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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-05-01   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   May 1, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Public Service: SKYWARN, ARES Volunteers Muster for Severe Weather   
       Onslaught   
    *  Washington Landslide ARES/RACES Activation Ends   
    *  ARRL Centennial: Convention Forums to Feature Presentation by Nobel   
       Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on May 7 (UTC)   
    *  Science: Amateur Radio Propagation Guru Says Extended Solar Ebb May Lie   
       Ahead   
    *  Regulatory: AM Broadcasters, Hams Have Common Interest in Cleaning Up   
       Noise Sources   
    *  Awards: ARRL Hudson Division 2013 Awards Banquet Benefits Spectrum   
       Defense Fund   
    *  On the Air: Armed Forces Day 2014 Cross-Band Communications Test Set for   
       May 10   
    *  ARRL Headquarters: ARRL E-Mail, LoTW, Online Store Will Be Down   
       Overnight May 2-3!   
    *  Milestones: DXer, Author Wayne C. Long, K9YNF, SK   
    *  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: SKYWARN, ARES Volunteers Muster for Severe Weather Onslaught   
      
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN teams activated in late   
   April as severe weather, including devastating tornadoes, struck mainly in   
   the Deep South and Midwest. As rain continued into the week, the National   
   Weather Service (NWS) said flash flooding was possible from southern New   
   England to the Gulf Coast.   
      
   On April 28, tornadoes raked Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and   
   other states. Upward of three dozen people died. According to Mississippi   
   Gov Phil Bryant, tornadoes inflicted "severe damage" in   
   and around Louisville, some 100 miles northeast of Jackson. Tupelo also was   
   hit; television viewers in that city watched as WTVA's chief meteorologist   
   exited the set after ordering his colleagues to take cover.   
      
   "Preliminary reports indicate extensive damage in the Jackson Metro, Winston   
   County, and Lee County," ARRL Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown,   
   W5XX, said April 29.   
      
   "ARES/SKYWARN activated over the state providing ground-truth weather and   
   damage reports to NWS-Jackson and NWS-Memphis. One 400 foot ham tower was   
   lost in Northeast Mississippi which supported multiple repeaters."   
      
   More than a dozen died in weekend Arkansas storms; other fatalities were   
   reported in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Forecasters say the spate of   
   severe weather could continue through the end of the week. Arkansas Section   
   Central District Emergency Coordinator and Arkansas SKYWARN volunteer Danny   
   Straessle, KE5WLR, told ARRL that the NWS Little Rock Forecast Office   
   contacted him on Saturday morning.   
      
   "Arkansas SKYWARN operates in the operations center at the   
   Little Rock Forecast Office," Straessle explained. "This provides a direct   
   benefit to the forecasters to have a direct ear-to-the-ground truth our   
   operators provide." While much of Sunday was quiet, the NWS issued a tornado   
   warning just after 7 PM, warning residents to take cover.   
      
   "We immediately received a report from Harold Higgins, W5HWH, in west   
   Pulaski County of 80 MPH winds, trees down, and power out," Straessle said.   
   Then, Tim King, KC5GNJ, reported debris and rotation -- the first actual   
   tornado sighting. The twister proceeded into Mayflower and crossed   
   Interstate Route 40, which was subsequently shut down.   
      
   "As the storm crossed the Arkansas River," Straessle said, "Adam Flynn,   
   W5FJC, was the first to report that a second vortex had appeared." A tornado   
   emergency was issued for Mayflower and Vilonia. "I can see a very, very wide   
   tornado on the ground to the west," Flynn told the net. Behind the storm,   
   Flynn followed up with reports of downed power lines and a damage path.   
   Widespread property damage was reported in Mayflower and Vilonia, north of   
   Little Rock. Tim Hunter, N5RZX, told the net from downtown Vilonia that he   
   had eyes on the storm, which affected him personally. Other SKYWARN   
   volunteers reported a second funnel trailing the first, and subsequent   
   eyewitness reports confirmed the tornado. The net finally shut down at 4:45   
   Monday morning.   
      
   Straessle said he was pleased that Arkansas SKYWARN Amateur Radio storm   
   spotters were able to provide "a virtual play-by-play" as the storms passed   
   through. "While the forecasters had their eyes glued to the radar, their   
   ears were glued to reports coming in from Arkansas SKYWARN," he said.   
   Straessle added that the net "went like clockwork."   
      
   In Bates County, Missouri, on Sunday, William DelliPaoli,   
   KD0PVP, reported that his SKYWARN net was able to get a warning out 20   
   minutes in advance to members in the fire department and city emergency   
   operations center, where volunteers were monitoring. "I had been monitoring   
   NWS chat all day and was prepared for the tornadoes entering Bates County,"   
   he told Mike Bellinger, K0UAA, Missouri District A Emergency Coordinator.   
      
   Lafayette County, Missouri, ARES EC Jack Green, KD0CYM, said ARES was called   
   out on Sunday April 27. "Around 1 PM we received word of a sighting south of   
   Bates City, [and] we deployed. Around Higginsville, we had very strong winds   
   that blew very large signs down, tore shingles off houses, and broke off   
   large tree limbs," he told ARRL. Green said the 13 deployed spotters then   
   stood down to regroup for the next front, but the tornado activity stayed to   
   the south.   
      
   Ray County, Missouri, northwest of Kansas City, also experienced some severe   
   weather over the weekend. ARES EC Randal Kennett, W0RAK, reported that   
   Amateur Radio volunteers started up a net on the Richmond repeater and   
   exchanged condition reports. A funnel cloud appeared some 4 miles from   
   Kennett's home. "Tornado warnings were broadcast by NWS for most of the   
   towns in my area," he said, but a downed tree in Hardin was the worst damage   
   he observed.   
      
   Much of the US South and Southeast experienced heavy rainfall as a result of   
   the persistent storm systems, and flood warnings were posted in several   
   states. Some regions received more than a foot of rain in 24 hours. The   
   Florida Panhandle was especially hard hit by flooding.   
      
   Washington Landslide ARES/RACES Activation Ends   
      
   ARRL Western Washington Section Manager Monte Simpson, K2MLS, has reported   
   that Amateur Radio's role in the search phase of the [ACS-Web-Logo.png]   
   Snohomish County landslide has ended. "Our volunteers performed admirably   
   and stepped up to the plate when they were needed the most," Simpson said.   
   "Western Washington's Region/District 1 displayed the very highest in   
   teamwork effort. I can't be more proud of this region/district."   
      
   Snohomish County Auxiliary Communications Service (Snohomish ACS -- formerly   
   RACES) Radio Officer Scott Honaker, N7SS, said operations in Oso have been   
   turned over to the state to get State Highway 530 re-opened. He said the   
   search will continue at a lower level for the last two missing people.   
      
   From the time the landslide occurred on March 22, Amateur Radio volunteers   
   staffed some 160 shifts in the emergency operations center and command   
   vehicle, Honaker said. "The early ones were 12-hour shifts, including the   
   dreaded 7 PM to 7 AM shift," he noted. "I can't thank everyone enough for   
   their support during this operation!"   
      
   "[E]veryone agrees communications went extremely well," he said. "We were   
   able to get everything we needed into the field, and the   
   infrastructure performed perfectly. We actually had additional VHF   
   infrastructure and resources that were never used."   
      
   Honaker pointed out that the County EOC in Everett and the command vehicle   
   in Darrington had limited access to information to maintain situational   
   awareness, but ham radio operators were able to bridge the gap to those in   
   the field.   
      
   "You were that safety net," he said, "and a number of reports were passed   
   along that were quite valuable about search discoveries, injuries,   
   additional slide activity, river and channel conditions, 'misplaced'   
   aircraft, etc." Honaker said he heard "many positive comments" about how the   
   radio room "just worked, unlike other parts of the operation that required   
   more attention."   
      
   He said others have commented about how well Amateur Radio volunteers and   
   professional staffers worked together, both in the field and behind the   
   scenes. "We had some concerns about how we'd integrate other teams into our   
   operations but it worked unbelievably well," he said.   
      
   ARRL Centennial: Convention Forums to Feature Presentation by Nobel Laureate   
   Joe Taylor, K1JT   
      
   Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will be the featured speaker for a   
   large-group presentation at the ARRL Centennial Convention, July 17-19, in   
   Hartford, Connecticut. Taylor's Saturday, July 19, noon presentation,   
   "Gazing into the Future -- DXing with Weak Signals and Beyond," will take   
   place in the large meeting hall at the Connecticut Convention Center.   
      
   "We are pleased that a technological innovator of Joe Taylor's stature has   
   agreed to be part of our program schedule," ARRL Centennial Convention   
   Program and Forum Chairman Dan Henderson, N1ND, said. "His work in   
   weak-signal detection has helped revolutionize many aspects of Amateur   
   Radio, and his forum is a 'can't miss' opportunity for Convention-goers."   
      
   Other presenters on the Convention's Friday and Saturday Forum schedule   
   include former FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH. His   
   presentation is entitled, "Turning the 'Big Dial' -- It's More than Simply   
   Changing the Frequency." Propagation expert Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, will   
   give two presentations -- "160 Meters -- Mastering the Challenge" and   
   "Propagation Forecasting -- a Peek Behind the Curtain."   
      
   ARRL antenna guru Dean Straw, N6BV, will discuss, "How to Blow Up Your Balun   
   -- and Other Things in Your Antenna System Too!"   
      
   Additional details have been added to the day-long "Training Tracks" on   
   Thursday. Sessions will include "Leadership and Training Tools for Amateur   
   Radio," "Public Service Communications Academy," "RFI-101," "An Introduction   
   to Amateur Satellites," "DX University," "Contest University," and "Amateur   
   Radio Legal Seminar."   
      
   "Registration for the   
   Thursday tracks has been quite brisk," Henderson said. "Contest University,   
   DX University, and the Public Service Communications Academy are about 70   
   percent enrolled. We urge anyone hoping to attend one of the Convention   
   presentations or forums to register now. Walk-ins for any of the Thursday   
   training tracks will be on a space-available basis the day of the event."   
      
   Henderson said the Convention has added 6 hours of "Youth in Amateur Radio"   
   forums and programs to the Convention schedule. Three hours will be offered   
   on both Friday and Saturday. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, will   
   deliver the Friday banquet address.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Shift States on May 7 (UTC)   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states now are in Connecticut (W1AW/1) and Nevada (W1AW/7).   
   The W1AW portable operations will relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, May 7   
   (the evening of May 6 in US time zones), to Nebraska (W1AW/0). There will be   
   no "second" state that week. The Utah (W1AW/7) operation initially scheduled   
   now will take place starting July 2 (UTC). This will be the second and final   
   opportunity to work W1AW from Nebraska for the ARRL Centennial QSO Party and   
   for the "Worked All States W1AW Award."   
      
   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, even when   
   working the same state during its second week of activity.   
      
   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.   
      
   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.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Science: Amateur Radio Propagation Guru Says Extended Solar Ebb May Lie   
   Ahead   
      
   Amateur Radio propagation and solar phenomena authority Carl Luetzelschwab,   
   K9LA, said in an April 27 webinar, "Are We Headed into Another Maunder   
   Minimum? What Does That Mean for Propagation?" that most solar scientists   
   believe several low solar   
   cycles lie ahead, ushering in periods of diminished HF propagation,   
   especially on the higher bands. Luetzelschwab, who maintains K9LA's Amateur   
   Radio Propagation Web Site and pens a regular "Propagation" column for NCJ,   
   stopped short of concluding that we'll experience a Maunder minimum -- an   
   extended period of very few or no sunspots. As the Marshall Space Flight   
   Center's "Solar Physics" web page explains, early sunspot records indicate   
   that the Sun went through an inactive period from about 1645 to 1715 --   
   called the Maunder minimum after the scientist who discovered it -- when   
   very few sunspots were observed.   
      
   "Right now there's nothing bulletproof to say we're heading into a Maunder   
   minimum, so we're just going to have to wait and see," Luetzelschwab told   
   the webinar, sponsored by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF).   
   "It sure looks like something inside the sun changed around the peak of   
   Cycle 23. There's lots of evidence that we're entering a grand solar   
   minimum. But I don't think any of the solar scientists are 100 percent sure   
   that we're going to see a Maunder-type minimum." A grand solar minimum, he   
   explained, is an extended period of low sunspot activity that is not as   
   severe as a Maunder minimum.   
      
   Many solar scientists believe that Cycle 24 -- the current solar cycle -- is   
   the weakest in years, and that this portends even less sunspot activity in   
   the future. Some even have predicted outright that a Maunder minimum is   
   around the corner.   
      
   In the hour-long presentation, Luetzelschwab reviewed the conclusions of   
   research published by several solar scientists, raising various scenarios   
   for what might lie ahead in terms of sunspots and related HF propagation. If   
   a Maunder minimum were to occur, he predicted "we'll probably have some   
   pretty good low-band propagation. Most everybody believes the low bands are   
   better at solar minimum." But he conceded that a lot of factors come into   
   play when trying to foresee what will happen from one solar cycle to the   
   next and how it will affect radio propagation.   
      
   "We need to gather some really good data" over the next 10 years,   
   Luetzelschwab concluded, adding that the additional data will provide   
   evidence one way or the other.   
      
   "Are We Headed into Another Maunder Minimum? What Does That Mean for   
   Propagation?" will be posted in the webinar archive on the WWROF website.   
   Read more.   
      
   Regulatory: AM Broadcasters, Hams Have Common Interest in Cleaning Up Noise   
   Sources   
      
   Radio amateurs and AM broadcasters have some common ground in wanting to   
   clean up "a worsening RF noise environment in the AM broadcast band,"   
   according to recent comments filed with the FCC by the Society of Broadcast   
   Engineers (SBE) on the issue of revitalizing AM broadcasting. ARRL General   
   Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, who is also general counsel for the SBE, drafted   
   the remarks.   
      
   "There are numerous complaints from Amateur   
   Radio operators of severe interference from power line noise annually," said   
   the SBE comments, filed earlier this year. "Power line radiation in the HF   
   and MF Amateur allocations will in most cases directly translate to   
   preclusive noise in the AM broadcast band. The Commission has relied   
   completely on the good faith efforts of electric utilities to resolve   
   these."   
      
   While that approach has succeeded in some cases, Imlay wrote, "more often,   
   utilities do not have available to them -- and are not willing to retain --   
   persons skilled in RF interference resolution, and the cases at FCC are   
   allowed to languish unresolved for years...without any enforcement action at   
   all." The SBE noted that AM listeners often are in vehicles adjacent to   
   power lines that "frequently radiate RF noise" at levels to make AM   
   reception difficult or impossible.   
      
   The SBE comments also pointed to "substantial numbers of complaints of   
   harmful interference to Amateur Radio stations" from LED lighting systems,   
   noting that many RF light bulbs could be within range of a typical AM   
   broadcast receiver in the typical residential neighborhood. Imlay used   
   recent ARRL Laboratory RF lighting test results as one example to illustrate   
   the problem.   
      
   The SBE comments cited an RF lighting ballast used   
   for indoor gardening that generated excessive conducted emissions that could   
   "preclude AM broadcast reception over entire residential subdivisions." The   
   ARRL formally complained about the device to the FCC last month. The SBE   
   also pointed the finger at radiation from unintentional emitters, such as   
   plasma TV sets, and conducted emissions from devices such as pulse-width   
   motor controllers.   
      
   "[T]he goal of AM revitalization will never be realized in the medium and   
   long term in the face of the headwind of a worsening RF noise environment in   
   the AM broadcast band," the SBE said, noting that the same concerns apply to   
   all bands between 9 kHz and 30 MHz. "Some regulatory relief is absolutely   
   necessary," the SBE concluded.   
      
   The situation may already be improving. Last month the FCC cited a   
   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 the individual to   
   stop using the device.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Awards: ARRL Hudson Division 2013 Awards Banquet Benefits Spectrum Defense   
   Fund   
      
   Proceeds from the 2013 ARRL Hudson Division Awards Banquet last fall have   
   been donated to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund by banquet sponsor, the   
   Orange County Amateur Radio Club (OCARC) The donation totaled nearly $5000,   
   a record for the Division. Nearly 170 attended. Awards for 2012 and 2013   
   were presented, since the 2012 banquet had to be called off due to Hurricane   
   Sandy.   
      
   Award recipients were Amateur of the Year: Richie Cetron, K2KNB, (2012) and   
   Kevin Morgan, AB2ZI (2013); Special Achievement: Len Signoretti, N2LEN,   
   (2012) and David Galletly, KM2O (2013); Grand Ol' Ham: Sid Wolin, K2LJH,   
   (2012) and Tony Pazzola, W2BEJ (2013). "Sadly, the news came only a week   
   following the banquet, that Sid Wolin was a Silent Key," Shacklett said.   
   "Seeing Sid accept the Grand Ol' Ham award made this banquet especially   
   memorable."   
      
   OCARC representatives presented a check for $4800 to the Spectrum Defense   
   Fund at ARRL Headquarters in February. -- Thanks to Gordon Shacklett, KB2SSZ   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   On the Air: Armed Forces Day 2014 Cross-Band Communications Test Set for May   
   10   
      
   The 2014 Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Communications Test will take place on   
   Saturday, May 10. The US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast   
   Guard co-sponsor the annual Amateur Radio/US military communication test.   
   The 64th Armed Forces Day officially takes place on May 17, but the Armed   
   Forces Day radio event will take place a week earlier, on May 10, to avoid   
   conflicting with Dayton Hamventionr. The on-the-air celebration features   
   traditional military-to-Amateur Radio cross-band communication on both SSB   
   and CW. Some activity will continue into the early hours of Sunday, May 11   
   (UTC). Most activity gets underway at 1200 UTC.   
      
   "These tests give Amateur Radio operators and   
   Short Wave Listeners (SWLs) an opportunity to demonstrate their individual   
   technical skills, and to receive recognition from the appropriate military   
   radio station for their proven expertise," the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band   
   Communication Test announcement said. "QSL cards will be provided to those   
   stations making contact with the military stations."   
      
   More than 20 military stations representing all of the services and in   
   various parts of the Continental US, as well Hawaii (ABH), Okinawa (ADB) and   
   Guam (NRV) are expected to be on the air, transmitting on military   
   frequencies outside the Amateur Radio bands and listening for calls within   
   Amateur Radio bands. Some military stations may not be on the air for the   
   entire event, depending on propagation and station staffing.   
      
   Participating military stations will transmit on selected Military Auxiliary   
   Radio Service (MARS) frequencies and listen for Amateur Radio stations in   
   certain bands and frequencies, depending on the station. The military   
   stations have asked that radio amateurs limit voice contacts to no longer   
   than a couple of minutes. Some military stations will use CW. Much of the   
   activity will involve frequencies outside the 80, 40, and 20 meter bands.   
      
   Participating US Army Stations will include WAR at the Pentagon, as well as   
   AAZ, AAC, ABH, ADB, and WUG-23; US Air Force stations AIR, AGA2SY, AGA4AR,   
   AGA5SC, and ARA9TR, and US Navy-Marine Corps stations NBL, NMC1, NMN,   
   NNN0ASF, NNN0CQQ, NPD, NRV, NUW, NWKJ, and NWVC.   
      
   The annual event also includes the US Secretary of Defense message test,   
   which will be transmitted in various digital modes. Stations will use RTTY,   
   CW, PSK31, PACTOR, AMTOR (FEC), MT63, and other digital modes to transmit   
   the message. A certificate is available for stations correctly copying the   
   message. Read more.   
      
   ARRL Headquarters: ARRL E-Mail, LoTW, Online Store Will Be Down Overnight   
   May 2-3!   
      
   Network service at ARRL Headquarters will be down overnight, Friday, May   
   2/Saturday, May 3, from midnight until 8 AM EDT (0400 to 1200 UTC on   
   Saturday, May 3) to facilitate the upgrade of the ARRL computer network.   
      
   During that time all ARRL Headquarters services will be down, including   
   Logbook of The World and the ARRL Store. E-mail sent to @arrl.org addresses   
   will be queued for delivery when the network services are restored. Access   
   to the ARRL website will not be affected during this shutdown.   
      
   We appreciate your patience as we work on upgrading our computer   
   infrastructure.   
      
   Milestones: DXer, Author Wayne C. Long, K9YNF, SK   
      
   Wayne C. Long, K9YNF, of Cascade, Wisconsin, died April 24. He was 67. A ham   
   since 1960, Long enjoyed DXing and was on the DXCC   
   Honor Roll with 336 entities confirmed. He also was on the Islands on the   
   Air (IOTA) Honor Roll, with 712 confirmed.   
      
   A graduate of Northern Illinois University, he worked in the environmental   
   services field for 25 years before retiring. Long spent his retirement   
   writing short fiction and was a member of the Wisconsin Writer's   
   Association. A review of his e-book, DX A Gift Like No Other, appeared in   
   the February 2014 issue of QST.   
      
   Survivors include his wife, Diane. A memorial service was held April 30. --   
   Thanks to The Daily DX   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Feature: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   At the end of World War II, US soldiers and sailors were deployed all over   
   the world, as were the troops of other nations. Among them were radio   
   amateurs, itching to get back on the air. At their military radio stations,   
   they could hear hams from countries around the world, as those governments   
   allowed them back on the air again.   
      
   But US servicemen and servicewomen in other countries faced a problem. To   
   get on the legally was a bureaucratic nightmare that involved both US   
   military officialdom and the government of the host country. Many hams   
   solved the problem simply by going on the air.   
      
   The BC-348 military receiver was a popular surplus item among hams. This ad   
   appeared in the November 1947 QST.   
      
   In the late 1940s QST carried a number of articles written by those overseas   
   hams. In many cases, the hams were enlisted men, and they might have to go   
   through one or two or three echelons of command to get military permission   
   to operate. But once they got that permission, they usually had high-power   
   transmitters and good antennas, and they made themselves heard in the US and   
   around the world. Yes, ham radio came back with a bang!   
      
   Meanwhile, back in the US, as the HF ham bands were reopened, hams began   
   getting back on the air. The old faithful brands of ham equipment reappeared   
   in catalogs and stores -- now much improved and with better operating   
   characteristics and circuitry, including built-in VFOs, something not common   
   in the 1930s.   
      
   In addition to the well-known manufacturers shifting their production lines   
   from military equipment back to ham gear, a large number of smaller, new   
   companies were formed to build ham equipment. These new companies mostly   
   built transmitters, which could be put into production quickly and built at   
   low cost, using military surplus parts. In many cases, hams could buy   
   equipment that had been assembled and tested, or -- for considerably less   
   money -- buy a kit of parts and put the gear together themselves. This   
   started the trend for a growing percentage of hams to buy commercial HF   
   transmitters, in kit form or ready-made, rather than building them from   
   scratch, as most hams did in the 1930s.   
      
   Many hams bought military surplus transmitters, either to cannibalize for   
   parts or to modify for ham band use. Many military surplus HF receivers   
   could be used with few or no modifications.   
      
   As a result of new technology, as well as the availability of inexpensive   
   military surplus equipment, the 1940s and 1950s became high-rolling times   
   for amateurs. It was possible for hams licensed before the war as and newly   
   licensed hams to get on the air with pretty good equipment at low cost.   
      
   Then, in the 1950s, new FCC rules gave Amateur Radio a shot in the arm by   
   bringing thousands of ham wannabes to the FCC examination table and then on   
   the air. We'll look at that next week. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   In Brief...   
      
   AMSAT-NA Has Moved! After 30 years in the   
   same location, AMSAT-NA has moved to a new office. AMSAT will open in its   
   new digs on May 2. The new address is AMSAT-NA, 10605 Concord St #304,   
   Kensington, MD 20895. AMSAT's e-mail addresses will remain the same.   
   Purchases will be processed once the move is complete. New telephone numbers   
   will be (301) 822-4376 (FAX (301) 822-4371). The US-only toll-free number,   
   (888) 322-6728, will remain the same. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service   
      
   FCC Enforcement Bureau Showing More Bite than Bark: The FCC has proposed   
   fining a Florida man, Jason R. Humphreys, $48,000 for using a cell phone   
   jammer in his car during his daily commute. Humphreys claimed he did so to   
   keep other motorists from using their cell phones while driving. Humphreys'   
   illegal jammer operation apparently continued for up to 2 years, causing   
   interference to cellular service along a swath of Interstate 4, and also   
   disrupting police and other emergency communications, the FCC said this   
   week, in a Notice of Apparent Liability.   
      
   Country Music Singer Ronnie Milsap, WB4KCG, is CMA   
   Hall of Fame Inductee: Country music's Ronnie Milsap, WB4KCG, has been   
   tapped for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The winner of six   
   Grammy awards, Milsap had 40 No. 1 hits and sold more than 35 million albums   
   during the heyday of his career in the 1970s and 1980s. The 71-year-old   
   pianist and North Carolina native started out as a rhythm and blues   
   performer and once served as a session musician for Elvis Presley.   
      
   W1RO Appointed Nevada Navy-Marine Corps MARS Director: Jim Bassett, W1RO, of   
   Las Vegas, Nevada, has been appointed Nevada State Director for Navy-Marine   
   Corps Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). An ARRL Life Member, Bassett   
   served more than 20 years in the US Navy and has more than 40 years'   
   experience in communications and leadership. He's been a Navy-Marine Corps   
   MARS member since 1970 and is a Clark County ARES/RACES volunteer.   
      
   The Yasme Foundation Elects Directors, Officers: At the   
   2014 International DX Convention, The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors   
   elected officers and directors: Ward Silver, N0AX, president and director;   
   Fred Laun, K3ZO, vice-president and director; Rusty Epps, W6OAT, treasurer   
   and director; Kip Edwards, W6SZN, secretary and director; Martti Laine,   
   OH2BH, director, and Bob Vallio, W6RGG, director The YASME Foundation is a   
   not-for-profit corporation organized to conduct scientific and educational   
   projects related to Amateur Radio, including DXing and the introduction and   
   promotion of Amateur Radio in developing countries.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar and geomagnetic activity slackened   
   over the past week, with average daily sunspot numbers declining from 202.7   
   to 73.4, and average daily solar flux dropping from 160.4 to 122.6.   
      
   The latest outlook has solar flux at 120 on May 1, 115 on May 2-4, 120 on   
   May 5-8, 150 on May 9-13, 145 on May 14, 140 on May 15-17, and 135 on May   
   18.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 5 on May 1-2, 8 on May 3-4, 5 on May 5-13, 10   
   and 8 on May 14-15, and 5 on May 16-20.   
      
   On April 27, OK1MGW of the Czech Propagation Interest Group predicted quiet   
   geomagnetic conditions May 1-2, mostly quiet May 3, quiet to unsettled May   
   4, quiet May 5, quiet to unsettled May 6, quiet May 7, quiet to active May   
   8-9, quiet to unsettled May 10-11, mostly quiet May 12-13, quiet to   
   unsettled May 14-15, quiet to active May 16-17, mostly quiet May 18-19,   
   quiet to unsettled May 20-22, and mostly quiet May 23.   
      
   This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the   
   "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an   
   archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.   
      
   In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from   
   readers, as well as updated sunspot averages through the end of April.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  May 2 -- NS Weekly Sprint   
    *  May 3 -- Microwave Spring Sprint   
    *  May 3 -- QRP To The Field   
    *  May 3-4 -- New England QSO Party   
    *  May 3-4 -- Worldwide EME Contest   
    *  May 3-4 -- 2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest   
    *  May 3-4 -- Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest   
    *  May 3-4 -- ARI International DX Contest   
    *  May 3-4 -- 7th Area QSO Party   
    *  May 3-4 -- Indiana QSO Party   
    *  May 3-4 -- Radio Club of America QSO Party   
    *  May 4 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest   
    *  May 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint   
    *  May 10 -- Alessandro Volta RTTY DX Contest   
    *  May 10 -- Armed Forces Communications Test   
    *  May 10 -- FISTS Spring Sprint   
    *  May 10-11 -- CQ-M International DX Contest   
    *  May 10-11 -- Portuguese Navy Day   
    *  May 10-11 -- Nevada Mustang Roundup   
    *  May 10-11 -- 50 MHz Spring Sprint   
    *  May 11-12 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
    *  May 14 -- CWops Monthly Mini-CWT Tests   
      
   Visit the Contest Calendar for details.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  May 3 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina   
    *  May 16-18 -- Dayton Hamvention -- Regional ARRL Centennial Event,   
       Dayton, Ohio   
    *  May 30 ---Jun 1 Nevada State Convention, Virginia City, Nevada   
    *  June 6-8 -- Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac) -- Regional ARRL   
       Centennial Event, Seaside, Oregon   
    *  June 7 -- Georgia Section Convention (Atlanta Hamfest), Marietta,   
       Georgia   
    *  June 13-14 -- Ham-Com -- Regional ARRL Centennial Event, Plano, Texas   
    *  June 14 -- Western Pennsylvania ARES Emcomm Conference, Johnstown,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  June 14 -- Tennessee State Convention (Knoxville Hamfest), Knoxville,   
       Tennessee   
    *  June 27-29 -- HAM RADIO International Exhibition for Radio Amateurs,   
       Friedrichshafen, Germany   
    *  July 5 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  July 9-12 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards National Conventio