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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-07-10   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   July 10, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial   
       Convention   
    *  Grassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship of "Amateur Radio   
       Parity Act"   
    *  ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership Changes   
    *  FCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired Music,   
       and Failed to Identify   
    *  FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated   
       Transmitters on GMRS   
    *  Passengers Now Must Be Able to Power Up Some Electronics During TSA   
       Screenings   
    *  Hurricane Watch Net Shuts Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First   
       2014 Atlantic Hurricane   
    *  A Contesting Confluence this Weekend: The IARU HF Championship and   
       WRTC-2014!   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye Week   
    *  First Signals Heard from UKube-1   
    *  AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates   
    *  "Brendan Quest" Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK   
    *  "Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th Anniversary of Last US Commercial   
       Morse Operation   
    *  ARDF Enthusiasts Win Medals at 14th Annual USA National Championships   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  WARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT, SK   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ARRL, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial Convention   
      
   The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will sign a   
   Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the ARRL National Centennial Convention,   
   taking place July 17-19 at the Connecticut   
   Convention Center in Hartford. ARRL   
   President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will join FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,   
   KK4INZ, on Friday, July 18, at 4:15 PM, in signing the MOA, which is aimed   
   at fostering greater cooperation between the League and FEMA in the area of   
   disaster communication and support. Fugate will speak at the Centennial   
   Banquet later that evening, and more than 850 are expected to attend.   
      
   All-day workshops and a Thursday lunch at the Convention Center will kick   
   off the Centennial Convention (advance online registration required).   
   Keynoting the Thursday lunch will be ARRL First Vice President Rick   
   Roderick, K5UR. ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky,   
   N5ZGT, will serve as the MC. Later in the day, a reception will be held to   
   welcome international guests. Delegations from several countries are   
   expected to attend the convention, along with individual visitors. The   
   League is anticipating some 4000 visitors, with registrations received from   
   all 50 US states and more than 30 countries.   
      
   FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, will be the Convention Banquet   
   speaker on Friday, July 18.   
      
   The official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting take place Friday morning   
   at 8:30, with President Craigie and Convention Co-Chairs ARRL Chief   
   Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, and New England Division Vice   
   Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, welcoming attendees.   
      
   The theme for the ARRL National Centennial Convention is "Advancing the Art   
   and Science of Radio -- Since 1914." On Friday and Saturday, more than 100   
   vendors and exhibitors will be in the main Convention Center exhibit hall,   
   and dozens of presenters will lead nearly 70 hours of forums. Transportation   
   to Newingtwon will be available to shuttle convention registrants for tours   
   of ARRL Headquarters and W1AW.   
      
   President Craigie will host a Presidents Breakfast on Saturday morning, and   
   Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will speak at noon. The closing ceremony   
   and prize drawing will take place Saturday at 4 PM in the Convention Center   
   Ballroom.   
      
   Online registration is now limited to 2-day adult and youth tickets ($25),   
   good on Friday and Saturday. Online registration ends on Tuesday, July 15.   
   Two-day tickets will be available at the Convention Center for $30.   
      
   Grassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship of "Amateur Radio   
   Parity Act"   
      
   A grassroots effort is underway to encourage radio amateurs to promote   
   co-sponsorship of HR.4969, the Amateur Radio Parity Act.   
   [HR_4969%20Header.jpg] The measure, introduced in the US House with   
   bipartisan support on June 25, 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 regarding antennas. The bill's primary sponsor   
   is Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and it has initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe   
   Courtney (D-CT). With Congress going on its August recess in a few weeks,   
   the campaign is focusing on contacting Members of Congress or their staffers   
   at or through their district offices during the break. Getting additional   
   lawmakers to sign on as HR.4969 co-sponsors is considered essential to the   
   bill's success.   
      
   "This is the ideal time for you to develop small teams of constituents to   
   approach members of Congress in their district offices," said ARRL Hudson   
   Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, a principal proponent of HR.4969.   
   "Ideally, you'd want no more than three members to go to a meeting with a   
   Member of Congress or top staff members. These need to be active, articulate   
   individuals who present themselves well." Individual radio amateurs or clubs   
   also may wish to e-mail or write their representatives to urge them to   
   cosponsor the bill.   
      
   The primary point to convey is that the greatest threat to Amateur Radio   
   volunteer emergency and public service communication is restrictions that   
   prohibit the installation of outdoor antenna systems. Nearly 30 years ago   
   the FCC, in adopting its PRB-1 policy, acknowledged a "strong federal   
   interest" in supporting effective Amateur Radio communication. In the   
   intervening years, PRB-1 has helped many amateurs to overcome zoning   
   ordinances that unreasonably restricted Amateur Radio antennas in   
   residential areas. 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.   
      
   After the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ordered the FCC   
   to enact regulations preempting municipal and private land-use regulation   
   over small satellite dishes and broadcast TV antennas, the FCC further   
   acknowledged that it has jurisdiction to preempt private land-use   
   regulations that conflict with federal policy. At this point, PRB-1 only   
   applies to state and local zoning laws and ordinances. The Commission has   
   indicated that it won't extend the policy to private land-use regulation   
   unless Congress instructs it to do so.   
      
   If HR.4969 passes the 113th Congress, it would compel the FCC, within 120   
   days 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). 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.   
      
   Among other tips, Lisenco advises groups setting up in-person visits with   
   representatives to pick a leader, listen carefully, and leave behind   
   information [see below] that supports your primary points, plus a business   
   card. "Business cards are a big thing in DC," he pointed out. "Make certain   
   to take them when going to DC or a district office."   
      
   "This isn't rocket science, but it does take planning and the ability to   
   state your case succinctly in no more than 15 minutes," Lisenco advised. He   
   said delegations should follow up with a thank you note within a day and a   
   telephone call a week later.   
      
   An information sheet on HR.4969, a list of "talking points," and a sample   
   constituent letter to a Member of Congress will be available soon.   
      
   ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership Changes   
      
   The leadership of the ARRL Great Lakes Division has changed. Director Jim   
   Weaver, K8JE, announced his retirement from the ARRL Board of Directors,   
   effective on July 7. Vice Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, of Dundee,   
   Michigan, has succeeded him as Director. The Great Lakes Division is made up   
   of Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky.   
      
   ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, appointed W. Thomas "Tom" Delaney, W8WTD,   
   of Cincinnati, Ohio, to fill the resulting Vice Director vacancy. Both   
   Williams and Delaney will attend the ARRL National Centennial Convention and   
   the July ARRL Board of Directors' meeting following the convention in   
   Hartford, Connecticut.   
      
   Weaver, of Mason, Ohio, had served as the League's Great Lakes Division   
   Director since January 2003. He was a member of the Programs & Services and   
   CEO Candidate Screening committees. He continues to hold several Field   
   Organization appointments in Ohio.   
      
   Williams had been Great Lakes Division Vice Director since January 2012. He   
   previously served as ARRL Michigan Section Manager -- from 1992 until 1997,   
   and from 2003 until 2011.   
      
   Vice Director Delaney was a Public Information Officer for about a decade.   
   He is active with the Queen City Emergency Net and belongs to several clubs   
   in Cincinnati. Delaney also is the volunteer chairman of the Communications   
   Committee for Disaster Services at the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the   
   American Red Cross.   
      
   FCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired Music, and   
   Failed to Identify   
      
   In a Notice of Violation (NoV) released June 5, the FCC has alleged that   
   Thomas Ryan Price, W7WL, of Sweet Home, Oregon, caused malicious   
   interference to other radio communications on 3908 kHz,   
   transmitted music on the same   
   frequency, and failed to properly identify. The FCC said agents from its   
   Portland, Oregon, office on May 13, 2014, used radio direction-finding   
   techniques to pinpoint the source of the interfering signal to Price's   
   residence and further observed that Price was transmitting music and did not   
   identify at the end of each communication, as required.   
      
   The FCC has called on Price to submit within 20 days a written statement   
   explaining each violation, stating specific actions taken to correct each   
   violation and preclude their recurrence, and include a time line to complete   
   any pending corrective actions.   
      
   The FCC said issuance of the NoV "does not preclude the Enforcement Bureau   
   from further action if warranted, including issuing a Notice of Apparent   
   Liability for Forfeiture for the violations cited."   
      
   FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated   
   Transmitters on GMRS   
      
   The FCC has denied a Petition for Rule Making (PRM) filed by a Florida radio   
   amateur that sought to permit hams who also hold General Mobile Radio   
   Service (GMRS) licenses to operate on GMRS channels with transmitters that   
   have not been certificated for GMRS use, provided the transmitter meets GMRS   
   technical standards. Mark Friedlander, KV4I, of New Smyrna Beach had   
   asserted in his May 29 filing that the proposed rule change would facilitate   
   interoperability in emergency situations, since many emergency response   
   groups utilize both radio services.   
      
   Transmitters used in the Part 95 GMRS must have FCC certification prior to   
   sale and marketing; in general, Part 97 Amateur Radio transmitters do not.   
      
   In a June 20 letter to Friedlander, the FCC   
   pointed out that GMRS transmitters that also can be used on Amateur Radio   
   frequencies will not be certificated. The FCC said it adopted that rule "to   
   prevent the possible proliferation of GMRS equipment that is also capable of   
   operating on frequencies for which the GMRS licensee is not authorized."   
      
   Friedlander argued that Amateur Radio operators who are authorized to   
   design, build, and operate transmitters without equipment certification in   
   the 420-450 MHz amateur band should be allowed to do so on the 462/467 MHz   
   GMRS channels, the FCC said.   
      
   "We conclude that the proposed rule change would undermine the prohibition   
   on GMRS equipment with Amateur Radio frequency capability," the FCC said.   
   "An exception to [the rule] would allow for the proliferation of home-built,   
   non-standardized transmitters in the GMRS, with no practicable way for the   
   Commission to monitor and enforce regulatory compliance for these devices."   
      
   Passengers Now Must Be Able to Power Up Some Electronics During TSA   
   Screenings   
      
   Airline passengers boarding direct flights to the US from overseas may be   
   asked to power up certain electronic devices being carried aboard, including   
   cell phones. The announcement did not single out any other electronics. The   
   Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed Transportation Security   
   Administration (TSA) screeners at certain overseas airports with direct   
   flights to the US to "implement enhanced security measures." All electronics   
   typically undergo screening during pre-boarding TSA inspections.   
      
   "DHS continually assesses the global threat environment   
   and reevaluates the measures we take to promote aviation security," DHS   
   Secretary Jeh Johnson said on July 2. "As part of this ongoing process, I   
   have directed TSA to implement enhanced security measures in the coming days   
   at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States. We   
   will work to ensure these necessary steps pose as few disruptions to   
   travelers as possible."   
      
   During security inspections, TSA officers may ask passengers to power up   
   some devices, including cell phones. Devices that are unable to be turned on   
   "will not be permitted onboard the aircraft," DHS said, adding, "The   
   traveler may also undergo additional screening."   
      
   While the TSA generally permits Amateur Radio equipment aboard aircraft,   
   including that packed in carry-on baggage, such items, according to existing   
   TSA policy, "may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through   
   the checkpoint, if it triggers an alarm during the screening process,   
   appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. The   
   final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane."   
      
   DHS said that the TSA "will continue to adjust security measures to ensure   
   that travelers are guaranteed the highest levels of aviation security   
   conducted as conveniently as possible."   
      
   Hurricane Watch Net Shuts Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First 2014   
   Atlantic Hurricane   
      
   The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) wrapped up operations around midday on July 5   
   for Hurricane Arthur -- by then a tropical cyclone -- headed out over the   
   Canadian Maritimes. The HWN initially activated for Arthur   
   [HWN_Logo-new.jpg] on Thursday, July 3, as the storm threatened to make   
   landfall along North Carolina's Outer Banks. The net moved to 40 meters   
   (7.268 MHz), after propagation was lost on its primary 14.325 MHz frequency.   
   The first activation lasted 18 hours. The HWN activated again on Saturday,   
   July 5, at 1100 UTC, as Hurricane Arthur, still a Category 1 storm, worked   
   its way up the Eastern Seaboard headed for Canada.   
      
   "This storm seemed to be mainly a heavy rain and strong wind event, unlike   
   the Category 1 landfall of Sandy in 2012. Thankfully, Arthur weakened to a   
   tropical storm a few hours prior to [our] activating and was downgraded   
   further to a post-tropical cyclone at 1200 UTC," said HWN Manager Bobby   
   Graves, KB5HAV. "Reports from CANWARN indicated nearly 84,000 lost power in   
   Nova Scotia and nearly 59,000 in New Brunswick." CANWARN -- the (CANadian   
   Weather Amateur Radio Network -- is Canada's equivalent of the SKYWARN   
   program in the US. The storm also generated heavy rain and high wind in Down   
   East Maine, blowing down trees and limbs leaving thousands of homes in the   
   dark. The net stood down at 1400 UTC.   
      
   "We were able to link the National Hurricane Center and the Canadian   
   Hurricane Center together by means of our Internet back channel," Graves   
   noted. "This link not only allows direct communication between forecasters   
   at each center but also the forecasters with our net control operators."   
      
   Although the number of reporting stations was low for this initial   
   activation of the 2014 Hurricane Season, Graves said the HWN was "grateful   
   for all reports that came in." Read more.   
      
   A Contesting Confluence this Weekend: The IARU HF Championship and   
   WRTC-2014!   
      
   This weekend, July 12-13, will present the sort of operating opportunity   
   that comes along only about as often as leap year -- the IARU HF   
   Championship and World Radiosport Team Championship   
   2014 (WRTC-2014). It's essentially two sides of the same coin, though, since   
   these events occur concurrently. While the IARU HF Championship is an annual   
   event, WRTCs typically take place every 4 years and use the IARU event as a   
   framework for their international team competition.   
      
   Everyone works everyone in these events, which run 24 hours (1200 UTC on   
   Saturday until 1200 UTC on Sunday). In the IARU, both single and   
   multioperator stations are welcome, but single operators may not take   
   advantage of any spotting nets, packet, or multi-channel decoders (such as   
   CW Skimmer). Stations may elect to operate CW only, SSB only, or both modes.   
   In general, stations exchange signal report and ITU zone.   
      
   For WRTC-2014, 59 international two-operator teams are gathered in New   
   England to determine the world's top contesters. Competing teams will deploy   
   to essentially equivalent stations that run 100 W to a wire antenna for the   
   low bands and a Yagi for the high bands. Stations taking part in the IARU   
   event can win WRTC-2014 awards, including one for working all 59 teams,   
   which will be sporting 1 x 1 US first district call signs.   
      
   Operators in both events will be seeking out "HQ stations" representing   
   various IARU member societies; these count as multipliers. Many will include   
   the letters "HQ" in their call sign suffix. Some will include   
   the organization's abbreviation, and it might be helpful   
   to review these beforehand. Member societies are listed by region on the   
   IARU website. IARU International Secretariat club station NU1AW will be on   
   the air from New England and counts as a HQ station. W100AW, operating from   
   Newington, will be the ARRL headquarters station (W1AW will not be active).   
      
   Member-society HQ stations will send a signal report and their   
   organization's initials, eg, "599 IARU" for working NU1AW. Members of the   
   IARU Administrative Council and the three IARU regional Executive committees   
   will send "AC," "R1," "R2," and "R3" as appropriate, following the signal   
   report.   
      
   There are some differences in the rules between the IARU HF Championship and   
   the WRTC-2014 events. For instance, WRTC-2014 stations will not use 160   
   meters, and all WRTC teams will use both CW and SSB. While WRTC-2014   
   competitors are restricted to 100 W, IARU HF Championship participants may   
   opt to run high power, low power or QRP; there are entry categories for   
   each.   
      
   The IARU HF Championship and WRTC-2014 offer a lot of operating enjoyment   
   and a chance to check out your station and antennas well in advance of the   
   2014 "contest season" this fall and winter.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye Week   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states are on hiatus from July 9 until July 16, during which   
   the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-2014) and the IARU HF   
   Championship take place. W1AW Centennial Operations will resume at 0000 UTC   
   on Wednesday, July 16 (the evening of July 15 in US time zones), from South   
   Carolina (W1AW/4). There will be only one state that week. 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.   
      
   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. WRTC-2014   
   competitor stations with 1 x 1 call signs are also worth 5 points.   
      
   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.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   First Signals Heard from UKube-1   
      
   Following its July 8 launch from Kazakhstan, UKube-1 -- the UK Space   
   Agency's first CubeSat -- has been heard around the world.   
      
   "AMSAT-UK has congratulated the UKube-1 team on the successful launch and   
   deployment of the spacecraft," Graham Shirville, G3VZV, said Tuesday in an   
   AMSAT-BB post. "Signals have already been heard from both transmitters in   
   many countries."   
   "hosts" FUNcube-2 -- actually a set of FUNcube boards   
   flying as a sub-system of the 3U UKube-1 CubeSat. FUNcube-2 will include a   
   400 mW inverting SSB/CW transponder (435.080-435.060 MHz up/145.930-145.950   
   MHz down), with a CW beacon on 145.840 MHz. The transponder is not yet   
   active. Built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, Scotland, UKube-1 is the first   
   satellite built in Scotland.   
      
   The FUNcube project is aimed at supporting 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.   
      
   The UKube team asks stations to continue monitoring the downlinks and, if   
   possible, to forward reports to the FUNcube team. Send CW beacon reports   
   (145.840 MHz) to operations@funcube.org.uk and   
   steve.greenland@clyde-space.com. Read more.   
      
   AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates   
      
   AMSAT-NA has announced the 2014 candidates for its Board of Directors. In   
   alphabetical order by last name, they are Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Tom Clark,   
   K3IO; Steve Coy, K8UD; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Frank Griffin, K4FEG; Bryan   
   Klofas, KF6ZEO; Lou McFadin, W5DID, and JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM.   
      
   [AMSAT-Space%20logo%20white.png] In addition to the three Board seats to be   
   filled this year, plus two alternates, there will be an additional Board   
   seat to fill the remainder of the term of Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, who died   
   earlier this year.   
      
   The top three recipients of votes will have 2-year terms, the fourth highest   
   vote recipient will serve for 1 year, and the fifth and sixth highest vote   
   recipients will serve as first and second alternates, respectively.   
      
   Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA membership by July 15, 2014, and must   
   be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2014, to be counted. There   
   are approximately 3000 AMSAT members. -- AMSAT -- AMSAT News Service   
      
   "Brendan Quest" Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK   
      
   A group of Amateur Radio operators from Atlantic Canada is operating from   
   Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, until July 12 in a bid to complete a 2 meter   
   transatlantic contact and claim the Brendan Quest trophy. VC1T is on the air   
   from grid GN37os on 144.155 MHz. The group activated on July 4, and a couple   
   of days later, on July 6 at 1341 UTC, G4SWX was able to completely decode an   
   FSK441 transmission from VC1T.   
      
   "They attempted to complete the QSO for 4 hours, but were not successful,"   
   the team reported. "However, this reception should qualify for the Brendan   
   Plate." The team said a station in Ireland was able to copy parts of three   
   transmissions. Because of the initial success, the group now will use FSK441   
   exclusively in its Brendan bid. VC1T had been concentrating its efforts on   
   JT65B, but it has CW and SSB capability, which the team will try if it is   
   able to achieve an FSK441 two-way. Part of the WSJT software package   
   developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT, FSK441 was primarily designed to detect very   
   brief "pings" from meteor trails. VC1T is running 750 W into a   
   rope-supported 43 element, 100 foot long Yagi   
   directed at Europe. It has a gain of more than 23 dBd. When driven with 750   
   W, the effective radiated power (ERP) in the center of the major lobe should   
   be about 150 kW, the group estimated.   
      
   The Brendan Trophy is a series of awards offered by the Irish Radio   
   Transmitters Society (IRTS) to the first Amateur Radio operators to complete   
   a 2 meter transatlantic contact. According to the IRTS, the Brendan Trophy   
   is awarded for the first "traditional mode" two-way contact -- ie, SSB or CW   
   capable of being copied without machine assistance. The Brendan Shield is   
   awared for the first "nontraditional mode" two-way contact, ie, digital   
   modes and high-speed CW. The Brendan Plate is given for the first verified   
   reception of a transatlantic signal in any mode.   
      
   The group has a Facebook page, where it is posting updates. Read more. --   
   Thanks to AMSAT News Service, Brendan Quest 2 Meter Transatlantic Attempt   
      
   "Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th Anniversary of Last US Commercial Morse   
   Operation   
      
   This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the last US commercial Morse   
   operation -- commemorated each year in a "Night of Nights" event in which   
   historic coast stations KPH and KSM in California and others across the US   
   reopen briefly and again take to the MF and HF airwaves. The Maritime Radio   
   Historical Society (MRHS) sponsors the event, which will take place Sunday,   
   July 13, from 0001 UTC until 0700 (Saturday, July 12, from 1701 until   
   midnight PDT). What is believed to have been the last commercial Morse   
   transmission in the US took place from KPH in 1999. MRHS member Richard   
   Dillman, W6KWO, a veteran coast station operator, has called July 12, 1999,   
   "a sad day" for him and his colleagues.   
      
   We knew it was coming, but when the end finally arrived, it was a shock," he   
   said. "It was the supposed last day of Morse code. The final sign off took   
   place at a remote station on the Pacific Coast. Women attending the event   
   were dressed as if at a funeral. Grizzled, hard-bitten old men -- the kind   
   you wouldn't mess with in a barroom -- had tears in their eyes as the last   
   message was keyed out to the world at 0000 GMT. And then there was silence."   
      
   "It was just beeps in the air. But that's how much Morse code means to the   
   men and women who made the profession of radiotelegrapher one of honor and   
   skill," Dillman added.   
      
   The MRHS has posted a schedule of participating stations and operating   
   frequencies. The MRHS also operates Amateur Radio station K6KPH, run by   
   veteran Morse hands, including former KPH staff members with years of   
   experience "sitting the circuit." K6KPH will monitor 3550, 7050, 14,050,   
   18,097.5, and 21,050 kHz. Read more.   
      
   ARDF Enthusiasts Win Medals at 14th Annual USA National Championships   
      
   Newcomers and long-time enthusiasts turned out in early June to take part in   
   the 14th USA National Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding   
   (ARDF). The events took place June 5-8 in New England, near Boston.   
      
   The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) sets the rules for ARDF   
   competitions. The object of ARDF -- also called foxtailing and   
   radio-orienteering -- is to find as many of the required hidden transmitters   
   as possible within the shortest time, and then navigate to the finish line,   
   using only direction-finding equipment, a compass, and   
   the provided map. Classic competitions on 2 meters and 80 meters take place   
   on separate days, with up to five hidden transmitters deployed in an area of   
   about 1000 acres. Each transmitter is on the air for 60 seconds at a time in   
   rotating sequence.   
      
   There are also two new events, both on 80 meters. The sprint is a shortened   
   course with 10 transmitters and a faster transmitter cycle. Foxoring is a   
   combination of orienteering and foxhunting, in which competitors receive   
   maps marked with the approximate locations of 1 dozen very low power   
   transmitters to find. Competitors for all events are divided into age   
   categories, six for men, five for women, with medals awarded to the winners   
   in each category.   
      
   The top US finishers in each age/gender category were Leszek Lechowicz, NI1L   
   (M40, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Nicolai Mejevoi (M50, 2 meters,   
   80 meters, sprint, foxor); Bill Noyce, AB1AV (M60 sprint); Bob Cooley,   
   KF6VSE (M70, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint); Alla Mezhevaya (W35, 2 meters,   
   sprint); Addison Bosley, KJ4VCV (M21, 2 meters, 80 meters, foxor); Joseph   
   Huberman, K5JGH (M60, 2 meters, 80 meters, foxor); Jen Harker, W5JEN (W35,   
   80 meters, foxor), and Marji Garrett, KJ4ZKC (W50, 80 meters).   
      
   Complete results of all championship events are available online on the   
   Homing In website. Read more. -- Joe Moell, K0OV, ARRL Amateur Radio   
   Direction Finding Coordinator   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   In the early 1950s, television interference -- TVI -- became a major problem   
   for hams. The ARRL took two important steps toward educating hams and the   
   public about TVI, and how TVI was often the fault of the TV set, not the   
   ham. Talk about a hard sell! Lew McCoy, W1ICP, went on the road with a live   
   TVI-education show, complete with "fixed" and "unfixed" TV sets, ham   
   transmitters, etc. His show was a success but it couldn't reach everyone.   
   The ARRL also scripted and supplied photographs for a 15-minute slide   
   presentation that could be shown on local TV stations or to live audiences.   
   As more hams started using 50 MHz, TVI problems frequently showed up there,   
   especially in areas that had a TV station on channel 2, which was   
   immediately above 6 meters.   
      
   The League also began a strong effort to get more hams on 220 MHz, to show   
   the FCC the band was being used and to help fight off other services'   
   efforts to take over the shared band.   
      
   The CK722 germanium transistor was introduced in late 1952.   
      
   As more hams became seriously interested in 2 meters for long-haul   
   communication, beams became enormous. Articles and photos in QST showed   
   rotatable arrays with as many as 104 elements. Long-haul 2 meter tests were   
   pursued by W4HHK, W4AO, W2UK, W1HDQ, and others, pushing the 2 meter DX   
   envelope. In 1954, the first successful coast-to-coast message relay on 2   
   meters occurred. With such efforts underway, it was no surprise that the   
   1954 ARRL VHF Sweepstakes broke all records.   
      
   Modern-day DXpeditions started being staged. A notable one was the 1954   
   effort to put much-wanted Clipperton Island on the air. The FO8AJ DXpedition   
   was organized and executed by W0NWX and a large supporting cast.   
      
   Multiband tank circuits became quite popular, used in projects such as   
   W1JEQ's three-control, six-band, 500 W transmitter, described in QST. New 10   
   GHz DX records were set and reset by W7JIP and W7OKV, out in the land of   
   tall mountains. The 813 beam-power tube, developed during World War II and   
   available on the surplus market, became a very popular final tube. The   
   popular CK722 germanium transistor showed up in various small projects in   
   QST, such as W6CHB's tiny code-practice oscillator. Herbert Hoover Jr, W6ZH,   
   was appointed Undersecretary of State. And, effective June 10, 1954, Novice   
   and Technician license exams would be sent by mail and administered by a   
   qualified local radio amateur, rather than making applicants appear in   
   person. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   WARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT, SK   
      
   Charles "Chuck" Dorian, W3JPT, of Issaquah, Washington, died June 20. He was   
   92. Dorian had a long and distinguished history of support to Amateur Radio   
   and the Amateur-Satellite Service. A veteran member of the Potomac Valley   
   Radio Club (PVRC), Dorian served on the US Amateur Radio FCC Advisory   
   Committee for World Administrative Radio Conference 1979 (WARC-79), in which   
   Amateur Radio gained the so-called "WARC bands" -- 30, 17, and 12 meters.   
   His primary focus, however, was the Amateur-Satellite Service. Dorian and   
   AMSAT's Perry Klein, W3PK, developed the US Amateur-Satellite positions for   
   WARC-79, and Dorian was on the US delegation to the international   
   conference. He also served as a member of the ARRL Long-Range Planning   
   Committee in the 1970s.   
      
   A Massachusetts native, Dorian was first licensed in 1939 as W1LXO. He   
   graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy with a BS in engineering and   
   completed post-gr