If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:   
   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-12-04   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   December 4, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Members Elect Division Director, Two Vice Directors   
    *  SKYWARN Recognition Day 2014 is December 6   
    *  QST Centennial Photo Contest Now Under Way!   
    *  Mammoth New York Snowfall Put Amateur Radio Volunteers on Alert   
    *  ARRL 2014 International Humanitarian Award Nominations Due by December   
       31   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Shift to Indiana and Montana   
    *  Time to Tune Up on Top Band: The ARRL 160 Meter Contest is December 5-7   
    *  Conditions Look Good for ARRL 10 Meter Contest December 13-14   
    *  December is Youngsters On The Air Month!   
    *  Japanese Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads are Launched into   
       Deep Space   
    *  IARU Wants Member Societies "Engaged" in Seeking Support for 5.275-5.450   
       MHz Amateur Allocation   
    *  Deadline Looms to Apply for ARISS Educational Ham Radio Contacts with   
       the ISS   
    *  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 Members Elect Division Director, Two Vice Directors   
      
   The ballots have been counted, and ARRL members have determined that the   
   Atlantic Division's new Director starting January 1 will be current Vice   
   Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. Abernethy outpolled Phil Theis, K3TUF, 1400   
   to 1168, to succeed outgoing Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR,   
   who opted not to run for another term.   
      
   Abernethy was Maryland Section Manager from 2001 until 2005, when he was   
   appointed Vice Director, filling a vacancy. He also served previously as an   
   ARES Emergency Coordinator.   
      
   There was a three-way race to fill the Atlantic Division Vice Director's   
   seat, and current Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager Bob Famiglio, K3RF,   
   topped the field. Famiglio polled 1583 votes to 503 for former Western New   
   York Section Manager John Mueller, K2BT, and 470 for Scott Bauer, W2LC, also   
   a former Western New York SM.   
      
   Famiglio was first elected as Eastern Pennsylvania SM in 2012 and was   
   re-elected earlier this year. His election as Vice Director will create a   
   vacancy in the SM position that will be filled by appointment. He is an ARRL   
   Volunteer Counsel, and he served as a District Emergency Coordinator from   
   2006 until 2011.   
      
   The only other contest was in the ARRL Great Lakes Division, where current   
   Vice Director Tom Delaney, W8WTD, received 822 votes to 517 cast for Steve   
   Putman, N8ZR, who died earlier this fall while balloting already was   
   underway. Delaney, who served for several years previously as a Public   
   Information Officer, was appointed as Vice Director earlier this year to   
   succeed the former Vice Director, Dale Williams, WA8EFK. Williams moved into   
   the Director's chair after Jim Weaver, K8JE, resigned from the Board.   
   Williams was the only candidate for Great Lakes Division Director and has   
   been declared elected.   
      
   Midwest Division Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, also decided not to run for   
   another term. Succeeding him on January 1 will be current Vice Director Rod   
   Blocksome, K0DAS, the sole candidate for the position. He has served as Vice   
   Director since 2010, when he was appointed to succeed Ahrens. No candidates   
   stepped forward to run for the Vice Director's slot that Blocksome is   
   vacating, however, so ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will appoint someone   
   to the post. Ahrens was appointed in 2010 to succeed Director -- and now   
   Honorary Vice President -- Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, in the Midwest Division.   
      
   Incumbents in the Dakota and Delta divisions ran unopposed and have been   
   declared elected. They are Dakota Division Director Greg Widin, K0GW, and   
   Vice Director Kent Olson, KA0LDG, and Delta Division Director David Norris,   
   K5UZ, and Vice Director Ed Hudgens, WB4RHQ.   
      
   Ballots in the contested races were counted November 21, with Director Widin   
   observing at the offices of Survey & Ballot Systems in Eden Prairie,   
   Minnesota. Those elected take office for 3-year terms starting at noon   
   Eastern Time on January 1, 2015.   
      
   SKYWARN Recognition Day 2014 is December 6   
      
   SKYWARN Recognition Day 2014 gets under way at 0000 UTC on Saturday,   
   December 6 (Friday, December 5 in US time zones). This will be the 16th   
   annual event. Co-sponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service (NWS),   
   the 24-hour event recognizes the vital public service contribution that   
   Amateur Radio operators make while working with NWS offices during severe   
   weather events. It also is aimed at strengthening the bond between Amateur   
   Radio operators and local NWS offices.   
      
   [SKYWARN.jpg] The volunteer SKYWARN program comprises nearly 290,000 trained   
   severe weather spotters -- many of them radio amateurs -- who identify   
   severe storms and provide NWS forecasters with reports of local weather   
   conditions during severe weather events. On SKYWARN Recognition Day, Amateur   
   Radio operators visit National Weather Service offices and contact other   
   stations in the US and around the world. WX4NHC at the National Hurricane   
   Center in Miami will be among the NWS sites on the air for the occasion.   
      
   SKYWARN Recognition Day is not a contest. The object is for stations to   
   exchange some basic information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80   
   meters through 70 centimeters (excluding 1.25 meters). Repeater contacts are   
   permitted. Stations exchange call signs, signal reports, locations, and a   
   one- or two-word description of the weather at their respective locations.   
      
   More than 70 amateur stations are expected to be on the air from National   
   Weather Service offices across the US, and some will use special event call   
   signs. They will operate on various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW,   
   and PSK31. While working digital modes, these special event stations will   
   append "NWS" to their call signs (eg, N0A/NWS). It is suggested that a   
   licensed non-National Weather Service volunteer serve as a control operator   
   for stations set up at NWS offices.   
      
   The VoIP SKYWARN and Hurricane nets will participate in SKYWARN Recognition   
   Day. The weekly VoIP SKYWARN/Hurricane Preparation Net will meet 1 hour   
   earlier on December 5, prior to the official start of SKYWARN Recognition   
   Day. The weekly net and net activations for hurricanes employ the EchoLink   
   *WX-TALK* Conference server Node #:7203 which is integrated with IRLP   
   Reflector 9219.   
      
   Additional details about SKYWARN Recognition Day are available on the   
   SKYWARN Recognition Day web page.   
      
   QST Centennial Photo Contest Now Under Way!   
      
   On December 1 the QST Centennial Photo Contest kicked off, to   
   celebrate the 100th year of the ARRL's   
   membership journal. The first issue of QST was published in December 1915.   
      
   Between December 1, 2014, and August 1, 2015, ARRL members are invited to   
   submit photos for consideration as possible 2015 QST covers. In addition to   
   having their photos grace the cover of QST, each winner will receive $250.   
      
   Contest Rules   
      
    *   
      
       Images must be submitted by e-mail to upfront@arrl.org. Only one image   
       can be submitted per e-mail message. You may submit multiple images   
       during the contest period, but you can win only once.   
    *   
      
       Images must be in JPG or TIF format at high resolution. Image file sizes   
       must not exceed 5 Mbytes.   
    *   
      
       Do not send ZIP files. These will be rejected by the Headquarters e-mail   
       system. Links to file download sites will also be rejected.   
    *   
      
       Include a few sentences with each e-mail describing the scene(s) shown,   
       including names and call signs of individuals shown (if any).   
    *   
      
       Images must not include text overlays of any kind, such as date or time   
       stamps.   
    *   
      
       Each submission e-mail must include the name and call sign of the   
       photographer. Photographers must be ARRL members.   
    *   
      
       If a photo includes anyone under the age of 18, you must submit proof   
       (in writing, such as an e-mail) that the minor's parents have granted   
       permission for the image to be published.   
    *   
      
       Photographers will retain all copyrights, but by submitting the image to   
       the ARRL, the photographer grants the ARRL non-exclusive rights to the   
       use of the image for any lawful purpose in any media now existing or yet   
       to be invented. This applies to both winning and non-winning images.   
      
   The QST Editorial Staff will select the winning images.   
      
   Mammoth New York Snowfall Put Amateur Radio Volunteers on Alert   
      
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency   
   Service (RACES) volunteers activated a net and went on alert in   
   mid-November, even as they and their neighbors were digging out from several   
   days of unprecedented snowfall in New York's Niagara Frontier. The severe   
   weather in the Buffalo area was blamed for at least a dozen deaths. Western   
   New York Section Emergency Coordinator Joe Tedesco, KC2DKP, said SKYWARN   
   nets were very active over the course of two snowfall events during the week   
   of November 17, and Amateur Radio was credited with relaying reports to the   
   National Weather Service. Tedesco, who is also Assistant Erie County RACES   
   Officer and a Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) member, said he lives   
   in a direct line from Lake Erie, where most lake-effect snow bands get   
   started.   
      
   "Although we always do see heavy snows, I have never seen anything close to   
   the amount we saw yesterday," Tedesco said on November 19. His area received   
   some 4 feet of snow.   
      
   According to Weather.com, Wales Center, New York, recorded the highest   
   combined snowfall, with 85 inches on the ground. No communication issues   
   resulted from the weather emergency, Tedesco said. The heavy snow did cause   
   roof collapses, however, and emergency crews faced challenges when   
   responding to calls over largely impassable roads and highways.   
      
   ARRL 2014 International Humanitarian Award Nominations Due by December 31   
      
   The deadline to accept nominations for the 2014 ARRL International   
   Humanitarian Award is December 31. This prestigious award is conferred upon   
   an amateur or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace, and   
   international understanding through Amateur Radio. The League established   
   the annual prize to recognize individuals who have used Amateur Radio to   
   provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster.   
      
   A committee appointed by the League's President   
   recommends the award recipient(s) to the ARRL Board, which makes the final   
   decision. The committee invites nominations from Amateur Radio,   
   governmental, or other organizations.   
      
   Nominations should include a summary of the nominee's qualifying actions and   
   statements from at least two people having first-hand knowledge of the   
   events warranting the nomination. These verifying statements may be from an   
   official of a group (for example, the American Red Cross, The Salvation   
   Army, or emergency management agency) that benefited from the nominee's   
   particular Amateur Radio contribution. Nominations should include the names   
   and addresses of all references.   
      
   Submit nominations and supporting materials in writing (in English) to ARRL   
   International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA.   
   Nominations are due by December 31, 2014.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Find ARRL on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter!   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   W1AW Centennial Operations Shift to Indiana and Montana   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states are now in Maine and Illinois. They will   
   transition at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, December 10 (the evening of December 9   
   in US time zones), to Indiana (W1AW/9) and Montana (W1AW/7). W1AW has   
   visited each of the 50 states once, and by December 31 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. 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) username and   
   password.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Time to Tune Up on Top Band: The ARRL 160 Meter Contest is December 5-7   
      
   It's December, and once again time for the ARRL 160 Meter Contest. The   
   action gets under way at 2200 UTC on Friday, December 5, and wraps up at   
   1559 UTC on Sunday, December 7. This is a 42-hour event with no operating   
   time limit. If you have ever yearned to try your hand at Top Band   
   contesting, this is the perfect opportunity! The ARRL 160 Meter Contest is   
   an all-CW event, with ARRL/RAC Sections and DXCC entities serving as   
   multipliers.   
      
   In this contest, both DX and US/Canada stations can work Alaska (KL7) and   
   Hawaii (KH6), as well as the US Caribbean (KP1-KP5) and Pacific territories   
   (KH0-KH9). Contacts with US/Canada stations are worth 2 points, while DX   
   contacts are worth 5 points.   
      
   Three new Single Operator, Unlimited categories have been added: QRP, Low,   
   and High Power. Single Operator entrants now may use spotting assistance   
   without having to compete in the Multioperator category. Some successful   
   operators even venture forth each year with just 5 W!   
      
   Complete rules and entry forms are on the ARRL website. Logs must be   
   e-mailed or postmarked no later than 1600 UTC on January 6, 2015. Read more.   
      
   Conditions Look Good for ARRL 10 Meter Contest December 13-14   
      
   Always a favorite among serious and casual contesters alike, the 2014 ARRL   
   10 Meter Contest may enjoy excellent worldwide openings, plus a record   
   number of participants! Activity in the CQ World Wide CW contest in late   
   November was through the roof, with some operators reporting better 10 meter   
   conditions than they could ever remember.   
      
   "Don't miss out on this opportunity to work the world, before the Sun works   
   its way back into a slumber," ARRL Contest Branch Manager Matt Wilhelm,   
   W1MSW, urged.   
      
   There are a few new twists this year. Single Operator stations using   
   assistance will no longer be categorized as Multioperator entries. Also,   
   nine new Unlimited categories have been added: Single Operator QRP, Low   
   Power, and High Power CW Only, Phone Only, or Mixed Mode.   
      
   Single or Multioperator stations may operate for up to 36 hours. Technicians   
   have phone privileges from 28.300 to 28.500 MHz, so operators new to   
   contesting, or even to HF operating, can take part.   
      
   All stations will send a signal report as part of the contest exchange.   
   Stations in the US (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, and Mexico will   
   send their state or province abbreviations as part of the exchange; stations   
   in the District of Columbia stations will send "DC." DX stations (including   
   KH2, KP4, etc) will also send a sequential serial number starting with 001.   
      
   The 2014 ARRL 10 Meter Contest gets underway at 0000 UTC on Saturday,   
   December 13 (Friday, December 12, in US time zones). It concludes at 2359   
   UTC on Sunday, December 14. Logs should be e-mailed or postmarked by 0000   
   UTC Wednesday, January 14, 2014. Mail paper logs to ARRL 10 Meter Contest,   
   225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Read more.   
      
   December is Youngsters On The Air Month!   
      
   During December, special event stations around the world are taking part in   
   the first worldwide Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) activity. Stations using   
   YOTA-suffix call signs are expected to be active from all three   
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) regions. Although most   
   YOTA stations are in Region 1, one YOTA station will be   
   on the air from St Lucia in the Caribbean (Region 2), and another will be   
   active from the Philippines (Region 3). IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group   
   Chair Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, said YOTA Month is an opportunity to give   
   individuals aged 25 and younger a chance to make contact via Amateur Radio   
   in all available modes.   
      
   "With this event we are trying to get more youth activity on the air,"   
   Leenders told ARRL. "In addition to licensed younger radio amateurs,   
   unlicensed young people will be able to get behind the mic together with a   
   [control operator] to experience a possible new hobby. YOTA month is not a   
   contest, but a friendly way of making radio contacts."   
      
   She suggested that, in addition to names and signal reports, participants   
   exchange other information, including age, location, and additional   
   interests. A Youngsters On The Air Award will be available.   
      
   Additional information is available in the most recent YOTA Month bulletin.   
   Read more.   
      
   Japanese Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads are Launched into Deep   
   Space   
      
   This week, Japan successfully launched its Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample-return   
   mission into deep space, and with it, two satellites carrying Amateur Radio   
   payloads. A Japan Aerospace Exploration   
      
   Agency (JAXA) rocket lifted off on schedule early on December 3 (UTC),   
   carrying the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft on the first leg of its journey to   
   Asteroid 1999 JU3. Along for the ride into deep space are two Amateur Radio   
   satellites, Shin'en 2 (Abyss 2) and ARTSAT2: DESPATCH. The launch had been   
   postponed twice owing to unfavorable weather conditions. Shin'en 2 will   
   identify as JG6YIG, while ARTSAT2:DESPATCH will use the call sign JQ1ZNN.   
      
   Shin'en2 carries a 0.1 W CW beacon on 437.505 MHz and telemetry on 437.385   
   MHz (0.8 W) using a mode similar to WSJT. It will also carry a F1D digital   
   store-and-forward transponder with an uplink of 145.942 MHz and a downlink   
   at 435.270 MHz (0.4 W), but not the Amateur Radio Mode J linear transponder   
   announced earlier. The data format is posted on the Kagoshima University   
   website.   
      
   A linear SSB/CW transponder had been part of the initial design, but,   
   according to Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU, that had to be abandoned because of   
   regulatory issues. The digital transponder will offer earthbound hams an   
   opportunity to test the limits of their communication capabilities, however.   
   The project also is hoping to gather listener reports.   
      
   ARTSAT2:DESPATCH carries a 7 W CW transmitter on 437.325 MHz. Onboard will   
   be the first sculpture ever to be carried into deep space. The ARTSAT2:   
   DESPATCH mission is seeking "exceptionally skilled ham operators" as part of   
   its "cooperative diversity communication" experiment. This effort will   
   attempt to intercept signals from the spacecraft not only at the ground   
   station in Tokyo, but at Amateur Radio stations around the world, "in order   
   to reconstruct the original data from the spacecraft."   
      
   "Reception of such weak signals to reconstruct data from the spacecraft will   
   require the expertise of exceptionally skilled ham operators," the   
   satellite's developers explained.   
      
   The two spacecraft will have an elliptical orbit around the Sun and travel   
   to a deep space orbit between Venus and Mars. With an orbital inclination of   
   nearly zero, the spacecraft should stay in Earth's equatorial plane. The   
   distance from the Sun will be between approximately 6.5 million and 12   
   million miles.   
      
   SpinSat Now in Orbit   
      
   The US Naval Research Laboratory SpinSat satellite was successfully deployed   
   from the International Space Station on November 28. SpinSat arrived at the   
   ISS on September 21 via the SpaceX Falcon 9 resupply vehicle. For the next   
   few days, SpinSat's orbit will approximate that of the ISS. The ISS   
   real-time tracker on the ISS Fan Club website can show when the spacecraft   
   are within range.   
      
   The 125-pound SpinSat, a 22- inch diameter sphere, carries a 2 W 9600 bps   
   AX.25 packet radio store-and-forward system on 437.230 MHz. The satellite's   
   primary mission is to demonstrate a new micro-thruster technology, from   
   which SpinSat derives its name; its 12 electronically controlled   
   solid-propellant thrusters will be fired in pairs to spin the spacecraft.   
      
   Equipped only with primary batteries and just 4.8 grams of fuel, the   
   satellite's working phase is expected to last up to 6 months. -- Thanks to   
   AMSAT, AMSAT-UK, Southgate Amateur Radio News   
      
   IARU Wants Member Societies "Engaged" in Seeking Support for 5.275-5.450 MHz   
   Amateur Allocation   
      
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA,   
   in November called upon IARU member societies to seek the support of their   
   respective governments for an Amateur Radio secondary allocation at   
   5.275-5.450 MHz, per Agenda Item 1.4 at World Radiocommunication Conference   
   2015 (WRC-15). Ellam told his colleagues in a letter that obtaining the   
   allocation is "one of the main goals at WRC-15 for the Amateur Radio   
   Service." WRC-15 will take place November 2-27 in Geneva, Switzerland.   
      
   "The IARU officers and the Administrative Council have discussed this issue   
   and feel it is very important that we have our IARU member-societies engaged   
   in seeking support for Agenda Item 1.4 from their respective   
   administrations," Ellam wrote. "In order to achieve success for [Agenda   
   Item] 1.4, which will be a very difficult task for the IARU team at WRC-15,   
   we will need as much support from administrations as possible."   
      
   Agenda Item 1.4 stemmed from Resolution 649 at World Radiocommunication   
   Conference 2012, which invited WRC-15 to consider, based on International   
   Telecommunication Union (ITU) studies, "the possibility of making an   
   allocation of spectrum, not necessarily contiguous, to the Amateur Service   
   on a secondary basis within the band 5.250 to 5.450 MHz." As the WRC-12   
   resolution noted, more than 50 administrations have allowed various uses of   
   frequencies in this band to carry out propagation studies, permit   
   communication during emergencies and disasters, and verify that Amateur   
   Radio can share spectrum with incumbent services. The IARU is seeking   
   consideration for a secondary Amateur Service allocation at 5.275 to 5.450   
   MHz. Read more.   
      
   Deadline Looms to Apply for ARISS Educational Ham Radio Contacts with the   
   ISS   
      
   Schools and educational institutions and organizations -- formal and   
   informal -- have until Monday, December 15 to submit proposals to host an   
   Amateur Radio contact with a member of the International Space Station crew.   
   The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program   
   announced the opening of the application window earlier this fall.   
      
   "ARISS provides an exciting outreach opportunity for the ham   
   radio community to connect with local schools," ARRL Educational Services   
   Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, said. "A scheduled ARISS contact is a   
   voice-only communication via Amateur Radio between the ISS crew and   
   classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts allow education audiences to   
   learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to work and live in space."   
      
   ARISS is especially interested in arranging contact events that attract   
   large numbers of participants and that integrate the radio contact into a   
   well-developed educational plan. Schools and educational organizations may   
   apply individually or with other institutions or organizations. ARISS   
   anticipates that the ham radio contacts between students and the space   
   station will take place between May 1 and December 31, 2015.   
      
   The ARRL website has more information about the program, including details   
   on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines and application forms, and   
   the dates and times of informational sessions. Contact ARISS with any   
   questions or for additional information.   
      
   Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Now On Board ISS   
      
   The ISS again has an Amateur Radio licensee on board -- European Space   
   Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF. She was   
   part of a three-member ISS crew increment that launched in a Soyuz   
   spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 23, safely   
   docking with the ISS the next day. Cristoforetti, a former fighter pilot, is   
   Italy's first female space traveler. With her on the Soyuz were Russian   
   Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and NASA Astronaut Terry Virts. All three are   
   part of the Station's Expedition 42/43 crew.   
      
   Welcoming the trio to the space station were ISS Commander Barry Wilmore and   
   Cosmonauts Yelena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev.   
      
   Since Alexander Gerst, KF5ONO, and Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, returned to Earth   
   on November 10, the ISS had been without any radio amateurs. Cristoforetti   
   will spend about 6 months in space. You can follow Samantha Cristoforetti on   
   Twitter.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   By 1998, hams were communicating via the new OSCAR 27 satellite using   
   hand-held transceivers and whip antennas.   
      
   In early 1998, the FCC inaugurated its new Universal Licensing System (ULS).   
   The Commission also required ham radio applicants to use a new Form 610, on   
   which they had to certify that they had read and would comply with the new   
   RF safety rules. The ARRL continued efforts to protect against any possible   
   reallocation of Amateur Radio spectrum.   
      
   On September 1, 1998, the ARRL   
   launched a members-only section of its website, which provided many features   
   of interest to amateurs. The ARRL Letter, previously available only via the   
   ARRL website, was thereafter e-mailed directly to subscribing members. By   
   April 27, 1999, some 50,000 members had signed up to access members-only   
   content.   
      
   In the late 1990s, the FCC launched a new era in Amateur Radio enforcement.   
   The persistent efforts of the ARRL and recent FCC administrative and staff   
   changes led to the revived enforcement. On January 13, 1999 -- in an unusual   
   move -- Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, special counsel in the FCC Enforcement   
   Bureau, broke in on a 75 meter contact that had degenerated into a nasty   
   confrontation. He got the participants settled down and then stayed on   
   frequency to make a few remarks about enforcement.   
      
   Palestine was added to the DXCC List, effective February 1, 1999. Later that   
   month a multinational group of DXers operated from Gaza as E44DX, making   
   more than 33,000 contacts and giving thousands a new DXCC entity. -- Al   
   Brogdon, W1AB   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers rose   
   substantially over the past week, from 97.4 in the previous 7 days to 152   
   for the most recent. Average daily solar flux rose from 168.9 to 172.1.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is currently 150 on   
   December 4-6, 145 on December 7, 140 on December 8-11, 180 on December   
   12-14, 185 on December 15-19, 170 on December 20-23, 175 on December 24-27,   
   180 on December 28-30, 170 on December 31 through January 1, then 165, 160,   
   170, and 175 on January 2-5, and 180 on January 6-10.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 6 on December 4-7, 5 on December 8-11, then   
   15 and 20 on December 12-13, 10 on December 14-15, then 8, 10 and 12 on   
   December 16-18, 10 on December 19-20, 8 on December 21, 5 on December 22-27,   
   then 15 and 12 on December 28-29, 8 on December 30-31, and 5 on January 1-6.   
      
   This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the   
   "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an   
   archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.   
      
   In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from   
   readers. Send me your reports and observations.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *   
      
       December 5-7 -- ARRL 160 Meter Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 6 -- TARA RTTY Mˆl‚e   
    *   
      
       December 6 -- AWA Bruce Kelly QSO Party (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 6-7 -- 50-1296 ARRL EME Contest   
    *   
      
       December 6-7 -- VU International DX Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       December 6-7 -- Top Operators Activity Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 7 -- Ten Meter RTTY Contest   
    *   
      
       December 7 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
    *   
      
       December 7 -- SARL Digital Contest   
    *   
      
       December 7 -- Great Colorado Snowshoe Run (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 8 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       December 9 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 10 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 12 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 13 -- UBA Winter Contest (SSB, CW, digital)   
    *   
      
       December 13-14 -- 28 MHz SWL Contest   
    *   
      
       December 13-14 -- ARRL 10 Meter Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       December 14 -- Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       December 15 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
    *   
      
       December 12-13 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,   
       Florida   
    *   
      
       January 4 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New   
       York   
    *   
      
       January 10 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia   
    *   
      
       January 16-17 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas   
    *   
      
       January 18-24 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona   
    *   
      
       January 23-24 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi   
    *   
      
       January 23-25 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico   
    *   
      
       February 7 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South   
       Carolina   
    *   
      
       February 7 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until   
   you hire an amateur.   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)