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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-02-05   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
   February 5, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
     * Participation in ARRL Centennial On-the-Air Events Exceeds All Expectations   
     * Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, Selected as 2014 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing   
   Award Winner   
     * ARISS Selects 15 Possible ISS Amateur Radio Contact Hosts for 2015 Events   
     * K1N Navassa Island DXpedition Dominates HF Bands   
     * RadioShack's Long, Slow Downward Slide Nears the End   
     * Amateur Radio Payloads Share Ride into Space with Soil Moisture Monitoring   
   Satellite   
     * Ham Among Devil's Brigade Members to Receive Medal   
     * Past ARRL Dakota Division Director Howard Mark, K3HM, SK   
     * Nevada Section Manager Gary Grant, K7VY, SK   
     * Long-time ARRL Kansas Section Manager Robert M. "Bob" Summers, K0BXF, SK   
     * In Brief...   
     * Getting It Right...   
     * The K7RA Solar Update   
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport   
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Participation in ARRL Centennial On-the-Air Events Exceeds All Expectations   
      
   Attendance at the ARRL's on-the-air Centennial celebration in 2014 was through   
   the roof! Approximately 3.5 million contacts were recorded for W1AW portable   
   operations and the Centennial Points Challenge during the Centennial QSO Party   
   last year.   
      
   "The Centennial QSO Party was a huge success, and participation was way   
   greater than anyone anticipated it would be when we were in the planning   
   stages," said Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, Assistant Manager, Field Services and   
   Radiosport Department. As a result, the window for operators to apply and pay   
   fees for awards they earned in the Centennial QSO Party is not expected to   
   open until mid-March.   
      
   Fusaro said that while award certificates have been printed, the task of   
   checking and double-checking the electronic logs and resolving any anomalies   
   has put an unexpected burden on staff resources.   
      
   To compete in the Centennial Points Challenge, logs must have been submitted   
   through Logbook of The World (LoTW). The system will automatically look for   
   points-qualifying QSOs from submitted logs and apply them to each   
   participant's Centennial QSO Points total. ARRL Headquarters has been   
   recalculating all submitted scores to come up with final tallies.   
      
   "Recalculating will allow operators to earn points for contacts they made with   
   stations that were not yet in the database when the logs went into LoTW,"   
   Fusaro explained. "Accuracy in fulfilling awards is important, and we need to   
   get this right the first time. It's been a very time and staff-intensive   
   process, researching busted call signs and running down claimed contacts and   
   mode discrepancies for operators."   
      
   Enhancements to LoTW -- which served as the repository for Centennial QSO   
   Party contacts -- also contributed to the delay. And a few operators logged on   
   paper; those logs were keyed into the system manually.   
      
   The deadline to submit logs for 2014 via LoTW was January 22, but participants   
   may apply for Centennial awards indefinitely, once the application process is   
   up and running. Operators do not have to use LoTW to apply for Points   
   Challenge certificates or W1AW WAS awards.   
      
   Qualifying for the Top Level Award requires 15,000 points. The Level 3 Award   
   requires 7500 points, while the Level 2 and Level 1 awards require 3000 and   
   1000 points, respectively. Point totals will be printed on certificates.   
      
   QSL cards for W1AW portable and W100AW operations are not yet back from the   
   printer. "We did not plan to have as many W1AW/p operators, which contributed   
   to the bonanza of Centennial QSO Party contacts," Fusaro said. US stations   
   that worked W1AW/p and W100AW during the Centennial may use the Centennial QSO   
   Party web page to request QSL cards via the domestic Incoming QSL Service.   
      
   Fusaro explained that this is a one-time only use of the QSL Bureau for this   
   purpose, and those who want to receive cards via the Bureau should ensure that   
   their accounts are sufficiently funded, because cards will not be held. Cards   
   destined for stations outside the US will be sent via the QSL Bureau.   
   Participants may also request cards directly, providing one SASE for up to six   
   cards per envelope.   
      
   W1AW/p and W100AW will not confirm every contact with traditional paper QSL   
   cards, but will verify QSOs for each mode and on most bands on a single card   
   for each weekly operation.   
      
   Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, Selected as 2014 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award   
   Winner   
      
   Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, of North Pole, Alaska, has been named as the winner of   
   the Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award for 2014. Nichols was recognized   
   for his article "Using Your Grid Dip Meter Oscillator," which appeared in the   
   February 2014 issue of QST. The Orr Award is bestowed each year to the QST   
   author who writes an outstanding article or series on new or existing   
   technologies or on methods or means of amateur communication. Articles must be   
   written   
   in an easy-to-understand style worthy of the Bill Orr "stamp of approval," and   
   they should encourage interest and expand the knowledge and understanding of   
   amateurs who may lack a strong technical background.   
      
   "Eric's article was chosen, because it did an outstanding job of explaining   
   how to use a device -- the grid dip oscillator -- that has been somewhat   
   forgotten by many amateurs," said Steve Ford, WB8IMY, QST Editor in Chief and   
   ARRL Publications Manager. "Eric did an excellent job of explaining why this   
   device is still useful and how to put it to use."   
      
   Licensed in 1972 as WN6TEE in California, Nichols is a former broadcast   
   engineer who now works at Eielson Air Force Base. He has written many articles   
   for various Amateur Radio publications over the past 30 years and describes   
   himself as "a fanatic homebrewer and CW freak." Nichols also works as a   
   consultant to the High Power Auroral Stimulation (HIPAS) Observatory, operated   
   by UCLA, and at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP)   
   facility. He is the author of Radio Science for the Radio Amateur (available   
   from ARRL), Plasma Dreams, and The Opus of Amateur Radio Knowledge and Lore.   
      
   "It's certainly an honor to receive the William Orr Technical Writing Award!"   
   Nichols said. "Thanks for your vote of confidence!"   
      
   The QST editorial staff serves as the selection panel and recommends the   
   winner from a review of the year's QST articles to the ARRL Foundation Board   
   for final approval at its Annual Meeting. The award comprises an engraved   
   plaque and $250, to be presented at an ARRL convention.   
      
   Established in 1973 by the ARRL, the ARRL Foundation is a separate IRS   
   501(c)(3) organization that administers programs to support the Amateur Radio   
   community. The Foundation is funded entirely through the generosity of radio   
   amateurs and friends. ARRL Foundation programs for Amateur Radio award   
   scholarships for higher education, grants for Amateur Radio projects, and   
   special Amateur Radio program grants for The Victor C. Clark Youth Incentive   
   Program and The Jesse A. Bieberman Meritorious Membership Program.   
      
   ARISS Selects 15 Possible ISS Amateur Radio Contact Hosts for 2015 Events   
      
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has selected 15   
   semifinalists to host ham radio contacts with ISS crew members during 2015.   
   ARISS anticipates that NASA will provide 12 scheduling opportunities for US   
   hosts between May and December. The 15 semifinalists, representing schools and   
   educational organizations as well as one event, now must submit acceptable   
   equipment plans that demonstrate their ability to carry out the Amateur Radio   
   event. Once the ARISS technical team approves an equipment plan, ARISS will   
   attempt to schedule schools or organizations as their availability and   
   flexibility match up with the opportunities offered by NASA. ARISS does not   
   expect to be able to schedule all 15 schools on the list of semifinalists.   
      
   "This is a significant step in ARISS's continuing effort to engage young   
   people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math activities and raise   
   their awareness of human spaceflight," an ARISS media release said. "ARISS was   
   encouraged by the high level of interest in the education community, evidenced   
   by the significant number of submitted proposals and the quality of the   
   submissions."   
      
   The 15 finalists are Bay View Elementary School, Burlington, Washington;   
   Corpus Christi Catholic School, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; Daggett Montessori   
   School K-8, Fort Worth, Texas; Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, Michigan;   
   Grady High School Robotics Team, Atlanta, Georgia; Kopernik Observatory &   
   Science Center, Vestal, New York; Maconaquah School Corporation, Bunker Hill,   
   Indiana; Moon Day/Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, Texas; New Mexico   
   Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico; Pima County 4H/Vail Vaqueros 4-H   
   Club, Tucson, Arizona; Space Jam 9, Rantoul, Illinois; Ste Genevieve du Bois   
   Catholic Elementary School, Warson Woods, Missouri; Tulsa Community College-NE   
   Campus, Tulsa, Oklahoma; United Space School, Seabrook, Texas, and West   
   Michigan Aviation Academy, Grand Rapids, Michigan.   
      
   2016 ARISS Contact Proposal Window Opens February 15   
      
   The next US ARISS contact proposal window will be open between February 15 and   
   April 15. ARISS is seeking formal and informal educational institutions and   
   organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio   
   contact with an ISS crew member between January 1 and June 30, 2016. Crew   
   scheduling and ISS orbits determine the exact contact dates.   
      
   ARISS is looking for organizations that have the potential to draw large   
   numbers of participants and can integrate the contact into a well-developed   
   educational plan.   
      
   FM voice contacts with ISS crew members last about 10 minutes -- the typical   
   length of an orbital pass -- and allow students and educators to interact with   
   the astronauts in a question-and-answer format. ARISS contacts afford an   
   opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts and cosmonauts what it is like   
   to live and work in space and about ISS research. Students will also have an   
   opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and   
   radio science.   
      
   Because of the nature of human spaceflight and scheduling complexity, schools   
   and organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in   
   contact dates and times.   
      
   Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in   
   Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by   
   providing the equipment and operational support to enable communication   
   between ISS crew and students around the world via Amateur Radio.   
      
   In the US, ARISS is managed by the ARRL and AMSAT, in partnership with NASA.   
   Details on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines, and proposal form, and   
   dates and times of information sessions are on the ARRL website. E-mail ARISS   
   with any questions.   
      
   K1N Navassa Island DXpedition Dominates HF Bands   
      
   The antennas are up, the gear deployed, and all 15 operators are on site and   
   in their chairs. The K1N Navassa Island operation, which came up on 40 and 80   
   meter CW in the middle of the Super Bowl on February 2, is now a full-blown   
   DXpedition, with stations on the air on as many bands and modes as the team   
   can muster. K1N hopes to remain on the air until February 12. As might be   
   expected with a major DXpedition to the #2 (all modes) most-wanted   
      
   DXCC entity, the pileups have been spectacular. While there has been some   
   undesirable behavior and poor operating practice -- such as not paying   
   attention to the operator's instructions -- things have gone fairly smoothly.   
   For many US operators, it's been a matter of "so close, yet so far away," as   
   they plea to be heard from within the din.   
      
   "It has been very windy and very hot...and very dirty," team member Glenn   
   Johnson, W0GJ, said in a post this week. "We have heavy rains every evening,   
   collected for washing, as we all feel very grubby." Johnson said inclement   
   weather plagued and delayed deployment, and daytime temperatures have been in   
   the 110ø to 120ø range. Upon arrival the team reported seeing "rats as large   
   as cats, scorpions, and black widow spiders."   
      
   Initial log uploads to ClubLog have been completed, and the log page on the   
   K1N website activated. The first uploads contain more than 22,000 contacts.   
      
   Johnson said that everyone is in good spirits and healthy. "We have been very   
   pleased with pileup cooperation when working the difficult JA/Asia/Oceania   
   windows," he added. "We can hear a din of pileup activity, and, at times,   
   difficult-to-pull-out individual calls on these long hauls."   
      
   The K1N RTTY operator has asked callers not to include any information beyond   
   a signal report when working the DXpedition on that mode. Including anything   
   more can slow down their QSO rate.   
      
   Team member Bob Allphin, K4UEE, said deliberate QRM was "at expected levels,"   
   and he encouraged operators to fill out a Deliberate QRM (DQRM) report to help   
   isolate the locations of offenders. "There's a DQRM button on every page of   
   our website," he said. "In addition, you can go directly to www.dqrmreport.com   
   and file there."   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   RadioShack's Long, Slow Downward Slide Nears the End   
      
   The end is near for RadioShack. It seems inevitable that the once seemingly   
   ubiquitous electronics and cell phone retailer will liquidate its assets,   
   after which RadioShack would cease to exist. A number of legal steps would   
   have to come first, including a bankruptcy filing. The New York Stock Exchange   
   (NYSE) de-listed RadioShack on February 2, after the company failed to   
   maintain a required minimum value. BloombergBusiness has reported that   
   behind-the-scenes talks are under way to sell approximately half of   
   RadioShack's owned-and-operated stores to Sprint and shutter the remaining   
   outlets, although other scenarios involving other entities are possible.   
      
   The nearly century-old Fort Worth, Texas, based retailer -- once a go-to shop   
   for electronic components and, at one point, even Amateur Radio and shortwave   
   receivers -- has lost 90 percent of its value over the past year, despite   
   efforts to refinance and modernize its stores. Before being de-listed on   
   February 2, RadioShack's stock was selling for just 24 cents a share.   
      
   The hedge fund Standard General LP loaned the retailer $535 million last fall   
   and would be the lead bidder in a bankruptcy filing and debtor-in-possession   
   financing, BloombergBusiness said.   
      
   RadioShack once offered entry-level short-wave receivers, Citizens Band gear,   
   a wide array of discrete components -- including transistors, resistors, and   
   capacitors -- and, for a time, a fairly popular 2 meter hand-held transceiver   
   and two different models of 10 meter single-band transceivers, although it   
   failed in its effort to develop and market a VHF/UHF hand-held radio. Over the   
   years, RadioShack has offered fewer discrete components in its b   
   ick-and-mortar stores, moving that stock and other products to its online   
   outlet, as it shifted its marketing focus to cell phones, consumer   
   electronics, and various battery-operated gadgets.   
      
   A year ago, after a dismal holiday showing, RadioShack announced plans to   
   close 1100 stores, including 900 company-owned outlets. Due to the high costs   
   involved with closing the stores, liquidating merchandise, lease penalties,   
   and severances, however, the company has been able to shut down fewer than 200   
   outlets. RadioShack was reported to have about $60 million in cash heading   
   into the 2014 holiday season.   
      
   RadioShack has made no comment on the reports.   
      
   Amateur Radio Payloads Share Ride into Space with Soil Moisture Monitoring   
   Satellite   
      
   Four NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNA-X) CubeSats carrying   
   Amateur Radio payloads launched successfully January 31 from California's   
   Vandenberg Air Force Base. The primary   
   payload for the Delta II launcher was the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP)   
   satellite. The SMAP on-board radar will share Amateur Radio spectrum at 1.26   
   GHz. Amateur Radio is secondary on the 23 centimeter band, which covers 1240   
   to 1300 MHz.   
      
   "This is a good example of a compatible sharing partner," ARRL CEO David   
   Sumner, K1ZZ, observed. "Any interference to amateur communication in the band   
   will be brief as the satellite passes overhead."   
      
   SMAP and the four CubeSats all deployed successfully. The research CubeSats,   
   launched on behalf of universities, will downlink their telemetry on the 70   
   centimeter band. The CubeSats and their downlink frequencies (modes) are:   
      
   Firebird II FU3  437.405 MHz (19k2 FSK)   
      
   Firebird I FU4   437.230 MHz (19k2 FSK)   
      
   GRIFEX           437.485 MHz (9k6 FSK)   
      
   ExoCube (CP-10)  437.270 MHz (9k6 FSK)   
      
   The GRIFEX satellite is a University of Michigan project, in cooperation with   
   JPL, while ExoCube (CP-10) is a space weather satellite developed by the   
   California Polytechnic State University-San Luis   
   Obispo and the University of Wisconsin in partnership with NASA, and sponsored   
   by the National Science Foundation. The FIREBIRD program is a collaborative   
   CubeSat space weather mission of two CubeSats designed and developed by   
   Montana State University, the University of New Hampshire, The Aerospace   
   Corporation, and Los Alamos National Laboratories -- the FIREBIRD consortium.   
   The FIREBIRD mission is also funded by the NSF.   
      
   SMAP carries a "synthetic aperture radar." The L band (1.26 GHz) radar is   
   designed to measure backscatter off the Earth's surface. The amount of   
   backscatter returned to the radar changes with the amount of moisture in the   
   soil. RF pulses at this frequency are less affected by weather or by a   
   moderate vegetation cover. The satellite is approximately 425 miles up in a   
   near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit. SMAP also includes a radiometer operating   
   at 1.41 GHz to measure naturally occurring RF energy given off by Earth's   
   surface.   
      
   Ham Among Devil's Brigade Members to Receive Medal   
      
   A 90-year-old California radio amateur -- Stan McEtchin, WB6KDZ, of Paradise   
   -- was among the surviving members of the First Special Operations Force   
   (FSSF), known as "The Devil's Brigade," to receive the Congressional Gold   
   Medal on February 3. The medal recognizes the unit's extraordinary heroism and   
   service during World War II.   
      
   "We used to go behind the lines at night and sit out there, and we could hear   
   the Germans talking," McEtchin told The Paradise Post. "Our guy would write it   
   down, so we would find out where their guns were and that kind of thing."   
      
   Montana US Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus worked for 5 years to honor the   
   unit. "The Devil's Brigade represented the very best of our Greatest   
   Generation that defeated tyranny around the world," Tester said. "The Medal is   
   the highest honor Congress can bestow, and yet, while a small token of this   
   nation's gratitude, it is an everlasting reminder of the sacrifices these men   
   made for all of us." Remarked Baucus, "Without these brave volunteers, there   
   would be no Special Forces today."   
      
   Based at Fort Harrison in Helena, Montana, the Devil's Brigade was a   
   top-secret combat unit comprising 1800 volunteers from 49 states, the District   
   of Columbia, Canada, and Australia. Their training was the first of its kind,   
   specializing in high alpine combat, covert amphibious landings, parachuting,   
   mountain climbing, among other tactics. By the time the war ended, the Force   
   had suffered 2314 casualties, equating to an astounding 134 percent of its   
   original combat strength. It had captured more than 30,000 prisoners, won five   
   US campaign stars and eight Canadian battle honors. The Force never failed a   
   mission.   
      
   "The people in this group were not ordinary people," McEtchin told The   
   Paradise Post. "That is the kind of people that they were, they would just   
   succeed at everything they did."   
      
   The unit was instrumental in the liberation of Rome, surprising and defeating   
   massive German artillery units located on treacherous mountain peaks and rocky   
   islands, and in freeing communities in southern France and Italy despite   
   bitter resistance and extreme conditions. The Force also engaged in   
   large-scale raids against the infamous German Hermann Goering First Panzer   
   Paratroop Division. The unit paved the way for the nation's modern elite   
   Special Forces, of such highly trained units as the Green Berets and the Navy   
   SEALs. About 75 members of The Devil's Brigade are believed to be still alive.   
      
   The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation's highest award for distinguished   
   achievement. Past recipients have included members of the Tuskegee Airmen,   
   Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Jimmy Doolittle's Tokyo Raiders. The Canadian   
   government recognized members of the Force in 2012. The presentation ceremony   
   at Expedition Hall in Washington, DC, was televised on C-SPAN and remains   
   available on the C-SPAN website. Also visit "Suicide Missions: The Black   
   Devils" on YouTube. McEtchin also recalled his World War II experiences in an   
   interview on KHSL's ActionNewsNow. -- Thanks to the Golden Empire Amateur   
   Radio Society (GEARS) Radiator, media accounts   
      
   Past ARRL Dakota Division Director Howard Mark, K3HM, SK   
      
   Past ARRL Dakota Division Director Howard Mark, K3HM (ex-W0OZC), of   
   Burnsville, Minnesota, died on January 24. He was 81. An ARRL member, Mark was   
   licensed in 1957. He was appointed as ARRL Dakota Vice Director in 1982 to   
   fill a vacancy. He served in that post until 1986, when he succeeded Tod   
   Olson, K0TO, as Director after Olson was elected as ARRL International Affairs   
   Vice President. Mark stepped down as Director in 1993, when he moved out of   
   the Division to Las Vegas, Nevada.   
      
   "Howard had been failing the last week or two, and his passing still comes   
   with great sorrow to everyone," said Mike Sigelman, K0BUD, a good friend.   
   "Howard Mark was a highly intelligent person who set a fine example of a great   
   husband and family man and one very devoted to his friends and to our hobby! I   
   know he will be missed by all of us."   
      
   During his 17 years in Las Vegas, Mark was an active member of the Las Vegas   
   Radio Amateur Club (LVRAC) and held various club leadership roles. Within the   
   club he became known as "The Voice of Summerlin," after the community where he   
   lived. Mark served as the club's net control operator for many years, and he   
   regularly organized LVRAC's participation in such public service activities as   
   the Las Vegas Marathon, the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, and the   
   American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure.   
      
   Survivors include his wife, Margi. The family will hold a private memorial   
   observance.   
      
   Nevada Section Manager Gary Grant, K7VY, SK   
      
   ARRL Nevada Section Manager Gary Grant, K7VY, of Reno, died February 1, after   
   a period of ill health. He was 78. Grant was a native of Glendale, California,   
   and was licensed in 1956.   
      
   During his more than 50 years of ARRL membership, Grant served in several   
   Field Organization positions, including Official Observer and OO Coordinator,   
   Volunteer Examiner, and Assistant Section Manager. Grant was appointed Section   
   Manager last year to complete the remaining term of SM Joe Giraudo, N7JEH, who   
   stepped down because of increased business travel and who recommended Grant to   
   succeed him. That term ends June 30.   
      
   Grant had enjoyed an extensive career in broadcast engineering and previously   
   worked for Collins Radio in Iowa and California. In 1962, he began work as a   
   TV engineer for KCRL and KRNV in Reno, a job he continued for 30 years before   
   taking a position with the University of Nevada-Reno. He retired from UNR in   
   2000, after 23 years of service. Grant also once owned Sierra Electronics, a   
   two-way radio company.   
      
   Grant had a reputation as a consummate Elmer. A new licensee, Gino Calestini,   
   KG7POU, said Grant was his Elmer. "Gary helped me in so many ways," Calestini   
   said, "I had this dream burning inside me to become a ham and to help others.   
   [Gary] handed me his card and he never stopped being there for me." Calestini   
   started his Amateur Radio Club website and did his first live video interview   
   with Grant during the Reno hamfest last September, posting it on YouTube.   
   Calestini said Grant was "the definition of Elmer" who "deserves to be honored   
   in so many ways."   
      
   In addition to the ARRL, Grant was a member of the Quarter Century Wireless   
   Association and the University of Nevada-Reno Radio Pack.   
      
   Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children.   
      
   The position of Nevada Section Manager will be filled by appointment. --   
   Thanks to John Bigley, K7UR   
      
   Long-time ARRL Kansas Section Manager Robert M. "Bob" Summers, K0BXF, SK   
      
   Former ARRL Kansas Section Manager Bob Summers, K0BXF, of Kansas City, Kansas,   
   died on January 10. He was 86. Summers served as the Kansas Section Manager   
   for more than 30 years -- from   
   1965 until 1996. He subsequently served as the Kansas Section Emergency   
   Coordinator from 2003 to 2012, and he held Field Organization appointments as   
   an Official Relay Station and Official Bulletin Station.   
      
   A surveyor, Summers was the city street inspector for Kansas City, Kansas,   
   during his working years. In addition to his ARRL activities, Summers   
   volunteered as a Boy Scouts of America leader and with the American Red Cross.   
      
   Summers also was involved in the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS)   
   program, enjoyed HF mobile operation and CW. In addition to the ARRL and the   
   QCWA, Summers was a member of the Jayhawk Amateur Radio Society.   
      
   Survivors include his wife, and a son and daughter.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   In Brief...   
      
   School Club Roundup is February 9-13! A reminder: The "Winter/Spring Term"   
   School Club Roundup gets under way on Monday, February 9, at 1300 UTC, and   
   continues through Friday, February 13, at 2359 UTC. Stations may operate no   
   more than 6 hours in any 24 hour period (up to a maximum of 24 hours). The   
   twice-yearly event is an opportunity for school club stations -- from   
   elementary school to college -- to get on the air for a friendly radio   
   activity. Non-school clubs and individuals are encouraged to participate too.   
   In the photo Deavana takes part in the 2012 School Club Roundup from KF5CRF,   
   the Viking Radio Club, at Eisenhower Middle School in Lawton, Oklahoma.   
      
   EP6T Team Hopes DXpedition will Boost Ham Radio in Iran: Some 68,000 contacts   
   later, the EP6T DXpedition operators are back home after dealing with   
   "extremely difficult circumstances" on Kish Island in Iran. The sponsoring   
   Rockall DX Group in Belgium said it achieved its goal of promoting Amateur   
   Radio in Iran and opening the door for future operations from the rare DXCC   
   entity by local amateurs and DXpeditions. A top government telecommunications   
   official has assured the group that his agency will continue to support   
   Amateur Radio in Iran by creating license exams and establishing new clubs.   
   The Rockall DX Group provided an Amateur Radio training guide to Iran, which   
   is being translated into Farsi. QSL cards and a DXpedition video are in   
   process. -- Thanks to The Daily DX   
      
   Hurricane Watch Net Stalwart Bob Botik, K5SIV, SK: Hurricane Watch Net (HWN)   
   veteran Bob Botik, K5SIV, of Austin, Texas, died January 31, after a period of   
   ill health. "Those who knew Bob remember his commanding presence on air from   
   his station in Austin, as it was unique," said HWN Manager Bobby Graves,   
   KB5HAV. "His voice was both calming and reassuring to anyone caught in an   
   emergency situation." Botik was among the key players in the aftermath of   
   Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which hit Honduras. "He was there to assist bush   
   pilots in getting to and from their destinations," Graves recounted. Botik   
   also was active with the Maritime Mobile Service Net and was involved with   
   several at-sea rescues.   
      
   AMSAT-NA 2015 Space Symposium and Annual Meeting Set for October in Dayton:   
   The 2015 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting will take place October   
   16-18, at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The Space Symposium will   
   include presentations on amateur satellite operating techniques and news from   
   the amateur satellite world. The AMSAT-NA Board of Directors will convene, and   
   the meeting will be open to AMSAT members. Additional information will be   
   announced as it becomes available. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service   
      
   Deadline for Boston Marathon Ham Volunteers is February 10: Volunteer   
   registration is open until February 10 for radio amateurs seeking to volunteer   
   during the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, and the Boston Athletic   
   Association 5K (BAA 5K) race that occurs April 18. The early deadline is due   
   both to the scale of the events and to security concerns. Last year, more than   
   300 radio amateurs participated in Boston Marathon support. Volunteers for   
   both races should first register on the BAA website. Once you have a   
   confirmation number, register and/or log into the Marathon Amateur Radio   
   Communications (Minuteman Repeater Association) website and complete the   
   registration form to get a specific assignment. For more information contact   
   BAA Public Service Coordinator Brett Smith, AB1RL.   
      
   Getting It Right...   
      
   Several subscribers have reported that occasional photographs appearing in The   
   ARRL Letter have displayed incorrectly oriented. Others -- most often Gmail   
   users -- have reported that headlines appear in the same typeface as the   
   articles, making it difficult to tell where articles begin. These issues are   
   related to the software used to view The ARRL Letter. It appears that some   
   software recognizes that a photo has been rotated or that headlines are   
   formatted in large red typeface, and some does not, but other factors may be   
   in play, and we are looking into this problem further. The edition of The ARRL   
   Letter that appears on the ARRL website should display photos and headlines   
   correctly.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Solar activity rose over the past week, with average daily sunspot numbers   
   rising from 89.1 to 139 in the 7 days ending February 4.   
      
   Average daily solar flux rose from 136.8 to 151.1. This is the second week in   
   a row in which we saw higher sunspot numbers and solar flux than in the   
   previous 7 days.   
      
   Twice over the past week the daily solar flux numbers had to be adjusted   
   downward, due to overloading of the receiver at Penticton, the Canadian   
   observatory which provides those readings. On January 29 the reading was   
   171.8. This was revised downward to an estimated 165, and again on February 4,   
   when 154.4 was lowered to 145.   
      
   A new sunspot appeared on January 29, two more showed up on February 2, and   
   another one on February 4. The average daily sunspot number for January was   
   101.3.   
      
   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.   
      
   For Friday's bulletin, expect an updated forecast for the near term and   
   reports from readers, plus an updated moving average of daily sunspot numbers.   
   Send me your reports and observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
     * February 6 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)   
      
     * February 6 -- YL-OM Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)   
      
     * February 6-8 -- Triathlon DX Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)   
      
     * February 7 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
      
     * February 7 -- FYBO Winter QRP Field Day (SSB, CW)   
      
     * February 7 -- Minnesota QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)   
      
     * February 7 -- Straight Key Party   
      
     * February 7-8 -- Vermont QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)   
      
     * February 7-8 -- YLISSB QSO Party   
      
     * February 7-8 -- Ten-Ten Winter Phone QSO Party   
      
     * February 7-8 -- Black Sea Cup International (SSB, CW)   
      
     * February 7-8 -- British Columbia QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)   
      
     * February 7-8 -- XE International RTTY Contest   
      
     * February 7-8 -- AM QSO Party   
      
     * February 8 -- North American Sprint (CW)   
      
     * February 8-9 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)   
      
     * February 8 -- Milwaukee FM Simplex Contest   
      
     * February 9-13 -- School Club Roundup (SSB, FM, CW)   
      
     * February 11 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
   ______________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
     * February 7 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia   
      
     * February 7 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South   
   Carolina   
      
     * February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida   
      
     * February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona   
      
     * February 28 -- New Mexico Techfest Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico   
      
     * February 28 -- Vermont State Convention, S Burlington, Vermont   
      
     * March 7 -- Sa