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N9PMO > LETTER 19.06.15 03:36l 408 Lines 17571 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Sent: 150619/0124Z 16450@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.63
FCC Chairman, Lawmakers Agree to Scale Back Field Office Shutdowns
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Sets New Record for Woman in
Space
W1AW Portable Operations Booklet Now Available
Amateur Radio Newsline Co-Founder, Editor Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, SK
West Virginia Section Manager Charles Hardy, WV8CH, SK
Ed James, KA8JMW, Appointed as New Mexico Section Manager
Oklahoma Amateur Radio Clubs Join Forces to Support Cycling Event
Colorado Radio Amateur Aids in Search
Medium-Wave Experimenters to Transmit Field Day Greetings
Colorado to Host USA Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships in
August
In Brief...
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
FCC Chairman, Lawmakers Agree to Scale Back Field Office Shutdowns
Leaders of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee have reached
agreement with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to amend the Commission's
plans -- announced in March -- to close a number of FCC field offices.
Under the revised plan, the FCC will keep 15 of its 24 field offices
open. According to a Committee media release, the plan would "ensure
better rapid response capabilities for the West, provide a mechanism
for escalating interference complaints, improve enforcement of the
FCC's rules against pirate radio operators, and prevent the Commission
from transferring field office jobs to FCC Headquarters." The FCC had
been under pressure from lawmakers and others to step back from its
plan to shutter the field offices.
"We found a good solution that makes sense. These changes will keep
field offices open in strategic locations and help ensure that the
commission can fulfill its responsibilities to the public and public
safety communities," said Communications and Technology Subcommittee
Chairman Greg Walden, W7EQI. "This agreement strikes a balance between
the important work of FCC field agents and streamlining field
operations to ensure the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Positive
outcomes often result from collaborative work. This agreement
represents just such an effort."
As a result of the announced agreement, a June 11 hearing of Walden's
subcommittee to address the proposed closings was cancelled. ARRL
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, was among those prepared to testify
at the session.
The closure plans were revealed earlier this year via an apparently
leaked internal FCC Enforcement Bureau (EB) memorandum that indicated
the Bureau planned to ask the full Commission to cut two-thirds of its
field offices and eliminate nearly one-half of its field agents. At
the same time, the Bureau would develop a so-called "Tiger Team" of
field agents as a flexible strike force it could deploy as needed.
Greg Walden, W7EQI, chairs the House Communications and Technology
Subcommittee
After the League learned of the field office closure plans, ARRL CEO
David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed dismay at the proposals, coming, he
said, "at a time when the Field staff is facing ever-increasing
challenges." Sumner also had expressed concern "that there is already
no sense of urgency in the FCC's enforcement activities targeting
spectrum polluters, such as utilities with noisy power lines, or the
few violators in our own ranks." The League has been working behind
the scenes at the FCC and on Capitol Hill to make a case that more
enforcement leads to better compliance in all services.
Under the proposals, initiated last fall, the field office geographic
footprint would have been reduced from 24 sites to 8 sites, with the
EB set to "pre-position" equipment in several other strategic
locations. Offices already slated to remain open are New York City;
Columbia, Maryland -- the site of the Bureau's HF Direction-Finding
Center; Chicago; Atlanta; Miami; Dallas; Los Angeles, and San
Francisco. The other offices the FCC plans to keep open have not yet
been announced. Read more.
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Sets New Record for Woman in
Space
European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, who
returned to Earth June 11 with her crewmates -- NASA Astronaut Terry
Virts, and Russian Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- has set a new record
for the longest single space mission by a woman. Cristoforetti's duty
tour on the International Space Station was extended by about a month,
following the failure in late April of the Russian robotic Progress 59
cargo spacecraft to reach the ISS. The Progress went out of control,
eventually burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
"Early start into Day 200 in #space," Cristoforetti tweeted before
boarding the Soyuz vehicle for the trip home. "It's been an amazing
journey, thx for coming along! Now time to go home to Earth."
Record-setter: ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, sips
espresso on board the International Space Station. [NASA photo]
While in space, Cristoforetti, 38, conducted several Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts. She was to
have returned to Earth in early May.
Cristoforetti, from Italy, set the record on June 6, when she
surpassed the previous record of 194 days, 18 hours, 2 minutes, logged
by NASA astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB, during her time aboard the
International Space Station in 2007. Cristoforetti's new record will
come up just short of 200 hours, counting her flight back to Earth.
Cristoforetti, Shkaplerov, and Virts took off late last November from
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Her departure from the ISS will
leave Russian cosmonauts to support the ARISS program until late July,
when Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui
arrive at the ISS as part of a scheduled crew rotation. Before flights
were reshuffled, they had been scheduled to arrive in May. All three
are set to return December 22.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko,
RN3BF, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, arrived on the station in March as
part of the Expedition 43/44 crew increment. Kelly and Kornienko will
remain on the ISS for 1 year. Padalka also will return to Earth in
December.
The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July
to deliver several tons of food, fuel, and supplies. The space station
has sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall.
W1AW Portable Operations Booklet Now Available
The W1AW Portable Operations commemorative booklet, which chronicles
the central activity of the year-long ARRL Centennial QSO Party, is
now available. The Centennial celebration may be over, but the
memories can live on with this keepsake publication, which features 40
pages of stats, stories, and photos from the hams who put W1AW/p on
the air, bringing enjoyment to many thousands of hams.
The W1AW Portable Operations is available from the ARRL Store (ARRL
Item No 0383; $9.95 retail), or call 860-594-0355 (toll-free in the
US, 888-277-5289). E-mail ARRL Publication Sales for more information.
Ad
Amateur Radio Newsline Co-Founder, Editor Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, SK
A well-known voice in the Amateur Radio news media has gone silent.
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, of Santa Clarita, California, died June 11
following a period of ill health. He was 73. Pasternak was co-founder
(with Jim Hendershot, WA6VQP) of Amateur Radio Newslineâä¢
(formerly The Westlink Report) ham radio news webcast and a frequent
presence at Amateur Radio conventions. Pasternak served as Newsline's
managing editor and as an occasional newscaster. ARRL Rocky Mountain
Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, became acquainted with
Pasternak at the Albuquerque hamfest, and in 1997 was named Newsline's
"Young Ham of the Year" (YHOTY).
Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF.
"An incredible man, ham, and one of Amateur Radio's too-few giants,
who woke up every day to make the hobby better for everyone,
especially its legacy -- youth," Mileshosky said of Pasternak. "I've
enjoyed the energy he put into keeping hams informed via Newsline and
have been honored to give back to his Newsline Young Ham of the Year
Award program, since being asked by him to sit on its judging panel
well over a decade ago."
A Brooklyn, New York, native, Pasternak became a radio amateur in 19wrist, but many riders suffered the effects of Oklahoma's
heat and humidity. The ham radio volunteers also kept an eye on a
developing weather event affecting the end of the ride with heavy
rain, lightning, and wind. Read more. -- Thanks to Bart Pickens,
N5TWB, and Oklahoma SEC Mark Conklin, N7XYO
Colorado Radio Amateur Aids in Search
Colorado Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteer Neal Tew,
KD0MBL, responded on June 11 to a call from a search-and-rescue team
that needed a radio operator. Colorado ARES R5D1 Emergency Coordinator
Amanda Alden, K1DDN, said she got a call on her local UHF repeater
from Dave Dickens, KE0AEG, and Pat Caulfield, KE0AEE, from Fremont
County Search and Rescue.
Neal Tew, KD0MBL (right), with Fremont County SAR members Pat
Caulfield, KE0AEE (left, pointing), and Dave Walker. [Photo courtesy
of Amanda Alden, K1DDN]
"SAR was conducting a search for a possible body in the Arkansas
River," Alden said. "They were short-handed and wondering if any ARES
personnel could operate their radios during the search." She stressed
that the volunteer would not be operating on Amateur Radio
frequencies, just operating the search and rescue team's radios.
"The Arkansas River is a very popular river to raft, with over 150,000
rafters a year," Alden told ARRL. "The Colorado snow runoff has just
begun and the river is running at its highest and fastest of the
year."
So, Alden called Tew, whom she referred to as "the best operator I
knew outside of my district," and he was available and agreed to help.
He was assigned to the Incident Command Post and handled and logged
all traffic on the state digital radio network for about 4 hours.
"He did a fantastic job and made ARES shine for our first time working
with Fremont SAR," Alden said. Tew worked the mission from about
0930-1330. Caulfield said Tew was a quick study and was up and running
within 15 minutes.
Alden said that searchers were unable to locate anything, and the
search was eventually called off due to high water.
Medium-Wave Experimenters to Transmit Field Day Greetings
Once again this year, a group of medium-wave experimental licensees
will transmit greetings on 630 meters during the ARRL Field Day
weekend, June 27-28. While the 472 to 479 kHz band is not yet
available for Amateur Radio use, John Langridge, KB5NJD, said he'd
like to continue promoting awareness of the proposed ham band. In
April, the FCC proposed a new 630 meter Amateur Service MW allocation
at 472 to 479 kHz, and it allocated a new LF band, 135.7 to 137.8 kHz
-- both on a secondary basis. Langridge this year is hoping that some
LF experimenters will also take part in the exercise. No Amateur Radio
operation will be permitted in either band until the FCC establisheXF Vice President Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, said
in announcing the grant. "Juan de Nova is a very small and very
environmentally fragile area. There are strict limitations to the
number of visitors and the time allowable on the island. The team's
antenna plans, pilot feedback plans, and enthusiasm should make this
entity available to many DXers." Johnson said donations from Amateur
Radio clubs make such DXpeditions possible. -- Thanks to NCDXF Vice
President Glenn Johnson, W0GJ
HamGallery Dayton 2015 Photo Gallery is Now Available: Tom Roscoe,
K8CX, reports that the Dayton 2015 Photo Gallery has been posted on
his HamGallery website. Tom's Dayton photo galleries date back to 1997
and contain nearly 4500 photos. You can access these annual photo
databases from the HamGallery homepage, and you can search within
individual annual photo galleries.
Sheldon Shallon, W6EL, SK: ARRL has learned that Sheldon "Shel"
Shallon, W6EL, of Los Angeles died on April 11. He was 89. Shallon
developed the W6ELprop radio propagation software (originally
miniProp) that has remained popular with radio amateurs for decades
and is still available. An ARRL Charter Life Member, Shallon had
reached the top run of the DXCC Honor Roll. Shallon was a Hughes
Aircraft scientist in the early days of space exploration. According
to various sources, Shallon managed to hide a US flag in his company's
Surveyor 1 unmanned lunar lander. The secret was not revealed until
after the mission was successful. Survivors include his wife, Sylvia.
-- Thanks to Steve Lawrence, WB6RSE
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Depending on which measure we
choose, solar activity weakened a little or increased slightly over
the past week. The June 11-17 average daily sunspot number declined
from 112.4 over the previous 7 days to 99.9, while average daily solar
flux rose from 131.4 to 135.9 over the same period.
The current outlook from NOAA and USAF has solar flux at 135 on June
18; 130 on June 19-21; 125 on June 22; 120 on June 23-24; then 115,
90, and 95 on June 25-27; 100 on June 28-29; then 110, 115, and 120 on
June 30-July 2; 125 on July 3-4; 120 on July 5-6; 125 on July 7, and
130 on July 8-10. Flux values then dip below 100 for July 19-24, and
rise above 100 after July 26.
All of this looks pretty weak when compared to Cycles 21-23, but is
normal for Cycle 24, which peaked in April and May of 2013 and again
-- about 40 points -- higher in February and March of 2014. This is
based on a 3-month moving average of Boulder sunspot numbers. For a
straight monthly average, we see a May 2013 peak of 125.6 and a
February 2014 peak of 174.6.
Since then, numbers have steadily declined, with the weekly sunspot
number average for the last 7 weeks at 60.9, 146.9, 92.1, 56.1, 34.3,
112.4, and 99.9.
Predicted planetary A index is 12 on June 18; 5 on June 19-July 4;
then 25, 15, 12, 10, and 5 on July 5-9, and 8, 15, 12, and 8 on July
10-13. After this, planetary A index drops to 5, where it will remain
until early August, when it is predicted to rise to 25, indicating a
geomagnetic storm. But early August seems a long way off.
At 0933 UTC on June 18, SpaceWeatherLive.com issued a proton storm
alert, saying a small, S1-class proton storm was in progress. Indeed,
looking at their Electron Proton and Alpha Monitor (EPAM) display at
1000 UTC, we see a rise in activity beginning after 0400 UTC and
continuing.
In Friday's bulletin, look for reports from readers and an updated
forecast. Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
June 19 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
June 19 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)
June 20 -- Feld Hell Sprint
June 20 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)
June 20-21 -- All Asian DX Contest (CW)
June 20-21 -- Ukrainian DX Classic RTTY Contest
June 20-21 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
June 20-21 -- West Virginia QSO Party (CW, SSB, digital)
June 21 -- WAB 50 MHz Phone
June 21 -- Kids Day
June 22 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
June 24 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
June 24-25 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
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
August 1 -- Great Lakes Division Convention, Columbus, Ohio
August 7-8 -- South Texas Section Convention, Austin, Texas
August 7-9 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
August 7-9 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington
August 15-16 -- Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
August 16 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
August 21-23 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts
August 22 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
August 30 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,
Pennsylvania
September 5-6 -- Roanoke Division Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
September 11-12 -- W9DXCC, Schaumburg, Illinois
September 11-13 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Torrance,
California
September 12 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia
September 26 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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