| |
N9PMO > LETTER 26.07.14 00:06l 705 Lines 32789 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
BID : ARLL3230
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARLL3230 ARRL LETTER
Path: IW8PGT<F1OYP<F1OYP<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<N9PMO<N9PMO
Sent: 140725/2259Z 27518@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQK1.4.60
ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second
Century
Centennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio
Parity Act," HR.4969
FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio
"Resilient"
FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs Alleging
Deliberate Interference, Failure to Identify
ARRL VEC Conducts Remote Exam Session with Applicants in Antarctica
W1AW Centennial Operations Move to Indiana, Rhode Island
Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker
Cincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its
System
ARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major Donors
Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio
Will Thrive
India's VO-52 Satellite Goes Dark
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second
Century
With the ARRL National Centennial Convention, July 17-19, now a
And we're off! (L-R) ARRL New England Division Vice Director Mike
Raisbeck, K1TWF; ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, and ARRL COO
Harold Kramer, WJ1B. Raisbeck and Kramer were the convention
co-chairs. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
part of Amateur Radio history, the League's second century has
arrived! The ARRL welcomed some 3300 visitors to the Connecticut
Convention Center in Hartford for the 3-day event, which went
smoothly for the most part, said ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
She noted that many conventioneers even stayed around for the
official closing ceremony on Saturday afternoon -- and beyond.
"Even as late as Sunday, people were shaking my hand at the
convention hotel and saying how much they enjoyed the convention,"
Craigie said. "Despite a few hitches and glitches, the event as a
whole met our objective of being a truly memorable and meaningful
celebration of the centennial, in the city where it all began 100
years ago."
At ARRL's "Discovery Station" in the Convention's Exhibit hall,
presenter Larry Kendall, K6NDL, demonstrates basic electricity and
electronic principles for Shannon Fitzgerald.
Craigie expressed appreciation for the efforts of ARRL Headquarters
staffers and the many volunteers who helped to make the convention
a success. "The ARRL also appreciates the Training Track and forum
presenters, who made the program as fine as anything ever brought
together for an Amateur Radio convention," she added. "The
exhibitors who supported the show with their presence gave visitors
an excellent opportunity to learn more about the products,
services, and organizations in today's Amateur Radio. That was
really helpful when I walked through the exhibits with FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and later with Congressman
Joseph Courtney of Connecticut -- an original co-sponsor of HR.4969
-- for some show and tell about Amateur Radio activities and
technology."
All smiles: (L-R) Jose Vicens, NP4G; John Bigley, N7UR; Rafael
Velazquez, NP4VO; Carlos Colon, WP4U, and Carlos Osorio, WP4N.
[Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
The winner of a drawing for a $5000 grand prize certificate from
the ARRL and R&L Electronics was ARRL Life Member John C Davison,
N2OXV, of Poughkeepsie, New York. The winner of a $2500 gift
certificate from the ARRL and FlexRadio Systems was Robert The,
AC2II, of Germantown, New York.
Brandon Turrentine, KF5QYU, draws a ticket for a lucky winner at
the closing ceremony for the ARRL National Centennial Convention.
[LJB Special Photography, photo]
"Just before the prize drawing on Saturday afternoon, I invited the
youngest hams at the closing ceremony onto the main stage," said
Inderbitzen. "There were four 13-year-olds -- Stu Cichon of
Meriden, Connecticut (a prospective ham); Dahnesh Upton, KB1OTB, of
Mont Vernon, New Hampshire; Tobias Park, KD2EOM, of Warwick, New
York; and Brandon Turrentine, KF5QYU, of Winnie, Texas. "Brandon
pulled the tickets of the two prize winners," Inderbitzen
continued. "Each of these young hams will be sent a hardcover
edition of the ARRL Centennial Handbook signed by members of the
staff, and some other 'goodies.'"
At the convention, Craigie said, she saw some youngsters in
strollers who likely will be around for the League's 150th
anniversary in 2064. "Our job now is to do our part to make sure
that Amateur Radio and the ARRL are strong for them when it's their
turn to celebrate the next milestone in the history of our League,"
she said.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, concluded the closing ceremony. "With
this moment, we say good-bye to ARRL's first century with fondness
[and] great memories," he said. "You're all part of that history,
and now we're all part of the ARRL's second century."
Centennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio
Parity Act," HR.4969
The just-concluded ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford,
Connecticut, helped to infuse some energy into efforts to line up
co-sponsors for "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" -- HR.4969.
ARRL Chief Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME,
photo]
The measure, introduced in the US House of Representatives with
bipartisan support in late June, calls on the FCC to apply the
"reasonable accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal
pre-emption policy to private land-use restrictions regarding
antennas. The bill's primary sponsor is Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).
It received initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT). An
additional four co-sponsors have since signed aboard the bill.
Courtney visited the ARRL Centennial Convention on July 19 to speak
with League officials and those attending the event. At present
PRB-1 only applies to state and municipal land-use ordinances, and
the FCC has indicated that it will not act to provide the same
legal protections from private land-use agreements -- often called
covenants, conditions, and restrictions (or CC&Rs) -- without
direction from Congress.
Convention visitors began sporting League-supplied "Get Behind HR
4969" stickers as the event shifted into high gear. Behind the
stickers is a grassroots effort to encourage members to contact
their congressional representatives to seek their support as
co-sponsors for HR.4969. The effort at the Convention to entice
visitors to sign letters to lawmakers yielded some 1400 constituent
letters that will be hand delivered to members of Congress, a July
19 Convention Legislative Update Forum was told.
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said there already is
precedent for the FCC to act. He explained that the Commission's
so-called Over-the-Air Receiving Device (OTARD) rules currently
preempt private land-use agreements to permit the installation of
television antennas and satellite dishes. He suggested that making
the leap to reasonably accommodating outdoor Amateur Radio antennas
is within the FCC's regulatory scope, given the established strong
federal interest in effective Amateur Radio communication.
"People don't always get to choose where they live," Imlay said.
CC&Rs enforced by homeowner's associations may or may not permit
Initial HR.4969 co-sponsor US Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT) visited the
ARRL Centennial Convention. [LJB Special Photography photo]
antennas or may only permit them with approval. He said that by
1990, some 29 million US residents were affected by private
land-use agreements. "In 2011, that number changed to 62.3 million
people," Imlay said. The goal, he explained, is to compel
homeowner's associations to negotiate "reasonable accommodation"
with an affected radio amateur. That could mean an outdoor wire
antenna or something more elaborate; Imlay said it's not the intent
of the bill to specify any particular type of antenna.
HR.4969 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce
Committee. Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panel's
Communications and Technology Subcommittee, which will consider the
measure. The League had approached Walden, who helped to engineer
the current legislation.
"All [the bill] says is, take PRB-1, and apply it to all land-use
regulation," Imlay said. "This couldn't be any simpler."
Imlay said the bill faces opposition from the Community
Associations Institute and an organization called Associa, which
has suggested to Kinzinger that he "re-think" the bill.
"We need to get a lot of co-sponsors for this bill," Imlay said.
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB. [Rick Lindquist,
WW1ME, photo]
A principal proponent of HR.4969 is ARRL Hudson Division Director
Mike Lisenco, N2YBB. "We are the ones who are responsible for our
own future. The way to get things done is to be active on a
grassroots level -- small scale," he told the gathering of about 50
interested radio amateurs. "This way you're dealing with your
representatives as a constituent." Several forum attendees left
early so they could visit the ARRL exhibit on the convention floor
to obtain the necessary materials.
ARRL Regulatory Affairs Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, pointed out
that the League has opened a HR.4969 page on the ARRL website. It
contains information and resources for clubs and individuals
wishing to support efforts to gain co-sponsors for the measure by
contacting their members of Congress. It includes a sample letter
to a member of Congress and a list of "talking points." Lisenco
recommended organizing small teams of knowledgeable and articulate
radio amateurs to approach lawmakers one to one to plead their
case.
Just prior to the Convention, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN,
released a video appeal to all radio amateurs to get behind a
grassroots campaign to promote co-sponsorship of HR.4969.
FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio
"Resilient"
The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have
announced a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will enhance
cooperation between the League and FEMA in the area of disaster
communication. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and ARRL
President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed the agreement July 18 during
the ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut.
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ (left) and ARRL President
Kay Craigie, N3KN, sign a Memorandum of Agreement. [Rick Lindquist,
WW1ME, photo]
"Radio is one of the most resilient communications technologies we
have," Fugate said. "When the power is out and telecommunications
are down, the Amateur Radio community can serve as a vital resource
in support of emergency responders and survivors during a disaster.
This MOA will strengthen FEMA's partnership with ARRL and build
upon our work to expand emergency communications capabilities and
the use of Amateur Radio in emergency management."
The new agreement will allow FEMA and ARRL to work together to
provide resources, services and personnel, as available, in order
to strengthen capacity in areas of emergency communications, mass
care and emergency assistance, disaster preparedness, response and
recovery, while also raising public awareness about the use of
Amateur Radio as a public safety resource. The pact also outlines
the ways in which FEMA and ARRL will cooperate to carry out their
respective responsibilities, with respect to disaster mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery operations in the event of a
natural or manmade disaster.
(L-R) National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Coordinator John
McHugh, K4AG; FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and NHC
Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R. [Rick
Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
Craigie said that from radio's earliest days of experimentation to
the present, ham radio volunteers have combined a passion for
technology with a devotion to assisting agencies that respond to
disasters. "This combination of inventiveness and service has saved
lives for a century," she said. "We look forward to working with
FEMA to further develop opportunities for trained, equipped and
prepared Amateur Radio operators to serve the public interest
whenever and wherever disasters affect our country and its
communities."
Fugate echoed his afternoon remarks as the keynote speaker at the
ARRL National Centennial Convention Banquet Friday evening. He said
that before he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to
him that Amateur Radio could support ad hoc communication without
relying on conventional communication systems. "The more
sophisticated our systems become, the more fragile they become," he
told the gathering of some 900 dinner guests. He again emphasized
the need for resiliency in communication systems, and asked, "How
many public safety networks can come close to ham radio's
bandwidth?"
"The relevancy of ham radio only grows," he asserted. "Amateur
Radio is taking that hobby and turning it into saving lives."
Ad
FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs Alleging
Deliberate Interference, Failure to Identify
The FCC Enforcement Bureau came down hard on two radio amateurs
this week, proposing substantial fines for alleged deliberate
interference with other Amateur Radio communications -- in one case
by transmitting music and animal noises -- and failure to properly
identify. In similar Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture
(NALs) released July 22, the Commission proposed fining Michael
Guernsey, KZ8O (ex-ND8V), of Parchment, Michigan, $22,000, and
Brian Crow, K3VR, of North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, $11,500. In
both cases, the FCC said the evidence indicated that the
transmissions at issue were aimed at interfering with other radio
amateurs with whom each "has had a long-standing and
well-documented dispute" that had spilled out onto the air.
The FCC in both instances responded last March to "several
complaints of intentional interference" on 14.313 MHz. Commission
agents used radio direction-finding techniques to pin down the
source of the transmissions. According to the NAL issued to
Guernsey, the FCC agents monitored transmissions from his station
for approximately 40 minutes on March 7, 2014, "and heard him
transmit a pre-recorded song and various animal noises on the
frequency."
According to the NAL issued to Crow, FCC agents monitored
transmissions from his station for approximately 3 hours on the
morning of March 14, 2014, and heard him transmit slow-scan
television (SSTV) signals and "a pre-recorded voice transmission of
another amateur station on the frequency."
"These transmissions prevented other amateur licensees from
communicating over the frequency," the NALs said, adding that
neither Guernsey or Crow transmitted their assigned call signs
while the agents were listening.
The FCC agents later the same day visited Crow's residence and
asked to inspect his station, which they confirmed was capable of
operating on 14.313 MHz. Crow denied operating his station that
morning, however, and claimed that he was not at home when the
interfering transmissions occurred.
The Enforcement Bureau has warned both Guernsey and Crow in the
past regarding interference to other Amateur Radio operators. In
Crow's case, the FCC said the fact that he subsequently interfered
with other amateur operators "demonstrates a deliberate disregard
for the Commission's authority," and warranted an upward adjustment
of $3500 to his proposed base forfeiture. Guernsey first came to
the Enforcement Bureau's attention in the late 1990s and, the FCC
said in the NAL, "has a history of causing interference to the
communications of other Amateur Radio operators and has been warned
repeatedly in writing." Guernsey's lengthy history with the
Commission warranted an upward adjustment of $14,000 to his
proposed base forfeiture.
The Commission gave both licensees 30 days to pay their fines or to
file written statements "seeking reduction or cancellation of the
proposed forfeiture."
The NALs to Guernsey and Crow came in the wake of a June 5 Notice
of Violation (NoV) alleging that Thomas Ryan Price, W7WL, of Sweet
Home, Oregon, caused malicious interference to other radio
communications on 3908 kHz, transmitted music on the same
frequency, and failed to properly identify.
ARRL VEC Conducts Remote Exam Session with Applicants in Antarctica
The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) administered several
Amateur Radio examination elements to applicants at Amundsen-South
Pole Station in Antarctica -- the home of KC4AAA. The examination
was the first administered under new FCC rules which became
effective on July 21, permitting VECs to administer Amateur Radio
examinations remotely.
"All six candidates earned a new or upgrade license," said ARRL VEC
Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. There were three new Technicians, two
upgrades to Amateur Extra, and one candidate who went from
unlicensed to Amateur Extra."
Joe Musachia, W5FJG, served as the volunteer examiner at the South
Pole, while Penny Harts, N1NAG, and Rose-Anne Lawrence, KB1DMW,
were the VEs at ARRL Headquarters.
"Chet Waggoner and Bartley Davis are the first at the South Pole
and possibly on the continent to pass the General exam," Musachia
said in a posting on the ARRL Facebook page. Two previous exam
sessions were held at the South Pole, but special permission from
the FCC was required to conduct them.
The view of the South Pole remote test session as seen at ARRL
Headquarters via satellite link: In the inset at the lower right of
the screen ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, speaks with the
exam administrator and candidates at the South Pole. [Amanda
Grimaldi, KB1VUV, photo]
The logistics were somewhat daunting, since the video link required
a satellite connection and clearance from NASA, and it was subject
to possible last-minute changes, should the International Space
Station require additional Satcom time. Musachia, who is the
satellite engineer at the station, said NASA was aware that the VEs
had requested a large block of time to perform the exam session and
did not change it.
Somma said the video exam session went ahead as scheduled on July
22 at 8 AM EDT, which was 8 PM in Antarctica. "The summer day was a
pleasant 80° here at Headquarters in Newington, while in Antarctica
it was 80 below!" she pointed out. Read more.
W1AW Centennial Operations Move to Indiana, Rhode Island
The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout
2014 from each of the 50 states now are in Indiana and Rhode
Island. They will relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, July 30 (the
evening of July 29 in US time zones), to South Dakota (W1AW/0) and
Kentucky (W1AW/4). During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every
state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy
to work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations.
The ARRL Centennial QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a year-long
operating event in which participants can accumulate points and win
awards. The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and
appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL
Centennial QSO Party points.
Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact,
even when working the same state during its second week of
activity. The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader
board that participants can use to determine how many points they
have accumulated.
Ad
Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker
While Bill Eberle, AB0MY, of Boulder, Colorado, and his wife Mary
were hiking in the back country on July 21, they encountered a team
of paramedics rendering aid to a 67-year-old man -- Michael
Schuett, of Broomfield, Colorado -- who had lost his footing while
crossing a stream. Schuett had struck his head on a boulder and was
found unconscious and face down in the water by another hiker, who
had pulled him to safety. The paramedics, en route to a youth camp,
also had stumbled onto the scene.
Lacking cell telephone coverage, Eberle put out a distress call on
the hand-held transceiver he always takes along when he hikes.
Promptly answering his call on the statewide Colorado Connection
Repeater system was Ryan Frederick, KD0TSZ, in Colorado Springs.
Frederick contacted the Boulder County Sheriff's office.
Authorities quickly turned to Scott Whitehead, KA0QPT, of Longmont,
a sheriff's department radio specialist and 30-year veteran of the
Rocky Mountain Rescue Team. Whitehead was able to contact Eberle
via the repeater network, and the two coordinated equipment and
rescue personnel.
Schuett was evacuated from the scene, treated at an area hospital,
and released. He credited ham radio for bringing the rescuers to
him. -- Thanks to John Bigley, N7UR, Nevada Amateur Radio Newswire
Cincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its
System
A Cincinnati, Ohio, broadband-over-powerline (BPL) Internet service
provider is throwing in the towel and yielding to more modern
technology. Cincinnati Communications will pull the plug on its BPL
system on August 1, according to a report on The Enquirer
newspaper's Cincinnati.com website.
"The failure of the Cincinnati system will come as no surprise to
anyone familiar with BPL technology," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
commented. "It's rather remarkable that they managed to keep it
going this long."
Thomas Balun of Broadband Ventures LLC, which operates Cincinnati
Communications, told The Enquirer that the company essentially
would be starting over from scratch with more up-to-date
technology. "The technology to subscribers' homes was really
antiquated," Balun told The Enquirer. "We tried to figure out how
to convert subscribers, but we can't do it. We have to shut the
system down and start over."
The Enquirer report said Cincinnati Communications customers had
endured "on-again, off-again service" with the BPL system, with
some service outages lasting for days.
Balun conceded that the technology "was painfully slow," the
Cincinnati.com report said, and the company plans to upgrade to an
optical fiber system.
The Cincinnati system was never a significant source of
interference to radio amateurs, Sumner said, because it used
Current Technologies hardware. "The medium-voltage lines used
low-band VHF frequencies," he explained. "The drops to homes used
HF, but with the ham bands notched." Read more.
ARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major Donors
Visitors to ARRL Headquarters will be greeted with something new in
the area in front of the main entrance. Complementing the terrace
of memorial bricks and benches on the left side of the entrance, a
new Centennial Terrace on
The ARRL Centennial Terrace at the entrance to ARRL Headquarters.
[Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
the right side of the main entrance was dedicated on July 17 at a
ribbon-cutting and reception held in conjunction with the ARRL
National Centennial Convention. The Centennial Terrace features an
impressive central granite pillar bearing the visage of ARRL
Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, and the names of the ARRL
Second Century Campaign (SCC) Committee, chaired by David
Brandenburg, K5RQ. The central pillar, which also displays the SCC
logo, is flanked by two granite panels. Engraved on these are the
names of those who contributed major gifts to the ARRL Second
Century Campaign.
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, told the gathering of about 200
that contributing to the Second Century Campaign "is not so much a
donation to the ARRL as an investment in the future of Amateur
Radio."
"We are the conduit. We are the means. Amateur Radio is the end,"
she added in thanking all contributors.
The permanent installation is a means to "make sure that future
generations remember your generosity," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
said.
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, chats with
Second Century Campaign Chairman David Brandenburg, K5RQ. [Rick
Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, hosted the
gathering, which Sumner called "bittersweet," since Hobart is
stepping down at the end of July to retire. "We'll miss her
tremendously," he said.
Sumner said the Centennial Terrace dedication and the convention
are "a part of the history of Amateur Radio," which, he continued,
would have ended long ago had it not been for "the vision of the
founders of this organization."
"The only way we have to repay that debt is to pay it forward to
the future to make sure that Amateur Radio and the ARRL as the
defender and supporter of Amateur Radio, are here long after we're
gone." Donors to the campaign "now are a part of the ARRL's history
and of Amateur Radio's history," he concluded.
Brandenburg said he stepped up to chair the Second Century Campaign
Committee because he felt a need to help those coming into the
hobby in the same way he was helped when he got into Amateur Radio
when he was 14. "For everybody here," he said, "ham radio is a big
deal to us, and it's very important to us that we keep it going."
Sumner predicted that when the week was over, there would be two
groups of radio amateurs: Those who attended the ARRL National
Centennial Convention and those who wish they had.
Ad
Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio
Will Thrive
Among the things the Amateur Radio community can count on in its
second century, according to Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, is
that ham radio will continue to thrive and serve the public
interest. While his primary topic at his standing-room-only
presentation on July 19 during the ARRL National Centennial
Convention was "DXing with Weak Signals and Beyond," Taylor -- who
detailed the development of his WSJT suite of "weak-signal" DSP
software -- also broke out his crystal ball.
Joe Taylor, K1JT. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, photo]
"Radios are going to become increasingly digital," he said, with
analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion occurring
"closer and closer to the antenna -- in fact, pretty much at the
antenna can be done already." Taylor also said that in the future,
good engineering will definitely be a combination of hardware and
software. Beyond that, he said, science, technology, and Amateur
Radio will continue to benefit from a healthy cross-fertilization
between amateurs and professionals.
"I know that is true in my own case," said Taylor, whose interest
in Amateur Radio at a young age helped guide his career path. "My
own boyhood fascination with the art and science of radio got me
into this hobby, and, from there, it launched me on a path leading
to advance degrees in physics, to teaching university physics, to
making fundamental research contributions to mankind's knowledge of
the laws of nature," Taylor told the rapt audience.
Taylor recounted that in Amateur Radio's infancy, scientists of the
day did not believe short wavelengths could support useful
communication. The government listened, and gave that part of the
spectrum to hams, who soon proved them wrong. "The experts truly
were astonished," Taylor said, exhorting his listeners to make
whatever contributions they can to the art and science of radio and
to the public good.
"It's a great story and it couldn't have happened the same way
without the ARRL," he continued. "Let us also work to keep our
League a strong and effective voice on our behalf. I'd like to
think that someone will be here100 years from now looking back
fondly on all the good things accomplished by Amateur Radio during
ARRL's second century."
India's VO-52 Satellite Goes Dark
Despite efforts to keep the flagging VUSat OSCAR-52 (VO-52) Amateur
Radio satellite in operation for a while longer, ground controllers
have yielded to the nearly decade-old spacecraft's failing
technology and have permanently taken it out of service. Launched
into low-Earth orbit in 2005, the VO-52 microsatellite carried two
Amateur Radio transponders for SSB and CW. B.A. "Mani" Subramani,
VU2WMY/KJ6LRS, of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
said that VO-52's lithium-ion batteries had failed, and the
satellite was officially decommissioned on July 21. Read more.
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
During the decade of the 1960s and subsequently, Gus Browning,
W4BPD, traveled the world and operated from over 100 countries,
many of them extremely rare ones and sometimes the first ham
operation for that country. Gus was an ordinary guy, always a
gentleman, and an unflappable pileup operator. He was the first
DXer elected to the DX Hall of Fame.
An ARRL prototype of OSCAR 1.
On December 12, 1961, OSCAR 1, the first Amateur Radio satellite,
was launched into orbit. OSCAR 2 followed on June 2, 1962. Both
paved the way for the amateur satellites that followed.
By 1963, the US ham population had reached a quarter of a million,
although at that time there were more CB operators than hams.
During the 1960s, repeater operation began on 2 meters. At first,
there was a fair amount of confusion -- questions of legality had
to be sorted out by the FCC, a lot of hams thought channelized
operation wasn't a good thing, equipment had to be developed, etc.
But eventually things settled down, and repeater operation on 2
meters took off, with repeater operation on other VHF/UHF ham bands
and 6 meters soon to follow.
On March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake and the resulting
tsunami struck Alaska and caused extensive damages in many parts of
the state. As in most natural and man-made disasters, hams were
quick to put together emergency communication links to help with
disaster relief.
Late in 1967, incentive licensing returned to ham radio. This had
been an on-again/off-again issue with FCC for about 15 years. -- Al
Brogdon, W1AB
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, Washington, reports: On Thursday, July
17, there were no sunspots at all! This serves a sobering reminder
of how weak this solar cycle is. By July 23, new sunspot regions
had emerged and the sunspot number was 55. Solar flux ranged from a
low of 86.1 on July 19 to a high of 99.1 on July 23.
Predicted solar flux for the near term is 100, 105, and 115 on July
24-26, 125, 140, and 155 on July 27-29, 170, 160, 150, and 155 on
July 31 through August 2, 150 on August 3-5, then dropping to 85 on
August 18, and rising to 150 on August 29.
The planetary A index was quiet over the past week, and it's
predicted to be at 5 on July 24, 8 on July 25-26, 5 on July 27-28,
12 and 10 on July 29-30, 5 on July 31 through August 4, 8 on August
5-6, 5 on August 7-9, 8 on August 10-11, then 5 on August 12-16, 8
on August 17-18, 5 on August 19-20, and 10 and 8 on August 21-22.
This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the
"Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and
an archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.
In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reader
reports on 6 meters, HF conditions and the usual fear and loathing
concerning weak solar activity. Send me your reports and
observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
July 26-27 -- RSGB IOTA Contest
July 27 -- Flight of the Bumblebees
August 1 -- NS Weekly Sprint
August 1 -- International Lighthouse-Lightship Contest
August 2 -- 10-10 Summer Phone QSO Party
August 2 -- ARRL UHF Contest
August 2-3 -- TARA Grid Dip Shindig
August 2-3 -- European HF Championship
August 2-3 -- North American QSO Party (CW)
August 2-3 -- South Africa DX SSB Contest
August 3 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest
August 3 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
July 25-26 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
August 1-2 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas
August 7-9 -- Young Ladies Radio League Convention, Vancouver,
Washington
August 8-10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
August 16-17 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Regional ARRL
Centennial Event, Huntsville, Alabama
August 17 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
August 23 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
August 23-24 -- JARL Ham Fair, Tokyo, Japan
August 24 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New
Kensington, Pennsylvania
August 30-31 -- North Carolina State Convention, (Shelby Hamfest),
Shelby, North Carolina
September 5-7 -- ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference,
Austin, Texas
September 6 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky
September 6 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach,
Virginia
September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention, San Diego,
California
September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
he 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 © 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
