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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-05-07   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   May 7, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Wants FCC to "Do More Than Talk the Talk" in Millimeter Band   
       Proceeding   
    *  Amateur Radio Continues to Provide Reliable Post-Quake Communication in   
       Nepal   
    *  Amateur Radio Repeater from US Clears Customs in Nepal   
    *  ARRL Receives NPSTC Hertz Award   
    *  ARISS "Ham Video" Ground Station Tests Under Way   
    *  ARRL Now Offering Personalized ARRL Begali Paddle   
    *  Remotely Controlling VY1JA Station in Yukon Territory a Win-Win   
    *  Nominations Due by May 22 for 2015 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver   
       Antenna Award   
    *  ARRL Rookie Roundup SSB a Big Success   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Getting It Right!   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ARRL Wants FCC to "Do More Than Talk the Talk" in Millimeter Band Proceeding   
      
   The ARRL has challenged the FCC to "do more than talk the talk" with respect   
   to an FCC proceeding now under way to accommodate vehicular radar   
   applications on spectrum in 76-81 GHz range. In reply comments filed on   
   April 20, the League rebutted assertions from some commenters, and contended   
   that Amateur Radio and short-range vehicular radar, as proposed by Bosch   
   LLC, are compatible at 77-81 GHz.   
      
   "ARRL is comfortable with and has embraced this   
   conclusion," the League said in its reply comments. In light of a   
   "thoroughly vetted and adopted" International Telecommunication Union (ITU)   
   study already on record, the League said the FCC cannot go along with the   
   suggestions of some industry commenters to exclude Amateur Radio from the   
   77-81 GHz segment.   
      
   "To do so based only upon an assertion of 'potential interference conflicts'   
   in the absence of any evidence of such in the record of this proceeding or   
   prior related proceedings, would be an abdication of critical analysis   
   indicative of a lack of reasoned decision making," the ARRL told the   
   Commission. Bosch, which worked with the ARRL in advance of its petition,   
   has "tellingly disassociated itself" from other industry commenters who, the   
   League said, "cite no actual evidence" that typical Amateur Radio usage in   
   the 77-81 GHz band would be incompatible with short-range vehicular radar in   
   that frequency range.   
      
   As it did in its earlier comments in the proceeding, the League stressed   
   that the ITU study "definitively establishes the compatibility of automotive   
   radar and Amateur Radio" in the spectrum at issue.   
      
   "Bosch's pre-petition work with ARRL, the ITU study, and the comments in   
   this proceeding filed by Bosch, ARRL and some individual radio amateurs   
   active in the band establish that Amateur Radio is in no way incompatible   
   with automotive radar at 77-81 GHz," the ARRL said.   
      
   "It remains ARRL's position," the League contended, "that there should be no   
   change in the Amateur Radio domestic primary allocation at 77.5-78 GHz, or   
   in the secondary Amateur allocation at 77-77.5 GHz or 78-81 GHz in order to   
   accommodate automotive radar systems at 77-81 GHz." The ARRL also said no   
   changes were necessary in the Amateur Service Part 97 rules to accommodate   
   such compatible sharing. "ARRL reiterates that such is precisely the   
   position of the United States in anticipation of consideration of WRC-15   
   agenda item 1.18 later this year," the reply comments said.   
      
   The ARRL pointed out that the FCC, through Chairman Tom Wheeler, had   
   challenged incumbent millimeter wave users "to approach new uses of and   
   sharing arrangements...with an open mind."   
      
   "ARRL and Bosch have walked the walk that Wheeler challenged millimeter wave   
   incumbents to walk, the League said. "The Commission must refrain from   
   suppressing Amateur Radio in the 77-81 GHz band if it is truly committed to   
   its stated millimeter wave policy beyond merely talking the talk." Read   
   more.   
      
   Amateur Radio Continues to Provide Reliable Post-Quake Communication in   
   Nepal   
      
   Amateur Radio has continued to provide reliable communication in the   
   aftermath of the devastating April 25 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck   
   an area in and around the capital of Kathmandu. The disaster has so far   
   claimed more than 7300 lives, and aftershocks, on the order of magnitude 4,   
   continued this week.   
      
   [Nepal-Earthquake%20map.PNG] Amateur Radio's role, now winding down, has   
   been to provide communication for responders working in more remote regions   
   as well as to help in locating missing people. It also has served to convey   
   information about casualties. Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, the Amateur Radio Society   
   of India (ARSI) National Coordinator for Disaster Communication, said this   
   week that rescue teams moved into highly devastated areas such as Pokhara   
   and Sindupalchowk, where their work was hampered by rain and blocked roads.   
   "Teams are unable to reach the remotest villages," he said on May 5. "The   
   roads are cut off, and no communication is possible." The rain has since let   
   up.   
      
   While Nepal's cell telephone infrastructure has been functional, the   
   batteries in most mobile telephones have discharged. On his own initiative,   
   Bhide was able to secure funds from the Lions Club in Gwalior, where he   
   lives, to buy 500 mobile chargers. "These will be shipped to Nepal soon," he   
   said.   
      
   No Nepali stations were on the air for all of May 4, Bhide reported.   
   "Everyone was waiting to get some updates, but no one was there," he said.   
   Satish Kharel, 9N1AA, who has been prominent among the hams in Nepal   
   involved with the earthquake response, and Bhide now are maintaining contact   
   every 2 hours.   
      
   Nepal has only about 2 dozen Amateur Radio licensees, according to Nepali   
   authorities last week arranged for hams from other countries to obtain   
   9N3-prefix call signs to assist in the earthquake relief effort, and several   
   hams from India are in Nepal.   
      
   Amateur Radio Repeater from US Clears Customs in Nepal   
      
   Thanks to the efforts of the Computer Association of Nepal-USA (CAN-USA), a   
   repeater that the group had donated to Tribhuvan University in Nepal was   
   released from customs on May 5 and now is at the university in the care of   
   Sanjeeb Panday, 9N1SP. CAN-USA Disaster Preparedness Committee Chair Suresh   
   Ojha, W6KTM, said his organization "sought and received help from the US   
   State Department, the US Embassy in Nepal, and Nepal's Ministry of   
   Information and Communication."   
      
   "We were especially thrilled that the   
   Minister of Information and Communication, the Honorable Minendra Rijal,   
   personally contacted 9N1SP and offered his help on the matter," Ojha told   
   ARRL. "The very next day the equipment was released from customs. We believe   
   that the collective input from all interested parties had a cumulative   
   effect on the overall process."   
      
   In 2013, anticipating the possibility of an earthquake disaster, CAN-USA --   
   also known as the Global Nepali Professional Network (GNPN) -- funded and   
   installed the only Amateur Radio repeater currently in service in Nepal and   
   donated a transmitter that was recently used to transmit slow-scan TV images   
   of earthquake-ravaged areas to a Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS)   
   operator in Afghanistan. Ojha said his organization is "thrilled to have   
   another repeater in the nation."   
      
   On May 1, CAN-USA -- under its "Radio Mala" project banner -- called on the   
   Amateur Radio community to urge the government of Nepal to release   
   additional ham radio equipment being held up in customs, so that it could be   
   used to support the earthquake relief and recovery effort.   
      
   CAN-USA said that as Nepal responds to the devastating 7.8 magnitude   
   earthquake, Amateur Radio has been playing "a key role in the recovery   
   effort." Radio Mala had decried "bureaucratic misunderstanding" in Nepal   
   that, it said, was keeping needed Amateur Radio equipment out of the hands   
   of responders.   
      
   ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, said the League has   
   been working closely with amateurs in Nepal to identify equipment needed for   
   the relief effort and was preparing to ship equipment from its Ham Aid   
   inventory. "We're still not able to send anything," Corey said this week,   
   citing transportation and bureaucratic challenges.   
      
   The "Ham Radio Mala" Facebook page includes more information on Amateur   
   Radio's role in the current earthquake relief and recovery effort.   
      
   ARRL Receives NPSTC Hertz Award   
      
   The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) has presented   
   the ARRL with its Heinrich Hertz Award for "exceptional devotion to the   
   activities of NPSTC and unwavering support of the public safety   
   communications community." ARRL Emergency Preparedness   
   Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, accepted the award on the League's behalf on May 6   
   at the NPSTC meeting in Washington, DC. The award's namesake, Heinrich   
   Hertz, was among the early wireless pioneers, and his name now is the   
   scientific unit for cycles per second. The Hertz Award is not an annual   
   award, but "only awarded when exceptional performance warrants it," NPSTC   
   Chairman Ralph A. Haller, N4RH, pointed out in notifying the League of the   
   honor.   
      
   "ARRL has supported NPSTC meetings for the past several years by shipping   
   and helping coordinate the technical equipment used to support our meetings   
   and events," Haller said. "As an active voting [NPSTC] member, ARRL has   
   provided engaged representatives who work hard to keep the work of NPTSC   
   moving forward. ARRL is a valued member of the NPSTC Governing Board and   
   represents the leadership represented by the Hertz award."   
      
   ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, credited Amateur Radio volunteers. "This   
   award was earned by the thousands of ARRL volunteers whose devotion to   
   service makes our country and our communities better, safer places to live,"   
   she said.   
      
   Haller said the League's achievements and advocacy on behalf of public   
   safety communications professionals "are numerous and important and have   
   helped change the face of public safety communications."   
      
   "You provide a true service through the time your organization devotes to   
   furthering the cause of public safety telecommunications through unwavering   
   commitment and expertise," Haller concluded.   
      
   ARISS "Ham Video" Ground Station Tests Under Way   
      
   The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) "Ham Video"   
   digital transmitter has been conducting tests since May 1 in order to check   
   reception of the signal by a network of ground stations in Europe. ARISS-EU   
   Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, said the test transmissions will continue   
   for as long as ISS on board operations permit. Ham TV has been sending a   
   blank transmission signal, since the camera has not been powered on.   
      
   "The networked European ground stations are receiving excellent   
   signals on 2395 MHz," Bertels told ARRL. "The European network of ground   
   stations is nearly complete. Six ground stations span the continent in an   
   'X' formation." Bertels said that on each pass, the signal is analyzed with   
   Tutioune software, developed by Jean Pierre Courjaud F6DZP.   
      
   Bertels said that four stations can receive about 10 minutes of solid copy   
   during both ascending and descending passes over the continent. He said this   
   comports with predictions. The networked ground stations have been streaming   
   the blank digital video signal to the British Amateur Television Club (BATC)   
   server. The BATC page shows all six video streams.   
      
   Once reliable ground station performance has been established, Bertels said,   
   the Ham Video transmitter will be used to enhance ARISS school contacts, in   
   conjunction with an audio-only VHF uplink. "This operational mode is dubbed   
   'ARISS Ham TV,'" Bertels said. The Ham Video transmitter is located in the   
   Russian Sector of the ISS Columbus module. It identifies as OR4ISS.   
      
   Although no Ham Video ground stations have been formally established in the   
   US, Bertels said that Kerry Banke, N6IZW, in San Diego gets excellent   
   results using a 1.8 meter dish. The European ground stations use 1.2 meter   
   dishes.   
      
   "One of the main challenges is the ISS tracking," Bertels said. "S-band   
   dishes have a small angular aperture, and the tracking needs precise   
   calibration. This is done using the Sun as microwave source."   
      
   "Under optimal pass conditions, a single ground station achieves 6 minutes   
   of error free reception," Bertels told ARRL. "Experimentation continues on   
   all aspects of the complex project: Mechanical construction of the precise   
   tracking system, receiver electronics, decoding software, and signal   
   streaming over the Internet."   
      
   NASA Astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, successfully installed and commissioned   
   the ARISS) Ham Video system in March 2014. The following month, Japanese   
   Astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, served as the host for a successful final   
   commissioning pass for the Ham Video transmitter and camera. The S-band   
   transmitter can use one of two ARISS patch antennas on Columbus. Radiated RF   
   power is on the order of 10 W EIRP. Custody of the Ham Video transmitter was   
   transferred from the European Space Agency to ARISS earlier this year. Read   
   more. -- Thanks to ARISS-EU Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF   
      
   ARRL Now Offering Personalized ARRL Begali Paddle   
      
   ARRL has partnered with Begali Keys of Italy to produce a   
   precision-engineered, personalized limited-edition keyer paddle. Handsomely   
   sculpted by designer Pietro Begali, I2RTF, the paddle features AISI 304   
   stainless steel for all fixed components. Contacts are solid 925/1000 silver   
   -- not plated. Each key will be engraved with the ARRL and Begali logos and   
   personalized with your call sign and a unique serial number! (Zeros will   
   appear as O.)   
      
   The lightweight, carved aluminum paddles, with a 1:1   
   leverage ratio, are anodized in black. The bottom of the base includes a   
   rubber anti-skid ring to prevent the paddle from slipping on your operating   
   desk. Four rubber feet are included, which may be installed into pre-drilled   
   holes, if desired.   
      
   Each unit also includes:   
      
    *   
      
       Feeler gauge (0.03 mm) to set the contact spacing   
    *   
      
       Microfiber optical cleaning cloth   
    *   
      
       Plastic dust cover   
    *   
      
       Cable with 1/8-inch jack   
      
   If desired, ownership and serial numbers will be published in the online   
   ARRL Begali Key Owner Registry.   
      
   The key is $499.95, including shipping and handling. The retail price will   
   be reevaluated from month to month and is subject to change due to   
   fluctuations in international currency exchange rates. Orders placed each   
   month will be manufactured in the following month. Allow up to 60 days for   
   delivery.   
      
   Visit the ARRL Online Store to order your ARRL Begali Key.   
      
   Remotely Controlling VY1JA Station in Yukon Territory a Win-Win   
      
   In an effort to make the Northern Territories less rare in ARRL November   
   Sweepstakes and other events for which it counts as a multiplier, a group is   
   working to make the station of Jay Allen, VY1JA, near Whitehorse, Yukon   
   Territory, remotely accessible -- and potentially more available.   
      
   "VY1JA is being slowly rebuilt as a primarily remotely operable station,"   
   Allen told ARRL. "For the foreseeable future, VY1JA operation is going to be   
   handled mainly by guest operators." Some health issues have kept Allen from   
   being able to operate during contests, so he's outsourcing the task.   
      
   The project group includes Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, a former ARRL staffer who   
   is handling the technical end; Hal Offutt, W1NN, the manager of operations,   
   and Andy McLellan, VE9DX, the digital modes leader. Although the enterprise   
   is a work in progress at this point, W1NN did operate VY1JA in February for   
   the 2015 ARRL International DX CW -- while he was in Tokyo!   
      
   The biggest problem Offutt encountered during that trial run was   
   unacceptable latency. "A severe delay made running very challenging," he   
   said in a post to the 3830 contest scores website. He said that by the time   
   he stopped transmitting, responding stations were already well into their   
   call signs, making multiple repeats necessary. "Hopefully in time and with   
   some work, the delay can be overcome or at least shortened, and this remote   
   arrangement will be a lot easier to use in the future," he said.   
      
   Work to make that happen more smoothly is ongoing. "Right now, I'm working   
   daily with Jay," said Hull, who has been calling on friends to donate   
   antennas, equipment, and technical expertise. "There is great potential at   
   the station. My plan of attack on the technical side is to get a method of   
   remote operation working that is a no-cost solution for the remote op."   
      
   Allen will take requests for individual skeds. All VY1JA logs are   
   automatically sent to LoTW and ClubLog, as well as to VY1JA's QSL managers.   
      
   "I want other operators who can do it much better than I can to operate,   
   while I do the maintenance and building," Allen said. "I have great people   
   on board to help. The Amateur Radio community has done a lot to help me, and   
   making my station available in this manner is my way of returning those   
   favors." Read more.   
      
   Nominations Due by May 22 for 2015 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna   
   Award   
      
   The deadline to submit nominations for the 2015 Philip J. McGan Memorial   
   Silver Antenna Award is May 22. The award recognizes volunteer excellence in   
   Amateur Radio public relations. It honors the memory of Phil McGan, WA2MBQ,   
   who was the first chairman of the ARRL Public Relations Committee. The McGan   
   Award recognizes volunteer efforts to promote Amateur Radio to the   
   non-amateur community.   
      
   Each year ARRL public information coordinators, public information officers   
   and other public relations volunteers strive to keep Amateur Radio visible   
   in their communities by publicizing special events, writing media releases,   
   creating media for radio and television, and maintaining good relations with   
   local media -- among many other valuable activities.   
      
   If you know someone who has achieved public relations success on behalf of   
   Amateur Radio, consider nominating that individual for the McGan Award. The   
   award will recognize a radio amateur who has demonstrated success in Amateur   
   Radio public relations and who best exemplifies the volunteer spirit of Phil   
   McGan.   
      
   The ARRL Public Relations Committee will determine a winner, if any, from   
   submitted material, subject to approval by the ARRL Board of Directors.   
      
   The nominee must be a full ARRL member in good standing, may not be   
   compensated for any public relations work involving Amateur Radio, and may   
   not be a current ARRL officer, Director, Vice Director or paid staff member,   
   or a member of the current selection committee. Anyone may make a   
   nomination.   
      
   Nominations must be on an official entry form. Nominations must be received   
   at ARRL Headquarters by the close of business on May 22, 2015. Mail   
   nominations and any supporting documentation to Philip J. McGan Memorial   
   Silver Antenna Award, PR Department, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.   
      
   The ARRL Public Relations Committee will review all nominations and forward   
   its recommendation to the Programs and Services Committee of the ARRL Board   
   of Directors, which will make a final determination at its July meeting.   
      
   For more information, contact ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean   
   Kutzko, KX9X.   
      
   ARRL Rookie Roundup SSB a Big Success   
      
   ARRL Contest Branch Manager, Matt Wilhelm, W1MSW, reports that the April SSB   
   Rookie Roundup was a big success! The results and soapbox have been posted.   
      
   "We received a record number of entries," said Wilhelm, who tallied 180   
   entries -- 149 of them from Rookies and 31 from non-Rookies. "Thank you to   
   all the Rookies who participated, the Elmers who were there to mentor, and   
   the non-Rookies who gave out contacts during the event."   
      
   These rookies took part in the 2013 edition of the ARRL Rookie Roundup from   
   W6YX, the Stanford University club station.   
      
   Wilhelm noted that some logs received represented multioperator entries, so   
   173 rookie operators participated in all.   
      
   ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager (and former Contest Branch Manager)   
   Sean Kutzko, KX9X, contacted Rookies from ARRL Headquarters station W1HQ,   
   while Wilhelm operated from home.   
      
   "What a fun time, contacting Rookies during Rookie Roundup," he said   
   afterward. "Everyone sounded great and did an excellent job handling the   
   exchange."   
      
   Electronic certificates will go out to participants in the near future.   
   Wilhelm said he's already looking forward to the ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY in   
   August.   
      
   In Brief...   
      
   This Mother's Day, Support ARRL by Shopping at   
   AmazonSmile: Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10. If you're looking for the   
   perfect gift, we invite you to shop at AmazonSmile and choose American Radio   
   Relay League Inc (ARRL) as your charity of choice. AmazonSmile is the same   
   Amazon you already know, with the same products, prices and service. With   
   every purchase you make at AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a contribution to   
   ARRL. This helps the League to extend its reach in public service, advocacy,   
   education, and membership. Give Mom something great, while supporting ARRL   
   and Amateur Radio with your eligible purchase today!   
      
   US Islands Awards Program "One-Day   
   Getaway" Set for Saturday, May 9: More than 70 islands are expected to be   
   active Saturday, May 9, for the US Islands Awards Program (USI) One-Day   
   Getaway event. Individuals and teams will take to the airwaves on May 9   
   between 0000 and 2359 UTC from islands in lakes, streams, ponds, rivers, and   
   along the coast. Some coastal islands are also eligible for credit in the   
   RSGB Islands on the Air (IOTA) program. For more information, visit the US   
   Islands Awards Program website. Also, read the article "The US Islands   
   Awards Program" by Sean Kutzko, KX9X (seen in the photo operating from New   
   Hampshire's Eastman Pond Island), in the May issue of QST. Follow the event   
   on Twitter this weekend using the hash tag #USIslands.   
      
   Whistler Recalls Jump&Go Portable Jumpstart and   
   Power Supply Units Due to Fire Hazard: The US Consumer Product Safety   
   Commission (CPSC) has announced that Whistler is recalling its "Jump&Go"   
   Portable Jumpstart and Power Supply units, due to a potential fire hazard.   
   Some ARES/RACES participants use these units as a handy, portable 12 V   
   source. The recall involves more than 10,000 of the pocket-sized devices,   
   manufactured in China. According to the CPSC, the unit's lithium battery can   
   overheat, causing it to melt and catch fire. The recall involves 12 V   
   Jump&Go Portable Jumpstart and Power Supply units with model numbers   
   starting with WJS-3000. Recalled units have date codes in YYYY/WW format   
   from 201404 through 201439. Read more. -- Thanks to Mike Morris, WA6ILQ   
      
   New 2 Meter Transatlantic Propagation Beacon On the Air from Ireland: A new   
   2 meter beacon that automatically listens for and logs responses is on   
   the air from County Cork in   
   Ireland. Operated on behalf of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS)   
   by Tony Baldwin, EI8JK, EI2DKH/b transmits JT65B on 144.488 MHz with a CW   
   identification on every even minute. The station listens for responses on   
   144.155 MHz on every odd minute. Any call signs received are posted daily.   
   The beacon's power output is 75 W to an array of 5 element Yagis at 60   
   meters above mean sea level and beaming due west from Sheeps Head in IO51dn.   
   During major meteor showers, the beacon will switch to FSK441 mode. --   
   Thanks to the IRTS   
      
   RTTY Contesters Invited to Take Part in Survey: Ed Muns,   
   W0YK, Don Hill, AA5AU, and Larry Gauthier, K8UT, have invited everyone to   
   take part in a brief survey on RTTY contesting. The deadline to participate   
   is 2359 UTC on Saturday, May 9. There are 23 easy-to-answer multiple-choice   
   questions, and it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Questions expand on   
   surveys done in 2007 and 2010, to track how preferences have evolved.   
   Results will be presented at the Dayton RTTY Forum and on the RTTY   
   Contesting website.   
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspot numbers over the past 2 weeks   
   began at 110 on April 23 and ended at 110 on May 6. In between, the sunspot   
   number was just 13 on May 1, but the weekly averages were nearly the same,   
   at 60.7 during the first week, and 60.9 for the second.   
      
   Geomagnetic indices were high on May 6: 23 for the planetary A index, and 21   
   for the mid-latitude A index.   
      
   The reported mid-latitude A index on May 5 was   
   an approximation, reported at 11, because the A index calculation is made up   
   of eight 3-hour K index readings in 24 hours, and only the readings at the   
   end of the UTC day were available. A similar situation occurred with the   
   high-latitude college A index from Fairbanks, Alaska: No K index data from   
   1500 UTC May 4 through 1500 UTC May 5.   
      
   The latest prediction from NOAA/USAF shows improving conditions over the   
   next week, with solar flux at 145 on May 7, 150 on May 8-10, 155 on May 11,   
   150 on May 12-14, 140 on May 15-16, 125 on May 17-18, 120 on May 19, 115 on   
   May 20-23, 110 on May 24-26, then up to 140 on June 8-9.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 12 on May 7, 5 on May 8-10, then 10 and 15 on   
   May 11-12, 20 on May 13-14, then 12, 8 and 12 on May 15-17, and 20, 12, and   
   8 on May 18-20, 5 on May 21-25, 8 on May 26, 10 on May 27-28, 8 on May 29,   
   and 5 on May 30 through June 7.   
      
   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.   
      
   In Friday's bulletin look for reports from readers and an updated forecast,   
   plus the update to our three month moving averages of sunspot numbers. Send   
   me your reports and observations. -- Tad Cook, K7RA   
      
   Getting It Right!   
      
   In "AMSAT: Amateur Radio Payload Could Share Space on Geosynchronous   
   Satellite," which appeared in The ARRL Letter for April 30, we should have   
   said that, from the standpoint of a satellite user, there is little   
   practical difference between geosynchronous and geostationary orbits. Both   
   orbital modes maintain the satellite's footprint with respect to Earth's   
   surface, so the satellite would be accessible 24/7 from within that   
   footprint, with some variation. Some consider "geostationary" and   
   "geosynchronous" to be synonyms.   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *   
      
       May 9 -- FISTS Spring Sprint   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- Armed Forces Day Crossband Comms Test   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- CQ-M International DX Contest (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- Portuguese Navy Day (SSB, CW)   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- Nevada Mustang Roundup (SSB, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- 50 MHz Spring Sprint (Phone, CW, Digital)   
    *   
      
       May 9-10 -- Alessandro Volta RTTY DX Contest   
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *   
      
       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   
    *   
      
       August 1 -- Great Lakes Division Convention, Columbus, Ohio   
      
   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)