If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:   
   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-06-26   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   June 26, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  House Bill Would Require FCC to Extend PRB-1 Coverage to Restrictive   
       Covenants   
    *  Changes to Amateur Service Part 97 Rules Go Into Effect on July 21   
    *  Full Schedule of Youth Activities Featured at ARRL National Centennial   
       Convention   
    *  Newly Minted Ham Hopes His Celestial Concert is Not HAARP'S Final Opus   
    *  June 19 Launch Puts Several New Amateur Radio Payloads into Orbit   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Illinois and Maryland   
    *  SAQ "Alexanderson Day" Transmissions Set for June 29 and July 2   
    *  Amateur Radio Newsline: No Young Ham of the Year in 2014   
    *  SKYWARN Pioneer Alan R. Moller, N5ZCB, SK   
    *  Past IARU Region 1 PZK Liaison Officer Wieslaw "Wes" Wysocki, SP2DX, SK   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   NOTICE: Effective July 1, the ARRL is upgrading its website's Secure Socket   
   Layer (SSL) certificate to keep abreat of industry standards. This upgrade   
   only affects HTTPS (secure) pages on the ARRL website, including the e-store   
   checkout pages, any pages that accept donations, or pages that allow   
   amateurs to join the ARRL or renew their memberships. As a result of this   
   upgrade, users running Windows XP Service Pack 2 or earlier Windows   
   operating systems will not be able to access these pages.   
      
   To ensure uninterrupted service, Windows XP Service Pack 2 users are   
   encouraged to upgrade to Service Pack 3 or to Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you   
   don't know which Windows operating system you have, visit Microsoft support.   
      
   Contact your computer professional or service center, if you have questions   
   or encounter problems updating your system.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   House Bill Would Require FCC to Extend PRB-1 Coverage to Restrictive   
   Covenants   
      
   A bill with bipartisan support has been introduced in the US House of   
   Representatives that calls on the FCC to apply the "reasonable   
   accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy to   
   private land-use restrictions. HR.4969, the "Amateur Radio Parity Act of   
   2014" was introduced on June 25 at the request of the ARRL, which worked   
   with House staffers to draft the proposed legislation. The bill's sponsor is   
   Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). It has initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe   
   Courtney (D-CT). If the measure passes the 113th Congress, it would require   
   the FCC, within 120 days [US%20Capitol.jpg] of the Bill's passage, to amend   
   the Part 97 Amateur Service rules to apply PRB-1 coverage to include   
   homeowners' association regulations and deed restrictions, often referred to   
   as "covenants, conditions, and restrictions" (CC&Rs). Presently, PRB-1 only   
   applies to state and local zoning laws and ordinances.   
      
   "There is a strong federal interest in the effective performance of Amateur   
   Radio stations established at the residences of licensees," the bill states.   
   "Such stations have been shown to be frequently and increasingly precluded   
   by unreasonable private land-use restrictions, including restrictive   
   covenants."   
      
   The 11-page PRB-1 FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order is codified at  97.15(b)   
   in the FCC Amateur Service rules, giving the regulation the same effect as a   
   federal statute. In short, PRB-1 states that local governments cannot   
   preclude Amateur Radio communications; they must "reasonably accommodate"   
   amateur operations, and the state and local regulations must be the minimum   
   practicable regulation to accomplish a legitimate governmental interest.   
   Subject to those guidelines, municipalities may still establish regulations   
   with respect to height, safety, and aesthetic concerns.   
      
   For 28 years, FCC regulations have "prohibited the application to Amateur   
   Radio stations of state and local regulations that preclude or fail to   
   reasonably accommodate Amateur Service communications," the bill points out,   
   "or that do not constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish   
   a legitimate state or local purpose." Since PRB-1 was enacted, the FCC has   
   said several times that it would prefer to have some guidance from Congress   
   before extending the policy to private land-use regulations.   
      
   HR.4969 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep   
   Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs that panel's Communications and Technology   
   Subcommittee, which will consider the measure.   
      
   ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, is a principal advocate   
   for the current legislative initiative to gain PRB-1 recognition for CC&Rs.   
   Lisenco said the most urgent task now is to get additional co-sponsors to   
   sign onto HR.4969.   
      
   Changes to Amateur Service Part 97 Rules Go Into Effect on July 21   
      
   The FCC's recently announced revisions to the Part 97 Amateur Radio rules   
   governing exam credit to former licensees, test administration, and emission   
   types will go into effect on Monday, July 21. The new rules were published   
   in The Federal Register on June 20. Earlier this month, the Commission   
   announced that it would grant examination credit for written elements 3   
   (General) and 4 (Amateur Extra) to holders of "expired licenses that   
   required passage of those elements." The FCC will require former licensees   
   falling outside the 2-year grace period to pass Element 2 (Technician) in   
   order to be relicensed. The Commission declined to give exam credit to   
   holders of expired Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination   
   (CSCEs) or to extend lifetime validity to CSCEs.   
      
   The FCC also embraced the use of remote testing methods, allowing volunteer   
   examiners and volunteer examiner coordinators "the option   
   [FCC%20seal%20(on%20white).jpg] of administering examinations at locations   
   remote from the VEs." 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   
   Commission dropped its earlier proposal to permit two VEs to administer   
   exams; the requirement remains at three VEs. The Commission did not spell   
   out the "mechanics" of remote testing, however, which, it said, would "vary   
   from location to location and session to session." VEs administering   
   examinations remotely must grade such examinations "at the earliest   
   practical opportunity," rather than "immediately," as the current rule for   
   conventional exam sessions requires.   
      
   In addition, the FCC 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. That waiver becomes permanent on July 21.   
      
   The Commission also made "certain minor, non-substantive amendments" and   
   corrections to the Amateur Service rules.   
      
   Full Schedule of Youth Activities Featured at ARRL National Centennial   
   Convention   
      
   The ARRL National Centennial Convention July 17-19 in Hartford, Connecticut,   
   will feature a wide-ranging slate of youth activities aimed at younger hams   
   and prospective hams. Scheduled on Friday and Saturday, the youth activities   
   include two youth forums, a hidden transmitter hunt, a scavenger hunt, and   
   the Youth Radio Lab. The ARRL Discovery Station in the ARRL exhibit area in   
   the Exhibition Hall Friday and Saturday will highlight programs of interest   
   to visitors of all ages, with an emphasis on younger visitors. A separate   
   forum will expand on some of the Discovery Station presentations and   
   activities.   
      
   "The Discovery Station will have a range of hands-on exhibits to help   
   visitors to understand the basics of radio waves, and projects that young   
   operators can explore in the world of exciting world of Amateur Radio," said   
   Tommy Gober, N5DUX, who will head up the ARRL Discovery Station team. "Stop   
   by the Discovery Station to discover the different parts of what makes up a   
   radio wave, try out some of the electronic kits available through the   
   Education & Technology Program (ETP), and get inspired to create something   
   of your own."   
      
   Gober said the Discovery   
   Station will feature some of the robots developed by ARRL Teachers Institute   
   participants, as well as a CubeSat simulator, and an audio-frequency   
   oscillator with an oscilloscope display and speakers -- to demonstrate the   
   relationship between amplitude and frequency. Visitors will be able to   
   change these relationships by moving their hands over a sensor. "We'll also   
   have two different-sized coils to stretch or shrink to demonstrate the   
   relationship of coil size and spacing on inductance," Gober added.   
   "Essentially, [we'll offer] stimulating, hands-on things for visitors to   
   do."   
      
   Visitors do not need to be Amateur Radio licensees to attend the convention,   
   but registration is required for all attendees, including youth. Two-day   
   tickets (Friday and Saturday) are free for those who are age 21 or younger.   
   Advance registration is recommended.   
      
   Youth Forum Schedule   
      
    *  On Friday at 1 PM, Tommy Gober, N5DUX, invites all comers to a Youth Fox   
       Hunt. Young radio amateurs are invited to explore the basics of radio   
       direction finding in a hidden-transmitter hunt -- or fox hunt. The   
       activity will involved the use of directional antennas to hunt down two   
       secret transmitters.   
    *  On Friday at 2 PM, presenters Carole Perry, WB2MGP, and Kyle Watt,   
       KD2DWC, will host Youth Forum #1. This is an opportunity for younger and   
       older radio amateurs to see a demonstration, "Rapid Deployment of   
       Antennas for Portable Operations," developed by KD2DWC.   
    *  On Friday at 3 PM, Tommy Gober, N5DUX, invites young convention   
       attendees to learn some of the hows and whys behind the activities and   
       demonstrations at the ARRL Discovery Station. It's an opportunity to   
       learn the basics of frequency, amplitude and interacting with simple   
       circuits.   
    *  On Saturday at 9 AM, the Youth Scavenger Hunt gets underway. Tommy   
       Gober, N5DUX, invites young radio amateurs to join the search for   
       various items in and around the Centennial Convention. Prizes will be   
       offered to those who are the first to find certain individual items as   
       well as to those who are first to complete the entire list.   
    *  On Saturday at 10 AM, Carole Perry, WB2MGP, Devlin Murray, KC2PIX, and   
       Chris Blackwood, KD2CXC, will host Youth Forum #2. This forum will offer   
       a youthful perspective on robotics, Amateur Radio, and public service.   
       It will include a demonstration of the robotic device that the young   
       people have built.   
    *  On Saturday at 11 AM, the Youth Radio Lab with Tommy Gober, N5DUX, will   
       feature an exciting, hands-on activity. Those attending will build a   
       simple crystal radio receiver, which they can take home. -- Read more.   
      
   Newly Minted Ham Hopes His Celestial Concert is Not HAARP'S Final Opus   
      
   Not long before the US Air Force notified Congress in May that it planned to   
   dismantle the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program -- better known   
   as HAARP -- a researcher at the unique and   
   controversial facility near Gakona, Alaska, briefly turned its ultra-high   
   power HF transmitter into a celestial musical instrument. That "music of the   
   spheres" could turn out to be HAARP's swan song. The Air Force has told   
   lawmakers that keeping HAARP in operation would not be a good use of its   
   research funds. In April, when he orchestrated HAARP's turn on the musical   
   stage, Chris Fallen, now KL3WX -- he got his Technician ticket on May 5 --   
   was training as a HAARP operator on the outside chance that his alma mater,   
   the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), might take over the sprawling   
   plant. As a UAF grad student, Fallen wrote his thesis on HAARP, inspired by   
   a 2005 visit to a HAARP open house. Now a UAF assistant professor of space   
   engineering, Fallen is distressed that he might not be able to continue his   
   investigations. But don't look for Maestro Fallen to take the HAARP Farewell   
   Tour on the road just yet.   
      
   As NPR's "All Things Considered" news magazine reported on June 10, Fallen   
   used HAARP's 3 GW transmitter and 30-acre antenna farm in April to create   
   music that literally came from above. Employing what is known as the   
   Luxembourg Effect, in which the ionosphere serves as a heavenly mixing   
   device for radio signals on different frequencies, Fallen transmitted   
   separate pieces of music directly skyward from   
      
   HAARP. In his report, "Bye-Bye To The Home Of A Favorite Internet Conspiracy   
   Theory," NPR's Geoff Brumfield said the Luxembourg Effect blended the   
   different pieces together. As Fallen explained, "These two different musical   
   performances were essentially mixed in space."   
      
   The result was an otherworldly "New Age" type concerto reminiscent of a   
   glass harp composition, no pun intended. Students visiting UAF composed two   
   "complementary pieces" of music for the experiment, according to a report in   
   The Anchorage Press. Fallen explained on NPR that he transmitted one of the   
   pieces at 3.25 MHz, the other at 4.25 MHz. The ionosphere reflected the   
   resulting "mix tape" of sorts back to Earth for the listening pleasure of   
   Fallen and his, uhhh, co-conspirators.   
      
   The Air Force told Congress that it intended to call in the wrecking ball as   
   early as this summer, but things now are in limbo. Built in 1990 at a cost   
   of nearly $300 million, HAARP's immediate trajectory toward the scrap heap   
   has been paused, while the Air Force and UAF attempt to work out a deal to   
   have the university take over HAARP -- lock, stock, and conspiracy theories.   
      
   Fallen said a couple of the scientists with him on site in April were hams,   
   and conversations during lulls in their research turned toward vintage radio   
   gear. "News about the future of HAARP from AFRL was increasingly grim, and,   
   as I have been working with the instruments there for several years, I   
   started to pursue a ham license to continue working with radio in some   
   capacity, particularly the HF bands, where the ionosphere plays an important   
   role." He is already preparing to upgrade to General.   
      
   Fallen told ARRL that he remains optimistic that HAARP will support   
   additional research campaigns in the short term, but "nothing would surprise   
   me at this point." As he sees it, HAARP's future will in part depend on "the   
   creativity of the atmospheric science and radio communities for developing   
   new operational and funding models." -- Read more.   
      
   June 19 Launch Puts Several New Amateur Radio Payloads into Orbit   
      
   A Dnepr launch vehicle carried several Amateur Radio payloads aloft from   
   Russia on June 19. The 37 spacecraft for research and commercial   
   applications, about one-third of them carrying Amateur Radio packages,   
   marked a new record for the most spacecraft launched by a single rocket .   
   Among the Amateur Radio payloads now   
   in orbit is FUNcube-3, a transponder-only payload on the QB50 precursor   
   CubeSat, QB50p1. FUNcube-3 carries 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).   
      
   The otherwise nearly identical QB50p2 package carries an Amateur Radio   
   435/145 MHz FM voice transponder as well as packet on 145.880 MHz, 1200bps   
   BPSK and 145.840 MHz, 9600 bps FSK. The QB50 satellites will become   
   available to radio amateurs after 6 months of testing. The QB50 program   
   plans to launch a constellation of 50 small science research satellites.   
      
   TabletSat-Aurora, built in Russia, carries a experimental D-STAR parrot   
   (store-and-forward) repeater running 0.8 W (GMSK) on 437.050 MHz (ñ10 kHz).   
   It can store a voice message of up to 8 seconds. Two other transceivers on   
   the satellite operate on 435.550 MHz and 436.100 MHz. Their power can be   
   varied by ground-station command from between 0.8 and 2.0 W. They will be   
   used for command and control and transmit GMSK telemetry data.Unofficial   
   reports indicate that the D-STAR repeater could become operational in early   
   July and that when the D-STAR repeater is active telemetry will be turned   
   off.   
      
   In the hours immediately following the launch, signals were reported from   
   FUNcube-3, POPSAT, QB50p1, QB50p2, UniSat-6, BugSat-1 -- the first satellite   
   to be deployed after launch -- NanosatC-BR1, Duchifat-1, TabletSat-Aurora,   
   and DTUsat-2. BugSat-1 contains an Amateur Radio digipeater, which will be   
   activated after the satellite's primary mission has been completed.   
      
   UniSat-6, which transmits on 437.425 MHz (9600 bps GFSK at 2 W) with the   
   call sign II0US, carried Tigrisat, Lemur 1, ANTELSat, and AeroCube 6.   
   ANTELSat is the first Uruguayan satellite. It carries a telemetry downlink   
   and a command uplink (437.575 MHz 1200 bps AFSK) with a 2403.000 MHz (1 Mbit   
   GFSK/MSK) downlink for payload data, and a 437.280 MHz CW beacon.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Now in Illinois and Maryland   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states are now in Illinois and Maryland. They will relocate   
   at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, July 2 (the evening of July 1 in US time zones),   
   to Wisconsin (W1AW/9) and Utah (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. Some   
   schedule changes have been made, and the W1AW WAS list has been updated to   
   reflect these.   
      
   [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.   
      
   SAQ "Alexanderson Day" Transmissions Set for June 29 and July 2   
      
   The annual "Alexanderson Day" transmission from the World Heritage Grimeton   
   site in Sweden, using the vintage Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz, will   
   take place Sunday, June 29 at 0900 UTC (SAQ will start tuning at about 0830   
   UTC) and again at 1200 UTC (SAQ will start tuning at about 1130 UTC).   
   Another SAQ transmission will take place on July 2 at 1430 UTC (SAQ will   
   start tuning at about 1400 UTC), to mark 10 years since SAQ was designated   
   as a World Heritage site.   
      
   "Alexanderson Day" Amateur Radio activity from SAQ Grimeton club station   
   SK6SAQ will get underway at about 0800 and continue until about 1400 UTC,   
   except during SAQ transmissions. Listen for SK6SAQ on 14.035 MHz (CW),   
   14.215 MHz (SSB), and 3.535 MHz (CW) QSL via the bureau.   
      
   QSL reports for SAQ are welcome via e-mail or via the bureau, or QSL   
   direct to Alexander-Grimeton Veteranradios Vaenner, Radiostationen, Grimeton   
   72 SE-432 98 GRIMETON, Sweden.   
      
   In January, SAQ reported that nearly 300 listeners -- most of them in Europe   
   -- reported hearing the 17.2 kHz CW transmission from SAQ on Christmas Eve   
   2013. The reports included three from the US.   
      
   Dating from the 1920s, the Alexanderson alternator -- essentially an ac   
   alternator run at extremely high speed -- can put out 200 kW but typically   
   is operated at less than one-half that power level. Once providing reliable   
   transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the   
   air on special occasions.   
      
   The transmitter was developed by Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst   
   Alexanderson, who was employed at General Electric in Schenectady, New York,   
   and was chief engineer at the Radio Corporation of America.   
      
   Six 400+ foot towers with 150 foot crossarms support a multi-wire antenna   
   for SAQ. The actual signal radiates from vertical wires, one from each   
   tower. Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ operates from the Alexanderson   
   alternator site.   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline: No Young Ham of the Year in 2014   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline has announced that it will not name a 2014 Young Ham   
   of the Year (YHOTY). Newsline Editor Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, told ARRL that   
   not enough nominations were received by the May 30   
   deadline.[ARNewsline%20logo(1).jpg] "We initiated the award in 1986, so this   
   would have been the 28th year it would have been presented," Pasternak said.   
      
   Young Ham of the Year Award Judging Committee Chair Mark Abramowicz, NT3V,   
   said the committee's decision to defer this award this year due to the low   
   number of nominees "does not in any way reflect on the quality of the   
   nominees we did receive or on their nominators. It's simply the decision of   
   the judges that more nominations and documentation would be needed to make a   
   fair determination of the Young Ham of the Year." Newsline said it plans to   
   open nominations for the 2015 YHOTY in February.   
      
   SKYWARN Pioneer Alan R. Moller, N5ZCB, SK   
      
   National Weather Service forecaster, storm chaser, and SKYWARN pioneer Alan   
   "Al" Moller, N5ZCB, of Benbrook, Texas, died June 19. He was 64. Moller and   
   Chuck Doswell were the primary contributors to the development of the   
   national SKYWARN program.   
      
   Moller was a Senior Forecaster (retired) at the National Weather Service   
   Fort Worth, Texas, Office, where, the NWS said, he "tirelessly worked to   
   better understand thunderstorms and tornadoes, while at the same time   
   teaching others to responsibly observe and report storm information from the   
   field. He was a voice and a bridge between operational and research   
   meteorology, and thus, was respected by both of these meteorological   
   disciplines."   
      
   He also was a writer and cinematographer, known for StormWatch (1995),   
   Tornadoes: A Spotter's Guide (1977), and Chasing the Wind (1991). In   
   addition, Moller enjoyed nature and landscape photography.   
      
   Moller held bachelor's and master's degrees in meteorology from The   
   University of Oklahoma. Doswell, a friend and colleague Moller met at the   
   University of Oklahoma, described Moller as passionate about public service   
   as well as about forecasting and severe storms.   
      
   According to his Dallas Morning News obituary, Doswell and Moller started a   
   storm-chaser program in 1972, theorizing that weather observations from the   
   field could help forecasters. This established the groundwork for SKYWARN, a   
   volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe-weather spotters, many   
   of them Amateur Radio licensees, who work with NWS forecasters by providing   
   real-time observations.   
      
   Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of North Texas, 1840 E Lancaster   
   Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76103. Read more. -- Thanks to Sam Barricklow, K5KJ   
      
   Ad   
   Past IARU Region 1 PZK Liaison Officer Wieslaw "Wes" Wysocki, SP2DX, SK   
      
   Wieslaw "Wes" Wysocki, SP2DX, of Sopot, Poland, died unexpectedly on June   
   15. He was 82. Wysocki was an honorary member of the PZK, Poland's   
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society. For 10 years he   
   served as IARU Region 1 Liaison Officer for the PZK, attending many Region 1   
   meetings and conferences. He also was the oldest living founder of the Old   
   Timers Club of the PZK and served for many years as vice president.   
      
   Wysocki got into Amateur Radio in the mid-1940s. "He was very involved in   
   the growth and development of Amateur Radio in Poland," said OTC President   
   Ryszard Czerwinski, SP2IW, who called Wysocki "a seasoned CW operator" and   
   avid contester. He said Wysocki helped to revive the PZK in 1956, after   
   years of inactivity during the Stalin era.   
      
   According to Czerwinski, Wysocki had 330 DXCC entities confirmed, operating   
   with 100 W and wire antennas. "We remember him as a knowledgeable and   
   friendly colleague," Czerwinski said. "Wes was an icon and an example to   
   follow for future generations of Amateur Radio enthusiasts."   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began, with a surprise invasion by North   
   Korea. In the days following, Amateur Radio played a valuable   
   [ARRL%20Centennial%20Logo%20SMALL.jpg] and unexpected role. When the   
   invasion began, military personnel who were hams -- mostly in South Korea,   
   Japan, and the US -- were the first bearers of the bad news, even before   
   military communication links got word back to Washington. Until United   
   Nations military personnel became organized with their own communication,   
   hams continued to provide early radio communication.   
      
   Throughout the Korean War, the Military Affiliate (now Auxiliary) Radio   
   Service (MARS) and amateur operators devoted tens of thousands of hours to   
   handling phone patch traffic between military personnel and their families   
   back home.   
      
   In 1952, W2ZXM/mm, Captain Kurt Carlsen, brought the world's attention to   
   Amateur Radio in a huge way. His command, the passenger/freighter Flying   
   Enterprise, was damaged mid-sea by hurricane-force winds and high seas.   
   "Captain Stay-Put" -- as the news media dubbed him -- ordered crew and   
   passengers to abandon ship when the vessel started taking on water and   
   listing heavily. Using his ham know-how, he managed to stay on the air using   
   improvised equipment, antennas, and power, even after the radio room was   
   flooded. He remained in radio contact from the ship until just before it   
   sank. He was the star of an New York City ticker-tape parade and was   
   knighted by the King of Denmark for his heroism.   
      
   Sixty years ago: The June 1954 cover of QST featured this fanciful Field Day   
   on the moon cartoon by Gil, W1CJD.   
      
   The 15 meter band opened for US hams on May 1, 1952 -- at first, for CW   
   only. At the same time, the 40 meter voice sub-band was opened to US hams.   
      
   On August 15, 1952, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) came   
   into being. QST continued to publish article on mobile/portable Civil   
   Defense equipment for 10 and 6 meters. In addition to RACES operation on 10   
   meters, many hams were becoming quite interested in the band for its DX   
   potential.   
      
   Two interesting articles appeared in QST describing extreme 10 meter   
   antennas. One was a 3 element vertical beam for mobile use. A quarter-wave   
   director and reflector were added to the typical mobile whip for portable   
   (not mobile) use on a rear bumper-mounted boom. The driver would position   
   the car to "rotate" the antenna. The second extreme antenna was a full-sized   
   Yagi featuring rack-and-pinion gearing to adjust the lengths of each element   
   from the shack, so the antenna could be tuned exactly.   
      
   A third extreme antenna -- not reported in QST -- was built by a Midwestern   
   ham who commuted daily in his VW Beetle. Much of his commute involved about   
   40 minutes of driving on a long stretch of highway with no overpasses. He   
   built a quarter-wave mobile antenna that could be assembled and disassembled   
   quickly. When he reached the start of his unobstructed drive, he would put   
   up his antenna and put out a big signal on 40 phone.   
      
   Lots of things were happening in Amateur Radio in the early 1950s, so next   
   week we will look at that period a bit more. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Solar activity continues to weaken, with average daily sunspot numbers   
   dropping nearly 69 points to 72.3, and average daily solar flux down by   
   nearly 36 points to 98.8.   
      
   Predicted solar flux for Field Day weekend, Friday through Sunday, June   
   27-29, is 105, 110, and 115. Predicted planetary A index for those dates is   
   8, 12 and 8.   
      
   The predicted solar flux for the next 7-day reporting period, June 26-July   
   2, is 111.4 -- about the same as the forecast for this weekend, but a little   
   above the 98.8 from the previous reporting period, June 19-25.   
      
   If we look at bulletins for 2014, 98.8 was   
   the lowest average reported flux value. The highest average was 201.6 in the   
   January 2-8 reporting period, and the second was 180.4 in the January   
   30-February 5 reporting period. The weekly solar flux averages reported in   
   bulletins covering May 8 through June 25 were 157.5, 128.5, 110.3, 104.1,   
   146.4, 134.7, and 98.8, respectively.   
      
   How will this weekend compare with Field Day 2013? Average solar flux   
   reported for the equivalent period last year, June 20-26, was 122 -- not   
   much higher than this year's numbers.   
      
   The latest predicted solar flux for the near term is 100, 105, and 110 for   
   June 26-28, 115 for June 29-30, 120, 115, and 135 for July 1-3, 130 for July   
   4-5, 135, 140, and 135 for July 6-8, 130 for July 9-10, and 125 on July 11.   
   Solar flux continues to drift downward reaching a short term minimum of 95   
   on July 21, then a high of 140 on August 3.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8, 12, and 8 for June 26-29, 5 for June   
   30-July 1, 8 on July 2, then 5 for July 3-10, 8 for July 11, 5 for July   
   12-13, then 8, 12, 8, and 8 for July 14-17, and 5 after that, returning to 8   
   for July 22-23.   
      
   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 this week's Friday bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from   
   readers. Send me your reports and observations.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  June 26-30 -- SARL Top Band QSO Party (SSB, CW)   
    *  June 28 -- His Majesty King of Spain Contest (SSB)   
    *  June 28-29 -- ARRL Field Day (SSB, CW, digital)   
    *  June 28-30 -- Marconi Memorial HF Contest (CW)   
    *  June 30 -- Ten-Ten Spirit of 76 QSO Party (SSB, CW, digital)   
    *  July 1 -- Canada Day Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *  July 3 -- CWops Weekly Mini-CWT Tests   
    *  July 4-5 -- MI QRP July 4th Sprint (CW)   
    *  July 5-6 -- 070 Club 40 Meter Firecracker PSK31 Sprint   
    *  July 5-6 -- DL DX RTTY Contest   
    *  July 6 -- DARC 10 Meter Digital Corona   
    *  July 6 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *  July 6 -- QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew (CW)   
    *  July 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  July 5 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  July 9-12 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards National Convention, Visalia,   
       California   
    *  July 17-19 -- ARRL National Centennial Convention, Hartford, Connecticut   
    *  July 18-19 -- Arizona State Convention, Williams, Arizona   
    *  July 18-20 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana   
    *  July 24-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Austin, Texas   
    *  July 25-26 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma   
    *  August 1-2 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas   
    *  August 7-9 -- Young Ladies Radio League Convention, Vancouver,   
       Washington   
    *  August 8-10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Albuquerque, New   
       Mexico   
    *  August 16-17 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Regional ARRL   
       Centennial Event, Huntsville, Alabama   
    *  August 17 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas   
    *  August 23 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia   
    *  August 23-24 -- JARL Ham Fair, Tokyo, Japan   
    *  August 24 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  August 30-31 -- North Carolina State Convention (Shelby Hamfest),   
       Shelby, North Carolina   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for   
      
      
   Amateur Radio News and Information   
      
    *  Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most   
       popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.   
    *  Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.   
      
   Subscribe to...   
      
    *  NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles   
       by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO   
       Parties.   
    *