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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-01-16   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   January 16, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
      
    *  Ham Radio Statistics: Amateur Radio Showing Steady Growth in the US   
    *  Your League: ARRL Board to Elect Officers When It Meets January 17-18   
    *  Your League: ARRL Education & Technology Program Offers Grants to Four   
       Schools   
    *  Your League: Nominations Solicited for Six ARRL Awards   
    *  DX: North Korea Still Tops The DX Magazine's Most Wanted Survey   
    *  DX: Amateur Radio Population Expands in Kosovo   
    *  DX: ZD9KX Operation Approved for DXCC Credit   
    *  DX: Nominations Sought for 2013 Intrepid Spirit Award   
    *  Ham Radio in Space: Ham Radio CubeSats Launched to ISS   
    *  Intruder Watch: IARU Region 1 Monitoring System Notes New Russian OTH   
       Radar on 20 Meters   
    *  Vintage Radio: Alexanderson Alternator Transmission from SAQ in Sweden   
       Heard in US   
    *  Vintage Radio: Antique Radio Classified to Resume Monthly Publication   
    *  ARRL Centennial: W1AW/x Centennial Celebration Operations Are in   
       Nebraska and Delaware   
    *  ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  Milestones: QST Contributing Editor Jack Troster, W6ISQ, SK   
    *  Milestones: Changing of the Guard at TEN-TEC   
    *  Getting It Right!   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Ham Radio Statistics: Amateur Radio Showing Steady Growth in the US   
      
   Total US Amateur Radio licenses from 1999 until the end of 2013. [Rick   
   Lindquist, WW1ME, graphic, after a chart by Joe Speroni, AH0A]   
      
   The Amateur Radio population in the US continues to show steady growth,   
   according to statistics compiled by Joe Speroni, AH0A. As of the end of   
   2013, the FCC database showed 717,201 licenses in its Universal Licensing   
   System (ULS). That's the greatest number of US hams ever, and it's up from   
   709,575 in December 2012. The volume of Amateur Radio applications slowed   
   somewhat to 141,943 from its zenith of 176,826 in 2007, the year the FCC   
   dropped the Morse code requirement.   
      
   "The three current license classes also peaked at the end of 2013," notes   
   ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. "FCC-issued club station licenses are   
   also at an all-time high in the FCC database at 11,363. The number of new   
   licensees has increased by 7 percent over last year -- 28,886 in 2013 and   
   27,082 in 2012."   
      
   The breakdown by license class shows Technicians as the largest group, at   
   349,163, followed by Generals at 167,257, Amateur Extras at 133,391, and   
   Advanced licensees at 54,293. Slightly more than 13,000 Novice licensees   
   remain on record too. The FCC no longer issues the Novice or Advanced class   
   license. Technician numbers have grown by 8.2 percent over the past decade,   
   with an impressive comeback since 2007 after the population had plummeted   
   from a peak of 338,334 in March 2000. The General class population has risen   
   by slightly more than 18 percent over the past 10 years. But the Amateur   
   Extra class has shown the most remarkable growth over the past decade,   
   climbing by slightly more than 27 percent.   
      
   While Amateur Radio application volume slipped somewhat overall, that was   
   not the case at the ARRL VEC. "ARRL VEC served 34,896 exam applicants in   
   2013, up slightly from 32,866 in 2012," Somma said. "July will mark 30 years   
   that ARRL VEC has been certified by the FCC to administer Amateur Radio   
   exams. We're delighted to celebrate our important milestone in the same year   
   as the ARRL's Centennial celebration and look forward to the promise of   
   another record year."   
      
   Your League: ARRL Board to Elect Officers When It Meets January 17-18   
      
   The ARRL Board of Directors will gather in the Hartford, Connecticut, area   
   on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, for its annual meeting. Its first   
   order of business will be the election of officers, including the office of   
   ARRL President, now held by Kay Craigie, N3KN. The League's 15th president,   
   she has been in office since 2010, succeeding Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and was   
   re-elected to a new two-year term in 2012.   
      
   The Board also will elect the First Vice President, currently held by Rick   
   Roderick, K5UR, and the Vice President, currently held by Bruce Frahm, K0BJ,   
   as well as International Affairs Vice President, currently held by Jay   
   Bellows, K0QB, and Treasurer, currently held by Rick Niswander, K7GM -- all   
   for two-year terms. In addition the board will choose ARRL Executive   
   Committee members and ARRL Foundation directors. Executive Committee members   
   serve one-year terms, and ARRL Foundation members serve three-year terms.   
      
   As the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) International Secretariat,   
   the ARRL, after consultation with the IARU Administrative Council, nominates   
   candidates for IARU President and Vice President. The Board is expected to   
   instruct ARRL Secretary David Sumner to vote to ratify the nominations of   
   incumbent IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and incumbent IARU Vice President   
   Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, for additional five-year terms.   
      
   Most of the items the Board will consider will consist of recommendations   
   contained in committee reports. The much-anticipated DX Advisory Committee   
   report is scheduled to be an interim report, with a final report due at the   
   Board's July meeting. Last July the DXAC was given the task of studying and   
   possibly recommending changes to the DXCC rules.   
      
   The Board is expected to vote to shift the date of the July meeting to   
   accommodate the ARRL National Convention, set for July 17-19. Present plans   
   call for holding the meeting after the convention.   
      
   The Board's 15 voting members are the ARRL Division Directors, elected by   
   ARRL members in those divisions. The Board meets in January and July.   
      
   Your League: ARRL Education & Technology Program Offers Grants to Four   
   Schools   
      
   The ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP) has offered grants worth   
   approximately $4400 to four schools. The ETP makes possible and promotes the   
   integration of wireless technology education into the curricula of   
   participating schools.   
      
   Receiving ETP School Station Grants are Ernest S. McBride, Sr High School in   
   Long Beach, California, which just opened last fall, and North Mac Middle   
   School in Girard, Illinois. Each will receive ham radio equipment to   
   establish or to augment an Amateur Radio station at the school. Schools   
   considered for ETP Grants must choose equipment that is appropriately   
   configured for their school environment and educational plan.   
      
   The McBride School already has received a significant donation of equipment   
   from the local ham community and only needed supplementary equipment to meet   
   its goals. The plan for the program is to license and train students to   
   provide service to the community at marathons, to assist with disaster   
   drills conducted at a local hospital, and to train for emergency   
   preparedness.   
      
   The middle school teacher at North Mac who applied for that grant had   
   attended a Teachers Institute at ARRL Headquarters last summer. She has   
   started a communications technology club with a temporary Amateur Radio   
   station and interest from more than 60 students.   
      
   Club members have planned projects such as geocaching, fox hunting, robot   
   programming, electronics, a possible ISS contact, and more. The local   
   amateur club has already committed to providing Technician class license   
   manuals to any student interested in obtaining an Amateur Radio ticket.   
      
   Receiving Progress Grants are two schools already participating in the ETP.   
   They are Forest Knolls Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and   
   Olde Town Middle School in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Progress grants are aimed   
   at providing curriculum development support, resource libraries, and funding   
   for correcting contingencies that present a deterrent to a school's program.   
   Forest Knolls requested an HF antenna to support expanded program   
   operations, as well as a Heil headset and cable adapter. The applying   
   teacher at Olde Town is building a STEM (science, technology, engineering,   
   mathematics) program that involves using ham radio and remote-sensing   
   technology for environmental studies. Mississippi is looking at the program   
   as a possible model for the rest of the state.   
      
   ARRL ETP Director Mark Spencer, WA8SME, said the current -- and expanding --   
   count of ETP schools/teachers stands at 637. To be counted, ETP schools or   
   teachers must have received some level of support from the program of   
   monetary value, such as participation in an ARRL ETP Teachers Institute on   
   Wireless Technology, activity board kits, or equipment grants.   
      
   The ARRL Executive Committee approved the latest round of ETP grants in   
   December. The ETP now offers just one grant application cycle each year   
   instead of two. The next deadline to apply for the 2014-2015 school year is   
   November 1, 2014.   
      
   Your League: Nominations Solicited for Six ARRL Awards   
      
   The ARRL is inviting nominations for awards that recognize educational and   
   technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. Nominations also are open for the   
   League's premier award to honor a young Amateur Radio licensee.   
      
    *  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 need to be made through your ARRL Section   
       Manager, who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by   
       March 31, 2014.   
      
    *  The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award honors an ARRL   
       volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or an ARRL 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, 2014.   
      
    *  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, 2014.   
      
    *  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, 2014.   
      
    *  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, 2014.   
      
    *  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, 3014.   
      
   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 Steve Ewald, WV1X,   
   (860) 594-0265 at ARRL Headquarters.   
      
   DX: North Korea Still Tops The DX Magazine's Most Wanted Survey   
      
   The DX Magazine has published the results of its most-wanted DXCC entities,   
   and, once again, North Korea (P5) is number 1. Here are the Top 10 overall   
   worldwide results, as they appeared in The DX Magazine's January/February   
   2014 issue.   
      
   2013   
      
   Prefix/Entity   
      
   2012   
      
   1   
      
   P5 North Korea   
      
   1   
      
   2   
      
   KP1 Navassa Island   
      
   2   
      
   3   
      
   3Y/B Bouvet   
      
   3   
      
   4   
      
   FT5W Crozet   
      
   6   
      
   5   
      
   FT5Z Amsterdam   
      
   4   
      
   6   
      
   VK0/H Heard Island   
      
   5   
      
   7   
      
   BS7H Scarborough   
      
   7   
      
   8   
      
   ZS8M Marion Island   
      
   9   
      
   9   
      
   VP8/S South Sandwich   
      
   8   
      
   10   
      
   FT5T Tromelin Island   
      
   10   
      
   "It is interesting to note that the same 10 places are there for both 2012   
   and 2013," QRZ DX/The DX Magazine Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, said. "[T]here are   
   a few slight changes in ranking, but it is the same 10. That should change   
   somewhat for 2014 with Tromelin and Amsterdam, both scheduled for major   
   DXpeditions." The complete Top 100 Most Wanted list is available on the DX   
   Publishing website. The continental rankings appear in the January/February   
   issue of DX Magazine; band/mode breakdowns will be published in the   
   March/April 2014 issue.   
      
   DX: Amateur Radio Population Expands in Kosovo   
      
   The number of Amateur Radio licensees in Kosovo more than doubled December   
   14 when 50 university students aged 18 to 21 passed the first-ever Amateur   
   Radio exam administered under the republic's new licensing regime. The new   
   license is the equivalent of the US General class ticket; procedures are not   
   yet in place to administer higher-class license exams, but the developing   
   licensing framework in Kosovo will follow the US structure. Several ARRL   
   manuals have been donated to the Amateur Radio Society of Kosovo (SHRAK),   
   Kosovo's national association for Amateur Radio, as well as to   
   telecommunication administrators.   
      
   IARU Region 1 and European DX Foundation President Hans Blondeel Timmerman,   
   PB2T, and noted DXpeditioner Martti Laine, OH2BH, of Project Goodwill   
   Kosovo, were among those overseeing the exam session at Pristina University.   
      
   The exam and license cost approximately $70 per person, and organizations   
   including the Yasme Foundation, The Daily DX, DX University, the European DX   
   Foundation, and ClubLog are among those contributing to defray the expense.   
      
   DX: ZD9KX Operation Approved for DXCC Credit   
      
   The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the 2012 and 2013 operation of ZD9KX --   
   Tristan Da Cunha & Gough Islands for DX Century Club credit. If a request   
   for DXCC credit for this operation has been rejected in a prior application,   
   contact ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, to be placed on the   
   list for an update to your record. Please note the submission date and/or   
   reference number of your application in order to expedite the search for any   
   rejected contacts.   
      
   DXCC is Amateur Radio's premier award that hams can earn by confirming   
   on-the-air contacts with 100 DXCC "entities," most of which are countries in   
   the traditional sense. You can begin with the basic DXCC award and work your   
   way up to the DXCC Honor Roll. Learn more. -- ARRL Awards Branch Manager   
   Bill Moore, NC1L   
      
   DX: Nominations Sought for 2013 Intrepid Spirit Award   
      
   The Intrepid DX Group is seeking nominations for an individual or group that   
   most displayed "Intrepid Spirit" during 2013.   
      
   "An Intrepid Spirit is bold, courageous, dedicated, innovative, fearless,   
   generous, resolute, and visionary in their approach to Amateur Radio," said   
   Paul Ewing, N6PSE, in announcing the call for award nominations. "We are   
   seeking to make this award to the group or individual that most displayed   
   their intrepid spirit in 2013 by expressing an unshakable commitment to the   
   Amateur Radio DX community."   
      
   The award honors the memory of James McLaughlin, WA2EWE/T6AF (SK), who died   
   in Afghanistan in 2011. Submit nominations via e-mail. The deadline for   
   nominations is January 31, 2014.The award will be presented at the   
   International DX Convention in Visalia, California, on April 5. -- Thanks to   
   Paul Ewing, N6PSE, and The Daily DX   
      
   Ham Radio in Space: Ham Radio CubeSats Launched to ISS   
      
   An unmanned Orbital Sciences Corp Antares rocket that blasted off from   
   NASA's Wallops Island launch pad on Virginia's Eastern Shore January 10,   
   carried aloft an Orbital Sciences Corp (OSC) Cygnus freighter with a bevy of   
   Amateur Radio CubeSats aboard, bound for the International Space Station   
   (ISS).   
      
   "We're in good shape," Orbital Sciences Executive Vice President Frank   
   Culbertson, ex-KD5OPQ, told reporters after launch. The launch had been   
   delayed twice, first by cold weather and then by high radiation levels due   
   to a massive solar flare on January 7. Both events could have affected   
   critical rocket systems.   
      
   The Cygnus freighter rendezvoused and docked with the ISS on January 12. The   
   four Amateur Radio CubeSats are LituanicaSat-1, LitSat-1, ArduSat-2 (an   
   improved version of the single unit ArduSat-1), and UAPSat-1. Other   
   satellites also are onboard. LituanicaSat-1 carries a 145/435 MHz FM   
   transponder, while LitSat-1 is thought to carry a 435/145 MHz linear   
   transponder for SSB/CW. UAPSat-1 will carry an AX.25 145/437 MHz packet   
   digipeater. ArduSat-2 will downlink 9,6 k MSK CCSDS data format on 437 MHz.   
      
   The CubeSats are expected to be deployed from the ISS in the coming months.   
   The January 10 launch marks the first of eight OSC cargo resupply missions   
   to the ISS for NASA. -- Thanks to Southgate ARC and Orbital Sciences Corp   
      
   Intruder Watch: IARU Region 1 Monitoring System Notes New Russian OTH Radar   
   on 20 Meters   
      
   The December newsletter of the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS)   
   reports a new intruding Russian over-the-horizon (OTH) radar signal on 20   
   meters, audible in Europe. IARUMS monitor Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, said the 10 kHz   
   wide OTH radar signal often jumps frequency. He has posted a sound file.   
   Others posted reports of OTH radar signals on 15 and 10 meters. Hadel also   
   reported the occurrence of taxi dispatch signals from Russia across 10   
   meters is "worse than before."   
      
   In the past, he has reported hearing numerous taxis, most from Russia,   
   intruding on 10 meters on FM. "You can hear a female voice operating the   
   base station and a male voice in the car," he said in a 2010 account. Other   
   intruder signals spotted included European "fishery traffic" on 80, 40, and   
   30 meters USB. Individuals may log reports of Amateur Radio band intruders   
   and monitor the short-wave bands online with a web-based SDR receiver.   
      
   Vintage Radio: Alexanderson Alternator Transmission from SAQ in Sweden Heard   
   in US   
      
   An operator at SAQ makes a transmission via the Alexanderson alternator in   
   Grimeton, Sweden. [World Heritage Grimeton photo]   
      
   Nearly 300 listeners -- most in Europe, but some in the US -- reported   
   hearing the 17.2 kHz CW transmission from the SAQ Alexanderson alternator   
   transmitter in Grimeton, Sweden, on Christmas Eve 2013. That's 50 more   
   reports than in 2012. The reports included three from the US. Listeners in   
   Germany filed the most reports -- 116.   
      
   Dating from the 1920s, the SAQ Alexanderson alternator -- essentially an ac   
   generator run at extremely high speed -- can put out 200 kW but typically is   
   operated at less than one-half that power level for demonstrations. Once   
   providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and   
   only put on the air for special occasions.   
      
   The transmitter was developed by Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst   
   Alexanderson, who was employed at General Electric in Schenectady, New York,   
   and was chief engineer at the Radio Corporation of America.   
      
   Six 400+ foot towers with 150 foot crossarms support a multi-wire antenna   
   for SAQ. The actual signal radiates from a vertical wire, one from each   
   tower. Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ operates from the Alexanderson   
   alternator site.   
      
   The next SAQ transmission is set for Alexanderson Day, June 29, 2014, 1000   
   to 1600 CET. Contact World Heritage Grimeton for more information.   
      
   Vintage Radio: Antique Radio Classified to Resume Monthly Publication   
      
   Antique Radio Classified (ARC) magazine has announced that it will resume   
   monthly publication starting with the February 2014 issue, but with some   
   changes. ARC has not produced a new issue for nearly a year.   
      
   "The antique radio community as well as the magazine publishing market is   
   changing," said ARC Publisher Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, "and we are changing what   
   we do and how we do it..." Effective with the February 2014 issue, ARC will   
   become a monthly online publication, while the print edition will become a   
   quarterly compilation of the previous three digital issues, with all   
   articles and advertisements intact. "The cost to print and mail the magazine   
   has risen over the years," Kummer said, "but the revenue from subscribers   
   and advertisers has not, and therefore we must find a compromise."   
      
   All current subscribers will receive the number of monthly print issues that   
   they subscribed to -- with future issues arriving each month via the web,   
   and a print compilation each quarter by mail.   
      
   ARRL Centennial: W1AW/x Centennial Celebration Operations Are in Nebraska   
   and Delaware   
      
   The ARRL Centennial "W1AW WAS" operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states relocated at 0000 UTC, January 15, to Nebraska   
   (W1AW/0) and Delaware (W1AW/3). During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from   
   every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to   
   work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations.   
      
   In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the ARRL, the ARRL Centennial   
   QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a year-long operating event in which   
   participants can accumulate points and win awards. The event is open to all,   
   although only ARRL members and appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and   
   W1AW are worth ARRL Centennial QSO Party points. Working W1AW/x from each   
   state is worth 5 points per contact.   
      
   To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating   
   portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does not   
   count for Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants must work   
   W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available   
   (pricing not yet available).   
      
   ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   After Guglielmo Marconi proved the feasibility of radio communication in   
   1901, three distinct groups of radio experimenters and stations appeared:   
   The US Navy, commercial operators, and Amateur Radio operators, derisively   
   called "hams" (meaning bad operators) by commercial and Navy operators.   
   Early hams took up the name with pride!   
      
   Soon there was chaos in the ether, as hams interfered with commercial and   
   Navy stations. To curb that problem, Congress passed the Radio Act of 1912,   
   requiring all amateurs to get licenses and to operate at wavelengths of 200   
   meters or shorter, spectrum considered worthless at the time.   
      
   When hams first began to pass message traffic, the typical ham station's   
   range was measured in tens of miles, or a few hundred miles for the   
   best-equipped stations. So hams would relay messages from station to station   
   until they reached their destination.   
      
   ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim.   
      
   One night in April 1914, Hiram Percy Maxim, 1WH, in Hartford, Connecticut,   
   was unable to contact a station in Springfield, Massachusetts, to send a   
   message. Maxim reached another ham at the midway point of Windsor Locks,   
   Connecticut, and that station successfully relayed the message to   
   Springfield.   
      
   This event made Maxim realize that there should be an organization to   
   promote smooth and reliable message relays. In April 1914 he presented his   
   thoughts to the Radio Club of Hartford, which agreed to sponsor the   
   activity, using the name Maxim chose -- the American Radio Relay League. In   
   February 1915, the ARRL separated from the HRC, and incorporated as a   
   nonprofit entity.   
      
   By March 1915, it became obvious that a publication was required to   
   disseminate information to the 600 relay stations on the ARRL's roster.   
   Maxim and Clarence D. Tuska (HRC Secretary) privately funded the first three   
   issues of QST to meet that need. The first issue was published in December   
   1915. Next: A look through QST's first issue.   
      
   Milestones: QST Contributing Editor Jack Troster, W6ISQ, SK   
      
   QST Contributing Editor and ham radio humorist John G. "Jack" Troster,   
   W6ISQ, of Atherton, California, died January 11. He was 93.   
      
   "While his contributions to QST were not limited to fiction, Jack will   
   always be remembered for some of the most humorous pieces ever to be written   
   about Amateur Radio," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.   
      
   Licensed in 1935, Troster was among the founders of the Northern California   
   DX Foundation in 1972. He served as its third president and, for 26 years,   
   as an NCDXF Board member. He also was president of the Northern California   
   DX Club and the Northern California Contest Club. An ARRL Charter Life   
   Member, he held DXCC #1 Honor Roll (Mixed, CW, and SSB) and other operating   
   awards, and was a member of the CQ DX Hall of Fame.   
      
   "He was warm and welcoming to everyone he met, and many Amateur Radio   
   operators today enjoy the hobby as a direct result of his nurturing,   
   encouragement and enthusiasm," said Rusty Epps, W6OAT. "Jack was known for   
   his quick wit and encyclopedic knowledge of Amateur Radio history. His   
   passing leaves a huge void." Survivors include his wife of 65 years,   
   Marguerite, KC6NFE.   
      
   Milestones: Changing of the Guard at TEN-TEC   
      
   TEN-TEC, Inc has announced that effective January 1, Jack Burchfield, K4JU,   
   turned over day-to-day management responsibility at the Tennessee Amateur   
   Radio equipment manufacturer to TEN-TEC President Jim Wharton, NO4A.   
      
   "Jack will still remain as CEO and majority stock holder," Wharton said,   
   "however his plans to begin retiring and spending more time with family will   
   begin this year." Wharton said his own challenge will be "to coordinate and   
   oversee production, improve scheduling and manage our design and sales   
   teams."   
      
   Getting It Right!   
      
   In The ARRL Letter for January 9, 2014, the article "ARRL Centennial: W100AW   
   Hits the Airwaves!" contained an invalid link to the list of W1AW Centennial   
   portable operations. This is the correct link to the schedule of W1AW/x   
   operations taking place from all 50 states during 2014.   
      
   In The ARRL Letter for January 9, 2014, the article "Your League: National   
   Contest Journal (NCJ) Debuts New Website!" contained incorrect information.   
   While the NCJ website has been completely redesigned, the URL is the same as   
   it has been since 2000, NCJ Editor Kirk Pickering, K4RO, has pointed out.   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity suddenly   
   weakened during the reporting period, January 9-15. Average daily sunspot   
   numbers declined from 188.1 to 111.4, and average daily solar flux dropped   
   from 201.6 to 155.4. Daily sunspot numbers dipped to 95 and 87 on January   
   14-15.   
      
   The latest prediction doesn't look promising, at least if we'd hoped to   
   sustain the recent increased activity of January 4-7. It shows solar flux at   
   125 on January 16, 130 on January 17-18, 125 on January 19-20, 130 on   
   January 21, 120 on January 22-23, and then 125, 130, 135 and 145 on January   
   24-27, and 155 on January 28-29. It then climbs to a peak of 180 on February   
   2-5, and declines to a minimum of 125 on February 17-20.   
      
   "Minimum" does not mean that solar flux is predicted to be at least 125 on   
   those dates, but rather another low point before rising again to around 180   
   in approximately 6 weeks.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 5, 12 and 8 on January 16-18, 5 on January   
   19-23, 8 on January 24, 5 on January 25-27, then 10, 18 and 8 on January   
   28-30, 5 on January 31 through February 6, then 8, 8 and 6 on February 7-9,   
   then back to 5 for the following 9 days.   
      
   Friday's bulletin will have an updated forecast, plus reports and questions   
   from readers. Tad Cook, K7RA, invites comments from readers.   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    * Jan 17 -- QRP Fox Hunt   
    * Jan 17 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder   
    * Jan 18 -- LZ Open Contest   
    * Jan 18-19 -- Hungarian DX Contest   
    * Jan 18-19 -- North American QSO Party, SSB   
    * Jan 18-19 -- Feld Hell Sprint   
    * Jan 18-20 -- ARRL January VHF Contest   
    * Jan 19 -- ON 10-Meter Contest   
    * Jan 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest   
    * Jan 22 -- SKCC Sprint   
    * Jan 22 -- QRP Fox Hunt   
    * Jan 22-23 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    * Jan 24 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint   
    * Jan 24 -- QRP Fox Hunt   
    * Jan 24 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder   
    * Jan 24-26 -- CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW   
    * Jan 25 -- WAB 1.8 MHz Phone   
    * Jan 25-26 -- REF Contest, CW   
    * Jan 25-26 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint   
    * Jan 25-26 -- UBA DX Contest, SSB   
    * Jan 25-26 -- SPAR Winter Field Day   
    * Jan 26 -- QRP ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint   
    * Jan 26-27 -- Classic Exchange, CW   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
    * January 17-18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Fort Worth, Texas   
    * January 19-26 -- Quartzfest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona   
    * January 24-25 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi   
    * January 25 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia   
    * January 25-26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico   
    * January 31-February 1 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Miami,   
      Florida   
    * February 1 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia   
    * February 1 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South   
      Carolina   
    * February 7-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention (Orlando HamCationr   
      -- Regional ARRL Centennial Event), Orlando, Florida   
    * February 14-15 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona   
    * February 22 -- Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont   
    * March 1-2 -- Alabama Section Convention (BirmingHAMfest 2014),   
      Birmingham, Alabama   
    * March 7-8 -- North Carolina Section Convention (Charlotte Hamfest),   
      Concord, North Carolina   
    * March 7-8 -- West Gulf Division Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma   
    * March 14-15 -- Delta Division Convention, Rayne, Louisiana   
    * March 15 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska   
    * March 15 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas   
    * March 22 -- South Texas Section Convention (Greater Houston Hamfest),   
      Rosenberg, Texas   
    * March 22-23 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington   
    * April 19 -- Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina   
    * April 25-27 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho   
    * April 26 -- Aurora '14 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can   
   think. - Werner Heisenberg   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)