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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-09-04   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   September 4, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  New Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee Set at $21.40   
    *  Next "Red Badge Day" on September 21 is a Chance to Rack Up Serious   
       Centennial QSO Party Points   
    *  Amateur Radio Transponder Will Accompany Japanese Asteroid Mission into   
       Deep Space   
    *  FCC Ups the Ante in Proposing Huge Fine on CB Operator   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Heading to Colorado and Texas on September 10   
       (UTC)   
    *  MARS Mulls Adopting New Training Approach, Upping Its Recruitment Game   
    *  The ARRL September VHF Contest Has Room for Everyone!   
    *  Moonbounce Enthusiasts Enjoy Conference, Brittany Coast   
    *  Top Band Webinar Set   
    *  UKube-1 Satellite Using FUNcube-2 For Downlink Workaround   
    *  W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Marks its 10th Year   
    *  "Archie's Ham Radio Adventure" Comic Artist Stan Goldberg, SK   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   New Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee Set at $21.40   
      
   The FCC has adjusted very slightly downward -- to $21.40 -- its proposed   
   Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee for Fiscal Year 2014. In a   
   June Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), the Commission said it intended   
   to hike the current $16.10 vanity fee to $21.60 for the 10-year license   
   term. The FCC released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed   
   Rulemaking (R&O) in the proceeding on August 29, in which it recalculated   
   the fee to $21.40 for the 10-year license term. The $5.30 increase still   
   represents the largest vanity fee hike in many years. The new $21.40 fee   
   does not go into effect until 30 days after the R&O is published in The   
   Federal Register.   
      
   In the R&O, the FCC said it considered   
   eliminating the regulatory fee for Amateur Radio vanity call sign   
   applications and for other services but decided not to do so "at this time,"   
   because it lacks "adequate support to determine whether the cost of recovery   
   and burden on small entities outweighs the collected revenue; or whether   
   eliminating the fee would adversely affect the licensing process." The   
   Commission said it would reevaluate this issue in the future to determine if   
   it should eliminate other fee categories.   
      
   The FCC's Office of Managing Director sets the actual fee vanity call sign   
   fee, based on Wireless Telecommunications Bureau projections of new   
   applications and renewals, taking into consideration existing Commission   
   licensee databases, such as the Universal Licensing System (ULS) database.   
      
   The FCC reported there were 11,500 "payment units" in FY 2014. The   
   Commission said the vanity program generated an estimated $230,230 in FY   
   2013 revenue, and it estimated that it would collect nearly $246,100 in FY   
   2014.   
      
   The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable when applying for a new   
   vanity call sign or when renewing any vanity call sign designated as "HV" in   
   the FCC's ULS database.   
      
   Next "Red Badge Day" on September 21 is a Chance to Rack Up Serious   
   Centennial QSO Party Points   
      
   ARRL's "Red Badgers" will be out in force on Sunday, September 21 UTC   
   (starting the evening of Saturday, September 20, in US time zones), offering   
   another opportunity to snag some high-value contacts to boost your ARRL   
   Centennial QSO Party total. During the second "Red Badges on the Air"   
   activity, ARRL officers, elected officials -- such as Director or Section   
   Manager -- Headquarters staffers and volunteers, and other members of the   
   ARRL family who merit red ARRL name/call sign badges will take to the air.   
   Contacts with red badge wearers are worth a lot of points -- as much as 300   
   points per contact for working ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN -- so   
   participants can increase their Centennial QSO Party tallies very quickly.   
   ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, said that   
   ARRL red badge holders number about 200 -- including officers, Directors,   
   Section Managers, and Headquarters staff, many of whom will be on the air on   
   September 21.   
      
   "Not just Red Badgers will be active, but many ARRL appointees, VEs, and   
   members will be as well," said Patton. "The first Red Badge Day on June 1   
   was a huge success but left many operators wanting more. Nine months into   
   ARRL's Centennial year, the Centennial QSO Party and W1AW activations   
   already have proven to be the largest and most active special events in the   
   history of Amateur Radio, with more than 20,000 participants on the air from   
   all continents."   
      
   The event is considered an activity day, not a contest, and operation is   
   permitted on all bands. Participants can call "CQ ARRL Centennial QSO Party"   
   on phone or "CQ CENT" on CW or digital modes. While the event will focus on   
   encouraging ARRL Red Badgers to hand out Centennial QSO Party points, all   
   activity is welcome, regardless of point value.   
      
   ARRL members are worth at least one point in the Centennial QSO Party.   
   Participants get credit for each band/mode contact, regardless of point   
   value. ARRL Centennial QSO Party participants can use the leader board to   
   determine how many points they have accumulated.   
      
   Other high-value contacts include: President Emeritus (PE) or Past President   
   (PP), 275 points; Honorary Vice President (HVP) or ARRL Vice President (VP),   
   250 points; Director (DIR), Director Emeritus (DE), or Past Vice President   
   (PVP), 225 points; Vice Director (VD), 200 points; Section Manager (SM), 175   
   points; ARRL officer (OFF) or Past Director (PD), 150 points, and Past Vice   
   Director (PV), 125 points. W100AW, Charter Life Member (CLM), or Past   
   Section Manager (PSM) contacts are worth 100 points.   
      
   ARRL Headquarters department managers (DM), 75 points; ARRL Headquarters   
   staffers/volunteers, (HQ), 50 points; Assistant Director (AD), 40 points,   
   and NCJ Editor and QST columnists, 30 points.   
      
   Amateur Radio Transponder Will Accompany Japanese Asteroid Mission into Deep   
   Space   
      
   According to a news report, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)   
   Hayabusa 2 asteroid mission, now scheduled to launch in December, will carry   
   the Shin'en 2 (Abyss 2) Amateur Radio satellite. A 17 kg, 50 cm diameter   
   polyhedron, Shin'en 2, built by students at Kyushu Inistitute of Technology,   
   makes extensive use of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic materials that can be   
   bonded by heat to reduce its weight and the number of hardware fasteners. In   
   addition to a Mode J linear transponder for Amateur Radio communication,   
   Shin'en 2 will include CW and WSJT beacons. The inclusion of the transponder   
   will offer an opportunity for earthbound radio amateurs to test the limits   
   of their communication capabilities.   
      
   The Abyss 2/Shin'en 2 satellite is prepared for its journey into deep space.   
      
   "For confirming the operational status of the spacecraft in deep space, the   
   know-how of the Moon-reflecting communication technology can be applied. By   
   using an Amateur Radio service transponder, amateur stations can communicate   
   with each other when the spacecraft is in near-Moon orbit," a project   
   outline on the Shin'en 2 website explains. "Beyond this distance, signal   
   detection by Morse code and telemetry data transmitted from the spacecraft   
   will be performed." The project is expected to help pave the way for future   
   lunar rover missions.   
      
   Hayabusa 2 will make a round trip to the C-type asteroid 1999 JU3, arriving   
   at the asteroid in mid-2018. It then would survey and take samples of the   
   asteroid before departing in December 2019, and return to Earth in December   
   2020.   
      
   Shin'en 2 will be placed into an elliptical orbit around the Sun and travel   
   into a deep space between Venus and Mars. Its inclination will be almost   
   zero, which means Shin-En2 will stay in the Earth's equatorial plane. The   
   distance from the Sun will be between 0.7 and 1.3 AU (an astronomical unit   
   is 149,597,871 km).   
      
   The ARTSAT2 "deep space sculpture" will travel into space.   
      
   The IARU-coordinated frequencies for Shin'en 2 are: CW beacon, 437.505 MHz;   
   WSJT telemetry, 437.385 MHz; Inverting SSB/CW transponder, 145.940-145.960   
   MHz uplink (LSB)/435.280-435.260 MHz downlink (USB). The project also is   
   hoping to gather listener reports.   
      
   The ARTSAT2:DESPATCH satellite is on the same launch. The satellite, a joint   
   project by students at Tama Art University and Tokyo University, will carry   
   a 30 kg "deep space sculpture" developed using a 3D printer, as well as an   
   Amateur Radio payload, a CW beacon in the 435 MHz band. At its maximum   
   operational distance, it will be some 3 million km (1.86 million miles) from   
   Earth about a week after launch. -- Thanks to AMSAT-UK   
      
   FCC Ups the Ante in Proposing Huge Fine on CB Operator   
      
   Right on the heels of a whopping $14,000 proposed forfeiture for a Florida   
   CBer for failing to allow a station inspection, the FCC Enforcement Bureau   
   is recommending a $22,000 fine for a New York CBer. The FCC issued a Notice   
   of Apparent Liability (NAL) in the case of James Engle of Lewiston, New   
   York, on August 28, alleging that he interfered with the communications of   
   other CBers, operated with an external linear amplifier, operated without   
   authorization, and disregarded earlier FCC warnings.   
      
   "Mr Engle was warned repeatedly in writing by the Enforcement Bureau that   
   his actions violated the law, and his apparent disregard for the   
   Commission's authority warrants an increased penalty," the FCC said in the   
   NAL.   
      
   The FCC said that last October 23, agents   
   from the Commission's Philadelphia office, responding to a complaint from a   
   CB operator on 27.325 MHz, CB channel 32, tracked the interfering   
   transmissions to Engle's station and "heard him repeatedly interrupt ongoing   
   transmissions of another CB operator." The following day, the agents   
   inspected Engle's CB station and discovered two linear RF amplifiers. The   
   FCC said Engle "admitted that he used one of the power amplifiers" the   
   previous night. Testing showed the unit was capable of putting out nearly   
   150 W.   
      
   The FCC pointed out that while its Part 95 rules do not require individual   
   CB operators to obtain licenses, CBers who operate "in a manner that is   
   inconsistent with the CB rules" are required to have an FCC authorization.   
   "The Commission will presume an individual has used a linear or other   
   external RF power amplifier, if the amplifier is located on the individual's   
   premises," the NAL said, "and if there is other evidence showing that a CB   
   station was operated with more power than allowed by the Rules." FCC rules   
   also prohibit using an external RF amplifier with a FCC-certificated CB   
   transmitter.   
      
   Transmitting without FCC authorization merits a base forfeiture of $10,000,   
   the FCC noted, while the base forfeiture for interfering with other   
   communications is $7,000.   
      
   "The fact that Mr. Engle operated with a linear amplifier to cause   
   intentional interference to other CB operators despite being warned twice in   
   writing demonstrates a deliberate disregard for the Commission's   
   requirements and authority," the FCC, in making an "upward adjustment" of   
   $5,000 in the proposed forfeiture.   
      
   Engle has 30 days to pay the fine or file in writing seeking reduction or   
   cancellation of the proposed fine.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Heading to Colorado and Texas on September 10   
   (UTC)   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states are now in Tennessee and Oregon. They will   
   relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, September 10 (the evening of September 9   
   in US time zones), to Colorado (W1AW/0), and Texas (W1AW/5). 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. Participants must work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW   
   WAS certificate and plaque will be available.   
      
   An ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board shows participants 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.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   MARS Mulls Adopting New Training Approach, Upping Its Recruitment Game   
      
   A new take on training and a growing role in global disaster relief were   
   primary discussion topics at the Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS)   
   leaders' workshop August 24-26 in Arizona. Behind the official   
   [MARS-NEW.jpg] agenda, however, loomed an understated theme: MARS is seeking   
   younger tech-oriented hams -- or potential hams -- and recently retired   
   members of the military to join its corps of seasoned volunteer   
   communicators. Army MARS Headquarters introduced a new national staff   
   officer from the business world to head up that effort -- Kurt Edelman,   
   KF7PDV, of Willcox, Arizona, who holds the title of planning officer.   
      
   "We discussed difficult issues, explored new ideas, and shared our successes   
   and shortcomings," Army MARS Program Officer Paul English, WD8DBY, said in   
   summarizing the meeting. "At the end of the day we are stronger and more   
   cohesive than ever."   
      
   An official auxiliary within the US Department of Defense, MARS is formed of   
   Amateur Radio operators who volunteer their time and equipment to support   
   emergency communication in the event the Internet and telephone services are   
   disrupted by natural or manmade disaster. The Army, Navy, and Air Force each   
   have branches.   
      
   During the August gathering at Army MARS Headquarters station in Fort   
   Huachuca, Arizona, 11 region directors plus national staff officers   
   discussed an innovative instructional methodology, debated eliminating   
   membership qualifications based solely on hours on the air, and pondered   
   marking the auxiliary's 90th anniversary next year with a vigorous   
   recruiting drive.   
      
   Kurt Edelman, KF7PDV, the new Planning Officer at Army MARS Headquarters,   
   introduced himself and a new training system at the August MARS leadership   
   workshop.   
      
   It wasn't all policy and planning, though. Juanita Portz, the senior   
   contract operator, guided attendees through the battery of military-standard   
   transceivers that continuously monitor MARS and regular Army frequencies for   
   contingency traffic. The leaders checked into an Arizona net and got   
   familiar with military radio models that may turn up on MARS nets down the   
   road.   
      
   Edelman briefed leaders on an advanced instructional system that MARS now is   
   eyeing as a possible replacement for current training and participation   
   requirements. Known in the active Army as METL (for Mission-based Essential   
   Task Lists), it replaces traditional generalized basic training with   
   instruction in the specific tasks associated with an individual's duty   
   assignment, and only those. METL could require annual qualification in tasks   
   rather than simply requiring personnel to accumulate a minimum number of   
   hours served. A former vice president in charge of new technology at a   
   Fortune 500 financial firm, Edelman leads a workgroup of region directors   
   and trainers drafting a preliminary METL program, which he expects to   
   deliver as early as 2015.   
      
   Wrapping up the meeting was preliminary discussion on commemorating the 90th   
   anniversary of the Army's invitation to the ARRL to partner in disaster   
   communication. Although hams had collaborated with the Army and Navy during   
   World War I, the Army-Amateur Radio System, launched in August 1925, was the   
   first permanent amateur-government accord in the US. It became Army MARS   
   after World War II, and independent Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps branches   
   soon followed. Read more.   
      
   The ARRL September VHF Contest Has Room for Everyone!   
      
   The ARRL September VHF Contest provides a chance for radio amateurs at all   
   levels to experience contesting on the most popular VHF and UHF bands as   
   well as those less-frequented frequencies above 450 MHz. The higher you go,   
   the greater the point value of your contacts! The contest gets underway on   
   September 13 at 1800 UTC and wraps up on September 15 at 0259 UTC. Newcomers   
   and veteran amateurs will be attempting to work as many 2 x 1 grid squares   
   as possible on frequencies above 50 MHz from home stations, from the field,   
   or from "rovers" that travel from grid square to grid square. With a   
   heightened potential for tropospheric conditions, the September VHF Contest   
   offers something that VHF contests at other times of the year often cannot.   
      
   K2QOR was among the rovers on the air in New England for the September 2013   
   VHF Contest.   
      
   New categories -- Single Operator, 3 Band, and Single Operator, FM Only --   
   have been added to allow stations with limited equipment to get in on the   
   fun. With just a hand-held transceiver and Yagi, a single operator can take   
   to the air and compete against other stations with similar equipment.   
   Utilizing frequencies that require smaller, lightweight antennas provides an   
   excellent opportunity for homebrewing and finding a favorite hilltop   
   operating location.   
      
   Six meters is probably the most popular band for this event, since many   
   newer HF transceivers include 6 meters. Most SSB activity on 6 meters will   
   take place between 50.125 MHz and 50.250MHz, and CW between 50.080 MHz and   
   50.100 MHz. The frequencies between 50.100 MHz and 50.125 MHz are considered   
   a "DX window" for contacts between US/Canada and DX stations, so avoid   
   US-to-US contacts in that part of the band.   
      
   Activity centers for SSB activity are 50.125, 144.200, 222.100, and 432.100   
   MHz. These are calling frequencies, however, and contest participants should   
   avoid monopolizing them. Those operating FM on 2 meters are reminded that   
   the ARRL General VHF Contest Rules prohibit contest operators from using the   
   national simplex frequency of 146.52 MHz to make or solicit contacts. Check   
   the band plans for details on all bands.   
      
   Rules and entry forms are on the ARRL website. All logs must be e-mailed or   
   postmarked no later than 0300 UTC on October 16, 2014. Electronic logs are   
   preferred. Send paper logs to September VHF Contest, ARRL, 225 Main St,   
   Newington, CT 06111.   
      
   For more information about the ARRL September VHF Contest, e-mail the   
   Contest Branch.   
      
   Moonbounce Enthusiasts Enjoy Conference, Brittany Coast   
      
   The site of the gigantic antenna in France that received the first live TV   
   broadcast from the US via the Telstar satellite served as the backdrop   
   August 25-26, as more than 100 moonbounce (EME) enthusiasts from   
   18 countries gathered to compare notes and to   
   socialize. The 16th International EME Conference was held at the Parc du   
   Rad“me in Northern Brittany. In July 1962, the 64 meter Rad“me was on the   
   receiving end of the first TV satellite link between the US and Europe.   
   Those attending EME 2014 engage in similar activity, bouncing their Amateur   
   Radio signals from Earth to the Moon and back, operating on frequencies as   
   high as 77 GHz. The conference featured some 2 dozen presentations on   
   moonbounce-related topics.   
      
   "Speakers from all over the world contributed their experience, technical   
   achievements, and research," said Rick Rosen, K1DS, one of the attendees.   
   "Workshops and demonstrations were interlaced with the program and included   
   operation of the on-site 144 MHz digital   
      
   EME and 5.6 GHz CW/SSB EME stations, and reception of the 10 GHz EME beacon   
   with a small 50 cm dish, preamp and down-converter." Rosen said attendees   
   also exchanged technical small talk throughout the 2-day event. Rosen said a   
   presentation by Al Katz, K2UYH, addressed the important issue of Doppler   
   shift in EME work.   
      
   "Although Doppler shift for EME signals is almost negligible on 6 and 2   
   meters, it becomes a bigger challenge as the frequencies used are increased.   
   As there are many stations using 432 MHz and bands through 24 GHz to   
   communicate by the moon, Doppler shift becomes trickier to calculate," Rosen   
   said in recounting Katz's talk. "Doppler shift at 10 GHz can be several   
   kilohertz. The Earth is continually spinning and the apparent position of   
   the moon is changing at rates that may differ for both the transmitting and   
   receiving stations. The ability to listen to one's own echoes or to place a   
   signal where it will likely to be heard by a DX station is critical to the   
   success of an EME QSO."   
      
   "Al walked us through the various situations, use of Doppler prediction   
   software and helped clarify to many of us the use of these tools," Rosen   
   said.   
      
   A presentation by Jan van Muijlwijk, PA3FXB, outlined the history and   
   restoration of the 25-meter diameter Dwingeloo dish, which has been   
   operational as a radio astronomy site since 1956 but sat dormant since the   
   1990s. As van Muijlwijk's presentation explained, volunteers restored the   
   facility during a 2-year publicly funded project that involved disassembling   
   and refurbishing the dish. Restoring the reassembled dish to its mount   
   involved the largest crane in The Netherlands.   
      
   The PI9CAM station at Dwingeloo is now active on the air on 432 MHz and 1296   
   MHz moonbounce. "The station also was used to help an ailing nanosatellite   
   last fall," Rosen explained. "[T]he satellite became unresponsive to   
   commands due to a spurious 2 meter output that was blocking the 432 MHz   
   command receiver. Once software was loaded at Dwingeloo, a set of commands   
   were sent to shut off the 2 meter transmitter, and the satellite was   
   successfully restored to operation." Rosen said the PI9CAM station is one of   
   the easiest to work, by even modest EME stations. The Dwingeloo dish has   
   even served as a wedding venue.   
      
   Hans van Alphen, PA0EHG, described and demonstrated a small-dish EME 10 GHz   
   beacon receiver. The DL0SHF 10 GHz beacon was placed on the air using a   
   7.6-meter dish and 50 W output in December 2013. Using a compact motorized   
   auto-tracking system and a 48 cm dish, van Alphen was able to copy the   
   beacon in both its high (600 W) and low (50 W) power outputs, Rosen said.   
      
   The ARRL EME Contest takes place over several weekends this fall -- October   
   11-12, November 8-9 and December 6-7. EME 2016 will take place in Venice,   
   Italy. -- Thanks to Rick Rosen, K1DS   
      
   Top Band Webinar Set   
      
   The World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF) will sponsor a Top Band   
   webinar, "A Long Overdue Review of Gray Line Propagation on the Low Bands,"   
   for Thursday, September 11, at 9 PM EDT (Friday, September 12 at 0100 UTC).   
      
   Presenter Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, will trace the history of gray line   
   propagation and theorize on a problem with the current explanation that   
   propagation along the terminator is efficient. He will offer an alternative   
   explanation. Advance registration is required. -- Thanks to Ken Claerbout,   
   K4ZW, via The Daily DX   
      
   UKube-1 Satellite Using FUNcube-2 For Downlink Workaround   
      
   The online industry publication SatelliteToday has reported that the UKube-1   
   CubeSat is "experiencing an anomaly with its primary communications link."   
   To work around the problem, the United Kingdom Space Agency   
   (UKSA) commanded the small spacecraft to use an alternate configuration of   
   what it called "the FUNcube-2 transceiver," using it as the satellite's   
   temporary downlink. The Amateur Radio transponder on FUNcube-2 is not yet   
   active -- just the BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz. UKube-1 is hosting   
   FUNcube-2, which is actually a set of FUNcube boards flying as a sub-system   
   of the 3U CubeSat. 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.   
      
   According to SatelliteToday, the satellite, which launched on July 8, is   
   otherwise healthy and its attitude is stable, but the communication   
   "anomaly" is not allowing ground controllers to proceed with normal payload   
   commissioning. UKube-1 is the space agency's first CubeSat. The USKA said   
   the FUNcube-2 payload is running at high power to make it easier for schools   
   to copy its telemetry.   
      
   SatelliteToday said the space agency hopes to stabilize UKube-1 over the   
   coming weeks to permit payload commissioning. The   
   FUNcube-2 payload includes a 400 mW inverting SSB/CW Amateur Radio   
   transponder, with an uplink passband of 435.080 to 435.060 MHz (LSB) and a   
   downlink passband of 145.930-145.950 MHz (USB). The telemetry beacon is on   
   145.915 MHz.   
      
   The UKube-1 satellite was built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, Scotland. The   
   FUNcube Project is a joint initiative of AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL   
   (Netherlands).   
      
   The existing FUNcube-1 Dashboard App does not correctly display FUNcube-2   
   telemetry, but it does correctly forward data to the Warehouse. The FUNcube   
   team has not yet released a FUNcube-2 specific Dashboard software. It is   
   working to provide a fully functional FUNcube-2 page on the Data Warehouse   
   as soon as possible. -- Thanks to Trevor, M5AKA, for some information   
      
   W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Marks its 10th Year   
      
   The 10th annual W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention takes place September 26-27   
   in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This year's event features extended hours and a   
   full schedule of forum presenters. Among presentations on the program is   
   "FT5ZM, to the End of the World and Back" with Bob   
   Allphin, K4UEE. Also, Krish Kanakasapapathi, W4VKU, will discuss the VU7AG   
   DXpedition.   
      
   Two new manufacturers will be at this year's show -- Heil Sound and SteppIR   
   Antennas. Heil Sound will conduct workshop sessions on "The Science of   
   Audio." Amateur Radio examinations will be offered. More information is on   
   the W4DXCC website. -- Thanks to Dave Anderson, K4SV   
      
   "Archie's Ham Radio Adventure" Comic Artist Stan Goldberg, SK   
      
   Stan Goldberg, the artist who, with Mike Esposito, drew the "Archie's Ham   
   Radio Adventure" comic for ARRL in the 1990s, died August 31. He was 82. A   
   New York City native, Goldberg was Marvel Comics' chief colorist during the   
   1960s, when most of the characters now associated with Marvel were created.   
      
   Cartoonist Stan Goldberg.   
      
   "He's the reason Spider Man's costume is red and dark blue, the reason the   
   Incredible Hulk's skin is green," said Jim Massara, N2EST, who penned QST   
   cartoons in the 1980s and also once worked for Marvel. "Goldberg was a giant   
   in our industry."   
      
   Massara said Goldberg was best known for drawing teen-related comics, first   
   for Timely, a Marvel Comics predecessor, where Goldberg started as a staff   
   colorist in 1949, when he was just 16. He went on to work for DC Comics and,   
   finally, for Archie Comics starting in the early 1970s. "He was Archie   
   Comics' prolific lead artist for a number of years, and along with Dan   
   DeCarlo was one of two artists who defined the look of Archie and the gang   
   for several decades," Massara told ARRL.   
      
   Massara said Goldberg was well liked and respected by his colleagues. In   
   1994, he was honored with an Inkpot Award at Comic-Con International in San   
   Diego, and in 2012 he was inducted into the National Cartoonist Society's   
   Hall of Fame.   
      
   The ARRL and members of the Amateur Radio business community cooperated to   
   develop the "Archie's Ham Radio Adventure" comic.   
      
   Among his regrets, Massara said, is that he never got to meet Goldberg, who   
   was working as a freelancer while he worked for Marvel as an assistant   
   editor.   
      
   "Goldberg was on my extremely short list of old pros I eventually wanted to   
   meet and thank for their influence," Massara said. "Even though he and his   
   wife had been in a severe car accident recently, I had heard they were both   
   on the mend, and I had no reason to believe his passing was imminent. I'd   
   never heard anything about Goldberg other than what a gentleman and   
   professional he was. I'm sorry I never got to meet him."   
      
   Goldberg had suffered a debilitating stroke in mid-August. His Facebook page   
   includes more information on his work.   
      
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   The September 1976 issue of QST announced that Al, K2UYH, had succeeded at   
   Worked All Continents (WAC) on 432 MHz -- via moonbounce!   
      
   Amateur Radio was well represented at the 1976 grand opening of the   
   Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. A backup OSCAR 1 satellite -- the   
   world's first non-government satellite -- was on display, and a   
   battery-powered station was set up to make contacts via OSCARs 6 and 7.   
      
   After 12 years in pursuit of 2 meter   
   Worked All States (WAS) using meteor scatter, auroral, tropospheric, and   
   moonbounce propagation, K0MQS finally turned the trick in early 1976!   
   Showing that there are always new adventures in ham radio, W9JA in 1976   
   earned a 5-band WAS for working only hams with 1 x 2 call signs!   
      
   By 1977, plans had begun for the Phase III Amateur Radio satellite, which   
   would be far more sophisticated and capable than any AMSAT "birds" to date.   
      
   Articles began appearing in QST in the late 1970s that reported on hams   
   building alternative power systems using solar and wind power.   
      
   During the late 1970s, more and more 2 meter repeaters were put on the air,   
   mostly by ham clubs. Sorting out new rules and regulations for them turned   
   into a major undertaking for the FCC, including dealing with phone patches   
   and autopatches via repeaters. QST responded with articles and notes to   
   report the rules changes.   
      
   On March 20, 1978, the FCC banned 10 meter amplifiers, because of the   
   large-scale misuse of them on Citizens Band. This happened, despite the   
   efforts of ARRL and many individual hams and ham clubs to leave the hams   
   alone and to go after errant CBers instead. A guest editorial by Dave Bell,   
   W6AQ, in the May 1978 QST is a splendid fable mirroring the FCC decision.   
      
   By the late 1970s, attention began to be focused on the potential dangers to   
   hams of RF radiation.   
      
   A QST article in September 1978 described the experiences of Naomi Uemura,   
   JG1QFW, as the first solo explorer to reach the North Pole. Hams set up an   
   emergency circuit for his support, and tracked his dog sledge via reports   
   relayed through the Nimbus 6 satellite.   
      
   During the late 1970s, considerable attention was given to the new concept   
   of narrowband voice modulation (NBVM). The new technique of   
   frequency-compressed SSB was reported in the December 1977 QST, and the   
   editorial in the September 1978 issue announced that W1AW would soon begin   
   test transmissions, together with instructions as to how the signal can be   
   tuned in (with reduced intelligibility) using normal SSB receivers. NBVM   
   never caught on, however.   
      
   Two new annual contests began in 1978 -- the ARRL EME Competition and the   
   ARRL UHF Contest. An article in October 1978 QST reported on a newly   
   discovered mode of VHF propagation -- Equatorial FAI (transequatorial   
   propagation enhanced by magnetic-field-aligned irregularities). -- Al   
   Brogdon, W1AB   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Sunspot activity continued to   
   weaken over the past 7 days (August 28 through September 3). Average daily   
   sunspot numbers declined from 113.4 to 85.1, and average daily solar flux   
   dropped from 130.5 to 126.7. Geomagnetic activity was up recently, with the   
   average planetary A index increasing from 7.4 to 14.7 -- nearly double the   
   values recorded a week earlier.   
      
   The latest predicted solar flux values are   
   140 on September 4, 135 on September 5-6, 130 on September 7-8, 120 on   
   September 9-10, 115 on September 11-13, and 110 on September 14-15. Values   
   rise again, reaching a very modest peak of 135 on September 20-21, just   
   before the fall equinox on September 23.   
      
   The predicted planetary A index is 8, 10, 20, and 15 on September 4-7, 8 on   
   September 8-9, 5 on September 10-12, 8 on September 13, and 5 on September   
   14-24.   
      
   One encouraging sign: The GOES-15 X-Ray background flux has risen over the   
   past few days. It was C1.2 and C1.0 on September 2-3, and it hasn't had a C   
   reading in quite some time. This is actually more significant than solar   
   flux with respect to its effect on the ionosphere. You can check the   
   background flux daily on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center website. If   
   you take a look at the quarterly record, you can see that X-Ray background   
   flux has not been this high since early July.   
      
   This weekly "Solar