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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-02-06   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   February 6, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Recognitions: Dayton Hamventionr Announces 2014 Award Winners   
    *  Your League: ARRL Offering Three Teachers Institute Sessions in 2014   
    *  Public Service: Slovenian Radio Amateurs Fill Communication Gap in Wake   
       of Severe Weather   
    *  Ham Radio in Space: Radio Amateurs Receive Rosetta Spacecraft Signals   
       from Deep Space   
    *  On the Air: School Club Roundup is February 10-14!   
    *  On the Air: ARRL Field Day Information Packet Now Available   
    *  ARRL Centennial: ARRL Centennial Convention Registration is Open!   
    *  ARRL Centennial: W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Georgia and Hawaii   
    *  ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  Tower Tragedy: Fatal West Virginia Tower Collapse Takes Out Ham Radio   
       Repeaters   
    *  Milestones: Past ARRL Foundation Directors Conferred with Emeritus   
       Status   
    *  Milestones: Indianapolis Entrepreneur, Politician, Publisher Beurt   
       SerVaas, W9WVO, SK   
    *  In Brief   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Recognitions: Dayton Hamventionr Announces 2014 Award Winners   
      
   Dayton Hamvention is May 16-18, 2014.   
      
   Two radio amateurs with close ARRL ties are among the winners of Dayton   
   Hamvention 2014 awards. Hamvention will honor three Amateur Radio operators   
   and one ham radio club for their "significant contributions to the Amateur   
   Radio Service" when the annual, 3 day gathering gets underway May 16. Named   
   Amateur of the Year is Larry E. Price, W4RA, President Emeritus of the ARRL   
   and of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). ARRL CEO David Sumner,   
   K1ZZ, will receive the Special Achievement Award. The Technical Excellence   
   Award winner is David Freese Jr, W1HKJ, and the Club of the Year is the   
   Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (W4GR) of Georgia.   
      
   "We believe the winners have all made excellent contributions to the ham radio   
   community," said Hamvention Awards Chairman David Crawford, KF4KWW, adding   
   that the number of worthy nominees presented the Awards Committee with a tough   
   task. "We were impressed with the quality of the nominations," he noted.   
      
   Hamvention Chairman Charles Kaiser, KD8JZR, praised the winners. "On behalf of   
   the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and Hamvention 2014, it is my   
   pleasure to congratulate this year's award winners," he said. "Please join me   
   in recognizing the outstanding contributions and the many years of devotion   
   the winners have given to the Amateur Radio Service."   
      
   Larry Price, W4RA.   
      
   Price served as president of the IARU from 1999 to 2009, and as ARRL president   
   from 1984 to 1992. Hamvention's Awards Committee said Price's leadership "had   
   significant and direct impact on the development of Amateur Radio throughout   
   the world." Among his noteworthy achievements, the panel cited the protection   
   of frequency allocations; the adoption of ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1544 --   
   minimum qualifications of radio amateurs; the expansion of the 40 meter band   
   in ITU Regions 1 and 3, and the allocation of new LF bands for ham radio.   
      
   David Sumner, K1ZZ   
      
   As Special Achievement Award winner, Sumner was cited for his contributions to   
   the international Amateur Radio community through the IARU and for his   
   leadership in the fight against Broadband over Power Line (BPL) interference   
   to radio amateurs.   
      
   A Technical Excellence Award winner, Freese was recognized for his development   
   and distribution of the Fast Light Digital Modem Application (fldigi) family   
   of programs for use in amateur and emergency communications. Fldigi is an   
   easy-to-use, free, and open-source, multi-platform digital computer soundcard   
   modem program for Amateur Radio.   
      
   The Club of the Year Award winner, the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society, serves   
   Gwinnett County, Georgia. The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society offers several,   
   well-rounded training programs for all ages. The club regularly hosts and   
   supports Amateur Radio programs and participates in a multitude of public   
   service events, the Awards Committee said. "Their last effort for Field Day   
   was a massive effort that included eight stations," Hamvention said in   
   announcing the awards. "Their TechFest is an opportunity for the community to   
   become aware of the many modes of operation of radio amateurs and view some of   
   the preparations taking place by public service volunteers in the ham radio   
   community." The club also maintains a wide-area repeater system that is home   
   to several nets.   
      
   Dayton Hamvention 2014 will take place May 16-18 at Hara Arena near Dayton,   
   Ohio.   
      
   Your League: ARRL Offering Three Teachers Institute Sessions in 2014   
      
   The ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP) will offer three Teachers   
   Institute (TI) sessions this year. The ETP is aimed at preparing teachers to   
   meet the "STEM Challenge" -- introducing science, technology, engineering, and   
   mathematics in their classrooms. Two sessions of the basic program (TI-1),   
   which will provide an introduction to wireless technology, and one session of   
   the advanced program (TI-2), which will focus on remote sensing and data   
   gathering are planned for this summer. Educators must complete the basic   
   program before taking the advanced session.   
      
   "The ARRL Teachers Institute is an intensive, expenses-paid, 4 day in-service   
   teacher training opportunity," explained Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, ARRL's   
   education services manager. "It is designed to help participating teachers   
   develop a deeper understanding of basic electronics, the science of radio,   
   space technology, microcontroller programming, and basic robotics." Johnson   
   said the objective of the basic seminar is to guide teachers in making   
   connections between science and math concepts, as well as to demonstrate the   
   engineering and technical application of those concepts and to offer some   
   hands-on exploration. Sessions are open to active teachers of grade levels   
   4-16 at a school, college, or professional educational organization, and to   
   leaders of school-affiliated enrichment programs.   
      
   "We look for teachers with a vision for how to apply the training they will   
   receive at the Teachers Institute in their classrooms," Johnson said. An   
   Amateur Radio license is required for advanced session participants; basic   
   session participants do not need to hold an Amateur Radio license. The basic   
   sessions are limited to 12 people, while the advanced session is limited to 10   
   participants.   
      
   The introductory sessions will address fundamental concepts of wireless   
   technology, microcontroller essentials, and the teaching of basic robotics.   
   The advanced session on remote sensing and data gathering will concentrate on   
   basic sensor electronics, the microcontroller programming involved in   
   accessing the sensors, and the use of radio to communicate sensor output data   
   to users.   
      
   Johnson points out that Amateur Radio has long been fertile ground for gaining   
   knowledge with electronics and for hands-on experimentation and application of   
   technology. "Drawing upon this," she said, "the ARRL Education & Technology   
   Program provides an opportunity for educators to learn how basic electronics   
   and radio science are applied, and how to convey these concepts to their   
   students."   
      
   The two TI-1 sessions -- Introduction to Wireless Technology -- will take   
   place June 23-26 at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, Dayton, Ohio, and   
   July 22-25 at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. The TI-2 session --   
   Remote Sensing and Data Gathering -- will take place July 8-11 at ARRL   
   Headquarters.   
      
   More details and a downloadable application are available on the Teachers   
   Institute web page. An enrollment fee of $100 is required with applications,   
   although this will be refunded if the applicant is not admitted. The   
   application deadline is May 1. For additional information, e-mail or call the   
   ARRL Education & Technology Program at 860-594-0296.   
      
   The ARRL ETP and the Teachers Institute are funded entirely by contributions.   
      
   Public Service: Slovenian Radio Amateurs Fill Communication Gap in Wake of   
   Severe Weather   
      
   Amateur Radio operators in Slovenia are helping to support communication after   
   the Eastern European nation was hit by extreme winter weather that has   
   included heavy snow and sleet, and accompanying ice damage to power and   
   telecommunications lines -- not to mention to Amateur Radio antennas.   
   Accumulated ice and snow took down power lines and even toppled support   
   towers, cutting the electrical supply to a reported 25 percent of households,   
   according to the European Union. Continued bad weather has complicated repairs   
   to the power grid, prompting Slovenia to ask the European Union to help by   
   providing mobile generators.   
      
   "What is happening since Thursday last week is something unseen in this   
   region," Miha Habic, S51FB, in Ljubljana, told ARRL. "Even the oldest persons   
   can't remember such [a] natural disaster, especially while almost [the] whole   
   country is suffering." Habic, the IARU liaison to ZRS, Slovenia's IARU Amateur   
   Radio society, said only the northeastern part of Slovenia has been spared.   
   Serbia and Croatia also have been affected.   
      
   "The risks associated with winter weather continue across Europe," said   
   Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union Commissioner for International   
   Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. "[T]he European   
   Commission's experts in crisis response will remain vigilant, keeping their   
   national counterparts informed on any developments and ready to coordinate   
   further assistance if needed."   
      
   While there has been no national callout of Amateur Radio emergency operators,   
   some radio amateurs are reported to be helping out on a local level, and   
   others are prepared to respond if needed. Weather-related damage has disrupted   
   the cellular telephone network and public service radio communication.   
      
   Austria was one of the countries responding to the request to provide   
   emergency generators. Because of Slovenia's uncertain communication   
   infrastructure, the Austrian responders asked Austrian ham radio emergency   
   operators to provide a link between the two countries using Pactor and   
   Winlink. Austria's Emergency Communications Coordinator Gregor Vehzely,   
   OE1VGC, has asked radio amateurs in Europe to keep clear of frequencies   
   supporting the links. These include 3.644 MHz (S51SLO), 3.608 and 3.617 MHz   
   (OE3XEC), and 3.601 MHz (OE6XPD). Germany and the Czech Republic also   
   responded to the EU request.   
      
   Habic confirmed that there has been no huge demand for Amateur Radio support,   
   although repeaters were reported out in some communities. He said February 4   
   that the situation was "a bit more stable," but that snow and rain predicted   
   for some regions could mean more trouble. He said he's already heard reports   
   of weather-related damage to Amateur Radio, including S57DX in Vrhnika, which   
   he said was "completely destroyed." S50K in Logatec, and Radioclub Moravce's   
   S50G as well as S58M in Moravce suffered severe damage, he said.   
      
   He predicted, in contests coming up, the amateur community will notice when it   
   hears "no big competitors from Slovenia." Read more.   
      
   Ham Radio in Space: Radio Amateurs Receive Rosetta Spacecraft Signals from   
   Deep Space   
      
   James Miller, G3RUH, was among a handful of Amateur Radio operators to receive   
   the X band signal January 21 from the European Space Agency's Rosetta   
   spacecraft, some 500 million miles from Earth. Miller used the 20 meter dish   
   at the Bochum Amateur Radio facility in Germany, run by AMSAT-DL and IUZ   
   Bochum Observatory. In an AMSAT-BB post, Miller noted the frequency at the   
   spacecraft was 8421.786900 MHz, and the signal was "about 14 dB" below that of   
   the STEREO A/B spacecraft. Perhaps more astonishing, Bertrand Pinel, F5PL, was   
   able to track Rosetta 65 kilometers from Toulouse using his "home-rigged" 3.5   
   meter dish and receiver. And Viljo Allik, ES5PC, a member of Estonian Student   
   Satellite Program team reported his group was able to detect the satellite's   
   signal using a slightly smaller dish.   
      
   "We have recently established our own small ground station for mostly   
   educational purposes to get more interested students into space technology,"   
   Allik said in a reply to Pinel's European Space Agency blog post. The   
   Estonians used a 3 meter dish. Allik said the signal-to-noise ratio was in the   
   range of 3 to 5 dB in a 1 Hz bandwidth. "So it was really exciting to see the   
   signal from such large distance with our very simple receiving station. The   
   elevation of the Rosetta spacecraft at our location was only about 4ø during   
   the reception."   
      
   The equipment used was "a kind of amateur design," he said. "We detected   
   signals from other spacecraft like Gaia and STEREO A/B too, but the signal   
   from Rosetta is the most-distant signal we have detected so far."   
      
   Launched in 2004, Rosetta will both orbit and land on a comet, which it will   
   reach this August, and send data back to Earth. The spacecraft consists of the   
   Rosetta space probe and the Philae robotic lander.   
      
   On the Air: School Club Roundup is February 10-14!   
      
   The "Winter/Spring Term" School Club Roundup gets underway Monday, February 10   
   at 1300 UTC, and continues through Friday, February 14, at 2359 UTC. Stations   
   may operate no more than 6 hours in any 24 hour period (up to a maximum of 24   
   hours). The twice-yearly event is an opportunity for school club stations --   
   from elementary school to college -- to get on the air for a friendly radio   
   activity. Non-school clubs and individuals are encouraged to participate too.   
      
   School Club Roundup has become one of the highlights of the academic year for   
   students in the Bloomington High School Amateur Radio Club, K9SOU, in   
   Bloomington, Indiana.   
      
   Sponsored by the ARRL, the ARRL Hudson Division Education Task Force, and the   
   Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC), the contest aims to foster   
   contacts with and among school radio clubs.   
      
   Stations exchange signal reports, class ("Individual", "Club," or "School"),   
   and US state, Canadian province/territory, or DXCC entity. Stations may   
   operate on all amateur bands except 60, 30, 17 and 12 meters (no repeater   
   contacts, and VHF/UHF contacts must be on recognized simplex frequencies,   
   except calling frequencies). Stations may operate phone, CW, or digital modes.   
   The top three entries in each category will receive an Award Certificate.   
   Entry categories are Elementary, Middle/Intermediate/Junior High School,   
   Senior High School College/University. Non-school clubs or multiop groups and   
   individuals are also eligible for certificates.   
      
   See "Getting Organized for School Club Roundup" for some helpful tips! Stay up   
   to date on SCR by subscribing to the School Club Roundup reflector.   
      
   On the Air: ARRL Field Day Information Packet Now Available   
      
   The 2014 Field Day packet is now available. ARRL Field Day is the most popular   
   on-the-air event. It takes place each year in the US and Canada on the fourth   
   weekend in June, when thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, in   
   groups, with friends, or by themselves to operate "in the field" to simulate   
   an emergency communication situation.   
      
   In 2013, the ARRL received more than 2500 Field Day entries, representing   
   participation by more than 36,000 radio amateurs who completed in excess of   
   1.2 million individual contacts on CW, phone, and digital modes.   
      
   Field Day 2014 is June 28-29, and it's not too early to start planning. The   
   Field Day Locator will help you find a Field Day site near you. Rules in   
   Spanish also are available. E-mail ARRL Headquarters for more information, or   
   call 860-594-0236.   
      
   ARRL Centennial: ARRL Centennial Convention Registration is Open!   
      
   Registration now is open for the ARRL National Centennial Convention,   
   Thursday, July 17, through Saturday July 19, at the Connecticut Convention   
   Center, to celebrate 100 years of the ARRL. Thousands of League members and   
   friends will gather in Hartford -- the ARRL's birthplace -- to celebrate the   
   first century of ARRL members' "Advancing the Art and Science of Radio."   
      
   The three days are packed with activities. The first day, Thursday, includes   
   training workshops. Among these are Contest University, DX University, RFI   
   101, and a Public Service Communications Academy. The Exhibit Hall, open   
   Friday and Saturday, will feature ARRL program representatives, Amateur Radio   
   manufacturers, equipment sellers, and an indoor flea market. The Friday   
   evening ARRL Centennial Banquet will be followed by a Wouff Hong ceremony. A   
   Presidents Breakfast will be held on Saturday. On all three days there will be   
   opportunities to tour ARRL Headquarters and W1AW.   
      
   A 3 day adult ticket is $75; youth (21 or younger) is $50, which includes a   
   training workshop on Thursday and access to the exhibit hall and indoor flea   
   market on Friday and Saturday, plus all forums and a coach bus trip to ARRL   
   Headquarters and W1AW. A 2 day (Friday/Saturday) adult ticket is $25; youth   
   are free. Other ticket options are available, including spouse/companion   
   tickets that include alternative non-ham activities.   
      
   Advance registration is recommended. Join us in celebrating 100 years! (Visit   
   http://arrl2014.org!)   
      
   ARRL Centennial: W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Georgia and Hawaii   
      
   The ARRL Centennial "W1AW WAS" operations that are taking place throughout   
   2014 from each of the 50 states are in Georgia (W1AW/4) and Hawaii (W1AW/KH6)   
   until February 12 (UTC), when they will shift to California (W1AW/6) and   
   Wisconsin (W1AW/9).   
      
   During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and from   
   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.   
      
   ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   The "European War" began on July 28, 1914, and the United States entered the   
   renamed "World War" on April 5, 1917. The three American military services --   
   the Navy, the Army, and the Army Air Service -- quickly realized how ill   
   prepared they were in the area of communication, having neither enough   
   operators nor enough equipment to wage a modern war.   
      
   The Navy soon called on President H. P. Maxim and the ARRL for help. At that   
   time, the ARRL boasted some 6000 hams, who were experienced radio builders,   
   repairmen, and highly trained operators -- some with as many as 15 years of   
   experience. The Navy asked Maxim to help it find 500 operators immediately,   
   which was accomplished! Later, the Navy issued a second call, this time for   
   2000 more volunteer radio operators; again, that requirement was quickly met.   
   Another 1000 hams went into Navy service later in the war. The Army and the   
   Army Air Service raised comparable numbers of operators from among the ranks   
   of American radio amateurs.   
      
   When these hams provided their services to the military, their station   
   equipment often went with them. The military branches were as equipment poor   
   as they were operator poor.   
      
   The amateurs who went into the various branches of the military did fine work.   
   The quality of American communication links often made a great difference in   
   the outcome of battles. The performance of American hams garnered accolades   
   from many people, including Commendattore Guglielmo Marconi, the chief   
   signaling officer of the Italian Army.   
      
   Soon after the war ended on November 11, 1918, the US Secretary of Commerce   
   said, "The officers in charge of the wireless operations of our armies in   
   France commend highly the skill, ingenuity and versatility of the licensed   
   amateur radio operators who volunteered in large numbers for military service   
   and served in dangerous and responsible positions."   
      
   However, things quickly took a turn for the worse for the amateur radio   
   community. We'll look at that unexpected and dangerous development next week.   
   -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
      
   Tower Tragedy: Fatal West Virginia Tower Collapse Takes Out Ham Radio Repeaters   
      
   The collapse of two radio towers in North-Central West Virginia on February 1   
   resulted in three deaths and injuries to two individuals. The tragedy also   
   resulted in the loss of three Amateur Radio repeaters belonging to the   
   Stonewall Jackson Amateur Radio Association (SJARA) and forming part of the   
   HamTalk linked repeater system, which were available to assist with emergency   
   and disaster communication. Richard Wilt, K8TPH, reported that one tower went   
   down, killing two workers on the 300 foot structure and taking down a second,   
   shorter tower. An emergency responder died after being struck by falling   
   debris. Two other tower workers suffered minor injuries.   
      
   "The towers are an important link in maintaining cell service and repeaters   
   for several commercial companies locally," Wilt said. "The towers also were in   
   use by the Amateur Radio community with three repeaters located on the towers.   
   These Amateur repeaters are a major part of the North-Central West Virginia   
   emergency communications to assist the Office of Emergency Management of   
   Harrison County, FEMA, and the American Red Cross."   
      
   The Stonewall Jackson ARA has a memorandum of understanding with the Harrison   
   County Commission and the cities of Clarksburg and Bridgeport to assist during   
   emergencies that require communication support. SJARA Vice President David   
   Anderson, N8YPE, is the Harrison County Emergency Coordinator. Wilt said the   
   club has moved its weekly emergency net to another repeater, but he said it's   
   not known when the towers will be replaced. He said the SJARA spent a   
   substantial amount last year on repeater maintenance, and he expressed   
   concerns about the cost of replacing the repeaters.   
      
   According to news accounts, West Virginia State Police said three workers   
   approximately 70 feet above the ground and a fourth man about 20 feet above   
   the ground were on the tower. They were said to be repairing structural   
   supports.   
      
   Milestones: Past ARRL Foundation Directors Conferred with Emeritus Status   
      
   Two past members of the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors have been honored   
   with emeritus status. Named as a Director Emeritus were Thomas W. Comstock,   
   N5TC, who served on the ARRL   
      
   Foundation Board from 1991 until 2012 and chaired the Scholarship Committee,   
   and Eugene H. Hastings, W1VRK, who served on the ARRL Foundation Board from   
   1993 until 2014 and was a member of the Scholarship and Proposals Committees.   
   The honors were unanimously approved by the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors   
   at its Annual Meeting on January 21. The Board expressed its appreciation to   
   both for their "many years of dedicated service to the ARRL Foundation."   
      
   Established in 1973 by the ARRL as an independent and separate IRS 501(c)(3)   
   organization, the ARRL Foundation administers programs to support the Amateur   
   Radio community. It is funded entirely through the contributions of radio   
   amateurs and friends.   
      
   Milestones: Indianapolis Entrepreneur, Politician, Publisher Beurt SerVaas,   
   W9WVO, SK   
      
   Beurt SerVaas, W9WVO, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died February 2. He was 94.   
   Known in his home city as the politician who revamped Indianapolis and Marion   
   County politics, he presided over the City-County Council for three decades.   
   Outside of Indianapolis politics, though, he may be best remembered as the   
   person whose publishing company rescued The Saturday Evening Post magazine in   
   the 1970s and moved it to Indianapolis.   
      
   "Indianapolis has lost one of its greatest champions and chief architect of   
   its success," Mayor Greg Ballard said a statement. "Beurt set a gold standard   
   for public service in this city that all current and future leaders should   
   emulate."   
      
   A World War II US Navy veteran, SerVaas served as an OSS intelligence officer   
   during the war and later worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. According   
   to his obituary in The Indianapolis Star, The Saturday Evening Post was one of   
   an eclectic variety of businesses that SerVaas owned or started. His first was   
   an electroplating business he bought in the 1950s. He entered politics in the   
   early 1960s, winning election to the Indianapolis City Council. He retired   
   from politics in 2002 and, then in his 80s, sold off most of his businesses at   
   around the same time.   
      
   SerVaas also was an ARRL member and staunch supporter of the League during his   
   active years.   
      
   "Beurt was a generous and gracious donor," said ARRL Chief Development Officer   
   Mary Hobart, K1MMH. "On a visit to Indianapolis he gave me a tour of the city   
   and shared his fascinating experiences with the OSS. He was truly a remarkable   
   man!"   
      
   Elsewhere in the Amateur Radio arena, SerVaas played an integral role in   
   establishing popular special event station W9IMS at the Indianapolis Motor   
   Speedway. Read more. -- Thanks to Brian D. Smith, W9IND   
      
   In Brief   
      
   Cuba's 5 MHz Band Comes with Strings Attached: Cuba's Ministry of   
   Communications (ACS) recently granted radio amateurs on the island nation a 12   
   kHz wide band at 5 MHz, -- 5418 to 5430 kHz -- rather than a channelized   
   system. Now the ham who provided the initial information, Pavel Milanes Costa,   
   CO7WT, has reported that the ACS clarified during an FRC (Federaci¢n de   
   Radioaficionados de Cuba) gathering that hams in Cuba may not make contacts   
   with hams outside of Cuba on the new band. "The ACS made it clear, the band is   
   for emergencies and experimentation [within] the national territory, and only   
   with Cuban hams," Milanes Costa said. "No contact is allowed with other   
   countries until further notice." The ACS also said that developing procedures   
   to handle the license updates required to use the new band "will take a   
   while," Milanes said. -- Pavel Milanes Costa, CO7WT; Southgate ARC Amsterdam   
   Island DXpedition to End February 12: According to FT5ZM DXpedition team   
   leader Ralph Fedor, K0IR, the FT5ZM team will start taking down the Antonelli   
   site on the morning of February 12 local time (UTC + 5 hours). The Mataf site   
   will continue to operate for part of February 12 but will be off the air by   
   the end of the day. FT5ZM logs are available online. US West Coast operators   
   reported working FT5ZM on 160 meters February 4 between 1400 and 1530 UTC.   
   W1YY/7 in Washington reported FT5ZM was "hitting S-9" on his half-sloper   
   antenna. The DXpedition recently topped 100,000 contacts -- Thanks to The   
   Daily DX; FT5ZM   
      
   W9RAN Wins January QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the January QST Cover   
   Plaque award is Robert Nickels, W9RAN, for his article "Virtual Radar from a   
   Digital TV Dongle." The QST Cover Plaque Award -- given to the author or   
   authors of the most popular article in each issue -- is determined by a vote   
   of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll webpage. Cast a ballot for your   
   favorite article in the February issue today.   
      
   CYOP Operation Approved for DXCC Credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the   
   2013 operation of CYOP -- Sable Island -- for DX Century Club credit. If a   
   DXCC credit request for this operation has been rejected in a prior   
   application, contact ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, to be placed   
   on the record update list. Note the submission date and/or application   
   reference number. DXCC is Amateur Radio's premier award. Hams can earn it by   
   confirming on-the-air contacts with 100 DXCC "entities," most of which are   
   countries in the traditional sense. Learn more. -- ARRL Awards Branch Manager   
   Bill Moore, NC1L   
      
   ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Dates Set: The 33rd annual   
   ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications   
      
   Conference (DCC) will take place in Austin, Texas, September 5-7, at the   
   Marriott South Hotel. More information will be posted to the TAPR DCC web   
   page. The ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference is an international   
   forum for radio amateurs to meet, publish their work, and present new ideas   
   and techniques. -- TAPR   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity surged this week,   
   with average daily sunspot numbers increasing by nearly 55 points, from 101.4   
   to 156.3. Average daily solar flux rose by nearly 38 points, from 142.9 to   
   180.4. Geomagnetic indices remained quiet -- so quiet, in fact, that on   
   February 4 the high-latitude college A index near Fairbanks, Alaska, was zero,   
   because each of the 3 hour K index readings that day were zero. The same thing   
   happened on January 19.   
      
   Geomagnetic numbers will increase over the next few days, with planetary A   
   index predicted to be 5, 8, 12, 10, and 8 on February 6-10, followed by 5 on   
   February 11-16, 8 on February 17-18, 5 on February 19-24, then 8 on February   
   25, and 5 through the end of the month.   
      
   Solar flux should be strong, with values of 198, 195, 190, 185, and 180 on   
   February 6-10, 170 on February 11-12, followed by 140, 135, 130, and 140 on   
   February 13-16, and 145 on February 17-22. Solar flux is expected to hit 200   
   on March 1, drop slightly, then peak at 210 on March 5, followed by a low of   
   130 on March 14.   
      
   Last Friday's bulletin reported that something seemed amiss with the predicted   
   solar flux and A indices from the USAF/NOAA prediction, which became apparent   
   on the spreadsheet that we use to archive the forecasts. Sure enough, we   
   uncovered an error that NOAA is fixing. We'll have more about that in the   
   Friday bulletin, as well as an update to our 3 month moving average, which   
   looks quite strong. We'll also have details about a rare find at a rural   
   library in the Western Washington Division.   
      
   Send your reports and observations, and tell about all the fun you've had on   
   the air this week.   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  Feb 7-9 -- YL-OM Contest   
    *  Feb 8 -- Asia-Pacific Sprint   
    *  Feb 8 -- FISTS CW Winter Sprint   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- YLISSB QSO Party   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- CQ World Wide WPX, RTTY   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- Worldwide EME Contest   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- Dutch PACC Contest   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- OMISS QSO Party   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- New Hampshire QSO Party   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- RSGB - First 1.8 MHz Contest   
    *  Feb 8-9 -- AM QSO Party   
    *  Feb 9 -- Milwaukee FM Simplex Contest   
    *  Feb 9 -- AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party   
    *  Feb 9-10 -- Classic Exchange, phone   
    *  Feb 10-14 -- ARRL School Club Roundup   
    *  Feb 12 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint   
    *  Feb 12 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Test   
    *  Feb 12 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint   
    *  Feb 12 -- QRP Fox Hunt   
    *  Feb 12-13 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  Feb 14 -- QRP Fox Hunt   
    *  Feb 14 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder   
    *  Feb 14-15 -- PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint   
    *  Feb 14-15 -- Russian World Wide PSK Contest   
    *  Feb 15-16 -- ARRL Int'l DX Contest, CW   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  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   
    *  March 28-29 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine   
    *  March 29 -- Microhams Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington   
    *  April 4-6 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California   
    *  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   
    *  May 3 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina   
    *  May 16-18 -- Dayton Hamvention -- Regional ARRL Centennial Event,   
       Dayton, Ohio   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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