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N9PMO > LETTER 18.03.16 02:59l 671 Lines 31144 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: ARRL3412 ARRL Letter
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N9PMO
Sent: 160318/0056Z 10947@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.12
ARRL Urges FCC Not to Impose Overbroad Notification Requirement on
2200 and 630 Meter Operation
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Respond to Heavy Rain, Flooding in Louisiana
Southern Florida ARES Volunteers Support Biennial Nuclear Power Plant
Drill
National Parks on the Air Update
ARRL Now on Instagram!
RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- Now Includes Coverage
Maps
ARISS Marks its 1000th Contact!
Over the Horizon Radars Becoming Routine Visitors on Amateur HF Bands
National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Sessions to be Live
Streamed
Young Connecticut Ham Off to an Award-Winning Start
Former DX QSL Manager Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, SK
In Brief...
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Urges FCC Not to Impose Overbroad Notification Requirement on
2200 and 630 Meter Operation
In an ex parte statement filed March 10 with the FCC, the ARRL has
asked the Commission not to adopt "an overbroad" requirement for
notification of utilities in advance of intended Amateur Radio
operation on the pending 2200 (135.7-137.8 kHz) and 630 meter (472-479
kHz) bands. The statement, filed in ET Dockets 12-338 and 15-99,
supplemented the League's earlier comments in the proceeding. The FCC
is expected to provide Amateur Radio with access to both bands and to
spell out service rules and operational requirements sometime within
the first quarter of 2016. Regulatory provisions under consideration
have included a possible notification requirement by some radio
amateurs to utilities that operate PLC systems in that region of the
spectrum, prior to operating on either new band. Utilities use
unlicensed, mostly LF PLC systems to control parts of the electrical
power grid.
"ARRL does not object to such a notification requirement, provided
that it is appropriately circumscribed, not overbroad in its
applicability, and not overly burdensome for radio amateurs to comply
with," the League's statement asserted.
The ARRL noted that comments filed by the Utilities Telecom Council
(UTC) called for a system of "quasi-coordination" by radio amateurs
before commencing operation on 2200 meters. In its remarks to the FCC,
the ARRL pointed out, however, that the UTC has not volunteered any
information with respect to how a notification process might work, nor
offered any PLC database information to the ARRL or to the amateur
community so prospective users of the band could determine if their
operation might be problematic.
The ARRL expressed concern that "this vague reference" to a
notification procedure by UTC might lead the FCC to adopt an overbroad
notification requirement for radio amateurs intending to operate in
either the 2200 or 630 meter band. The League further pointed out that
PLC systems operating between 9 and 490 kHz are not subject to
protection from licensed services.
Utilities use unlicensed, mostly LF PLC systems on transmission lines
to control parts of the electrical power grid.
The League reiterated its willingness to accept distance-separation
criteria between amateur stations operating on either band and
PLC-carrying transmission lines using frequencies in either band, and
a notification process in the few instances in which an amateur
station intends to operate on either band within close proximity to a
transmission line with a PLC using the same frequencies. The League
said interference potential to PLC systems from Amateur Radio
operation on 2200 or 630 meters is very low, with the possible
exception of amateur operation within 1 kilometer of an existing
transmission line carrying co-channel PLC signals.
"It would be an unreasonable regulatory burden to require more than
this, and there is no record justification for a requirement that all
radio amateurs who wish to operate in these bands to have to
participate in a notification process," the ARRL said in its ex parte
statement.
Any sort of blanket notification requirement prior to transmitting on
2200 or 630 meters "would be clear regulatory overkill," the ARRL
concluded. Read more.
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Respond to Heavy Rain, Flooding in Louisiana
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN volunteers in
Louisiana assisted the National Weather Service (NWS), as
record-setting rainfall led to severe and widespread flooding. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a disaster
declaration for the state. Region 7 District Emergency Coordinator
John Mark Robertson, K5JMR, in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, said
Amateur Radio involvement began on March 8, when the NWS-Shreveport
Office requested a SKYWARN activation during a tornado watch.
Flooding in Bossier Parish, Louisiana.
For the next 17 hours, Robertson reported, a group of volunteers
handled weather-spotting duties over linked repeaters, filing some 70
reports. Their coverage included parts of Texas and Arkansas. The
severe weather included hail as well as major flooding that closed
Interstate 20 in three Louisiana parishes and inundated entire
neighborhoods. On March 10, the ARES team in Tangipahoa Parish in
southeastern Louisiana was active for nearly 2 days in response to
heavy rain and flooding.
"Local hams operating [fixed, portable, or mobile] provided updates on
local conditions and were able to offer road reports to travelers on
the state highways and Interstate 12, which crosses all of the major
rivers in our area," ARES Region 9 DEC Bob Priez, WB5FBS, told ARRL.
He said numerous rivers, streams, and waterways were well above flood
stage by the afternoon of March 11.
Some livestock in this flooded area took refuge under the porch of a
home under construction on higher ground. [Photo courtesy Bossier
Parish Sheriff's Office]
"We were able to receive and send weather bulletins and flood
conditions to and from the NWS in Slidell, Louisiana, using our
147.000 repeater and the Slidell 147.270 repeater. The 147.000
repeater also provided communication with the EOC at Southeastern
Louisiana University and Tangipahoa Parish EOC in Amite, Louisiana,"
he said. Fixed stations used packet radio on VHF as well as
conventional e-mail to relay NWS weather bulletins and to forward
local reports to NWS.
Priez said the March activation was the third for his ARES crew since
two events in February, when the area was hit with heavy rain and
wind. He said that event gave the group the opportunity to test
recently revised plans to interface directly with the NWS Office in
Slidell via repeaters in Tangipahoa and St Tammany parishes, and via
packet.
"This plan proved really effective in the February 23 event, which, in
addition to rains and winds, also spawned numerous tornadoes across
the southeast region," Priez said. "Our widespread ham radio observers
were able to send real-time reports of tornado activity in Livingston,
Montpelier, and Convent, and from Washington and St John parishes in
Louisiana, and also from southwestern Mississippi." The group also
kept in contact with the Southeastern Louisiana University EOC and the
Tangipahoa Parish EOC via the local VHF repeater.
On March 13, Robertson said three SKYWARN volunteers activated in
response to severe weather, posting 25 messages dealing with tornado
watches and warnings, reports of hail, and continued major flooding.
As the National Weather Service reported, the highest reported
rainfall total was "a whopping 26.96 inches!" southeast of Monroe. The
NWS has posted rainfall totals for the March 8-12 period. The flooding
has led to road closings over a wide area, and law enforcement
personnel assisted by the Louisiana National Guard used boats to reach
and rescue stranded residents and their pets.
Southern Florida ARES Volunteers Support Biennial Nuclear Power Plant
Drill
ARES teams from five Florida counties took part in a February 24
exercise at the St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant on Hutchinson Island in
Jensen Beach. The plant is required to hold an exercise every 2 years
to test and evaluate the responses of plant personnel, law
enforcement, emergency managers, and communication personnel in the
event of an emergency, such as a radiation release. The exercises are
evaluated by personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The 2016 scenario
involved overloaded and unusable public telecommunication systems. In
a real emergency, ARES volunteers would provide radio communication
among the county emergency operations centers and other critical
entities and locations.
ARES teams participated from St Lucie, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian
River, and Brevard counties. Operators successfully employed the
linked UHF repeater-based Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) for
most communication, as well as an HF net on 7.245 MHz.
The St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant in Florida. [Florida Power & Light
photo]
The dual nets provided for redundancy and reliability for the ARES
mission to support the EOCs. SARnet serves the State of Florida; it's
interconnected by a Florida Department of Transportation network.
All ARES communication tests and requirements were successfully passed
and met, and evaluators praised the use of dual nets for enhanced
reliability. Martin County ARES also had a display of go-kits. A FEMA
representative visited with ARES EC Steve Marshall, WW4RX, who
discussed the kits and answered questions about SARnet and its
coverage. -- Thanks to the ARRL ARES E-Letter
National Parks on the Air Update
ARRL has created a certificate for National Park Service employees who
go the extra mile in helping to promote or assist National Parks on
the Air (NPOTA) activity in their parks. The NPOTA Certificate of
Appreciation is available to any NPS employee or volunteer who is
recommended by the NPOTA Activator community for exceptional
assistance in promoting NPOTA. Show your appreciation for the NPS
staffer who helped to make your activation a success; nominate them
for the NPOTA Certificate of Appreciation. E-mail the name, title, and
NPS unit of your nominee.
There are 52 activations scheduled for the week of March 17-23,
including Mammoth Cave National Park (NP39) in Kentucky, and the
newest addition to the National Parks System, Castle Mountains
National Monument (MN82) in California.
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 on
Twitter (@ARRL_NPOTA).
ARRL Now on Instagram!
ARRL now has a presence on Instagram, a social networking app made for
sharing photos and videos. Similar to Facebook or Twitter, everyone
who creates an account has a profile and a news feed. Photos or videos
you post on Instagram will be displayed on your profile. Other users
who follow you will see your posts in their own feed. Likewise, you'll
see posts from other users who you choose to follow. Instagram is
available for free on iOS, Android, and Windows phone devices. It can
also be accessed on the web from a computer, but users can only
upload, share photos or videos, and create an account from their
devices.
Before you can start using the app, Instagram will ask you to create a
free account. You can sign up via your existing Facebook account or
through the app itself. After you sign up, you may be asked if you
want to follow some friends who are on Instagram in your Facebook
network.
Instagram is all about visual sharing. Every user profile has a
"Followers" and "Following" count, representing how many people they
follow and how many users are following them. Every user profile has a
button you can tap to follow them. If a user has their profile set to
private, they will need to approve your request first. Interacting
within posts is fun and easy. You can double tap any post to "like" it
or add a comment at the bottom. The @ sign represents a link to your
user profile. For example, if you choose your username to be JaneDoe,
other users can tag you in their posts by commenting @JaneDoe, which,
by clicking it, will bring them directly to your profile.
If you want to find more friends or interesting accounts to follow,
use the search tab (marked by the magnifying glass icon) to browse
through posts recommended to you. You can also use the search bar at
the top to look for specific users or #hashtag.
ARRL uses Instagram to promote current events, happenings at
Headquarters, and news. ARRL is on Instagram as @arrlhq. Follow us,
and you'll have instant access to all photos and videos that we post.
It's an interesting and entertaining collection that will only grow
over time! -- Thanks to Erin Day
RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- Now Includes Coverage
Maps
RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory -- now will include
coverage maps for all repeaters on Earth. In February, the ARRL
established an agreement with RFinder, the creator of a web- and
app-based directory of Amateur Radio repeaters worldwide, to serve as
its preferred online resource of repeater frequencies. RFinder has
partnered with CloudRF.com to provide the maps.
"Our systems are busy rendering and indexing coverage maps, based on
ground-path loss using the Longley-Rice irregular terrain model,"
explained RFinder Creater Bob Greenberg, W2CYK. "We have worked with
Alex Farrant, M6ZUJ, creator of CloudRF.com, to render coverage maps
for nearly the entire collection of repeaters in RFinder's database."
An RFinder screenshot of the Long Island, New York, vicinity.
RFinder has downloaded and will serve as a host for KMZ (Keyhole
Markup Language Zipped) overlays for Google Earth. The resulting KMZ
place marker files will be viewable in Google Earth on Windows and Mac
platforms (via web.rfinder.net and routes.rfinder.net) and on Android
and iOS versions of RFinder. The Windows and Mac versions allow the
viewing of multiple coverage maps at the same time.
As part of this project, RFinder will provide free access to repeater
coordinators worldwide. As coordinators update repeaters with height
above average terrain (HAAT), power and gain, and latitude and
longitude, maps will be automatically re-rendered within a few minutes
and made available to subscribers. The sign-up procedure for the
repeater coordinator program will be announced later this month. The
new capability is expected to ease the work of repeater coordinators,
as they will easily be able to see repeater coverage maps side by side
for both coordinated and uncoordinated machines -- information
critical as simplex nodes for Internet linking, cross-band repeaters,
and homebrew repeaters crop up worldwide.
Users of the trial version of RFinder on Android will have access to
coverage maps for a limited time, after which only subscribers will
have access. An annual $9.99 RFinder subscription provides access to
repeater data worldwide.
RFinder will be an ARRL EXPO exhibitor at Dayton Hamvention®, May
20-22. Read more.
ARISS Marks its 1000th Contact!
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program
has celebrated a milestone -- its 1000th school radio contact. The
first ARISS contact with students on Earth took place a little more
than 15 years ago. On March 10, ISS crew member Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, did
the honors for number 1000 -- a contact with students from schools in
North Dakota and Minnesota gathered at the University of North Dakota
in Grand Forks, organized by the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium
(NDSGC). The ARISS contact was the first to be hosted in North Dakota,
and some 500 students and visitors were on hand for the big event.
ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, congratulated the ARISS
team on what he called "this phenomenal accomplishment."
Astronaut Tim Kopra, KE5UDN, on the air as NA1SS from the
International Space Station. [NASA photo]
"With the outstanding support of NASA and the international space
agencies participating in ISS, the ISS on-orbit crew members
encompassing all 48 expeditions and the hundreds of ARISS volunteers
worldwide, the ARISS team has reached a tremendous milestone: 1000
ARISS contacts between schools on the ground and the ISS crews on
orbit," he said. "Since our first contact in December 2000 to today's
contact in North Dakota, hundreds of thousands of students have
participated in the hands-on STEM learning that ARISS affords, and
many millions from the general public have witnessed human spaceflight
in action through an ARISS contact."
During the 10-minute ARISS contact Kopra answered 20 questions posed
by young people ranging from kindergarten to graduate school.
Veteran astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, marveled at the number of
contacts completed to date. "A thousand contacts. Who would have ever
thought?" he said in a NASA video marking the milestone. "That means a
thousand times we've had a chance to reach down to Planet Earth to
make contact and to inspire the next generation of explorers. So, I
congratulate the ARISS program."
Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI -- one of Kopra's crew mates on the ISS --
said in another NASA video marking the milestone that talking to
schools via Amateur Radio has been "one of the most rewarding
activities" of his time in space.
Ahead of the actual contact, a consortium team led youngsters at
participating schools in hands-on activities and learning about
aerospace, priming them for the interview with Kopra. The students,
many from smaller rural communities, built and launched rockets,
crafted and tested parachutes similar to those on NASA's Orion
capsule, and designed and tested neutral buoyant objects. Read more.
Over the Horizon Radars Becoming Routine Visitors on Amateur HF Bands
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (Europe/Africa)
Monitoring System (IARUMS) has reported a spate of over the horizon
(OTH) radar signals on various Amateur Radio HF bands -- exclusive and
shared. Many of these signals are being heard outside of the Region 1
confines.
A signal from the Australian "JORN" OTH radar (FM CW burst mode) on
21,293 kHz with different sweep rates. [Courtesy of Wolf Hadel, DK2OM]
A 50 kHz wide Russian OTH radar has been heard in the evening on 80
meters, often in the CW part of the band. An "often long-lasting"
Russian OTH signal about 13 kHz wide is being heard on the 7000-7100
kHz segment of 40 meters, while some digital traffic (FSK or PSK), and
a "Codar-like radar from the Far East" are being heard in the
7000-7200 kHz segment as well as non-amateur CW transmissions.
The same OTH radar being heard on 40 meters also is appearing on 20
meters, along with digital traffic in FSK or PSK and on CW and
broadband OTH radar signals from China. Some monitoring reports are
intriguing, such as this one on 14.280 MHz from IARU Region 1
Monitoring System Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM: "Female voice with
encrypted msgs -- figures -- 'SZRU' = Foreign Intelligence Service of
Ukraine in Rivne -- every Wednesday at 1005 UTC."
Broadband OTH radars from China, Australia, Cyprus, and Turkey have
been monitored in 15 meters. On 10 meters, radars from Iran with FM CW
and different sweep rates have been monitored, as well as fishery
buoys on CW, and taxi operations on voice from Russia.
Voice traffic from fishing operations has been heard on all or most HF
bands, as have a variety of broadcasters, including the third harmonic
of Radio Tajik (4765 kHz) on 14.295 MHz, Radio Taiwan and Myanmar
Radio, both on 7.200 MHz, and Radio Hargeysa in Somalia on 7.120 MHz.
The February 2016 IARU Region 1 Monitoring System newsletter offers
more details. There is an online archive of past issues. -- Thanks to
the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System
National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Sessions to be Live
Streamed
Sessions focusing on the role of Amateur Radio in major weather events
will be a part the 2016 National Hurricane Conference, set for later
this month in Orlando, Florida. The goal of the annual conference is
to improve hurricane preparedness. Attendance is free to all Amateur
Radio sessions, which will take place Tuesday, March 22, from 1:30
until 5 PM ET (1830-2200 UTC). Amateur Radio presentations will be
live streamed via YouTube and recorded.
At the 1:30 PM session, National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb
will discuss the importance of Amateur Radio surface reporting. Other
presenters will include Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, of the Canadian
Hurricane Centre, who will speak on hurricane meteorology and give a
brief overview of his center's operation, and WX4NHC Assistant Amateur
Radio Station Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, who will talk about
activities at WX4NHC, the National Hurricane Center's Amateur Radio
station.
The 2 PM session will feature presentations from Hurricane Watch Net
(HWN) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, discussing the HWN, personal
weather stations, and back-up power and antennas; VoIP Hurricane Net
director of operations and ARRL ARES Eastern Massachusetts Assistant
SEC Rob Macedo, KD1CY, on the VoIP Hurricane Net and best practices in
SKYWARN tropical systems, and ARRL Assistant Emergency Preparedness
Manager Ken Bailey, K1FUG, who will offer an ARRL beginner's course in
Amateur Radio hurricane preparedness.
A question-and-answer session will follow the presentations.
The National Hurricane Conference takes place March 21-24 at the
Hilton Orlando. Some 2000 attendees are expected.
Young Connecticut Ham Off to an Award-Winning Start
Fifteen-year-old Matt Shea, KC1DLY, had no Amateur Radio ticket 1 year
ago. Today, he's an Amateur Extra class licensee and already
ARRL CEO-Elect Tom Gallagher, NY2RF (left), with Matt Ettus, KC1DLY,
and his WAS and DXCC certificates. [Sean Kutzko, KX9X, photo]
holds two of the League's flagship operating awards -- DXCC and Worked
All States (WAS). His 100 W station is quite modest, with a 35-foot
end-fed wire in the attic for his antenna (and he even operates on 160
meters!). He confirmed all of the contacts necessary for the two
awards using Logbook of The World (LoTW). ARRL CEO-Elect Tom
Gallagher, NY2RF, on March 7 congratulated Shea and presented him with
his awards.
"I play radio daily and absolutely love it," Shea, a high school
sophomore in Southington, Connecticut, said on his QRZ.com profile. In
addition to ham radio, he's on the Southington High School Robotics
Team, and he's been busy recruiting new radio amateurs among his
friends at school. "I am hoping to get a few more new hams on the air
to keep the great hobby going!" he said. -- Thanks to Sean Kutzko,
KX9X
Former DX QSL Manager Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, SK
Well-known QSL manager for DX stations and a former manager of the
Third Call Area QSL Bureau Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, of Duncannon,
Pennsylvania, died on March 12 after a period of failing health. An
ARRL member, she was 91. DX chasers during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s
likely received QSL cards from DX stations for which she handled
QSLing duties.
Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP.
In 2005, the ARRL Executive Committee voted unanimously to name Crider
the recipient of ARRL President's Award for her contributions to the
cause of international goodwill through her long service as a QSL
manager and as manager of the ARRL Third Call Area Incoming QSL
Bureau. When she stepped down, the National Capitol DX Association
(NCDXA) took over the bureau, with noted DXer Fred Laun, K3ZO, at the
helm. At the time, Laun cited Crider's "encyclopedic knowledge of DXCC
entities and call sign prefixes...built by her work in the trenches,
as illustrated by her DXCC confirmed total of 360 entities."
Before she became the bureau's manager, Crider served as a sorter for
11 years. Among the DX operators she served as QSL manager was King
Hussein of Jordan, JY1, and she made several trips to Jordan to visit
him.
Crider was licensed as a Novice in 1967. Her late husband was W3GE
(ex-W3HTO).
A service is set for Saturday, March 19. -- Thanks to Glenn
Kurzenknabe, K3SWZ, Kay Craigie, N3KN, and to The Daily DX
In Brief...
ARRL 2016 August UHF Contest Cancelled: The ARRL August UHF Contest
for 2016 has been cancelled, while the ARRL VHF Contest Revitalization
Committee mulls its future. The Contest Revitalization Committee
fielded dozens of comments from members concerning possible changes to
this annual UHF operating event, traditionally held on the first
weekend of August each year. Many commenters expressed dissatisfaction
with the timing of the contest, occurring as it does at the hottest
time of the year, and that it was too close on the calendar to other
VHF/UHF events. In response to this member input, the Contest
Revitalization Committee recommended to the Programs and Services
Committee (PSC) that the 2016 August UHF Contest be cancelled, and the
PSC agreed. The ARRL VHF Contest Revitalization Committee continues to
study the possibility of redesigning the August UHF Contest or
replacing it with a similar event at another point in the calendar --
possibly in the spring -- for 2017. The Committee will solicit member
comments in the near future, as it weighs several alternatives.
Boston Marathon Communications Committee Seeks Additional Amateur
Radio Volunteers: Registration for Boston Marathon Amateur Radio
volunteers remains open with assignments available for new volunteers
with a passion for public service as well as for experienced hands.
The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) sponsors the marathon, and
preparations are in high gear for the April 18 Patriots' Day event.
Each spring, some 300 trained Amateur Radio volunteers staff the
event, providing vital communication services over the entire 26-mile
course. Amateur Radio volunteers are recruited, selected, and managed
by the BAA's Communications Committee. The marathon attracts
approximately 30,000 runners and 10,000 volunteers. Registration is
easy and one-stop. Visit the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio
Communications website for more information. -- Thanks to Brett Smith,
AB1RL, BAA Communications Committee Volunteer Coordinator
Russian "Inventors of Telecommunications" Stations on the Air: Special
event stations in Russia will be on the air from March 16 until June
16 as part of the international scientific-educational radio marathon
called "Inventors of Telecommunications," established by the Russian
Geographical Society and supported by radio clubs and Amateur Radio
operators. There will be awards and certificates. Each RT73-prefix
station represents a historical figure in the area of
telecommunications or electronics. For example, RT73BA represents
Alexander Graham Bell, RT73EA represents Edwin Howard Armstrong,
RT73VZ represents Vladimir Kosmich Zworykin, and RT73NT represents
Nikola Tesla (photo). -- Thanks to The Daily DX
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar indicators were lower this
week, while geomagnetic indicators were higher.
Compared to the previous 7 days, average daily sunspot numbers in our
reporting week (March 10-16) dropped by 12.7 points to 51.7, and
average daily solar flux was down by 3.2 points to 93.6. The average
planetary A index was up by 2.8 points to 15.7, and the average
mid-latitude A index increased from 8.6 to 12.
The latest forecast has predicted solar flux at 95 on March 17-19; 90
on March 20-21; 85 on March 22-23; 95 on March 24-28; 100 on March
29-31; 95 on April 1-9; 93 on April 10; 90 on April 11-15; 95 on April
16-17, and 90 on April 18-19. Flux values then rise to 100 on April
25-27.
The predicted planetary A index is 14, 8, and 5 on March 17-19; 4, 6,
and 8 on March 20-22; 5 on March 23-31, and 8, 30, 25, and 8 on April
1-4. The planetary A index rises to 25 on April 11, and to 30 on April
29.
Sunspot numbers for March 10 through 16 were 61, 48, 56, 43, 57, 44,
and 53, with a mean of 51.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 95, 94.2,
95, 92.6, 93.4, 94.1, and 91, with a mean of 93.6. Estimated planetary
A indices were 10, 23, 13, 4, 14, 24, and 22, with a mean of 15.7.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 21, 11, 4, 11, 17, and 13,
with a mean of 12.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
March 19 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
March 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint
March 19-20 -- SARL VHF/UHF Analog/Digital
March 19-20 --F9AA Cup (SSB)
March 19-20 -- Russian DX Contest (CW, SSB)
March 19-20 -- Louisiana QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 19-20 -- Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
March 19-21 -- BARTG HF RTTY Contest
March 20 -- UBA Spring Contest (SSB)
March 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
March 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
March 24 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (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 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 1-2 -- OzarkCon QRP Conference, Branson, Missouri
April 2 -- Delta Division Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas
April 2 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 2 -- Wisconsin Section Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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 7 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South
Carolina
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.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
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