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N9PMO > LETTER 09.01.15 09:11l 714 Lines 32279 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President
ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix
Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager
Revised ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines Now Available
ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards
ARRL Survey Underway
Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena
Nuts and Volts Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward Silver,
N0AX
Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast
Asia Flooding
Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the
Philippines
Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary
ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark
NCJ Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event
ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise,
W4PRO, SK
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
The K7RA Solar Update
In Brief...
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President
As the ARRL's Centennial drew to a close, ARRL President Kay Craigie,
N3KN, reflected that the year-long celebration helped to rejuvenate
Amateur Radio by including as many people as possible, providing lots
of on-the-air fun, and promoting learning and doing. She also believes
that the spirit of the Centennial will live on going forward, as
Amateur Radio enters its second century.
"The ARRL Centennial has been the most extraordinary event in my
Amateur Radio life," President Craigie remarked. "How fortunate I am
to have been a ham in this anniversary year, let alone to have been
President of the ARRL."
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
President Craigie said that Centennial activities, such as the
Centennial QSO Party and the W1AW portable operations in all 50 US
states and some territories, were aimed at giving members a chance to
learn, to feel, and to do, and in the process generating positive
feelings about being a part of Amateur Radio and of the ARRL. "We
wanted members to have fun participating in activities, both in person
-- at the national and regional conventions -- and on the air," she
recounted. "We wanted the events and experiences to be inclusive --
something all members could participate in, if they wanted to."
So, every member was given a point value in the Centennial QSO Party.
And, recognizing that not everyone could come to the National
Centennial Convention in Hartford, the League designated several major
ham radio gatherings around the US as regional centennial conventions,
so everyone would have an opportunity to participate. Convention
forums as well as information and articles in QST and in electronic
media provided something every member could learn from and enjoy, she
said.
"I recall suggesting that we could move W1AW around the country," she
said. "I was just thinking about the call areas, but the staff
exploded that into every state and several territories."
"Because of the good work done by the ARRL Headquarters staff and a
huge number of enthusiastic volunteers all over the country, the
Centennial successfully achieved those goals beyond what we were able
to imagine," President Craigie said. "Thousands of ARRL members chased
W1AW and worked each other across the bands and modes, having
tremendous fun doing it. In QSOs and on their QSL cards, members told
me how much they appreciate what the ARRL does for Amateur Radio."
President Craigie said that as the Centennial year played out, people
were stopping by on her frequency just to say how much fun they'd had
helping the League to celebrate its 100th anniversary. "One member
said he had not been on HF for 20 years, sticking to VHF, but got back
on HF for the Centennial. Another member said he thought the events
have been a huge shot in the arm for Amateur Radio."
"It really is all about the people and the fun," she observed.
President Craigie reported logging more than 18,100 contacts during
2014, including 1149 on the last day of the year, most of them from
calling "CQ Centennial."
"For the first time in my life I was the most popular kid in school,"
she quipped. "I won't forget the rush of that feeling when I'm back to
being just another signal from Virginia."
President Craigie said some have asked what the ARRL will do next. She
said that while the League doesn't want to wear out the exuberance and
goodwill the Centennial events engendered, "it's clear that operating
challenges outside of the traditional menu of contests and awards have
a great appeal." She expressed the hope that, in the months and years
ahead, all hams will seek out other operating challenges sponsored by
all sorts of ham radio groups and keep the bands alive with signals.
"To everybody: Thanks for coming to the birthday party!" she
concluded. "Happy New Year!" Read more.
ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix
The ARRL Laboratory now has significantly superior measurement
capabilities, thanks to Tektronix Corporation's generous donation of a
mixed-domain bench oscilloscope (model MDO4104B-3). Alan Wolke, W2AEW,
Senior Applications Engineer for Tektronix, visited ARRL
Tektronix Senior Applications Engineer Alan Wolke, W2AEW (center)
demonstrates the new MDO4104B-3 oscilloscope to ARRL Test Engineer Bob
Allison, WB1GCM (left), and ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. [Steve
Ford, WB8IMY, photo]
Headquarters on January 6 to introduce the Lab staff to the
sophisticated 'scope. An ARRL Life Member, Wolke arranged for the
donation.
"This oscilloscope is a huge benefit to us," commented ARRL Test
Engineer Bob Allison, WB1GCM. "It will be particularly important,
considering the fast-paced evolution of digital technology. The ARRL
Lab is grateful to Tektronix, to Alan Wolke, and Tektronix Public
Relations Manager Amy Higgins for this generous contribution."
The dual-function instrument has a bandwidth of 1 GHz, 5 GS/s for
time-domain measurements and can make frequency-domain measurements up
to 3 GHz. The MDO4104B-3 replaces the Lab's Tektronix TDS-3052B, a 500
MHz storage oscilloscope.
Wolke has personally produced a large number of quality training
videos, for radio amateurs wanting to learn more about the practical
applications of test instruments.
Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager
Joseph Ames, W3JY, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, became ARRL Eastern
Pennsylvania Section Manager on January 1. He will complete the
remaining term of former SM, Bob Famiglio, K3RF, the new ARRL Atlantic
Division Vice Director.
ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager Joe Ames, W3JY.
ARRL Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N,
appointed Ames to succeed Famiglio after consulting with incoming ARRL
Atlantic Division Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. Ames's appointment as
Section Manager continues until March 31, 2016.
A ham since 1977 and an ARRL Life Member, Ames brings a wealth of
Field Organization experience to his new position. He was an Assistant
Section Manager in Eastern Pennsylvania from 2008 until 2014 and holds
Official Emergency Station and Official Relay Station appointments. He
was elected as the new Eastern Area Staff Chair of the ARRL National
Traffic System, effective on January 1, taking over that role from
Marcia Forde, KW1U. Ames also serves as net manager of the Eastern
Pennsylvania Emergency Phone & Traffic Net and of the Pennsylvania
Eastern Area RACES Net.
Ames is the training and safety officer for Delaware County ARES/RACES
and is active with the Chester County ARES/RACES organization. He's a
Volunteer Instructor for ARECC and a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL
VEC. Read more.
Revised ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines Now Available
The ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines have been revised, and the latest
edition now is available. The latest guidelines, updated by an ARRL
Contest Advisory Committee (CAC) team, address changes in technology
that have affected contesting in recent years -- including remote
station operation -- and present a current understanding of contesting
standards and practices. Some sections also have been rewritten and
reorganized to improve readability. George Wagner, K5KG, a member of
the CAC team that undertook the update, said the goals of the revised
ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines are to provide guidance and advice --
especially for new contesters -- and to encourage contest operation
that advances the spirit and integrity of radiosport.
"The materials presented are facts, opinions and best practices,"
Wagner said. "Information presented in the document is not mandatory,
and the individual contest operator is free to accept or reject its
wisdom. In all cases, contest rules take precedence, so the collective
advice is always to read, understand, and follow the contest rules" in
letter and spirit, he said.
The Guidelines document presents frequently asked questions and
answers and additional material about common situations encountered in
HF contesting. The questions and responses only address HF contesting,
and not VHF+ contesting.
ARRL Contest Branch Manager Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, expressed his
appreciation to the committee for taking on the task of updating the
guidelines. "We often refer new contesters to the document, so the
effort to revise it and include new technologies that affect
radiosport is essential," he said.
A PDF version of the Guidelines is available for download. Address
comments and suggestions about the HF Contesting Guidelines to the
ARRL Contest Advisory Committee member from your ARRL Division.
ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards
The ARRL is inviting nominations for the Hiram Percy Maxim Award --
the League's premier award honoring a young Amateur Radio licensee --
and for awards that recognize educational and technological
achievement in Amateur Radio.
The Hiram Percy Maxim Award recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL member
under age 21 whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most
exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities.
Nominations for this award are made through your ARRL Section Manager,
who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31,
2015.
The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award honors an ARRL
volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or professional classroom teacher
who uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest
values of the Amateur Radio community. The award highlights quality of
and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations are due by March
15, 2015.
The ARRL Microwave Development Award pays tribute to a radio amateur
or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the
Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31,
2015.
The ARRL Technical Service Award recognizes a radio amateur or group
of radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or
training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015.
The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted to a radio amateur or
group of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or
techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015
The Knight Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize
exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health
and vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2015.
The ARRL Board of Directors selects recipients for these awards.
Winners are typically announced following the Board's July meeting.
More information about these awards is on the ARRL website, or contact
Sean Kutzko, KX9X, at ARRL Headquarters. Telephone (860) 594-0328.
Ad
ARRL Survey Underway
The ARRL has asked an independent research company specializing in
survey research to conduct a survey of Amateur Radio operators in the
US. Readex Research, headquartered in Stillwater, Minnesota, has
conducted similar studies for ARRL in the past, including QST
readership studies and other large national surveys.
This most recent survey is being conducted by mail and e-mail and will
include representative populations of Amateur Radio operators from
among ARRL members, as well as non-member FCC licensees. While not
every member will receive a survey, participation from those
individuals who are selected is critical for the success of this
project.
Responses will be kept confidential and only used in tabulation with
others; no data about survey participants -- including contact
information -- will be shared with anyone.
Contact ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, if you have any
questions about the survey.
Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena
Despite financial struggles dogging the owners of Hara Arena, site of
the Dayton Hamvention® since the 1960s, the 2015 Hamvention General
Chairman Jim Tiderman, N8IDS, has told ARRL that he expects the
world's largest Amateur Radio show to continue there -- this May and
in the years ahead. Tiderman was reacting to recent media accounts
detailing the fiscal woes of the aging Hara complex in Trotwood, Ohio.
He said Hamvention's sponsoring Dayton Amateur Radio Association
(DARA) and Hamvention officials have been in conversation with Hara's
owners, the Wampler family, regarding the future of the 165,000 square
foot, six-building complex.
Hara Arena, the home of Dayton Hamvention. [Rick Lindquist, WW1ME,
photo]
"Both Hamvention and DARA have absolute confidence in [the Wampler
family's] guiding their corporation through the steps in the plans in
place to keep Hara operating for years to come," Tiderman said. "Given
the time frame they are working with right now, we simply stand by
them and repeat, 'the show will go on.'" Last year, Dayton Hamvention
attracted nearly 25,000 visitors.
Dayton TV station WDTN-TV reported last month that the 50-year-old
Hara Arena was facing financial problems and had cut back on its
full-time staff to save money. Karen Wampler, Hara's Director of
Marketing, has told the media that it's become difficult for Hara
Arena to compete with other Miami Valley venues, such as the Nutter
Center at Wright State University and the downtown Dayton Convention
Center. The Hara complex needs money for renovations and deferred
maintenance, she said, and "the ownership model needs to be changed."
Wampler told the Dayton Daily News in December that while the family
cares about the facility, it is limited in what it can afford.
Dayton Hamvention takes place May 15-17. Read more.
Nuts and Volts Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward Silver,
N0AX
Well-known ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, has debuted a
new column for Nuts and Volts magazine -- "The Ham's Wireless
Workbench." Nuts and Volts is written for "the hands-on hobbyist,
design engineer, technician, and experimenter," which describes a lot
of radio amateurs.
Ward Silver, N0AX.
"The general idea is to open the door to ham radio for electronically
inclined folks who either may not be aware of the hobby or who may
find some of our technology interesting and/or useful," Silver said.
"This is an excellent opportunity to provide outreach to the active
and growing electronic 'maker' -- or do-it-yourselfer -- audience."
Every other month, Silver will cover a topic that showcases some
aspect of Amateur Radio technology that is not typically covered by
non-ham media. Such topics, he said, would include such things as
antennas, transmission lines, connectors, propagation, transmitters,
and modulation -- areas not often discussed outside of QST and other
ham radio publications. His first column in the January 2015 issue is
an introduction to antennas -- specifically how to make a VHF/UHF
ground plane for listening to NOAA weather stations. First, though,
Silver acquainted his readers with ham radio and pointed out that
several Nuts and Volts editorial staffers -- including the print and
digital publication's editor, Bryan Bergeron, NU1N -- as well as
contributors and many readers are radio amateurs.
Silver pointed to a new Amateur Radio Technology Portal he developed
for the ARRL website that offers links to some of the technical facets
of Amateur Radio, without requiring visitors to be familiar with ham
radio terminology or jargon. He said he's already received several
e-mails through the site.
Find ARRL on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter!
Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast
Asia Flooding
After several days of maintaining emergency communication links on
7.110 MHz in late December, Amateur Radio volunteers remained
One emergency network station was set up at MARTS Headquarters in
Kuala Lumpur.
active for a while longer to handle local health-and-welfare traffic
and any urgent communications in flood-stricken Malaysia. The monsoon
flooding that hit parts of Malaysia and Thailand claimed lives and
forced thousands to evacuate. The flooding has eased, but clean-up
continues. Johnny Tan, 9M8DB, of the Malaysian Amateur Radio
Transmitters Society (MARTS) called it the worst flooding in years in
northern Malaysia.
As a result of the severe flooding 2 dozen people died, and another
250,000 had to evacuate or seek higher ground. Seasonal flooding such
as this is typical in Malaysia, but experts described this event as
the worst since at least 2004, and badly affected telecommunication
systems. -- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3
Disaster Communications Committee
Ad
Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the
Philippines
The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA)'s busy Ham Emergency
Radio Operations (HERO) network activated in late 2014 for Tropical
Storm Jangmi (Seniang), which made landfall on Mindanao Island on
December 29, then moved inland, causing massive floods and landslides.
According to reports, at least 53 people died, nearly three times the
death toll resulting from Typhoon Hagupit in early December. BBC-Asia
cited a Philippines Office of Civil Defense report that landslides in
the central provinces of Samar and Leyte accounted for at least 29 of
the deaths.
"With successive typhoons bringing rains, the soil got so saturated it
caused landslides," explained PARA Chief Operating Officer Thelma
Pascua, DU1IVT. "Regional HERO was in place in Mindanao and Visayas.
It's now automatic for a lot of hams to coordinate with their local
disaster risk reduction and management."
Reports of HERO activity came from the affected areas, where more than
80,000 displaced residents were taking shelter in evacuation centers.
Outside of the affected areas, Pascua said, routine emergency
message-handling training sessions were under way, with regular net
control stations stepping aside to allow trainees to prepare for
future weather emergencies.
According to BBC-Asia, weather warnings were issued, but officials
said that some people may have underestimated the situation. -- Thanks
to Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications
Committee; media accounts
Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio
Union (IARU) and the 85th anniversary of the Polski ZwiÄ…zek
Krótkofalowców (PZK), Poland's IARU member-society, 12 special event
call signs will be active between January 1 and April 30, 2015.
There will be six IARU-suffix call signs -- 3Z90IARU, HF90IARU,
SN90IARU, SO90IARU, SP90IARU, and SQ90IARU -- and six PZK-suffix call
signs -- 3Z85PZK, HF85PZK, SN85PZK, SO85PZK, SP85PZK, and SQ85PZK. The
January 1 to April 30 operating period encompasses the 85th
anniversary of the PZK on February 24, and the 90th anniversary of the
IARU on April 18 -- World Amateur Radio Day. An award certificate will
be available for qualifying operators/stations. Details are on the PZK
website.
Special German call signs also will be on the air throughout 2015 to
mark the 90th anniversary of the IARU and the 65th anniversary of the
Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) -- Germany's IARU member-society.
The call signs are DJ90IARU, DK65DARC, and DL65DARC. DARC is offering
a DARC 65 Award.
ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark
The ARTSAT2: DESPATCH sculpture/satellite (FO-81) has stopped
transmitting. The satellite was one of two carrying Amateur Radio
payloads that were launched December 3 onboard a Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) vehicle into an Earth-escape orbit as
piggyback payloads of the Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample-return mission
into deep space. Crafted as a physical art object, ARTSAT2: DESPATCH
transmitted a CW beacon on 437.325 MHz. The other Amateur Radio
payload was Shin'en 2 (Abyss 2). Ground controllers at Tama Art
University, who had estimated the spacecraft's battery would last for
27 days, concluded the satellite's mission on January 3.
An ARTSAT2: DESPATCH flight model.
"DESPATCH will continue to orbit around the sun as an artificial
asteroid," said Akihiro Kubota, a Tama Art University faculty member.
"By examining the calculated results for the local minimum value of
the distance between the Earth, DESPATCH will approach to less than 1
million km from Earth after about 350 years." The actual sculpture was
created using a 3D printer.
Kubota expressed appreciation to the many Amateur Radio operators who
received and reported the "super-weak" CW signal from DESPATCH's 7 W
transmitter in deep space. An algorithm running on the onboard
computer drew on readings from all of the spacecraft's sensors to
compose and encode poetry "reflecting not only the sensor data but the
artist's subconscious personality." The ground team used a
"cooperative data reconstruction" approach, piecing together the
received fragments of the satellite's poetry broadcast to reconstruct
the whole.
Kubota said that while the satellite has stopped transmitting, "the
life of DESPATCH as a sculpture around the Sun is almost eternal."
Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Akihiro Kubota
NCJ Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event
National Contest Journal (NCJ) has ended its sponsorship for the phone
version of the North American Sprint. Going forward, the magazine will
support Sprint events for CW and RTTY only. The magazine cited
dwindling support for its decision.
"The September 2014 running of the phone North American Sprint
attracted just 52 logs, and we estimate that approximately 3500
contacts took place," said NCJ Editor Pat Barkey, N9RV. He pointed out
that the CW Sprint a weekend earlier attracted nearly 10 times that
number of entries. Barkey said the lack of "a critical mass of
participants" significantly changes the nature of the competition,
where winning scores are built through recruiting and coaching new
participants, "and the operating experience that makes the CW Sprint
so special is essentially lost."
Barkey conceded that the reasons for the decline in participation "are
not obvious," but he pointed to competition from other operating
events on any weekend and the challenge for newcomers and casual
participants of the "frequency-hopping nature" of the 4-hour Sprint.
"NCJ remains committed to supporting innovative and challenging
contests, including SSB contests, and we welcome any ideas that
readers have to offer," Barkey said.
ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise,
W4PRO, SK
ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director and DXpeditioner Marion A.
"Jim" Wise, W4PRO, of Virginia Beach, Virginia died December 31. He
was 86. An ARRL Life Member, Wise was well-known within the Tidewater
Amateur Radio community.
Jim Wise, W4PRO.
Licensed in 1948 as W8YHV in his native Ohio, he served in the US Air
Force during the Korean War, then worked for NASA until he retired in
1988. He was a part of regular special event ham operations from the
museum battleship USS Wisconsin (N4WIS).
W4PRO belonged to the First-Class Operators Club, the A1 Operators
Club, and the Quarter Century Wireless Association. He was involved in
several DX operations from 1970s until 2004. A CW aficionado, he was
on the DXCC Honor Roll and had completed 5-Band DXCC and 160 Meter
DXCC.
Survivors include his wife Linda, W7PRO. A memorial service will be
held on Saturday, January 10, at 11 AM at the West Neck Village Hall,
2580 Signature Drive, Virginia Beach.
Ad
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
For years, the ARRL had been requesting the FCC to state that
Commission rules preempted homeowners association restrictions or
limitations on Amateur Radio antennas. At the end of 2001, the FCC
suggested that the League take its case to Congress. ARRL
representatives discussed the issue with members of Congress in
February, a visit that ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, called "the
best yet" for ham radio. H.R. 4720 was introduced in May. It would
AO-7 came back to life in 2002.
have required homeowners associations to reasonably accommodate
Amateur Radio antennas.
During 2001, four North American distance records were set on 10, 47,
241, and 322 GHz, demonstrating that technical prowess, hard work, and
persistence can lead to extraordinary technical accomplishments. VE4MA
and W5LUA made the first EME contact on 24 GHz in August.
By early 2002, radio amateurs and the ARRL were looking at digital
voice emissions as a potential new mode.
On January 31, 2002, President George W. Bush spotlighted five Florida
volunteer groups, including Volusia County ARES. During his visit, the
president addressed the Northern Florida ARES Net on 75 meters.
An excellent nostalgia article appeared in the June 2002 QST -- "The
First Field Day," authored by W0AR, who operated in that 1933 event as
W9NFV. Some 50 portable stations participated, causing ARRL's Ed
Handy, W1BDI, to prophesy, "The enthusiasm greeting our first Field
Day augers well for future similar occasions."
On June 21, 2002, signals from OSCAR 7, given up for dead 20 years
earlier, suddenly reappeared! -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
The K7RA Solar Update
All solar activity indicators rose this week -- sunspot numbers, solar
flux and geomagnetic indices.
On January 7 the interplanetary magnetic field tipped south, opening a
crack to admit solar wind. This triggered the largest geomagnetic
storm since September 2014. That same day the planetary A index jumped
to 38, pushing the average for the week to 17.7. The previous 7 days
(the last 7 days of 2014) the average planetary A index was 13.9.
Average daily sunspot number on the first week of January was 108.1,
compared to 102.9 in the final 7 days of 2014. Likewise, average daily
solar flux increased from 134.9 to 144.7.
The latest prediction has solar flux at 155 and 160 on January 8-9,
165 on January 10-11, 170 on January 12, 175 on January 13-15, then
170, 165, 160, 155, 145, 140, and 135 for January 16-22, and reaching
a minimum at 130 on January 23-27. Solar flux then rises to a maximum
of 175 on February 8-11.
Predicted Planetary A index is 20 and 15 on January 8-9, 10 on January
10-12, 8 on January 13, 5 on January 14-20, then 10, 15, and 5 for
January 21-23, then 10, 18, and 15 for January 24-26, then 8, 5, 10,
and 12 on January 27-30, 15 on January 31 through February 1, then 10,
8, and 18 on February 2-4, 10 on February 5-7, and 5 on February 8-16.
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.
In Friday's bulletin look for a 6 meter report, an updated forecast,
and more information on propagation to those WWVB clocks, discussed
last week. Send me your reports and observations.
In Brief...
New WAS Award Application Processing on Hold: ARRL is redesigning the
basic Worked All States (WAS) Award certificate and has put a hold on
the processing of new WAS applications received after about December
24, 2014. "We are making the certificate the same size as a DXCC
certificate (11×14), so we can return to using stickers for
endorsements in most cases," said ARRL Field Services and Radiosport
Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "The ever-popular WAS program has grown in
many ways here at Headquarters, and we need to reorganize for more
consistency." Patton said the Triple Play certificate and plaque will
not change.
DX Engineering to Hold "MFJ Day:" It will be "MFJ Day" on Saturday,
January 10, from 9 AM to 2 PM at DX Engineering, 1200 Southeast
Avenue, Tallmadge, Ohio. MFJ founder and CEO Martin Jue, K5FLU, will
be on hand to meet visitors. The MFJ family of companies includes
Ameritron, Cushcraft, Hy-Gain, Mirage, and Vectronics.
SouthWest Ohio DX Association to Sponsor Dayton DX Dinner: The
SouthWest Ohio DX Association (SWODXA) will sponsor the 30th DX
Dinner, held in conjunction with the 2015 Dayton Hamvention® on
Friday, May 15, at the Dayton Marriott, 1414 South Patterson Boulevard
in Dayton. Tickets are available on the SWODXA Events website. Click
on the appropriate icon to purchase tickets or to obtain more
information. -- Thanks to SWODXA DX Dinner Chairman Bill Salyers, AJ8B
January West Coast 80 Meter Qualifying Run Set: The West Coast
Qualifying Run on 80 meters, hosted by K6YR, will take place on
January, 15, at 0500 UTC (Wednesday, January 14, at 9 PM Pacific Time)
on 3590 kHz. Code speeds will go from 40 WPM to 10 WPM.
Registration Opens for 2015 Dayton Contest University: Registration is
now open for the 2015 Dayton Contest University (CTU) classes.
According to CTU Chairman Tim Duffy, K3LR, CTU sessions will take
place all day on Thursday, May 14, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in
downtown Dayton. 2015 will mark the 9th year in a row that CTU
sessions have been held in conjunction with Dayton Hamvention.® CTU
Caribbean will take place January 23-25 during the ARRL Puerto Rico
State Convention in Hatillo.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
January 10-11 -- UBA PSK63 Prefix Contest
January 10-11 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
January 10-11 -- North American QSO Party (CW)
January 11 -- DARC 10 Meter Contest (SSB, CW)
January 14 -- Linc Cundall Memorial CW Contest
January 16 -- NAQCC Special 160 Meter Sprint (CW)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
January 10 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia
January 16-17 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
January 18-24 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
January 23-24 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
January 23-25 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
February 7 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South
Carolina
February 7 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia
February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 28 -- Vermont State Convention, S Burlington, Vermont
March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks,
California
March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Concord, North
Carolina
March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida
March 28 -- Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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