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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-01-08   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
   January 8, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
     * League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President   
     * ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix   
     * Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager   
     * Revised ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines Now Available   
     * ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards   
     * ARRL Survey Underway   
     * Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena   
     * Nuts and Volts Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward Silver, N0AX   
     * Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast Asia   
   Flooding   
     * Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the Philippines   
     * Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary   
     * ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark   
     * NCJ Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event   
     * ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise, W4PRO, SK   
     * A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
     * The K7RA Solar Update   
     * In Brief...   
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport   
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   League's Centennial "the Most Extraordinary Event" for ARRL President   
      
   As the ARRL's Centennial drew to a close, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN,   
   reflected that the year-long celebration helped to rejuvenate Amateur Radio by   
   including as many people as possible, providing lots of on-the-air fun, and   
   promoting learning and doing. She also believes that the spirit of the   
   Centennial will live on going forward, as Amateur Radio enters its second   
   century.   
      
   "The ARRL Centennial has been the most extraordinary event in my Amateur Radio   
   life," President Craigie remarked. "How fortunate I am to have been a ham in   
   this anniversary year, let alone to have been President of the ARRL."   
      
   President Craigie said that Centennial activities, such as the Centennial QSO   
   Party and the W1AW portable operations in all 50 US states and some   
   territories, were aimed at giving members a chance to learn, to feel, and to   
   do, and in the process generating positive feelings about being a part of   
   Amateur Radio and of the ARRL. "We wanted members to have fun participating in   
   activities, both in person -- at the national and regional conventions -- and   
   on the air," she recounted. "We wanted the events and experiences to be   
   inclusive -- something all members could participate in, if they wanted to."   
      
   So, every member was given a point value in the Centennial QSO Party. And,   
   recognizing that not everyone could come to the National Centennial Convention   
   in Hartford, the League designated several major ham radio gatherings around   
   the US as regional centennial conventions, so everyone would have an   
   opportunity to participate. Convention forums as well as information and   
   articles in QST and in electronic media provided something every member could   
   learn from and enjoy, she said.   
      
   "I recall suggesting that we could move W1AW around the country," she said. "I   
   was just thinking about the call areas, but the staff exploded that into every   
   state and several territories."   
      
   "Because of the good work done by the ARRL Headquarters staff and a huge   
   number of enthusiastic volunteers all over the country, the Centennial   
   successfully achieved those goals beyond what we were able to imagine,"   
   President Craigie said. "Thousands of ARRL members chased W1AW and worked each   
   other across the bands and modes, having tremendous fun doing it. In QSOs and   
   on their QSL cards, members told me how much they appreciate what the ARRL   
   does for Amateur Radio."   
      
   President Craigie said that as the Centennial year played out, people were   
   stopping by on her frequency just to say how much fun they'd had helping the   
   League to celebrate its 100th anniversary. "One member said he had not been on   
   HF for 20 years, sticking to VHF, but got back on HF for the Centennial.   
   Another member said he thought the events have been a huge shot in the arm for   
   Amateur Radio."   
      
   "It really is all about the people and the fun," she observed.   
      
   President Craigie reported logging more than 18,100 contacts during 2014,   
   including 1149 on the last day of the year, most of them from calling "CQ   
   Centennial."   
      
   "For the first time in my life I was the most popular kid in school," she   
   quipped. "I won't forget the rush of that feeling when I'm back to being just   
   another signal from Virginia."   
      
   President Craigie said some have asked what the ARRL will do next. She said   
   that while the League doesn't want to wear out the exuberance and goodwill the   
   Centennial events engendered, "it's clear that operating challenges outside of   
   the traditional menu of contests and awards have a great appeal." She   
   expressed the hope that, in the months and years ahead, all hams will seek out   
   other operating challenges sponsored by all sorts of ham radio groups and keep   
   the bands alive with signals.   
      
   "To everybody: Thanks for coming to the birthday party!" she concluded. "Happy   
   New Year!" Read more.   
      
   ARRL Lab Receives a Major Upgrade, Thanks to Tektronix   
      
   The ARRL Laboratory now has significantly superior measurement capabilities,   
   thanks to Tektronix Corporation's generous donation of a mixed-domain bench   
   oscilloscope (model MDO4104B-3). Alan Wolke, W2AEW, Senior Applications   
   Engineer for Tektronix, visited ARRL   
      
   Headquarters on January 6 to introduce the Lab staff to the sophisticated   
   'scope. An ARRL Life Member, Wolke arranged for the donation.   
      
   "This oscilloscope is a huge benefit to us," commented ARRL Test Engineer Bob   
   Allison, WB1GCM. "It will be particularly important, considering the   
   fast-paced evolution of digital technology. The ARRL Lab is grateful to   
   Tektronix, to Alan Wolke, and Tektronix Public Relations Manager Amy Higgins   
   for this generous contribution."   
      
   The dual-function instrument has a bandwidth of 1 GHz, 5 GS/s for time-domain   
   measurements and can make frequency-domain measurements up to 3 GHz. The   
   MDO4104B-3 replaces the Lab's Tektronix TDS-3052B, a 500 MHz storage   
   oscilloscope.   
      
   Wolke has personally produced a large number of quality training videos, for   
   radio amateurs wanting to learn more about the practical applications of test   
   instruments.   
      
   Eastern Pennsylvania Starts the New Year with a New Section Manager   
      
   Joseph Ames, W3JY, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, became ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania   
   Section Manager on January 1. He will complete the remaining term of former   
   SM, Bob Famiglio, K3RF, the new ARRL Atlantic Division Vice Director.   
      
   ARRL Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, appointed Ames   
   to succeed Famiglio after consulting with incoming ARRL Atlantic Division   
   Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. Ames's appointment as Section Manager continues   
   until March 31, 2016.   
      
   A ham since 1977 and an ARRL Life Member, Ames brings a wealth of Field   
   Organization experience to his new position. He was an Assistant Section   
   Manager in Eastern Pennsylvania from 2008 until 2014 and holds Official   
   Emergency Station and Official Relay Station appointments. He was elected as   
   the new Eastern Area Staff Chair of the ARRL National Traffic System,   
   effective on January 1, taking over that role from Marcia Forde, KW1U. Ames   
   also serves as net manager of the Eastern Pennsylvania Emergency Phone &   
   Traffic Net and of the Pennsylvania Eastern Area RACES Net.   
      
   Ames is the training and safety officer for Delaware County ARES/RACES and is   
   active with the Chester County ARES/RACES organization. He's a Volunteer   
   Instructor for ARECC and a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL VEC. Read more.   
      
   Revised ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines Now Available   
      
   The ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines have been revised, and the latest edition   
   now is available. The latest guidelines, updated by an ARRL Contest Advisory   
   Committee (CAC) team, address changes in technology that have affected   
   contesting in recent years -- including remote station operation -- and   
   present a current understanding of contesting standards and practices. Some   
   sections also have been rewritten and reorganized to improve readability.   
   George Wagner, K5KG, a member of the CAC team that undertook the update, said   
   the goals of the revised ARRL HF Contesting Guidelines are to provide guidance   
   and advice -- especially for new contesters -- and to encourage contest   
   operation that advances the spirit and integrity of radiosport.   
      
   "The materials presented are facts, opinions and best practices," Wagner said.   
   "Information presented in the document is not mandatory, and the individual   
   contest operator is free to accept or reject its wisdom. In all cases, contest   
   rules take precedence, so the collective advice is always to read, understand,   
   and follow the contest rules" in letter and spirit, he said.   
      
   The Guidelines document presents frequently asked questions and answers and   
   additional material about common situations encountered in HF contesting. The   
   questions and responses only address HF contesting, and not VHF+ contesting.   
      
   ARRL Contest Branch Manager Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, expressed his appreciation to   
   the committee for taking on the task of updating the guidelines. "We often   
   refer new contesters to the document, so the effort to revise it and include   
   new technologies that affect radiosport is essential," he said.   
      
   A PDF version of the Guidelines is available for download. Address comments   
   and suggestions about the HF Contesting Guidelines to the ARRL Contest   
   Advisory Committee member from your ARRL Division.   
      
   ARRL Solicits Nominations for Six Awards   
      
   The ARRL is inviting nominations for the Hiram Percy Maxim Award -- the   
   League's premier award honoring a young Amateur Radio licensee -- and for   
   awards that recognize educational and technological achievement in Amateur   
   Radio.   
      
     * The Hiram Percy Maxim Award recognizes a radio amateur and ARRL member   
   under age 21 whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary   
   nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities. Nominations for this   
   award are made through your ARRL Section Manager, who will then forward the   
   nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2015.   
      
     * The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award honors an ARRL   
   volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or professional classroom teacher who uses   
   creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest values of the   
   Amateur Radio community. The award highlights quality of and commitment to   
   licensing instruction. Nominations are due by March 15, 2015.   
      
     * The ARRL Microwave Development Award pays tribute to a radio amateur or   
   group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of the Amateur Radio   
   microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015.   
      
     * The ARRL Technical Service Award recognizes a radio amateur or group of   
   radio amateurs who provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or training to   
   others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015.   
      
     * The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted to a radio amateur or group   
   of radio amateurs who develop and apply new technical ideas or techniques in   
   Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2015   
      
     * The Knight Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize   
   exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and   
   vitality of the ARRL. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2015.   
      
   The ARRL Board of Directors selects recipients for these awards. Winners are   
   typically announced following the Board's July meeting. More information about   
   these awards is on the ARRL website, or contact Sean Kutzko, KX9X, at ARRL   
   Headquarters. Telephone (860) 594-0328.   
      
   ARRL Survey Underway   
      
   The ARRL has asked an independent research company specializing in survey   
   research to conduct a survey of Amateur Radio operators in the US. Readex   
   Research, headquartered in Stillwater, Minnesota, has conducted similar   
   studies for ARRL in the past, including QST readership studies and other large   
   national surveys.   
      
   This most recent survey is being conducted by mail and e-mail and will include   
   representative populations of Amateur Radio operators from among ARRL members,   
   as well as non-member FCC licensees. While not every member will receive a   
   survey, participation from those individuals who are selected is critical for   
   the success of this project.   
      
   Responses will be kept confidential and only used in tabulation with others;   
   no data about survey participants -- including contact information -- will be   
   shared with anyone.   
      
   Contact ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, if you have any   
   questions about the survey.   
      
   Hamvention Chair: "The Show Will Go on" at Aging Hara Arena   
      
   Despite financial struggles dogging the owners of Hara Arena, site of the   
   Dayton Hamventionr since the 1960s, the 2015 Hamvention General Chairman Jim   
   Tiderman, N8IDS, has told ARRL that he expects the world's largest Amateur   
   Radio show to continue there -- this May and in the years ahead. Tiderman was   
   reacting to recent media accounts detailing the fiscal woes of the aging Hara   
   complex in Trotwood, Ohio. He said Hamvention's sponsoring Dayton Amateur   
   Radio Association (DARA) and Hamvention officials have been in conversation   
   with Hara's owners, the Wampler family, regarding the future of the 165,000   
   square foot, six-building complex.   
      
   "Both Hamvention and DARA have absolute confidence in [the Wampler family's]   
   guiding their corporation through the steps in the plans in place to keep Hara   
   operating for years to come," Tiderman said. "Given the time frame they are   
   working with right now, we simply stand by them and repeat, 'the show will go   
   on.'" Last year, Dayton Hamvention attracted nearly 25,000 visitors.   
      
   Dayton TV station WDTN-TV reported last month that the 50-year-old Hara Arena   
   was facing financial problems and had cut back on its full-time staff to save   
   money. Karen Wampler, Hara's Director of Marketing, has told the media that   
   it's become difficult for Hara Arena to compete with other Miami Valley   
   venues, such as the Nutter Center at Wright State University and the downtown   
   Dayton Convention Center. The Hara complex needs money for renovations and   
   deferred maintenance, she said, and "the ownership model needs to be changed."   
   Wampler told the Dayton Daily News in December that while the family cares   
   about the facility, it is limited in what it can afford.   
      
   Dayton Hamvention takes place May 15-17. Read more.   
   Nuts and Volts Magazine Launches New Ham Radio Column by Ward Silver, N0AX   
      
   Well-known ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, has debuted a new   
   column for Nuts and Volts magazine -- "The Ham's Wireless Workbench." Nuts and   
   Volts is written for "the hands-on hobbyist, design engineer, technician, and   
   experimenter," which describes a lot of radio amateurs.   
      
   "The general idea is to open the door to ham radio for electronically inclined   
   folks who either may not be aware of the hobby or who may find some of our   
   technology interesting and/or useful," Silver said. "This is an excellent   
   opportunity to provide outreach to the active and growing electronic 'maker'   
   -- or do-it-yourselfer -- audience."   
      
   Every other month, Silver will cover a topic that showcases some aspect of   
   Amateur Radio technology that is not typically covered by non-ham media. Such   
   topics, he said, would include such things as antennas, transmission lines,   
   connectors, propagation, transmitters, and modulation -- areas not often   
   discussed outside of QST and other ham radio publications. His first column in   
   the January 2015 issue is an introduction to antennas -- specifically how to   
   make a VHF/UHF ground plane for listening to NOAA weather stations. First,   
   though, Silver acquainted his readers with ham radio and pointed out that   
   several Nuts and Volts editorial staffers -- including the print and digital   
   publication's editor, Bryan Bergeron, NU1N -- as well as contributors and many   
   readers are radio amateurs.   
      
   Silver pointed to a new Amateur Radio Technology Portal he developed for the   
   ARRL website that offers links to some of the technical facets of Amateur   
   Radio, without requiring visitors to be familiar with ham radio terminology or   
   jargon. He said he's already received several e-mails through the site.   
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   Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Communication in Wake of Southeast Asia   
   Flooding   
      
   After several days of maintaining emergency communication links on 7.110 MHz   
   in late December, Amateur Radio volunteers remained   
   active for a while longer to handle local health-and-welfare traffic and any   
   urgent communications in flood-stricken Malaysia. The monsoon flooding that   
   hit parts of Malaysia and Thailand claimed lives and forced thousands to   
   evacuate. The flooding has eased, but clean-up continues. Johnny Tan, 9M8DB,   
   of the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters Society (MARTS) called it the   
   worst flooding in years in northern Malaysia.   
      
   As a result of the severe flooding 2 dozen people died, and another 250,000   
   had to evacuate or seek higher ground. Seasonal flooding such as this is   
   typical in Malaysia, but experts described this event as the worst since at   
   least 2004, and badly affected telecommunication systems. -- Thanks to Jim   
   Linton, VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee   
      
   Ham Radio Volunteers Activate Following Severe Weather in the Philippines   
      
   The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA)'s busy Ham Emergency Radio   
   Operations (HERO) network activated in late 2014 for Tropical Storm Jangmi   
   (Seniang), which made landfall on Mindanao Island on December 29, then moved   
   inland, causing massive floods and landslides. According to reports, at least   
   53 people died, nearly three times the death toll resulting from Typhoon   
   Hagupit in early December. BBC-Asia cited a Philippines Office of Civil   
   Defense report that landslides in the central provinces of Samar and Leyte   
   accounted for at least 29 of the deaths.   
      
   "With successive typhoons bringing rains, the soil got so saturated it caused   
   landslides," explained PARA Chief Operating Officer Thelma Pascua, DU1IVT.   
   "Regional HERO was in place in Mindanao and Visayas. It's now automatic for a   
   lot of hams to coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction and   
   management."   
      
   Reports of HERO activity came from the affected areas, where more than 80,000   
   displaced residents were taking shelter in evacuation centers. Outside of the   
   affected areas, Pascua said, routine emergency message-handling training   
   sessions were under way, with regular net control stations stepping aside to   
   allow trainees to prepare for future weather emergencies.   
      
   According to BBC-Asia, weather warnings were issued, but officials said that   
   some people may have underestimated the situation. -- Thanks to Jim Linton,   
   VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee; media accounts   
   Special Call Signs On the Air to Celebrate IARU's 90th Anniversary   
      
   To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union   
   (IARU) and the 85th anniversary of the Polski ZwiŽ?zek Kr¢tkofalowc¢w (PZK),   
   Poland's IARU member-society, 12 special event call signs will be active   
   between January 1 and April 30, 2015.   
      
   There will be six IARU-suffix call signs -- 3Z90IARU, HF90IARU, SN90IARU,   
   SO90IARU, SP90IARU, and SQ90IARU -- and six PZK-suffix call signs -- 3Z85PZK,   
   HF85PZK, SN85PZK, SO85PZK, SP85PZK, and SQ85PZK. The January 1 to April 30   
   operating period encompasses the 85th anniversary of the PZK on February 24,   
   and the 90th anniversary of the IARU on April 18 -- World Amateur Radio Day.   
   An award certificate will be available for qualifying operators/stations.   
   Details are on the PZK website.   
      
   Special German call signs also will be on the air throughout 2015 to mark the   
   90th anniversary of the IARU and the 65th anniversary of the Deutscher Amateur   
   Radio Club (DARC) -- Germany's IARU member-society. The call signs are   
   DJ90IARU, DK65DARC, and DL65DARC. DARC is offering a DARC 65 Award.   
   ARTSAT2: DESPATCH (FO-81) Satellite Goes Dark   
      
   The ARTSAT2: DESPATCH sculpture/satellite (FO-81) has stopped transmitting.   
   The satellite was one of two carrying Amateur Radio payloads that were   
   launched December 3 onboard a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)   
   vehicle into an Earth-escape orbit as piggyback payloads of the Hayabusa 2   
   asteroid sample-return mission into deep space. Crafted as a physical art   
   object, ARTSAT2: DESPATCH transmitted a CW beacon on 437.325 MHz. The other   
   Amateur Radio payload was Shin'en 2 (Abyss 2). Ground controllers at Tama Art   
   University, who had estimated the spacecraft's battery would last for 27 days,   
   concluded the satellite's mission on January 3.   
      
   "DESPATCH will continue to orbit around the sun as an artificial asteroid,"   
   said Akihiro Kubota, a Tama Art University faculty member. "By examining the   
   calculated results for the local minimum value of the distance between the   
   Earth, DESPATCH will approach to less than 1 million km from Earth after about   
   350 years." The actual sculpture was created using a 3D printer.   
      
   Kubota expressed appreciation to the many Amateur Radio operators who received   
   and reported the "super-weak" CW signal from DESPATCH's 7 W transmitter in   
   deep space. An algorithm running on the onboard computer drew on readings from   
   all of the spacecraft's sensors to compose and encode poetry "reflecting not   
   only the sensor data but the artist's subconscious personality." The ground   
   team used a "cooperative data reconstruction" approach, piecing together the   
   received fragments of the satellite's poetry broadcast to reconstruct the   
   whole.   
      
   Kubota said that while the satellite has stopped transmitting, "the life of   
   DESPATCH as a sculpture around the Sun is almost eternal." Read more. --   
   Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Akihiro Kubota   
   NCJ Ends Sponsorship for the North American Sprint SSB Event   
      
   National Contest Journal (NCJ) has ended its sponsorship for the phone version   
   of the North American Sprint. Going forward, the magazine will support Sprint   
   events for CW and RTTY only. The magazine cited dwindling support for its   
   decision.   
      
   "The September 2014 running of the phone North American Sprint attracted just   
   52 logs, and we estimate that approximately 3500 contacts took place," said   
   NCJ Editor Pat Barkey, N9RV. He pointed out that the CW Sprint a weekend   
   earlier attracted nearly 10 times that number of entries. Barkey said the lack   
   of "a critical mass of participants" significantly changes the nature of the   
   competition, where winning scores are built through recruiting and coaching   
   new participants, "and the operating experience that makes the CW Sprint so   
   special is essentially lost."   
      
   Barkey conceded that the reasons for the decline in participation "are not   
   obvious," but he pointed to competition from other operating events on any   
   weekend and the challenge for newcomers and casual participants of the   
   "frequency-hopping nature" of the 4-hour Sprint. "NCJ remains committed to   
   supporting innovative and challenging contests, including SSB contests, and we   
   welcome any ideas that readers have to offer," Barkey said.   
   ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director, DXpeditioner Jim Wise, W4PRO, SK   
      
   ARRL Roanoke Division Assistant Director and DXpeditioner Marion A. "Jim"   
   Wise, W4PRO, of Virginia Beach, Virginia died December 31. He was 86. An ARRL   
   Life Member, Wise was well-known within the Tidewater Amateur Radio community.   
      
   Licensed in 1948 as W8YHV in his native Ohio, he served in the US Air Force   
   during the Korean War, then worked for NASA until he retired in 1988. He was a   
   part of regular special event ham operations from the museum battleship USS   
   Wisconsin (N4WIS).   
      
   W4PRO belonged to the First-Class Operators Club, the A1 Operators Club, and   
   the Quarter Century Wireless Association. He was involved in several DX   
   operations from 1970s until 2004. A CW aficionado, he was on the DXCC Honor   
   Roll and had completed 5-Band DXCC and 160 Meter DXCC.   
      
   Survivors include his wife Linda, W7PRO. A memorial service will be held on   
   Saturday, January 10, at 11 AM at the West Neck Village Hall, 2580 Signature   
   Drive, Virginia Beach.   
      
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   For years, the ARRL had been requesting the FCC to state that Commission rules   
   preempted homeowners association restrictions or limitations on Amateur Radio   
   antennas. At the end of 2001, the FCC suggested that the League take its case   
   to Congress. ARRL representatives discussed the issue with members of Congress   
   in February, a visit that ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, called "the best   
   yet" for ham radio. H.R. 4720 was introduced in May. It would   
   have required homeowners associations to reasonably accommodate Amateur Radio   
   antennas.   
      
   During 2001, four North American distance records were set on 10, 47, 241, and   
   322 GHz, demonstrating that technical prowess, hard work, and persistence can   
   lead to extraordinary technical accomplishments. VE4MA and W5LUA made the   
   first EME contact on 24 GHz in August.   
      
   By early 2002, radio amateurs and the ARRL were looking at digital voice   
   emissions as a potential new mode.   
      
   On January 31, 2002, President George W. Bush spotlighted five Florida   
   volunteer groups, including Volusia County ARES. During his visit, the   
   president addressed the Northern Florida ARES Net on 75 meters.   
      
   An excellent nostalgia article appeared in the June 2002 QST -- "The First   
   Field Day," authored by W0AR, who operated in that 1933 event as W9NFV. Some   
   50 portable stations participated, causing ARRL's Ed Handy, W1BDI, to   
   prophesy, "The enthusiasm greeting our first Field Day augers well for future   
   similar occasions."   
      
   On June 21, 2002, signals from OSCAR 7, given up for dead 20 years earlier,   
   suddenly reappeared! -- Al Brogdon, W1AB   
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   All solar activity indicators rose this week -- sunspot numbers, solar flux   
   and geomagnetic indices.   
      
   On January 7 the interplanetary magnetic field tipped south, opening a crack   
   to admit solar wind. This triggered the largest geomagnetic storm since   
   September 2014. That same day the planetary A index jumped to 38, pushing the   
   average for the week to 17.7. The previous 7 days (the last 7 days of 2014)   
   the average planetary A index was 13.9.   
      
   Average daily sunspot number on the first week of January was 108.1, compared   
   to 102.9 in the final 7 days of 2014. Likewise, average daily solar flux   
   increased from 134.9 to 144.7.   
      
   The latest prediction has solar flux at 155 and 160 on January 8-9, 165 on   
   January 10-11, 170 on January 12, 175 on January 13-15, then 170, 165, 160,   
   155, 145, 140, and 135 for January 16-22, and reaching a minimum at 130 on   
   January 23-27. Solar flux then rises to a maximum of 175 on February 8-11.   
      
   Predicted Planetary A index is 20 and 15 on January 8-9, 10 on January 10-12,   
   8 on January 13, 5 on January 14-20, then 10, 15, and 5 for January 21-23,   
   then 10, 18, and 15 for January 24-26, then 8, 5, 10, and 12 on January 27-30,   
   15 on January 31 through February 1, then 10, 8, and 18 on February 2-4, 10 on   
   February 5-7, and 5 on February 8-16.   
      
   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 a 6 meter report, an updated forecast, and more   
   information on propagation to those WWVB clocks, discussed last week. Send me   
   your reports and observations.   
      
   In Brief...   
      
   New WAS Award Application Processing on Hold: ARRL is redesigning the basic   
   Worked All States (WAS) Award certificate and has put a hold on the processing   
   of new WAS applications received after about December 24, 2014. "We are making   
   the certificate the same size as a DXCC certificate (11x14), so we can return   
   to using stickers for endorsements in most cases," said ARRL Field Services   
   and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "The ever-popular WAS program has   
   grown in many ways here at Headquarters, and we need to reorganize for more   
   consistency." Patton said the Triple Play certificate and plaque will not   
   change.   
      
   DX Engineering to Hold "MFJ Day:" It will be "MFJ Day" on Saturday, January   
   10, from 9 AM to 2 PM at DX Engineering, 1200 Southeast Avenue, Tallmadge,   
   Ohio. MFJ founder and CEO Martin Jue, K5FLU, will be on hand to meet visitors.   
   The MFJ family of companies includes Ameritron, Cushcraft, Hy-Gain, Mirage,   
   and Vectronics.   
      
   SouthWest Ohio DX Association to Sponsor Dayton DX Dinner: The SouthWest Ohio   
   DX Association (SWODXA) will sponsor the 30th DX Dinner, held in conjunction   
   with the 2015 Dayton Hamventionr on Friday, May 15, at the Dayton Marriott,   
   1414 South Patterson Boulevard in Dayton. Tickets are available on the SWODXA   
   Events website. Click on the appropriate icon to purchase tickets or to obtain   
   more information. -- Thanks to SWODXA DX Dinner Chairman Bill Salyers, AJ8B   
      
   January West Coast 80 Meter Qualifying Run Set: The West Coast Qualifying Run   
   on 80 meters, hosted by K6YR, will take place on January, 15, at 0500 UTC   
   (Wednesday, January 14, at 9 PM Pacific Time) on 3590 kHz. Code speeds will go   
   from 40 WPM to 10 WPM.   
      
   Registration Opens for 2015 Dayton Contest University: Registration is now   
   open for the 2015 Dayton Contest University (CTU) classes. According to CTU   
   Chairman Tim Duffy, K3LR, CTU sessions will take place all day on Thursday,   
   May 14, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton. 2015 will mark the 9th   
   year in a row that CTU sessions have been held in conjunction with Dayton   
   Hamvention.r CTU Caribbean will take place January 23-25 during the ARRL   
   Puerto Rico State Convention in Hatillo.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________    
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
     * January 10-11 -- UBA PSK63 Prefix Contest   
      
     * January 10-11 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
      
     * January 10-11 -- North American QSO Party (CW)   
      
     * January 11 -- DARC 10 Meter Contest (SSB, CW)   
      
     * January 14 -- Linc Cundall Memorial CW Contest   
      
     * January 16 -- NAQCC Special 160 Meter Sprint (CW)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
     * 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   
      
     * February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida   
      
     * February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona   
      
     * February 28 -- Vermont State Convention, S Burlington, Vermont   
      
     * March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California   
      
     * March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Concord, North Carolina   
      
     * March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas   
      
     * March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida   
      
     * March 28 -- Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
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