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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-07-24   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   July 24, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second Century   
    *  Centennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio Parity   
       Act," HR.4969   
    *  FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio   
       "Resilient"   
    *  FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs Alleging   
       Deliberate Interference, Failure to Identify   
    *  ARRL VEC Conducts Remote Exam Session with Applicants in Antarctica   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Move to Indiana, Rhode Island   
    *  Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker   
    *  Cincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its System   
    *  ARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major Donors   
    *  Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio Will   
       Thrive   
    *  India's VO-52 Satellite Goes Dark   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   ARRL National Centennial Convention Kicks Off Ham Radio's Second Century   
      
   With the ARRL National Centennial Convention, July 17-19, now a   
   part of Amateur Radio history, the League's second century has arrived! The   
   ARRL welcomed some 3300 visitors to the Connecticut Convention Center in   
   Hartford for the 3-day event, which went smoothly for the most part, said   
   ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. She noted that many conventioneers even   
   stayed around for the official closing ceremony on Saturday afternoon -- and   
   beyond.   
      
   "Even as late as Sunday, people were shaking my hand at the convention hotel   
   and saying how much they enjoyed the convention," Craigie said. "Despite a   
   few hitches and glitches, the event as a whole met our objective of being a   
   truly memorable and meaningful celebration of the centennial, in the city   
   where it all began 100 years ago."   
      
   Craigie expressed appreciation for the efforts of ARRL Headquarters staffers   
   and the many volunteers who helped to make the convention a success. "The   
   ARRL also appreciates the Training Track and forum presenters, who made the   
   program as fine as anything ever brought together for an Amateur Radio   
   convention," she added. "The exhibitors who supported the show with their   
   presence gave visitors an excellent opportunity to learn more about the   
   products, services, and organizations in today's Amateur Radio. That was   
   really helpful when I walked through the exhibits with FEMA Administrator   
   Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and later with Congressman Joseph Courtney of   
   Connecticut -- an original co-sponsor of HR.4969 -- for some show and tell   
   about Amateur Radio activities and technology."   
      
   The winner of a drawing for a $5000 grand prize certificate from the ARRL   
   and R&L Electronics was ARRL Life Member John C Davison, N2OXV, of   
   Poughkeepsie, New York. The winner of a $2500 gift certificate from the ARRL   
   and FlexRadio Systems was Robert The, AC2II, of Germantown, New York.   
      
   "Just before the prize drawing on Saturday afternoon, I invited the youngest   
   hams at the closing ceremony onto the main stage," said Inderbitzen. "There   
   were four 13-year-olds -- Stu Cichon of Meriden, Connecticut (a prospective   
   ham); Dahnesh Upton, KB1OTB, of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire; Tobias Park,   
   KD2EOM, of Warwick, New York; and Brandon Turrentine, KF5QYU, of Winnie,   
   Texas. "Brandon pulled the tickets of the two prize winners," Inderbitzen   
   continued. "Each of these young hams will be sent a hardcover edition of the   
   ARRL Centennial Handbook signed by members of the staff, and some other   
   'goodies.'"   
      
   At the convention, Craigie said, she saw some youngsters in strollers who   
   likely will be around for the League's 150th anniversary in 2064. "Our job   
   now is to do our part to make sure that Amateur Radio and the ARRL are   
   strong for them when it's their turn to celebrate the next milestone in the   
   history of our League," she said.   
      
   ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, concluded the closing ceremony. "With this   
   moment, we say good-bye to ARRL's first century with fondness [and] great   
   memories," he said. "You're all part of that history, and now we're all part   
   of the ARRL's second century."   
      
   Centennial Convention Provides Springboard for "Amateur Radio Parity Act,"   
   HR.4969   
      
   The just-concluded ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford,   
   Connecticut, helped to infuse some energy into efforts to line up   
   co-sponsors for "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" -- HR.4969.   
      
   The measure, introduced in the US House of Representatives with bipartisan   
   support in late June, 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). It received initial co-sponsorship from Rep   
   Joe Courtney (D-CT). An additional four co-sponsors have since signed aboard   
   the bill. Courtney visited the ARRL Centennial Convention on July 19 to   
   speak with League officials and those attending the event. At present PRB-1   
   only applies to state and municipal land-use ordinances, and the FCC has   
   indicated that it will not act to provide the same legal protections from   
   private land-use agreements -- often called covenants, conditions, and   
   restrictions (or CC&Rs) -- without direction from Congress.   
      
   Convention visitors began sporting League-supplied "Get Behind HR 4969"   
   stickers as the event shifted into high gear. Behind the stickers is a   
   grassroots effort to encourage members to contact their congressional   
   representatives to seek their support as co-sponsors for HR.4969. The effort   
   at the Convention to entice visitors to sign letters to lawmakers yielded   
   some 1400 constituent letters that will be hand delivered to members of   
   Congress, a July 19 Convention Legislative Update Forum was told.   
      
   ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said   
   there already is precedent for the FCC to act. He explained that the   
   Commission's so-called Over-the-Air Receiving Device (OTARD) rules currently   
   preempt private land-use agreements to permit the installation of television   
   antennas and satellite dishes. He suggested that making the leap to   
   reasonably accommodating outdoor Amateur Radio antennas is within the FCC's   
   regulatory scope, given the established strong federal interest in effective   
   Amateur Radio communication.   
      
   "People don't always get to choose where they live," Imlay said. CC&Rs   
   enforced by homeowner's associations may or may not permit   
   antennas or may only permit them with approval. He said that by 1990, some   
   29 million US residents were affected by private land-use agreements. "In   
   2011, that number changed to 62.3 million people," Imlay said. The goal, he   
   explained, is to compel homeowner's associations to negotiate "reasonable   
   accommodation" with an affected radio amateur. That could mean an outdoor   
   wire antenna or something more elaborate; Imlay said it's not the intent of   
   the bill to specify any particular type of antenna.   
      
   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. The League had approached   
   Walden, who helped to engineer the current legislation.   
      
   "All [the bill] says is, take PRB-1, and apply it to all land-use   
   regulation," Imlay said. "This couldn't be any simpler."   
      
   Imlay said the bill faces opposition from the Community Associations   
   Institute and an organization called Associa, which has suggested to   
   Kinzinger that he "re-think" the bill.   
      
   "We need to get a lot of co-sponsors for this bill," Imlay said.   
      
   A principal proponent of HR.4969 is ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike   
   Lisenco, N2YBB. "We are the ones who are responsible for our own future. The   
   way to get things done is to be active on a grassroots level -- small   
   scale," he told the gathering of about 50 interested radio amateurs. "This   
   way you're dealing with your representatives as a constituent." Several   
   forum attendees left early so they could visit the ARRL exhibit on the   
   convention floor to obtain the necessary materials.   
      
   ARRL Regulatory Affairs Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, pointed out that the   
   League has opened a HR.4969 page on the ARRL website. It contains   
   information and resources for clubs and individuals wishing to support   
   efforts to gain co-sponsors for the measure by contacting their members of   
   Congress. It includes a sample letter to a member of Congress and a list of   
   "talking points." Lisenco recommended organizing small teams of   
   knowledgeable and articulate radio amateurs to approach lawmakers one to one   
   to plead their case.   
      
   Just prior to the Convention, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, released a   
   video appeal to all radio amateurs to get behind a grassroots campaign to   
   promote co-sponsorship of HR.4969.   
      
   FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio "Resilient"   
      
   The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced a   
   Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will enhance cooperation between the   
   League and FEMA in the area of disaster communication. FEMA Administrator   
   Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed the   
   agreement July 18 during the ARRL National Centennial Convention in   
   Hartford, Connecticut.   
      
   "Radio is one of the most resilient communications technologies we have,"   
   Fugate said. "When the power is out and telecommunications are down, the   
   Amateur Radio community can serve as a vital resource in support of   
   emergency responders and survivors during a disaster. This MOA will   
   strengthen FEMA's partnership with ARRL and build upon our work to expand   
   emergency communications capabilities and the use of Amateur Radio in   
   emergency management."   
      
   The new agreement will allow FEMA and ARRL to work together to provide   
   resources, services and personnel, as available, in order to strengthen   
   capacity in areas of emergency communications, mass care and emergency   
   assistance, disaster preparedness, response and recovery, while also raising   
   public awareness about the use of Amateur Radio as a public safety resource.   
   The pact also outlines the ways in which FEMA and ARRL will cooperate to   
   carry out their respective responsibilities, with respect to disaster   
   mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations in the event of a   
   natural or manmade disaster.   
      
   Craigie said that from radio's earliest days of experimentation to the   
   present, ham radio volunteers have combined a passion for technology with a   
   devotion to assisting agencies that respond to disasters. "This combination   
   of inventiveness and service has saved lives for a century," she said. "We   
   look forward to working with FEMA to further develop opportunities for   
   trained, equipped and prepared Amateur Radio operators to serve the public   
   interest whenever and wherever disasters affect our country and its   
   communities."   
      
   Fugate echoed his afternoon remarks as the keynote speaker at the ARRL   
   National Centennial Convention Banquet Friday evening. He said that before   
   he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him that Amateur Radio   
   could support ad hoc communication without relying on conventional   
   communication systems. "The more sophisticated our systems become, the more   
   fragile they become," he told the gathering of some 900 dinner guests. He   
   again emphasized the need for resiliency in communication systems, and   
   asked, "How many public safety networks can come close to ham radio's   
   bandwidth?"   
      
   "The relevancy of ham radio only grows," he asserted. "Amateur Radio is   
   taking that hobby and turning it into saving lives."   
      
   FCC Proposes Substantial Fines for Two Radio Amateurs Alleging Deliberate   
   Interference, Failure to Identify   
      
   The FCC Enforcement Bureau came down hard on two radio amateurs this week,   
   proposing substantial fines for alleged deliberate interference with other   
   Amateur Radio communications -- in one case by transmitting music and animal   
   noises -- and failure to properly identify. In similar Notices of Apparent   
   Liability for Forfeiture (NALs) released July 22, the Commission proposed   
   fining Michael Guernsey, KZ8O (ex-ND8V), of Parchment, Michigan, $22,000,   
   and Brian Crow, K3VR, of North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, $11,500. In both   
   cases, the FCC said the evidence indicated that the transmissions at issue   
   were aimed at interfering with other radio amateurs with whom each "has had   
   a long-standing and well-documented dispute" that had spilled out onto the   
   air.   
      
   The FCC in both instances responded   
   last March to "several complaints of intentional interference" on 14.313   
   MHz. Commission agents used radio direction-finding techniques to pin down   
   the source of the transmissions. According to the NAL issued to Guernsey,   
   the FCC agents monitored transmissions from his station for approximately 40   
   minutes on March 7, 2014, "and heard him transmit a pre-recorded song and   
   various animal noises on the frequency."   
      
   According to the NAL issued to Crow, FCC agents monitored transmissions from   
   his station for approximately 3 hours on the morning of March 14, 2014, and   
   heard him transmit slow-scan television (SSTV) signals and "a pre-recorded   
   voice transmission of another amateur station on the frequency."   
      
   "These transmissions prevented other amateur licensees from communicating   
   over the frequency," the NALs said, adding that neither Guernsey or Crow   
   transmitted their assigned call signs while the agents were listening.   
      
   The FCC agents later the same day visited Crow's residence and asked to   
   inspect his station, which they confirmed was capable of operating on 14.313   
   MHz. Crow denied operating his station that morning, however, and claimed   
   that he was not at home when the interfering transmissions occurred.   
      
   The Enforcement Bureau has warned both Guernsey and Crow in the past   
   regarding interference to other Amateur Radio operators. In Crow's case, the   
   FCC said the fact that he subsequently interfered with other amateur   
   operators "demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the Commission's   
   authority," and warranted an upward adjustment of $3500 to his proposed base   
   forfeiture. Guernsey first came to the Enforcement Bureau's attention in the   
   late 1990s and, the FCC said in the NAL, "has a history of causing   
   interference to the communications of other Amateur Radio operators and has   
   been warned repeatedly in writing." Guernsey's lengthy history with the   
   Commission warranted an upward adjustment of $14,000 to his proposed base   
   forfeiture.   
      
   The Commission gave both licensees 30 days to pay their fines or to file   
   written statements "seeking reduction or cancellation of the proposed   
   forfeiture."   
      
   The NALs to Guernsey and Crow came in the wake of a June 5 Notice of   
   Violation (NoV) alleging 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.   
      
   ARRL VEC Conducts Remote Exam Session with Applicants in Antarctica   
      
   The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) administered several Amateur   
   Radio examination elements to applicants at Amundsen-South Pole Station in   
   Antarctica -- the home of KC4AAA. The examination was the first administered   
   under new FCC rules which became effective on July 21, permitting VECs to   
   administer Amateur Radio examinations remotely.   
      
   "All six candidates earned a new or upgrade license," said ARRL VEC Manager   
   Maria Somma, AB1FM. There were three new Technicians, two upgrades to   
   Amateur Extra, and one candidate who went from unlicensed to Amateur Extra."   
      
   Joe Musachia, W5FJG, served as the volunteer examiner at the South Pole,   
   while Penny Harts, N1NAG, and Rose-Anne Lawrence, KB1DMW, were the VEs at   
   ARRL Headquarters.   
      
   "Chet Waggoner and Bartley Davis are the first at the South Pole and   
   possibly on the continent to pass the General exam," Musachia said in a   
   posting on the ARRL Facebook page. Two previous exam sessions were held at   
   the South Pole, but special permission from the FCC was required to conduct   
   them.   
      
   The view of the South Pole remote test session as seen at ARRL Headquarters   
   via satellite link: In the inset at the lower right of the screen ARRL VEC   
   Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, speaks with the exam administrator and   
   candidates at the South Pole. [Amanda Grimaldi, KB1VUV, photo]   
      
   The logistics were somewhat daunting, since the video link required a   
   satellite connection and clearance from NASA, and it was subject to possible   
   last-minute changes, should the International Space Station require   
   additional Satcom time. Musachia, who is the satellite engineer at the   
   station, said NASA was aware that the VEs had requested a large block of   
   time to perform the exam session and did not change it.   
      
   Somma said the video exam session went ahead as scheduled on July 22 at 8 AM   
   EDT, which was 8 PM in Antarctica. "The summer day was a pleasant 80ø here   
   at Headquarters in Newington, while in Antarctica it was 80 below!" she   
   pointed out. Read more.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Move to Indiana, Rhode Island   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014 from   
   each of the 50 states now are in Indiana and Rhode Island. They will   
   relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, July 30 (the evening of July 29 in US   
   time zones), to South Dakota (W1AW/0) and Kentucky (W1AW/4). 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. The ARRL has   
   posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that participants can use   
   to determine how many points they have accumulated.   
      
   Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker   
      
   While Bill Eberle, AB0MY, of Boulder, Colorado, and his wife Mary were   
   hiking in the back country on July 21, they encountered a team of paramedics   
   rendering aid to a 67-year-old man -- Michael Schuett, of Bloomfield,   
   Colorado -- who had lost his footing while crossing a stream. Schuett had   
   struck his head on a boulder and was found unconscious and face down in the   
   water by another hiker, who had pulled him to safety. The paramedics, en   
   route to a youth camp, also had stumbled onto the scene.   
      
   Lacking cell telephone coverage, Eberle put out a distress call on the   
   hand-held transceiver he always takes along when he hikes. Promptly   
   answering his call on the statewide Colorado Connection Repeater system was   
   Ryan Frederick, KD0TSZ, in Colorado Springs. Frederick contacted the Boulder   
   County Sheriff's office. Authorities quickly turned to Scott Whitehead,   
   KA0QPT, of Longmont, a sheriff's department radio specialist and 30-year   
   veteran of the Rocky Mountain Rescue Team. Whitehead was able to contact   
   Eberle via the repeater network, and the two coordinated equipment and   
   rescue personnel.   
      
   Schuett was evacuated from the scene, treated at an area hospital, and   
   released. He credited ham radio for bringing the rescuers to him. -- Thanks   
   to John Bigley, N7UR, Nevada Amateur Radio Newswire   
      
   Cincinnati BPL Internet Service Provider Pulls the Plug on its System   
      
   A Cincinnati, Ohio, broadband-over-powerline (BPL) Internet service provider   
   is throwing in the towel and yielding to more modern technology. Cincinnati   
   Communications will pull the plug on its BPL system on August 1, according   
   to a report on The Enquirer newspaper's Cincinnati.com website.   
      
   "The failure of the Cincinnati system will come as no surprise to anyone   
   familiar with BPL technology," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, commented. "It's   
   rather remarkable that they managed to keep it going this long."   
      
   Thomas Balun of Broadband Ventures LLC, which   
   operates Cincinnati Communications, told The Enquirer that the company   
   essentially would be starting over from scratch with more up-to-date   
   technology. "The technology to subscribers' homes was really antiquated,"   
   Balun told The Enquirer. "We tried to figure out how to convert subscribers,   
   but we can't do it. We have to shut the system down and start over."   
      
   The Enquirer report said Cincinnati Communications customers had endured   
   "on-again, off-again service" with the BPL system, with some service outages   
   lasting for days.   
      
   Balun conceded that the technology "was painfully slow," the Cincinnati.com   
   report said, and the company plans to upgrade to an optical fiber system.   
      
   The Cincinnati system was never a significant source of interference to   
   radio amateurs, Sumner said, because it used Current Technologies hardware.   
   "The medium-voltage lines used low-band VHF frequencies," he explained. "The   
   drops to homes used HF, but with the ham bands notched." Read more.   
      
   ARRL Dedicates Centennial Terrace to Honor Major Donors   
      
   Visitors to ARRL Headquarters will be greeted with something new in the area   
   in front of the main entrance. Complementing the terrace of memorial bricks   
   and benches on the left side of the entrance, a new Centennial Terrace on   
   the right side of the main entrance was dedicated on July 17 at a   
   ribbon-cutting and reception held in conjunction with the ARRL National   
   Centennial Convention. The Centennial Terrace features an impressive central   
   granite pillar bearing the visage of ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim,   
   W1AW, and the names of the ARRL Second Century Campaign (SCC) Committee,   
   chaired by David Brandenburg, K5RQ. The central pillar, which also displays   
   the SCC logo, is flanked by two granite panels. Engraved on these are the   
   names of those who contributed major gifts to the ARRL Second Century   
   Campaign.   
      
   ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, told the gathering of about 200 that   
   contributing to the Second Century Campaign "is not so much a donation to   
   the ARRL as an investment in the future of Amateur Radio."   
      
   "We are the conduit. We are the means. Amateur Radio is the end," she added   
   in thanking all contributors.   
      
   The permanent installation is a means to "make sure that future generations   
   remember your generosity," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said.   
      
   ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, hosted the gathering,   
   which Sumner called "bittersweet," since Hobart is stepping down at the end   
   of July to retire. "We'll miss her tremendously," he said.   
      
   Sumner said the Centennial Terrace dedication and the convention are "a part   
   of the history of Amateur Radio," which, he continued, would have ended long   
   ago had it not been for "the vision of the founders of this organization."   
      
   "The only way we have to repay that debt is to pay it forward to the future   
   to make sure that Amateur Radio and the ARRL as the defender and supporter   
   of Amateur Radio, are here long after we're gone." Donors to the campaign   
   "now are a part of the ARRL's history and of Amateur Radio's history," he   
   concluded.   
      
   Brandenburg said he stepped up to chair the Second Century Campaign   
   Committee because he felt a need to help those coming into the hobby in the   
   same way he was helped when he got into Amateur Radio when he was 14. "For   
   everybody here," he said, "ham radio is a big deal to us, and it's very   
   important to us that we keep it going."   
      
   Sumner predicted that when the week was over, there would be two groups of   
   radio amateurs: Those who attended the ARRL National Centennial Convention   
   and those who wish they had.   
      
   Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to Conventioneers: Amateur Radio Will   
   Thrive   
      
   Among the things the Amateur Radio community can count on in its second   
   century, according to Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, is that ham radio   
   will continue to thrive and serve the public interest. While his primary   
   topic at his standing-room-only presentation on July 19 during the ARRL   
   National Centennial Convention was "DXing with Weak Signals and Beyond,"   
   Taylor -- who detailed the development of his WSJT suite of "weak-signal"   
   DSP software -- also broke out his crystal ball.   
      
   "Radios are going to become increasingly digital," he said, with   
   analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion occurring "closer and   
   closer to the antenna -- in fact, pretty much at the antenna can be done   
   already." Taylor also said that in the future, good engineering will   
   definitely be a combination of hardware and software. Beyond that, he said,   
   science, technology, and Amateur Radio will continue to benefit from a   
   healthy cross-fertilization between amateurs and professionals.   
      
   "I know that is true in my own case," said Taylor, whose interest in Amateur   
   Radio at a young age helped guide his career path. "My own boyhood   
   fascination with the art and science of radio got me into this hobby, and,   
   from there, it launched me on a path leading to advance degrees in physics,   
   to teaching university physics, to making fundamental research contributions   
   to mankind's knowledge of the laws of nature," Taylor told the rapt   
   audience.   
      
   Taylor recounted that in Amateur Radio's infancy, scientists of the day did   
   not believe short wavelengths could support useful communication. The   
   government listened, and gave that part of the spectrum to hams, who soon   
   proved them wrong. "The experts truly were astonished," Taylor said,   
   exhorting his listeners to make whatever contributions they can to the art   
   and science of radio and to the public good.   
      
   "It's a great story and it couldn't have happened the same way without the   
   ARRL," he continued. "Let us also work to keep our League a strong and   
   effective voice on our behalf. I'd like to think that someone will be   
   here100 years from now looking back fondly on all the good things   
   accomplished by Amateur Radio during ARRL's second century."   
      
   India's VO-52 Satellite Goes Dark   
      
   Despite efforts to keep the flagging VUSat OSCAR-52 (VO-52) Amateur Radio   
   satellite in operation for a while longer, ground controllers have yielded   
   to the nearly decade-old spacecraft's failing technology and have   
   permanently taken it out of service. Launched into low-Earth orbit in 2005,   
   the VO-52 microsatellite carried two Amateur Radio transponders for SSB and   
   CW. B.A. "Mani" Subramani, VU2WMY/KJ6LRS, of the Indian Space Research   
   Organisation (ISRO) said that VO-52's lithium-ion batteries had failed, and   
   the satellite was officially decommissioned on July 21. Read more.   
      
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   During the decade of the 1960s and subsequently, Gus Browning, W4BPD,   
   traveled the world and operated from over 100 countries, many of them   
   extremely rare ones and sometimes the first ham operation for that country.   
   Gus was an ordinary guy, always a gentleman, and an unflappable pileup   
   operator. He was the first DXer elected to the DX Hall of Fame.   
      
   An ARRL prototype of OSCAR 1.   
      
   On December 12, 1961, OSCAR 1, the first Amateur Radio satellite, was   
   launched into orbit. OSCAR 2 followed on June 2, 1962. Both paved the way   
   for the amateur satellites that followed.   
      
   By 1963, the US ham population had reached a quarter of a million, although   
   at that time there were more CB operators than hams.   
      
   During the 1960s, repeater operation began on 2 meters. At first, there was   
   a fair amount of confusion -- questions of legality had to be sorted out by   
   the FCC, a lot of hams thought channelized operation wasn't a good thing,   
   equipment had to be developed, etc. But eventually things settled down, and   
   repeater operation on 2 meters took off, with repeater operation on other   
   VHF/UHF ham bands and 6 meters soon to follow.   
      
   On March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake and the resulting tsunami   
   struck Alaska and caused extensive damages in many parts of the state. As in   
   most natural and man-made disasters, hams were quick to put together   
   emergency communication links to help with disaster relief.   
      
   Late in 1967, incentive licensing returned to ham radio. This had been an   
   on-again/off-again issue with FCC for about 15 years. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, Washington, reports: On Thursday, July 17, there   
   were no sunspots at all! This serves a sobering reminder of how weak this   
   solar cycle is. By July 23, new sunspot regions had emerged and the sunspot   
   number was 55. Solar flux ranged from a low of 86.1 on July 19 to a high of   
   99.1 on July 23.   
      
   Predicted solar flux for the near term is   
   100, 105, and 115 on July 24-26, 125, 140, and 155 on July 27-29, 170, 160,   
   150, and 155 on July 31 through August 2, 150 on August 3-5, then dropping   
   to 85 on August 18, and rising to 150 on August 29.   
      
   The planetary A index was quiet over the past week, and it's predicted to be   
   at 5 on July 24, 8 on July 25-26, 5 on July 27-28, 12 and 10 on July 29-30,   
   5 on July 31 through August 4, 8 on August 5-6, 5 on August 7-9, 8 on August   
   10-11, then 5 on August 12-16, 8 on August 17-18, 5 on August 19-20, and 10   
   and 8 on August 21-22.   
      
   This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the   
   "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an   
   archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.   
      
   In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reader reports on 6   
   meters, HF conditions and the usual fear and loathing concerning weak solar   
   activity. Send me your reports and observations.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  July 26-27 -- RSGB IOTA Contest   
    *  July 27 -- Flight of the Bumblebees   
    *  August 1 -- NS Weekly Sprint   
    *  August 1 -- International Lighthouse-Lightship Contest   
    *  August 2 -- 10-10 Summer Phone QSO Party   
    *  August 2 -- ARRL UHF Contest   
    *  August 2-3 -- TARA Grid Dip Shindig   
    *  August 2-3 -- European HF Championship   
    *  August 2-3 -- North American QSO Party (CW)   
    *  August 2-3 -- South Africa DX SSB Contest   
    *  August 3 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest   
    *  August 3 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  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   
    *  September 5-7 -- ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference, Austin,   
       Texas   
    *  September 6 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky   
    *  September 6 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia   
    *  September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention, San Diego,   
       California   
    *  September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members may   
   subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as   
   described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.   
      
   Copyright (c) 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved   
      
   www.arrl.org   
      
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   One of the great tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a   
   gang of brutal facts. --Benjamin Franklin   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)