| |
AE5ME > ARL 23.04.16 01:09l 158 Lines 9333 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 9MG465LOPNGE
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARRL Letter April 21 Part 4 of 4
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<HG8LXL<N0KFQ<AE5ME
Sent: 160422/2244Z 36155@AE5ME.#NEOK.OK.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.64
The recently ended Heard Island VK0EK DXpedition logged more than 75,000 contacts, but the brief, under-the-radar, contemporaneous VK0LD operation also put a new one into a few more logs. VK0EK logistics team member Mike Coffey, KJ4Z, operated as VK0LD from California, remotely controlling one of the VK0EK Elecraft K3S operating positions. He used a K3/0-Mini and the free RemoteHams.com RCForb client and remote server software to work 41 stations on 20 meters.
Mike Coffey, KJ4Z, briefly operated as VK0LD on Heard Island from the comfort of his California home.
"More than a year before the Braveheart set sail, I knew I wanted to try to operate a remote ham radio station from Heard Island during the VK0EK DXpedition," Coffey said. "Co-organizers Bob Schmieder, KK6EK, and Rich Holoch, KY6R, were enthusiastic and gave me the green light." From Tennessee, Coffey, who was off the air from 2003 until 2014, is once again active from California, and, he said on his QRZ.com profile, "eager to make up for lost time."
Lacking the expertise to set up and configure the equipment and connection for the remote operation, Coffey approached Elecraft, which supplied the K3S transceivers for VK0EK. Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, and Brandon Hansen, KG6YPI, introduced him to the Elecraft K3/0-Mini remote control panel -- basically a K3 front panel sans radio -- combined with Hansen's RemoteHams.com software. Leading up to the DXpedition he conducted tests from Elecraft to verify that operation with a satellite connection and the Remote Hams RCForb client software was possible.
A far cry from California: Heard Island, as seen from the sea.
On April 4, VK0LD transmitted its first CQ from Heard Island on 20 meter CW, with Coffey at the helm from his home in Palo Alto. "Over the course of the next 50 minutes, VK0LD logged 41 QSOs across Asia and then Europe as the band began to open up," he recounted. Alan Cheshire, VK6CQ, is the licensee of VK0LD.
On DX Summit, one Australian station declared VK0LD to be a pirate. "NOT a pirate!" KY6R posted in response.
"Finally, control was handed back over to regular VK0EK operations," Coffey said. "But for 50 minutes, I was having the amazing, incredible experience of working a pileup from a Top 10 DXCC entity on the other side of the world." Coffey said the K3/0 setup made it "almost like being there."
"I was sorry to stop," he said. "I would have happily worked the pileup for hours." -- Thanks to Elecraft via Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ
In Brief...
Islands on the Air (IOTA) Management Shifts to Not-For-Profit Company: Following agreement with the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), management of the Islands on the Air (IOTA) program has transitioned to "Islands on the Air (IOTA) Ltd," a new not-for-profit company. This entity will assume full responsibility for all aspects of the program. The company has been registered in the names of its current directors -- Roger Balister, G3KMA, and Stan Lee, G4XXI; a full board of directors will established. "It will take a little time to carry through all aspects of the changed governance, but IOTA enthusiasts should be assured that the new company is fully committed to completing the paperless QSLing project that will allow electronic confirmation of contacts," Balister said. He added that no significant policy changes are anticipated.
Commemorative ARISS Slow-Scan TV Transmissions a Success: The recent commemorative Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) slow-scan television (SSTV) transmissions from April 11 to April 14 were successful, with images received by many stations around the world. The SSTV transmissions marked the 15th anniversary (in 2015) of continuous Amateur Radio operations on the International Space Station. The first ISS crew conducted its inaugural ham radio contact from NA1SS in November 2000, and the first ARISS school/group contact took place the following month. Since then more than 1000 ARISS school/group contacts have been completed. Images received from the ISS have been posted on the gallery website. The SSTV transmissions were in PD180 format. Additional "MAI-75 Experiment" SSTV transmissions took place on April 14 and April 15. The commemorative SSTV images showed a few of the radio amateurs who have served aboard the ISS.
Brazil Eases Authorization for Radio Amateurs Attending the 2016 Summer Olympics: IARU Region 2 News Editor Joaquín Solana, XE1R, reports that radio amateurs hoping to operate in Brazil during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio this summer are in luck and will be able to be on air without bureaucracy. During August and September any foreign radio amateur will be able to operate in Brazil, whether or not a reciprocal agreement between the respective countries exists. No IARP or CEPT license is necessary, and there are no fees. The Brazilian Amateur Radio League LABRE has obtained permission from Brazilian telecommunications regulator ANATEL to handle authorizations. Amateurs who want to operate in Brazil should send LABRE these documents: Copy of a valid passport (identification pages); copy of Amateur Radio license; list of cities in which the radio amateur plans to operate and the respective dates, and an e-mail address. Send scanned documents to LABRE via e-mail.
New AO-85 Distance Record Claimed: A new distance record of 5751 kilometers (3565.6 miles) has been claimed for an AO-85 (Fox-1A) satellite contact. Betrand Demarcq, FG8OJ, in Saint-Francois, Guadeloupe (FK96ig) worked Jose Elias Diaz Rodriguez, EB1FVQ, in Vigo, Spain (IN52pe) at 19:15 UTC on April 14, 2016. A recording of the contact is available. AMSAT posts records on its AMSAT Satellite Distance Records page. Send new claims to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM. The AO-85 CubeSat was launched last October. It carries a U/V FM transponder. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
New Orleans Ham Radio & Computer Flea Market Cancelled: The New Orleans Ham Radio & Computer Flea Market scheduled for May 7 has been cancelled, its sponsor, the Crescent City Amateur Radio Group, has announced.
Ad
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the reporting week April 14-20, average daily sunspot numbers rose from 32 to 40, while average daily solar flux declined from 106.1 to 100.8.
Average daily planetary A index declined from 12.4 to 10.9, but average daily mid-latitude A index rose slightly from 8.3 to 8.9.
We continue to see weak sunspot groups. There were new ones on April 13, April 16, and April 20.
The Wednesday, April 20, prediction has solar flux values at 85 on April 21-27; 95 on April 28-May 2, except 98 on April 30; 100 on May 3-5; 95 on May 6; 98 on May 7-12; 92 on May 13-14; 102 on May 15-16; 95 on May 17-18; 97 on May 19-20, and 95 on May 21-26.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on April 21-22; 12 on April 23-24; 10 on April 25-26; then 8, 5, 20, 15, and 8 on April 27-May 1; 5 on May 2-3; 12 on May 4; 5 on May 5-8; then 18, 25, 20, 8, and 5 on May 9-13; 12 on May 14-16; 8 on May 17; 5 on May 18-19; 10 and 12 on May 20-21, and 10 on May 22-23. The planetary A index then rises to 20 on May 26 and slips back to 5 for 6 of the 7 days ending the 45-day forecast period.
Sunspot numbers for April 14 through 20 were 45, 69, 51, 35, 28, 28, and 24, with a mean of 40. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 111.1, 112.4, 113.2, 102.1, 94.6, 89.1, and 83.2, with a mean of 100.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 23, 9, 12, 19, 5, 3, and 5, with a mean of 10.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 14, 9, 8, 17, 7, 3, and 4, with a mean of 8.9.
Send me your reports and observations.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This Week in Radiosport
?April 25 -- Helvetia Contest
?April 25-26 -- Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest
?April 25-26 -- QRP to The Field (CW)
?April 25-26 -- Florida QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
?April 26 -- BARTG 75 Sprint (Digital)
?April 29 -- VHF Spring Sprints (CW, phone, digital)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL member profile e-mail preferences.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
?April 22-24 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho
?April 23 -- Aurora '16 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
?April 23 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
?April 29-May 1 -- Nevada State Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
?May 7 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina
?May 13-15 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Keystone, Colorado
?May 14 -- Iowa State Convention, Boone, Iowa
?May 20-22 -- Dayton Hamvention, Dayton, Ohio
?June 3-5 -- Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
?June 4 -- Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia
?June 5 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect, Pennsylvania
?June 10-11 -- West Gulf Division Convention, Irving, Texas
?June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
?July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
?July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention, Sandy, Utah
?July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
?July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference, Rochester, Minnesota
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
