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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-04-16   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   April 16, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL, US House Members Coming Through to Support H.R. 1301   
    *  Amateur Radio Weather Spotters Help Track Deadly Tornadoes in   
       North-Central Illinois   
    *  ARRL Member Input on Draft HF Band Plan Proposals Due By April 19   
    *  New iOS App Available for The ARRL Repeater Directory r   
    *  Special Event Stations to Mark World Amateur Radio Day on April 18   
    *  Ohio ARES to Sponsor "NVIS Antenna Day"   
    *  Switching Power Supplies a More Common Noise Source than Power Lines,   
       ARRL Lab Manager Says   
    *  2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Issues Call for Papers   
    *  "Thinking Day" Activity Gets Girl Scouts Thinking About Ham Radio   
    *  "Radio DARC" Program Debuts on Ham-Operated German Shortwave Outlet   
    *  Amateur Radio Organizations Join Forces to Mark Gallipoli Battle   
       Anniversary   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ARRL, US House Members Coming Through to Support H.R. 1301   
      
   Many ARRL members have answered the call to urge their US House member to   
   co-sponsor The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 -- H.R. 1301 -- helping to   
   raise the list of co-sponsors to 39. But ARRL Regulatory Affairs Manager Dan   
   Henderson, N1ND, said the campaign continues, and more voices are needed to   
   join the chorus.   
      
   "We have had a good initial response   
   from our members in support of our grassroots efforts, but we have a long   
   way to go," Henderson said. "Our Washington team has met with dozens of   
   members of Congress and congressional staffers over the past month."   
      
   Henderson said the ARRL has forwarded another 426 letters from ARRL members   
   to Washington for delivery to House members representing 132 Congressional   
   districts in 34 states. "These letters are a key piece in the puzzle of   
   pushing HR 1301 forward," he said. "We encourage all ARRL members to get   
   involved."   
      
   If approved by Congress and signed by President Obama, The Amateur Radio   
   Parity Act of 2015 would direct the FCC to extend to private land-use   
   agreements its PRB-1 policy rules requiring reasonable accommodation of   
   Amateur Service communications. Those private agreements are better known as   
   deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions, or CC&Rs. At present, PRB-1   
   only applies to state and local zoning laws and ordinances. The FCC has been   
   reluctant to extend the same legal protections to private land-use   
   agreements without direction from Congress.   
      
   Henderson advised members, as they work with members of Congress to   
   encourage their support of the legislation, to thank them for their time.   
   "Do it a letter or in an e-mail," he said, "and if they do become   
   co-sponsors, make a special effort to thank them for their support."   
      
   Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), chairs the House Communications and   
   Technology Subcommittee.   
      
   Henderson said such courtesies will leave a lasting impression with   
   lawmakers and their staff members. "The more positive interaction we have   
   between the Amateur Radio community and our elected representatives, the   
   better our chances in attaining the results we desire," he said.   
      
   A regularly updated ARRL H.R. 1301 page includes key "talking points" and   
   other information for Amateur Radio delegations or individuals to use when   
   approaching US House members for their support.   
      
   US Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced H.R. 1301 on March 4 with 12   
   original co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. The bill has been   
   referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI   
   (R-OR), chairs that panel's Communications and Technology Subcommittee,   
   which will consider the measure. Efforts are under way to have a companion   
   bill introduced in the US Senate.   
      
   The most recent H.R. 1301 co-sponsors include US Representatives Mark Amodei   
   (R-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chris Gibson (R-NY), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA),   
   Richard Hanna (R-NY), Thomas Rooney (R-FL), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and   
   Jared Huffman (D-CA).   
      
   Amateur Radio Weather Spotters Help Track Deadly Tornadoes in North-Central   
   Illinois   
      
   Amateur Radio weather spotters were on alert April 9 as severe weather and   
   at least two tornadoes ripped through North-Central Illinois. Two people   
   died in DeKalb County, and several others were injured.   
      
   [SKYWARN.jpg] "The storms that affected North-Central Illinois yesterday   
   were unheard of for our area," said ARRL Illinois Section Manager Tom   
   Ciciora, KA9QPN, noting that the stricken communities are just north of   
   where he lives. "At least one small community was completely leveled, and   
   damage exists from Ogle County northwest into Lake County."   
      
   The National Weather Service confirmed nine tornadoes across Illinois on   
   April 9, five of them in North-Central Illinois. "The strongest tornado was   
   a long track one from near Franklin Grove (Lee County) to north of Rochelle   
   (Ogle County) and through Fairdale (DeKalb County) and into Boone County,"   
   the NWS determined. "This has been given a preliminary rating of an EF-4   
   with maximum winds of 180-200 MPH. This tornado caused two fatalities and 22   
   injuries." The NWS said a tornado of that magnitude is "quite rare."   
      
   Ciciora said all along the way, the storm was identified and tracked by   
   numerous Amateur Radio spotters, who relayed reports to the National Weather   
   Service through several nets. The National Weather Service credited several   
   reports during the period of severe weather to Amateur Radio. The region   
   also received up to golf ball-sized hail and as much as an inch and a half   
   of rain.   
      
   "I heard much of this as it happened," Ciciora added, "and it was one of our   
   finest collective efforts."   
      
   ARRL Member Input on Draft HF Band Plan Proposals Due By April 19   
      
   The deadline for ARRL members to comment on possible changes to the League's   
   HF Band Plans, suggested by the HF Band Planning [ARRL_Flag_wavy_large.JPG]   
   Committee, is April 19. The survey is part of the committee's efforts to   
   adjust the band plans for the RTTY/data/CW portions of 80 through 10 meters   
   -- excepting 60 meters.   
      
   The committee developed its suggested revisions to the voluntary band plans   
   after reviewing some 400 member comments in response to a March 2014   
   solicitation that sought suggestions for using the spectrum more   
   efficiently, so that data modes may coexist compatibly.   
      
   A web page is available to record members' preferences and comments. Those   
   wishing to offer more detailed comments may e-mail ARRL. The HF Band   
   Planning Committee will deliver its final report at the ARRL Board of   
   Directors' July meeting.   
      
   New iOS App Available for The ARRL Repeater Directoryr   
      
   The ARRL Repeater Directoryr -- introduced this week for 2015-2016 -- has a   
   newly launched companion app for Appler iOSr devices. iPhoner, iPadr and   
   iPod touchr users can download the app at no cost from Apple's App Storeƒ? ,   
   which requires a unique code found in each printed edition of the 2015-2016   
   directory to activate. Once activated, the app provides details for   
   thousands of Amateur Radio repeaters found in The ARRL Repeater Directory   
   database.   
      
   "Use the app to quickly locate   
   nearby repeaters based on your current location, or search the entire   
   directory by city/state or coordinates," said ARRL Marketing Manager Bob   
   Inderbitzen, NQ1R. "The app also places nearby repeaters on integrated   
   terrain-viewing maps. Touch a repeater and view detailed information   
   including output and input frequency, and other operating notes. Users of   
   the Android app, introduced a year ago, will find the new iOS version   
   familiar."   
      
   The app includes many user-defined filters, allowing users to narrow   
   repeater results by frequency bands, or by other attributes such as "open   
   repeaters only," repeaters with weather information, linked repeaters, and   
   ARES/RACES repeaters.   
      
   The app's database includes the current directory of frequencies included   
   with the new 2015-2016 print editions of The ARRL Repeater Directory and in   
   the TravelPlus for RepeatersT software. ARRL assembles this database each   
   year from frequency coordinators recognized by the National Frequency   
   Coordinators Council and from carefully vetted submissions submitted by   
   individual repeater owners. The database covers repeaters from 28 MHz to   
   1240 MHz, and includes ATV, D-STAR, APCO-25, Digital Mobile Radio (DMR),   
   EchoLink, and IRLP machines.   
      
   The activation code permits single users   
   to activate the app for 12 months. The 2015-2016 ARRL Repeater Directory is   
   available now from ARRL and ARRL publication dealers. The pocket-sized   
   edition is $12.95 for ARRL members (retail $14.95), and the desktop edition   
   is $17.95 (retail $19.95), plus shipping. The activation codes support the   
   iOS and Android apps found in the Apple App Store and in Google PlayT.   
      
   Individuals who already have a 2014-2015 directory can use the code included   
   with their book to activate the iOS and Android apps, as long as they have a   
   portion of the 12 months remaining since first using the code to activate a   
   device. Codes included with 2014-2015 edition books will expire on December   
   31, 2015. Codes included with the 2015-2016 books will expire December 31,   
   2016.   
      
   ARRL produced the app with DHF Systems, LLC, the developer of ARRL's   
   TravelPlus for Repeaters software. There are plans to introduce a pay-and-go   
   version of The ARRL Repeater Directory iOS app in the future.   
      
   -----------------   
      
   Repeater Directoryr is a registered trademark of The American Radio Relay   
   League, Inc. Appler, iPhoner, iPadr, and iPodr are registered trademarks of   
   Apple Inc. App Storeƒ?  is a service mark of Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or   
   registered trademark of Cisco in the US and other countries and is used   
   under license. TravelPlus for Repeaters is a trademark of DHF Systems, LLC.   
      
   Special Event Stations to Mark World Amateur Radio Day on April 18   
      
   Saturday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day (WARD). The event   
   celebrates the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on   
   April 18, 1925, in Paris, with ARRL Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, as   
   its first president.   
      
   From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to   
   include 160 member-societies in three regions.   
      
   Radio amateurs worldwide will take to the airwaves to mark the occasion with   
   special event stations. A listing is on the IARU WARD page. The IARU   
   encourages groups to promote their World Amateur Radio Day activities on   
   social media, using the hash tag #WARD2015 on Twitter and Facebook.   
      
   Ohio ARES to Sponsor "NVIS Antenna Day"   
      
   Ohio Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) will sponsor "NVIS Antenna Day"   
   on Saturday, April 25. The idea, said Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator   
   Stan Broadway, N8BHL, is to determine if the sometimes-vaunted near-vertical   
   incidence skywave -- or NVIS -- concept really works as an antenna for   
   emergency communication on HF. NVIS is a technique for using HF for highly   
   reliable short-range communication.   
      
   "We are encouraging groups in every Ohio county to devise several portable   
   NVIS antennas that they think will perform, and then actually test them on   
   the air," Broadway said. The program grew out of an annual antenna party in   
   Ashtabula County that has been both operating event and early spring picnic,   
   he explained. Participants "found a vast difference in actual antenna   
   performance, and have been able to narrow down their choices for a real   
   emergency setup," he explained. Ashtabula County Amateur Radio Club-ARES is   
   sponsoring NVIS Antenna Day.   
      
   Ohio ARES NVIS Antenna Day will begin at 1400 UTC with operation on both 40   
   and 80 meters at 100 W, "as you might during a real emergency," Broadway   
   said. "While a typical session might go through the afternoon, there is no   
   official closing time." He pointed out that while those taking part in NVIS   
   Antenna Day don't have to set up a completely portable or remote station,   
   the location should offer sufficient space for several antennas and be in a   
   fairly quiet RF environment.   
      
   Suggested frequencies are 7240, 7244, 7248, and 7250 kHz, and 3850, 3870,   
   and 3930 kHz on SSB and 3585 and 7072 for digital modes, all plus or minus   
   existing activity.   
      
   Broadway stressed that the event is not a contest but is aimed specifically   
   at determining the best of several NVIS antenna designs through signal   
   reports and coverage area. "A group could very well make several contacts   
   with the same station as they try different antennas," he said. "Stations at   
   key locations, such as the Ohio EOC, will be on the air."   
      
   Broadway asked participating groups to list their top three antennas with   
   descriptions and photos. "Ohio ARES will see if any particular antenna   
   design bubbles up as the top performer across the entire state," he said.   
   "Antenna experimentation is an integral part of the hobby, and the outcome   
   will benefit each ARES group or club by helping to create an arsenal that   
   can be deployed during a real emergency."   
      
   As an added benefit, he noted, the event could also be a terrific   
   opportunity to test potential Field Day antennas. NVIS Antenna Day is open   
   to all hams, and Broadway hopes they will become interested in joining their   
   local ARES organizations. A poster/report form is available. For more   
   information, contact Ashtabula ARC-ARES. -- Thanks to Ohio SEC Stan   
   Broadway, N8BHL   
      
   Switching Power Supplies a More Common Noise Source than Power Lines, ARRL   
   Lab Manager Says   
      
   ARRL Laboratory Manager and EMI Expert Ed Hare, W1RFI, told the HamRadioNow   
   webcast recently that switching-mode power supplies are a more common noise   
   source for radio amateurs than electrical power lines. HamRadioNow host Gary   
   Pearce, KN4AQ, interviewed Hare on April 4 at the Raleigh, North Carolina,   
   RARSfest, where Hare also presented a forum, "Tall Tales from the ARRL Lab."   
   Hare told Pearce that switching-mode power supplies are in -- or provide   
   power for -- many home electronics these days.   
      
   "The old days of those iron transformers are gone," Hare said. "Every single   
   one of these is a switcher. We're also seeing noise from pulse-width control   
   motors." Hare said the big culprits are "little wall warts," not switching   
   supplies designed to power Amateur Radio gear. "Every TV you own has a   
   built-in switcher, almost every device has a wall wart, and a lot of these   
   are imported, not necessarily meeting the FCC rules, so we're seeing more   
   reports involving those," he said.   
      
   Hare also told HamRadioNow that a few LED-type lightbulbs that are becoming   
   more common also can be noise-generators, as are "grow lights" used for   
   cultivating plants indoors. He said that the ARRL Lab can work with   
   manufacturers to correct these problems, but the Lab needs model numbers and   
   "specific information about the problems amateurs are having, so that we can   
   put some of our resources toward helping."   
      
   Many interference issues can be resolved without FCC intervention, Hare   
   said, noting that Commission enforcement is the last step, if other efforts   
   fail. "We've been told by Laura Smith [of the FCC Enforcement Bureau] that   
   she's going to continue to be engaged in this," he said, "so we're going to   
   continue to send problems [in] that direction."   
      
   Hams experiencing RF interference problems can contact the ARRL Laboratory   
   by contacting Ed Hare or ARRL Lab EMC Specialist Mike Gruber, W1MG. The   
   complete interview with Hare is in Episode 196 at www.hamradionow.tv. --   
   Thanks to Gary Pearce, KN4AQ/HamRadioNow   
      
   2015 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Issues Call for Papers   
      
   The ARRL and TAPR are soliciting technical papers for   
   presentation at the 34th Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference   
   (DCC), set for October 9-11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Arlington   
   Heights near Chicago, Illinois. Papers will also be published in the   
   Conference Proceedings, and conference attendance is not necessary for   
   inclusion in the Proceedings.   
      
   The submission deadline is August 17. E-mail submissions to Maty Weinberg,   
   KB1EIB, at ARRL Headquarters. Do not attach ZIP files, as these will be   
   rejected by the ARRL e-mail server.   
      
   For more information, visit the DCC website or call TAPR at 972-671-8277.   
      
   "Thinking Day" Activity Gets Girl Scouts Thinking About Ham Radio   
      
   When Girl Scout leader Jill Galus, KB1SWV, was planning a "Thinking Day"   
   activity last fall, she learned about Thinking Day On The Air (TDOTA). The   
   World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides designates February 22 as   
   Thinking Day -- to commemorate the birth of both Scouting founder Lord   
   Robert Baden-Powell and his wife   
   Olave, the first Chief Guide. On Thinking Day, Girl Scouts and Guides to   
   reflect upon the international nature of their movement. Akin to the Boy   
   Scouts Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), Thinking Day on the Air is a global   
   activity aimed at encouraging Girl Scouts and Guides to make friends via   
   Amateur Radio. Both events were conceived by Les Mitchell, G3BHK (SK). Galus   
   asked her dad, Skip Youngberg, K1NKR, if he and his club, the Nashoba Valley   
   Amateur Radio Club, would be willing to support a TDOTA station this year   
   for her troop in Raymond, New Hampshire.   
      
   The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club (NVARC) supported Galus -- "and had a   
   lot of fun doing it," Youngberg told ARRL. The club agreed to let the girls   
   use the club's N1NC call sign and its tower trailer, while Youngberg offered   
   equipment.   
      
   "By the time Thinking Day arrived on February 21, five local other troops   
   had joined hers for the event," Youngberg said.   
      
   Stan Pozerski, KD1LE; Ralph Swick, KD1SM; Greg Cote, KB1WAQ, and his   
   daughter Sarah, also a Girl Scout, and Youngberg traveled to New Hampshire   
   and set up at a Masonic lodge. In addition to radios for HF and VHF, the   
   NVARC team set up code practice oscillators for the girls to try. Eighty   
   girls had signed up, split between morning and afternoon sessions, but   
   because bad weather was forecast for later that day, all but 13 of them   
   arrived in the morning.   
      
   "Needless to say, there was a lot of 'audio QRM,'" Youngberg said.   
   "Nevertheless, every activity succeeded in capturing the girls' interest."   
      
   The ham radio mentors demonstrated Morse code and taught the youngsters how   
   to send their names on the code practice oscillators. Galus had maps and a   
   globe on hand to teach world time concepts, as well as a crafts table to   
   string beads to spell "GS" in Morse code, as a keepsake.   
      
   The girls did not succeed in making contact with other Girl Scouts or Girl   
   Guide groups, but the hams were able to demonstrate how to get on the air,   
   both on HF and VHF. Afterward, Youngberg and his daughter sent QSL cards to   
   the stations they'd worked. "When the replies come back," he said, "those   
   budding scientists and potential new hobbyists will be reminded of a great   
   experience and will have another thing to be excited about."   
      
   More details and photos are available in the March edition of the NVARC   
   Signal newsletter. -- Thanks to Skip Youngberg, K1NKR, and Jill Galus,   
   KB1SWV   
      
   "Radio DARC" Program Debuts on Ham-Operated German Shortwave Outlet   
      
   The inaugural transmission of the "Radio DARC" Amateur Radio program aired   
   over the March 21-22 weekend via Channel 292 at 6070 kHz. The   
   German-language program was produced in cooperation with Germany's national   
   Amateur Radio society -- the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC). A group of   
   amateurs in Germany obtained a license to broadcast on the 49 meter   
   shortwave broadcast channel after German national broadcaster the Deutsche   
   Welle closed down a 500 kW shortwave broadcast transmitter near Munich.   
   Using parts scavenged from the Deutsche Welle site, the ham group built up a   
   10 kW transmitter.   
      
   Rainer Englert, DF2NU.   
      
   "The response was overwhelming," said Rainer Englert, DF2NU. "Our dreams   
   were exceeded many times over. The team got over 1500 reception reports from   
   11 European countries." These even included S-9 reports from Russia and   
   Iceland. Englert said the station puts in a signal that's often 60 dB over   
   S-9 within Germany, adding that it will take weeks to answer all QSL   
   requests and comments. The station has been heard in North America, but it   
   has competition on 6070 kHz.   
      
   Hosting "Radio DARC" is Conny Ferrin, a former Radio Luxembourg air   
   personality. In the 1970s, Radio Luxembourg deployed a 2 GW medium-wave   
   transmitter on 1440 kHz and a 500 kW shortwave [DARC%20logo(1).gif]   
   transmitter on 6095 kHz, airing a popular music program in the days before   
   commercial broadcasting licenses were available on the Continent. Replete   
   with jingles and music bumpers, "Radio DARC" includes music that was popular   
   in the 1960s and 1970s, interspersed with news and commentary of interest to   
   radio amateurs and SWLs. As Englert explained in an editorial commentary   
   during the initial broadcast, they want the program to be "at once nostalgic   
   and modern." Read more.   
      
   Amateur Radio Organizations Join Forces to Mark Gallipoli Battle Anniversary   
      
   The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), the New Zealand Association of   
   Radio Transmitters (NZART), and the Telsiz ve Radyo Amat”rleri Cemiyeti   
   (TRAC) in Turkey have joined forces to mark the centenary of the World War I   
   Battle at Gallipoli.   
      
   Around the world, there will be other related   
   activity, with a major focus beginning on ANZAC Day, April 25. That's when   
   the three IARU member-societies will commemorate the event involving the   
   original Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) and Ottoman Empire   
   soldiers who did battle at Gallipoli in Turkey.   
      
   ANZAC Day commemorates all servicemen and women. Many radio amateurs played   
   a key role in wartime communications, and a range of events will include the   
   use of commemorative call signs, some with ANZAC suffixes.   
      
   In Turkey, at least two commemorative call signs are on the air -- TC100GLB   
   and TC100GP.   
      
   In Australia, eight ANZAC-suffix call signs, one from each state or   
   territory and the national capital of Canberra, will be on the air on April   
   25. Australian radio amateurs may use the prefix AX on April 25-26. The   
   VK9NT Norfolk Island DXpedition will identify as AX9NT on ANZAC Day, April   
   25.   
      
   In New Zealand, NZART will operate ZL100ANZAC through the month of April. --   
   Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC   
      
   In Brief...   
      
   GAREC 2015 Cancelled: Sponsors of the 2015 Global   
   Amateur Radio Emergency Conference have announced they are cancelling the   
   event due to a lack of interest. Seppo Sisatto, OH1VR, said GAREC 2015   
   registrations were too few, and the decision was largely financial. GAREC   
   2015 was set to mark its 10th anniversary this June in Tampere, Finland,   
   where the first GAREC was held.   
      
   Special Event Stations to Commemorate ITU's   
   150th Anniversary: Special event stations AT150ITU and OZ150ITU will be   
   among those marking the 150th anniversary of the International   
   Telecommunication Union (ITU). AT150ITU was issued to the Amateur Radio   
   Society of India (ARSI), and various members will use AT150ITU on the air on   
   all HF bands and on various modes through the end of the year. "This   
   activity will go a long way to propagate the vital role ITU plays in our   
   wonderful hobby," said ARSI President Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, who is also   
   IARU Region 3 Chairman. OZ150ITU will be on the air on May 17, the date of   
   the ITU's 150th anniversary, with members of the Eksperimenterende Danske   
   Radioamatorer (EDR), Denmark's IARU member-society, operating from multiple   
   locations. Special QSL cards will be available. Both special events will   
   upload logs to Logbook of The World (LoTW).   
      
   Bruce Draper, AA5B, Taking "Contest Corral"   
   Reins: Beginning with the June QST, a new trail boss will manage "Contest   
   Corral," as well-known contester Bruce Draper, AA5B, takes the reins. Draper   
   will collect contest calendar listings directly from the online WA7BNM   
   Contest Calendar. Contest managers should make sure their event's   
   information is correct on that website. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update   
      
   Matt Ettus, N2MJI, Wins Wireless Innovation Forum   
   International Achievement Award: ARRL member Matt Ettus, N2MJI, of Mountain   
   View, California, is the recipient of the annual Wireless Innovation Forum   
   International Achievement Award. Award winners were announced on March 26 at   
   the Wireless Innovation Forum Conference on Communications Technologies and   
   Software Defined Radio (WInnComm 2015) in San Diego. The International   
   Achievement Award recognizes significant contributions that promote Software   
   Defined or Cognitive Radio. "Through his company Ettus Research, now a part   
   of National Instruments, Matt Ettus has been an influential driver of   
   innovation in the Software Defined Radio community since he released the   
   first Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) in January of 2005 with GNU   
   Radio software support," the award announcement said. "Over the past year he   
   made significant contributions to the international SDR community."   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity increased this week.   
   Average daily sunspot numbers increased from 50.1 in the April 2-8 forecast   
   week to 65.6 in the just-ended April 9-15 forecast period. Average daily   
   solar flux rose from 118.4 to 132.5. Geomagnetic indexes also increased.   
      
   The latest prediction shows solar flux at 160   
   on April 16-17, 165 on April 18-22, 155, and 135 on April 23-24, 115 on   
   April 25-26, then 120, 125, and 130 on April 27-29, 125 on April 30 through   
   May 5, 130 on May 6, 135 on May 7-11, and 130 on May 12-14.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 15 on April 16, 8 on April 17-20, 5 on April   
   21-22, 8 on April 23-24, 10 on April 25, 8 on April 26-28, then 12, 18, and   
   12 on April 29 through May 1, 8 on May 2-9, 5 on May 10-12, then 15, 20, and   
   12 on May 13-15, and 8 on May 16-21.   
      
   You can download and examine my archive of these forecasts, updated daily,   
   for flux values and Ap index (click the "Download this File" button; files   
   are Excel spreadsheets).   
      
   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.   
      
   Look for reports from readers in Friday's bulletin. Send me your reports and   
   observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *   
      
       April 17-18 -- Holyland DX Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       April 18 -- TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest   
    *   
      
       April 18 -- ES Open HF Championship (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       April 18 -- Ontario QSO Party   
    *   
      
       April 18 -- Feld-Hell New Member Sprint   
    *   
      
       April 18 -- YU DX Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- Worked All Provinces of China   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- CQMM DX Contest (CW)   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- Nebraska QSO Party   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- Michigan QSO Party   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- EA QRP Contest   
    *   
      
       April 18-19 -- North Dakota QSO Party   
    *   
      
       April 19 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (SSB)   
    *   
      
       April 20 -- Run For the Bacon (CW)   
    *   
      
       April 21 -- VHF Spring Sprints   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  April 17-19 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California   
    *   
      
       April 17-19 -- Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference, Manchester,   
       Connecticut   
    *   
      
       April 24-25 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference, Morehead, Kentucky   
    *   
      
       April 25 -- Aurora Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota   
    *   
      
       May 1-2 -- West Coast Military Collectors Group Convention, San Luis   
       Obispo, California   
    *   
      
       May 1-3 -- Nevada State Convention, Verdi, Nevada   
    *   
      
       May 2 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina   
    *   
      
       May 15-17 -- Dayton Hamventionr, Dayton, Ohio   
    *   
      
       June 5-7 -- Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac), Seaside, Oregon   
    *   
      
       June 6 -- Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia   
    *   
      
       June 12-13 -- West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com), Irving, Texas   
    *   
      
       June 13 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee   
    *   
      
       July 4 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *   
      
       July 10-11 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida   
    *   
      
       July 13-16 -- Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club Convention, The Villages,   
       Florida   
    *   
      
       July 17-19 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana   
    *   
      
       July 23-26 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Westminster,   
       Colorado   
    *   
      
       July 24-25 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma   
    *   
      
       July 31-August 2 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Bryce Canyon,   
       Utah   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
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   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
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   subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page as   
   described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.   
      
   Copyright (c) 2015 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved   
      
   www.arrl.org   
      
      
   )\/(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)