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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-04-24   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   April 24, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Public Service: More Than 300 Amateur Radio Volunteers Support 2014   
       Boston Marathon   
    *  Public Service: Puerto Rico Radio Amateurs Take Part in Tsunami   
       Preparedness Exercise   
    *  Regulatory: FCC Cites Washington Resident for Causing Interference on   
       Amateur Frequencies   
    *  Regulatory: Texas Radio Amateur Gives Up License as Part of Enforcement   
       Action Settlement   
    *  Education: Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, is Goldfarb Scholarship Winner   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on April 30 (UTC)   
    *  Technology: HAARP-Like Ionospheric Research Project Underway at Arecibo   
       Observatory   
    *  International: Special Event Stations to Mark International Marconi Day   
    *  Ham Radio in Space: KickSat Deployed in Low-Earth Orbit   
    *  Events: Nobel Prize Winner Joe Taylor, K1JT, Helps Reopen Dutch Radio   
       Telescope   
    *  Feature: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Public Service: More Than 300 Amateur Radio Volunteers Support 2014 Boston   
   Marathon   
      
   On a beautiful New England spring day, yet under an umbrella of heightened   
   security, more than 300 Amateur Radio volunteers   
   provided communication support on April 21 for the 118th running of the   
   Boston Marathon -- a 26.2-mile race from Hopkinton to Boston, Massachusetts.   
   In a show of solidarity following last year's tragic bombings close to the   
   finish line, a near record number of runners -- upward of 36,000 -- turned   
   out for the Patriot's Day event along with a huge outpouring of spectators.   
      
   The Boston Marathon is a major public service event for the region's Amateur   
   Radio volunteers.   
      
   "We received a fantastic showing of volunteer support across the start,   
   course, and finish line from the Amateur Radio community in the wake of the   
   2013 bombings," said Steve Schwarm, W3EVE, Boston Marathon Course   
   Coordinator. The level of ham radio support for the 2014 event demonstrated   
   that "Boston Strong" remains a rallying cry in the wake of last year's   
   tragedy, he said.   
      
   Amateur Radio communication support became critical in the aftermath of the   
   2013 Boston Marathon bombings, when conventional telecommunications systems,   
   such as cellular telephones, quickly became overloaded and confusion   
   reigned.   
      
   The Minuteman Repeater Association coordinates Marathon Amateur Radio   
   Communication, with assistance from the Framingham Amateur Radio   
   Association, the Mohawk Amateur Radio Club, and the Montachusett Amateur   
   Radio Association. The race is sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association   
   (BAA).   
      
   Amateur Radio had a larger presence this year at the Massachusetts Emergency   
   Management Agency (MEMA) State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), where a   
   multi-agency coordination center was set up for the race. The SEOC worked   
   closely with the Boston Marathon Amateur Net Control Center, the BAA   
   Operations Center at Boston Public Library, and the Red Cross Disaster   
   Operations Center in Cambridge.   
      
   ARRL Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo,   
   KD1CY, has served in various capacities over the years as part of the Boston   
   Marathon ham radio contingent. "This year, I was at the SEOC multi-agency   
   coordination center with MEMA Region 1 Communications Officer Terry Stader,   
   KA8SCP, where we provided assistance for the Amateur Radio operation and   
   situational awareness and an alternate communication path to the marathon   
   for MEMA Headquarters," he said.   
      
   Schwarm said that one unsung hero of the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio   
   Communications Team is Bob DeMattia, K1IW, whom he called "the mastermind   
   behind an elaborate net control setup" just off the race route with a   
   line-of-sight shot to Boston. "Through a combiner and utilization of various   
   frequencies across 2 meters, 1.25 meters, and 70 centimeters, up to 10   
   Amateur Radio setups were provided at the net control location with multiple   
   antenna configurations," Schwarm explained. "Bob has done this set-up work   
   for many years."   
      
   This year one of the 2 meter repeaters for the race course operation went   
   down less than 24 hours before the start of the Boston Marathon. "Bob   
   responded to the situation...and had the repeater back in operation just as   
   the marathon was starting," Schwarm said.   
      
   Schwarm also expressed his appreciation to his assistant, Jim Palmer,   
   KB1KQW, for his support as an assistant course coordinator, as well as to   
   Paul Topolski, W1SEX, who handled finish-line operations, and to Kevin   
   Paetzold, K1KWP, for supporting starting-line operations. Paetzold echoed   
   Schwarm's praise of DeMattia. "It is immense; it has been happening for many   
   years and seems mostly invisible," he said.   
      
   Paetzold said there were four ham radio teams -- 34 volunteers in all -- at   
   the starting line. His primary assistant, Dave Wolfe, KG1H, oversaw the   
   South Street parking operation, while Jonathan Allen, K2KKH, was responsible   
   for the Hopkinton State Park parking operation, while Pi Pugh, K1RV, handled   
   the Athlete's Village operation -- jobs both have done for many years.   
      
   Topolski said hams anticipated security issues, but none arose. "Nobody had   
   a hassle," he told ARRL. A new twist this year was that the operation went   
   from the separate command trailers used in past races to an indoor command   
   center. "I think the operations center is a definite plus, and I think we're   
   going to go with that in the future," he said.   
      
   All public safety agencies were represented in the command center, and the   
   net control received many ambulance calls -- about 70 all told -- in part   
   owing to warmer weather this year, Topolski said. This year Amateur Radio   
   volunteers relayed ambulance requests to the state EOC using a commercial   
   UHF digital radio system, and hams spoke directly with   
      
   MEMA dispatchers. Hams on the course were issued UHF digital radios to   
   request police, fire, and EMS. "It was an additional resource," he said.   
   "That worked out well." Macedo said Amateur Radio operators very quickly had   
   to learn the new UHF commercial system.   
      
   At the height of the Marathon, Macedo said, the finish line medical tents   
   were near 80 percent capacity. Amateur Radio also backed up the commercial   
   network for ambulance requests, he said, and volunteers continued to handle   
   logistical supply and medical bus transports via Amateur Radio.   
      
   Topolski said ham radio came in handy after the Boston Fire Department was   
   called to Boylston Street in downtown Boston following a report of a   
   possible natural gas leak. "At almost the same time, one of the hams on the   
   street was smelling natural gas coming from a manhole," he said. "The fire   
   department was looking in one place, while the ham down the street was   
   actually at the site of the leak."   
      
   All marathon operations secured by about 8 PM, as the last course first aid   
   and finish-line operations closed down.   
      
   Public Service: Puerto Rico Radio Amateurs Take Part in Tsunami Preparedness   
   Exercise   
      
   Amateur Radio volunteers in Puerto Rico participated in the CARIBE   
   WAVE/LANTEX 14 exercise in March. The purpose of the exercise was to assist   
   tsunami preparedness efforts in the Caribbean and adjacent regions,   
   including the east coasts of the US and Canada. Since 2010, Amateur Radio   
   has played a role in the exercise, executed in Puerto Rico in conjunction   
   with the Seismic Net of Puerto Rico (RSPR), FEMA, the Puerto Rico Emergency   
   Management Administration (PREMA-AEMEAD), and NOAA.   
      
   The March 26 drill offered a choice of two scenarios: An earthquake on the   
   coast of Portugal, or a sub-marine landslide in the Gulf of Mexico. Puerto   
   Rican agencies chose the Portugal scenario, based on a similar earthquake   
   and tsunami event that occurred in that country in 1755.   
      
   The exercise commenced at 6 AM, when the simulated alert notification of an   
   8.5 magnitude (Richter scale) earthquake was issued. The Emergency Alert   
   System (EAS) was activated at 10 AM on radio, TV, and cable outlets to   
   announce the "situation" but advising listeners that it was a drill. Siren   
   systems were tested, and government, public and private institutions in many   
   cities conducted their own evacuation drills to test their preparedness and   
   the ability of citizens to travel safely to their nearest local refuge   
   sites.   
      
   Amateur Radio worked with PREMA at an island-wide level. The Cuerpo de   
   Voluntarios Radioaficionados de Puerto Rico (Volunteer Amateur Radio Corps   
   of Puerto Rico -- KP4CVR) was the main player, activating from the 12 PREMA   
   zones. Through a federal grant, each zone facility is equipped with an   
   HF/VHF transceiver. The point of contact was the KP4CAR repeater (147.210   
   MHz), located at the highest point of the island. The repeater can run for   
   several days on emergency power.   
      
   The main responsibility of radio amateurs was to gather reports from other   
   amateur stations around the island regarding how they were alerted:   
   Broadcast radio, TV, cable, or other means such as sirens. The information   
   is delivered to PREMA Headquarters for post-exercise evaluation and   
   planning.   
      
   At the municipal level, the Bayman Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club,   
   assisted emergency managers in the northern city of Dorado, recently   
   certified as "tsunami ready." Organized by Jimmy Drowne, KP3BR, operators   
   volunteered to assist with any kind of communication problem during the   
   exercise, and the group was commended for its support of the drill.   
      
   PREMA Director Miguel A. R¡os Torres called the exercise a success, with   
   valuable lessons learned. -- Thanks to Angel Santana, WP3GW, Puerto Rico   
   Public Information Coordinator; ARRL ARES E-Letter   
      
   Regulatory: FCC Cites Washington Resident for Causing Interference on   
   Amateur Frequencies   
      
   The FCC has cited a Woodinville, Washington, resident for operating an   
   "incidental radiator" -- apparently some sort of lighting device -- that has   
   been causing harmful interference on Amateur Radio frequencies. The   
   Commission has ordered Thomas Edward Rogers to "take steps to eliminate all   
   harmful interference" or risk substantial fines and seizure of equipment.   
   The Enforcement Bureau action came in the wake of repeated complaints last   
   year of interference to Amateur Radio operations. To date, Rogers has not   
   responded to several communications from the Commission.   
      
   "Commission agents have made multiple   
   unsuccessful attempts in writing and via phone calls to contact Mr Rogers   
   regarding unauthorized and unlicensed radio frequency emissions emanating   
   from his property," the FCC said in a Citation and Order released April 24.   
   The Commission directed Rogers to "cease operation of the incidental   
   radiators immediately, until the interference is resolved."   
      
   Last year, agents from the Enforcement Bureau's Seattle Office twice visited   
   Rogers' neighborhood and confirmed through direction-finding techniques and   
   the use of a spectrum analyzer that "signals on frequencies between 7 and 8   
   MHz were emanating from Mr Rogers' residence," the FCC recounted. The C&O   
   said Rogers failed to reply to an "RFI Letter" and a subsequent Warning   
   Letter, and the interference complaints continued.   
      
   The FCC said Rogers is violating Part 15 rules that prohibit the operation   
   of an unlicensed intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator that   
   causes harmful interference to a licensed radio service. Rogers was ordered   
   to respond in writing within 30 days stating that he has ceased operating   
   the incidental radiators, and to tell the Commission what he has done to   
   eliminate all harmful interference. The FCC warned Rogers that he faces   
   "severe penalties, including fines of up to $16,000 per day," if he fails to   
   take action to resolve the interference issue.   
      
   In March, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler tapped Travis LeBlanc as acting Chief of   
   the Enforcement Bureau, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the Bureau   
   already appears to have become more responsive.   
      
   "The Seattle Office's prompt investigation of an amateur's complaint in May   
   2013 set the wheels in motion leading to this Citation," Sumner said.   
   "Today's announcement provides further evidence that with the recent change   
   in leadership of the Enforcement Bureau, there's a new sheriff in town."   
      
   Regulatory: Texas Radio Amateur Gives Up License as Part of Enforcement   
   Action Settlement   
      
   A Texas radio amateur has turned in his Amateur Extra class license as part   
   of an agreement with the FCC to settle an enforcement action against him.   
   The FCC earlier this year issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for   
   Forfeiture (NAL) to James R. Winstead, KD5OZY, of Coleman, Texas, after   
   determining that Winstead "apparently willfully violated" FCC rules by   
   interfering with Amateur Radio communications. The Commission had proposed a   
   $7000 fine. The action was in response to other radio amateurs' complaints   
   of intentional interference on 7.195 MHz.   
      
   [FCC%20logo%20white-on-dk%20blue.jpg] "Mr Winstead has admitted that his   
   actions violated the Commission's rules and agreed to voluntarily relinquish   
   his amateur license and make a $1000 voluntary contribution to resolve the   
   [Enforcement] Bureau's investigation," the FCC said in an Order released   
   April 22. The Order adopts a Consent Decree between the Enforcement Bureau   
   and Winstead that spells out the details of the settlement.   
      
   According to the Consent Decree, Winstead will make his "voluntary   
   contribution" to the US Treasury in 12 installments. He also agreed to   
   relinquish his Amateur Radio license, prior to signing the Consent Decree.   
   Such agreements between the FCC and violators have become more common   
   recently in both Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio enforcement cases.   
      
   ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed appreciation to the Enforcement   
   Bureau "for bringing the matter to a prompt conclusion." Read more.   
      
   Education: Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, is Goldfarb Scholarship Winner   
      
   The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors has awarded the 2014 Goldfarb   
   Scholarship to Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, of Bloomington,   
      
   Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, speaks at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum.   
      
   Indiana. The 17-year-old Bloomington High School South senior has been   
   licensed since 2011, is Indiana's Assistant Section Manager for Youth, and   
   is in the top 10 percent of his class. Lysandrou's May 2013 QST article "A   
   Crazy Idea: DXpedition to Cyprus," won the QST Cover Plaque Award for that   
   month. Last August, Lysandrou was honored as "Young Ham of the Year" by   
   Amateur Radio Newsline.   
      
   "I'm honored to be recognized by the ARRL with the Goldfarb Memorial   
   Scholarship, and very thankful to be part of the Amateur Radio community,"   
   Lysandrou said. "The ARRL and the Amateur Radio community as a whole has   
   been one of the most amazing and supportive communities I have been a part   
   of, and I am honored to have a place in it."   
      
   His is a "ham radio family." His mother, Carolyn, is KC9URR, his father,   
   Plato, is KC9VIL, and his sister, Helena, is KC9VIM. As a young stamp   
   collector, Padraig got interested in ham radio through his mother, a serious   
   shortwave listener. She would show him stamps on letters she'd received from   
   stations she'd heard. "I saw those, and...I got into shortwave," he told   
   ARRL in 2013. "And, then the interest grew bigger, and it wasn't just about   
   stamps anymore. And so I got interested in ham radio."   
      
   Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, receives the May 2013 QST Cover Plaque Award.   
      
   An ARRL member, Lysandrou holds an Amateur Extra ticket and has served as   
   president of his school's Amateur Radio club (K9SOU). Participation in the   
   ARRL School Club Roundup and a program on the Peter Island 3Y0X DXpedition   
   sparked his interest in DX and led to his DXpedition to Cyprus, where he has   
   family, and to his QST article. He has been a 4-H member for 10 years and   
   the president of his school's 4-H Aerospace Club. A musician, Lysandrou   
   plays the cello and the classical guitar, and has performed on the cello at   
   Carnegie Hall.   
      
   Because of his interest in Amateur Radio, he plans to pursue a career in   
   electronics, engineering, and physics. This week he made the decision to   
   attend Cornell University this fall, majoring in physics and physics   
   engineering. His sister is also a high school senior and college bound in   
   the fall.   
      
   The William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is the result of a generous   
   endowment from William Goldfarb, N2ITP (SK). Before his death in 1997,   
   Goldfarb set up a scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory of   
   his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb. It is awarded to one high school   
   senior each year. The award is based on an applicant's qualifications, need,   
   and other sources of educational funding, but it can amount to $10,000 or   
   more. Read more.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on April 30 (UTC)   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states now are in New Jersey (W1AW/2) and New Hampshire   
   (W1AW/1). They will relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, April 30 (the evening   
   of April 29 in US time zones), to Connecticut (W1AW/1) and Nevada (W1AW/7).   
   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.[HPM-W1AW-logo.jpg]   
      
   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.   
      
   [Register-Centennial-Convention-200-X-250-Ad.jpg] The operating schedule has   
   been updated to reflect some changes: Maine and New Mexico have swapped   
   weeks; New Mexico's second week will start on September 24, and Maine's   
   second week will begin on December 3.   
      
   The District of Columbia's week will start on October 1. North Dakota's   
   second week will begin on August 20.   
      
   Puerto Rico will now have a second week of operation starting November 26.   
      
   The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that   
   participants can use to determine how many points they have accumulated in   
   the Centennial QSO Party and in the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your   
   Logbook of The World (LoTW) user name and password, and your position will   
   appear at the top of the leader boards. Results are updated daily, based on   
   contacts entered into LoTW.   
      
   Technology: HAARP-Like Ionospheric Research Project Underway at Arecibo   
   Observatory   
      
   Work is underway to complete the construction of an ionospheric research   
   facility at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico that bears some   
   similarities to the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP)   
   far to the north in Alaska, but on a different scale and with different   
   research goals.   
      
   "It is basically the same as HAARP for the science, except that HAARP was in   
   the Auroral Region, where the physics of the ionosphere is quite different   
   with all the energetic particles and magnetic fields," Penn State Electrical   
   Engineering Professor Jim Breakall, WA3FET, told ARRL. "HAARP also had 3   
   gigawatts of effective radiated power, where Arecibo will only be about 200   
   megawatts." The Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club, KP4AO, is   
   headquartered at the research facility, which celebrated its 50th   
   anniversary last fall.   
      
   The National Science Foundation and Cornell University, which previously   
   operated Arecibo Observatory, contracted with Penn State's Electrical   
   Engineering Department to construct the "new and enhanced" HF ionospheric   
   instrument. It will be used to study the interaction between HF radio energy   
   and ionospheric plasma.   
      
   The new facility will replace an earlier ionospheric heater in Islote,   
   Puerto Rico, that was destroyed by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Rather than   
   rebuild that installation, the new instrument will use the observatory's   
   1000 foot dish for its antenna. This will keep all research activities   
   involving ionospheric modification at the observatory proper. Plans call for   
   a design based on a Cassegrain-screen concept of phased array at the bottom   
   of the dish feeding a sub-reflector mesh that hangs above the dish from   
   three support towers. Breakall and his team of graduate students at Penn   
   State have done all of the electrical design and modeling of this new   
   antenna system.   
      
   "There are three crossed-dipoles for 5.1 MHz and another three for 8.175   
   MHz, forming an array that will beam energy up to a net mesh reflector that   
   will hang from the three big towers," Breakall explained. "This Cassegrain   
   screen will then reflect energy back down to the 1000 foot dish and beam an   
   effective radiated power of hundreds of megawatts up to the ionosphere to   
   modify it." Each dipole is fed from a 100 kW transmitter, yielding a total   
   transmitted power of 600 kW.   
      
   An even earlier HF ionosphere-heating antenna system also was suspended from   
   the platform above the dish and driven by a single 100 kW transmitter over a   
   frequency range of 3 to 10 MHz. That design suffered from arcing problems   
   and was taken out of service in the 1970s.   
      
   Scale aside, Breakall said, while HAARP also tried to modulate the   
   ionosphere's naturally flowing currents to create VLF and ELF for submarine   
   communication, Arecibo "has much weaker currents, and that probably will not   
   work," he said. On the other hand, he said, "Arecibo has a big advantage   
   over HAARP in that the same 1000 foot dish can be used for diagnostics with   
   the 430 MHz incoherent scatter radar that can measure things such as   
   temperature, density, winds, etc, as they are modified. HAARP has nothing   
   like this."   
      
   Breakall said he does not anticipate that the new Arecibo ionospheric   
   research facility will attract the same degree of controversy that HAARP has   
   over its history, but he conceded that it's possible.   
      
   "All of the conspiracy stuff about HAARP really is not true, and I am sure   
   Arecibo could get some of the same conspiracy [talk], and I think some of it   
   maybe has started already," he said.   
      
   International: Special Event Stations to Mark International Marconi Day   
      
   A few dozen special event stations will take to the air on Saturday, April   
   26, from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC, to commemorate International Marconi Day.   
   Among them will be GB4IMD, in Cornwall, England; OE14M, in Vienna, Austria;   
   IY0IMD in Italy; VO1AA, on Signal Hill in St Johns, Newfoundland; VK2IMD in   
   Australia, and WA1WCC on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. All stations planning to   
   participate are urged to register.   
      
   OE14M is among the special event stations that will be on the air for   
   International Marconi Day.   
      
   International Marconi Day is a 24-hour Amateur Radio event held annually to   
   celebrate the birth of Guglielmo Marconi on April 15, 1874. IMD is held each   
   year on a Saturday close to Marconi's birthday, with Amateur Radio stations   
   on the air from around the world, including Award Stations operating from   
   historically significant sites.   
      
   The event is not a contest; it is an opportunity for amateurs around the   
   world to make point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites using HF   
   communication techniques similar to those used by Marconi, and to earn an   
   award certificate for working or hearing a requisite number of Marconi   
   stations. -- Thanks to The Daily DX; International Marconi Day   
      
   Ham Radio in Space: KickSat Deployed in Low-Earth Orbit   
      
   Zac Manchester, KD2BHC, of the KickSat project, reports the satellite   
   launched successfully April 18 at 1925 UTC and successfully attained   
   low-Earth orbit.   
      
   "We at Cornell and several Amateur Radio operators around the world have   
   made contact with the spacecraft, and it is alive and well," Manchester   
   said.   
      
   Launch of the SpaceX ISS resupply mission vehicle carrying KickSat and other   
   satellites into orbit.   
      
   The Cornell grad student has announced that he will offer prizes to the   
   first several people who receive telemetry packets from KickSat as well as   
   the first few who receive signals from the tiny Sprite satellites that   
   KickSat will deploy in early May.   
      
   After a launch delay, KickSat went into space with the third SpaceX ISS   
   resupply mission. Next month the 3U KickSat CubeSat will release more than   
   100 Sprite satellites -- each about the size of a small cracker -- into   
   orbit. They will become the smallest Earth-orbiting satellites ever.   
      
   The KickSat beacon (437.505 MHz and 2401-2436.2 MHz) will transmit telemetry   
   packets with information such as battery charge state, temperature, and   
   Sprite deployment status. Packets will be transmitted every 30 seconds when   
   the satellite is powered on, and every 250 seconds when it is in charging   
   mode. All of the Sprites will be on the same frequency -- 437.240 MHz.   
      
   Events: Nobel Prize Winner Joe Taylor, K1JT, Helps Reopen Dutch Radio   
   Telescope   
      
   Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, was the guest of honor April 5, pushing the   
   ceremonial button to reopen the restored 25 meter Dwingeloo Radio Telescope   
   in the Netherlands. The dish will see some Amateur Radio use on 23   
   centimeters. The CAMRAS Foundation   
   manages the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope, which had remained largely idle since   
   1997. Its owner is the Dutch Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). Queen   
   Juliana and Jan Oort , founder of radio astronomy in the Netherlands, were   
   present at the telescope's inauguration on April 17, 1956.   
      
   For about 60 youngsters of various ages the re-opening festivities featured   
   activities on astronomy and modern technology, including a discussion with   
   the children about science and technology. With the renovation complete the   
   radiotelescope will be used by Amateur Radio, amateur astronomers, and by   
   and for budding researchers.   
      
   Peter Jelgersma, PA8A, has told ARRL that the giant dish will be put to use   
   on 1296 MHz and perhaps elsewhere. The Dwingeloo Radiotelescope for several   
   years has been used by Dutch radio amateurs for EME work, including during   
   the ARRL EME Contest.   
      
   Joe Taylor will speak at the ARRL National Centennial Convention in   
   Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, July 19.   
      
   Feature: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   War is always terrible, and World War II was one of the worst. But, while   
   war wreaks havoc and destruction on nations and people, it always brings   
   about major advances in technology that can be transferred to peacetime use.   
   Amateur Radio benefitted from many of those advances following World War II.   
      
   During the war years, reliable communication was essential. Studies of the   
   characteristics of the ionosphere and how sunspots affect propagation   
   tremendously enhanced our understanding of signal propagation. The upper   
   limit of easily usable frequencies had been pushed much higher during the   
   war. Through QST, the League made sure hams learned about such scientific   
   progress.   
      
   Much military surplus equipment was not well suited for ham use, but many   
   hams figured out how to convert those radios for the ham bands. Others   
   recycled the components. The prices of parts, tubes, and coaxial cable were   
   remarkably low.   
      
   During the war, the military or the federal government purchased virtually   
   the entire production output of radio equipment manufacturers. Within months   
   of the war's end, equipment manufacturers had switched to producing ham gear   
   -- and it was far superior to what had been available before the war.   
      
   After World War II, the ARRL announced that hams -- whether seasoned   
   old-timers or brand-new licensees -- would have to start from scratch to   
   earn the postwar DXCC. That made for lots of excitement when the HF bands   
   again were opened to ham radio.   
      
   In January 1946 Project Diana used a converted military transmitter to send   
   a radio signal to the Moon, which bounced back to Earth and was detected by   
   equipment at the Evans Signal Laboratory at New Jersey's Fort Monmouth. A   
   0.25 second pulse of 111.5 MHz energy was beamed at the Moon, and 2.5   
   seconds later a faint "beep" was heard by Herb Kauffman, W2OQU, one of   
   several hams involved in the experiment.   
      
   Hmmm...111.5 MHz. Perhaps hams could do that on 2 meters. -- Al Brogdon,   
   W1AB   
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   In Brief...   
      
   "Maunder Minimum" Webinar Set: The World Wide Radio   
   Operators Foundation (WWROF) will host a webinar, "Are We Headed Into   
   Another Maunder Minimum? What Does That Mean for Propagation?" with Carl   
   Luetzelschwab, K9LA. The webinar will take place April 25 at 0100 UTC (the   
   evening of April 24 in North America). Participants must register.   
      
   Panama Canal Commemorative Special Events Set: To celebrate the 100th   
   anniversary of the completion and opening of the Panama Canal, special event   
   station HO100CANAL (Hotel Oscar One Zero Zero CANAL) will be on the air   
   through August 15, on 1.8 through 28 MHz, SSB, CW, PSK, and RTTY. QSL via   
   HP1AVS. Another Panama Canal centennial special event station, 3E100PC, will   
   be on the air from June 1 until August 1. QSL via LoTW or HP2AT. -- Thanks   
   to The Daily DX   
      
   NCDXF Aiming Scholarship Support at Young DXers: The   
   Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) said it plans to direct its   
   scholarships toward the support of new DXers, aged 25 or younger, at Contest   
   University (CTU) sessions over the next 2 years. NCDXF Vice President Glenn   
   Johnson, W0GJ, reported that the Foundation provided approximately $99,000   
   to support DXpeditions to "rare and most difficult entities." At the recent   
   International DX Convention banquet, NCDXF received a $12,000 donation from   
   the Southern California DX Club.   
      
   Special Event Station to Commemorate BBC Normandy Invasion Broadcasts:   
   French special event station TM70BBC in Creully, Normandy, will operate June   
   3-13 to mark the 70 years since BBC reporters sent the first Battle of   
   Normandy reports from the a makeshift radio studio in the castle in Creully   
   in June and July, 1944. QSL via F5UOW, direct or bureau. -- Thanks to The   
   Daily DX   
      
   W9DXCC 2014 Convention Set for New Location: The 2014   
   W9DXCC Convention, sponsored by the Northern Illinois DX Association, will   
   be held September 19-20 at a new location -- the Hyatt Regency Hotel in   
   Schaumburg, Illinois. The 2014 event will feature a full day of DX   
   University sessions on Friday and an expanded convention setting on   
   Saturday. Commercial exhibit areas have been expanded and are closer to the   
   main convention activity. Details are on the W9DXCC website.   
      
   Ham Radio Emergency Communications Exercise Open to International   
   Participation: Spain's fifth Emergency Communications National Exercise   
   (ENCE) takes place Saturday, April 26, 1830-1930 UTC, and international   
   participation is invited. This year's exercise will use the 5 MHz band   
   (5.311.5 MHz USB), but activity is expected on 3.760 MHz, 7.110 MHz, 14.300   
   MHz as well as on VHF bands. The purpose of the exercise is to provide an   
   opportunity for those radio amateurs interested in practicing operating   
   skills. Even listeners can participate. The ENCE welcomes reports via   
   e-mail.   
      
   Vibroplex Becomes SSB-Electronic Distributor for US and Canada: Vibroplex   
   has become the US/Canada distributor for SSB-Electronic products. A   
   completely revamped product line has been released for 2014.   
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   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers   
   during the past week rose 84.3 points, from 118.4 to 202.7. Average daily   
   solar flux was up 11.3 points to 160.4.   
      
   The predicted average solar flux on April 19 for April 24-27 was 150, but   
   this has been downgraded. On April 23 the average for the same period was   
   adjusted down to 122.5.   
      
   The latest projection has solar flux at 125 on April 24-26, 115 on April 27   
   through May 1, 155 on May 2-4, 160, 165, 160, 155, and 150 on May 5-9, 155   
   on May 10-14, 150 on May 15-17, and 165 on May 18.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 8 on April 24-25, 5 on April 26 through May   
   13, followed by 10, 8, 15, 25, 20, and 10 on May 14-19, and 8 on May 20-22.   
      
   Petr Kolman, OK1MGW, of the Czech Propagation Interest Group on April 20   
   predicted geomagnetic conditions to be quiet to unsettled on April 24-25,   
   mostly quiet on April 26-28, quiet on April 29, mostly quiet on April 30,   
   quiet on May 1-2, mostly quiet on May 3, quiet to unsettled on May 4, quiet   
   on May 5, quiet to unsettled on May 6-7, quiet to active on May 8-9, quiet   
   to unsettled