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N9PMO > LETTER 11.03.16 06:01l 666 Lines 30719 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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ARRL Executive Committee to Meet in Texas
ARES Groups, Individual Hams Support Army and Air Force MARS Exercise
NCVEC Announces Third Public Release of 2016-2020 Amateur Extra
Question Pool
Air Force Pledges Continued Cooperation with Radio Amateurs During
Cape Cod Radar Upgrades
National Parks on the Air Update
Elementary Schoolers' CubeSat Ready to Deploy from ISS
Fox-1E (RadFxSat-2) Selected for Participation in NASA's CubeSat
Launch Initiative
Amateur Radio Accompanying "Great Northern Way" Arctic Russia
Expedition
Heil Sound Celebrating 50th Anniversary
Vessel with Rich Ham History -- the Bowdoin -- Being Refurbished for
Further Exploring
World-Famous Moonbounce Enthusiast Doug McArthur VK3UM, SK
In Brief...
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Executive Committee to Meet in Texas
The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) will hold its first meeting of the
year on Saturday, March 12, in Dallas, Texas. The session will mark
some other significant milestones. ARRL's new President, Rick
Roderick, K5UR, will chair his first Executive Committee meeting since
taking office in January, and incoming ARRL Chief Executive Officer
Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, will be attending his very first EC meeting, as
he prepares to assume his full CEO duties on April 18. And this week's
EC gathering will mark the last that current CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
will attend in that capacity. Elected by the ARRL Board of Directors
in January, Gallagher, now designated as CEO-Elect, arrived at ARRL
Headquarters on February 29 to begin the transition process. Sumner
has directed the Headquarters staff since March 1982 -- initially as
General Manager -- and has been a member of the Headquarters staff for
some 44 years.
The EC is expected to hear a report from ARRL Chief Counsel Chris
Imlay, W3KD, on a variety of regulatory, legal, and legislative
matters, including the anticipated authorization by the FCC of new
bands at 135.7 kHz and 472 kHz. Also up for discussion is the status
of ARRL's Petition for Rule Making (RM-11759) that calls on the FCC to
repair what it has called a "shortfall in available RTTY/data
spectrum" in the 80 and 75 meter bands.
ARRL CEO-Elect Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, in his office at League
Headquarters. He arrived on February 29. [Steve Ford, WB8IMY, photo]
Still outstanding is the League's November 2013 Petition (RM-11708) to
delete restrictions on symbol rates for data communication and to
establish a 2.8 kHz maximum occupied bandwidth for data transmissions
below 29.7 MHz. Various Amateur Radio antenna and radio frequency
interference cases are other possible discussion topics.
The panel is also expected to discuss the progress of the Amateur
Radio Parity Act legislation now before both houses of Congress.
The EC will continue its review of standing orders. In addition, it
will approve ARRL conventions and club affiliation applications and
recognize new ARRL Life Members.
The Executive Committee is chosen by the ARRL Board of Directors to
make decisions on League matters between Board meetings, in accordance
with existing Board of Directors' policy. Read more.
ARES Groups, Individual Hams Support Army and Air Force MARS Exercise
On February 12, more than 300 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
members and individual radio amateurs participated in the first
quarterly Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) US Department of
Defense (DOD) communications exercise of 2016 (COMEX 16-1). US Army
and Air Force MARS operators across the US, Europe, and the Pacific
took part in the 12-hour HF exercise, which simulated a widespread
loss of telephone and Internet communication across the US. MARS
operators reached out to ARES members and individual hams in as many
US counties as possible to obtain status reports via radio.
"The purpose of the exercise was to give MARS operators the
opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in responding to DOD
requests for simulated emergency situational awareness reports from
counties across the United States," Army MARS Program Manager Paul
English, WD8DBY, explained. "DOD and the MARS leadership want to thank
the more than 300 Amateur Radio operators who assisted in making this
exercise a success by providing local county information using VHF,
UHF, and NVIS HF voice communications."
English said the DOD "was very pleased with the outcome of the
exercise, and especially with the number of Amateur Radio stations
that participated on a weekday and the number of unique county reports
received over the 12-hour period." After eliminating duplicates,
English said, MARS received 312 county status reports.
The exercise aimed to focus on individual MARS operator skills, refine
joint operational procedures between Army and Air Force volunteer
leaders, and to continue to develop local-level working relationships
between MARS operators and ARES groups and individual radio amateurs
and clubs, English said.
NCVEC Announces Third Public Release of 2016-2020 Amateur Extra
Question Pool
The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) has
released the third revision of the Amateur Extra class (Element 4)
question pool that goes into effect on July 1. This revision supplants
the Element 4 question pools released on January 8 and February 5, and
includes corrections, modifications, and various editorial changes.
The Element 4 question pool diagrams are in a separate document.
"We would like to remind the public that users of question pool
documents are free to correct minor typographical or punctuation
errors, including obvious minor omissions of same," the NCVEC Question
Pool Committee said in releasing this revision. "Such corrections must
not cause a change in the meaning of a question or any of the proposed
answers to the questions."
The QPC notes that FCC Part 97 rule citations are not a part of the
exam question itself, but are included for reference purposes, and
that errors in or changes to Part 97 are not considered adequate
reason to remove a question from the pool.
The QPC invites comments and questions. -- Thanks to the NCVEC
Question Pool Committee
Air Force Pledges Continued Cooperation with Radio Amateurs During
Cape Cod Radar Upgrades
As updating of the Pave PAWS radar installation gets under way at the
Cape Cod Air Force Station in Massachusetts, the US Air Force has
reached out to the Amateur Radio community to continue the positive
working relationship developed between the two parties since March
2007. Pave PAWS radar installations on both coasts have required the
modification of some 70 centimeter Amateur Radio systems to mitigate
interference to the military radars. The Amateur Service is secondary
on 70 centimeters. ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson,
N1ND, said work now has begun to install the updated early-warning
radar standards at Cape Cod.
The Pave PAWS radar (right) at the Cape Cod Air Force Station.
"This is the new version of Pave PAWS and it will bring the Cape Cod
radar up to the same higher standard already employed at the Beale Air
Force Base Pave PAWS facility in California, as well as at others in
the Space Early Warning system," Henderson said. "The radar will be a
little more sensitive, so some additional mitigation is possible, but
nothing like that required when the project started in 2007. This is
the last Pave PAWS site to be upgraded."
Henderson, who has served as the League's point person on this
project, and ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI,
were briefed in late 2015 on the changes by officials at the Cape Cod
facility. "The fact that the Air Force reached out to inform us of the
pending changes speaks volumes about the excellent working
relationship we have managed to build with them over the past 9
years," said Henderson. "The Amateur Radio communities in proximity to
both the Cape Cod and Beale sites have stepped up to the plate and
demonstrated their willingness to be good-faith partners with the Air
Force, accepting their responsibility as secondary users of this part
of the spectrum, and, in almost all cases, taking the necessary steps
to achieve the required mitigation standards while still maintaining
Amateur Radio access to this spectrum."
The Pave PAWS facility at Beale AFB in California. [US Air Force
photo]
In a statement, Cape Cod AFS Sixth Space Warning Squadron Crew
Commander and Public Affairs Officer Lt Drew S. Dutcher said his
facility recognizes and appreciates Amateur Radio's service to the
community and its continued cooperation.
"In the coming months we will be undergoing upgrades to our facility
which will help us improve our capabilities to locate and track
satellites for entities such as NASA and SpaceX," Dutcher said. "The
improvements will also ensure utilization of cutting-edge technology
to protect our eastern sea border from incoming Intercontinental
Ballistic Missiles and Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles. As always, we
ask that you be mindful and courteous of our frequency range. We do
not anticipate any interference or spurious emissions to any [Amateur
Radio] frequencies." Henderson asked amateurs with questions about the
project to contact him. Read more.
National Parks on the Air Update
ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event will take center stage
at Dayton Hamvention® May 20-22. NPOTA co-managers Sean Kutzko, KX9X,
and Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, will be on hand to answer your NPOTA questions,
host a forum on the event, and help guide you through your activation
plans. As part of the NPOTA presence at Dayton, ARRL is looking for
high-quality videos or photographs of your NPOTA activities. Video
should be no more than 3 minutes in length and highlight both ham
radio and the NPS unit itself. You should also have the rights to any
background music included in a submitted video. Help us tell the NPOTA
story by sharing yours. E-mail npota@arrl.org for more information.
The weather must be getting warmer, as the number of weekly scheduled
activations is going up. No fewer than 46 are on tap for March 10-16,
including the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama,
and the first-ever activation of Chamizal National Memorial in Texas,
which has extremely limited access for hams.
Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the
NPOTA Activations calendar.
Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow NPOTA onTwitter
(@ARRL_NPOTA).
Elementary Schoolers' CubeSat Ready to Deploy from ISS
The 400 youngsters attending a suburban Washington, DC, parochial
school are eagerly awaiting the day the CubeSat they constructed will
be deployed from the International Space Station. The little STMSat-1
spacecraft -- an educational project of pupils attending St Thomas
More (STM) Cathedral School in Arlington, Virginia -- is equipped with
a slow-scan TV (SSTV) payload that will transmit on 70 centimeters
(437.800 MHz). The school won a NASA competition for the launch. The
satellite is the first to be designed and built by grade-schoolers,
who have been supported by NASA technical advisors. Transported to the
ISS in December by an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft, the kit-built 1U
satellite had been scheduled for release in mid-February, but
deployment was postponed.
What STMSat-1 should look like, once it's in Earth orbit.
"The STM Sat-1 mission is to perform Earth observation and engage
grade-school students around the world as remote Mission Operation
Centers," the STMSat-1 website explains. The satellite project is part
of the school's STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) education initiatives. St Thomas More includes students
from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. School Principal Eleanor
McCormack is the project manager.
NASA's Technology Demonstration Office is the space agency's
sponsoring organization. The school has been working with Joseph
Pellegrino at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and with the
Arlington Amateur Radio Club. NASA provided the school with a mobile
"cleanroom" to ensure that the construction phase met with strict
guidelines and standards for launch and deployment from the ISS. NASA
also provided the school with an antenna, so the school can receive
the SSTV images and temperature readings the satellite sends back. The
students already have tested their CubeSat by sending it aloft on a
tethered balloon. The school has been working with the Arlington
Amateur Radio Club.
The STMSat-1 payload. An ISS crew member will have to pull the red
lanyard to remove the lens cap from the CubeSat's camera before it's
deployed.
The SSTV camera on board STMSat-1 will transmit a Martin-2 image every
30 seconds, but no beacon. The youngsters are hoping it will send back
images of Earth as seen from space. The transmitter runs 3 W, and
there is no onboard data storage capability.
The little satellite also carries a medal blessed by Pope Francis, a
capsule filled with personal items from St Thomas More's annual
auction winners, and a metal plate etched with the signatures of all
STM students, faculty, and staff.
The project aims to engage other schools around the world as "Remote
Mission Operation Centers" (RMOCs). STMSat-1 has an estimated lifetime
of at least 9 months. Read more.
Fox-1E (RadFxSat-2) Selected for Participation in NASA's CubeSat
Launch Initiative
RadFxSat-2, the Space Radiation Effects CubeSat -- also known as
Fox-1E -- has been selected to participate in NASA's CubeSat Launch
Initiative (CSLI). RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) is a partnership opportunity
between Vanderbilt University's Institute for Space and Defense
Electronics (ISDE) and AMSAT. The Fox-1E spacecraft bus will be built
as part of the Fox-1 series but will feature a linear V/U (Mode J)
transponder "upgrade" instead of the standard FM repeater that Fox-1A
through D have carried.
Vanderbilt University, with cooperation from AMSAT, submitted the
RadFxSat-2 CSLI proposal in November 2015. Out of 21 proposals, NASA
has recommended 20 for participation in the CSLI opportunity.
RadFxSat-2 is prioritized as number 1 out of the 20 selected and has
been offered an opportunity for a launch date. AMSAT and Vanderbilt
University are evaluating the opportunity to see if it meets their
mission and orbital parameters.
RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) will carry a radiation effects experiment similar
to the one aboard RadFxSat (Fox-1B), which is set to launch in
January.
The downlink will feature a 1200 bps BPSK telemetry channel to carry
the Vanderbilt science data, in addition to a 30 kHz-wide transponder
for Amateur Radio use. Additional mission and timeline details are
forthcoming. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service
Amateur Radio Accompanying "Great Northern Way" Arctic Russia
Expedition
Amateur Radio is traveling with the "Great Northern Way" Arctic
expedition in Russia. Listen for R3CA/8/9/0 along the route. The
historical-geographical expedition commemorates the 400th anniversary
of the Northern Sea Route and will be part of a research program,
"Mysteries of the Russian Arctic."
Specially equipped vehicles are being used on the Great Northern Way
Arctic expedition.
Two all-terrain vehicles will carry participants along a 10,000
kilometer (approximately 6200 miles) route on frozen Siberian rivers,
the open spaces of the Arctic tundra, and the land-fast and drifting
ice of Russia's Arctic seas. The expedition plans to make stops of
about 1 day each on some Arctic islands, which would be of interest to
Islands on the Air (IOTA) enthusiasts.
Heading the expedition is the president of the Russian Geographical
Society's Arktika Center and polar explorer Vladimir Chukov, R3CA.
Call sign designators will indicate the location -- R3CA/8 (Yamal),
R3CA/9 (Taimyr), and R3CA/0 (Yakutia, Chukotka). Operation has been on
SSB in the vicinity of 14.120 and 14.130 MHz.
Polar explorer Vladimir Chukov, R3CA.
The radio operator is Valery Nesterov, RA9J. In Tiksi, Yuri Zaruba,
UA9OBA, the president of the Russian Robinson Club, plans to join the
expedition, which is carrying an Icom IC-7000 transceiver. An Icom
AH2B mobile antenna will be used while under way, but when the
expedition is parked, inverted Vs will be deployed.
The expedition plans to visit sites associated with research and
development of the Russian Arctic, historical monuments, and places of
interest related to natural history and cultural heritage. Expedition
members will conduct environmental monitoring along the Arctic coast.
A series of documentaries about the history and current state of the
Russian Arctic and its people is planned. Read more. -- Thanks to The
Daily DX, Great Northern Way expedition website
Heil Sound Celebrating 50th Anniversary
Heil Sound, a name that's probably synonymous within the Amateur Radio
community for its microphones and "boom set" microphone/headset
combinations, is marking its 50th anniversary this year. Heil Sound
came into being in 1966 as Ye Olde Music Shoppe -- a music store in
Marissa, Illinois, the hometown of its founder, Bob Heil, K9EID. The
celebration -- called "50 Years of Maximum Rock N' Roll" -- kicked off
at the winter NAMM show. A commemorative series of interviews,
packaged as podcasts, also debuted with the new year. The series
highlights the history of Heil Sound.
Bob Heil initially made a name for himself working with music
performers to provide sound reinforcement for their live gigs,
initially supplying full sound system packages for venues and
festivals throughout the Midwest and later working with world-class
acts, such as Humble Pie, The Who, The Grateful Dead, and Joe Walsh,
WB6ACU. Heil said it was the Dead's Jerry Garcia who suggested
changing the name of his enterprise to Heil Sound. Among other
innovations, Heil created the quadraphonic sound system for The Who's
"Quadrophenia" tour as well as the Heil Talk Box made famous by Joe
Walsh and Peter Frampton.
Bob and Sarah Heil at the 2016 NAMM show.
By 1982, Heil Sound had curtailed the touring side of the business and
began concentrating on developing products for the Amateur Radio
market. Heil also launched a home theater division. Amateur Radio and
professional audio came together in 2006, when Walsh suggested that
Heil Sound develop microphones for concert use. Heil Sound designed
and manufactured high-quality microphones, and has gained a reputation
among music performers for its professional microphone products, such
as the PR30 and PR40.
Bob Heil and his wife and business partner Sarah -- who is the
president of Heil Sound -- are frequent visitors at major Amateur
Radio conventions and gatherings.
Vessel with Rich Ham History -- the Bowdoin -- Being Refurbished for
Further Exploring
The schooner Bowdoin, which has a prominent place in early Amateur
Radio history, will be relaunched this spring. The vessel relied on
Amateur Radio operators for communication during explorer Donald B.
MacMillan's Arctic Expedition of 1923, and on the
MacMillan-McDonald-Byrd Expedition of 1925. Now it's undergoing
extensive renovation and refitting in Maine. Named after MacMillan's
alma mater, Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin today is the official vessel
of the State of Maine and the flagship of Maine Maritime Academy's
Vessel Operations and Technology Program, which readied the vessel for
refitting last year.
The Bowdoin heading out from Wiscasset, Maine, in 1923.
According to an article in the February 25 edition of The Ellsworth
American newspaper, work is under way at a Camden, Maine, shipyard on
the deck and hull of the 95-year-old schooner, built in East Boothbay,
Maine, in 1921. The vessel's diesel engine -- a later amenity -- is
being rebuilt by Maine Maritime Academy students. The Bowdoin is set
to relaunch around June 1.
In 1923, MacMillan had turned to the ARRL for help in outfitting his
expedition with better wireless gear, and, as Michael Marinaro, WN1M,
explained in his June 2014 QST article, "Polar Exploration," that help
"was enthusiastically provided. Hiram Percy Maxim and the Board agreed
to furnish support as well as recruit an expert operator to accompany
the expedition. Donald H. Mix, 1TS, of Bristol, Connecticut was chosen
for the task."
At Wiscasset, Maine, with the schooner Bowdoin, ARRL sponsors check
out the receiver furnished by Zenith for the 1923 Arctic Expedition.
(L-R) F.H. Schnell, 1MO, Traffic Manager; K.B. Warner, 9JT,
Secretary-Manager; Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, ARRL President.
League Board member M.B. West custom-designed the equipment, which was
built by radio amateurs at his firm, Zenith Electronics. The
transmitter operated on medium-wave frequencies with a power of 100 W
and used the call sign WNP -- for "Wireless North Pole." As Marinaro
explained in his article, with Mix as the ship's radio operator, "WNP
transmitted weekly 500-word press releases and listings of stations
worked and heard. Once received by amateur stations, these reports
were delivered to local affiliated newspapers of the North American
Newspaper Alliance; from there, they were distributed syndicate-wide
by telegraph."
In 1925, the Bowdoin headed to Greenland. "The outstanding
accomplishment of the expedition was in the sphere of radio," Marinaro
wrote. "Utilizing short waves, the expedition was in consistent
contact with the outside world throughout the journey, to the delight
of the amateurs who were able to work them. The phenomenal success
proved to the Navy that short waves were definitely superior to the
long and ultra long waves on which the fleets had been relying." Read
more.
World-Famous Moonbounce Enthusiast Doug McArthur VK3UM, SK
Renowned Earth-Moon-Earth (EME, moonbounce) enthusiast Doug McArthur,
VK3UM, of Glenburn, Victoria, Australia, died on February 21,
following a stroke. He was 74. Within the EME community, McArthur -- a
radio amateur for nearly 60 years -- enjoyed a worldwide reputation
for his expertise, exploits, and accomplishments.
Doug McArthur, VK3UM.
He was well known for his 8.6 meter dish, which he used on 1296 MHz in
2006 to set a moonbounce DX record by working CT3/DL1YMK in Portugal,
a distance of 18,342.3 kilometers (11,372.2 miles).
His early interest in Amateur Radio guided his choice of career in
radio communication and broadcasting. VK3UM became a stalwart of the
VHF bands, pursuing contacts via various scatter modes, aircraft
reflection, and -- inevitably -- moonbounce on 2 meters and 70
centimeters.
It was after he retired to rural Glenburn, northeast of Melbourne,
that he purchased his 8.6 meter Kennedy dish, although a stroke in
late 1999 interrupted work on that project. Eventually he rigged the
dish with a dual feed, to work on 70 and 23 centimeters. Along the
way, he developed some key software applications now used by
moonbounce operators around the world, including his EME Calc package,
for assessing and simulating every aspect of an EME station's
operation. His EMR Calc software, for assessing any amateur station's
compliance with electromagnetic radiation safety standards, is known
and used around the globe. Read more. -- Thanks to the Wireless
Institute of Australia
In Brief...
Northern California DX Foundation Announces Scholarship Grant to
Falklands Schools: The Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) has
announced a scholarship grant to the Falkland Island Elementary and
Middle schools for the acquisition of Amateur Radio equipment,
antennas, electronics kits, and science curriculum materials. NCDXF
said David Collingham, K3LP, has been instrumental in getting the
project off the ground during the recent Intrepid-DX Group DXpedition
travels through the Falklands for the recent South Sandwich and South
Georgia operations. Collingham met with government and school
officials and teachers. In addition to providing grants to rare and
expensive DXpeditions, the NCDXF charter provides for certain
scholarship opportunities from a separate and established scholarship
fund. For example, NCDXF currently provides tuition to Contest
University for hams 25 years of age or under. Contributions to the
NCDXF general and scholarship funds are welcome. -- Thanks to NCDXF
Vice President Glenn Johnson, W0GJ
MFJ Founder, President Martin Jue, K5FLU, Will Keynote Dayton DX
Dinner "The Early Days of MFJ" will be the topic as MFJ Founder and
President Martin Jue, K5FLU, keynotes the 31st annual Dayton DX
Dinner, sponsored by the SouthWest Ohio DX Association (SWODXA). Held
in conjunction with the 2016 Dayton Hamvention®, the dinner will be on
Friday, May 20, at the Marriott Hotel, 1414 S Patterson Boulevard,
Dayton. MFJ's first product was an audio filter, which Jue began
manufacturing in a small hotel room in downtown Starkville,
Mississippi. Today, MFJ manufactures more Amateur Radio products than
any other company in the world under the Ameritron, Hy-Gain,
Cushcraft, Mirage, and Vectronics brands. For more information, visit
the SWODXA events page.
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society Seeks New Leadership: The Amateur
Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS), sponsor of Intercontinental
Lightship-Lighthouse Week, is looking for a new leader. Jim Weidner,
K2JXW, who founded the ARLHS in 2000, has resigned as owner and
president, due to serious illness. The organization's stated purpose
is to promote public awareness of both ham radio and lighthouses,
"preserving lights that are in danger of extinction, and paying
tribute to the role that hams and lighthouse keepers have played in
contributing to maritime safety." Headquartered in New Jersey, the
ARLHS has about 2000 dues-paying members. "Anyone wishing to take over
the membership list and trusteeship of club station W7QF is welcome to
do so and is guaranteed our full cooperation in the transition," said
a solicitation distributed by Weidner on February 29. "We intend to
keep the ARLHS active until June 30, 2016, after which time we will
terminate the web page, BeaconBot, and all club activities, if no one
is willing to assume ownership and leadership." For more information,
contact Weidner via e-mail or telephone, (856) 486-1755.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers and
solar flux both increased over the past week. The average daily solar
flux went from 92.9 to 96.8, and the average daily sunspot number
jumped from 41.4 to 64.4. Geomagnetic indicators increased as well,
with activity peaking on March 6 and 7.
Predicted solar flux is 100 on March 10-12, 95 on March 13-16; 90 on
March 17; 95 on March 18-20; 90 on March 21-23, and 95 on March 24-30.
The solar flux will continue to meander between 90 and 95 for the
foreseeable future.
The predicted planetary A index is 5, 10, 8, 10, and 8 on March 10-14;
5 on March 15-16; 25 on March 17-19; 12 on March 20; 5 on March 21
through April 2, and 22 on April 3.
Sunspot numbers for March 3 through 9 were 50, 95, 68, 68, 61, 48, and
61, with a mean of 64.4. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 98.7, 100.5,
96.2, 95.5, 94.1, 95.5, and 97.4, with a mean of 96.8. Estimated
planetary A indices were 8, 4, 4, 35, 24, 8, and 7, with a mean of
12.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 2, 3, 19, 17, 6, and 6,
with a mean of 8.6.
This week's bulletin will include an updated forecast and reports on
10 meter conditions from N0JK and WB5AGZ.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
March 12 -- Nauryz DX Contest (CW, phone)
March 12 -- AGCW QRP Contest (CW)
March 12-13 -- RSGB Commonwealth Contest (CW)
March 12-13 -- South America 10 Meter Contest (CW, phone)
March 12-13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
March 12-13 -- Oklahoma QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 12-13 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
March 12-13 -- EA PSK63 Contest
March 12-13 --Tesla Memorial HF CW Contest
March 12-13 -- QCWA QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 12-13 -- Idaho QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 13 -- North American Sprint (RTTY)
March 13 -- North American SSB Sprint Contest
March 13 -- UBA Spring Contest -- 2 Meters (CW, phone)
March 13 -- NSARA Contest (CW, phone, digital)
March 13 -- WAB 3.5 MHz Phone
March 13-14 -- Wisconsin QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 14 -- Bucharest Contest (CW, phone, digital)
March 15-20 -- CLARA Chatter Party (CW, phone)
March 16 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW)
March 17 -- 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 e-mail preferences.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana
March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention, Rosenburg, Texas
March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington
March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
April 2 -- Delta Division Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas
April 2 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 8-9 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
April 9-10 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington
April 15-17 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California
April 15-17 -- VHF Super Conference, Sterling, Virginia
April 16 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware
April 22-24 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho
April 23 -- Aurora '16 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
April 23 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
April 29-May 1 -- Nevada State Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 13-15 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Keystone, Colorado
May 14 -- Iowa State Convention, Boone, Iowa
May 20-22 -- Dayton Hamvention, Dayton, Ohio
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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