| |
N9PMO > LETTER 01.05.15 17:33l 705 Lines 32758 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
BID : ARRL3318
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARRL3318 ARRL Letter
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<GB7CIP<JE7YGF<N9PMO
Sent: 150501/1619Z 13959@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.63
FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters
Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as
Earthquake Recovery Continues
ARRL Facebook Repost of Interview with Ham in Nepal Draws Huge
Response
Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient
House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field
Office Closures
Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"
AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous
Satellite
Dayton Hamvention® Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut
New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas
Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New Modes
The Sinking of the Lusitania : A Ham Radio Connection?
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters
Amateur Radio is poised to gain access to two new bands! The FCC has
allocated a new LF band, 135.7 to 137.8 kHz, to the Amateur Service on
a secondary basis. Allocation of the 2.1 kHz segment, known as 2200
meters, was in accordance with the Final Acts of the 2007 World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07). The Commission also has
proposed a new secondary 630 meter MF allocation at 472 to 479 kHz to
Amateur Radio, implementing decisions made at WRC-12. No Amateur Radio
operation will be permitted in either band until the FCC determines,
on the basis of comments, the specific Part 97 rules it must frame to
permit operation in the new bands. Amateur Radio would share both
allocations with unlicensed Part 15 power line carrier (PLC) systems
operated by utilities to control the power grid, as well as with other
users. In addition, the FCC has raised the secondary Amateur Service
allocation at 1900 to 2000 kHz to primary, while providing for
continued use by currently unlicensed commercial fishing vessels of
radio buoys on the "open sea."
The allocation changes, associated proposed rules, and suggested
topics for comment are contained in a 257-page FCC Report and Order,
Order, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing three dockets --
ET-12-338, ET-15-99, and IB-06-123 -- which affect various radio
services in addition to the Amateur Service. The FCC released the
document on April 27.
With respect to the new LF sliver band at 135.7-137.8 kHz, the FCC
concluded that Amateur Radio and PLC systems can coexist there. "Since
the Commission last considered this issue, amateurs have successfully
operated in the band under experimental licenses without reported PLC
interference," the FCC said. In 2003, the FCC turned down an ARRL
proposal to create a 135.7-137.8 kHz Amateur Radio allocation, after
utilities raised fears of a clash between Amateur Radio and PLC
systems operating below the AM broadcast band. This time, the FCC
said, "It is clear that we will have to establish appropriate
requirements for amateur use of the band, if we are to ensure
compatibility with PLC systems." WRC-07 set a maximum effective
isotropic radiated power (EIRP) limit of 1 W, which is what the FCC is
proposing.
The FCC said it "explicitly" rejects the suggestion that it choose one
use of the spectrum over the other. "Our objective is to allocate
spectrum on a secondary basis to amateur stations in a
manner...compatible with existing PLC systems," the FCC said.
"However, we also expect to permit amateur operators to make use of
the allocation in a manner that is less burdensome and more productive
than they are currently afforded under the experimental authorization
process."
The Commission said that if it concludes, after considering the
record, that Amateur Radio and PLC systems cannot coexist, it would
"defer the adoption of service rules, and amateur users will have to
continue to use the experimental licensing process to operate in the
band."
With respect to the proposed 630 meter allocation, the FCC has
proposed limiting amateur stations in the US to a maximum 5 W EIRP.
The ARRL submitted a Petition for Rule Making in 2012, asking the FCC
to allocate 472-479 kHz to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis
and to amend the Part 97 rules to provide for its use. Several
countries, including Canada, already have access to the band. The ARRL
has pointed out that during its extensive course of experimentation in
the spectrum around 500 kHz, no interference reports have been
received.
Rudy Severns, N6LF, in Oregon, is a member of the WD2XSH ARRL 600
Meter Experimental Group.
The FCC said that the "cornerstone" of the technical rules it's
proposing for both bands is "physical separation between amateur
stations and the transmission lines" carrying PLC signals. "Such a
separation, in conjunction with limits on the amateur stations'
transmitted EIRP and antenna heights, will enable PLC systems and
amateur stations to coexist in these bands," the FCC asserted. "In
addition, we propose to limit amateur stations to operations at fixed
locations only, to ensure that this separation distance can be
maintained reliably."
The FCC said it wants to hear from both PLC system users and radio
amateurs regarding technical requirements it would have to put into
place to permit both users to operate comfortably and without
compromising the PLC systems. The Commission suggested that other
requirements might include limits on antenna heights, transmitter
power limits, and operating privilege limits based on license class or
mode. The ARRL will file comments in the proceeding.
The FCC will accept comments for 60 days following publication of the
Report and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the
Federal Register. Reply comments would be due 30 days after the
comment deadline.
Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as
Earthquake Recovery Continues
In the wake of the devastating April 25 earthquake, hams in Nepal,
already in limited supply, have been turning out to help in the
ongoing recovery. The Nepalese government also is reported to be
cutting some of the red tape that has prevented hams from outside the
country from operating within Nepal. Several hams from India are among
those who have arrived in Nepal to help facilitate communication. Word
earlier this week via Amateur Radio Society of India President Gopal
Madhavan, VU2GMN, was that visiting hams would not be permitted to
operate in Nepal, unless they were part of a government team. On the
other hand, getting needed Amateur Radio equipment into Nepal remains
problematic.
"ARRL is working closely with amateurs in Nepal to identify equipment
needed for the relief effort," said ARRL Emergency Preparedness
Manager Mike Corey, KI1U. "We are preparing a shipment from the Ham
Aid inventory, but like other NGOs, we are facing transportation
challenges. We hope to have transportation arrangements in place
soon." Unconfirmed reports said another group was having problems
getting a repeater into Nepal.
While parts of the telecommunication infrastructure remain in
operation, power is out. Ham radio remains a reliable link at this
stage of the recovery effort. A major focus of rescue teams has been
attempting to locate the missing, as well as to recover quake victims
buried beneath debris. More than 5000 people are now reported dead as
a result of the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. The disaster
also has stranded many people, as roads were cut off by landslides and
damage. Rain, heavy at times, has hampered rescue and recovery work.
"In spite of the conditions, ham radio operation is in progress, and
the Nepal government has started issuing licenses to visiting hams,
with 9N7 prefixes," said Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU. Bhide, who is the Amateur
Radio Society of India's National Coordinator for Disaster
Communication, said these stations have been asked to help provide
communication to more of the devastated region. Ham radio groups are
being asked to spread out in terms of operating frequencies as well.
Bhide said a lot of the Amateur Radio traffic has consisted of
health-and-welfare inquiries.
Mike Kalter, W8CI, told ARRL that he relayed an urgent request from
the family of a woman traveling between Nepal and Tibet with a tour
group. He passed along the information via ham radio to Mohan Suri,
VU2MYH, in Nepal, who supplied the information to authorities. Within
a few days, the woman being sought reported back through Jerry Long,
KJ4YAP, that groups were going through the streets of Kathmandu,
announcing names of individuals being sought, and she heard her name
called out. The woman and her tour group were subsequently
helicoptered out of Nepal.
Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, has been active on HF nets aiding the Nepal
earthquake relief and recovery effort.
At least two groups of hams from Gujarat, India, were planning to
travel to Nepal and set up stations "at critical places," Bhide said,
adding that he, Ananda Majumdar, VU2AGJ, and Sandip Baruah, VU2MUE,
were planning to set up HF and VHF stations at Gorakhpur, on the
India-Nepal border.
Amateur Radio HF nets have been one link between Nepal and the outside
world, as Internet service continues to be spotty. Nepalese hams also
are active locally on VHF/UHF.
Bhide said residents in the affected areas were finding it difficult
to contact family members, as their cell phones have discharged, and
no charging facility is available. He and some of the radio amateurs
active on the relief and recovery nets contacted agencies in Nepal to
provide small solar charging units.
The earthquake -- said to be the worst in Nepal in 80 years -- hit an
area between the capital city of Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara.
ARRL Facebook Repost of Interview with Ham in Nepal Draws Huge
Response
The Weather Channel's "AMHQ" program today featured an interview with
Kathmandu Amateur Radio operator Satish Kharel, 9N1AA. ARRL has
reposted the interview on its Facebook page, with the permission of
The Weather Channel. In the interview segment, Kharel talked about ham
radio's role in the earthquake recovery effort now under way in Nepal.
More than 5000 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the
earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, and many others remain missing.
ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, said the
video had reached some 102,0000 Facebook users and counting and been
shared more than 700 times in less than 6 hours.
"We've never had such a positive response to a social media post"
Kutzko said. "Sharing this video on your Facebook page is a golden
opportunity to help spread awareness of Amateur Radio to the general
public."
Ad
Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient
The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors has named Jacob Nunez-Kearny,
KF7DSY, of Mesa, Arizona, as the recipient of the 2015 William R.
Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship. A senior at Desert Ridge High School in
Mesa, he plans to attend Purdue University in the fall and pursue a
career in aerospace engineering. Based on qualifications, need, and
other academic funding sources, the award can be $10,000 or greater.
The Goldfarb Scholarship is awarded to an active Amateur Radio
licensee who intends to pursue a bachelor's degree in a
business-related, computer, medical, nursing, or engineering field.
Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY.
"I am really happy and honored to have received this scholarship,"
Jacob told ARRL. "This scholarship means that I have the opportunity
to attend college with the knowledge that the community of hams
believes in me. I imagine that all hams, especially ones young enough
to qualify for this scholarship, are incredibly resourceful and
intelligent, and so to be chosen out among them for this scholarship
is a great honor."
Jacob expressed his gratitude to his grandfather, Steve Kearny, KW7N,
for introducing him to Amateur Radio. "If it weren't for him I
wouldn't have become a part of this great community and hobby," he
said. On his scholarship application, he said that Amateur Radio has
piqued his interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics). "Through Amateur Radio I was able to turn theoretical
learning into physical results," he said. "The time I spent solving
equations and making schematics turned into a contact with a person
hundreds of miles away."
In an effort to get a leg up on his career choice, Jacob has been
involved in a senior year engineering design program, Project Lead the
Way, and he earned three college credits through the Rochester
Institute of Technology. The senior project, accomplished as a team,
must address a real-world problem. Jacob came up with this year's -- a
30-foot portable "stealth" telescoping mast -- undertaken at his
grandfather's suggestion; Jacob lives in an antenna-restricted
community.
The William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is the result of a
generous endowment from William Goldfarb, N2ITP (SK). Before his death
in 1997, Goldfarb set up a scholarship endowment of close to $1
million in memory of his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb. It is
awarded to one high school senior each year. Read more.
House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field
Office Closures
The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce has given the Federal
Communications Commission a May 7 deadline to produce documents
related to FCC Enforcement Bureau proposals to close two-thirds of its
field offices and eliminate nearly one-half of its staff of field
agents. In an April 23 letter, Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI)
told FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler that his panel wants the Commission to
provide all documents relating to the proposed closures.
"[Y]our proposal to shutter 16 of the Commission's 24 field offices
raises significant challenges and concerns," Upton said. "The
Commission has represented to Congress and the American people that it
will 'preserve the integrity of public safety communications
infrastructure by taking action on 99 percent of complaints of
interference to public safety communications within 1 day,' yet your
proposal to reduce the geographic footprint of the Commission appears
to ignore the impact this might have on the Commission's public
interest goal." Upton said the Commission has offered little
information to support its proposals. "Indeed, our concerns have only
been heightened by the Commission's failure to provide all the
information requested by the Committee," he wrote.
The field office and personnel layoff proposals were outlined in a
March 10 internal memorandum from Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis
LeBlanc and FCC Managing Director Jon Wilkins to EB field staff. The
memo, obtained by ARRL and others, cited the need to take "a fresh
look" at the Bureau's 20-year-old operating model in light of
technology changes and tighter budgets.
FCC Managing Director Jon Wilkins testified on March 4 before the
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
During March hearings of the Subcommittee on Communications and
Technology -- chaired by Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR) -- on the FCC's
FY 2015 budget request, Committee members sought more information from
Wilkins and Wheeler on the basis of the proposals to close field
offices. Upton said that his Committee has, to date, received just the
two-page March 10 memorandum and a 35-page PowerPoint presentation
that purports to outline the consultants' report.
ARRL leadership met with Enforcement Bureau staff and with Capitol
Hill lawmakers in March to express its own concerns about the
proposals in light of seemingly lax enforcement of the Amateur Service
rules. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, also addressed the FCC's field
office closure proposals in his "It Seems to Us" editorial in the May
2015 issue of QST. "Given everything that's on [the Enforcement
Bureau's] plate -- of which Amateur Radio is just a small part --
reducing the number of field agents from 63 to 33 and the number of
field offices from 24 to 8 hardly sounds like progress," Sumner wrote.
Read more.
Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"
More than 250 Amateur Radio communication volunteers participated on
Patriots Day (April 20) in the 119th running of the Boston Marathon,
sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). This event was the
second since the bombings that tragically marred the 2013 race.
Amateur Radio volunteers have supported Boston Marathon communication
for decades. Starting with the 2015 event, a Communications Committee
the BAA formed last year established a "new normal" for marathon
support by integrating Amateur Radio, public safety, and commercial
radio providers into a single team. In step with the BAA's mandate to
"review the entire communications program," the seven-member Amateur
Radio management team raised the level of training to a professional
caliber and developed better documentation for volunteers. Tight
coordination with the BAA as both leader and "client" of the Amateur
Radio communication support "led to further advancement in overall
effectiveness as evidenced by a very successful outcome despite
difficult weather," the Amateur Radio team said in a media release.
"Development of detailed communications plans for each race segment
was at the heart of the Committee's work," the Amateur Radio team
said. "We expect this arrangement to continue, along with an
increasing emphasis upon further training and standards, all intended
to enhance the work of Amateur Radio public service, and to raise
confidence in our capabilities to integrate with other organizations
as effective team players."
Cool, damp weather made the volunteers' role more difficult, but
carrying out communication tasks according to the 2015 plan went
smoothly. "Many Boston Marathon race officials favorably commented on
the advancement in communications provided by Amateur Radio and other
entities both in the planning stage and on event day," the Amateur
Radio team said.
"Through all the meetings, conference calls, and documents produced, I
would say we all fulfilled what we set out to accomplish and more,"
said Chris Troyanos, Medical Coordinator for the Boston Marathon.
"From the public safety side to all involved with the BAA, our
communications program set new heights of excellence." Organizers from
the Red Cross also expressed satisfaction with 2015 Boston Marathon
communications.
Jeff Pinterparson, W5UVO, and Mark Richards, K1MGY, helped to staff
the Start Network Control Operations Center at the Boston Marathon.
Event logistics were coordinated more tightly. Added to Amateur
Radio's tasks this year was reporting of hourly medical statistics
from each of the 26 medical field units, and a new medical re-supply
system, both relying on Amateur Radio communication. The cooler
weather meant fewer heat-related medical emergencies, but from mile 12
onward, many runners suffered chills and had to stop at medical
stations to warm up before moving on.
Efforts were organized in segments that included start, course,
transportation, and finish. A back-up medical dispatch communication
plan, included in the public safety matrix, was among the many
operational plans in place. Amateur Radio volunteers shadowed key race
officials at the start and finish line, augmenting commercial radio
services. They also staffed medical and hydration stations along the
course; vans that travelled the course transported runners unable to
complete the race to the finish line. Read more. -- Thanks to Rob
Macedo, KD1CY, Mark Richards, K1MGY, and the Boston Marathon Amateur
Radio team
Ad
AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous
Satellite
There is big news on the Amateur Radio satellite front. AMSAT-NA has
announced that, if all goes according to plan, an Amateur Radio
payload will go into space on a geosynchronous satellite that's
planned for launch in 2017. As opposed to the more typical low Earth
orbit, a geosynchronous orbit would permit an Earthbound ham at a
given point within the satellite's footprint to access the satellite
at approximately the same time each day. According to AMSAT Vice
President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, the satellite's
potential footprint would extend over the US from the Mid-Pacific to
Africa. AMSAT said it has accepted the opportunity to be a "hosted
payload" on a spacecraft that Millennium Space Systems (MSS) of El
Segundo, California, is under contract to design, launch, and operate
for the US government. Past AMSAT Director and former Vice
President-Engineering Bob McGwier, N4HY, said the Amateur Radio
payload must be delivered for testing and integration by the spring of
2016.
"It is an ambitious schedule, and all involved will have to gain and
maintain a serious level of commitment," said McGwier, the Director of
Research at Virginia Tech's Hume Center for National Security and
Technology. The AMSAT announcement on April 25 followed an April 13
meeting at MSS to discuss the project.
According to AMSAT, the transponder is expected to support a wide
range of voice, digital, and experimental advanced communications
technologies. A decision is expected soon regarding the specification
of the microwave uplink and downlink bands.
The AMSAT Board of Directors has signed on to the project, and AMSAT
expects to be involved in developing both the ground station and the
RF payload. It will also serve as the Amateur Radio payload operator,
once the satellite has been launched. Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT
News Service via Bob McGwier, N4HY, and others
Dayton Hamvention® Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut
Young radio amateurs attending the Youth Forum at Dayton Hamvention on
May 16 will have a chance to meet NASA astronaut and ham Mike Fincke,
KE5AIT -- one of the more "radio-active" International Space Station
crew members during his time in space. The Saturday morning
Retired NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT.
Youth Forum, organized by Carole Perry, WB2MGP, will include a variety
of presentations from eight young hams, whom Perry called "role models
for other radio amateurs and prospective young hams -- each sharing
inspiring stories, having fun, and being creative in ham radio
activities." One of the door prizes for young hams attending the forum
will be a drawing for an ARRL-hosted luncheon with Astronaut Mike
Fincke, KE5AIT. Fincke operated the Amateur Radio equipment on the
International Space Station while he was part of the Expedition 9 and
18 crews.
"Eight lucky students in elementary school, high school, or enrolled
as a college undergraduate may participate in the drawing for lunch
with the astronaut," said ARRL Educational Services Manager Debra
Johnson, K1DMJ. "These students must already have their Amateur Radio
license. What better way to inspire our youth to pursue more education
and career paths in the STEM fields of science, technology,
engineering, and math than by engaging with an astronaut-ham!"
Fincke will talk with the students about his career, space travel, and
research on the ISS. The luncheon will immediately follow the Youth
Forum Saturday morning. Youth Forum presenters will include:
Tyler Hammond, KD8UAY, of Dresden, Ohio (age 13): "Contesting for
Elementary Students"
Abbigail Wilson, KF5BEW (age 18), and Kendra Wilson, KF5FYS (age 16),
of Lafayette, Louisiana: "Youth and the Future of Ham Radio"
Sam Case, KG7HBY (age 11), of Sparks, Nevada: "The Friday Night QSO
Party"
Jesse Shulins, KB1YNK (age 17), of Andover, Massachusetts: "Pneumatic
Mast Systems for the Radio Amateur"
Faith Hannah Lea, WA4BBC (age 10), and Zechariah Lea, WX4TVJ (age 12),
of Chesapeake, Virginia: "Experiences in Antenna Selection,
Construction, and Use for VHF Applications"
Cameron Thurston, N8CAM (age 16), of Saint Helen, Michigan:
"Contesting with N3FJP Software"
Perry has moderated the Youth Forum and instructor's workshops at
Hamvention® for many years. She is a popular keynote speaker and
seminar leader at numerous teacher and radio conventions across the
country. Read more.
New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas
The ARRL North Texas Section will soon have a new Section Manager.
Nancy McCain, K5NLM, of Fort Worth, will take over the
North Texas SM-Designate Nancy McCain K5NLM.
position on May 1, succeeding incumbent SM Chris Brewer, N5GMJ, who
resigned due to increased work and family commitments. ARRL Field
Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the
appointment in consultation with Brewer, who recommended McCain for
the post, and ARRL West Gulf Division Director Dr David Woolweaver,
K5RAV. Brewer, of Saginaw, has served as the North Texas Section
Manager since April 30, 2013.
McCain, who is presently a North Texas Assistant Section Manager, has
been active in ARES, RACES, and in Army and Navy MARS. She is a
retired emergency management specialist. She will complete the current
term of office as North Texas Section Manager, which runs until March
31, 2017.
Ad
Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New Modes
The annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Communications Test set for
Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, will offer Amateur Radio operators a
chance to try their hand at using more modern military communications
modes, such as MIL-STD Serial PSK. Also new this year is the inclusion
of a crossband Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) test. The Army, Air
Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard cosponsor the joint
military/Amateur Radio event, which this year marks the 65th Armed
Forces Day and the 90th anniversary of the Military Auxiliary Radio
System (MARS). Armed Forces Day 2015 falls on May 16, but the
crossband test is held on the earlier weekend to accommodate those
visiting Dayton Hamvention May 15-17.
The annual event is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication
between Amateur Radio and military stations. It features the
traditional military-to-amateur crossband SSB voice, CW, MT63, and
AMTOR FEC, plus MIL-STD Serial PSK and ALE, both new this year.
Those interested in trying the MIL-STD Serial PSK mode can download
the free MS-DMT software. A complete list of participating military
stations, operating modes, and times of operation is on the US Army
MARS website, as well as on its Facebook page. Read more.
The Sinking of the Lusitania: A Ham Radio Connection?
Several Amateur Radio special event stations will be on the air in
early May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the
Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania -- at one time the world's largest ship --
off the coast of Ireland. As one of the events precipitating US entry
into World War I, the sinking of the Lusitania by Germany on May 7,
1915, claimed some 1200 lives, although another 800 or so of those
aboard survived.
RMS Lusitania.
GB100MFA will operate during the entire month of May from the UK, with
members of the Radio Officers Association at the helm from the
lightship Planet in Liverpool, Lusitania's home port and its ultimate
destination on its voyage from New York. EI100MFA will be on the air
from Ireland May 3-10. MFA was the ship's call sign.
Other announced operations include KC9HYY/LUS100, operating May 1-9
from Wisconsin; N2L, operating May 1-15 by the Great South Bay Amateur
Radio Club (GSBARC) from Long Island, New York, and WW1USA, operating
May 9-10 from the National World War I Museum in Kansas City,
Missouri, by the Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club.
According to wireless history accounts, it was a radio amateur,
Charles Apgar, 2MN, of Westfield, New Jersey, who finally figured out
the significance of the odd buzz-like transmissions he'd heard
emanating evenings from German Telefunken station WSL in Sayville,
Long Island. As recounted by the late Phil Petersen, W2DME, Apgar not
only was curious, but suspicious.
"Apgar had a very advanced sensitive Armstrong regenerative receiver
that he modified to make off-the-air recordings on a cylinder
recorder," Petersen wrote. "Suspecting that WSL was transmitting
secret intelligence at very high speed, Apgar further modified his
audio recorder to greatly reduce the speed on playback. As he
suspected, the 'buzz' was actually secret Morse code sent at very high
speed." Apgar turned his recordings of WSL's transmissions over to the
US Secret Service, which seized the station in July 1915.
WSL officials "were charged with sending illegal secret messages
regarding allied and neutral shipping," Petersen recounted. "It was
also believed that the German submarines obtained secret information
that led to the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania. After the
government seized the station, sinkings by U-boats greatly decreased."
Read more.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: There were no new sunspots over the
April 23-29 reporting period, although the previous 7 days saw new
sunspots every day -- and April 21 had two new ones. Solar flux and
daily sunspot numbers declined. The average daily sunspot number
dropped from 120.9 to 60.7, and average daily solar flux went from
150.4 to 119.8.
Predicted solar flux for April 30 through May 1 is 95, 100 on May 2-3,
105, and 110 on May 4-5, 115 on May 6-7, 135 on May 8-9, 130, and 125
on May 10-11, 130 on May 12-14, then 125, 130, and 125 on May 15-17,
120 on May 18-19, and 115 on May 20-23. Flux values are forecast to
drop to 110 for May 27-29, then rise to 135 for June 3-5.
Predicted planetary A index is 10 on April 30 through May 1, 8 on May
2, 5 on May 3-11, 25 on May 12, 20 on May 13-14, then 12, 8, 12, 20,
12, and 8 on May 15-20, and 5 on May 21-25.
Download my archive of these forecasts, updated daily, for flux values
and Ap index (click the "Download this File" button; files are Excel
spreadsheets).
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.
Look for reports from readers in Friday's bulletin. Send me your
reports and observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA
Just Ahead in Radiosport
May 1 -- NS Weekly RTTY Sprint
May 2 -- Microwave Spring Sprint (Phone, CW, Digital)
May 2-3 -- New England QSO Party
May 2-3 -- Delaware QSO Party
May 2-3 -- 7th Area QSO Party
May 2-3 -- Indiana QSO Party
May 2-3 -- Radio Club of America QSO Party
May 2-3 -- 2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)
May 2-3 -- Worldwide EME Contest (Phone, CW)
May 2-3 -- Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest
May 2-3 -- ARI International DX Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)
May 4 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
May 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
May 6 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
May 1-2 -- West Coast Military Collectors Group Convention, San Luis
Obispo, California
May 1-3 -- Nevada State Convention, Verdi, Nevada
May 2 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South
Carolina
May 15-17 -- Dayton Hamvention®, Dayton, Ohio
June 5-7 -- Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac), Seaside, Oregon
June 6 -- Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia
June 12-13 -- West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com), Irving, Texas
June 13 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
July 4 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania
July 10-11 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
July 13-16 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club Convention, The
Villages, Florida
July 17-19 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
July 23-26 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Westminster,
Colorado
July 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
July 31-August 2 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Bryce Canyon,
Utah
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!
Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter!
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
