| |
N9PMO > LETTER 29.04.16 22:48l 634 Lines 29848 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
BID : ARRL3418
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARRL3418 ARRL Letter
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N9PMO
Sent: 160429/2039Z 13091@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.12
Sign Up Now to Discover the HF Experience at Hamvention's ARRL EXPO!
ARRL, ARISS Representatives Attend 2016 USA Science and Engineering
Festival in DC
FCC Invites Comments on Petition to Eliminate 15 dB Gain Limit on
Amateur Amplifiers
Frustrated Funding, Breached Secrecy Foiled North Korea DXpedition,
Group Leader Says
National Parks on the Air Update
Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Communications Test Set for May 14
Now Shipping: High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio by Glen Popiel,
KW5GP
The Doctor Will See You Now!
Severe Weather Prompts SKYWARN Activations in Oklahoma
Radio Amateurs Support Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay
Young Ham Wins First-Place Science Fair Trophy with Mag Loop Antenna
Entry
In Brief...
The K7RA Solar Update
This Week in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
Sign Up Now to Discover the HF Experience at Hamvention's ARRL EXPO!
A new feature of ARRL EXPO at Dayton Hamvention®, May 20-22, 2016,
will be "Discover the HF Experience" -- an exhibit and initiative for
new operators and for those lacking experience with ham radio on HF.
Comparable HF operating positions will be available, along with
mentoring on how to make an HF contact. Anyone interested can book a
30-minute session, one to a guest, and no license is required.
Experienced operators will be on hand to help.
"Our priority is non-hams, new hams, or those who have not experienced
HF operation," said Gerry Hull, W1VE, who established the Discover the
HF Experience program with Cary Rubenfeld, VE4EA. Inaugural Discover
sessions in early April in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Framingham,
Massachusetts, each attracted about 50 attendees. "More were long-time
hams who spent more time on VHF than HF," Hull said. "Some had given
up HF long ago and gone to VHF." Most of the visitors at both
locations, however, were hams who already operate HF, but wanted a
refresher.
The initial sessions combined hands-on operating with talks on various
aspects of Amateur Radio and of HF operating in particular. Hull said
topics covered in supplementary talks at the Massachusetts session
included radios, antennas, and where to find help and information. Due
to time constraints, Dayton's Discover will offer just the HF
operation component, and the program has been adjusted appropriately.
Hull said a team "with great Elmers" will be at ARRL EXPO for all 3
days of Hamvention.
Also for newcomers attending Hamvention, the League will sponsor the
first-ever ARRL Youth Rally on Saturday, May 21, open to youth and
young adults from 11 to 26. Register by May 1. The Youth Rally will
feature a full program of hands-on ham radio activities, discovery,
sharing, and fun!
A Work in Progress
Recalling the Massachusetts Discover session, Hull said, "In working
with the 'students' at the stations, it was readily apparent that a
Technician license does not prepare anyone for HF operation, so we
learned to explain more."
Some operating techniques covered were pretty basic fare for HF
veterans, but essential for newcomers to that part of the Amateur
Radio spectrum. These included how to call CQ, how to respond to
callers, and provide a signal report. "They did not understand the QSO
sequence and other aspects," Hull said. "They were pretty green about
HF -- more so than I had anticipated." Hull allowed that many, if not
most, newcomers study for their Technician ticket by looking at the
question pool and answers and probably not learning very much about
hands-on ham radio.
Fourteen-year-old Marty Sullaway, KC1CWF (left), connected to and ran
his home station in Waban, Massachusetts, from the Framingham
"Discover the HF Experience" session on April 10. Dennis Egan, W1UE
(right), operated W1KM on Cape Cod. [Brian Szewczyk, NJ1F, photo]
"Operating a station needs to be a mandatory step, not voluntary,"
Hull stressed. "My goal, and that of everyone associated with this
idea, is to get people excited about HF."
Hull had approached ARRL EXPO Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, to
propose bringing "Discover the HF Experience" to ARRL EXPO. "The
exhibit ties in well with ARRL's recently adopted Strategic Plan and
our goal to encourage members to get involved, get active, and get on
the air," Inderbitzen said. Read more.
ARRL, ARISS Representatives Attend 2016 USA Science and Engineering
Festival in DC
The ARRL and Amateur Radio were well represented April 15-17 at the
4th Biennial 2016 USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington,
DC. Scientists, engineers, educators, and students attended the
premier science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
event, where major academic learning centers and research institutes
joined forces with corporate partners and government agencies to bring
the excitement of leading-edge learning, fun, and discovery to
communities.
"Amateur Radio volunteers from the ARRL Maryland-DC Section assisting
at the ARRL booth -- graciously funded by Lee Ciereszko, N4TCW -- were
joined by ARRL Headquarters staff, and Atlantic Division leadership,"
said Maryland-DC (MDC) Section Manager Marty Pittinger, KB3MXM. "We
had the pleasure of meeting numerous visiting hams from across the
country and around the world. It was a privilege to share in this
opportunity to network with many educators, corporate executives,
military, and local civic groups -- and to share with them the
multifaceted role that ARRL plays in STEM."
Pittinger said the spacious DC Convention Center was completely filled
with STEM-related organizations from across the US, many offering
hands-on demonstrations. Estimates put the number of visitors at more
than 365,000, and the ARRL MDC Section booth staff greeted
approximately 4000 eager and enthusiastic visitors during the 3-day
event, Pittinger said. "We demonstrated Lenz's Law with copper-pipe
and neodymium magnets; MESH networks; Morse code, and emergency
communications," he recounted. "We also offered information about the
ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, part of the
educational STEM outreach by the ARRL to schools through its Education
& Technology Program (ETP)." ARRL Education Services Manager Debra
Johnson, K1DMJ, was on hand to talk about the Teachers Institute and
answer questions.
(L-R) Past MDC SM Jim Cross, WI3N; ARRL Atlantic Division Director Tom
Abernethy, W3TOM; ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson,
K1DMJ, and MDC SM Marty Pittinger, KB3MXM.
Elsewhere at the Festival, Amateur Radio was also represented at the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) exhibit,
located in the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space's "Space
Station Explorers" display, part of NASA's presence. ARISS team
members, including Johnson, and Rosalie White, K1STO, of ARRL; ARISS
International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and AMSAT's ARISS
representative Dave Taylor, W8AAS, were on hand to tell the ARISS
story. They also served as hosts for a Saturday afternoon ARISS
contact with ISS crew member Tim Peake, KG5BVI, and members of the
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, DC. Read more. -- Thanks
to MDC SM Marty Pittinger, KB3MXM
FCC Invites Comments on Petition to Eliminate 15 dB Gain Limit on
Amateur Amplifiers
The FCC has put on public notice and invited comments on a Petition
for Rule Making (RM-11767), filed on behalf of an amateur amplifier
distributor, which seeks to revise the Amateur Service rules regarding
maximum permissible amplifier gain. Expert Linears America LLC of
Magnolia, Texas, which distributes linears manufactured by SPE in
Italy, wants the FCC to eliminate the 15 dB gain limitation on amateur
amplifiers that's spelled out in §97.317(a)(2). Expert asserts that
there should be no gain limitation at all on amplifiers sold or used
in the Amateur Service.
"There is no technical or regulatory reason [that] an amplifier
capable of being driven to full legal output by even a fraction of a
watt should not be available to Amateur Radio operators in the United
States," Expert said in its Petition.
Expert maintains that the 15 dB gain limitation is an unneeded
holdover from the days when amplifiers were less efficient and the FCC
was attempting to rein in the use of Amateur Service amplifiers by
Citizens Band operators. While the FCC proposed in its 2004 Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and Order in WT Docket 04-140 to delete the
requirement that amplifiers be designed to use a minimum of 50 W of
drive power and did so, it did not further discuss the 15 dB
amplification limit in the subsequent Report and Order in the docket.
"Although no party advocated retention of the 15 dB limit, it remains
in place today," Expert pointed out in its filing. "In the intervening
years, advancements in Amateur Radio transmitter technology have led
to the availability of highly compact, sophisticated, low-power
transmitters that require more than 15 dB of amplification to achieve
maximum legal power output. Therefore, Expert seeks to remove the 15
dB limit from §97.317 so that Amateur Radio manufacturers and
distributors will not be forced to needlessly cripple their amplifiers
for sale in the United States." Read more.
Frustrated Funding, Breached Secrecy Foiled North Korea DXpedition,
Group Leader Says
A co-leader of the recent VP8STI/VP8SGI Intrepid-DX Group DXpedition,
this week said "a surprising lack of support and lack of funding from
some of the world's paramount DX foundations" thwarted his group's
plans to mount a DXpedition to North Korea. In "The P5DX Story" posted
on April 25, Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said that years of negotiations had
finally yielded a written invitation from the Democratic Peoples
Republic of North Korea (DPRK) -- the most-needed DXCC entity -- to
operate there.
"We had hoped to be the first large DXpedition with clear and
unambiguous proof that we were active within the country and with real
evidence of permission," Ewing said in announcing the DXpedition's
cancellation.
The Intrepid-DX Group announced its "P5 Project" in 2013. With the
recent intervention of an unnamed "emissary," Ewing said, North Korea
"agreed to a 10-day Amateur Radio activity with three radios and up to
20 team members." Officials insisted on no advance publicity, and all
involved were sworn to secrecy.
"Our last major hurdle was that the DPRK was asking for a very large
fee to be paid for the permissions at various government levels and
ministries to operate from within the DPRK," Ewing recounted. The size
of the requested fee, Ewing said, prompted him to approach several
large Amateur Radio foundations for financial help. "All of our fees
would be paid directly to a China-based tour company, and no direct
exchange would take place with the North Koreans," Ewing pointed out.
But the group was rebuffed.
Paul Ewing, N6PSE. [QRZ.com Profile Photo]
Ewing said he and co-leader David Collingham, K3LP, decided they had
no other choice but to "drain our own personal retirement savings to
provide the bulk of our funding." Money for various fees as well as
equipment and air fare ran into the thousands of dollars.
Then, word of the DXpedition plans leaked out, igniting an Amateur
Radio media firestorm. A week before the team's planned departure,
Ewing learned that the DPRK had denied him and Collingham permission
to enter North Korea, leading to his decision to cancel the entire
enterprise. "I could not devote a sizable chunk of my life savings for
a project that I could no longer participate in," he explained. "The
financial losses suffered by Intrepid-DX and all of our team members
are substantial."
"This could have been a DXpedition for the record books," Ewing
concluded. "But now we will never know."
In subsequent comments, Ewing said, "The DPRK stated that the visas
were not approved because the two Americans had talked to the media in
violation of the directive that there be no pre-event publicity. Of
course, this was not true, but the damage was done." Read more.
National Parks on the Air Update
This past weekend marked the end of National Parks Week. NPOTA
Activators helped bring visibility to the parks with one of the most
active NPOTA weekends yet. There are now nearly 295,000 QSOs in
Logbook of the World for National Parks on the Air -- an amazing
total.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an independent
non-profit organization, wrote a great story about National Parks on
the Air for its membership. Thanks to Jennifer Errick and Sam Chiron
at NPCA for their coverage!
ARRL is still accepting photos and video of NPOTA activations for
display in the NPOTA ARRL EXPO booth at Dayton Hamvention®. E-mail
with photos or information about your video content, and we will be in
touch. Video should be HD, no more than 5 minutes long, have high
production values, and tell the story of both Amateur Radio and the
NPS unit being activated. Deadline for submissions is May 15.
There are 56 activations on the schedule for the week of April 28-May
4, including the International Peace Garden (AA12) in North Dakota,
and the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site (NS64) in Colorado.
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). -- Thanks to Sean Kutzko, KX9X
Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Communications Test Set for May 14
The Armed Forces Day Military/Amateur Radio Cross-Band Communications
Test, sponsored by the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, will
take place on Saturday, May 14. The event gets under way at 1200 UTC,
with activity continuing throughout the day. Some military stations
may not operate for the entire period.
"New for Armed Forces Day this year, military stations and Amateur
Radio operators are authorized to directly communicate on the 60 meter
interoperability channels," US Army MARS Program Manager Paul English,
WD8DBY, pointed out.
This year marks the 66th Armed Forces Day (AFD), observed on May 21.
The Military/Amateur Radio Cross-Band Communications Test is held
earlier, in order to avoid conflicting with Dayton Hamvention®.
The annual exercise is an opportunity to test two-way communication
between amateur and military communicators. It features traditional
military-to-amateur cross-band SSB and CW communication and offers an
opportunity for radio amateurs to utilize modern military
communication modes such as MIL-STD serial PSK and automatic link
establishment (ALE). These tests challenge Amateur Radio operators and
shortwave listeners (SWLs) to demonstrate individual technical skills
and to receive recognition from military radio stations. The complete
announcement -- subject to change -- is available on the US Army MARS
website.
Participating military stations will transmit on selected military
frequencies and listen for Amateur Radio stations on selected amateur
frequencies, which the military station operator will announce. Read
more.
Now Shipping: High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio by Glen Popiel,
KW5GP
High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio by Glen Popiel, KW5GP, now is
available from ARRL. The possible uses for these high-speed data
networks in the Amateur Radio community are endless. Virtually any
service that works on the regular Internet can be adapted to an
Amateur Radio high-speed multimedia (HSMM) network, including video
conferencing, instant messaging, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP),
network sensors and cameras, remote station control, and many other
services. With the capability to send real-time video and data files,
the public service and disaster support aspects of Amateur Radio are
expanded tremendously.
"The area of high-speed microwave networking and multimedia allows
Amateur Radio to take a giant leap forward in new methods of digital
communication," Popiel said. "Through a blending of cutting-edge radio
and computer technologies, a completely new frontier has been opened
for hams to develop and utilize entirely new wireless networking
technologies. The potential uses are endless, providing a powerful
platform ideally suited for portable high-speed data networks, as well
as tremendously enhancing the emergency communications aspect of
Amateur Radio."
This book introduces HSMM networking, explains the basics of how it
works, and describes the various technologies in use today. Later
chapters explain in detail how to deploy your own HSMM network, along
with various applications to put it to work. Well-illustrated
step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process of
installing and configuring software needed to get your HSMM network up
and running.
High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio is available from the ARRL
Store or your ARRL Dealer (ARRL item 0529), ISBN: 978-62595-052-9,
$27.95 retail, special ARRL Member Price $24.95. Contact ARRL
Publication Sales or call 860-594-0355 (toll-free in the US,
888-277-5289). It is also available as an e-book for the Amazon
Kindle.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Does CW Really Get Through When Nothing Else Can?" is the topic of
the current episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In" podcast. Listen and
find out!
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 e-mail your questions to
doctor@arrl.org, and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.
The topic for the May 5 podcast will be "Open Wire Line."
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.
Severe Weather Prompts SKYWARN Activations in Oklahoma
Radio amateurs across Oklahoma reported in on April 26 after SKYWARN
nets activated in response to severe weather traversing the Sooner
State, Oklahoma Section Manager Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, said.
Thunderstorms, accompanied in some places by hail, raked the state.
"Folks like Wade Norris, K5WPN; Dale Town, N5VX; Stephen Ellis,
KG5ICZ, and Paula Cain, KD5JOC, plus WX5TUL at the Tulsa National
Weather Service (NWS) Office, gathered reports meeting SKYWARN
criteria," Colston said following the marathon session of storms.
The storms and radio nets began in the afternoon of April 26 and
continued into the early hours of April 27. The Amateur Radio
volunteers' reports were added to those gathered from emergency
managers, public safety agencies, and the public. The NWS uses the
information gathered via SKYWARN in developing its forecasts, watches,
and warnings. Colston said that at least one net operated for 7 hours.
Radio Amateurs Support Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay
Hundreds of Amateur Radio operators, most from California, Nevada, and
Arizona, turned out March 19-20 to support communication for the 2016
Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay (B2V). This year marked the 32nd
anniversary of the event, sometimes called "The world's longest police
foot pursuit." The relay event covers some 120 miles of remote
territory, from the Mojave Desert near Baker, California -- the
gateway to Death Valley -- to Las Vegas, Nevada.
"This event allows the Southwestern US amateur community to showcase
its abilities to the country's law enforcement community," ARRL Los
Angeles Section Manager David Greenhut, N6HD, said.
As in past years, Joy Matlack, KD6FJV, served as Communication
Director, assisted by Margie Hoffman, KG6TBR, organizing the Amateur
Radio communication support. This effort involves nearly a year of
planning and preparation. The 2016 event hosted 264 law enforcement
teams.
Amateur Radio volunteers provided needed race staffing and filled
potential emergency communication gaps in remote portions of the
course. Los Angeles ARES (ARESLAX) teams were among the volunteering
groups. -- Thanks to Los Angeles Section Manager David Greenhut, N6HD
Young Ham Wins First-Place Science Fair Trophy with Mag Loop Antenna
Entry
A 10-year-old ARRL member from Snoqualmie, Washington, took first
place in his grade and division for a magnetic loop antenna project he
entered into the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair
(WSSEF). Dragan Tuip, KG7OQT, was among the more than 700 presenters
at the fair, held April 1-2 in Bremerton. A 5th grade student at
Yellow Wood Academy in Mercer Island, his project, "Modular HF Mag
Loop Antenna," stemmed from his desire for a compact antenna to use in
his room with his HF transceiver -- a flea market bargain. According
to his dad, Martin Tuip, KG7HAX, Dragan built the antenna himself and
successfully tested it by making JT65 contacts with Japan and Georgia.
The 59th annual WSSEF marked Dragan's science fair debut.
Ten-year-old Dragan Tuip, KG7OQT, with is magnetic loop science fair
entry. [Mike Bay/WSSEF photo]
"When they called my name during the award ceremony, I was stunned! I
was amazed!" he told ARRL. "I learned that not everything is always
the best, and some things still have room for improvement. I had
several people already ask me if they could buy the antenna." Licensed
at age 8, Dragan wants to earn DXCC before he turns 11. He eventually
hopes to market the antenna.
The magnetic loop design he entered into the science fair consists of
a 10-foot circumference loop of LMR-400 coaxial cable with a 2-foot
circumference loop of solid copper and a variable capacitor for tuning
housed in a central enclosure. According to Dragan, the antenna is
usable on 40, 30, 20, 17, and 15 meters with a low SWR. The antenna
can handle up to about 10 W for 100 percent duty cycle modes, and up
to 15 W PEP for SSB.
The need for an indoor antenna arose after his mom let it be known
that she didn't want any new holes drilled in the house nor any more
visible antennas. Dragan had seen some mag loop-style antennas in
articles his dad had been reading and asked if something like that
might fit in his room.
"I told him that that size would work, and off he went to scavenge the
house for parts to build a prototype," Martin Tuip said. "We had to
order a capacitor for the prototype, and he built further upon that."
Dragan did all the calculations for the wire lengths involved, he
said.
"He ran propagation tests using WSPR with my G5RV as reference, and
the mag loop was about 80 percent as effective at a fraction of the
size," Martin Tuip said. Read more.
In Brief...
Three ESA "Fly Your Satellite!" Program CubeSats Now in Orbit and
Transmitting: Three student-built CubeSats -- including the first to
carry a D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) Amateur
Radio payload into space -- now are successfully in orbit following an
April 25 launch from Guiana. Signals from all three have been received
on Earth. OUFTI-1 (Orbital Utility For Telecommunication Innovations),
constructed by students at the University of Liege in Belgium (ULg),
carries the D-STAR payload. The other two CubeSats -- e-st@r-II and
AAUSAT4 -- are from Italy and Denmark, respectively. The three
CubeSats were developed by student teams under the European Space
Agency (ESA) Education Office "Fly Your Satellite!" program, which is
aimed at training the next generation of aerospace professionals. The
first three radio amateurs to send a recorded signal from OUFTI-1,
AAUSAT4, or e-st@r-II will receive a prize from ESA's Education
Office. Visit the ESA website for details.
TAPR Dayton Hamvention Digital Forum to Include SatNOGS, HamWAN, SDR
Talks: TAPR has announced the presentations for its Dayton Hamvention®
Digital Forum, moderated by Scotty Cowling, WA2DFI, on Friday, May 20,
at 9:15 AM. Among the presentions will be "SatNOGS -- a network of
open source satellite ground stations," by Corey Shields, KB9JHU. The
SatNOGS Project focuses on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Shields
will introduce SatNOGS as a way to increase the amount of CubeSat data
that are collected and reported. Bryan Fields, W9CR, will present
"HamWAN High-Speed IP Radio Network," an Amateur Radio high-speed IP
backbone concept that uses the same techniques enabling the Internet.
"SDR Disrupt" will be the topic of Chris Testa, KD2BMH, who will
review the landscape and advancements in SDR technologies over the
past year. Latest developments in digital voice will also be
discussed. "Spectrum Monitoring with Software Defined Radio," by Mike
Ossmann, AD0NR, will follow. More information about TAPR activities at
Dayton is on the TAPR website.
Collegiate Ham Radio Dinner Set for Dayton Hamvention Weekend: The
Collegiate Ham Radio Dinner will be held on Friday, May 20, the first
day of Dayton Hamvention®, at Little York Tavern and Pizza, 4120
Little York Road, Vandalia, Ohio. It gets under way at 6:30 PM. Magda
Moses, KM4EGE, is organizing the event on behalf of the Virginia Tech
Amateur Radio Association (VTARA). The Collegiate Ham Radio Dinner is
a get-together of current and past collegiate ham radio operators, and
anyone who shares an interest in college ham radio clubs and
activities. High school students exploring college choices are
encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Moses, (571)
355-8582. RSVPs, either by e-mail or at our Facebook event page, are
appreciated, but not required.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the reporting week of April
21-27, average daily sunspot numbers rose from 40 to 43.3, and average
daily solar flux declined from 100.8 to 81.9. This is compared to the
previous seven days. The average planetary A index dropped from 10.9
to 9.4, and the average mid-latitude A index rose from 8.9 to 11.6.
Predicted solar flux is 95 on April 28; 93 on April 29-May 1; 92 on
May 2; 90 on May 3-4; 95 on May 5-10; 100 on May 11; 95 on May 12-15;
82 on May 16-24; 80 on May 25; 82 on May 26-29, and 95 on May 30-June
6.
Predicted planetary A index is 6, 14, 26, and 18 on April 28-May 1; 8,
6, and 8 on May 2-4; 5 on May 5-8; 18, 25, and 20 on May 9-11; 8, 5,
and 12 on May 12-14; 5 on May 15-18; 12, 15, and 12 on May 19-21; 8 on
May 22-23; 5 on May 24-25; then 10, 18, and 12 on May 26-28; 5 on May
29-30; 12 on May 31, and 5 on June 1-4.
Spaceweather.com reports Earth will cross a fold in the heliospheric
current sheet on April 29 or 30. "This is called a 'solar sector
boundary crossing,' and it could trigger geomagnetic activity around
Earth's poles," Spaceweather.com reported. "NOAA forecasters estimate
a 60 percent chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on April 29."
Sunspot numbers for April 21 through 27 were 35, 22, 11, 46, 38, 65,
and 86, with a mean of 40. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 76.8, 76.6,
78.7, 81.8, 81.9, 85.2, and 92.6, with a mean of 100.8. Estimated
planetary A indices were 5, 13, 12, 11, 8, 7, and 10, with a mean of
10.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 23, 13, 11, 11, 6, 6, and
11, with a mean of 8.9.
Send me your reports and observations.
This Week in Radiosport
April 30-May 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone, digital)
April 30-May 1 -- Florida QSO Party (CW, phone)
May 1 -- AGCW QRP/QRP Party (CW)
May 2 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB)
May 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
May 4-5 -- MIE 33 Contest (CW, SSB)
May 5 -- NRAU 10 Meter Activity 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 e-mail preferences.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
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
June 3-5 -- Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
June 4 -- Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia
June 5 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect,
Pennsylvania
June 10-11 -- West Gulf Division Convention, Irving, Texas
June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
June 24-26 -- Ham Radio 2016, Friedrichshafen, Germany
July 2 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania
July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention, Sandy, Utah
July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference, Rochester, Minnesota
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 bi-monthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint and QSO Parties.
QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly,
features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other
items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the ARRL Contest Update(bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
