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The ARRL Letter
June 4, 2015
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME
* Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe
Weather
* WX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane Season
* Radio Call Saves SOTA Climber Following Fall
* It's Alive! LightSail Spacecraft Restored After Being Silenced by
Software Issue
* Delayed Return of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for June
11
* British Astronaut to Share His ISS Experience with Students via Amateur
Radio
* Sarah Brightman Spaceflight Postponed
* Nayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube Transponder
* Another Australian Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates
Earth
* In Brief...
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
Texas, Oklahoma Ham Volunteers Stand Down Following Spate of Severe Weather
Severe storms and flooding in Texas and Oklahoma that extended beyond the
Memorial Day holiday weekend kept ARES and SKYWARN volunteers busy or on alert
through the rest of May, which now is being crowned as the wettest month on
record in both states. Texas received more than 8.8 inches of rainfall during
May, while Oklahoma got a whopping 14.4 inches. Wichita Falls, Texas, saw 17
inches of rain during May, while Oklahoma City got nearly 19.5 inches. The
resulting flooding and property damage -- with some severe wind incidents
thrown in -- caused numerous ARES callouts and SKYWARN net activations.
In Oklahoma, Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said Amateur
Radio volunteers provided communication for several American Red Cross damage
assessment teams in the wake of flooding in Comanche County and elsewhere.
"ARES-OK volunteers in action this month have provided 436 hours of service,"
Conklin reported on May 31. "Teams were deployed to the Bridge Creek community
and Comanche and Leflore counties. In addition, Conklin added, nearly every
storm complex that rolled through Oklahoma spawned numerous SKYWARN nets with
volunteers providing "many hours of service."
ARES teams in his state stood down on June 2.
South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Frank Aguilar, N5SSH, said all
districts in his Section had stood down by June 1. "Weather events are over,
and the forecast does not show rain for the next week or two, which means
search and rescue and clean-up will be the main focus," he said. A summary of
activity showed that ARES volunteers assisted in local emergency operations
centers and the Red Cross. In addition, he noted, SKYWARN nets were called up
in vulnerable counties, and other ARES teams remained on standby in case they
were needed.
ARRL South Texas Section Manager Lee Cooper, W5LHC, called the spate of heavy
rainfall, tornadoes, and flooding over some two-thirds of his state "pretty
much unprecedented" for the region. "The main event is over," Cooper said this
week. "We are looking at a approximately 10-day period of dry sunny weather in
South Texas and do not anticipate any additional activations."
This spring's torrential rains stood in stark contrast to the severe drought
the region had experienced over the past few years. May's heavy rains have
been linked to a burgeoning El Niño in the Pacific.
While fair weather returned to the region this week, forecasters fear the now
rain-saturated ground could make things worse during the hurricane season,
which began on June 1.
WX4NHC Reports It's Ready for Hurricane Season
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in
Miami, reports that it has stood the test and is ready for the 2015 Hurricane
Season, which began on June 1 and will continue through November. WX4NHC
conducted its Annual Station Test on May 30, at the end of Hurricane
Preparedness Week. This marked the 35th year of volunteer public service by
the WX4NHC Group at the NHC. WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator Julio
Ripoll, WD4R, said the station was tested on many frequencies and modes,
including digital modes, and that all radio equipment and antennas performed
well.
"The WX4NHC test event is also good practice for Amateur Radio operators
worldwide, but especially in hurricane prone areas, to test their station's
ability to contact WX4NHC, should they need to during a hurricane," Ripoll
said. "It was also a good opportunity for NWS Office staff to become aware of
the unique capabilities of Amateur Radio during severe weather and disaster
communications, when conventional communication modes fail."
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has forecast that the 2015 Atlantic hurricane
season will likely be below normal, but, it added, "that's no reason to
believe coastal areas will have it easy."
For the 2015 hurricane season, NOAA has predicted a 70 percent likelihood of
anywhere from six to 11 named storms (winds of 39 MPH or higher), of which
three to six could become hurricanes (winds of 74 MPH or higher). That
forecast included up to two "major hurricanes" (Category 3, 4, or 5) with
winds of 111 MPH or greater.
"A below-normal season doesn't mean we're off the hook," NOAA Administrator
Kathryn Sullivan said. "As we've seen before, below-normal seasons can still
produce catastrophic impacts to communities."
Ripoll said WX4NHC logged contacts during the test with some emergency
communication notables. These included FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
KK4INZ, on EchoLink and on the Florida UHF SARnet, plus a 20 meter contact
with FEMA Chief Technical Officer Ted Okada, K4HNL. WX4NHC also worked ARRL
Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, and Hurricane Watch Net (HWN)
Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.
"Mike, Bobby, Craig, and Ted all understand very well how Amateur Radio can
help their communities during and after severe weather and other natural
disasters," Ripoll said. "We expressed our thanks to all of them for their
strong support of the Amateur Radio volunteers and WX4NHC." Ripoll also
expressed appreciation to SKYWARN volunteers.
"You may never know, but your efforts may someday save someone's life," he
added.
During the 8-hour test, contacts were made and surface reports received from
many stations throughout the US and Canada, as well as in the Caribbean,
Central America, and South America, Ripoll said. He noted that more than 40
D-STAR/D-RATS surface weather reports were received at WX4NHC. John Davis,
WB4QDX, coordinated the D-Star/D-RATS net and reporting, Ripoll said.
"We are excited of the potential that D-STAR/D-RATS modes can produce
hurricane surface reports in a similar format that is used at WX4NHC," he
said. "These reports may someday fill a very important gap in surface data
during a hurricane that we could not receive on other modes."
WX4NHC also took part in the Florida State Hurricane Exercise on the UHF
SARnet, making contacts throughout Florida and with stations in emergency
operations centers. SARnet currently has 25 UHF repeaters connected statewide,
including one on the NHC campus.
Radio Call Saves SOTA Climber Following Fall
A Littleton, Colorado, radio amateur and mountaineer was happy to have his
handheld transceiver along on May 17 after he slipped and fell from an icy
ledge in Berthoud Pass while snowshoeing. Summits On The Air (SOTA) enthusiast
Brad Byland, WA6MM, said he's been climbing and mountaineering for many years
now and never before came this close to what he called "a possible life-ending
disaster."
"I'm doing fine," Byland told ARRL. "I didn't get hurt...only bad wind and
sunburn on my face! My daughter says my geeky hobby -- ham radio -- saved me
from my dangerous hobby -- climbing and mountaineering!"
Byland said that while this was his first climb in the Berthoud Pass area, he
was never "lost," as some media accounts reported. He had prepared to climb
Mount Flora -- which would have been his 29th SOTA peak -- by studying maps
and others' trip reports, plus he had his iPhone with GPS, a compass, and his
radio along.
"[T]hings went smoothly until about 12,700 feet," Byland said, at which point,
with visibility deteriorating, he decided to turn back. "It wasn't long before
I was in a total whiteout," he recounted. "The ground is white, the air around
me is white, and I had no perception of direction and elevation. My iPhone GPS
was of no use, as I couldn't read the display. I pulled out my compass for
navigation." Byland said he knew the basic heading he should follow along the
ridge, and he proceeded.
"A short time later I had a strange feeling I was floating in air. I didn't
realize I was falling until I landed on my back on a snow-filled ledge about
20 feet below a cornice," Byland continued. "I was quite surprised and amazed
that I suffered no injuries."
But he was essentially "stuck," and, while his snowshoes remained on, he was
unable to climb back up, due to the overhanging nature of the cornice. "I
needed to wait for better conditions," he concluded. "After about an hour I
decided to make a call for help, as I knew it would take time for a rescue
party to mobilize and find me. Spending the night would probably not end well,
and I might have had to take on significant risk to attempt a self-rescue."
Byland said he'd programmed his radio to a few local mountain repeaters, he
was able to quickly contact another ham, "and the rest of the story unfolded
with my eventual rescue."
While well equipped for his situation, he remained on the ledge for 4 or 5
hours. "I was in good spirits," he said, "and I can't tell you enough about
how comforting it is to have another person on the radio keeping me informed
of the rescue process. I didn't feel so alone on that ledge."
Byland thanked the Alpine and Grand County Search and Rescue members who got
him off the ledge. "Words alone cannot express my feelings of gratitude for
the work you do and the countless hours you invest in this service," he said.
"My donations to both SAR groups are forthcoming."
He also expressed his gratitude to the hams who picked up his distress call
and quickly notified authorities. "The outcome would have certainly been
different without their help," he said. "I particularly want to thank Alpine
SAR ham radio operator Mike, KC0CNT, who spent countless hours with me
exchanging vital information during the rescue operation."
In retrospect, Byland said, he should have taken another route or hunkered
down and waited for better visibility before descending.
It's Alive! LightSail Spacecraft Restored After Being Silenced by Software
Issue
After going silent for a few days, The Planetary Society's LightSail
spacecraft has resumed transmitting. A suspected software glitch had caused
the satellite to stop sending telemetry back to Earth on the 70 centimeter
Amateur Radio band. The communication issue now out of the way, the LightSail
team will soon determine when to attempt deployment of the spacecraft's
Mylar® solar sails.
"Our LightSail called home! It's alive!" The Planetary Society's CEO Bill Nye
(The Science Guy) said in a statement on the organization's website. "Our
LightSail spacecraft has rebooted itself, just as our engineers predicted.
Everyone is delighted. We were ready for three more weeks of anxiety."
According to Nye's statement, the LightSail team has coded a software patch
and has it ready to upload. "After we are confident in the data packets
regarding our orbit, we will make decisions about uploading the patch and
deploying our sails -- and we'll make those decisions very soon," Nye said.
"This has been a rollercoaster for us down here on Earth, all the while our
capable little spacecraft has been on orbit going about its business."
In a lengthy May 26 blog post, the Planetary Society's Jason Davis said the
LightSail mission had "paused, while engineers wait out a suspected software
glitch that has silenced the solar sailing
spacecraft." Following its successful May 20 launch, LightSail sent about 140
data packets back to Earth, Davis said. Over the Memorial Day weekend,
however, the spacecraft's automated telemetry went silent.
Telemetry data are sent on 437.435 MHz (AX.25, 9600 bps FSK). Davis said a lot
of radio amateurs have been helping to track LightSail and sent in data
packets.
According to Davis, the LightSail team believes that "a vulnerability" that
controls the primary avionics board was the problem. As he explained, the
CubeSat's onboard Linux-based flight software writes beacon packets to a
spreadsheet file -- beacon.csv -- which, when it reaches a certain size, can
cause the flight system to crash. A patch was devised to address the problem
in later software revisions, but LightSail's software did not include the
update, and before the fix could be uploaded, the satellite went silent.
Delayed Return of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, Set for June 11
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, now on an International Space
Station duty tour that was extended by about a month, will return to Earth on
June 11. Cristoforetti has conducted several Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts during her ISS stay. In
early May, NASA and its international partners postponed the return of
Cristoforetti, astronaut Terry Virts, and cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov,
following the failure in late April of the Russian robotic Progress 59 cargo
spacecraft to reach the ISS. The Progress went out of control, eventually
burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
"NASA and its international partners agreed to set a new schedule for
spacecraft traffic to and from the International Space Station," NASA said in
a May 12 media release.
"Looks like it's not time to get my spacesuit ready yet...what a present!"
Cristoforetti reacted, after the delay was announced. She arrived on the ISS
in November.
Cristoforetti's departure from the ISS will leave only Russian cosmonauts to
support the ARISS program until late July, when Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg
Kononenko, RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui arrive at the ISS as part of a scheduled crew
rotation. Before flights were reshuffled, they had been scheduled to arrive in
May. All three are set to return December 22.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF,
and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, arrived on station in March as part of the
Expedition 43/44 crew increment. Kelly and Kornienko will remain on the ISS
for 1 year. Padalka also will return to Earth in December.
The next Russian cargo craft, Progress 60, will launch in early July to
deliver several tons of food, fuel, and supplies. The space station has
sufficient supplies to support crews until the fall.
A private SpaceX robotic Dragon capsule is still slated to blast off on its
next resupply mission on June 19, but the timing of that flight is now under
review, NASA officials said.
British Astronaut to Share His ISS Experience with Students via Amateur Radio
The UK's first European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake, KG5BVI, plans to
share his "Principia" mission space adventure with students on Earth via
Amateur Radio. He's invited youngsters in his country to contact him while
he's onboard the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. Peake is
scheduled to head to the ISS in November for a 6-month duty tour. Nearly a
year in development, the program represents a collaboration of the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, the UK Space Agency
(UKSA), the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the European Space
Education Research Office in the UK (ESERO-UK), and the European Space Agency
(ESA) to raise awareness in Space, Amateur Radio, and STEM subjects.
"I hope to share as much of my mission as possible and am delighted that I
will be able to talk to UK students when the ISS flies over Britain, thanks to
the Amateur Radio equipment on board the International Space Station and the
ARISS program," Peake said.
The RSGB lead for ARISS and ARISS operations in the UK, Ciaran Morgan, M0XTD,
said, "ARISS...is delighted to help UK students connect with Tim whilst he is
in space, using only Amateur Radio equipment on the ISS and in schools, to
help inspire our future generations of scientists, technicians, engineers, and
mathematicians."
Schools throughout the UK have been solicited to host one of the limited
number of contacts. The events will include space workshops, where students
can explore space and space-related technologies, and analyze data from
satellites in orbit.
Students taking part in the contact events would have to obtain a full UK
Amateur Radio license in order to operate the radio gear, and one lucky
student at each of the schools selected will be responsible for making contact
with the ISS. An RSGB team and the ARISS UK operations team will work with the
chosen schools to prepare them for this exceptional opportunity during the
mission of the first British ESA astronaut.
Selected schools/organizations will host a direct ham radio link-up with the
ISS during a 2-day, space-related STEM workshop. ARISS-UK will provide and set
up all necessary radio equipment, including low-Earth orbit satellite tracking
antennas and radios, to establish a direct radio link with the space station
while the ISS is over the UK so that students can ask Peake about his life and
work on board the ISS. The program also plans to promote many aspects of
Amateur Radio, including the Amateur-Satellite service, obtaining data from
orbiting spacecraft (FUNcube and the Fox satellites), the latest equipment on
the ISS, and, if operational, the "Ham Video" digital amateur television
(DATV) system.
Peake will use the GB1SS call sign when in contact with UK-based schools. The
British Amateur Television Club will stream the contacts live on the web. Read
more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via the RSGB and AMSAT-UK
Sarah Brightman Spaceflight Postponed
Singer Sarah Brightman has announced that she is postponing plans to go into
space as a paying guest aboard the International Space Station. She was set to
launch on the September Soyuz TMA-18M mission with Danish astronaut Andreas
Mogensen, KG5GCZ, and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, RU3DIS.
There had been some speculation that Brightman might use Amateur Radio during
her ISS stay; she apparently would be eligible to do so using the GB1SS call
sign.
The British soprano is reported to have paid $52 million to be a "spaceflight
participant" for 10 days. Brightman said she was putting her spaceflight on
hold for personal and family reasons, and she has postponed her cosmonaut
training and flight plans.
"Since 2012, Sarah has shared her story of a lifelong dream to fly to space,"
said Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures Ltd, which
arranged the flight. "We've seen firsthand her dedication to every aspect of
her spaceflight training and to date [she] has passed all of her training and
medical tests. We applaud her determination and we'll continue to support her
as she pursues a future spaceflight opportunity."
Nayif-1 CubeSat to Have FUNcube Transponder
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL have announced that a FUNcube communication package has
been selected as a major payload for the Nayif-1 CubeSat mission. FUNcube-1
(AO-73) carries an inverting U/V SSB/CW transponder. The Nayif-1 mission,
tentatively set to launch toward the end of 2015, is intended to provide
students in the United Arab Emirates with a tool to design and test systems in
space.
The CubeSat is being developed by the Emirates Institution for Advanced
Science and Technology (EIAST) in partnership with American University of
Sharjah (AUS). It is expected that this payload will provide a large amount of
valuable environmental data from space together with a new, enhanced, UHF to
VHF linear transponder. The AMSAT team will work closely with the Emirati
students in collaboration with support partner Innovative Solutions In Space
BV from the Netherlands to develop the new system.
AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL announced the news on April 25, during the Dutch
"Interessedag Amateursatellieten" (Amateur Satellite Interest Day) event in
Apeldoorn. More details, including frequencies and planned operating
schedules, will be made available as soon as possible. -- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service via AMSAT-UK
Another Australian Balloon with a Ham Radio Payload Circumnavigates Earth
The circumnavigation of another party-type foil balloon from Australia has
demonstrated that having one circle the Southern Hemisphere is no fluke. Andy
Nguyen, VK3YT, launched his PS-46 balloon, which carried an Amateur Radio
payload, on May 25. The balloon completed the trip on June 4. Nguyen's earlier
PS-41 balloon was the first such balloon to circle Earth.
"This time it was in the right position -- before arriving in Western
Australia -- for the jet stream to push it over land," Nguyen said.
The helium balloons in this series carried a solar-powered 25 mW transmitter
which sent WSPR, JT9, and sometimes Olivia signals on 30 and 20 meters,
enabling their tracking and the gathering of reports on altitude, speed,
direction, and battery condition. The PS-46 balloon completed its journey
around the globe in slightly more than 12 days. - Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC
In Brief...
HEX-BEAM® Manufacturer Traffie Technologies Shutting Down Traffie
Technologies, the Massachusetts-based family business that has pioneered and
manufactured the HEX-BEAM line of rotatable wire beams, is closing its doors.
"This is to inform everyone that we are closing down production of the
HEX-BEAM®," an announcement on the HEX-BEAM website said. The company's
principal, Mike Traffie, N1HXA, has indicated that he is open to having
someone else take over the business. The small firm came into being in 1992,
and HEX-BEAM antennas have been developed for 40 meters through 2 meters in
various monoband and multiband versions. The company's latest product is the
HX5Bi, which covers 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters.
Past Mississippi Section Manager Richard L. Redd, SK Former ARRL Mississippi
Section Manager Richard Redd, KA5WRX, of Jackson, died on May 10. He was 75.
Redd served as Mississippi SM from 1991 to 1995. Redd was the retired CEO and
chairman of the board of Redd Pest Control. Services were May 14 in Madison.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce, and several children.
SATERN to Mark The Salvation Army Anniversary in Early July: The Salvation
Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) will mark the 150th anniversary of
The Salvation Army with a Salvation Army 150th Anniversary QSO Party,
Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5. All are welcome to take part.
Operators who make contact with a SATERN station are eligible for a special
event QSL card. The QSO party is being sponsored by a partnership between The
Salvation Army National Headquarters, the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi
Division of The Salvation Army, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Amateur Radio
Club.
W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention Set for Late September: The Southeast's
largest ham radio event, the W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention will take place
September 25-26 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (home of Dollywood). Sponsored by
The SouthEastern DX and Contesting Organization (SEDCO), the event features
presentations on DXing and contesting topics and, of course, prize drawings.
Ham radio equipment manufacturers and dealers will be on hand to demonstrate
new products and answer equipment questions. A banquet rounds out the day.
This year's convention will offer a daylong "Ham Radio Boot Camp" to Elmer
newcomers on station and antenna construction, operating, DXing, and
contesting.
____________________________________________________________________________
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: From May 28 through June 3, average daily
sunspot numbers dropped from 56.1 the previous week to 34.3. Average daily
solar flux barely changed from 97.6 to 97.8 over the same period. But, both
numbers have begun showing an upward trend.
Predicted solar flux is 110 on June 4-5; 115 on June 6; 120 on June 7-11; 115
on June 12-13; 110 on June 14; 100 on June 15-16; 95 on June 17-22; 90 on June
23-25; 95 on June 26-28, 100 on June 29, and then peaking at 120 on July 7-8.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 4-5; 8 on June 6; 12 on June 7-8;
then 30, 10, 8, 5, 8, 15; and 12 on June 9-15; 5 on June 16 through July 3,
and then 10, 25, 20, and 12 on July 4-7.
On May 28 the daily sunspot number was 11, the lowest non-zero sunspot number,
meaning that just one sunspot was visible. There are no sunspot numbers
between 1 and 10, because each sunspot group represents a value of 10, with a
value of 1 for each sunspot in the group.
The last time the daily sunspot number was 11 was July 16, 2014, and the
sunspot number dropped to zero the next day. This was just a few months after
the peak of Cycle 24, which I reckon to be around February and March 2014,
using our 3-month moving average.
Prior to that we'd have to look back to January 14-15, 2011, to find the
sunspot number at 11 on both days. This was on the ascendant side of Cycle 24.
In Friday's bulletin, look for reports from readers, an updated forecast, and
an update on our 3-month moving average of sunspot numbers. Send me your
reports and observations.
____________________________________________________________________________
Just Ahead in Radiosport
* June 5 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
* June 5 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)
* June 6 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
* June 6-7 -- 10-10 Int'l Open Season PSK Contest
* June 6-7 -- DigiFest
* June 6-7 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, SSB)
* June 6-7 -- SEANET Contest (CW)
* June 6-7 -- UKSMG Summer Contest
* June 6-7 -- RSGB National Field Day (CW)
* June 6-7 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW)
* June 6-7 -- Alabama QSO Party
* June 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
* June 10 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test (CW)
* June 10 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW)
* June 13-15 -- ARRL June VHF Contest
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
____________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
* 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
* August 7-8 -- South Texas Section Convention, Austin, Texas
* August 7-9 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* August 7-9 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett, Washington
* August 15-16 -- Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
* August 16 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
* August 21-23 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts
* August 22 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
* August 30 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,
Pennsylvania
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
____________________________________________________________________________
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)\/(ark
... Newfie hunter follows tracks 3 miles before killed by train.
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* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)
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