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N9PMO > LETTER 05.09.19 18:37l 542 Lines 25230 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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ARRL Board Pledges to Oppose French Proposal for 144 -146 MHz
ARRL Board Confers Awards
Logic Switch Uses No Electric Current
The Doctor Will See You Now!
Dayton Hamvention Club of the Year to Hold Ham Bootcamp at New England
Convention
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Results Posted for USA, IARU Region 2 ARDF Championships in North
Carolina
Young Radio Amateurs from around the World Enjoying YOTA Summer Camp
LightSail 2 Demonstrates Flight by Light
In Brief...
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Board Pledges to Oppose French Proposal for 144 -146 MHz
At its July meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors resolved that "at the
appropriate time" ARRL will oppose a proposal by France to include 144 -
146 MHz among spectrum to study for non-safety Aeronautical Mobile
Service applications with an eye toward sharing the spectrum with the
Amateur Services. The action came as the Board met July 19 - 20 in
Windsor, Connecticut for its second meeting of 2019.
The Board pointed out that 144 - 146 MHz is a primary global Amateur
Radio allocation and the band enjoys widespread use for emergency
communication. It also noted the investment by radio amateurs of money
and effort to build repeaters, beacons, space infrastructure, and
propagation research systems that have global reach. The AMSAT and ARISS
communities would be severely affected, the Board observed.
ARRL International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB, advised that
if it is added as an agenda item for study for WRC 2023, the Board should
consider action.
Digital Communication Issues
The Board instructed Washington Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ, to take
appropriate steps to obtain FCC approval for several changes to the Part
97 Amateur Radio Service rules. The requested changes stemmed from
discussions regarding the interference potential of automatically
controlled digital stations (ACDS); the prohibition of Amateur Radio
message traffic that's encoded to obscure its meaning, and false
assertions that ARRL -- despite its record of steadfast opposition --
supports or encourages encrypted transmissions. The Board directed that
the FCC be asked to make rule changes that would:
Remove the current 300 baud rate limitation, subject to the conditions
requested by ARRL.
Authorize all automatically controlled digital (data) stations (ACDS)
below 30 MHz, regardless of occupied bandwidth, to operate only within
the ACDS bands designated in §97.221(b) of the Amateur Service rules.
Require all digital mode stations operating with a bandwidth greater than
500 Hz to operate within the ACDS bands, whether or not these stations
are automatically controlled.
Limit the maximum bandwidth of digital mode signals below 29 MHz to 2.8
kHz.
Reiterate to the FCC that ARRL's position is unchanged from that
expressed in ARRL's 2013 comments on a Petition for Rulemaking (RM-11699)
filed by Don Rolph, AB1PH. Those comments specifically addressed
encryption of messages and made clear that such messages generally are
prohibited in amateur communications by §97.113 of the FCC rules and by
Article 25, §2 of the International Radio Regulations and should remain
prohibited.
The Board also wants to request that the FCC remind radio amateurs "by
whatever appropriate means available" of the current prohibition in
§97.113(a)(4) and Article 25, §2 of the International Radio Regulations
against transmitting "messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their
meaning."
ARRL-initiated mediation efforts for rival parties to reach consensus on
all or some of the issues they raised in the so-called "Symbol Rate"
proceeding ended a few days prior to the July Board meeting with useful
discussion but no agreement among those parties on recommendations to the
FCC.
Other Actions
The Board tasked its Administration and Finance (A&F) Committee to assess
the feasibility of a Research Working Group (RWG) and, if warranted, to
establish one. The group would help the Board and ARRL management to
better gauge trends, collect more accurate membership information, and
more closely track the progress of programs.
(R - L) ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX; President Rick Roderick, K5UR;
First Vice President Greg Widin, K0GW, and Treasurer Rick Niswander,
K7GM. [Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, photo]
The Board directed that the rules for all ARRL contests be revised to
require that each claimed contact include contemporaneous direct
initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Contact
initiation may be local or remote. The Board extended the same
requirement to the DXCC program.
The Board voted to add a QRP Single Operator subcategory for the ARRL
RTTY Roundup.
The Board acted to rescind its public censure of ARRL Southwestern
Division Director Richard Norton, N6AA. The censure action, taken at a
special Board meeting in November 2017, was based on Norton's alleged
violation of the ARRL Policy on Board Governance and Conduct of Members
of the Board of Directors and Vice Directors, adopted in January of that
year and itself since rescinded.
Minutes of the July ARRL Board of Directors meeting are available on the
ARRL website. Read more.
ARRL Board Confers Awards
At its second meeting of 2019, the ARRL Board of Directors conferred
several awards.
Philip J. McGan Silver Antenna Award
The Board bestowed the 2019 Philip J. McGan Silver Antenna Award on John
Wells, W4CMH, of Fort Myers, Florida. The award recognizes the work of
ARRL's public relations volunteers to keep Amateur Radio visible in their
communities. Wells was cited for encouraging media to cover stories on
emergency communication during hurricanes in southwestern Florida, the
use of Amateur Radio to search for clues in the disappearance of pilot
Amelia Earhart, the engagement of youth in talking to an astronaut
through the ARISS program, and the importance of ARRL Field Day as an
annual event to help operators enhance their emergency communication
skills.
ARRL Knight Distinguished Service Award
The Board designated Ohio Section Manager Scott Yonally, N8SY, to receive
the 2019 ARRL Knight Distinguished Service Award, which each year
recognizes an outstanding Section Manager. The Board said Yonally "is
tireless in his efforts to be present and visible all over the state,
representing the ARRL and Amateur Radio with a positive and
forward-thinking attitude." The Board also noted that Yonally edits the
monthly Ohio Section Journal and the weekly Postscript to provide Ohio
Section ARRL members with the latest news.
Technical Innovation Award
The success of the FT8 digital mode prompted the Board to grant the 2019
ARRL Technical Innovation Award to the FT8 development team, led by Joe
Taylor, K1JT, and Steve Franke, K9AN.
The Board said FT8 has "proven effective for all amateurs" in times of
poor propagation, revolutionizing many aspects of ham radio.
Technical Service Award
The Board conferred the 2019 Technical Service Award jointly on Alan
Applegate, K0BG; and Hector Morales, NP3IR. Applegate was honored for his
expertise in mobile Amateur Radio activity. In 2004, he created "A
Website for Mobile Amateur Radio Operators" that has become one of the
most successful in Amateur Radio.
Morales, affectionately referred to as "The Professor" by many of those
he has helped teach and train, was cited for his "legacy of providing
educational, training and support activities to the amateur community in
Puerto Rico" and for being instrumental in translating and developing
teaching materials in Spanish, including training manuals.
Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award
The Board conferred the 2019 Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award
to Rudy Severns, N6LF.
A well-known author on antenna topics and a technical resource, Severns
wrote "Insulated Wire and Antennas" for the March/April 2018 issue of
QEX.
The Board's Program and Services Committee concurred with the
recommendation of the ARRL editorial staff in designating Severns as the
award's recipient.
Read more.
Logic Switch Uses No Electric Current
The Smart2.0 Newsletter for May 13 reported on a logic switch that uses
no electric current. According to the article, researchers at New York
University say the new method of controlling magnetic circuits is energy
efficient, promising lower heat and energy costs in applications such as
large server farms or in the artificial intelligence arena, which
requires massive amounts of memory.
[Image courtesy of Smart2.0 Newsletter]
"The method uses a voltage-controlled topological spin switch (VTOPSS)
that requires only electric fields, rather than currents, to switch
between two Boolean logic states, greatly reducing the heat generated and
energy used," the article explains. "Spin can be transported without a
charge with the use of a topological insulator -- a material whose
interior is insulating but that can support the flow of electrons on its
surface."
Compared with existing spin-based devices, researchers claim the VTOPSS
offers 10 to 70 times lower energy dissipation and 70 to 1,700 times
lower energy-delay product. The VTOPSS technology, the researchers add,
"offers competitive metrics compared with existing CMOS technology, and
interconnect issues that dominate the performance in CMOS logic are
relatively less significant for the VTOPSS, enabling it to switch between
two states more effectively."
"Imagine if you were preparing a recipe and had to go into a different
room anytime you needed an ingredient before returning to the kitchen to
add it," says NYU Tandon School of Engineering Assistant Professor Shaloo
Rakheja, the principal author of an academic paper on VTOPSS. "It's just
as inefficient when the portions of computing hardware needed to do a
calculation and the portions needed to store it are not well
integrated."
The article noted that VTOPSS can reduce reliance on cloud memory,
potentially making computing safer, because it would be harder for to
gain access to a system's hardware.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"The Legendary G5RV Antenna" is the topic of the new (August 15) episode
of the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!
Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!
Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the
Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.
Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also
listen online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or
browse the site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS,
Kindle, or Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before,
download our beginner's guide.
Dayton Hamvention Club of the Year to Hold Ham Bootcamp at New England
Convention
The Nashua (New Hampshire) Area Radio Society (NARS) will conduct a free
Ham Bootcamp at the ARRL New England Division Convention next month to
encourage and assist new and inexperienced radio amateurs in becoming
more active and engaged in the various facets of ham radio. NARS, the
Dayton Hamvention® Club of the Year for 2019, operated a guest exhibit
for ARRL at this year's show. It will also sponsor a Ham Expo for Young
People at the New England Division Convention, with hands-on activities,
videos, and displays about Amateur Radio and wireless communication.
The newly renamed HamXposition -- formerly known as "Boxboro" -- is
hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention September 6 - 8 in
Boxborough, Massachusetts. Exhibits will open on Saturday and Sunday.
The NARS Ham Bootcamp will cover a broad range of activities. The club
describes the event as "a package of hands-on activities designed to help
recently licensed and upgraded hams to get on the air and have fun." The
Bootcamp is also aimed at prospective hams interested in seeing what
Amateur Radio has to offer.
The Ham Bootcamp will take place at HamXposition on Saturday, September
7, from 9 AM to noon. Maximum enrollment is 100, first come, first
served. Read more.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots were visible over the
August 8 - 14 reporting week. Spaceweather.com says 67% of days so far
this year have been spotless. For all of 2018, it was 61%. At solar
minimum in 2008 and 2009, spotless days ran 73% and 71%, respectively.
Solar flux has been minimal, unremarkable, and barely changed -- edging
up from 67.2 to 67.4. Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is also
unremarkable, at 67 for August 15 - September 28.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on August 15; 8 on August 16; 5 on
August 17 - 18; 8 on August 19; 5 on August 20 - 25; 8 on August 26 - 28;
5 on August 29 - 31; 38 and 14 on September 1 - 2; 5 on September 3 - 5;
8 on September 6 - 8; 5 on September 9 - 11; 8 on September 12; 5 on
September 13 - 21; 8 on September 22 - 24; 5 on September 25 - 27, and --
in a reoccurrence of geomagnetic activity reported last week and also
predicted for September 1 -- 38 on September 28.
In Friday's bulletin, look for reports on recent 10-meter propagation.
Sunspot numbers for August 8 - 14 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 0. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 68.6, 67.2, 67.2, 67.6, 67.2,
66.8, and 67.4, with a mean of 67.4. Estimated planetary A indices were
7, 6, 8, 6, 5, 7, and 5 with a mean of 6.3. The middle latitude A index
was 6, 7, 8, 7, 7, 8, and 5, with a mean of 6.9.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website.
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check
out K9LA's Propagation Page.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.
Share your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
August 17 -- Feld Hell Sprint
August 17 - 18 -- SARTG World Wide RTTY Contest
August 17 - 18 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, Phone, digital)
August 17 - 18 -- Russian District Award Contest (CW, phone)
August 17 - 18 -- Keyman's Club of Japan Contest (CW)
August 17 - 18 -- North American QSO Party, SSB
August 17 - 18 -- CVA DX Contest, CW
August 18 -- SARL HF Digital Contest
August 18 -- NJQRP Skeeter Hunt (CW, phone)
August 18 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY
August 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
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 email preferences.
Results Posted for USA, IARU Region 2 ARDF Championships in North
Carolina
The results of the 19th USA ARDF Championships and 10th IARU Region 2
ARDF Championships in Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), held
earlier this month in North Carolina, are now in the record books.
Results from these championships will determine the makeup of ARDF Team
USA at the 20th ARDF World Championships, set for September 2020 in
Serbia.
Tobias Reed of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, sprints to the finish of the
80-meter classic competition on his way to an overall M14 gold medal,
topping nine other competitors. [Charles Scharlau, NZ0I, photo]
Separate youth and adult courses ensured regulation courses for
foxhunters of all ages, with 36 US competitors. Visitors from Australia,
Germany, and China practiced and competed alongside Team USA hopefuls.
Competitors ranged in age from 8 to 73. Adult and youth championships
were held simultaneously, with their separate events held on opposite
radio bands to avoid interference.
Events began on August 1, with foxoring, a combination of radio direction
finding and classic orienteering on 80 meters, followed the next day with
the sprint event. The classic 2-meter and 80-meter adult and youth
competitions took place on August 3 and 4.
"Sprint ARDF is a fast-paced event, where quick thinking generally beats
fast running," ARRL ARDF Co-Coordinator Charles Scharlau, NZ0I,
explained. "The courses are short enough that elite competitors can
complete them in 15 minutes.
Because of the large number of young people taking part, awards were
presented in youth categories M10, M12, M14, M16, W12, and W14. Parents
of younger age-group participants were allowed to follow their sons and
daughters but not assist them.
Lori Huberman of Berkeley, California, heads down the start corridor of
the 2-meter classic, topping the W21 category and winning gold in all
four events.
"American youth competitors held their own, despite the stiff
competition," Scharlau said. In a crowded field of 10 M14 competitors,
Tobias Reed took overall gold in the 80-meter classic, silver in sprint,
and bronze in foxoring. Other American youth medalists included M12
competitor Marcus Enochs, who won silver in foxoring; M10 competitor
Gavin Burkhead, who picked up the gold in foxoring, and M10 competitor
James Harker, who went home with gold in the 2-meter classic.
Contact the ARRL ARDF Committee for more information on ARDF and on
attending, participating in, or hosting ARDF competitions. ARDF
participants do not need an Amateur Radio license. For more information
on Amateur Radio Direction Finding, visit the Homing In website of Joe
Moell, K0OV.
Young Radio Amateurs from around the World Enjoying YOTA Summer Camp
The 9th annual Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) Summer Camp opened August 11
in Bankya, Bulgaria, under the sponsorship of the Bulgarian Federation of
Radio Amateurs (BFRA), Bulgaria's International Amateur Radio Union
member-society. After welcoming words from BFRA and IARU Region 1
representatives, the YOTA participants joined local residents and a
performing troupe in dancing to traditional Bulgarian folk music.
Approximately 80 young radio amateurs from 28 countries have been engaged
in activities ranging from operating the camp station LZ19YOTA, to kit
building and antennas, sightseeing, and getting acquainted.
"There is unfortunately no team from Region 2 (the Americas) taking part
this year," IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group Chair Lisa Leenders, PA2LS,
told ARRL. "Most [participants] are from Europe, but also South Africa,
Algeria, Tunisia, and New Zealand." Participants all are under the age of
26.
Given the international nature of Amateur Radio, cultural exchange won't
be in short supply, with attendees sharing national cuisine and wearing
their respective traditional dress. A YOTA intercultural evening, group
work, and the Train The Trainer (TTT) program -- instituted at last
year's Summer Camp -- have been among the activities. TTT is aimed at
imparting skills, ideas, and knowledge that attendees can use to initiate
similar youth activities back home.
As they assemble circuit boards, participants learn how to use test
equipment. More experienced youngsters help those with less soldering
experience. Operating the camp's LZ19YOTA ham station has been part of
the mix.
Youth teams are attending from Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland,
Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia,
Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, The Netherlands,
Tunisia, Turkey, and the UK.
The YOTA Summer Camp in Bulgaria continues through August 17.
LightSail 2 Demonstrates Flight by Light
The Planetary Society's crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft is
successfully raising its orbit solely on the power of sunlight. Since
unfurling the spacecraft's solar sail on July 23, mission managers have
been optimizing the way the spacecraft orients itself during solar
sailing. After a few tweaks, LightSail 2 began raising its orbital
apogee, something the mission team said demonstrated the mission's
primary
LightSail 2's aluminized Mylar sail shines against the blackness of
space, with the Sun peeking through near a sail boom. [Photo courtesy of
The Planetary Society]
goal of "flight by light for CubeSats." Continuing to sail on sunlight in
Earth orbit, the spacecraft's orbital apogee hit 729 kilometers
(approximately 452 miles) as of August 5, an increase of 3.2 kilometers
(nearly 2 miles) since sail deployment.
LightSail 2 launched on June 25, and it deployed on July 2 from Prox-1, a
Georgia Tech student-built spacecraft the size of a small washing
machine. Using the Experimental License call sign WM9XPA, LightSail 2
automatically transmits a beacon packet on 437.025 MHz (9,600 bps FSK)
every few seconds, which can be decoded into 238 lines of text telemetry
describing the spacecraft's health and status -- everything from battery
status to solar sail deployment motor state.
Every 45 seconds, the spacecraft transmits "LS2" in CW on 437.025 MHz.
More information is on The Planetary Society website. -- Thanks to The
Planetary Society
In Brief...
Applications for the 2020 ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program will be
accepted between September 1 and December 31, 2019. All applicants must
be FCC-licensed radio amateurs, and many scholarships have other specific
requirements, such as intended area of study, license class, or residence
within a particular ARRL Division, Section or state. Applicants should
review the scholarships and check off the ones for which they are
eligible. If you complete an online application, you must also email a
PDF of academic transcripts from your most recently completed school year
by January 13, 2020. Applications not accompanied by transcripts will not
be considered. The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all
applicants for eligibility and award decisions. Scholarship recipients
will be notified in May 2020 via USPS mail and email. For more
information, visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program page.
The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF) has announced receipt
of a $25,000 donation from a well-known contester. The contribution from
Charles "Chick" Allen, NW3Y, of Seaford, Delaware, will be used at the
discretion of the WWROF Board of Directors to promote and enhance youth
involvement in radiosport, WWROF said in announcing the contribution. "It
is truly an honor to work with WWROF by providing support for one of
Amateur Radio's greatest needs -- encouraging youth to discover and enjoy
radiosport in new and creative ways," Allen said. WWROF Chairman Tim
Duffy, K3LR, thanked Allen for his generosity. "On behalf of the WWROF, I
want to express our gratitude for Chick's donation and am excited about
what it will mean for the future of contesting."
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
August 17 - 18 -- Huntsville Hamfest, Alabama State Convention,
Huntsville, Alabama
August 24 -- Society of Midwest Contesters Specialty Convention, Normal,
Illinois
August 23 - 25 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
September 6 - 7 -- Arkansas State Convention, Mena, Arkansas
September 6 - 7 -- Wyoming State Convention, Gillette, Wyoming
September 6 - 8 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts
September 7 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia
September 13 - 14 -- W9DXCC 2019, St. Charles, Illinois
September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington
October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah, Washington
October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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