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N9PMO > LETTER 16.03.15 22:04l 718 Lines 32976 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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ARRL Seeks Member Input on Draft HF Band Plan Proposals
ARRL Partners with Liberty Mutual to Offer Home, Auto Insurance
Discounts
Joseph Palsa, K3WRY, Appointed as Virginia Section Manager
Two New ARRL Section Managers Will Take Office on April 1
No One in the Shack as Station Logs 4200+ Contacts in ARRL DX CW
Contest
There's a Place for You in the ARRL International DX Phone Contest!
Spacewalks Interrupt ISS Amateur Radio SSTV, School Contact Schedules
Australian Hams Respond Following Severe Weather
German Radio Amateurs Breathe New Life into "Orphaned" Shortwave
Channel
"Mega DXpeditions Honor Roll" Posted on GDXF Site
Nominations Sought for 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the
Year Award
Astronaut-Ham John Grunsfeld, KC5ZTF, Named to Astronaut Hall of Fame
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Seeks Member Input on Draft HF Band Plan Proposals
The ARRL is asking members to comment by April 19 on possible changes to
the League's HF Band Plans suggested by the HF Band Planning Committee.
The survey is part of the committee's efforts to tweak the band plans
for the RTTY/data/CW portions of 80 through 10 meters -- excepting 60
meters. The committee developed its suggested revisions to the voluntary
band plans after reviewing some 400 member comments in response to a
March 2014 solicitation that sought suggestions on how to use the
spectrum more efficiently, so that data modes may coexist compatibly.
"The committee concluded that most of the concerns voiced by members
could be addressed by modest adjustments to the existing band plans, and
mainly by confining data modes with bandwidths greater than 500 Hz to
the FCC-designated segments for automatically controlled digital
stations (ACDS) and to parts of the RTTY/data subbands above those
segments," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said. His article detailing the
committee's suggestions will appear in the April issue of QST.
The proposed changes differentiate among ACDS, narrow RTTY/data modes
having a bandwidth no greater than 500 Hz, and wider data modes having a
bandwidth up to 2700 Hz.
Band-by-Band Draft Recommendations
On 80 meters, the committee suggests several modifications to the band
plan. FCC action in 2006 reduced the 80 meter RTTY/data subband to 100
kHz and limited access to the 3600-3700 kHz segment to Amateur Extra
class licensees. "Unless and until the FCC Rules are modified, changes
in the band plan for 3500-3600 kHz will not improve the situation,"
Sumner said.
The HF Band Planning Committee recommends that the League petition the
FCC to move the boundary between the 80 meter RTTY/data band and the 75
meter phone/image band from 3600 to 3650 kHz and restoring that segment
to General and Advanced class licensees. Members are being asked to
comment on this proposal, as well as on whether or not the ARRL should
petition the FCC for these other changes:
•Shift the ACDS band segment from 3585-3600 to 3600-3615 kHz, consistent
with the IARU Region 1 and 2 band plans.
xtend the current Novice/Technician CW segment of 3525-3600 kHz to
3650 kHz.
•Add 80 meter RTTY/data privileges for Novices and Technicians.
On 40 meters, the committee concluded that it would be unrealistic to
try to bring the ARRL band plan into alignment with the rest of the
world, particularly with Regions 1 and 3 where operating patterns
developed when the entire band, including phone, was just 100 kHz wide
-- and is still only 200 kHz. While 7040 kHz is a recognized RTTY/data
DX frequency in the band plan, the best place for other RTTY/data
activity in the US is above 7070 kHz.
The committee proposes aligning the band plan with the "Considerate
Operator's Frequency Guide," with wide data modes -- outside of ACDS --
at 7115-7125 kHz. The "Guide" shows 7070-7125 kHz for RTTY/data, while
the ARRL band plan shows 7080-7125 kHz. The FCC mandates that ACDS be
confined to the 7100-7105 kHz segment.
On 30 meters, the committee recommends confining wide data modes to
10.140-10.150 MHz, separated from other RTTY/data at 10.130-10.140 MHz.
On 20 meters, the committee recommends using the 1 kHz IARU/NCDXF beacon
network frequency (14.0995-14.1005 MHz) as a line in the sand between
wide ACDS in the 14.1005-14.112 MHz segment, and narrow ACDS in the
14.095-14.0995 MHz segment.
The committee recommends 14.070-14.095 MHz for RTTY and narrowband data,
noting that so-called "weak-signal" data modes often are used between
14.070 and 14.078 MHz.
On 17 meters, the committee recommends confining wide data modes to the
FCC-mandated ACDS segment of 18.105-18.110 MHz, separated from narrow
RTTY/data at 18.100-18.105 MHz. FCC rules do not permit RTTY/data above
18.110 MHz, limiting options for this band.
On 15 meters, the committee recommends that 21.070-21.090 MHz for narrow
RTTY/data modes, the FCC-mandated ACDS segment of 21.090-21.100 MHz for
both narrow and wide automatically controlled data station activity, and
above 21.100 MHz for any additional wide data activity.
The ARRL Board also wants members to comment on the desirability of
adding RTTY/data privileges for Novices and Technicians in their
existing 15 meter segment, where they're now limited to CW.
On 12 meters, the committee recommends confining wide data to the
FCC-mandated ACDS segment, 24.925-24.930 MHz, separated from narrow
RTTY/data operation at 24.920-24.925 MHz. FCC rules do not permit
RTTY/data operation above 24.930 MHz, limiting options for this band.
On 10 meters, the committee recommends that wide data be confined to the
FCC-mandated ACDS segment, 28.120-28.189 MHz, separated from narrow
RTTY/data modes at 28.070-28.120 MHz.
How to Comment
The League has set up a web page to record members' preferences and
comments, which includes links to the HF Band Planning Committee report
to the ARRL Board and to Sumner's April QST article (and high-resolution
band charts). Those wishing to offer more detailed comments may e-mail
ARRL. The comment deadline is April 19. The HF Band Planning Committee
will deliver its final report at the ARRL Board of Directors' July
meeting.
ARRL Partners with Liberty Mutual to Offer Home, Auto Insurance
Discounts
ARRL and Liberty Mutual Insurance have reached an agreement to provide
League members with home and automobile insurance discounts. In the
past, this membership benefit was provided by MetLife. Under the
affinity arrangement, a portion of each premium comes back to ARRL.
"Liberty Mutual is an undisputed group-insurance affinity leader with
excellent rates," said ARRL Membership Manager Diane Petrilli, KB1RNF.
"Convenient support is available by phone, online, or one on one with a
local sales representative, and with thousands of dedicated retail
agents and hundreds of offices across the country." Given the ready
access to Liberty Mutual's customer support, Petrilli said, it will be
even easier for ARRL members to obtain quotes, begin coverage, and get
answers to any questions.
Petrilli assured members who already have home or auto insurance through
the League's arrangement with MetLife that their coverage will continue,
but, she added, when the current policy comes up for renewal, the ARRL
group discount may no longer apply.
ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said that League members
with existing Liberty Mutual policies should contact Liberty Mutual or
their local agent directly to see if they qualify for additional ARRL
group savings and discounts. He noted that savings under the new
agreement could be substantial, and that members may save even more by
bundling their home and auto coverage.
Savings and discounts are available where state laws and regulations
allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants
are individually underwritten, and not all applicants may qualify.
Policies are underwritten by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and
its affiliates, 175 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116.
In addition to auto and home insurance, Liberty Mutual offers life,
motorcycle, condo, renter's, and personal liability insurance. Liberty
Mutual representatives can discuss options and rontested races, two incumbent SMs prevailed over their
challengers. In Arizona, Robert Spencer, KE8DM, of Yuma, outpolled
Steven Wood, W1SR, of Tucson, 775 to 464. In Iowa Section Manager Bob
McCaffrey, K0CY, of Boone also was re-elected, defeating challenger
Scott Kirstein, N0OOD, of Ankey, 402 to 127. Spencer and McCaffrey both
have served since 2013 and will be starting their second terms in April.
Several other incumbent Section Managers faced no opposition in this
election cycle and have been declared re-elected. They are Dale Temple,
W5RXU (Arkansas); Malcolm Keown, W5XX (Mississippi); George Forsyth,
AA7GS (Montana); Chris Brewer, N5GMJ (North Texas), and Carl Gardenias,
WU6D (Orange).
No One in the Shack as Station Logs 4200+ Contacts in ARRL DX CW Contest
The six-person group operating as K3TN in the recent ARRL International
DX Contest (CW) may have made Amateur Radio history by mounting the
first completely remote-controlled multioperator contest effort. The
scattered K3TN team worked via the Internet through the station of Jack
Hammett, K4VV, on Catoctin Ridge in Northern Virginia. All of K4VV's
operating positions were vacant over the February 21-22 weekend, because
the operators were elsewhere. One participant even managed to operate
during the contest from two states -- Maryland and Florida.
Note the absence of chairs in the K4VV shack. The station can be
operated remotely as well as on site. [Photo courtesy of Mike Lonneke,
W0YR]
"No one was in the K4VV shack for the entire contest!" said Mike
Lonneke, W0YR, who took part in the contest via K4VV from his own shack
in Virginia. Two other operators were in North Carolina. "Perhaps this
is a new category -- Totally Remote (TR)." Lonneke said 3-minute timers
at the remote-capable positions allow FCC requirements to be met.
The "Team K4VV" contingent made 4224 contacts and logged 556 multipliers
for a claimed score of more than 7 million points -- not a Top 10 score,
but respectable. For comparison, the top-scoring K3LR multi-multi
operation has claimed 18.85 million points.
K4VV boasts two Telrex "Big Bertha" rotating masts that support 17
wide-spaced Yagi arrays for 10, 15, and 20 meters and a two-stack of
four-element OWA Yagis on 40, plus wire antennas for 80 and 160 meters.
This is not the sort of antenna farm likely found in the typical
suburban neighborhoods from which the K3TN participants operated.
Despite the vagaries of winter weather, the station performed well. "We
had a foot of wet snowfall Saturday afternoon/evening, and the station
was totally inaccessible," said John Pescatore, K3TN, in a 3830 website
log post. "The ops fairly winced as they watched the on-screen direction
indicators for K4VV's Big Berthas turn at a tortoivember Sweepstakes (CW), Tom Morton, CX7TT, who lives in
near Montevideo, Uruguay, logged into one of the K4VV operating
positions. Operating as W4YY at a distance of nearly 5200 miles, he
managed a clean sweep. Lonneke has said that the operating experience
from the remote end "is transparent."
John Pescatore, K3TN.
Until recently contacts made during such operations were ineligible for
DXCC credit for either station. Changes to the DXCC Rules now allow a
control operator to be outside the DXCC entity in which the radio
transmitter/receiver is located. For DXCC purposes transmitter location
continues to define a station's location. CQ Magazine recently began
sponsoring an award for working 100 countries while using remote
control.
In addition to Pescatore, Lonneke, and Rogers, the K3TN operators for
the ARRL International DX CW were Rick Miller, N1RM, in Virginia; Jim
Gulvin, W4TMO, in North Carolina, and Rowland Archer, K4XD, in North
Carolina. The K3TN log was submitted under the Potomac Valley Radio Club
banner.
Pescatore is hoping to gather a team of phone operators to mount a
similar multi-multi effort in the ARRL International DX Contest SSB
event in March.
There's a Place for You in the ARRL International DX Phone Contest!
Set aside your CW key, and shake those dits and dahs out of your ears.
It's time to get your voice in trim or to program your digital voice
keyer. The SSB weekend of the ARRL International DX Contest is Saturday
and Sunday, March 8-9 (UTC), and in this major event on the radiosport
calendar, the DX will be looking for stations in the US and Canada.
There are entry categories for single ops and for multioperator teams as
well as a choice of power levels in each category, from QRP to full
legal limit. In other words, there's a place for Big Guns, Little
Pistols, and everyone in between. Excitement and enthusiasm levels will
be high, and it's a terrific opportunity to boost DXCC totals too.
Leonce Richer, FM5DN, in Martinique, took part in the 2014 ARRL DX phone
and expected to be back this year.
Not only that, but the ARRL International DX Contest events offer great
opportunities to expand your knowledge of MF and HF propagation and to
tweak your contesting skills. The basic objective is simple: W/VE
amateurs work as many DX stations in as many DXCC entities as possible
on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. Participating DX
stations work as many stations as possible on the 48 contiguous US
states and Canadian provinces. US and Canadian stations send a signal
report and their state or province abbreviation. DX stations send a
signal report and their output power.
The action gets under way March 8 at 0000 UTC (Friday, March 7, in US
time zones) and continues for the next 48 hours until March 9 at 2359
UTC. By the way, if you're planning to do this one without any digital
voice assistance, keep those lozenges and maybe some hot tea and honey
handy. A couple of 2014 participants complained afterward of hoarse
throats.
Complete rules and forms are on the ARRL website. E-mail electronic logs
(Cabrillo format). Mail paper logs to ARRL DX CW Contest, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111. Logs must be received or postmarked no later than
2359 UTC on Tuesday, April 8, 2015.
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Spacewalks Interrupt ISS Amateur Radio SSTV, School Contact Schedules
Spacewalks recently disrupted previously scheduled Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) activities. ISS crew members Barry
Wilmore, Terry Virts, and Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, worked outside
the ISS on February 21 and 25, and another "extra-vehicular activity" or
EVA -- NASA's term for a spacewalk -- is set for March 1. During such
excursions, Amateur Radio gear on the ISS is shut down for safety
reasons.
Over the past weekend, a planned 3 days of continuous slow-scan TV
transmissions from the Russian sector ended up taking place only on
February 22 and 23. The occasional SSTV transmissions from RS0ISS are on
145.800 MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD180.
In addition, an ARISS school contact scheduled for February 25 with
students at Riversink Elementary School in Crawfordville, Florida, had
to be rescheduled for the following day.
Over the course of the series of spacewalks, the astronauts have been
preparing cables and communication gear for new docking ports that will
allow future crews launched from Florida on US commercial spacecraft to
dock with the space station.
Paulo, PV8DX, of AMSAT-Brazil turned the latest series of SSTV
transmissions into an educational outreach opportunity. During a
Paulo, PV8DX, demonstrates SSTV to students at the Gonçalves Dias School
in Brazil.
February 23 visit to the Gonçalves Dias School, he explained Amateur
Radio to the students and demonstrated reception of an SSTV image from
the ISS. Although the signal wasn't strong enough to render a clear and
complete image, he was able to capture at least part of it, and the
students were excited and enthusiastic. Paulo said he's hoping for more
ISS SSTV transmissions on weekdays, when youngsters are in school.
Clint Bradford, K6LCS, in California, found that receiving SSTV images
from the ISS can really be simple. He used loaded a $3 iOS app onto his
iPod Touch and held the device near the speaker of his VHF transceiver.
"I didn't think there was too much left in the hobby to excite me, but I
was wrong," he said. Greg Dolkas, KO6TH, was equally enthusiastic. "I've
never received a clearer SSTV picture from anywhere, let alone outer
space!" he said. -- Thanks to ARISS, AMSAT-UK
Australian Hams Respond Following Severe Weather
Amateur Radio volunteers with Australia's Central Queensland Amateur
Radio Association (CQARA) initiated nets on HF and VHF in the wake of a
tropical cyclone (hurricane). After making landfall on February 20,
Cyclone Marcia caused major damage, ripping roofs from structures,
downing trees and power lines, and damaging other infrastructure.
Flooding was widespread. The cyclone was a category 5 storm with winds
of 155 MPH when it hit Yeppoon. It lost intensity as it slowly moved
south, and was downgraded to a Category 1 storm.
CQARA volunteers were reported active on 40 meters and 2 meters. Other
Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network (WICEN) groups stood by to
help emergency responders. The few people who remained on Queensland's
tourist coastal islands were evacuated to shelters. According to
Australian news media, many residents were left without electricity, and
power was expected to be off for several days. Emergency managers were
asking residents to use water only when absolutely necessary. The
Rockhampton Airport was closed due to flooding.
Jim Linton, VK3PC, the chairman of IARU Region 3's Disaster
Communications Committee, said no deaths were reported due to the storm.
"During previous major Queensland cyclones extensive agricultural crops
were lost," he pointed out.
A separate weather system dumped rain over southeast Queensland,
including the capital of Brisbane, causing some localized flooding.
Elsewhere in Australia, Cyclone Lam, initially a Category 4 storm,
engulfed the northeast region of the Northern Territory. Linton said
that early evacuation of lightly populated islands and sheltering of
residents were effective.
German Radio Amateurs Breathe New Life into "Orphaned" Shortwave Channel
A few radio amateurs are frustrated broadcasters, and when German
national broadcaster the Deutsche Welle closed down a 500 kW shortwave
broadcast transmitter near Munich, an entity headed and operated by hams
applied for and was granted the vacant channel of 6070 kHz in the 49
meter shortwave band. DARC Radio -- which has a business association
with the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) but is privately owned --
now has a 10 kW broadcast station, branded "Channel 292," up and
running, and a new Amateur Radio DX program will debut next month.
"After the demolition of one of the world´s biggest shortwave facilities
of the Deutsche Welle last year, we managed to get an official radio
broadcast license for the German Amateur Radio Club and have built up a
shortwave transmitter with some parts of the old 500 kW transmitter from
there," said DARC Radio Project Manager Rainer Englert, DF2NU, an ARRL
member and president of the Munich South Section of the DARC. "As far as
we know, there is no similar ham project like this worldwide."
The Deutsche Welle used the 6070 kHz channel until mid-2013 for European
transmissions. DARC Radio hopes to fund its operating expenses by
leasing airtime.
The DARC is a customer, and under its banner, a weekly Amateur
Radio-oriented magazine of DARC news, contest schedules, DX information,
interviews, DXpedition reports, market reviews, technical hints, and
"some nice old music from the '70s and '80s" will debut on Sunday, March
22, at 1000 UTC, Englert told ARRL. The program will
Rainer Englert, DF2NU, with the Deutsche Welle 500 kW transmitter site.
[Photo courtesy of Rainer Englert, DF2NU]
be in German, but the RSGB has expressed interest in contributing
English-language program segments, he said. The inaugural DX magazine
will be repeated on Monday, March 23, at 1600 UTC.
According to the DARC, the initial March 22 broadcast will air from a
100 kW transmitter in Austria, while the repeat broadcast on March 23
will emanate from Radio DARC's 10 kW transmitter near Ingolstadt,
Germany.
Rainer Ebeling, DB8QC, owns the official licensee -- Intermedicom GmbH
(LLC). He repurposed parts from the driver stages as well as a few
transformers from the former Deutsche Welle transmitter for DARC Radio's
10 kW transmitter. "The antenna is a low-hanging, simple dipole with a
very high radiation angle, optimized for short-range coverage," Englert
explained. The station easily covers much of Western Europe, he said,
and also has been heard in Russia and elsewhere, including North
America.
The Channel 292 coverage map.
Although its license allows full-time service, the station has mostly
been on the air from 0700 until 1700 UTC. The station airs "The Golden
Days of Offshore Radio" weekdays at 0700-0900 UTC, with offerings that
evoke the era of pirate stations RNI, Radio Caroline, Radio Veronica,
and others. In fact, the Channel 292 brand recalls the Channel 192
pirate station of the 1960s and 1970s. It also airs programs in Dutch
and Spanish.
Englert said others, in addition to DARC, have been leasing airtime --
currently filling about 20 hours per week. DARC Radio's hourly rate is
rock bottom -- about $17.50 US. "This rate really only covers
expenditures like electric power and the write-off of the power
amplifier," he said. "The transmitter sucks almost 40 kW out of the grid
at 100 percent modulation."
"The orphaned shortwave frequencies hardly interest anyone these days,"
allowed the DARC. "Not so radio amateurs, who will take advantage of
these new possibilities to also get broadcasting licenses."
All reception reports to Channel 292 will be answered with a QSL card.
Outgoing cards will go out via the DARC QSL bureau.
"Mega DXpeditions Honor Roll" Posted on GDXF Site
Anyone who likes Top 10 lists or even statistics will find something to
appreciate in the "Mega DXpeditions Honor Roll," compiled and posted by
Jari Jussila, OH2BU, and Bernd Koch, DF3CB. At the very least, this
resource will help to settle any arguments as to the accomplishments of
any DXpedition that logged at least 30,000 contacts. The German DX
Foundation (GDXF) is hosting the Honor Roll, which includes 221 Mega
DXpeditions. Each listing provides a link to details of the DXpedition
and QSL card image. Individual links sort the database on various
categories, including such statistics as QSOs per day and Top 20 modes.
Jussila had kept and maintained records of DXpeditions making at least
30,000 QSOs and published his list, then containing some 40 DXpeditions,
in the late 1990s. Requests to provide additional or corrected
information helped to refine the list, which evolved into the Mega
DXpeditions Honor Roll. Koch had compiled and maintained the database,
which now has found a home on the GDXF website. The list includes
statistics for individual DXpeditions.
In terms of contact numbers, topping the list was the 2011 T32C
DXpedition to Christmas Island in Eastern Kiribati. The 32-day
operation, which boasted 41 operators, logged 213,090 contacts. By way
of comparison, the 15 operators mounting the recent 15-day K1N
DXpedition to Navassa put 139,702 contacts into the logbook, putting
that operation in 9th place in terms of QSO numbers.
The 2011 T32C Christmas Island DXpedition holds the record for the most
contacts logged for a multioperator DXpedition.
The average number of operators among the 221 listed operations was 11.
The 2006 VU4AN DXpedition to Andaman and Nicobar Islands involved 69
operators -- the most of any DXpedition, although the 403T DXpedition to
Montenegro that same year came close, with 60 operators.
One interesting statistic you can glean from the Honor Roll is
most-activated DX entities among the 221 listed Mega DXpeditions. The
greatest number was six operations to Conway Reef (3D2C). Spratly,
Clipperton, Malyj Vysotskij, and Myanmar were grouped as a close second
with five DXpeditions each.
Most contacts made during a single-operator DXpedition? That would have
been the 53,849 QSOs that Jukka Heikinheimo, OH2BR, logged as VP6BR
during his 88-day visit to Pitcairn Island in early 2000. This has been
recognized as a Guinness World Record.
The Honor Roll also includes a list of the most active operators to take
part in a Mega DXpedition.
Address comments, corrections, or additions to the list to Jari Jussila,
OH2BU, and Bernd Koch, DF3CB. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
Nominations Sought for 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year
Award
Amateur Radio Newsline is seeking nominations for its 2015 Young Ham of
the Year (YHOTY) Award. To be considered, a nominee must have used
Amateur Radio in some way that has benefited his or her community or
encouraged technological development directly or indirectly related to
communications.
Nominees must be no older than 19 and reside in the United States,
Canada, or Puerto Rico. The individual must also hold a currently valid
US or Canadian Amateur Radio license.
Candidates considered for the Young Ham of the Year Award will be judged
on their overall accomplishments and contributions -- especially in
terms of public service activities or experimentation in the areas of
science, technology, or electronic communication -- that may be of an
outstanding nature. The decision of the judging committee is final.
The deadline to submit an application is May 30, 2015. An application
form also is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
2015 Young Ham of the Year Award, c/o Amateur Radio Newsline, 28197
Robin Ave, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. Basic information on required
documentation and how to file are included on the nominating form.
Presentation of the 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year
Award will take place at the Huntsville Hamfest, August 15-16, in
Huntsville Alabama. -- Thanks to Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF/Amateur Radio
Newsline
Astronaut-Ham John Grunsfeld, KC5ZTF, Named to Astronaut Hall of Fame
NASA astronaut and Amateur Radio operator John Grunsfeld, KC5ZTF, is
among those to be inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame this spring.
The others are Margaret Rhea Seddon, Steven Lindsey, and Kent Rominger.
They will join previous honorees, including Alan Shepard, Neil
Armstrong, and John Young in a ceremony on May 30 at Kennedy Space
Center. The 2015 inductees are the 14th class. All told, the group has
recorded 18 space shuttle missions over 26 years. An astronomer and
astrophysicist, Grunsfeld worked on the Hubble Space Telescope on three
shuttle missions.
John Grunsfeld, KC5ZTF. [NASA photo]
To date, fewer than 90 astronauts have been selected by a panel of their
peers to join this elite group. Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees are
selected from a pool of nominations, with the finalists chosen by a
panel of Hall of Fame astronauts, NASA leaders, flight directors,
historians, and journalists. For its inaugural class in 1990, the Hall
of Fame inducted the original group of US astronauts -- the Mercury
Seven.
The Astronaut Hall of Fame features the world's largest collection of
personal spaceflight memorabilia. It is operated as part of the Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex.
Now a NASA associate administrator for science, Grunsfeld is a veteran
of five spaceflights. He logged more than 58 days in space and eight
spacewalks. His first flight was in 1995 as part of the STS-67 shuttle
mission aboard Endeavour. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via
Spaceflight Insider
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The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers over the
past week were about the same (59) as last week (54.6), while average
daily solar flux declined from 121.4 to 116.3.
Average daily planetary A index increased from 9 to 11.3. The average
daily mid-latitude A index also was higher, rising from 7 to 9.3.
These numbers compare the 7-day period from February 19-25 with the
previous 7 days.
The NOAA/USAF 45-day forecasts for planetary A index and solar flux have
been late on several days this week. The latest available is for
February 24, which calls for solar flux at 125 for February 26 through
March 5, 130 on March 6, 135 for March 7-9, 130 on March 10, 125 for
March 11-12, 120 for March 13-17, and 115 for March 18-23. Solar flux
then reaches a peak of 135 for April 3-5 before declining again.
Predicted planetary A index is 10, 8, and 20 for February 26-28, then
22, 15, and 8 for March 1-3, then 10, 5, and 7 for March 4-6, rising
back to 10 for March 7-8, down to 5 for March 9-13, then 10, and 5 for
March 14-15, 15 for March 16-17, 8 on March 18, and 5 for March 19-21.
John Magliacane, KD2BD, of Sea Girt, New Jersey, e-mailed a blast from
the past -- some old e-mail from me, ARRL bulletins, and various posts
from the late 1980s and early 1990s on Usenet and the Amateur Packet
Radio Network, which he recovered from archives on an old hard drive. I
hope to post some newly recovered ARRL Propagation Bulletins from
1990-1991. Let me know if you find any old archives such as this.
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.
For Friday's bulletin, look for an updated forecast and reports from
readers. Send me your reports and observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
February 27-March 1 -- CQ World Wide 160 Meter Contest (SSB)
February 28-March 1 -- Worldwide EME Contest
February 28-March 1 -- UBA Contest (CW)
February 28-March 1 -- North American QSO Party (RTTY)
March 1-2 -- North Carolina QSO Party
March 2 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
March 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
March 3 -- YL CW Party
March 4 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests
March 4 -- John Rollins Memorial DX Contest (CW)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
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Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
February 28 -- New Mexico Techfest Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 28 -- Vermont State Convention, S Burlington, Vermont
March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks,
California
March 7-8 -- Alabama Section Convention, Irondale, Alabama
March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Concord, North
Carolina
March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 20-21 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana
March 21 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington
March 21 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida
March 21 -- Wisconsin State Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
March 27-28 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine
March 28 -- Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
April 4 -- West Central Florida Technical Conference, Sebring, Florida
April 4 -- North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
April 4 -- Arkansas State Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas
April 11 -- Delta Division Convention, Bartlett, Tennessee
April 11-12 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington
April 17-19 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California
April 17-19 -- Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference, Manchester,
Connecticut
April 25 -- Aurora Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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