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   If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:   
   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-06-12   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   June 12, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
   ARRL Home Page   
   ARRL Letter Archive   
   Audio News Ad   
      
       
      
    *  FCC Okays Changes to Amateur Radio Exam Credit, Test Administration,   
       Emission Type Rules   
    *  ARRL National Centennial Convention Contest University, DX University   
       Speakers Set   
    *  Radio Amateur's Sub-9 kHz VLF Signal Detected Across the Atlantic   
    *  FCC Decides Not to Adopt New Rules Affecting 902-928 MHz Band   
    *  Amateur Radio Satellite Payloads Set to Launch into Orbit this Month   
    *  Colorado Ham Tracks Down, Resolves Interference from Pot Cultivators'   
       "Grow Lights"   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Arkansas and Minnesota   
    *  Kids Day is Saturday, June 21!   
    *  SPROUT Digitalker and SSTV Active   
    *  First North America-to-South America Contact on 902 MHz Moonbounce   
       Reported   
    *  Aussie Hams Set New 76/78 GHz Down Under Distance Records   
    *  AMSAT Confers OSCAR Number on LituanicaSAT-1   
    *  Ian MacFarquhar, VE9IM, Appointed as ARISS Regional Representative   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  Navy Pilot Who Retrieved Off-Course Astronaut, Former SM John M.   
       Wondergem, K5KR, SK   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Some ARRL Network Services To Be Offline Briefly on Thursday, June 12: Some   
   ARRL Network services will be affected by a maintenance outage on the   
   evening of Thursday, June 12 (2200 UTC on June 12 until 0200 UTC on June   
   13). Affected services will include e-mail to and from ARRL Headquarters   
   (all e-mail will be queued for later delivery); Logbook of The World (LoTW);   
   the ARRL Centennial QSO Party site, and Online DXCC. The ARRL website,   
   including The ARRL Store, will remain fully functional. We apologize for any   
   inconvenience.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   FCC Okays Changes to Amateur Radio Exam Credit, Test Administration,   
   Emission Type Rules   
      
   In a wide-ranging Report and Order (R&O) released June 9 that takes various   
   proceedings into consideration, the FCC has revised the Amateur Service Part   
   97 rules to grant credit for written examination elements 3 (General) and 4   
   (Amateur Extra) to holders of "expired licenses that required passage of   
   those elements." The FCC will require former licensees -- those falling   
   outside the 2-year grace period -- to pass Element 2 (Technician) in order   
   to be relicensed, however. The Commission declined to give examination   
   credit to the holder of an expired Certificate of Successful Completion of   
   Examination (CSCE) or to extend its validity to the holder's lifetime.   
      
   "Our decision to grant credit for written examination Elements 3 and 4 for   
   expired licenses that required passage [of those elements] will   
   [FCC%20seal%20(on%20white).jpg] provide some relief for former General,   
   Advanced, and Amateur Extra class licensees," the FCC said, "and is   
   consistent with how we treat expired pre-1987 Technician class licensees who   
   want to reenter the Amateur Service." Pre-1987 Techs can get Element 3   
   credit, since the Technician and General class written examinations in that   
   era were identical. The Commission said current rules and procedures that   
   apply to expired pre-1987 Technician licenses "are sufficient to verify that   
   an individual is a former licensee under our new rules."   
      
   The Commission said that requiring applicants holding expired licenses to   
   pass Element 2 in order to relicense "will address commenters' concerns   
   about lost proficiency and knowledge, because a former licensee will have to   
   demonstrate that he or she has retained knowledge of technical and   
   regulatory matters." The FCC said the Element 2 requirement also would deter   
   any attempts by someone with the same name as a former licensee to obtain a   
   ham ticket without examination. In the past, the FCC has maintained that its   
   procedures "provide ample notification and opportunity for license renewal"   
   and that retesting did not impose an unreasonable burden.   
      
   Examination Administration   
      
   The FCC pulled back from its own proposal to reduce from three to two the   
   minimum number of volunteer examiners required to proctor an Amateur Radio   
   examination session. The ARRL, the W5YI-VEC and "a clear majority of   
   commenters" opposed the change, the FCC said. The FCC said it found   
   commenters' arguments persuasive that that the use of three VEs "results in   
   higher accuracy and lower fraud that would be the case with two VEs." In a   
   related matter, though, the Commission embraced the use of remote testing   
   methods.   
      
   [VE-patch2.jpg] "Allowing VEs and VECs the option of administering   
   examinations at locations remote from the VEs is warranted," the FCC said.   
   The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) in 2002   
   endorsed experimental use of videoconferencing technology to conduct Amateur   
   Radio testing in remote areas of Alaska. The Anchorage VEC has long pushed   
   for the change, citing the expense to provide Amateur Radio test sessions to   
   Alaska residents living in remote areas.   
      
   The FCC declined to address "the mechanics" of remote testing, which, it   
   said, "will vary from location to location and session to session." The   
   Commission said specific rules spelling out how to administer exam sessions   
   remotely "could limit the flexibility of VEs and VECs." The FCC stressed the   
   obligation on the part of VECs and VEs "to administer examinations   
   responsibly" applies "in full" to remote testing.   
      
   The FCC amended the rules to provide that VEs administering examinations   
   remotely be required to grade such examinations "at the earliest practical   
   opportunity," rather than "immediately," as the rule for conventional exam   
   sessions requires.   
      
   New Emissions Permitted   
      
   Finally, the FCC has adopted an ARRL proposal to authorize certain Time   
   Division Multiple Access (TDMA) emissions in the Amateur Service. The   
   Wireless Telecommunications Bureau in 2013 granted an ARRL request for a   
   temporary blanket waiver to permit radio amateurs to transmit emissions with   
   designators FXD, FXE, and F7E, pending resolution of the rulemaking   
   petition.   
      
   The FCC said it also would make "certain minor, non-substantive amendments"   
   and corrections to the Amateur Service rules. The new rules become effective   
   30 days after their publication in The Federal Register. Read more.   
      
   ARRL National Centennial Convention Contest University, DX University   
   Speakers Set   
      
   ARRL National Centennial Convention program sessions for both   
      
   [Connecticut%20Convention%20Center.png]   
      
   The ARRL National Centennial Convention is July 17-19 at the Connecticut   
   Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut.   
      
   Contest University (CTU) and DX University (DXU) on Thursday, July 17 -- the   
   Convention's opening day -- have been announced. The CTU and DXU forums are   
   part of the daylong Thursday Training Track sessions, which get underway at   
   8:30 AM. Tim Duffy, K3LR, will be the CTU facilitator. Confirmed CTU topics   
   and presenters include:   
      
    *   
      
       "Contesting Hints & Kinks" -- Ward Silver, N0AX   
    *   
      
       "Ergonomics for Contest Stations" -- Doug Grant, K1DG   
    *   
      
       "Low-Band Receiving Antennas for Small and Mid-Sized Lots" -- Frank   
       Donovan, W3LPL   
    *   
      
       "Multioperator Contest Planning" -- Tim Duffy, K3LR   
    *   
      
       "Tips for Being a Better Single Operator" -- Randy Thompson, K5ZD   
    *   
      
       "The Essentials of RTTY Contesting" -- Dennis Egan, W1UE   
      
   Wayne Mills, N7NG, and Dave Anderson, K4SV, will share DX University   
   facilitator duties. Confirmed DXU topics and presenters include:   
      
    *   
      
       "DXCC Awards and Some DXing History" -- Wayne Mills, N7NG   
    *   
      
       "Station and Antenna Considerations" -- Joe Reisert, W1JR   
    *   
      
       "How to Find and Work DX; Listening and Internet Resources" -- Bernie   
       McClenny, W3UR   
    *   
      
       "RTTY DXing" -- Dennis Egan, W1UE   
    *   
      
       "How to Work DX: Pileups with Some Thoughts from the DXpedition End" --   
       Dave Anderson, K4SV   
    *   
      
       "Propagation: Where to Point Your Antenna " -- Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA   
    *   
      
       "Modern QSLing Concepts, Procedures, and Funding" -- Wayne Mills, N7NG   
      
   The Thursday lunch, included for all "Thursday Training Track" registrants,   
   will feature ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR.   
      
   [Register-Centennial-Convention-200-X-250-Ad.jpg] Other Thursday Training   
   Track forums include "Leadership and Training Tools for Amateur Radio,"   
   "Public Service Communications Academy," "RFI-101," and "An Introduction to   
   Amateur Satellites."   
      
   Many other presentations on a wide variety of topics are set for Friday,   
   July 18, and Saturday, July 19. Topics range from contesting and propagation   
   to technology, public service, and vintage radios.   
      
   The Centennial Convention banquet speaker Friday, July 18, will be FEMA   
   Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ. Nobel Prize laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT,   
   will speak at noon on Saturday, July 19.   
      
   The ARRL National Centennial Convention is July 17-19 at the Connecticut   
   Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Click here for Convention   
   registration and more information.   
      
   Radio Amateur's Sub-9 kHz VLF Signal Detected Across the Atlantic   
      
   How low can you go? A signal on 8.971 kHz has spanned the Atlantic, from   
   North Carolina to the UK. Running on the order of 150 æW   
      
   [W4DEX-06-03-14-reception.jpg]   
      
   That blip in the middle of the display is how McIntyre's 8.971 kHz signal   
   looked in the UK.   
      
   effective radiated power, very low frequency (VLF) experimenter Dex   
   McIntyre, W4DEX, transmitted signals on June 2 and 3 that were detected by   
   Paul Nicholson, an SWL in the UK. Earlier this year, Nicholson detected   
   McIntyre's WH2XBA/4 Experimental Service VLF signal on 29.501 kHz. McIntyre   
   needed no FCC license to transmit on 8.971 kHz, since the Commission has not   
   designated any allocations below 9 kHz -- dubbed "the Dreamers' Band."   
      
   "I'll probably make more transmissions on 8.9 kHz when there is no chance of   
   thunderstorms," McIntyre told ARRL this week. "Then, maybe sliding down in   
   frequency to see how low I can go for Paul to detect the signal." Right now,   
   McIntyre said his priority is to complete a transverter for the other end of   
   the spectrum -- 5.7 GHz. He's also working on a second 24 GHz system as a   
   loaner, "so I'll have someone to work," he noted. "Sure is lonely here above   
   UHF."   
      
   Nicholson used sophisticated digital signal processing (DSP) software to   
   detect McIntyre's transmission. The distance was approximately 6194 km   
   (approximately 3840 mi). Nicholson was able to detect the VLF signal during   
   both daylight and nighttime paths.   
      
   On June 1 and into June 2, McIntyre transmitted a steady, GPS-locked carrier   
   at 8.971.000 kHz. Between 0000 and 0600 UTC, Nicholson measured a carrier at   
   that frequency in Todmorden, UK, with a field strength on the order of 15   
   nV/m. He combined the electrical and magnetic field receiver outputs to   
   produce a unidirectional antenna response.   
      
   [W4DEX-Loading%20Coil%20for%208_97%20kHz.jpg]   
      
   McIntyre's antenna is a top-loaded vertical wire hanging from an insulator   
   29 meters above ground. The base loading coil consists of nearly 1 mile of   
   #22 enamel magnet wire, wound on a plastic barrel. [Dex McIntyre, W4DEX,   
   photo]   
      
   "This brought the signal up to a significant level," Nicholson reported.   
   McIntyre's carrier also was visible during a daylight path in a 23 æHz   
   bandwidth, he added.   
      
   Is a two-way sub-9 kHz contact in the offing? "A two-way, transatlantic   
   contact would be a hundred times more amazing than just a simple signal   
   detection," McIntyre told ARRL. "I seriously doubt I will ever have that   
   receive capability. But not long ago I seriously doubted I would be the   
   first to receive a transatlantic or New Zealand 137 kHz transmission. Going   
   down in frequency has been as much fun as going higher. It's all RF." Read   
   more.   
      
   FCC Decides Not to Adopt New Rules Affecting 902-928 MHz Band   
      
   The FCC has terminated a longstanding proceeding involving the 902-928 MHz   
   (33 centimeter) band. In 2006, the FCC, in WT Docket 06-49, proposed rule   
   changes to encourage development of the Multilateration Location Monitoring   
   Service (M-LMS) -- a terrestrial service for location of objects and   
   tracking. Amateur Radio is secondary in the band to federal radiolocation   
   systems, industrial, scientific and medical devices, federal fixed and   
   mobile systems, and the M-LMS. This week, the FCC, with little fanfare,   
   concluded that proceeding.   
      
   "Based on the record before us, and on recent developments pertaining to   
   M-LMS operations in the 902-928 MHz band, we conclude that the various   
   proposals for wholesale revisions of the applicable rules do not merit   
   further consideration at this time," the FCC said.   
      
   [FCC%20logo%20white-on-dk%20blue.jpg] Commenting on the 2006 proposal, the   
   ARRL expressed concern about increasing noise levels in the band. "This   
   'kitchen sink' of allocations is acceptable from ARRL's perspective,   
   provided that the noise floor is regulated, in terms of aggregate noise   
   levels from unlicensed devices," the League said. "The high power levels   
   permitted in this band in particular bear careful watching, lest the   
   allocated radio services, including federal systems, suffer decreased   
   utility of the band."   
      
   After the FCC last June gave consent to Progeny LMS to begin commercial   
   operation of its M-LMS in the upper portion of the 902-928 MHz band, the   
   ARRL worried that a portion of the band could become less useful to radio   
   amateurs in urban areas. Progeny's location service is designed to operate   
   on approximately 4 megahertz -- about one-half of the M-LMS portions of the   
   band between 919.750 and 927.750 MHz -- where Progeny holds licenses.   
      
   While M-LMS operations, at least on paper, have a higher priority than   
   unlicensed Part 15 devices on the band, Progeny had to demonstrate through   
   field testing that its network would not cause "unacceptable levels of   
   interference" to such Part 15 devices as cordless telephones and baby   
   monitors. This was a result of an FCC policy to promote "co-existence" in   
   the band, while not elevating Part 15 devices to co-equal status with M-LMS   
   systems.   
      
   The latest FCC action will not affect Progeny's M-LMS deployment. In   
   terminating the 2006 proceeding, the Commission said it had concluded that   
   Progeny could commence commercial M-LMS operations "within the framework   
   that the Commission initially had established to promote the co-existence of   
   M-LMS operations and unlicensed operations in the band." Read more.   
      
   Ad   
   Amateur Radio Satellite Payloads Set to Launch into Orbit this Month   
      
   Several CubeSats carrying Amateur Radio payloads are set to launch during   
   June. These include two FUNcube projects.   
      
   FUNcube-3, the transponder-only payload on the QB50 precursor CubeSat,   
   QB50P1, is scheduled for launch on June 19 from Russia, at a tentative   
   launch time of 1911 UTC. Initial beacon signals from the main transceiver   
   are expected to be AX.25 1200 bps BPSK packets on 145.815 MHz. FUNcube-3   
   will carry an inverting 400 mW SSB/CW transponder, with an uplink passband   
   of 435.035-435.065 MHz (LSB) and a downlink passband of 145.935-145.965 MHz   
   (USB).   
      
   [UKube-1a.jpg]   
      
   Artist's conception of UKube-1 in orbit.   
      
   The FUNcube team has received confirmation that UKube-1, which will host   
   FUNcube-2, will launch June 28 from Baikonur in Kazakhstan (June 29 is a   
   back-up launch date), with a tentative launch time of 1558 UTC. According to   
   information the FUNcube team has received, immediately after deployment and   
   activation, UKube-1 will transmit a CW beacon, followed later by an AX.25,   
   1200 bps BPSK beacon. Both beacons will be on 145.840 MHz.   
      
   The FUNcube-2 payload, with its telemetry downlink for educational outreach,   
   is expected to be tested later. The goal of the FUNcube project is to   
   support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives   
   now underway in the US, the UK, and elsewhere. The target audience is   
   primary and secondary school students.   
      
   FUNcube-2 will provide a 400 mW inverting SSB/CW transponder, with an uplink   
   passband of 435.080 to 435.060 MHz (LSB) and a downlink passband of   
   145.930-145.950 MHz (USB); beacon on 145.915 MHz.   
      
   Among other Amateur Radio payloads set to launch June 28:   
      
    *  NanosatC-Br1: The first Brazilian CubeSat. ISIS U/V transceiver, with   
       1200 bps FM AX.25 UHF command uplink and a 9600 bps BPSK downlink on   
       145.865 MHz.   
    *  ANTELSat (Uruguay): The first Uruguayan satellite. 437.575 MHz 1200 bps   
       AFSK, 2403.000 MHz 1 Mbit GFSK/MSK, 437.280 MHz CW.   
    *  ESTELLE (University of Tartu, Estonia): UHF GMSK/BPSK downlinks up to   
       19k2 bps and a series of HDRT experiments, including 2.4GHz downlink   
       using GFSK/BPSK at up to 1 Mbps, 5.8 GHz downlink using GFSK and BPSK at   
       up to 10 Mbps and 10 GHz downlink at up to 10 Mbps.   
    *  QB50p2 (Belgium): 435/145 MHz FM voice transponder; 145.880 MHz, 1200   
       bps BPSK; 145.840 MHz, 9600 bps FSK.   
    *  SaudiSat-4 (Russia, Saudi Arabia): Ka band transponders   
    *  UniSat-6 (Italy): 437.425 MHz 9600 bps GMSK.   
    *  UNSA-SAT1 (Peru): Downlink 3.4 GHz, 230 kbps BPSK (first 3.4 GHz   
       CubeSat)   
    *  DX-1 (Russia): Uplink command and control, 144.975-145.025 MHz; downlink   
       telemetry 434.975-435. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, AMSAT-UK   
   Colorado Ham Tracks Down, Resolves Interference from Pot Cultivators' "Grow   
   Lights"   
      
   The ARRL already has complained to the FCC that so-called "grow light"   
   ballasts can generate severe interference on the HF bands. According to a   
   recent article in The Coloradoan, retired electrical engineer Tom Thompson,   
   W0IVJ, first noticed interference on 40 meters at his location in Boulder a   
   couple of years ago. So, he coupled his own portable receiving loop with a   
   direct-conversion receiver that he could use to walk around his neighborhood   
   and pin down noise sources. In at least one instance, the problem emanated   
   from a domestic marijuana-growing operation -- a "grow house."   
      
   [Grow%20Light%201000%20W.jpg]   
      
   A 1000 W grow light. [Tom Thompson, W0IVJ, photo]   
      
   "With the increase in legalized medical and recreational marijuana comes an   
   increase in RFI due to electronic grow light ballasts," Thompson explained   
   on his website, where he describes how he constructed a filter that   
   considerably reduced interference from the devices. "These ballasts are   
   usually switching power supplies, capable of lighting 600 to 1000 W   
   high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps," Thompson said. "The switching   
   frequency is usually 50 to 70 kHz and is rich in harmonics."   
      
   Thompson said that because the light fixture is separated from the ballast   
   by about 25 or 30 feet of wire -- approximately a quarterwave on 40 meters   
   -- the RFI may be strongest on that band. "I have heard radiations from   
   these systems up to about one-half mile away," he said. "When the   
   [marijuana] plants are young, the lights are on 24/7. After about 2 weeks,   
   the lamps are on for 12 hours, and off for 12 hours." Thompson said that   
   since most systems are on a timer, it's possible to predict when the RFI   
   will start, once you have determined the initial "on" time.   
      
   [W0IVJ%20RX%20Loop.jpg]   
      
   W0IVJ's receiving loop. [Tom Thompson, W0IVJ, photo]   
      
   Thompson said one of the interfering growers was nice enough to loan him a   
   lamp ballast for testing, and he was able to get a used lamp for free from a   
   local grow shop. He gives away the common-mode choke filters to owners of   
   offending lighting systems.   
      
   As the article in The Coloradoan pointed out, with 22 states and the   
   District of Columbia now allowing medical marijuana, and Colorado and   
   Washington permitting its recreational use, "there's been an explosion in   
   the number of people growing their own pot, much of it indoors." The noise   
   problems are reported to be worst in Colorado and California.   
      
   Thompson told The Coloradoan, "If I can track this down, anybody can track   
   this down. If I listen long enough, I can tell when they turn the lights   
   off...you can tell exactly when the harvest is."   
      
   Thompson has written an article on the topic of tracking down and resolving   
   such interference. It is scheduled to appear this fall in QST.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Arkansas and Minnesota   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states are now in Arkansas and Minnesota. They will relocate   
   at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, June 18 (the evening of June 17 in US time zones),   
   to Alaska (W1AW/KL7) and Montana (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] To celebrate 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 mode/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.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Kids Day is Saturday, June 21!   
      
   Kids Day is Saturday, June 21 (the incorrect date appears on the ARRL wall   
   calendar). Sponsored by the Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, Kids Day is   
   the perfect way to introduce a young person to the magic of Amateur Radio by   
   getting them on the air!   
      
   [Kids%20Day%201.jpg] Open your doors, offer some hot dogs or pizza, and let   
   the "little folks" take the Big Chair. Let them find stations they hear or   
   work on a map, color in a map of states worked, or help them build   
   something.   
      
   Kids Day takes place in January and June of each year, offering an   
   opportunity for veteran hams to promote Amateur Radio to our youth. Share   
   the excitement with your own youngsters or grandchildren -- or even with   
   kids in the neighborhood. Take time to pass along the excitement of Amateur   
   Radio to youngsters who could represent its future.   
      
   More information, along with a free participation certificate you can fill   
   out and print yourself, is available on the ARRL website.   
      
   Kids Day 2014 Essentials   
      
   Date: Saturday, June 21, 1800-2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you   
   like.   
      
   Suggested exchange: Call "CQ Kids Day." Exchange name, age, location, and   
   favorite color. It's okay to work the same station again, if an operator has   
   changed.   
      
   Suggested frequencies: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz; 24.960 to 24.980 MHz; 21.360 to   
   21.400 MHz; 18.140 to 18.145 MHz; 14.270 to 14.300 MHz; 7.270 to 7.290 MHz,   
   and 3.740 to 3.940 MHz, as well 2 meter repeaters (with the permission of   
   the repeater's sponsor).   
      
   Observe third-party rules when making contacts with stations outside the US.   
      
   Participants are encouraged to post their stories and photos to the Kids Day   
   Soapbox page.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Ad   
   SPROUT Digitalker and SSTV Active   
      
   Slow Scan TV (SSTV) images in Scottie 1 format have been successfully   
   received from the SPROUT (Space Research On Unique Technology) Amateur Radio   
   satellite on 437.600 MHz FM (ñ9 kHz Doppler shift). The Digitalker has also   
   been active.   
      
   SPROUT, a 20 x 20 x 22 cm Amateur Radio nanosatellite, which launched   
   successfully on May 24. SPROUT (call sign JQ1ZJQ) is now in a 654 km, 97.9ø   
   inclination Sun-synchronous orbit. SPROUT was built by students at Nihon   
   University in Japan.   
      
   [sprout-in-orbit.png]   
      
   The SPROUT CubeSat will deploy a triangular membrane structure of tubes --   
   called a "combined membrane structure" -- filled with nitrogen as a   
   demonstration project. [SPROUT/Nihon University photo via AMSAT-UK]   
      
   The Voice Message Box will record and play back transmissions from radio   
   amateurs. Pre-loaded images from the Message Gallery can be transmitted on   
   Slow Scan TV (SSTV). Pictures of Earth can be transmitted by SSTV, and radio   
   amateurs can receive them using free software such as MMSSTV.   
      
   As part of the Earth-mapping project the team asks radio amateurs to   
   contribute pictures they have received from the satellite for display on the   
   SPROUT website. The satellite also has a packet radio digipeater and text   
   message box function.   
      
   The CW and FM packet downlink is 437.525 MHz; digipeater uplink is 437.600   
   MHz; digitalker and SSTV downlink is 437.600 MHz. -- AMSAT-UK   
      
   First North America-to-South America Contact on 902 MHz Moonbounce Reported   
      
   Some hams may not even realize that there is a ham band at 902 MHz, but   
   Bruce Halasz, PY2BS, in Embu, Brazil, reported on the Moon-Net reflector   
   that after months of preparation and testing, he and Al Ward, W5LUA, in   
   Allen, Texas, completed a two-way EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) -- or moonbounce --   
   contact on the band on June 8.   
      
   [FullMoon-3.jpg] PY2BS said the main issues he had on his end involved   
   reception, including "an in-band noise from another service" that he could   
   not eliminate by filtering. "Fortunately," he said, "its bursts are spaced   
   enough apart to allow [reception] from the moon-coming signals in between   
   them."   
      
   W5LUA has a 5 meter solid dish and was running about 400 W at the feed   
   point. PY2BS used a 5.1 meter mesh dish with 180 W at the feed point. Both   
   used very low noise FET preamplifiers. W5LUA and PY2BS exchanged reports on   
   CW (549/559) and JT65C (-17dB/-18 dB).   
      
   "We've found out that [the] Faraday [effect] does exist at 902; [it] just   
   rolls kinda slow," Halasz added. He said his 902 MHz setup is temporary, but   
   he is interested in contacting other stations. -- Thanks to Bart Jahnke,   
   W9JJ   
      
   Aussie Hams Set New 76/78 GHz Down Under Distance Records   
      
   On May 13, Alan Devlin, VK3XPD, and David Smith, VK3HZ, set and subsequently   
   extended the Australian 76/78 GHz distance record on both SSB and digital   
   (WSJT/JT65C) modes. Their initial contacts were over a 64 km (40 mile)   
   line-of-sight path. SSB Reports were 57 to 58, [Dish%20Ant%20Generic.jpg]   
   while and the digital contact signals were -14 dBm both ways. These records   
   were subsequently extended to 90 km and 127 km later that same day.   
      
   On May 15, VK3XPD and VK3HZ further extended these records to 139.8 km (87   
   miles) over a line-of-sight path in less-than-ideal weather conditions.   
   Devlin said a lack of accessible high mountainous terrain makes it very hard   
   to find line-of-sight paths greater than 150 km, so he believes the current   
   world record of 252 km is unlikely to be challenged by Australian radio   
   amateurs.   
      
   VK3XPD is hoping to make a short presentation on the hardware used to   
   achieve these records at the Microwave Update, October 24/25. -- Thanks to   
   Alan Devlin, VK3XPD   
      
   AMSAT Confers OSCAR Number on LituanicaSAT-1   
      
   LituanicaSAT-1 now is OSCAR-78 (or LO-78), AMSAT-NA OSCAR Number   
   Administrator Bill Tynan, W3XO, has announced. LituanicaSAT-1 has met all   
   requirements for an OSCAR number. LituanicaSAT-1 Team Member Simon Kareiva,   
   LY2EN, said it was his honor and pleasure to accept the designation on the   
   team's behalf.   
      
   [AMSAT-Space%20logo%20white.png] "Our team is focused to keep LO-78   
   operational for the benefit of Amateur Radio [for] as long as it is possible   
   for a small CubeSat."   
      
   The LituanicaSAT-1 team has announced activation of its FM transponder. To   
   find out if the transponder is working, monitor the beacon frequency of   
   437.275 MHz. If you do not hear the CW FM beacon, the transponder is   
   operating; otherwise, it is off.   
      
   The transponder down link is approximately 435.1755 MHz (ñ10 kHz Doppler   
   shift) down, and 145.950 MHz up, with a 67 Hz CTCSS access tone. -- AMSAT   
   News Service   
      
   Ad   
   Ian MacFarquhar, VE9IM, Appointed as ARISS Regional Representative   
      
   The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has appointed Ian MacFarquhar, VE9IM, to   
   be the new Amateur Radio on the International Space Statiion (ARISS)   
   Regional Representative, replacing Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA.   
      
   [VE9IM.JPG]   
      
   Ian MacFarquhar, VE9IM. [AMSAT photo]   
      
   "Canadian ARISS representatives have always been a huge benefit to the ARISS   
   team," said Rosalie White, K1STO, ARRL's ARISS delegate and   
   ARISS-International Secretary-Treasurer. "Not only have the Canadians   
   contributed a great deal of sound thinking and hard work, but many have been   
   highly active with IARU long before getting involved in ARISS -- this was a   
   huge benefit since ARISS is an international group."   
      
   RAC President Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW, pointed out that MacFarquhar has served   
   as RAC Vice President, supervised its successful insurance program, "and has   
   been a pillar in RAC for longer than he cares to remember." -- Thanks to RAC   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   Let's continue our stroll through ham radio in the early 1950s.   
      
   TVI was the major technical problem facing radio amateurs during the 1950s,   
   and the ARRL led the fight. Articles appeared in QST, authored by George   
   Grammer, W1DF; Phil Rand, W1DBM; and others. The League worked with TV   
   manufacturers to reduce TVI problems in future TV designs. Hams started   
   using low-pass filters at the output of their HF transmitters, and band-pass   
   filters at the output of their VHF and UHF transmitters. Yet the TVI problem   
   persisted for many years.   
      
   In addition to TVI, there was ITV -- interference from TV receivers, caused   
   by strong radiation from the horizontal oscillators at 15.734 kHz and   
   multiples thereof, well into the HF range. As you tuned across a lower HF   
   band, there would be raspy "markers" every 15.7 kHz.   
      
   [ARC-5%20Conversion%20Project.jpg]   
      
   An ARRL Handbook project showed how to convert a military surplus "command   
   set" into a Novice transmitter for 80 meters.   
      
   In the early 1950s, a few hams started working with amateur television   
   (ATV), building complex equipment to generate NTSC video signals. They were   
   successful, but usually there were only a few stations near enough to make   
   contact -- sometimes only one other ATV-active ham. Although it was an   
   excellent technical accomplishment, ATV never caught on in a big way in the   
   1950s.   
      
   Military surplus equipment and its conversion to amateur use continued to be   
   of considerable interest, with articles in QST detailing how such   
   conversions could be made. New vacuum tubes that had been developed for   
   military use during the WW II years found great utility in ham equipment,   
   particularly the tubes developed for high-power HF and VHF/UHF transmitters.   
      
   These surplus tubes were very inexpensive. One popular one was the 1625, the   
   12 V filament equivalent of the 807, a workhorse tube that was good for 75 W   
   or so. They sold for 25› each, or four for $1. The 813 was another popular   
   tube for higher power, A pair could run 500 W input.   
      
   The ARRL continued the push to get more hams on the VHF/UHF bands. Ed   
   Tilton, W1HDQ, wrote many articles about the VHF/UHF equipment he designed   
   and built, including a 2 meter station for Novices. QST began publishing a   
   box listing of states worked on 50 MHz (with maximum path lengths noted),   
   and the first 50 MHz Worked All States (WAS) awards (48 states back then)   
   were earned.   
      
   A new idea -- voice-operated transmit (VOX) -- appeared in the early 1950s,   
   so phone operators could chat back and forth quickly, rather than taking   
   turns transmitting long monologues. A few AM operators used VOX, but the   
   idea was quickly put into use by SSB enthusiasts. The earliest VOX switches   
   required the operator to use headphones, so the VOX would not be triggered   
   by the receiver audio, but anti-VOX circuits were soon published in QST that   
   would allow use of the station speaker.   
      
   Next week: A continuing look at Amateur Radio and its advances in the early   
   1950s. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Navy Pilot Who Retrieved Off-Course Astronaut, Former