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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-04-30   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   April 30, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters   
    *  Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as   
       Earthquake Recovery Continues   
    *  Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient   
    *  House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field Office   
       Closures   
    *  Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"   
    *  AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous   
       Satellite   
    *  Dayton Hamventionr Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut   
    *  New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas   
    *  Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New Modes   
    *  The Sinking of the Lusitania : A Ham Radio Connection?   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   FCC Proposes to Permit Amateur Access to 2200 and 630 Meters   
      
   Amateur Radio is poised to gain access to two new bands! The FCC has   
   allocated a new LF band, 135.7 to 137.8 kHz, to the Amateur Service on a   
   secondary basis. Allocation of the 2.1 kHz segment, known as 2200 meters,   
   was in accordance with the Final Acts of the 2007 World Radiocommunication   
   Conference (WRC-07). The Commission also has proposed a new secondary 630    
   meter MF allocation at 472 to 479 kHz to Amateur Radio, implementing decisions   
   made at WRC-12. No Amateur Radio operation will be permitted in either band   
   until the FCC determines, on the basis of comments, the specific Part 97 rules   
   it must frame to permit operation in the new bands. Amateur Radio would share   
   both allocations with unlicensed Part 15 power line carrier (PLC) systems   
   operated by utilities to control the power grid, as well as with other users.   
   In addition, the FCC has raised the secondary Amateur Service allocation at   
   1900 to 2000 kHz to primary, while providing for continued use by currently   
   unlicensed commercial fishing vessels of radio buoys on the "open sea."   
      
   The allocation changes, associated proposed rules, and suggested topics for   
   comment are contained in a 257-page FCC Report and Order, Order, and Notice   
   of Proposed Rulemaking addressing three dockets -- ET-12-338, ET-15-99, and   
   IB-06-123 -- which affect various radio services in addition to the Amateur   
   Service. The FCC released the document on April 27.   
      
   With respect to the new LF sliver band at 135.7-137.8 kHz, the FCC concluded   
   that Amateur Radio and PLC systems can coexist there. "Since the Commission   
   last considered this issue, amateurs have successfully operated in the band   
   under experimental licenses without reported PLC interference," the FCC   
   said. In 2003, the FCC turned down an ARRL proposal to create a 135.7-137.8   
   kHz Amateur Radio allocation, after utilities raised fears of a clash   
   between Amateur Radio and PLC systems operating below the AM broadcast band.   
   This time, the FCC said, "It is clear that we will have to establish   
   appropriate requirements for amateur use of the band, if we are to ensure   
   compatibility with PLC systems." WRC-07 set a maximum effective isotropic   
   radiated power (EIRP) limit of 1 W, which is what the FCC is proposing.   
      
   The FCC said it "explicitly" rejects the suggestion that it choose one use   
   of the spectrum over the other. "Our objective is to allocate spectrum on a   
   secondary basis to amateur stations in a manner...compatible with existing   
   PLC systems," the FCC said. "However, we also expect to permit amateur   
   operators to make use of the allocation in a manner that is less burdensome   
   and more productive than they are currently afforded under the experimental   
   authorization process."   
      
   The Commission said that if it concludes, after considering the record, that   
   Amateur Radio and PLC systems cannot coexist, it would "defer the adoption   
   of service rules, and amateur users will have to continue to use the   
   experimental licensing process to operate in the band."   
      
   With respect to the proposed 630 meter allocation, the FCC has proposed   
   limiting amateur stations in the US to a maximum 5 W EIRP. The ARRL   
   submitted a Petition for Rule Making in 2012, asking the FCC to allocate   
   472-479 kHz to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis and to amend the   
   Part 97 rules to provide for its use. Several countries, including Canada,   
   already have access to the band. The ARRL has pointed out that during its   
   extensive course of experimentation in the spectrum around 500 kHz, no   
   interference reports have been received.   
      
   The FCC said that the "cornerstone" of the technical rules it's proposing   
   for both bands is "physical separation between amateur stations and the   
   transmission lines" carrying PLC signals. "Such a separation, in conjunction   
   with limits on the amateur stations' transmitted EIRP and antenna heights,   
   will enable PLC systems and amateur stations to coexist in these bands," the   
   FCC asserted. "In addition, we propose to limit amateur stations to   
   operations at fixed locations only, to ensure that this separation distance   
   can be maintained reliably."   
      
   The FCC said it wants to hear from both PLC system users and radio amateurs   
   regarding technical requirements it would have to put into place to permit   
   both users to operate comfortably and without compromising the PLC systems.   
   The Commission suggested that other requirements might include limits on   
   antenna heights, transmitter power limits, and operating privilege limits   
   based on license class or mode. The ARRL will file comments in the   
   proceeding.   
      
   The FCC will accept comments for 60 days following publication of the Report   
   and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the Federal   
   Register. Reply comments would be due 30 days after the comment deadline.   
      
   Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams, as   
   Earthquake Recovery Continues   
      
   In the wake of the devastating April 25 earthquake, hams in Nepal, already   
   in limited supply, have been turning out to help in the ongoing recovery.   
   The Nepalese government also is reported to be cutting some of the red tape   
   that has prevented hams from outside the country from operating within   
   Nepal. Several hams from India are among those who have arrived in Nepal to   
   help facilitate communication. Word earlier this week via Amateur Radio   
   Society of India President Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, was that visiting hams   
   would not be permitted to operate in Nepal, unless they were part of a   
   government team. On the other hand, getting needed Amateur Radio equipment   
   into Nepal remains problematic.   
      
   "ARRL is working closely with amateurs in Nepal to identify equipment needed   
   for the relief effort," said ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey,   
   KI1U. "We are preparing a shipment from the Ham Aid inventory, but like   
   other NGOs, we are facing transportation challenges. We hope to have   
   transportation arrangements in place soon." Unconfirmed reports said another   
   group was having problems getting a repeater into Nepal.   
      
   While parts of the telecommunication infrastructure remain in operation,   
   power is out. Ham radio remains a reliable link at this stage of the   
   recovery effort. A major focus of rescue teams has been attempting to locate   
   the missing, as well as to recover quake victims buried beneath debris. More   
   than 5000 people are now reported dead as a result of the earthquake and   
   subsequent aftershocks. The disaster also has stranded many people, as roads   
   were cut off by landslides and damage. Rain, heavy at times, has hampered   
   rescue and recovery work.   
      
   "In spite of the conditions, ham radio operation is in progress, and the   
   Nepal government has started issuing licenses to visiting hams, with 9N7   
   prefixes," said Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU. Bhide, who is the Amateur Radio Society   
   of India's National Coordinator for Disaster Communication, said these   
   stations have been asked to help provide communication to more of the   
   devastated region. Ham radio groups are being asked to spread out in terms   
   of operating frequencies as well. Bhide said a lot of the Amateur Radio   
   traffic has consisted of health-and-welfare inquiries.   
      
   Mike Kalter, W8CI, told ARRL that he relayed an urgent request from the   
   family of a woman traveling between Nepal and Tibet with a tour group. He   
   passed along the information via ham radio to Mohan Suri, VU2MYH, in Nepal,   
   who supplied the information to authorities. Within a few days, the woman   
   being sought reported back through Jerry Long, KJ4YAP, that groups were   
   going through the streets of Kathmandu, announcing names of individuals   
   being sought, and she heard her name called out. The woman and her tour   
   group were subsequently helicoptered out of Nepal.   
      
   At least two groups of hams from Gujarat, India, were planning to travel to   
   Nepal and set up stations "at critical places," Bhide said, adding that he,   
   Ananda Majumdar, VU2AGJ, and Sandip Baruah, VU2MUE, were planning to set up   
   HF and VHF stations at Gorakhpur, on the India-Nepal border.   
      
   Amateur Radio HF nets have been one link between Nepal and the outside   
   world, as Internet service continues to be spotty. Nepalese hams also are   
   active locally on VHF/UHF.   
      
   Bhide said residents in the affected areas were finding it difficult to   
   contact family members, as their cell phones have discharged, and no   
   charging facility is available. He and some of the radio amateurs active on   
   the relief and recovery nets contacted agencies in Nepal to provide small   
   solar charging units.   
      
   The earthquake -- said to be the worst in Nepal in 80 years -- hit an area   
   between the capital city of Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara.   
      
   Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY, is 2015 Goldfarb Scholarship Recipient   
      
   The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors has named Jacob Nunez-Kearny, KF7DSY,   
   of Mesa, Arizona, as the recipient of the 2015 William R. Goldfarb Memorial   
   Scholarship. A senior at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, he plans to   
   attend Purdue University in the fall and pursue a career in aerospace   
   engineering. Based on qualifications, need, and other academic funding   
   sources, the award can be $10,000 or greater. The Goldfarb Scholarship is   
   awarded to an active Amateur Radio licensee who intends to pursue a   
   bachelor's degree in a business-related, computer, medical, nursing, or   
   engineering field.   
      
   "I am really happy and honored to have received this scholarship," Jacob   
   told ARRL. "This scholarship means that I have the opportunity to attend   
   college with the knowledge that the community of hams believes in me. I   
   imagine that all hams, especially ones young enough to qualify for this   
   scholarship, are incredibly resourceful and intelligent, and so to be chosen   
   out among them for this scholarship is a great honor."   
      
   Jacob expressed his gratitude to his grandfather, Steve Kearny, KW7N, for   
   introducing him to Amateur Radio. "If it weren't for him I wouldn't have   
   become a part of this great community and hobby," he said. On his   
   scholarship application, he said that Amateur Radio has piqued his interest   
   in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). "Through   
   Amateur Radio I was able to turn theoretical learning into physical   
   results," he said. "The time I spent solving equations and making schematics   
   turned into a contact with a person hundreds of miles away."   
      
   In an effort to get a leg up on his career choice, Jacob has been involved   
   in a senior year engineering design program, Project Lead the Way, and he   
   earned three college credits through the Rochester Institute of Technology.   
   The senior project, accomplished as a team, must address a real-world problem.   
   Jacob came up with this year's -- a 30-foot portable "stealth" telescoping   
   mast -- undertaken at his grandfather's suggestion; Jacob lives in an   
   antenna-restricted community.   
      
   The William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is the result of a generous   
   endowment from William Goldfarb, N2ITP (SK). Before his death in 1997,   
   Goldfarb set up a scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory of   
   his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb. It is awarded to one high school   
   senior each year. Read more.   
      
   House Committee Asks FCC for Documents Related to Proposed Field Office   
   Closures   
      
   The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce has given the Federal   
   Communications Commission a May 7 deadline to produce documents related to   
   FCC Enforcement Bureau proposals to close two-thirds of its field offices   
   and eliminate nearly one-half of its staff of field agents. In an April 23   
   letter, Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) told FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler   
   that his panel wants the Commission to provide all documents relating to the   
   proposed closures.   
      
   "[Y]our proposal to shutter 16 of the Commission's 24 field offices raises   
   significant challenges and concerns," Upton said. "The Commission has   
   represented to Congress and the American people that it will 'preserve the   
   integrity of public safety communications infrastructure by taking action on   
   99 percent of complaints of interference to public safety communications   
   within 1 day,' yet your proposal to reduce the geographic footprint of the   
   Commission appears to ignore the impact this might have on the Commission's   
   public interest goal." Upton said the Commission has offered little   
   information to support its proposals. "Indeed, our concerns have only been   
   heightened by the Commission's failure to provide all the information   
   requested by the Committee," he wrote.   
      
   The field office and personnel layoff proposals were outlined in a March 10   
   internal memorandum from Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc and FCC   
   Managing Director Jon Wilkins to EB field staff. The memo, obtained by ARRL   
   and others, cited the need to take "a fresh look" at the Bureau's   
   20-year-old operating model in light of technology changes and tighter   
   budgets.   
      
   During March hearings of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology   
   -- chaired by Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR) -- on the FCC's FY 2015 budget   
   request, Committee members sought more information from Wilkins and Wheeler   
   on the basis of the proposals to close field offices. Upton said that his   
   Committee has, to date, received just the two-page March 10 memorandum and a   
   35-page PowerPoint presentation that purports to outline the consultants'   
   report.   
      
   ARRL leadership met with Enforcement Bureau staff and with Capitol Hill   
   lawmakers in March to express its own concerns about the proposals in light   
   of seemingly lax enforcement of the Amateur Service rules. ARRL CEO David   
   Sumner, K1ZZ, also addressed the FCC's field office closure proposals in his   
   "It Seems to Us" editorial in the May 2015 issue of QST. "Given everything   
   that's on [the Enforcement Bureau's] plate -- of which Amateur Radio is just   
   a small part -- reducing the number of field agents from 63 to 33 and the   
   number of field offices from 24 to 8 hardly sounds like progress," Sumner   
   wrote.   
      
   Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"   
      
   More than 250 Amateur Radio communication volunteers participated on   
   Patriots Day (April 20) in the 119th running of the Boston Marathon,   
   sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). This event was the   
   second since the bombings that tragically marred the 2013 race. Amateur   
   Radio volunteers have supported Boston Marathon communication for   
   decades. Starting with the 2015 event, a Communications Committee the BAA   
   formed last year established a "new normal" for marathon support by   
   integrating Amateur Radio, public safety, and commercial radio providers   
   into a single team. In step with the BAA's mandate to "review the entire   
   communications program," the seven-member Amateur Radio management team   
   raised the level of training to a professional caliber and developed better   
   documentation for volunteers. Tight coordination with the BAA as both leader   
   and "client" of the Amateur Radio communication support "led to further   
   advancement in overall effectiveness as evidenced by a very successful   
   outcome despite difficult weather," the Amateur Radio team said in a media   
   release.   
      
   "Development of detailed communications plans for each race segment was at   
   the heart of the Committee's work," the Amateur Radio team said. "We expect   
   this arrangement to continue, along with an increasing emphasis upon further   
   training and standards, all intended to enhance the work of Amateur Radio   
   public service, and to raise confidence in our capabilities to integrate   
   with other organizations as effective team players."   
      
   Cool, damp weather made the volunteers' role more difficult, but carrying   
   out communication tasks according to the 2015 plan went smoothly. "Many   
   Boston Marathon race officials favorably commented on the advancement in   
   communications provided by Amateur Radio and other entities both in the   
   planning stage and on event day," the Amateur Radio team said.   
      
   "Through all the meetings, conference calls, and documents produced, I would   
   say we all fulfilled what we set out to accomplish and more," said Chris   
   Troyanos, Medical Coordinator for the Boston Marathon. "From the public   
   safety side to all involved with the BAA, our communications program set new   
   heights of excellence." Organizers from the Red Cross also expressed   
   satisfaction with 2015 Boston Marathon communications.   
      
   Event logistics were coordinated more tightly. Added to Amateur Radio's   
   tasks this year was reporting of hourly medical statistics from each of the   
   26 medical field units, and a new medical re-supply system, both relying on   
   Amateur Radio communication. The cooler weather meant fewer heat-related   
   medical emergencies, but from mile 12 onward, many runners suffered chills   
   and had to stop at medical stations to warm up before moving on.   
      
   Efforts were organized in segments that included start, course,   
   transportation, and finish. A back-up medical dispatch communication plan,   
   included in the public safety matrix, was among the many operational plans   
   in place. Amateur Radio volunteers shadowed key race officials at the start   
   and finish line, augmenting commercial radio services. They also staffed   
   medical and hydration stations along the course; vans that travelled the   
   course transported runners unable to complete the race to the finish line.   
   Read more. -- Thanks to Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Mark Richards, K1MGY, and the   
   Boston Marathon Amateur Radio team   
      
   AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous Satellite   
      
   There is big news on the Amateur Radio satellite front. AMSAT-NA has   
   announced that, if all goes according to plan, an Amateur Radio payload will   
   go into space on a geosynchronous satellite that's planned for launch in   
   2017. As opposed to the more typical low Earth orbit, a geosynchronous orbit   
   would permit an Earthbound ham at a given point within the satellite's   
   footprint to access the satellite at approximately the same time each day.   
   According to AMSAT Vice President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, the   
   satellite's potential footprint would extend over the US from the Mid-Pacific   
   to Africa. AMSAT said it has accepted the opportunity to be a "hosted payload"   
   on a spacecraft that Millennium Space Systems (MSS) of El Segundo, California,   
   is under contract to design, launch, and operate for the US government. Past   
   AMSAT Director and former Vice President-Engineering Bob McGwier, N4HY, said   
   the Amateur Radio payload must be delivered for testing and integration by   
   the spring of 2016.   
      
   "It is an ambitious schedule, and all involved will have to gain and   
   maintain a serious level of commitment," said McGwier, the Director of   
   Research at Virginia Tech's Hume Center for National Security and   
   Technology. The AMSAT announcement on April 25 followed an April 13 meeting   
   at MSS to discuss the project.   
      
   According to AMSAT, the transponder is expected to support a wide range of   
   voice, digital, and experimental advanced communications technologies. A   
   decision is expected soon regarding the specification of the microwave   
   uplink and downlink bands.   
      
   The AMSAT Board of Directors has signed on to the project, and AMSAT expects   
   to be involved in developing both the ground station and the RF payload. It   
   will also serve as the Amateur Radio payload operator, once the satellite   
   has been launched. Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Bob   
   McGwier, N4HY, and others   
      
   Dayton Hamvention(r) Youth Forum to Offer Chance to Meet Astronaut   
      
   Young radio amateurs attending the Youth Forum at Dayton Hamvention on May   
   16 will have a chance to meet NASA astronaut and ham Mike Fincke, KE5AIT --   
   one of the more "radio-active" International Space Station crew members   
   during his time in space. The Saturday morning Youth Forum, organized by   
   Carole Perry, WB2MGP, will include a variety of presentations from eight young   
   hams, whom Perry called "role models for other radio amateurs and prospective   
   young hams -- each sharing inspiring stories, having fun, and being creative   
   in ham radio activities." One of the door prizes for young hams attending the   
   forum will be a drawing for an ARRL-hosted luncheon with Astronaut Mike   
   Fincke, KE5AIT. Fincke operated the Amateur Radio equipment on the   
   International Space Station while he was part of the Expedition 9 and 18 crews.   
      
   "Eight lucky students in elementary school, high school, or enrolled as a   
   college undergraduate may participate in the drawing for lunch with the   
   astronaut," said ARRL Educational Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ.   
   "These students must already have their Amateur Radio license. What better   
   way to inspire our youth to pursue more education and career paths in the   
   STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math than by engaging   
   with an astronaut-ham!"   
      
   Fincke will talk with the students about his career, space travel, and   
   research on the ISS. The luncheon will immediately follow the Youth Forum   
   Saturday morning. Youth Forum presenters will include:   
      
    *  Tyler Hammond, KD8UAY, of Dresden, Ohio (age 13): "Contesting for   
       Elementary Students"   
    *  Abbigail Wilson, KF5BEW (age 18), and Kendra Wilson, KF5FYS (age 16), of   
       Lafayette, Louisiana: "Youth and the Future of Ham Radio"   
    *  Sam Case, KG7HBY (age 11), of Sparks, Nevada: "The Friday Night QSO   
       Party"   
    *  Jesse Shulins, KB1YNK (age 17), of Andover, Massachusetts: "Pneumatic   
       Mast Systems for the Radio Amateur"   
    *  Faith Hannah Lea, WA4BBC (age 10), and Zechariah Lea, WX4TVJ (age 12),   
       of Chesapeake, Virginia: "Experiences in Antenna Selection,   
       Construction, and Use for VHF Applications"   
    *  Cameron Thurston, N8CAM (age 16), of Saint Helen, Michigan: "Contesting   
       with N3FJP Software"   
      
   Perry has moderated the Youth Forum and instructor's workshops at   
   Hamvention(r) for many years. She is a popular keynote speaker and seminar   
   leader at numerous teacher and radio conventions across the country.   
      
   New Section Manager Appointed in North Texas   
      
   The ARRL North Texas Section will soon have a new Section Manager. Nancy   
   McCain, K5NLM, of Fort Worth, will take over the position on May 1, succeeding   
   incumbent SM Chris Brewer, N5GMJ, who resigned due to increased work and   
   family commitments. ARRL Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton,   
   NN1N, made the appointment in consultation with Brewer, who recommended McCain   
   for the post, and ARRL West Gulf Division Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV.   
   Brewer, of Saginaw, has served as the North Texas Section Manager since April   
   30, 2013.   
      
   McCain, who is presently a North Texas Assistant Section Manager, has been   
   active in ARES, RACES, and in Army and Navy MARS. She is a retired emergency   
   management specialist. She will complete the current term of office as North   
   Texas Section Manager, which runs until March 31, 2017.   
      
   Armed Forces Day 2015 Crossband Communications Test to Offer New Modes   
      
   The annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Communications Test set for Saturday   
   and Sunday, May 9-10, will offer Amateur Radio operators a chance to try   
   their hand at using more modern military communications modes, such as MIL-STD   
   Serial PSK. Also new this year is the inclusion of a crossband Automatic   
   Link Establishment (ALE) test. The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and   
   Coast Guard cosponsor the joint military/Amateur Radio event, which this   
   year marks the 65th Armed Forces Day and the 90th anniversary of the   
   Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). Armed Forces Day 2015 falls on May   
   16, but the crossband test is held on the earlier weekend to accommodate   
   those visiting Dayton Hamvention May 15-17.   
      
   The annual event is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication   
   between Amateur Radio and military stations. It features the traditional   
   military-to-amateur crossband SSB voice, CW, MT63, and AMTOR FEC, plus   
   MIL-STD Serial PSK and ALE, both new this year.   
      
   Those interested in trying the MIL-STD Serial PSK mode can download the free   
   MS-DMT software. A complete list of participating military stations,   
   operating modes, and times of operation is on the US Army MARS website, as   
   well as on its Facebook page.   
      
   The Sinking of the Lusitania: A Ham Radio Connection?   
      
   Several Amateur Radio special event stations will be on the air in early May   
   to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Cunard Line's RMS   
   Lusitania -- at one time the world's largest ship -- off the coast of Ireland.   
   As one of the events precipitating US entry into World War I, the sinking of   
   the Lusitania by Germany on May 7, 1915, claimed some 1200 lives, although   
   another 800 or so of those aboard survived.   
      
   GB100MFA will operate during the entire month of May from the UK, with   
   members of the Radio Officers Association at the helm from the lightship   
   Planet in Liverpool, Lusitania's home port and its ultimate destination on   
   its voyage from New York. EI100MFA will be on the air from Ireland May 3-10.   
   MFA was the ship's call sign.   
      
   Other announced operations include KC9HYY/LUS100, operating May 1-9 from   
   Wisconsin; N2L, operating May 1-15 by the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club   
   (GSBARC) from Long Island, New York, and WW1USA, operating May 9-10 from the   
   National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, by the Santa Fe Trail   
   Amateur Radio Club.   
      
   According to wireless history accounts, it was a radio amateur, Charles   
   Apgar, 2MN, of Westfield, New Jersey, who finally figured out the   
   significance of the odd buzz-like transmissions he'd heard emanating   
   evenings from German Telefunken station WSL in Sayville, Long Island. As   
   recounted by the late Phil Petersen, W2DME, Apgar not only was curious, but   
   suspicious.   
      
   "Apgar had a very advanced sensitive Armstrong regenerative receiver that he   
   modified to make off-the-air recordings on a cylinder recorder," Petersen   
   wrote. "Suspecting that WSL was transmitting secret intelligence at very   
   high speed, Apgar further modified his audio recorder to greatly reduce the   
   speed on playback. As he suspected, the 'buzz' was actually secret Morse   
   code sent at very high speed." Apgar turned his recordings of WSL's   
   transmissions over to the US Secret Service, which seized the station in   
   July 1915.   
      
   WSL officials "were charged with sending illegal secret messages regarding   
   allied and neutral shipping," Petersen recounted. "It was also believed that   
   the German submarines obtained secret information that led to the sinking of   
   the passenger ship Lusitania. After the government seized the station,   
   sinkings by U-boats greatly decreased."   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: There were no new sunspots over the April   
   23-29 reporting period, although the previous 7 days saw new sunspots every   
   day -- and April 21 had two new ones. Solar flux and daily sunspot numbers   
   declined. The average daily sunspot number dropped from 120.9 to 60.7, and   
   average daily solar flux went from 150.4 to 119.8.   
      
   Predicted solar flux for April 30 through May 1 is 95, 100 on May 2-3, 105,   
   and 110 on May 4-5, 115 on May 6-7, 135 on May 8-9, 130, and 125 on May 10-11,   
   130 on May 12-14, then 125, 130, and 125 on May 15-17, 120 on May 18-19, and   
   115 on May 20-23. Flux values are forecast to drop to 110 for May 27-29, then   
   rise to 135 for June 3-5.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 10 on April 30 through May 1, 8 on May 2, 5   
   on May 3-11, 25 on May 12, 20 on May 13-14, then 12, 8, 12, 20, 12, and 8 on   
   May 15-20, and 5 on May 21-25.   
      
   Download 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   
      
    *   
      
       May 1 -- NS Weekly RTTY Sprint   
    *   
      
       May 2 -- Microwave Spring Sprint (Phone, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- New England QSO Party   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- Delaware QSO Party   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- 7th Area QSO Party   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- Indiana QSO Party   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- Radio Club of America QSO Party   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- 2 GHz and Up World Wide Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- Worldwide EME Contest (Phone, CW)   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- Ten-Ten Spring CW Contest   
    *   
      
       May 2-3 -- ARI International DX Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       May 4 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       May 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)   
    *   
      
       May 6 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *   
      
       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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   )\/(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)