[POSTER NOTE: this entry being posted in /raw/ format as received due to   
   health problems preventing editing time and in the interest of getting the   
   entry out to everyone...]   
      
      
   If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:   
   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-08-14   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   August 14, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Teachers Institutes Chalk Up Another Successful Summer   
    *  Amateur Radio Operators Delighted With California City Council's Antenna   
       Decision   
    *  "Pacific Endeavor-14" Exercise Stresses International Cooperation   
    *  Canadian Radio Amateurs Will Join Special Event This Fall on 630 Meters   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Relocate on August 20 (UTC)   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Head to the Pacific in October and November   
    *  Radio Amateur Named to FEMA National Advisory Council   
    *  Ham Radio Payload to Circle the Moon   
    *  AMSAT Issues Call for 2014 Space Symposium Papers   
    *  Shortwave Broadcasting "of Marginal and Continuously Declining Impact,"   
       Committee Concludes   
    *  NPR Program Features WRTC2014   
    *  Radio Amateurs Named to Order of Canada   
    *  Support ARRL by Shopping at AmazonSmile   
    *  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   
   ARRL Teachers Institutes Chalk Up Another Successful Summer   
      
   Thanks to the ARRL's 2014 Teachers Institutes on Wireless Technology, nearly   
   3 dozen teachers will be heading back to school this fall better equipped to   
   incorporate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)   
   principles into their curricula. A dozen educators also returned home with   
   an Amateur Radio license or a license upgrade.   
      
   [ETP.jpg] As part of its outreach to schools, the ARRL Education &   
   Technology Program (ETP) sponsored two introductory Teachers Institute (TI)   
   sessions and one advanced class during June and July. "Introduction to   
   Wireless Technology" (TI-1) sessions took place in late June at Dayton, Ohio   
   -- hosted by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association -- and at ARRL   
   Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. The advanced "Remote Sensing and   
   Data Gathering" (TI-2) course was held at ARRL Headquarters in July. The   
   4-day, expenses-paid professional development seminars offer teachers from   
   the elementary to the university level tools and strategies to introduce   
   basic electronics, radio science, space technology, and satellite   
   communication, as well as weather science, microcontrollers, and basic   
   robotics in their classrooms.   
      
   Two dozen teachers from 16 states attended the two introductory courses   
   under the guidance of Instructors Tommy Gober, N5DUX, and Larry Kendall,   
   K6NDL -- a new instructor who is a middle school technology teacher in   
   California.   
      
   "The curriculum is designed for motivated teachers and other school staffers   
   who want to learn more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to   
   their students," ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, said.   
   "Many expressed interest in coming back for more training with satellite   
   communications, the MAREA [Mars Lander/Marine Amateur Radio Robotics   
   Exploration Activity] program, and remote sensors and data collection."   
   MAREA is a hands-on activity designed to engage students in learning   
   programming skills for command and control of land or marine robots via   
   Amateur Radio packet.   
      
   [MAREA%20set-up%20and%20demo%20(4).JPG]   
      
   Advanced TI session Instructor Mark Spencer, WA8SME, runs his students   
   through a MAREA setup and demonstration.   
      
   During this summer's advanced (TI-2) session on remote sensing and data   
   gathering, Instructor Mark Spencer, WA8SME, demonstrated how to control the   
   movements of a robot through data packets sent via the International Space   
   Station (ISS) digipeater on 145.825 MHz. The satellite station at W1AW   
   tracked the ISS during a July 10 pass. W1AW received and decoded movement   
   instructions sent by Matt Severin, N8MS, in Eau Claire, Michigan. Those data   
   then were transferred to the robot through a wireless UHF link. Ten teachers   
   from nine states took part in the advanced course. All were Amateur Radio   
   licensees and ARRL members. The introductory wireless technology course is a   
   prerequisite to the advanced class.   
      
   New this year at the TI-2 course was a marine research buoy. The buoy is   
   outfitted with sensors to measure surrounding air and water temperature and   
   pressure, and it includes a GPS tracking device. A PIC controls data   
   sampling and storage. A Yaesu FT-270 handheld transceiver was used to   
   transmit data via the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS).   
      
   [assembling%20robot%20server.jpg]   
      
   Students at the TI-1 class in Dayton, Ohio, assemble components for a   
   robotics project.   
      
   "Each teacher received a buoy, assembled it, and learned how the data   
   measurements from the electronic sensors are converted to useable   
   information about the environment, how to program the PIC to sample the   
   data, how to configure APRS and receive the data and upload it into Excel   
   for evaluation and analysis," Johnson explained. "The buoy is a resource   
   designed for classroom use as well as for easy deployment in local bodies of   
   water. The teachers deployed their buoys in buckets, as they learned how to   
   program and set up their buoy systems."   
      
   Participants were enthusiastic in their anonymous post-session comments.   
   "This seminar was my first experience with remote data and sensing using   
   Amateur Radio," one advanced course participant said. Another educator   
   called the buoy project "exciting."   
      
   To date, the ARRL's Education & Technology Program has provided resources,   
   including radio equipment, to more than 500 teachers and schools. Your   
   contribution to support ARRL's successful efforts to promote Amateur Radio   
   in schools and to provide professional development for teachers in wireless   
   technology is welcome. Read more.   
      
   Amateur Radio Operators Delighted With California City Council's Antenna   
   Decision   
      
   The nearly 300 radio amateurs who live in Poway, California, may erect   
   antenna support structures of up to 65 feet with only a building permit and   
   a courtesy notice to their neighbors. The Poway City Council unanimously   
   approved the new ordinance on August 5. According to an August 6 Pomerado   
   News report by Steve Dreyer, the Council "declined to adopt an alternative   
   ordinance that would have required obtaining a special minor use permit" for   
   structures between 35 and 65 feet.   
      
   ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said the League has been working   
   with Poway's Amateur Radio community for "a very long time" on the matter.   
   Representing radio amateurs' interests in Poway was Felix Tinkov, whom Imlay   
   described as "a very competent and experienced land use lawyer." Imlay noted   
   that Tinkov is not a ham radio licensee but that he "gets Amateur Radio and   
   did a stellar job of advocating for the hams." ARRL's Amateur Radio Legal   
   Defense and Assistance Committee contributed funding for the effort.   
      
   "It represented a big change in well-entrenched attitudes in Poway spanning   
   decades, so this is a big win for us," Imlay said.   
      
   Members of the Poway Amateur Radio Society (PARS) submitted a   
   [Poway%20CA%20seal.jpg] technical report to the City Council. The report   
   concluded that antenna support structures of up to 65 feet would represent   
   "reasonable accommodation" for Amateur Radio communication under PRB-1, due   
   to the area's varied topography.   
      
   The subject of Poway's Amateur Radio antenna ordinance came up at the ARRL   
   Board of Directors January 2014 meeting. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay,   
   W3KD, reported that he'd been in contact with attorney Fred Hopengarten,   
   K1VR, on behalf of Howard Groveman, W6HDG, of Poway, who sought to install a   
   59-foot crank-up antenna support structure. At the time Poway's ordinance   
   set a maximum height of 35 feet and required a variance for anything taller,   
   precluding Groveman's proposed antenna system.   
      
   According to the Pomerado account, the option that the city council   
   ultimately approved had been tweaked a bit from the version council members   
   had received earlier from city staffers. That option would have required   
   notification only to abutting property owners. This was expanded to a   
   250-foot radius, Dreyer's report said, adding that applicants would be   
   responsible for mailing the notices. The notices would alert neighbors that   
   an antenna would be erected, but neighbors would have no legal standing to   
   impede or block construction as long as the proposed structure met the   
   requirements of the city's ordinances.   
      
   Installing an antenna support structure taller than 65 feet would require a   
   new antenna permit and the approval of City Council. The Council asked for a   
   report in 1 year regarding how the new procedures are working. Read more.   
      
   "Pacific Endeavor-14" Exercise Stresses International Cooperation   
      
   Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) stations from Okinawa and the US   
   West Coast joined members of the Canadian Forces Auxiliary Radio Service   
   (CFARS) to participate in the first phase of the US Pacific Command's   
   multinational "Pacific Endeavor-14" communication exercise that concluded on   
   August 11 (UTC). The disaster scenario was a massive earthquake in Nepal   
   that caused a large number of casualties and crippled the country's   
   infrastructure.   
      
   [Pacific%20Endeavor%20logo.jpg] MARS and CFARS members scanned "emergency   
   center of activity" frequencies on the Amateur Radio HF bands, listening for   
   information on the simulated disaster from Nepalese amateur operators.   
   Unfortunately, poor propagation prevented Nepalese Amateur Radio operators   
   from being heard by any other participants. The Army MARS gateway station at   
   Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and the 311th MARS gateway in Okinawa then simulated   
   on-scene traffic, allowing the other participants to complete the exercise.   
   Details of the exercise will be reported during the Global Amateur Radio   
   Emergency Communications (GAREC) conference August 12-15. GAREC-2014 is   
   being held in conjunction with the Huntsville (Alabama) Hamfest.   
      
   Because MARS and CFARS may operate on both Amateur Radio and military   
   frequencies, they can provide a bridge for radio amateurs outside the US and   
   Canada to communicate with military units responding under the 24-nation   
   Multinational Communications Interoperability Program in the disaster-prone   
   Asia-Pacific region.   
      
   Part 2 of the Pacific Endeavor exercise is set for August 19. During the   
   second phase, traffic from Nepalese amateurs reporting on earthquake   
   aftershocks will be relayed to the US Pacific Command. -- Thanks to Bill   
   Sexton, N1IN, Army MARS Public Affairs Officer   
      
   Canadian Radio Amateurs Will Join Special Event This Fall on 630 Meters   
      
   Canadian radio amateurs will take part in the previously announced CW-only   
   special event operation on 600/630 meters this fall. The Maritime Radio   
   Historical Society (MRHS), which maintains the KPH/KSM commercial coast   
   stations, also will participate in the event. ARRL 600 Meter Experimental   
   Group Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, said the MRHS participants will conduct   
   a mini "Night of Nights" operation, with special attention to MF operation.   
      
   [WD2XSH-logo.jpg] "This will give listeners the best chance of copying their   
   MF signals by operating during the fall and extending our operating hours   
   well into the evening hours Pacific time," he said. Coast station KPH will   
   keep 500 kHz and 426 kHz active, as well as HF, with special messages, press   
   and weather and will verify listener reports. Raab pointed out that the   
   event will coincide with the 106th anniversary of the Berlin Treaty that   
   created the international distress frequency at 500 kHz.   
      
   Amateur Radio operators in Canada gained access to the 472-479 kHz band on   
   May 1. Three Canadian radio amateurs will conduct cross-band communication   
   tests with amateurs operating on 80 and 40 meters. Joe Craig, VO1NA, in   
   Torbay, Newfoundland, will transmit on 477.7 kHz starting at 2130 UTC on   
   October 31 and continuing until 0130 UTC on November 1, and listen on 3562   
   and 7062 kHz. On the West Coast, Steve McDonald, VE7SL, on Mayne Island,   
   British Columbia, will be active November 1, 0200-0600 UTC, transmitting on   
   473.0 kHz and listening on 3566 and 7066 kHz. John Gibbs, VE7BDQ, in Delta,   
   British Columbia, will be on the air from 0100 until 1000 UTC on November 1,   
   transmitting on 474.0 kHz and listening on 3536 kHz.   
      
   All stations either will call CQ or run "VVV" marker beacons while listening   
   on their respective receive (QSX) frequencies, which will be included in the   
   CQ or marker beacon.   
      
   "The official time period is 0000 UTC on November 1 through 2359 UTC on   
   November 2," Raab said. "These include Friday and Saturday evenings in North   
   America. Stations on the East Coast may start a little earlier if they   
   like."   
      
   All activity will occur between 465 and 480 kHz and between 495 and 510 kHz.   
   Read more.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Relocate on August 20 (UTC)   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states and now in Oklahoma will relocate at 0000 UTC on   
   Wednesday, August 20 (the evening of August 19 in US time zones), to Ohio   
   (W1AW/8) and North Dakota (W1AW/0). During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from   
   every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to   
   work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations.   
      
   [HPM-W1AW-logo.jpg] 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.   
      
   The schedule has been updated recently. Check it often to make sure you   
   don't miss out on working a state.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Head to the Pacific in October and November   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations will be heading to the Pacific   
   this fall. From October 8 until October 21, W1AW/KH0 will be on the air from   
   The Radio Space of Tinian, on Tinian Island in the Northern Mariana Islands.   
   Ten operators from the US and Japan will support the activity.   
      
   [American%20Samoa-Maliu%20Mai%20Beach%20Resort.jpg]   
      
   American Samoa: The Maliu Mai Beach Resort.   
      
   Starting in early November, W1AW/KH8 will fire up from American Samoa.   
   Heading up the operation is Mike Goode, N9NS, who has at least 10 "seasoned   
   DXpeditioners" to operate. The group has received permission from the ARRL   
   to operate for longer than 1 week, and Goode anticipates that W1AW/KH8 could   
   take to the air as early as November 1, continuing operation through   
   November 12, although the current W1AW Centennial QSO Party schedule   
   indicates that operation will run November 5 until November 18.   
      
   The team will put up at the Maliu Mai Beach Resort, which has hosted other   
   Amateur Radio operations, and their primary operating location will be that   
   of the late Larry Gandy, AH8LG, compliments of his widow Uti, KS6FO. Plans   
   call for three or four stations active on all bands from 1.8 through 28 MHz.   
   The group may also set up a station at the hotel, and outside of their W1AW   
   operation, team members may operate as KH8Q or using their home call signs   
   /KH8.   
      
   As with other Centennial QSO Party contacts, confirmation will be via   
   Logbook of The World (LoTW). Stations contacting W1AW/KH0 or W1AW/KH8 may be   
   able to request cards directly or via the bureau through use of an Online   
   QSL Request System (OQRS). QSLs cards are not necessary, however, and in due   
   course, all QSLs will be sent via the bureau. -- Thanks to The Daily DX   
      
   Radio Amateur Named to FEMA National Advisory Council   
      
   A Nevada radio amateur is among 12 new members appointed to the Federal   
   Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Advisory Council (NAC). FEMA   
   announced the appointments by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, this   
   week. New NAC member Chris Smith, W4HMV, of Sparks, Nevada, was one of the   
   speakers at this year's ARRL Nevada Section Convention.   
      
   [W4HMV.jpg]   
      
   Chris Smith, W4HMV. [Photo courtesy of Mike Corey, KI1U]   
      
   "FEMA is just one part of our nation's emergency management team," Fugate   
   said in a statement. "The National Advisory Council serves a vital role in   
   guiding our plans and strategies by ensuring we remain informed by diverse   
   viewpoints and experiences from every sector of society. I value the   
   expertise and input of each of these members, and appreciate their   
   dedication and commitment to ensuring effective emergency management."   
      
   Chris Smith comes from an Amateur Radio family. His father is Bill Smith,   
   W7HMV, an ARRL Life Member and Emergency Coordinator for Clark County   
   Nevada.   
      
   The NAC, which can include up to 35 members, provides recommendations to the   
   FEMA Administrator on a variety of emergency management issues. "For   
   example," a FEMA news release said, "the NAC recently made recommendations   
   regarding regional response and recovery capabilities as well as regarding   
   mutual aid agreements among different units of government."   
      
   Most NAC appointments are for 3-year terms.   
      
   Ham Radio Payload to Circle the Moon   
      
   A lunar flyby with a ham radio payload transmitting JT65B mode on 145.990   
   MHz is expected to take place toward the end of this year, giving earthbound   
   radio amateurs the opportunity to receive some otherworldly DX signals as   
   the payload flies around the Moon.   
      
   [Moon-Maine%20Coast-4.jpg] China has announced plans to launch a lunar   
   orbiter carrying a 14 kg battery-powered payload known as 4M-LXS, which was   
   developed at LuxSpace. Signals from the Amateur Radio payload can be decoded   
   using the free WJST software by Joe Taylor, K1JT.   
      
   The orbiter is one of the test models for Beijing's new lunar probe   
   Chang'e-5, which will land on the moon, collect samples, and return to   
   Earth. The launch, planned for 4th quarter 2014, is aimed at testing   
   technologies that are vital for the success of the spacecraft. The orbiter   
   will be launched into Lunar Transfer Orbit and then perform a lunar flyby   
   before re-entering Earth's atmosphere after 9 days.   
      
   The orbiter, which arrived by air in Xichang, Sichuan, on Sunday, August 10,   
   has been transported to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. -- Thanks to   
   AMSAT-UK   
      
   AMSAT Issues Call for 2014 Space Symposium Papers   
      
   AMSAT has issued a call for papers for its 32nd AMSAT Annual Meeting and   
   Space Symposium. This year's event takes place the weekend of October 10-12   
   at the DoubleTree Hotel, Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI),   
   Linthicum, Maryland.   
      
   [AMSAT%202014%20Symposium%20logo.png] Proposals for papers, symposium   
   presentations and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest   
   to the Amateur Satellite community. Final copy must be submitted by   
   September 15 for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Send abstracts and   
   papers to Dan Schultz, N8FGV.   
      
   The AMSAT Board of Directors will meet October 9-10. Technical presentations   
   on satellite design and operating begin on October 10. The annual general   
   meeting takes place on the afternoon of October 10. An ARISS Operations Team   
   meeting will be held on Sunday, October 12. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service   
   via the 2014 Baltimore Symposium Committee   
      
   Shortwave Broadcasting "of Marginal and Continuously Declining Impact,"   
   Committee Concludes   
      
   The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Special Committee on the Future of   
   Shortwave Broadcasting foresees a dim outlook for the medium. The Committee   
   this month released its assessment of the current and projected use of   
   shortwave radio as a platform for programming by US international media.   
      
   [BBG%20logo.jpg] "United States international media must optimize delivery   
   by audience/market," one main finding concluded. "While there is still a   
   critical need for shortwave in key countries, it is a medium of marginal and   
   continuously declining impact in most markets." The report said that even in   
   countries where shortwave radio will enjoys significant usage levels,   
   "audiences will migrate to other platforms as they become more accessible."   
      
   Among other things, the Committee reviewed audience-based research,   
   including analysis of user experiences and user choices, as well as   
   opportunities and limits of the medium. It also examined "the   
   characteristics and listening experience of shortwave users in the BBG's   
   target markets, the use of shortwave radio by the BBG's networks, the   
   networks' relative success in reaching their target audiences through   
   shortwave, and the costs of operating the BBG's shortwave transmitting   
   facilities."   
      
   The panel recommended that the Broadcasting Board of Governors take "an   
   aggressive approach to reduce or eliminate shortwave broadcasts where there   
   is either minimal audience reach or the audience is not a target audience   
   based on the BBG's support of US foreign policy."   
      
   The report said that its evidence suggested that declining use of shortwave   
   radio is primarily due to the availability of high-quality content on   
   "preferred platforms" such as AM and FM radio, podcasts, and mobile   
   streaming, which are more widely used for audio consumption.   
      
   [Shortwave%20BC%20Towers.jpg] The committee found that shortwave use does   
   not increase during times of crisis. "Audiences continue to use their   
   existing platforms (TV, FM, and the Internet) or seek out anti-censorship   
   tools, including online firewall circumvention, private chat software, flash   
   drives, and DVDs to access content," the report said.   
      
   The report also said that shortwave radio was "a relatively expensive   
   platform to operate and maintain" and that digital shortwave radio (ie,   
   Digital Radio Mondiale or DRM) "is unlikely to become an established mass   
   media distribution methodology in enough of the BBG's current or future   
   markets to justify the costs."   
      
   The committee said it largely supports the reductions in shortwave radio   
   broadcasts previously approved by the Board. Those include recent cutbacks   
   in a number of Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio   
   Free Asia broadcasts. But, the committee added that given the current   
   situation in Ukraine and nearby states with significant Russian-speaking   
   populations, it recommended that the BBG revise its fiscal year 2014   
   operating plan to ensure that "shortwave broadcasts in Russian to Russia and   
   the Caucasus be continued at current levels, subject to re-evaluation during   
   FY16 budget formulation processes."   
      
   A fact sheet also is available. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio Club   
   News via G0SFJ   
      
   NPR Program Features WRTC2014   
      
   The National Public Radio weekend program "Only a Game" with host Bill   
   Littlefield featured World Radiosport Team Championship 2014   
   [WRTC2014-new.jpg] (WRTC2014) during its August 9 broadcast. WRTC2014   
   Co-Chair Randy Thompson, K5ZD, said the program segment reporter-producer   
   Karen Given "did a great job" in capturing the essence of the July event.   
      
   "If anything, I felt the piece was flying by in her attempt to capture so   
   much of what was going on," he told ARRL.   
      
   Thompson said one of the goals of WRTC2014 was to use the international   
   competition as a platform to promote Amateur Radio and radiosport. "Only a   
   Game" is produced by WBUR in Boston. The WRTC2014 website includes a   
   compilation of media coverage of the event.   
      
   Radio Amateurs Named to Order of Canada   
      
   Two radio amateurs were among those recently named to the Order of Canada.   
   The list of recipients included telecommunications researcher Veena Rawat,   
   VA3ITU, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG/KC5RNJ.   
      
   [Order%20of%20Canada-1.jpg] Rawat was honored as a "Companion of the Order   
   of Canada" for contributions to telecommunications engineering and for her   
   leadership in establishing a global regulatory framework for radio spectrum   
   management. She has served as president of the Communications Research   
   Centre at Industry Canada and as a vice president at Research in Motion.   
   Rawat chaired the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2003 and was   
   instrumental in resolving the 40 meter "harmonization" issue that led to   
   shifting international broadcasters from part of the 7 MHz band.   
      
   Hadfield was honored as an "Officer of the Order of Canada" for "his   
   commitment to promoting scientific discovery and for sharing the wonders of   
   space exploration with the world." Hadfield was the International Space   
   Station Expedition 35 commander during his 2013 duty tour.   
      
   The Order of Canada is the third-highest award in Canada, to recognize   
   outstanding merit or distinguished service.   
      
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   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   A comprehensive and fascinating article on long-delayed echoes (LDEs)   
   appeared in the February 1970 QST. LDEs are signals that have been   
   transmitted, go away somewhere, and then are heard -- at low signal levels   
   but often with good readability -- 10 or more seconds later. They were first   
   heard on the ham bands in 1927. An article in the May 1969 QST described   
   them and asked for reports from readers who had heard them. The 1970   
   follow-up article summarized more than 40 reports. A May 1971 QST article   
   later reported on more than 90 observed LDE events.   
      
   The effort to get more amateurs on the VHF and UHF bands continued, with QST   
   publishing articles on 432 MHz transmitters, 220 MHz kilowatt amplifiers,   
   state-of-the-art low-noise receiver preamplifiers, new propagation modes and   
   how to use them, portable beams for 2 meter mountain-topping, and more.   
      
   The number of hams using very low power -- QRP -- also continued to grow,   
   with equipment and portable HF antennas featured in QST articles, as well as   
   reports of QRP use by hikers and mountain-climbing hams.   
      
   [Tuna%20Tin-2.jpg]   
      
   A May 1976 QST article by Doug DeMaw, W1CER, described how to build the   
   Tuna-Tin 2 QRP transmitter for 40 meters.   
      
   Repeaters for 2 meter FM operation were becoming very popular, and their   
   numbers were growing rapidly. QST described how to build repeater duplexers,   
   control equipment, antennas, and control links, and it kept repeater control   
   operators informed of relevant FCC rules as they were developed.   
      
   Amateur Radio satellites continued to attract more and more attention. QST   
   articles provided information to encourage and help hams get up and running   
   on the satellites. Topics covered in those many articles included how to   
   plot satellite orbits, build beams that could be rotated in both azimuth and   
   elevation, construct circularly polarized beams, determine when you can use   
   the satellites for contacts over a given path, along with other tips and   
   information. As each new OSCAR was built and launched, QST carried   
   announcements and information on how to use it.   
      
   A nice article on "The $22,000,000.00 Ham Shack" appeared in the April 1970   
   QST. No, it wasn't an April Fool's article. It told of the first flight of   
   the new Boeing 747, with WA7IBL using one of the aircraft's radios to make   
   HF SSB contacts.   
      
   As the 1970s rolled along, many homeowners purchased hi-fi and stereo audio   
   equipment. Most consumer electronic equipment was not built to reject   
   interference from ham transmitters, however. Articles in QST during the   
   1970s told hams how to deal with those interference issues.   
      
   In 1970, the much-anticipated Heath SB-220 HF kilowatt linear amplifier came   
   on the market, with a selling price of $350.   
      
   As transistors' performance continued to improve, homebrew solid-state   
   equipment became progressively more popular. QST reported on many   
   interesting projects that used transistors, including VFOs, QRP rigs,   
   receivers and receiver preamplifiers, transmitting linear amplifiers, and   
   accessories. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity showed further   
   signs of weakness this week, with the average daily sunspot number dropping   
   41.8 points to 94.9, while average daily solar flux declined 36.5 points to   
   113.1.   
      
   In the 45-day forecast for solar flux, it was surprising to see on August 3   
   a new solar flux prediction of 150 for August 31 through September 3. I had   
   anticipated that this prediction would drop, to be more in line with   
   predicted values before and after that period, and in the August 11   
   forecast, this is just what happened. The predicted solar flux for those   
   dates was revised to 125 for August 31 through September 2, then to 120 on   
   September 3, where it remains today.   
      
   [latest_aia_304.gif] That 45-day forecast predicts solar flux at 100 on   
   August 14, 105 on August 15, 110 for August 16-17, 105 for August 18-19,   
   then 110, 100 and 110 on August 20-22, 115 for August 23-24, 120 for August   
   25-26, then 125 and 130 on August 27-28, and 125 for August 29 through   
   September 2. Flux values are expected to gradually drift upward to 135 by   
   September 24, the day following the fall equinox.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 10 on August 14, 8 for August 15-16, 5 for   
   August 17-21, then 8, 5 and 8 on August 22, 23, and 24, 5 for August 25-27,   
   8 for August 28-29, then 5, 12, 10 and 8 on August 30 through September 2, 5   
   for September 3-5, 8 on September 6, 5 for September 7-8, 8 on September 9,   
   and 5 until September 18.   
      
   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 are on the ARRL website.   
      
   In this Friday's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from   
   readers. Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *   
      
       August 13-14 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- SARTG WW RTTY Contest   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- 70 centimeter Digital EME Championship   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- Russian District Award Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- Keymen's Club of Japan Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- North American QSO Party (SSB)   
    *   
      
       August 16-17 -- Feld-Hell Gridloc Sprint   
    *   
      
       August 16 -- Dominican Republic Contest (SSB)   
    *   
      
       August 17 -- SARL Digital Contest   
    *   
      
       August 17 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (RTTY)   
    *   
      
       August 18 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)   
    *   
      
       August 23 -- ALARA Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       August 23 -- Kansas QSO Party   
    *   
      
       August 23-24 -- Ohio QSO Party   
    *   
      
       August 23-25 -- Hawaii QSO Party   
    *   
      
       August 24 -- South Africa DX CW Contest   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
    *   
      
       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   
    *