, W3MVP,
ARRL Communications Content Producer

Just after announcing the release of WSJT-X version 2.1.1, the WSJT
Development Group issued a second bug-fix release, version 2.1.2.
WSJT-X is the free software suite that includes the FT4 and FT8
protocols. According to the developers, an error in the code broke the
WSJT-X rig control features for certain Icom radios. The Release Notes
detail program changes made since WSJT-X 2.1.0. The WSJT-X 2.1 User
Guide has also been updated. Upgrading from earlier versions of WSJT-X
should be seamless, with no need to uninstall previous versions or move
any files. Links to installation packages are available. The WSJT
Development Group asks those using the code to let the developers know,
as well as to report bugs or suggest improvements to the code.

AMPRNet Cofounder Brian Kantor, WB6CYT, of San Diego, California, has
died unexpectedly. He retired 2 years ago after 47 years of service on
staff at the University of California, San Diego. Kantor and Phil Karn,
KA9Q, founded AMPRNet -- the TCP/IP over amateur radio network -- in
the 1980s, and Kantor continued to manage it until his death. He
recently created and served as chair and CEO of Amateur Radio Digital
Communications (ARDC), a charitable foundation funded by the sale of
unused AMPRNet IPv4 addresses. ARDC promotes STEM education and amateur
radio digital development through scholarships and by funding the
development of open-source hardware and software. It recently announced
its first grant, to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS). Kantor was also a key player in AMSAT's early internet
presence.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference, Collinsville, Illinois

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.

Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint, and QSO parties.
* 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 ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly
contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.


--- SendMsg/2

--- Squish/386 v1.11
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)