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N9PMO > LETTER 23.10.15 01:39l 672 Lines 31157 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Parity Act House Cosponsors Now in Triple Digits!
ARRL Executive Committee Presented with Draft Enforcement Improvement
Plan
FCC Seeking User Comments on New Beta Website
ARES/RACES Teams Expected to Join MARS in Coronal Mass Ejection
Disaster Exercise
Hudson Amateur Radio Council Donates Nearly $9000 to ARRL
Amateur Radio was Part of Typhoon Koppu Response in the Philippines
IARU Region 3 Conference Opens with a Gong
AO-85 Enthusiasm Prevails at AMSAT 2015 Space Symposium and Annual
Meeting
Florida Radio Amateurs Support Bicycle Festival
In Brief...
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
Parity Act House Cosponsors Now in Triple Digits!
The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 bill in the US House (H.R. 1301)
now has 106 cosponsors! ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, credited
ARRL members "who understand the importance of the legislation" with
making it possible to reach that milestone.
"They have signed letters at hamfests and conventions all over the
country, at booths staffed by Directors, Vice Directors, Section
Managers, and other ARRL officials," President Craigie said. Backing
up those efforts have been recent personal visits to Capitol Hill by
ARRL Directors Dick Isely, W9GIG, and Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, as well as
by General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD.
The 100th cosponsor of H.R. 1301 was Rep Larry Bucshon [R-IN], who
signed aboard on October 16. Six more cosponsors added their names on
October 20 and 21. They are Reps Steve Chabot, [R-OH], Mike Bost
[R-IL], and Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ]; Katherine Clark [D-MA]; Thomas
MacArthur [R-NJ], and Sheila Jackson Lee [D-TX].
The Amateur Radio Parity Act would direct the FCC to extend its Part
97 Amateur Radio Service rules relating to "reasonable accommodation"
of Amateur Service communications to include private land use
restrictions. There are two bills, one in the US House and one in the
US Senate. US Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced H.R. 1301 on March
4 with 12 original cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. US Sen
Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced S. 1685 into the US Senate on June 25,
with Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) as the original cosponsor.
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
"We are not done by any means," President Craigie added. "Let's push
the numbers up and keep our representatives and senators aware of how
much we care about this issue."
She noted that Scouting's Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) over the October
17-18 weekend introduced thousands of youngsters to Amateur Radio.
"Let's make sure their interest can blossom, even if their parents
have chosen to live in communities that don't allow antennas at this
time," President Craigie urged. "These young people need what Amateur
Radio has to offer, and Amateur Radio certainly needs them. Please
help them be the future."
The ARRL recently introduced a "Clarity on Parity" video, and not only
has it been made available on Capitol Hill, it would make an
informative Amateur Radio club meeting program. A "Clarity on Amateur
Radio Parity" document stresses many of the same points.
The ARRL Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 page provides more
information and explains how members can become involved.
ARRL Executive Committee Presented with Draft Enforcement Improvement
Plan
At the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) meeting on October 3 in
Bloomington, Minnesota, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD,
presented a draft plan for the improvement of timely and visible
enforcement in the Amateur Radio Service. The ARRL Board had requested
the draft at its July meeting. While no details of the draft plan were
made public, Executive Committee members discussed actions envisioned
in both the short and long term and offered comments that will be
taken into account in the next revision of the draft plan. Regulatory
matters were just one topic area on the wide-ranging EC agenda.
Imlay also reported on several ongoing FCC proceedings, on which no
action has occurred since the Board last met in July. He said there
has been no indication from the FCC as to when to expect a Notice of
Proposed Rule Making in response to the ARRL's petition (RM-11708)
asking the Commission to replace the existing symbol rate limit on HF
data transmissions with a bandwidth limit.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, updated the EC on a report to the full
Board by Chief Technology Officer Brenan Price, N4QX, regarding
prospects for a 5 MHz allocation at next month's World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in Geneva. Four of the six
regional telecommunications organizations (RTOs) have offered
affirmative proposals to the agenda item, while one has proposed no
change. Several major countries are refraining from supporting the
affirmative proposals from their RTOs, however, and it's impossible to
predict what WRC-15 delegates will decide.
A grinning Handiham Program Coordinator Pat Tice, WA0TDA (center),
receives the ARRL President's Award. (L-R) ARRL Minnesota SM Skip
Jackson, KS0J; ARRL Dakota Division Director Greg Widin, K0GW; ARRL
President Kay Craigie, N3KN; Pat Tice, WA0TDA; Susie Tice, and ARRL
International Affairs VP Jay Bellows, K0QB.
During its lunch break, President Kay Craigie, N3KN, presented the
ARRL President's Award to Patrick W. Tice, WA0TDA, who is retiring
after a quarter century as Handiham program coordinator. All
attendees, along with Minnesota Section Manager Skip Jackson, KS0J,
expressed their congratulations and appreciation to Pat and his wife,
Susie. After the meeting resumed, President Craigie and Sumner briefed
the EC on ongoing discussions to ensure that Handiham Program services
will continue after Tice retires.
In other business, Sumner reviewed the future outlook for the ARRL
Repeater Directory and related products. A new agreement is in place
with 54 of 60 repeater coordinating bodies that will result in an
improved Repeater Directory for 2016-17, Sumner said, but he told the
EC that the long-term viability of such printed directories is
doubtful. These face competition from web-based directories and
smartphone apps that accept crowd-sourced data and are growing in
popularity. Sumner told the EC that significant investment would be
needed, if the quality of the Repeater Directory and related products
is to meet future market expectations as well as ARRL organizational
objectives.
The EC took note of the Programs & Services Committee (PSC)
endorsement of a VHF and Above Revitalization Committee recommendation
to end the prohibition to contest use of 146.52 MHz, the traditional 2
meter FM simplex "calling channel." Advance notification of the rule
change has been communicated to the full Board, and the change will
take effect in 2016, starting with the January VHF Contest.
President Craigie, noting that the October 3 meeting would be her last
as a member of the Executive Committee, expressed her appreciation for
the diligence and cooperation of the committee members. President
Craigie has already indicated that she will not run again when her
second term ends in January.
FCC Seeking User Comments on New Beta Website
As part of an ongoing research and design project "to dramatically
improve the usability and functionality" of its website, the FCC has
debuted a new prototype website and wants to know what users think
about it. The FCC's 2011 website re-design was not well received, and
the Commission has continued to maintain its previous, much older
website design in tandem with the newer one.
"You spoke, we listened," FCC Chief Information Officer David Bray
said in an October 9 blog post. "[W]e built a new beta (ie test)
version of FCC.gov based on your input, and we need your feedback
again. Building upon the foundation of extensive user research done
earlier this year -- and coupled with additional input we will receive
during this beta period -- the new FCC.gov will be more useful and
accessible to FCC stakeholders." Bray stressed that "old content and
features" remain available on the current FCC website "while we
perfect the new site. Bray explained that the new beta website is
Drupal-based and responsive, and the display will optimize based upon
the device being used to view the site.
"The beta website is also connected to our document databases, EDOCS
and ECFS, via application programming interfaces (APIs). The APIs
allow real-time EDOCS and ECFS updates to display in Headlines and
Most Active Proceedings," Bray said. "FCC applications will also be
updated and increasingly cloud-based, similar to our new Consumer Help
Desk."
FCC Chief Information Officer Dave Bray.
Bray said all content on the current FCC website has been migrated to
the new Drupal-based site. The FCC IT staff is now integrating that
content into what Bray called "new information architecture," which,
he said, would offer additional and improved ways of accessing and
interacting with the website's content.
He said that based on additional feedback the FCC receives during the
beta website's "extended" testing period, "we intend to complete the
switch to the new site fully later this fall."
Users can submit their comments and suggested bug fixes by using a web
form or e-mail.
Ad
ARES/RACES Teams Expected to Join MARS in Coronal Mass Ejection
Disaster Exercise
Preparations are nearly in place for the previously announced Military
Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) coronal mass ejection (CME) disaster
communication exercise, which will take place Saturday through
Tuesday, November 7-10. Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) groups are expected to
participate in the quarterly contingency HF exercise in support of the
US Department of Defense.
"We are looking forward to this exercise and the opportunity to
partner and train with the larger Amateur Radio community," Army MARS
Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, told ARRL. The exercise scenario
will simulate a CME event and focus on actions that radio operators
should take prior to and following such an event, which could impact
HF propagation. English said leaders from Army and Air Force MARS will
hold a final exercise coordination teleconference on October 28 "to
answer any final questions about the exercise and make sure everyone
is ready to train."
English said he's responded to some 90 inquiries from ARES and RACES
groups as well as from individuals who would like to involve their
ARES teams, and he expects about 50 ARES/RACES-affiliated
organizations to participate. He said a few additional active duty
military units also hope to take part in the exercise.
English said the November exercise would simulate a radio blackout as
well as infrastructure damage. "During the exercise, we will simulate
the blackout with a 3 hour pause, and then we will bring stations back
on air and begin handling requests for information," he told ARRL.
Training objectives for this exercise will include understanding what
a CME is and how much forecast lead time can be expected; the effects
associated with a CME, and what precautions radio operators take to
protect their equipment, prior to a severe CME. Following the
simulated CME, operators will assess its effects and report that
information. This will involve "inter-operation with Amateur Radio
operators and groups to assist in assessment," English said.
ARES and RACES teams, as well as individual radio amateurs, wishing to
participate in this exercise may contact MARS and provide contact
information.
Hudson Amateur Radio Council Donates Nearly $9000 to ARRL
At the recent meeting of the ARRL Executive Committee in Minneapolis,
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, representing the
Hudson Amateur Radio Council (HARC), donated $8922.93 to the ARRL
Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund.
(L-R) ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ; ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN,
and ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB.
"HARC was formed over 50 years ago to help support expenses incurred
by clubs sponsoring Division conventions," Lisenco said. "Over the
past 30 years, conventions in the Hudson Division have become few and
far between, due to the costs associated with an event in the
metropolitan New York area, as well as finding clubs with the people
to staff such an event. The last convention was held in 2000."
Lisenco said Dave Popkin, W2CC, became the guardian of the HARC money
that remained after the last convention and was savvy enough to place
it in a certificate of deposit that yielded the substantial sum
donated to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund.
"The Division is indebted to Dave for his stewardship and grateful
that he was willing to see these monies go to an extremely worthy
cause," Lisenco added.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the League were ARRL President Kay
Craigie, N3KN, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
Amateur Radio was Part of Typhoon Koppu Response in the Philippines
Amateur Radio in the Philippines was part of the comprehensive
response to the Category 4 Typhoon Koppu -- known locally as Typhoon
Lando -- which hit the islands over the past weekend with damaging
winds and heavy rain. According to the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) coordinated with the Philippine
Amateur Radio Association (PARA) to monitor conditions in affected
regions through their local Amateur Radio associations.
PARA stood by to monitor reports from Amateur Radio groups, and
through the PARA DU Net, went into emergency mode to monitor reports
from the eastern seaboard of the main island, Luzon, through its Ham
Emergency Radio Operator Network (HERO). Lando may have been the
second most powerful storm to strike the country this year.
The typhoon came ashore on northeastern Aurora province on October 19,
leaving at least a dozen dead, forcing tens of thousands from their
homes, flooding villages, and knocking out power and
telecommunications. The storm later weakened to a tropical storm.
The overall response also involved the fire service, Coast Guard,
police, army, the Red Cross, and other trained volunteers. -- Thanks
to Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications
Committee
Ad
IARU Region 3 Conference Opens with a Gong
The 16th International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 3 triennial
conference opened in Bali, Indonesia, on October 12 with some pomp and
circumstance that included remarks from government officials and an
opportunity for IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, to help sound
the gong to bring the meeting to order.
Conference President Sutiyoso, YB0ST, welcomed the attendees on behalf
of the hosting Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization (ORARI). IARU
Region 3 Chairman Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, greeted delegates on behalf
of the IARU Region 3 officers, while Ellam welcomed participants on
behalf of the IARU officers and the International Secretariat and
thanked ORARI for hosting the meeting. Ellam said the IARU team
attending the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) in
November would make its best effort for a possible Amateur Service
allocation near 5 MHz.
Representatives from 15 IARU member societies, including the ARRL,
attended. Three other societies were represented by proxy. In his
welcoming remarks, Indonesia's minister of communication and
information technology recognized the important role of Amateur Radio
in disaster communication in his country with many islands.
Participants were uniformly impressed with the excellent organization
of the conference by ORARI, as well as with ORARI's close government
ties.
Indonesia Minister for Information and Communication Technology H.E.
Rudiantara (right) and IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, join in
sounding the gong to open the recent IARU Region 3 Conference in Bali,
Indonesia. IARU Region 3 Chairman Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, is at the
left.
The conferees got down to business promptly, designating two working
groups. Working Group 1 (WG1) addressed such policy issues as
education, training, development of Amateur Radio, and international
and regional conferences involving radio administrations with special
concentration on youth. ARRL International Affairs Vice President Jay
Bellows, K0QB, chaired WG1. Working Group 2 (WG2) dealt with such
operational and technical matters as emergency communication, digital
modes, a common APRS frequency, and Region 3 band plans. Titon Dutono,
YB3PET, chaired WG2, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, served as its
secretary. In all, working group members discussed 37 papers and
submitted recommendations to the conference for adoption.
(L-R) JC, E20NKB; Champ, E21EIC, and Sion, 9M2CQC, during a Working
Group 2 meeting.
Among recommendations adopted was one to ask the IARU Administrative
Council to make available information on the use of the Amateur
Satellite Service for member societies, satellite groups, Amateur
Satellite operators, and concerned radio amateurs. This information
would include, but not be limited to, criteria for a satellite to be
in the Amateur Satellite Service and the procedure for IARU satellite
frequency coordination. The conference also adopted adjustments to the
Region 3 band plans. Region 3 directors will consider making the
format similar to that used in Regions 1 and 2. Societies were further
asked to publicize digital mode developments and educate amateurs not
to interfere with Amateur Radio digital transmissions. Attention also
was called to newer digital modes, such as MFSK16, DominoEX, and FSQ,
as possibly better performers than PSK31.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ (left), and Working Group 2 Chair Titon
Dutono, YB3PET, at a WG2 session. Sumner served as WG2 secretary.
Dutono is Deputy Director General for Spectrum Policy and Planning in
Indonesia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
The IARU Administrative Council (AC) met just prior to the Region 3
conference, and AC members also took part in the conference. In
addition to Ellam, others on hand from outside Region 3 included IARU
Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and Secretary Rod Stafford,
W6ROD, Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, and Vice President Faisal
Al-Ajmi, 9K2RR, and Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM, and
Vice President Jose Molina, YS1MS.
Following seven nominations, six individuals, including four
incumbents, were elected to the IARU Region 3 Board. They were Rhee
Joong Geun, HL1AQQ; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI; Peter Young, VK3MV; Gopal
Madhavan, VU2GMN; Wisnu Widjaja, YB0AZ, and Don Wallace, ZL2TLL.
Madhavan was re-elected as chairman. Katsumi "Ken" Yamamoto, JA1CJP,
was returned unopposed as Secretary. New terms will begin on November
15.
Before concluding on October 16, the Region 3 Conference accepted an
invitation from the Korean Amateur Radio League (KARL) to host the
17th IARU Region 3 Conference in Seoul in late 2018. The ARDF World
Championships will take place that same year in Korea.
AO-85 Enthusiasm Prevails at AMSAT 2015 Space Symposium and Annual
Meeting
Excitement and enthusiasm over the recently launched Fox-1A CubeSat,
now known as AO-85, permeated the just-concluded AMSAT 2015 Space
Symposium and Annual Meeting. Nearly 120 attended the gathering
October 16-18 in Dayton, Ohio. AMSAT Vice President for Engineering
Jerry Buxton, N0JY, told his forum that AO-85 is working well and that
telemetry reports from users have been extremely helpful. Buxton told
his forum audience that the Fox team is mulling what might be causing
what he called "a perceived loss of sensitivity" on the AO-85 70
centimeter receiver. "There's a lot of speculation," he allowed. He
also discussed the subsequent entries in the Fox CubeSat series. The
AO-85 transponder is unavailable for general use until October 23 for
further commissioning.
AMSAT-NA Board Member Bob McGwier, N4HY, of Virginia Tech, outlined
efforts to orbit the Phase 3E (P3E) project announced earlier this
year. Virginia Tech approached the US Government last July to fly P3E
in order to support scientific payloads as well as to serve as an
Amateur Radio satellite. As McGwier explained, the project faces some
daunting political and technical challenges. He is working with
AMSAT-DL to transfer the satellite -- which has been in storage in
Germany for years -- to his Virginia Tech team for integration into a
government project that would place the satellite into an elliptical
high-Earth orbit (HEO). Before the satellite becomes available for
Amateur Radio applications, though, it would be shifted into a new --
and lower -- elliptical HEO orbit. If all goes smoothly, the project
could reach fruition in 2018.
ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, is AMSAT Vice President
for Human Spaceflight. [Steve Ford, WB8IMY, photo]
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, announced the appointment of Joe
Kornowski, KB6IGK, of Austin, Texas, as the new editor of The AMSAT
Journal, beginning with the November/December 2015 issue. He succeeds
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM. Kornowski has served as an Assistant Editor
since 2014.
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, provided an update on Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS). While the financial situation is
not as bleak as it was in 2014, Bauer indicated that ARISS needs to
raise $90,000 annually to maintain its current level of operation, and
$214,000 to grow operations and meet its desired goals.
At the AMSAT Board of Directors meeting on October 15, prior to the
2015 AMSAT Space Symposium, the Board approved the appointment of
officers. Barry Baines, WD4ASW, will continue as the president of
AMSAT-NA. Other officer positions also remained unchanged, with Drew
Glasbrenner, KO4MA, as Vice President for Operations; Jerry Buxton,
N0JY, as Vice President for Engineering, and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, as
Vice President for Human Spaceflight. Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, will serve
as secretary, while Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, will be treasurer.
Martha Saragovitz will continue as AMSAT-NA manager.
The positions of Executive Vice President, Vice President for User
Services, and Vice President for Marketing remain open.
Florida Radio Amateurs Support Bicycle Festival
Lake County, Florida, ARES and the Lake Amateur Radio Association
(LARA) this month again supported radio communication for the Mount
Dora Bicycle Festival -- something they've been doing for almost 25
years. During the October 9-11 event, ham radio volunteers provided
communication from each rest area as well as from mobile radio units
patrolling the various bicycle routes. The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival
is sponsored each year by the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce and
attracts cyclists from all over the country.
"Despite a little early morning fog, good weather prevailed for the 3
day event," said Ted Luebbers, K1AYZ. "Temperatures were moderate with
some humidity. For many of the riders this has become an event they
look forward to enjoying each year." Luebbers explained that the
festival is not a competitive race but a series of 12 separate bicycle
tours of Florida's scenic Lake County countryside. "Lake County is
blessed with 1400 named lakes and is considered to be Florida's Hill
Country," Luebbers said.
(L-R) Frank Anders, KK4MBX, and Jay Boehme, N4KXO, handled net control
duties from the N4FLZ mobile communications unit. [Ted Luebbers,
K1AYZ, photo]
"Some of these hills offer a unique challenge for even the most
experienced bicycle riders," he said. "The longest ride is 100 miles
and the shortest is 12 miles. Riders choose which rides they want to
take each day." This year's festival attracted 1325 participants.
The radio-equipped mobile vehicles the hams provided transported 30
riders and their bicycles back to the starting area over the 3 days,
due to mechanical breakdowns, medical issues, or fatigue. The most
serious injury was a broken collarbone. This year, 25 Amateur Radio
volunteers took part. -- Thanks to Ted Luebbers, K1AYZ
Ad
In Brief...
Look for 4U70UN this weekend! To commemorate the 70th anniversary of
the United Nations on October 24, the headquarters Amateur Radio club
station 4U1UN will operate as 4U70UN over the October 24-25 weekend
(between 1400 and 2130 UTC both days), and satellite operation will be
included. The UN Amateur Radio Club will set up at a ground-level
garden area within the UN Headquarters complex in New York City;
operation will be limited to daylight hours on as many bands and modes
as possible. Regarding satellite operation, 4U70UN will face blockage
from tall buildings to the west, so the best passes will be to the
east of grid FN30as and north and south overhead. 4U1UN is a separate
DXCC entity. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service; The Daily DX
SAQ Alexanderson Alternator VLF Transmission set for UN Day, October
24: The SAQ Alexanderson Alternator VLF transmitter at the World
Heritage Grimeton site in Sweden will be on the air to mark United
Nations Day, October 24, at 1000 UTC. The UN this year celebrates its
70th anniversary. SAQ will begin tuning at about 0930 UTC. SAQ is not
requesting reception reports and will not verify any. Amateur Radio
station SK6SAQ will be on the air on October 24 on several frequencies
and modes: 7035 kHz and 14,035 kHz on CW; 7080 kHz on SSB, and 7050
kHz on PSK31. QSL SK6SAQ via SK6DK or the bureau. -- Thanks to Lars
Kalland, SM6NM
JOTA Stations Urged to File their 2015 Reports: National JOTA
Organizer Jim Wilson, K5ND, is calling on all stations that
participated in the 2015 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) to submit their
reports. "I hope that all y'all had a great JOTA weekend," Wilson
said, noting that he visited the National Scouting Museum and K2BSA/5.
"From my own station I also heard lots of stations on 20 and 40 meters
along with a few on 17 and 15 meters. I worked a couple on SSB and
PSK," he added. Individual station report information will be compiled
into the US JOTA report and filed with the World Organization of the
Scouting Movement for incorporation into its report. "If you don't
have exact numbers for some of the information, you can use your best
judgment to provide an estimate," Wilson said. After submitting your
report, you'll receive a confirmation via e-mail along with a link to
download the JOTA 2015 Certificate. Wilson said photos and stories are
welcome but not required.
Ofcom Poised to Cancel Unrenewed Amateur Licenses: UK
telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced that it's set to
start cancelling Amateur Radio licenses, possibly numbering into the
thousands, that have not been "revalidated" by the holder. The effort
appears to be, in part, an effort to clear dead wood from the agency's
databases. Amateur Radio licenses in the UK must be revalidated every
5 years, but until Ofcom goes through the process of revoking the
license, such a license remains valid. The first batch to be revoked
will comprise Amateur Radio licenses that had been due for
revalidation between September 2012 and January 2013. -- Thanks to
Southgate Amateur Radio Club; Ofcom
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The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers over
the past week were up by 38.1 points to 75, and average daily solar
flux rose by 30.7 points to 118.2. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet
over the week, with average planetary A index declining from 25.1 to
11, and mid-latitude A index dropping from 17.6 to 9.1.
Predicted solar flux is 130 on October 22-24; 125 on October 25; 120
on October 26-27; 115 on October 28-29; 90 on October 30; 85 on
October 31-November 1; 80 on November 2-6; then 85, 90, 95, 100, 105,
110, 115, and 120 on November 7-14; 125 on November 15-17; 120 on
November 18-20, and 115 on November 21-22. Flux values then drop to 80
on November 28 through December 3.
Predicted planetary A index is 10 on October 22; 5 on October 23-27; 8
on October 28-29; 10 on October 30; 5 on October 31-November 2; 50 on
November 3; 40 on November 4; 25 on November 5; 12 on November 6-7;
then 20, 25, 20, and 10 on November 8-11, and 8 on November 12-13. The
A index then drops to 5 on November 19-24, then bounces back to 50 on
November 30.
Those Ap index values of 50 on November 3 and again on November 30
seem to be echoes of the October 7-8 period, when planetary A index
was 77 and 56. The high values are each spaced one whole solar
rotation (27-28 days) from each other.
Sunspot numbers for October 15 through 21 were 49, 68, 83, 81, 94, 77,
and 73, with a mean of 75. The 10.7 cm flux was 106.8, 109.1, 116.6,
119.5, 123.7, 122.8, and 129, with a mean of 118.2. Estimated
planetary A indices were 10, 8, 11, 22, 5, 9, and 12, with a mean of
11. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 9, 8, 9, 15, 3, 8, and 12,
with a mean of 9.1.
Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
October 23 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
October 23 -- NCCC Sprint
October 24-25 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB)
October 28 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
October 28 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW)
October 29 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (SSB)
October 31-November 1 -- ARRL EME Contest
October 31 -- Feld Hell Sprint
October 31 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
October 23-24 -- Arizona State Convention, Kingman, Arizona
October 23-24 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Ardmore, Oklahoma
November 7 -- Fall TechFest, Lakewood, Colorado
November 7-8 -- Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
November 14 -- HamJam Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia
November 14-15 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
December 11-12 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
Florida
January 9 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia
January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage,
New York
January 15-16, Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers,
Florida
January 15-16, North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
January 17-23, Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
January 29-30, Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
January 29-31, Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
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