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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-10-30   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   October 30, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Hawaii ARES Volunteers Finalize Plans for Possible Lava Flow Activation   
    *  Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Among Those Lost in Launch   
       Explosion   
    *  Indian Radio Amateurs Continue Communication Support Following Cyclone   
    *  Colorado EOSS-202 Balloon Flight Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads   
       "Awesome"   
    *  Bidding in Ninth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction Ends on Thursday, October   
       30   
    *  ARISS Encourages Schools to Apply Now for Space Station Ham Radio   
       Contact Opportunities   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Set Sights on Washington and Kansas, Plus   
       American Samoa   
    *  4M Moon Orbiter Completes Lunar Flyby   
    *  KP1-5 Project Gets Permission to Activate Navassa Island (KP1) in   
       January 2015   
    *  Indonesia's New Leaders are Radio Amateurs   
    *  NCDXC Donates Radio, Accessories to 3B9FR   
    *  Special Event Call Sign VI6ANZAC Will Mark 100th Anniversary of ANZAC   
    *  Former ARRL Staff Member Mary Lau, N1VH, SK   
    *  Mirage, KLM Co-Founder Kenneth E. Holladay, K6HCP, SK   
    *  Bill Orr Award Recipient Harry R. "Bob" Schroeder, N2HX, SK   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Getting It Right!   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Hawaii ARES Volunteers Finalize Plans for Possible Lava Flow Activation   
      
   ARRL Pacific Section Manager Bob Schneider, AH6J, said this week that   
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers on the Big Island of   
   Hawaii are ready to activate, if needed, in response to the Puna lava flow.   
      
   "It's basically on the edges of the populated part of town [of Pahoa],"   
   Schneider said on October 30. "At this point, it's 'get ready and see what   
   happens.'"   
      
   Like the 1958 horror movie "The Blob" -- indescribable, indestructible, and   
   nothing can stop it! -- by late in the week, the lava flow was threatening   
   to consume dozens of homes in Pahoa and cut across the town's main highway.   
   The lava claimed its first structure -- a shed -- on October 28. Schneider   
   said the flow oozed across a cemetery this week too. The lava originated   
   from new "vents" in the Earth as a result of the Mt Kilauea volcano, which   
   began erupting more than 30 years ago. After grinding to a halt nearly a   
   month ago, the lava flow recently resumed its slow and devastating crawl   
   toward populated areas. Now the National Guard has been called out, and some   
   20 families have been ordered to evacuate. Hawaii's Civil Defense has been   
   fully deployed.   
      
   Lava flows are nothing new to Hawaiians; Schneider and others call them "a   
   slow-motion disaster." In September ARRL deployed Ham Aid kits to Hawaii for   
   a possible lava flow response then. As it turned out, ARES members there   
   needed the gear for Hurricane Ana first, since the lava flow had abated by   
   the time the equipment got to Hawaii.   
      
   Schneider told ARRL Headquarters this week that District Emergency   
   Coordinators were establishing area-specific ARES standard operating   
   procedures in the event of an activation. "[East Hawaii DEC Kim Fendt,   
   WH6HIM] has put together a volunteer shelter-response team," Schneider said.   
   "They all realize that this may involve multiple shifts for a considerable   
   time."   
      
   Hawaii County Puna Makai District Councilor Greggor Ilagan reported that the   
   flow was advancing at a rate of up to 17 yards per hour. At 2000 degrees   
   Fahrenheit, the lava incinerates nearly everything in its path, generating   
   smoke and leaving flames behind. Residents downwind with smoke sensitivity   
   or respiratory problems were being advised to "take necessary precautions"   
   and to remain indoors.   
      
   According to Schneider, conventional telecommunication systems are "solid"   
   for now, and there is no critical need for an ARES activation, although, he   
   conceded, that could change once the lava crosses the road. "Power to the   
   area is still holding," he reported. Schneider told the ARRL that the power   
   company attempted to protect some tall wooden utility poles by surrounding   
   them with rocks and dirt, but the lava simply consumed the poles from the   
   bottom, making them appearing to sink into the ground.   
      
   "We did have a brief power outage [October 28], and the emergency net came   
   up right away," Schneider recounted. "From what we could tell it was mostly   
   on the east side of the island."   
      
   Schneider said schools in Pahoa have been closed, and a shelter location has   
   been established, but, he explained, due to the "slow-motion" aspect,   
   residents have had time to deliberate their evacuation plans. The lava flow   
   has affected Election Day plans for some 2000 voters. Those who normally   
   vote at the Pahoa Community Center now will cast their ballots at the   
   Hawaiian Paradise Community Center.   
      
   "FEMA is offering a course on how to handle the psychological effects of   
   this thing," Schneider added. "[A] lot of people are having trouble dealing   
   with it."   
      
   Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Among Those Lost in Launch   
   Explosion   
      
   The RACE and GOMX-2 CubeSats, both carrying Amateur Radio payloads, were   
   among more than 2 dozen satellites lost after an unmanned Orbital Space   
   Sciences (OSC) Antares 130 vehicle exploded spectacularly shortly after   
   launch at 2222 UTC on Tuesday, October 28, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional   
   Spaceport at Wallops Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The Antares is a   
   new medium-class launch vehicle developed by OSC. The rocket exploded about   
   6 seconds after launch, sending a huge ball of fire hurtling toward the   
   ground and igniting a massive fire at the NASA launch site.   
      
   "While NASA is disappointed that Orbital Sciences' third contracted resupply   
   mission to the International Space Station was not successful today, we will   
   continue to move forward toward the next attempt once we fully understand   
   today's mishap," said William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator of   
   NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Directorate. "The crew of the   
   International Space Station is in no danger of running out of food or other   
   critical supplies." Indeed, a smaller resupply mission, launched from   
   Russia, reached the ISS the next day.   
      
   The Radiometer Atmospheric Cubesat Experiment (RACE) CubeSat was a joint   
   project of The Texas Spacecraft Laboratory (TSL) at the University of   
   Texas-Austin and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Built by a   
   30-student team, it carried a 183 GHz radiometer, a new science instrument   
   designed by JPL. The spacecraft was equipped to transmit using GMSK at 38.4   
   k and CW telemetry on a downlink frequency of 437.525MHz.   
      
   TSL's Glenn Lightsey, KE5DDG, a UT engineering professor, oversaw the   
   student project that worked hand-in-hand with NASA staff in creating a   
   satellite that aimed to measure water vapor in Earth's atmosphere.   
      
   "It's unfortunate, but it is also part of the aerospace   
   industry," Lightsey told the Texas Statesman newspaper. "The nature of   
   building space vehicles is that it is not a 100 percent reliable process.   
   Getting into space is really the hardest part."   
      
   The 2U GOMX-2 CubeSat was intended to test a de-orbit system designed by   
   Aalborg University in Denmark. Karl Klaus Laursen, OZ2KK, is listed as the   
   "responsible operator" on International Amateur Radio Union frequency   
   coordination documents. The Amateur Radio payload proposed using a 9.6 k MSK   
   data downlink on 437.250 MHz. Also on board was an optical communications   
   experiment from the National University of Singapore. The mission also aimed   
   to flight qualify a new high-speed UHF transceiver and SDR receiver built by   
   an Aalborg University team.   
      
   The Antares 130 resupply mission was carrying some 5000 pounds of cargo to   
   the International Space Station. The Antares 130 also was carrying the   
   Flock-1d array of 26 satellites as well as Arkyd-3 and Cygnus CRS-3. RACE,   
   GOMX-2, and the other satellites were to be launched into orbit from the ISS   
   later.   
      
   Indian Radio Amateurs Continue Communication Support Following Cyclone   
      
   More than 2 weeks after Cyclone (hurricane) Hud Hud hit Vishakhapattanam and   
   surrounding communities on India's Bay of Bengal, radio amateurs are   
   continuing to provide communication support to authorities and residents. In   
   the storm's immediate aftermath, all communication with Vishakhapattanam --   
   known as "Vizag" -- and the wider region was via Amateur Radio. With   
   electric power knocked out, no mobile or landline telephone service was   
   available, but Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) National Coordinator   
   for Disaster Communication Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, said the Amateur Radio   
   emergency communication network ran smoothly. Bhide told ARRL that it will   
   take some time before things are back to normal in the stricken region.   
      
   "The debris is getting cleared [and] rehabilitation is in progress," he   
   reported over the weekend. A half-dozen radio amateurs from Odissa have been   
   assisting both authorities and the public with communication. Bhide said a   
   few stations working under the National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR)   
   banner set up to assist with police and other administrative communication   
   needs.   
      
   "The landline telephones are under repair, and part of [the system] has   
   started working," Bhide said. "Mobile towers also are under repair and will   
   be in working condition soon." He said authorities have been working hard to   
   make drinking water available to the public.   
      
   Fifteen-year-old Tom Jose, VU3TMO, was among the NIAR volunteers. According   
   to an article in The Hindu, Tom was stationed at the Vishakhapattanam police   
   station, receiving message traffic from other radio amateurs in the   
   cyclone-affected areas and passing it on to the administration for relief   
   measures.   
      
   At week's end, radio amateurs in West Bengal and Hyderabad were on alert as   
   Cyclone Nilofar approached Gujarat. -- Thanks to Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, and Jim   
   Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee   
      
   Colorado EOSS-202 Balloon Flight Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads "Awesome"   
      
   An Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS) balloon flight, launched on October 25 by   
   students from Colorado and New Mexico, and carrying three ham radio payloads   
   into near-space surpassed its planned altitude. The mission, designated   
   EOSS-202, took off under a clear sky from Deer Trail, Colorado. The Douglas   
   County, Colorado, STEM School and STEM Academy and Spartan Amateur Radio   
   Club, AB0BX, sponsored and coordinated the balloon flight.   
      
   "It was awesome," said Paul Veal, N0AH, a Rocky Mountain Division Assistant   
   Director and AB0X trustee. "It was simply the best weather any of us could   
   have hoped for. According to EOSS, our flight reached one of the highest   
   altitudes they've had in years -- nearly 104,000 feet!"   
      
   Veal said a large number of young students participated "with great   
   enthusiasm throughout the morning cold at sunrise throughout the heat of the   
   day." Several of the more than 2 dozen students taking part in the project   
   are radio amateurs.   
      
   The "AB0BX Spartan Space Sciences" mission carried seven student-designed   
   payloads aloft. All payloads were retrieved after the balloon burst, at   
   first tumbling and then descending gently to Earth borne by a parachute.   
   Video from the ground was able to capture the balloon's burst as it attained   
   its maximum altitude. The onboard ham radio payloads served to track the   
   balloon during flight and recovery and also transmitted telemetry during the   
   mission.   
      
   Veal said the only major snafu involved the onboard Go-Pro cameras, which   
   were equipped with 8 GB cards. "We really needed 32 GB [cards], so we got   
   awesome pictures but only up to around 80,000 feet," he explained.   
      
   Veal said a parent-led chase team convoy was able to see with the naked eye   
   the sun's light reflecting from the balloon when it was more than 84,000   
   feet up. "This included several parents and students who tagged along in 13   
   vehicles -- around 50 of us altogether." The balloon traveled more than 70   
   miles, 19 more than predicted.   
      
   "The farming-ranching community in and around the recovery area near Cope,   
   Colorado, gladly helped us to recover the balloon on private land," Veal   
   said. "All payloads were recovered with no serious damage."   
      
   "Data from the various experiments, along with photos and videos from EOSS   
   and spectators, will be collected in the next few weeks," said Veal. "I am   
   hoping that the school can create a student team to formulate a digital book   
   to count toward credit." As a result of the balloon project, he said,   
   several project-based lesson plans for grades 6 through 12 can be formulated   
   along STEM standards.   
      
   Bidding in Ninth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction Ends on Thursday, October 30   
      
   Bidding in the ninth annual ARRL On-Line Auction concludes on Thursday,   
   October 30 (October 31 UTC). Bid closing times are staggered beginning at   
   0230 UTC and finishing at 0307 UTC on October 31. More than 230 items are on   
   the block, including 24 pieces of gear that were the subject of QST "Product   
   Review" articles. One-of-a-kind items include a hardcover 2014 Centennial   
   edition of The ARRL Handbook, imprinted with "Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW," and   
   a hardcover edition of the 2014 Centennial Handbook bearing serial number   
   100. Other unique items include an autographed script from the "Last Man   
   Standing" TV show, starring Tim Allen, who plays a radio amateur on the show   
   and now is licensed for real.   
      
   Primo items include Kenwood's top-tier TS-990 transceiver, the recently   
   reviewed Hilberling PT-8000A transceiver, and the TEN-TEC Argonaut VI HF QRP   
   transceiver.   
      
   Proceeds from the On-Line Auction benefit ARRL educational programs,   
   including activities aimed at licensing new hams, strengthening Amateur   
   Radio's emergency service training, offering continuing technical and   
   operating education, and creating instructional materials.   
      
   Check items in which you have an interest, as bidding end times for each   
   item are staggered.   
      
   Previous ARRL On-Line Auction participants may log into the auction site   
   using the password they've already established. Check your ARRL user profile   
   to ensure that all address and credit card information remains the same.   
   Those who are not registered and have not yet place a bid must first   
   register in order to participate.   
      
   ARISS Encourages Schools to Apply Now for Space Station Ham Radio Contact   
   Opportunities   
      
   The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program has   
   announced that the application window is open for proposals from formal and   
   informal educational institutions and organizations to host an Amateur Radio   
   contact with an ISS crew member. The deadline to submit proposals is   
   December 15. Educational entities may apply individually or in concert with   
   other institutions or organizations. ARISS anticipates that ham radio   
   contacts with the space station will take place between May 1 and December   
   31, 2015.   
      
   "Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact   
   dates," the ARISS announcement explained. "To maximize these radio contact   
   opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large   
   numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed   
   education plan."   
      
   Since December 2000, crew members aboard the International Space Station   
   have taken part in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts with students on Earth.   
   Contacts typically last about 10 minutes -- depending upon the ISS orbit --   
   and follow a question-and-answer format. Schools and educational   
   organizations are encouraged to partner with a local Amateur Radio club or   
   group to handle the technical aspects of the contact.   
      
   An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio   
   between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms   
   and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity   
   to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space   
   and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will   
   have an opportunity to learn about "satellite communication, wireless   
   technology, and radio science."   
      
   The ARRL website has more information about the program, including details   
   on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines and application form, and   
   dates and times of informational sessions. Contact ARISS with any questions   
   or for additional information.   
      
   ARISS is a cooperative educational initiative of the ARRL and AMSAT, in   
   partnership with NASA and other international space agencies.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Set Sights on Washington and Kansas, Plus   
   American Samoa   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states are now in Wyoming, Massachusetts, and the US   
   Virgin Islands. They will transition at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, November 5   
   (the evening of November 4 in US time zones), to Kansas (W1AW/0) and   
   Washington (W1AW/7). Some W1AW/0 operation from Kansas will take place from   
   the Marshall Ensor Memorial Organization Amateur Radio Club in Olathe. In   
   addition, W1AW/KH8 will be on the air from American Samoa starting on   
   Sunday, November 2, with operation continuing for about 12 days. So far   
   during 2014, W1AW has visited each of the 50 states for at least 1 week, and   
   by year's end W1AW will have been on the air from every state at least   
   twice.   
      
   [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.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   4M Moon Orbiter Completes Lunar Flyby   
      
   The recently launched 4M (Manfred Memorial Moon Mission) Amateur Radio   
   payload completed its loop around the moon on October 28 between 0030 and   
   0215 UTC. Among the 13-character onboard messages posted prior to launch was   
   a encomium for Manfred Fuchs, to whom LUXspace dedicated the mission. Fuchs   
   was the founder of LUXspace parent OHB. Roland Zurmely, PY4ZBZ, the first   
   station to receive the 4M signal, was also the first to piece together the   
   158 JT65B 13-character messages comprising dedication, which described Fuchs   
   as playing "an outstanding role in the European space industry over the last   
   decades." Fuchs died earlier this year at the age of 75.   
      
   The 4M payload downlink is on 2 meters (145.980 ñDoppler shift),   
   transmitting continuously at a power of 1.5 W into a quarter-wave monopole.   
   For its first 12 hours, the 4M payload was powered by rechargeable   
   batteries. It then switched automatically to non-rechargeable high-energy   
   density cells. Even as the spacecraft is on its return trajectory, receiving   
   the signal requires a high-gain antenna. Stations in the Southern Hemisphere   
   have the best chance of hearing the 4M payload. Radio amateurs have been   
   encouraged to receive and report the spacecraft's signals. As of October 29,   
   the spacecraft was some 255,000 miles from Earth. A 4M tracking calculator   
   and payload blog also are available.   
      
   A Chinese Long March 3C/G2 rocket carried the 4M lunar flyby experiment into   
   space at 1759 UTC on October 23 as a private payload on China's Chang'e-5-T1   
   mission. Chang'e-5-T1 represents the third phase of China's lunar   
   exploration program, aimed at validating technologies for a future lunar   
   sample return probe. If successful, this mission would mark the first   
   successful re-entry of a Chinese space vehicle into Earth's atmosphere.   
      
   "Here at LUXspace, we are really thankful and grateful to all in the radio   
   amateur community who definitely [are] major actor[s] in the success of this   
   mission," Ghislain Ruy, LX2RG, of LUXspace, said this week. -- Thanks to   
   AMSAT-UK via AMSAT News Service   
      
   KP1-5 Project Gets Permission to Activate Navassa Island (KP1) in January   
   2015   
      
   The KP1-5 Project has received word from the US Fish & Wildlife Service   
   (USFWS) that it may activate Navassa Island (KP1) in January 2015. The   
   DXpedition, using the call sign K1N, will be a maximum of 14 days, and exact   
   dates will be determined by USFWS mission requirements and weather windows.   
      
   "Our experienced team of 15 is complete and is ready for the challenge,"   
   said an October 22 KP1-5 Project news release from President Bob Allphin,   
   K4UEE, and Vice President Glenn Johnson, W0GJ. "The weeks ahead will be   
   extremely busy as the team has less than 90 days before the DXpedition comes   
   on the air."   
      
   As the announcement explained, January is the month of minimum bird nesting   
   activity, and the USFWS had asked that the operation be completed during   
   that month. Weather is unpredictable in January, however, and because   
   Navassa is surrounded by cliffs, a safe landing by boat would be difficult   
   or impossible.   
      
   "For safety reasons and in order to maximize our time on the island and on   
   the air, a helicopter operation is planned," the team's news release said.   
   "Navassa is over 100 miles (160 km) from the nearest helicopter staging   
   point, and as many as 10 round trips will be required at the beginning and   
   end of the operation. Obviously, this means that there will be a significant   
   cost for activating this No 1 ranked DXCC entity."   
      
   The KP1-5 Project said it will be working with USFWS over the next few weeks   
   to firm up details. The KP1-5 Project team has committed to fund 50 percent   
   of the DXpedition's tab. "We are hopeful the DX community at large will fund   
   the remainder," The announcement concluded.   
      
   INDEXA has announced that it will provide substantial financial support for   
   the Navassa Island KP1-5 Project DXpedition. More than half of the   
   DXpedition team members are INDEXA officers, directors, and members.   
      
   In other pending-DXpedition news, landing permission has been granted by the   
   Norwegian Polar Institute for a DXpedition on Bouvet (3Y/B). Landing   
   permission covers the period from mid-January to mid-April 2016.   
      
   Indonesia's New Leaders are Radio Amateurs   
      
   Indonesia's new national leaders are both Amateur Radio licensees.   
      
   President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, YD2JKW, holds a General class license. Vice   
   President Jusuf Kalla, YC8HYK, is an Advanced class licensee.   
      
   Elected in July, Jokowi, 53, and Kalla, 72, were inaugurated on October 20   
   in Jakarta. Indonesia is the world's third-largest democracy, with a   
   population of approximately 250 million. Secretary of State John Kerry   
   represented the US at the inauguration and met with the new president   
   afterward.   
      
   Jokowi previously served as Governor of Jakarta and as Mayor of Surakarta.   
      
   NCDXC Donates Radio, Accessories to 3B9FR   
      
   The Northern California DX Club (NCDXC) has donated a radio and accessories   
   to Robert Felicite, 3B9FR, to keep his Rodriguez Island station on the air.   
   According to Rusty Epps, W6OAT, Felicite had been seeking help to get his   
   current transceiver repaired, and Epps raised the topic at the club's   
   September meeting. Members were eager to help.   
      
   Ross Forbes, K6GFJ, offered to donate an entire station   
   that he was not using to help 3B9FR get back on the air. Kip Edwards, W6SZN,   
   and Rich Stempien, W6RS, made sure the transceiver was in good operating   
   condition before shipping it off to Rodriguez Island. The NCDXC sent an Icom   
   IC-756PROIII transceiver, Icom SP-23 speaker and SM-20 desk mic, and a hand   
   mic, as well as a MicroHAM microKEYER interface and a Heil Pro-Set Plus!   
   Headset -- along with all documentation and cables.   
      
   The donation will enable 3B9FR to be active on 160 through 6 meters, CW,   
   SSB, RTTY, and FM, as long as he has the requisite antennas. -- Thanks to   
   The Daily DX via Ross Forbes, K6GFJ   
      
   Special Event Call Sign VI6ANZAC Will Mark 100th Anniversary of ANZAC   
      
   Special event station VI6ANZAC will be on the air for 24 hours, starting   
   at 1600 UTC on October 31, from Albany, Western Australia. The operation   
   will commemorate the centennial of the departure from Albany of the first   
   ship convoy transporting Australian and New Zealand troops, later known as   
   ANZAC -- Australian and New Zealand Army Corps -- to the World War I   
   battlefront in Europe.   
      
   The operation, being carried out by the Southern Electronics Group VK6SR,   
   will be on 160-10 meters, with operation primarily on SSB. CW and digital   
   mode operation is possible.   
      
   QSL via VK3CAM. -- Thanks to The Daily DX   
      
   Former ARRL Staff Member Mary Lau, N1VH, SK   
      
   Former ARRL Headquarters staff member Mary E. Lau, N1VH (ex-N7IAL), of   
   Newington, Connecticut, died October 15. She was 61 and had been suffering   
   from ALS. Lau worked in several League Headquarters departments from 1985   
   until her retirement in 2005, including Field and Educational Services   
   (F&ES), where she was   
   projects supervisor and secretary of the ARRL Foundation, assisting young   
   Amateur Radio operators to secure college scholarships and administering the   
   prestigious Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship. Lau headed the Field and   
   Educational Services support team that produced the "Leap into Amateur   
   Radio" brochure aimed at elementary schoolers. She also contributed   
   technical assistance in the preparation of the Active Club Primer. She   
   edited the "At the Foundation" column for QST while she was the Foundation   
   secretary.   
      
   "Mary loved radio, was a hard worker, creative at finding solutions, would   
   bull-dog things she believed in, was quite enthusiastic about learning new   
   things, empathetic to anyone who came to her, super organized, happy to be   
   at ARRL Headquarters, and was overall a 'glass is half full' type of   
   person," said former ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie   
   White, K1STO.   
      
   A native of Los Angeles, Mary also spent some time in the Pacific Northwest,   
   where she became licensed as N7IAL. She met her husband Zack, W1VT, at ARRL   
   Headquarters, and she enjoyed many fun operating activities over the years.   
   Read more.   
      
   Mirage, KLM Co-Founder Kenneth E. Holladay, K6HCP, SK   
      
   The co-founder of Mirage Communications and KLM, Ken Holladay, K6HCP, of   
   Gilroy, California, died October 14 after an extended illness. He was 75.   
   Holladay and Everett Gracey, WA6CBA (SK) co-founded   
   Mirage Communications, now a part of MFJ. He was also the "K" in KLM   
   Electronics, Inc, which he co-founded with Leeland "Mel" Farrer, K6KBE, and   
   Mike Staal, K6MYC.   
      
   A radio amateur from his high school days and an ARRL Life Member, Holladay   
   was a California native and attended San Jose Junior College. He wrote   
   several articles in the 1960s and 1970s for Ham Radio magazine and for QST.   
   He and his wife Jacqui published Electro Buyers Guide. He was an active   
   builder and experimenter on the VHF and UHF bands and was an early   
   participant in EME activity on 50 MHz and 1296 MHz. Read more.   
      
   Bill Orr Award Recipient Harry R. "Bob" Schroeder, N2HX, SK   
      
   Bob Schroeder, N2HX, of Ewing Township, New Jersey, died October 22 after a   
   brief illness. He was 62 and had recently retired from the New Jersey State   
   Police. Orr was the recipient of the 2009 ARRL Bill   
   Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award. He was cited for his article   
   "Electromagnetic Pulse and Its Implications for EmComm," which appeared in   
   the November 2009 issue of QST.   
      
   Schroeder served as the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency   
   Management RACES officer for many years, and is credited with having fully   
   integrated Amateur Radio into New Jersey OEM response plans. An ARRL and   
   IEEE member, Schroeder was president of the Delaware Valley Radio   
   Association and served as its repeater director. His technical column   
   "Balanced Lines" had appeared in the DVRA newsletter since 1998. Schroeder   
   received his degree in Electrical Engineering from what is now the College   
   of New Jersey in 1976 and was a member of the Institute of Electrical and   
   Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for more than 20 years. -- Thanks to Gary   
   Wilson, K2GW   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   A photo story in "Up Front in QST" in January 1993 noted that President   
   George H.W. Bush had made an official visit to Springfield, New Jersey, to   
   meet with local and state officials. One of those officials was Jeff,   
   WB2DCJ, who coaxed the President into greeting some locals on 2 meters.   
   "Hey, how are you guys doing?" Bush said on the radio. "Nice to talk with   
   you."   
      
   That same issue of QST noted that DXCC credit was now being given for   
   contacts with three new entities -- Croatia, Slovenia, and   
   Bosnia-Hercegovina -- that emerged from the breakup of the former   
   Yugoslavia.   
      
   By 1993, as the number of licensed amateurs increased, so did the number of   
   intentional violations of FCC rules.The Commission responded by getting   
   tough and levying severe fines on intentional wrongdoers, and in some cases   
   taking offenders to court.   
      
   The July 1993 issue of QST published the tale of K3KMO's 10,500 mile   
   motorcycle trip from Maryland to Alaska and back, all the while operating HF   
   CW in motion. CW contacts with hams all over the world helped while away the   
   long hours driving along the road.   
      
   In the 1970s, the FCC banned amateur communications for business purposes.   
   The vague wording of those rules became interpreted in a progressively   
   stringent manner over the years, however, curtailing the use of Amateur   
   Radio to support even meritorious public service activities. In July 1993,   
   the FCC changed its rules to allow hams to provide communication for   
   worthwhile public service activities. The final rules were adopted almost   
   verbatim from the suggestion made by ARRL.   
      
   The 10th anniversary of Amateur Radio as part of NASA space shuttle missions   
   was observed in 1993, with five shuttle crews requesting that ham radio be   
   part of the payload that year. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Strong solar activity   
   continued this week, with average daily sunspot numbers rising 36 points to   
   119.9 and average daily solar flux up 24 points to 198.   
      
   If you are recording solar flux and sunspot data, the DRAO site in Penticton   
   has its archive (text) (HTML) of solar flux data now current, and it's   
   updated three times per day. You can also download an update of the data   
   file for Scott Craig's solar data plotting utility. You can update the data   
   file weekly using this bulletin.   
      
   The current prediction has daily solar flux at 145 on October 30, 135 on   
   October 31 through November 2, 130 on November 3-4, 120 on November 5-6, 165   
   and 160 on November 7-8, 165 on November 9-10, 175 on November 11-12, then   
   peaking at 200 on November 19-20, and reaching a low of 110 on December 12.   
      
   The predicted planetary A index is 12 on October 30, 8 on October 31 through   
   November 4, 12 on November 5, 8 on November 6-7, 5 on November 8-9, 8 on   
   November 10-11, then 5 and 8 on November 12-13, 12 on November 14-15, then   
   22, 15 and 10 on November 16-18, and 8 on November 19-21.   
      
   Conditions should be good this weekend for ARRL November Sweepstakes CW.   
   This is the weekend that Daylight Saving Time ends, but UTC is consistent,   
   so you don't get another hour of contesting when the clocks "fall back" by   
   60 minutes on Sunday at 2 AM local time.   
      
   If you are not a diehard contester, you might still enjoy handing out   
   contacts to the bleary-eyed, hungry hordes in final hours of the event --   
   especially if you happen to live in a rare or semi-rare ARRL/RAC section.   
      
   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.   
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   Getting It Right!   
      
   A story, "Actor Tim Allen Gets His Ham Ticket for Real," in the October 2,   
   2014, edition of The ARRL Letter contained incorrect information about one   
   of the show's characters. It should have read, "Allen plays Mike Baxter,   
   KA0XTT, and the show, which starts its new season October 3, has featured   
   ham radio in some episodes (Allen's TV da