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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-09-18   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   September 18, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 Weekend   
    *  High-Value ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New   
       Mexico, Idaho in the Bullpen   
    *  New $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in Effect   
    *  IARU Region 1 General Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet in   
       Bulgaria   
    *  Amateur Radio Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio   
       Licensing Rules   
    *  Rare Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short Time   
    *  Moon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will Transmit Earthly Messages from Space   
    *  Qatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur Radio   
       Transponders   
    *  AMSAT-NA Announces Board of Directors Election Results   
    *  Colorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in Citizen Corps Awards   
    *  "Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September 28   
    *  No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward Slide   
    *  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 Website Unavailable on September 19 Starting at 2000 UTC   
      
   The ARRL website is scheduled to be offline on Friday, September 19,   
   starting at 2000 UTC. The length of the outage could run for several   
   hours and possibly into Saturday, September 20. The ARRL   
   IT Department will be performing maintenance in the process of testing and,   
   if feasible, switching the site to a new server.   
      
   A "Down for Maintenance" message will appear for the duration of the outage   
   whenever someone attempts to access www.arrl.org.   
      
   All e-mail functionality will remain online -- only the website will be down   
   for testing.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 Weekend   
      
   The national ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is slated for the October   
   4-5 weekend, although the window for local and regional exercises is   
   September 1 through November 30 each year. All groups conduct their events   
   over the course of 48 hours. The SET is a nationwide exercise in disaster   
   response and emergency   
   communication, administered by ARRL emergency coordinators and net managers,   
   in which volunteers respond to a mock emergency or disaster, such as an   
   earthquake or hurricane. Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service   
   (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the National   
   Traffic System (NTS), SKYWARN, the ARRL Field Organization, and other groups   
   work together to plan and develop simulated emergency and disaster   
   scenarios, in consultation with the various served agencies that rely on   
   radio amateurs during emergencies.   
      
   The SET offers volunteer public service communicators the opportunity to   
   focus on their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses while interacting   
   with NTS nets. It also provides a public demonstration -- to served agencies   
   such as the Red Cross, state and local emergency managers, and the news   
   media -- of the value that Amateur Radio provides. The SET helps radio   
   amateurs gain communication experience using standard procedures and a   
   variety of modes, under simulated disaster-response conditions.   
   Participating groups earn points toward an overall SET score, adding a   
   competitive component to the activity. Results are listed in QST (see pages   
   71-73 of the July issue of QST for the 2013 SET results). Visit the ARRL   
   Public Service/Field Services page and click on "SET Score Card" for an   
   explanation of how points are earned.   
      
   Many ARES groups across the country will be participating, and all ARES   
   members are invited to support the national SET and their local ARES group's   
   activity.   
      
   During this year's SET, participating ARES/NTS members can earn SET bonus   
   points by participating in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party. [ARES_NTS.jpg]   
   During the October 4-5 SET weekend, ARES and NTS field members and   
   appointees are encouraged to get on the air and call "CQ Centennial." The   
   exchange is signal report, name, location, and your designator. There will   
   be a special bonus for groups that include Centennial QSO Party   
   participation. Each station making at least 5 contacts is worth an   
   additional 3 points toward your group's SET score. Those taking part in a   
   SET on another weekend may participate on the national SET weekend and count   
   it later (or submit an amended SET report form).   
      
   See page 78 in the July issue of QST, and page 75 in the September issue of   
   QST for more information on the SET. -- Thanks to the ARES E-Letter   
      
   High-Value ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21   
      
   The next ARRL "Red Badges on the Air" activity is just days away. On Sunday,   
   September 21 UTC (starting the evening of Saturday, September 20, in US time   
   zones), holders of red ARRL name/call sign badges will be on the air en   
   masse, offering a chance to boost your ARRL Centennial QSO Party total. ARRL   
   officers, elected officials such as Director or Section Manager, as well as   
   Headquarters staffers and volunteers, and other members of the ARRL family   
   will take to the   
   air in numbers. Contacts with red badge wearers are worth as much as 300   
   points per contact for working ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. ARRL   
   Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, said he expects   
   many of the 200 or so Red Badgers will be on the air on September 21, along   
   with other ARRL appointees, VEs, and members.   
      
   "The first Red Badge Day 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 focus is to   
   encourage ARRL red badge holders 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. Read more.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New Mexico,   
   Idaho in the Bullpen   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states are now in North Carolina (W1AW/4) and   
   Connecticut (W1AW/1). W1AW operations will transition starting at 0000 UTC   
   on Wednesday, September 24 (the evening of September 23 in US time zones),   
   to New Mexico (W1AW/5) and Idaho (W1AW/7). W1AW has visited each of the 50   
   states for at least 1 week so far during 2014. By year's end W1AW will have   
   been on the air from every state at least twice, as well as from most US   
   territories.   
      
   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.   
      
   New $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in Effect   
      
   The new Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee of $21.40 became   
   effective on September 11. The FCC released a Report and Order and Further   
   Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (R&O) on August 29, in which it recalculated   
   the fee to $21.40 for the 10-year license term. The $5.30 increase   
   represents the largest vanity fee hike in many years. In the past, new   
   vanity fees did not become effective until 30 days after their publication   
   in The Federal Register, which occurred on September 11.   
      
   The FCC reported there were 11,500   
   "payment units" in FY 2014, and that the vanity program generated an   
   estimated $230,230 in FY 2013 revenue. The Commission estimated that it   
   would collect nearly $246,100 in FY 2014 vanity call sign fees.   
      
   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.   
      
   As of October 1, 2013, the Commission no longer accepts checks -- including   
   cashier's checks -- for the payment of regulatory fees. All payments must   
   now be made by online ACH payment, online credit card, or via wire transfer.   
   Any other form of payment will be rejected and returned to the applicant.   
      
   IARU Region 1 General Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet in   
   Bulgaria   
      
   Representatives of the countries comprising IARU Region 1 (Europe, Africa,   
   the Middle East, and Northern Asia) will gather this month for the Region 1   
   General Conference. The Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs, (BFRA) will   
   host the meeting September 21-26 in Albena on the Black Sea Coast. Regional   
   general conferences are held every 3 years.   
      
   "At General Conferences IARU Region 1 makes major   
   decisions on the future of Amateur Radio and determines the way ahead with   
   administrative, operational, technical, and financial matters," Region 1   
   Chairman Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, explained. Conference delegates will   
   elect the Executive Committee as well as working group chairmen, and   
   coordinators.   
      
   General Conference participants will tackle a plethora of papers on a wide   
   variety of Amateur Radio topics -- from administrative to operational and   
   technical.   
      
   The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will raise the issue of malicious   
   QRM, especially in the wake of intentional interference to well-publicized   
   DXpeditions that have attracted huge pileups. "It is now time for all Region   
   1 Member Societies to treat malicious QRM as a major and urgent priority and   
   to take positive action against this form of anarchy that threatens the   
   future of Amateur Radio," the RSGB said in   
   its paper, "Malicious QRM -- Time for Action." Among other approaches, the   
   RSGB will recommend that member societies use their media outlets to   
   "highlight the self-regulatory ethos of Amateur Radio, to condemn the   
   actions of the malicious QRMers, and to publicize where direct action has   
   been taken." The RSGB also will recommend that Region 1 appoint an Amateur   
   Radio Observation Service (AROS) network.   
      
   The topic of transnational Amateur Radio remote-controlled operation also   
   will come up for discussion. A recommendation from the Irish Radio   
   Transmitters Society (IRTS) would mandate the incoming Executive Committee   
   to set up a working group of individuals experienced in radio regulatory   
   affairs "to examine the question of transnational remote-controlled   
   operation and to establish under what conditions such operation might be   
   regulated."   
      
   IARU Region 1 Youth Coordinator Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, has submitted a   
   proposal to form a Region 1 Youth Working Group, which would be responsible   
   for Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) activities in addition to promoting Amateur   
   Radio youth activities within the region. Leenders will recommend that IARU   
   Region 1 become the "main funder" of a week-long YOTA summer camp, where   
   youngsters take part in Amateur Radio activities.   
      
   Other presentations that delegates to the IARU Region 1 General Conference   
   will hear include a presentation on CW operating procedure by the Icelandic   
   Radio Amateurs (IRA) -- Iceland's IARU member-society.   
      
   The IARU Administrative Council will meet September 27-28, following the   
   Region 1 General Conference.   
      
   Amateur Radio Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio Licensing   
   Rules   
      
   The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) -- India's International Amateur   
   Radio Union (IARU) member-society -- is continuing an effort to make it   
   easier to obtain an Amateur Radio license in that country, where excessive   
   red tape is an accepted reality when dealing with government agencies. The   
   latest attempt came in an August 19 letter from ARSI President Gopal   
   Madhavan, VU2GMN, to Ravi Shankar Prasad, who heads the Ministry of   
   Communications and Information Technology.   
      
   "In India we are hampered by some very archaic rules,   
   which were possibly formulated during the British [colonial] times, when   
   everything was done to restrict radio licenses being given to Indians,"   
   Madhavan wrote. "The most restrictive and time-consuming aspect is the   
   'security clearance' that is being done before a license is granted," he   
   continued. "In most cases, this takes months or even years, and often the   
   paperwork is totally lost in transit between the various agencies."   
      
   Such "inordinate delays" in receiving a license after passing the   
   examination can cause applicants to simply lose interest, said Madhavan, who   
   is also IARU Region 3 chairman. "[G]enuine aspirants to Amateur Radio are   
   denied licenses for months, year, and sometimes forever, as the papers are   
   lost," he said.   
      
   In his letter, Madhavan took pains to spell out Amateur Radio's public   
   service role in past disasters and emergencies, such as the Indian Ocean   
   tsunami, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the Latur and   
   Gujarat earthquakes. Amateur Radio also contributes in terms of technical   
   training, experimentation, and communication, he said.   
      
   The Department of Telecommunications within Prasad's ministry issues Amateur   
   Radio licenses. The Indian government has suggested that ham radio   
   technology may fall into hands of terrorists and has begun requiring a   
   security clearance. Madhavan pointed out that the security clearance   
   requirement is not listed in India's Amateur Radio regulations, and he   
   called it "totally irrelevant" at a time when many other means of   
   communication are available.   
      
   "Every country has serious concerns about security, but they have not found   
   it necessary to vet aspirants to Amateur Radio as is done only in India," he   
   wrote. In most countries, he noted, applicants can obtain a license within a   
   week of passing the required exam and paying any necessary fees.   
      
   Madhavan requested Prasad's "intervention and coordination" with the   
   Ministry of Home Affairs to help ease the process of issuing a new amateur   
   license and to grow India's Amateur Radio population, which currently stands   
   at some 17,000 in a country of more than 1.2 billion people. Read more.   
      
   Rare Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short Time   
      
   Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, is on the air until September 22 from Eritrea as   
   E30FB, at present running 100 W to a vertical antenna on 20 and   
   15 meters, SSB. Eritrea now stands at number 17   
   (mixed) on ClubLog's DXCC Most Wanted List (number 10 on CW, number 22 on   
   SSB). Eritrea has not been activated since 2001.   
      
   This is not a DXpedition. Miyazawa is in Eritrea as part of an official   
   Japanese delegation. He plans to operate as his schedule permits.   
      
   Additional gear has arrived, but he is still missing the shipment containing   
   an amplifier. He does not have Internet access, and logs will be uploaded   
   when he returns to Japan.   
      
   Once a part of Ethiopia, Eritrea is a small country on the Horn of Africa   
   that is home to some 6.2 million people. -- Thanks to Jay Oka, JA1TRC   
      
   Moon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will Transmit Earthly Messages from Space   
      
   The Amateur Radio payload on the lunar-orbiting 4M-LXS spacecraft is set to   
   carry up to 2500 brief digital messages into space for retransmission via   
   JT65B mode on 145.990 MHz. China recently announced plans to launch the   
   orbiter carrying the 14 kg battery-powered payload, developed by LUXspace in   
   Luxembourg. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is a partner in the   
   experiment. Getting a message into space required registering and uploading   
   one via the 4M website. A "73 de W1AW" message was among those uploaded   
   before the message collection site closed on September 17. While the window   
   was open, the site gathered messages of up to 13 characters -- the maximum   
   for JT65 transmissions -- to transmit "from the moon," the 4M Manfred   
   Memorial Moon Mission website said.   
      
   Signals from the Amateur Radio payload can be decoded using the free WSJT   
   software by Joe Taylor, K1JT. The Manfred Memorial Moon Mission memorializes   
   Manfred Fuchs, the late founder and chairman of LUXspace parent company OHB   
   of Bremen. He died in April. The 4M mission is expected to launch sometime   
   after 1800 UTC on October 23.   
      
   According to LUXspace, the 4M spacecraft will transmit continuously on   
   145.980 MHz (ñ 2.9 kHz) at 1.5 W into a simple quarter-wave monopole   
   antenna. "This will give S/N comparable to EME signals at Earth's surface,"   
   LUXspace said. "The transmission is based on a 1-minute sequence and a   
   5-minute cycle. The transmission will start 4670 seconds (77.8 minutes)   
   after launch."   
      
   The 4M mission was detailed during a presentation the EME 2014 conference   
   held recently in France. A paper, "4M Mission: A Lunar Flyby Experiment"   
   also is available. During the lunar flyby, the spacecraft will be about   
   nearly 248,000 miles from Earth and between 7440 and 14,480 miles from the   
   Moon. The spacecraft will be part of the last stage of the lunar mission.   
   The planned trajectory calls for a lunar flyby and return to Earth, with a   
   90 percent chance that the spacecraft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere.   
   LUXspace has provided a tracking tool on its website. Read more. -- Thanks   
   to LUXspace, AMSAT-UK   
      
   Qatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur Radio   
   Transponders   
      
   Gunter's Space Page has reported that the Es'hail 2 communications satellite   
   will carry analog and digital Amateur Radio transponders. The new satellite,   
   which will be operated by Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, will be   
   in a geostationary orbit, positioned at the 26ø East "hotspot" position for   
   TV broadcasting to the Middle East and North Africa. Launch is planned for   
   late 2016.   
      
   Es'hail 2 will provide the first Amateur Radio   
   geostationary communication capability linking Brazil and India. It will   
   carry two AMSAT-DL-designed Phase 4 Amateur Radio transponders, consisting   
   of a 250 kHz linear analog transponder and an experimental digital   
   modulation transponder with an 8 MHz bandwidth. Uplinks will be in the   
   2.400-2.450 GHz range, with downlinks in the 10.450-10.500 GHz   
   Amateur-Satellite Service allocation. Both transponders will be equipped   
   with antennas capable of providing full coverage over about one-third of   
   Earth's surface.   
      
   The Qatar Amateur Radio Society and Qatar Satellite Company are cooperating   
   on the Amateur Radio project. AMSAT-DL is providing technical support. --   
   Thanks to Gunter's Space Page via AMSAT News Service   
      
   AMSAT-NA Announces Board of Directors Election Results   
      
   AMSAT-NA has announced the results of its recent Board of Directors   
   election. Tom Clark, K3IO; JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; and Lou   
   McFadin, W5DID, were elected to serve 2-year terms.   
      
   Jerry Buxton, N0JY, will serve the remaining year on the term of the late   
   Tony Monteiro, AA2TX.   
      
   The First Alternate is Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and the Second Alternate is   
   Frank Griffin, K4FEG. Read more.   
      
   Colorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in Citizen Corps Awards   
      
   The Boulder County (Colorado) ARES team (BCARES) received an honorable   
   mention in the Citizen Corps 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness   
   Awards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced its list of   
   nationwide award recipients on September 3.   
      
   BCARES was cited under the Technical Innovation category for its use of   
   Amateur TV and APRS and for its Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN)   
   project during its response to the 2013 flooding in the Boulder area. MERN   
   was created in conjunction with BCARES, the Inter-Mountain Alliance (IMA),   
   and the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management. The goal of the   
   system is to facilitate community emergency preparedness and insure   
   uninterrupted communication between and within six mountain communities in   
   Western Boulder County, county emergency services, and their resources prior   
   to and during an emergency via an Amateur Radio network.   
      
   FEMA is planning an award presentation. -- Thanks to ARRL Colorado Section   
   Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G   
      
   "Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September 28   
      
   A Hollywood-style Amateur Radio special event is set for later this month   
   from the so-called "Seinfeld Stage" on the CBS Studio Center lot in Studio   
   City, California. The K6H "Hollywood Hamnado" special event station will be   
   on HF and D-STAR on September 28, from 1400 until 2200 UTC. Hosts for the   
   event will be Amateur Radio crew members of the ABC television series "Last   
   Man Standing." On the show, actor Tim Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT. The   
   show's producer is John Amodeo, NN6JA   
      
   The Southern California-based PAPA Repeater   
   System, in association with the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society   
   (BEARS) and Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service (DEARS) are sponsoring   
   the special event.   
      
   Operation will take place on 10, 20, and 40 meters on HF and D-STAR   
   reflector 12A. Rob Antonacci, AA6RA, said K6H is planning to run three SSB   
   stations, operating on or around 28.420, 14.250, and 7.260 MHz. The PAPA   
   website, the W5KUB chat room, and the Mike Baxter KA0XTT Facebook page will   
   provide up-to-the-minute updates.   
      
   K6H also will use the Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect to link the WB6AJE   
   repeater in Los Angeles to Disney/ABC-sponsored repeaters in   
   Manhattan-Bristol, Connecticut; Washington, DC, and Orlando, Florida.   
   Various IRLP and EchoLink nodes will be available. Those contacting K6H will   
   receive a limited-edition QSL card.   
      
   Tom Medlin, W5KUB, will be on Stage 9 to interview the participants and   
   report on the special event activity. The PAPA website will stream video   
   directly from the operating stations. So far, 26 members of the "Last Man   
   Standing" crew have been inspired by the show's Amateur Radio component to   
   get licensed. -- Thanks to Rob Antonacci, AA6RA   
      
   No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward Slide   
      
   Back in the day, RadioShack employees would answer the phone by saying,   
   "You've got questions, we've got answers." But RadioShack now seems stumped,   
   and the "B" word is looming ever larger as the retailer -- once the go-to   
   place for electronic components and, at one point, even some Amateur Radio   
   gear and shortwave receivers -- casts about for a white knight. Last March,   
   in the wake of a substantial drop in holiday sales and a big fourth-quarter   
   loss, the Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack announced plans to close 1100   
   of its outlets, leaving the chain with 4000 stores, including more than 900   
   dealer franchises. The company's second-quarter 2014 report has been deemed   
   "dismal" by investment advisors.   
      
   According to CNNMoney, though, the retailer has   
   been able to shutter only 200 of those shops -- because it costs a lot of   
   money even to close locations, and RadioShack has none to spare. It's   
   already bleeding cash -- some $149 million just this year --in its struggle   
   to board up unprofitable locations and keep its head above the rising   
   waters, and, as CNNMoney reported, credit rating agency Moody's expects the   
   company's bank account to run dry within another 12 months. One Wall Street   
   analyst already has warned of impending bankruptcy, and Forbes.com reported   
   last week that the retailer itself has confirmed the likelihood of a Chapter   
   7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, if it cannot find a buyer or restructure   
   its debt.   
      
   RadioShack CEO Joseph Magnacca said in a statement on September 11 that   
   while the company was making progress in its turn-around efforts, "we are   
   actively exploring options for overhauling our balance sheet and are in   
   advanced discussions with a number of parties."   
      
   A filing the retailer submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission   
   (SEC) this week was far more blunt. In short, it said that if RadioShack   
   cannot sell the firm, partner with another company, or restructure its debt,   
   "we may not have enough cash and working capital to fund our operations   
   beyond the very near term, which raises substantial doubt about our ability   
   to continue as a going concern." And if Plan A does not work out, the   
   retailer told the SEC, "we would likely be required to liquidate under   
   Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code." Read more.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   In March 1980, Mount St Helens spectacularly exploded. Before the explosion,   
   radio amateurs had been assisting with communication among a number of sites   
   where ongoing measurements were being taken, because scientists had   
   concluded that the mountain was nearing the point of eruption. The hams   
   continued to work after the volcano's several eruptions, with both emergency   
   communications and a continuation of their previous support work. Sadly, two   
   of those hams lost their lives during the disaster -- W6TQF and KA7AMF.   
      
   By the 1980s, some towns and neighborhoods had begun to impose very   
   restrictive rules about antennas and towers -- rules that would prohibit   
   effective amateur antennas. Many of these cases were fought through the   
   legal system successfully by the affected hams. As with so many issues that   
   involve many hams all over the country, ARRL joined the fight, providing   
   legal assistance through the League's general counsel and volunteer   
   counselors who were also hams.   
      
   The ARRL introduced a new periodical in December 1981 -- QEX. Its purposes   
   were (1) to publish articles that documented advanced technical work in   
   areas that were not of wide general interest, and (2) to act as a catalyst   
   for technical development in the Amateur Radio and Amateur-Satellite   
   Services.   
      
   On May 21, 1981, at the request of the ARRL, the FCC restored 160 meters to   
   exclusive Amateur Radio use. Before this, the FCC rules included an array of   
   restrictions on 160 meter operation, to protect the LORAN (Long-Range Aid to   
   Navigation) system. Now, hams could run a full kilowatt on 160, day and   
   night, anywhere in the country!   
      
   In the 1980s, packet radio and packet repeaters -- digipeaters -- came into   
   being. Numerous QST articles detailed this mode of operation, helping   
   interested hams to get up and running on packet.   
      
   In 1982, cable TV systems expanded across the US, bringing with them the   
   potential for CATVI -- cable TVI. Some cable channels were on 2 meter   
   amateur frequencies, and because many poorly installed and maintained cable   
   systems "leaked" TV signals, causing interference on the 2 meter band. Of   
   course, if signals could leak out, other signals could leak in, and hams   
   sometimes caused interference when their signals got into the cable TV   
   system. Cable companies often blamed the problem on hams, rather than take   
   the blame for their poor equipment and maintenance. In the meantime, the FCC   
   was in a fiscal crisis, because of budget cutbacks. Although it was willing   
   to enforce the regulations and bring the cable companies in line, it was   
   unable to fund that enforcement effort. This problem continued for some time   
   before it was corrected.   
      
   During the 1980s, the SKYWARN system was established and became affiliated   
   with the National Weather Service, so hams could report dangerous weather   
   events that they saw. To this day, SKYWARN members have proven extremely   
   valuable for monitoring weather conditions and providing "ground truth"   
   reports to the NWS. Much SKYWARN communication occurs via 2 meter repeaters.   
      
   Harry Dannals, W2HD, had been ARRL   
   President for 10 years when he decided to step down in 1982. At the same   
   time, ARRL Secretary and General Manager Richard Baldwin, W1RU, retired. At   
   their first 1982 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors elected Vic Clark,   
   W4KFC, as the League's new president, and David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the new   
   Secretary and General Manager.   
      
   On the afternoon of January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 took off from   
   Washington National Airport. But the Boeing 737 slowly settled toward Earth,   
   clipping the 14th Street Bridge (I-395) and destroying seven cars that were   
   on it, before crash landing in the ice-covered Potomac River. The area's   
   ARES operators and nets sprang into immediate action and provided   
   much-needed communication support among the various governmental agencies   
   that had responded. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, On September 11 and 12 two powerful coronal mass   
   ejections (CMEs) hit Earth, producing a G3-class geomagnetic storm. The   
   result was a planetary A index of 44 on September 12, and during the final 3   
   hours of the day (UTC), the planetary K index reached a very lofty 7!   
      
   Overall solar activity is down, with the average daily sunspot number   
   declining from 152 to 124.9 in the September 11-17 period. Average daily   
   solar flux dropped from 155.8 to 139.8.   
   Predicted flux values have declined as well.   
   As an example, the daily 45-day forecast for solar flux on September 21 was   
   120 on August 6-10, 125 on August 11-17, 135 on August 18 through September   
   7, 150 on September 8-12, 130 on September 13, 120 on September 14-15, and   
   115 on every day since.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is 125 on September 18-19, 120 on September 20, 115 on   
   September 21-22, 110 on September 23-25, 115 on September 26, 120 on   
   September 27-28, 130 on September 29, 135 on September 30 and October 1, 140   
   on October 2, 145 on October 3-5, and 150 on October 6-7.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 18-25, 15 on September 26-27,   
   12 on September 28-29, 10 on September 30, 5 on October 1-2, 8 on October   
   3-4, 5 on October 5, and 10 on October 6-7.   
      
   The autumnal equinox occurs on September 23 at 0229 UTC, Monday evening in   
   North America. The equinox portends improved worldwide communication on the   
   HF bands. As an example, modeling propagation using W6ELprop and a modest   
   solar flux of 120, 20 meter signals between California and Japan on the   
   equinox run about 6 dB hotter in the early evening on the West Coast than   
   they would have a month earlier.   
      
   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 Friday's   
   bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from readers, including a   
   report of aurora seen in Arizona.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *   
      
       September 18 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       September 20 -- Feld-Hell Hell on Wheels Sprint   
    *   
      
       September 20 -- Pirate QSO Party   
    *   
      
       September 20-21 -- ARRL 10 GHz Cumulative Contest   
    *   
      
       September 20-21 -- Red Badges on the Air   
    *   
      
       September 20-21 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       September 20-21 -- South Carolina QSO Party   
    *   
      
       September 20-21 -- Washington State Salmon Run   
    *   
      
       September 21 -- BARTG Sprint 75   
    *   
      
       September 21-23 -- Classic Exchange (CW)   
    *   
      
       September 22 -- 144 MHz Fall VHF Sprint   
    *   
      
       September 24 -- SKCC Straight Key Sprint   
    *   
      
       September 27 -- Texas QSO Party   
    *   
      
       September 27-28 -- CQ WW RTTY Contest   
    *   
      
       September 27-28 -- Maine QSO Party   
    *   
      
       September 28 -- Peanut Power Sprint   
    *   
      
       September 30 -- 222 MHz Fall VHF Sprint   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
    *   
      
       September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois   
      
    *   
      
       September 26-27 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee   
    *   
      
       September 26-28 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference, Bensalem,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *   
      
       September 27 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota   
    *   
      
       September 27 -- Wash