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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-07-23   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   July 23, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Board Approves HF Band Plan, National Parks Centennial Event, Award   
       Winners   
    *  ARRL Complains to FCC About The Home Depot's Marketing of RF Lighting   
       Devices   
    *  FCC Announces Enforcement Bureau Field Office Reorganization Plans   
    *  Amateur Radio Satellite Pioneer's Estate Will Boost ARRL Endowment Fund   
    *  ARISS Offering Certificate for Receiving Apollo-Soyuz Mission SSTV   
       Images   
    *  Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Michigan's Premier Bicycle Tour   
    *  Party Balloon Carrying Ham Radio Payload Circles Southern Hemisphere a   
       Second Time   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  Getting It Right!   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   ARRL Board Approves HF Band Plan, National Parks Centennial Event, Award   
   Winners   
      
   Meeting July 17-18 in Windsor, Connecticut, the ARRL Board of Directors   
   adopted amendments to the ARRL HF Band Plan -- with some tweaks; approved a   
   National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) operating event in 2016 to celebrate the   
   National Park Service centennial; authorized the filing of a rule making   
   petition with the FCC seeking changes on 80 and 75 meters; initiated the   
   search for a successor to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who will retire next   
   May, and named several ARRL award recipients.   
      
   The Board adopted amendments to the ARRL HF Band Plan that were recommended by   
   the HF Band Planning Committee, with one major change from the proposals as   
   outlined in the April 2015 issue of QST and summarized on the ARRL website.   
   That change was to set the upper RTTY/data limit for 20 meters at 14.125 MHz,   
   consistent with the IARU Region 1 band plan.   
      
      
   Rule Making Petition to FCC   
      
   The Board authorized the preparation of a rule making petition to the FCC,   
   seeking changes in the 80 and 75 meter bands that are consistent with majority   
   opinion among more than 1000 responses to an online membership survey. The   
   petition would seek to shift the boundary between the 80 meter RTTY/data   
   subband and the 75 meter phone/image subband from 3600 to 3650 kHz. It also   
   would restore privileges in the 3600-3650 kHz segment to Advanced, General,   
   Technician, and Novice licensees.   
      
   In addition, the League will ask the FCC to shift the automatically controlled   
   digital station (ACDS) band segment from 3585-3600 kHz to 3600-3615 kHz,   
   consistent with the IARU Region 1 and Region 2 band plans, and authorize   
   Technician and Novice licensees to use RTTY/data emissions in their 15 and 80   
   meter band segments, the latter change contingent on expansion of the 80 meter   
   band.   
      
   Additional details are forthcoming, but the Board set into motion its search   
   for a successor to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who has set a target   
   retirement date of May 1, 2016. By then, Sumner will be 67 and will have been   
   on the Headquarters full-time staff for 44 years. He was named Secretary and   
   General Manager in 1982, with a change in title to Executive Vice President in   
   1985, and the additional title of Chief Executive Officer in 2001 (the title   
   of Executive Vice President was phased out in 2011).   
      
      
   ARRL Award Recipients   
      
   The Board named several recipients of ARRL awards:   
      
    *  Anna Veal, W0ANT, is the recipient of the prestigious 2014 Hiram Percy   
       Maxim Memorial Award for youth, in recognition of her involvement,   
       service, and leadership throughout the Amateur Radio community.   
      
    *  David L. Hershberger, W9GR, was named to receive the 2014 Doug DeMaw,   
       W1FB, Technical Excellence Award for his work in reducing audio   
       distortion in SSB transmission, as described in his article "Controlled   
       Envelope Single Sideband" in the November/December 2014 issue of QEX.   
      
    *  The Board recognized the principals and developers of Broadband-Hamnet(TM)   
       for their contributions to microwave mesh networking with the 2014 ARRL   
       Microwave Development Award.   
      
    *  Randy Thompson, K5ZD, was named the winner of the 2014 Philip J. McGan   
       Silver Antenna Award for outstanding volunteer public relations success   
       over many years -- and especially for achieving national media coverage   
       of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship.   
      
      
   Dues to Rise in 2016   
      
   The Board approved a $10 increase in the League's annual dues rate, effective   
   January 1, 2016. In so doing, the Board adopted a recommendation of the   
   Administration & Finance Committee. ARRL basic dues have been held at $39 a   
   year since 2001. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the League has done as much   
   as it can to hold off a dues increase for more than a decade, but now it's a   
   necessity, not an option.   
      
   "One of the most difficult decisions a membership organization faces is a dues   
   increase," he said. "Over the past 14 years we have managed to hold the   
   increase in expenses to just 19 percent, against a US inflation rate of 32   
   percent over the same period," he continued. "We have implemented operating   
   efficiencies that allowed reducing the staff by 15 percent while expanding the   
   range of services to members and to Amateur Radio as a whole. We created a   
   development program, offering to those members who have greater financial   
   capacity an opportunity to support their national association at a higher   
   level."   
      
   Enhanced membership services since 2001 include inauguration of Logbook of The   
   World(R) (LoTW); a digital edition of QST at no additional cost; expanded QST   
   and video product reviews; upgraded public service support including the Ham   
   Aid program, Emergency Communications Training, and the ARES(R) E-Letter; the   
   Education & Technology program and Teachers Institutes on Wireless Technology,   
   and the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.   
   Sumner aid that advocacy on behalf of Amateur Radio has included relentless   
   defense of Amateur Radio spectrum, the Amateur Radio Parity Act, and an   
   increased awareness of the value of Amateur Radio on Capitol Hill.   
      
   Details of ARRL's revenues and expenditures are available in its Annual Report   
   archive for the years 2002 to 2014. The cost of a basic ARRL membership will   
   rise to $49 on January 1, 2016. An ARRL Life Membership, now $975, will   
   increase to $1225.   
      
      
   Amateur Radio Enforcement Plan   
      
   The Board also directed the CEO, staff, and General Counsel to develop and,   
   under the supervision of the Executive Committee, execute a plan to improve   
   timely and visible enforcement in the Amateur Radio Service, most notably in   
   the areas of RF interference from power lines and Part 15 and 18 lighting   
   devices and malicious interference to HF net operations and VHF/UHF repeaters.   
      
      
   ARRL 2016 National Convention   
      
   The Board authorized the holding of an ARRL National Convention in Orlando,   
   Florida, February 12-14, 2016, in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of   
   Orlando HamCation.   
      
      
   Strategic Plan   
      
   The Board approved preliminary recommendations of the ARRL Strategic Planning   
   Working Group and authorized the continuation of the group's activities with   
   final recommendations due at the Board's 2016 Annual Meeting.   
      
      
   ARRL Complains to FCC About The Home Depot's Marketing of RF Lighting Devices   
      
   The ARRL has filed a formal complaint with the FCC, alleging that The Home   
   Depot retail chain has been marketing certain RF-ballast lighting devices in   
   violation of FCC Part 18 rules. Accompanying the League's July 14 letter to   
   FCC Enforcement Bureau Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Bruce Jacobs and   
   Office of Engineering and Technology Laboratory Division Chief Rashmi Doshi   
   was a 20-page report prepared by the ARRL Laboratory's Mike Gruber, W1MG. His   
   report outlines four instances in which ARRL investigated The Home Depot's   
   marketing and sale to consumers of non-consumer-rated RF lighting devices.   
      
   In three cases, The Home Depot sold non-consumer devices having far greater   
   emission limits and intended for commercial use to consumers who specifically   
   expressed plans to use the devices in residential settings. Although notices   
   accompanying the store's display and included with some devices purchased   
   indicated that they were for commercial use, the information did not specify   
   that the devices could not be used for residential purposes. In the case of   
   products that did include such a notice, the information was not visible   
   without opening the packaging.   
      
   "Clearly Home Depot's marketing and sale of non-consumer ballasts is not   
   adequate to ensure compliance with FCC Part 18 requirements," Gruber's report   
   concluded. The ARRL asked the FCC to "investigate and commence an enforcement   
   proceeding" regarding The Home Depot's retail marketing and sale of RF   
   lighting devices in the US.   
      
   In its letter, the League noted that it has received numerous complaints from   
   the Amateur Radio community of "significant noise" in the bands between 1.8   
   and 30 MHz from so-called "grow light" ballasts and other RF lighting devices   
   regulated under FCC Part 18 rules. Gruber said emissions from grow light   
   ballasts have been measured in the ARRL Lab to be way above both non-consumer   
   and consumer Part 18 emissions limits.   
      
   Although otherwise-legal non-consumer rated ballasts -- the subject of ARRL's   
   complaint -- are not nearly as problematic as grow lights, they can still   
   cause interference beyond what would typically be expected or easily addressed   
   in a residential environment. The devices at issue in the League's complaint   
   are only legal in commercial and industrial environments, and they should not   
   be used for residential purposes due to the higher Part 18 emission limits   
   permitted for industrial and commercial devices.   
      
   The League said its investigations in several states revealed an alarming   
   number of instances in which non-consumer-rated ballasts were mixed in with   
   consumer ballasts and other consumer products.   
      
   "In most of the stores surveyed, unsuspecting consumers have no way of knowing   
   the significance of consumer vs. non-consumer ballasts," the League said. "In   
   some cases, 'commercial' grade ballasts, with their associated non-consumer   
   emission limits, appeared to be a heavier duty or superior product. The   
   display signage typically used implies, therefore, that commercial ballasts   
   are also a product upgrade for home use." The ARRL said that store display   
   signage typically did not mention or adequately address applicable FCC Part 18   
   requirements, as they pertain to interference in a residential environment.   
      
   The League said consumers in three of the four instances it investigated made   
   actual purchases of RF lighting devices at The Home Depot retail outlets and   
   "specifically asked about residential deployment of non-consumer RF lighting   
   ballasts." The ARRL said it's apparent that The Home Depot -- and, by   
   inference, other similar retail stores -- is "actively and knowingly engaged"   
   in selling commercial RF lighting products to customers for use in residential   
   settings.   
      
   "If this activity is left unchecked the Commission will continue to note a   
   deterioration in ambient noise levels and preclusive interfering signals for   
   both AM broadcasters and Amateur Radio licensees in the entirety of the   
   high-frequency bands," the League's complaint said.   
      
   The ARRL asked the Commission to "take appropriate action" with respect to The   
   Home Depot and other retail outlets marketing such RF lighting devices   
   "without delay."   
      
   A copy of the letter was sent to The Home Depot's Atlanta, Georgia, Store   
   Support Center.   
      
      
   FCC Announces Enforcement Bureau Field Office Reorganization Plans   
      
   Forced under political pressure to take a few steps back from its initial   
   proposal to eliminate two-thirds of its Enforcement Bureau field offices, the   
   FCC has announced its final, scaled-down plan to reorganize its field   
   resources. In an Order released July 16, the Commission said it would close 11   
   of its 24 field offices and relocate three others to nearby FCC-owned sites.   
   In slimming down its field resources and upgrading those that remain, the FCC   
   said it was acting in the name of efficiency and economy as well as to   
   modernize a system model adopted 2 decades ago.   
      
   "Since then, technological changes and increasingly limited resources have   
   created the need to take a fresh look at the [Enforcement] Bureau's field   
   operations," the FCC Order said. The FCC said it has completed "a full review"   
   of the field organization and concluded that it needs to concentrate its field   
   resources "in urban areas, where the need for them is greatest."   
      
   ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, addressed the topic of the FCC's planned field   
   office closures in his "It Seems to Us" editorial in the August edition of   
   QST. "The challenges the FCC faces in policing the radio spectrum are greater   
   than ever and increasing every day," Sumner wrote. "Now is hardly the time to   
   reduce its enforcement resources."   
      
   Sumner allowed, however, that the success of the FCC's enforcement efforts is   
   not measured in the number of field offices but in the program's effectiveness   
   in deterring bad on-the-air behavior and resolving interference complaints   
   from such sources as power lines and "grow lamp" ballasts.   
      
   "If FCC enforcement was accomplishing everything we might wish, and the   
   revised plans promised the same results with greater efficiency, we would be   
   the first to cheer. Sadly, that is not the case," Sumner said. He pointed to   
   an interference case in the State of Washington that has dragged on for 2   
   years since the FCC first documented the interference. Seattle is one of the   
   field offices set to close.   
      
   In a news release, the FCC said its field reorganization plan "aligns the   
   field's structure, operations, expenses, and equipment with the agency's   
   priorities," such as RF interference. "It also prepares the field   
   [organization] to address future enforcement needs in an ever more complex   
   spectrum environment, and aligns field operations to support this mission,"   
   the statement continued. "Through this plan, the Commission is maintaining a   
   commitment to respond in a timely manner to interference issues anywhere in   
   the nation...within one day."   
      
   In addition to Seattle, the FCC is closing its field offices in or near   
   Anchorage, Buffalo, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Norfolk, Philadelphia, San   
   Diego, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa. Enforcement Bureau field offices in   
   or near Atlanta, San Francisco, and Columbia (Maryland) will relocate to   
   FCC-owned sites nearby or in the same metropolitan areas. Columbia is where   
   the FCC's HF Direction Finding (HFDF) facility is located.   
      
   The FCC said relocated offices as well as those remaining open in or near New   
   York City, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Honolulu, New Orleans,   
   Portland (Oregon), and Los Angeles "will be staffed and equipped to maintain   
   the Commission's Field program." Rapid deployment teams will be stationed in   
   Columbia and Denver to supplement enforcement efforts of other field offices   
   as necessary and to "support high-priority enforcement actions nationwide,"   
   the FCC said in a news release.   
      
   The FCC did not indicate how many employees were likely to be furloughed. Read   
   more.   
      
      
   Amateur Radio Satellite Pioneer's Estate Will Boost ARRL Endowment Fund   
      
   The ARRL will benefit from the largesse of the late Amateur Radio satellite   
   pioneer Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR (ex-W6HDO), and his late wife Mable   
   Vierthaler. The League this month received the first major installment of its   
   portion of the couple's estate. Buttschardt also designated AMSAT to receive a   
   similar share. Buttschardt died in 2006, and his wife in 2013. The funds will   
   go into the ARRL Endowment Fund. ARRL Development Manager Lauren Clarke,   
   KB1YDD, has estimated that the ultimate gift will be in the vicinity of   
   $280,000.   
      
   Buttschardt, a long-time Project OSCAR leader, AMSAT member, and ARRL Life   
   Member lived in Morro Bay, California. He was 75 when he died on July 30,   
   2006. Just days before, the Project OSCAR Board of Directors awarded him with   
   its Lifetime Achievement Award -- its highest honor -- for his contributions   
   to Amateur Satellite Radio.   
      
   A native of the New York City area, Buttschardt graduated from San Jose State   
   in California with a degree in electrical engineering. He served as a radioman   
   in the US Navy and later worked at Raytheon and SRI. While at SRI, he joined   
   the original project OSCAR and supported the construction of OSCAR 1, the   
   first Amateur Radio satellite.   
      
   In 2001, while he was teaching at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo,   
   California, Buttschardt -- with Ed English, W6WYQ -- began work on the CubeSat   
   project. After Buttschardt moved to Cal Poly, he and English continued to   
   mentor students who were involved in developing the initial CubeSat designs.   
      
   "Cliff was a skilled and passionate radio amateur, as devoted to maintaining   
   the traditions he valued as to exploring the frontiers of space    
   ommunications," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. -- Thanks to AMSAT for some   
   information in this report   
      
      
   ARISS Offering Certificate for Receiving Apollo-Soyuz Mission SSTV Images   
      
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is offering a   
   certificate to anyone who received slow-scan TV images during the Apollo-Soyuz   
   mission 40th anniversary event, July 18-19. The ARISS team transmitted a   
   series of 12 SSTV images related to the historical event. Apollo-Soyuz   
   represented the first joint US-USSR mission, and it set the stage for later   
   US-Russia collaboration on the space shuttle, Mir Space Station, and the ISS.   
   The limited-edition certificate is available to all who apply by July 31.   
      
   Several dozen SSTV images -- many of them received by stations in Europe and   
   Asia -- have been posted to the ARISS website.   
      
   During the Apollo-Soyuz coupling, NASA astronauts Tom Stafford, Deke Slayton,   
   and Vance Brand in an Apollo Command and Service Module met Russian cosmonauts   
   Aleksey Leonov and Valeriy Kubasov in a Soyuz capsule. The five collaborated   
   on experiments, and the experience opened the door to future US-Russian   
   cooperation in space. The Soyuz and Apollo vehicles were docked from July   
   17-19, 1975. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS   
   International Chair, and NASA   
      
      
   Amateur Radio Volunteers Support Michigan's Premier Bicycle Tour   
      
   A team of Michigan Amateur Radio volunteers supported communication on July 11   
   for the 39th running of the One Helluva Ride (OHR) bicycle tour. The annual   
   event, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society (AABTS), kicks off   
   from and ends at the Chelsea, Michigan, fairgrounds and offers rides ranging   
   from 15 to 100 miles. The longer routes pass through the town of Hell. This   
   marked the 25th year that members of the Arrow Communication Association   
   (ARROW) provided the communication infrastructure and "SAG" support to riders   
   falling behind or running into trouble.   
      
   The ARROW group had support from the Chelsea Amateur Radio Club (CARC) and the   
   Livingston County Amateur Radio Klub (LARK) and made use of the CARC's 2 meter   
   repeater, which is situated to offer coverage to the entire race route. Many   
   of the participating hams are ARES or RACES.   
      
   During the race, the radio amateurs provided SAG vehicles plus personnel to   
   ride along in AABTS vehicles. Services they offer include spare tubes to those   
   suffering flats, foot pumps, food and water for those riders who have run out,   
   and transportation back to the starting point for those experiencing   
   mechanical failure or suffering exhaustion. Hams also are placed at each of   
   the three food stops.   
      
   "There are many places on the route where cell phone coverage is marginal,   
   making Amateur Radio an excellent choice," said George Byrkit, K9TRV. "Small   
   beams are deployed at the food stops to provide more reliable communication   
   with net control than a 5/8-wave whip would provide."   
      
   Byrkit headed up the SAG effort for AABTS for more than 25 years, and he   
   eventually returned to Amateur Radio in 2004, after an almost 40 year absence.   
   Other AABTS members have become hams due to their association with the hams   
   supporting the ride.   
      
   One hundred riders registered for the 15 mile "fun ride" for young children   
   with their parents. Some 1600 riders signed up for one of the longer routes --   
   39, 64, 75, or 100 miles. Byrkit said there were no serious injuries, although   
   one rider suffered an apparent heart attack on the ride. The individual   
   received CPR from two other riders and was evacuated by ambulance and has   
   since recovered. Read more. -- Thanks to George Byrkit, K9TRV   
      
      
   Party Balloon Carrying Ham Radio Payload Circles Southern Hemisphere a Second   
   Time   
      
   After traveling for more than 110,800 km (68,696 mi) aloft, the record-setting   
   pico balloon PS-46, carrying an Amateur Radio payload, completed its second   
   circumnavigation of the Southern Hemisphere, before descending into the Indian   
   Ocean on July 18 due to bad weather. The helium balloon and its solar-powered   
   25 mW payload were launched on May 23 by Andy Nguyen, VK3YT.   
      
   "It was an exciting but also an exhausting eight weeks for many hard-core   
   trackers," Nguyen said. "Their perseverance ensured the balloon was tracked   
   almost around the clock. It was hard work, and the little party balloon was   
   becoming part of the daily routine for many of us."   
      
   More than 20 "regulars" were among those who tracked the high-altitude flight,   
   monitoring the payload's 20 meter signals in WSPR and JT9 modes. Stations in   
   Virginia and Florida, as well as in Peru and Argentina were among those   
   hearing the balloon's beacon.   
      
   The last station to hear the balloon was Vince, ZS6BTY, in Pretoria, South   
   Africa. The balloon had been at an altitude of about 9000 meters (29,530   
   feet), but quickly descended into the ocean.   
      
   PS-46 had circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere the first time in 12 days,   
   and it was starting its third trip around when it went down. Read more. --   
   Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC   
      
      
   In Brief...   
      
   QRZ.com Major Website Upgrade Continues: The popular QRZ.com website has been   
   undergoing a major upgrade since July 17, and things are going a bit more   
   slowly than initially anticipated. QRZ.com Founder and President Fred Lloyd,   
   AA7BQ, said the site's engineers encountered some unforeseen problems. "What   
   started out as a simple update that went bad is now almost over," Lloyd   
   announced on the site's Facebook page early on July 22. "We've replaced our   
   forums software and are reconfiguring it for use with QRZ. While we realize   
   that many folks have been concerned, we want to express our sincere thanks to   
   those who have been patient and understanding with us as we work overtime to   
   put the system back online." The outage does not affect call sign lookups,   
   logbook, and other site features. Lloyd said QRZ.com is "looking forward to a   
   shiny new user interface and a bunch of new features for our wildly popular   
   Ham Radio Forums."   
      
   Radio Amateurs Join ISS Crew: Two radio amateurs were among the three new   
   International Space Station (ISS) crew members, who arrived on station on July   
   23 (UTC). Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS; Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Kimiya Yui   
   traveled into space aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that has docked with the   
   ISS. Expedition 44 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and Flight Engineers   
   Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF, were on hand to greet the trio.   
   Lindgren, Kononenko, and Yui will stay on the ISS until late December. Kelly   
   and Kornienko are a few months into a 1-year mission that ends next March.   
   Padalka, who also has been aboard since March, returns to Earth in September.   
      
   RSGB Youth Committee Operating MC0RYC DXpedition Activity in Wales: The Radio   
   Society of Great Britain (RSGB) Youth Committee has mounted a DXpedition at   
   the Brecon Beacons in Wales, July 23-30. The activity is sponsored by Kenwood.   
   MC0RYC will be on all HF and VHF bands, including satellite. This is the first   
   youth-oriented DXpedition the RSGB has organized. Activities will include   
   operation from the mountain peaks Pen y Fan and Waun Fach. A goal is to train   
   young operators to become "competent and confident radio amateurs." There will   
   be direction finding, antenna building workshops, and operating practice.   
   MC0RYC will be active in the IOTA Contest over the July 25-26 weekend. Follow   
   the RSGB Youth Committee on Twitter. -- Thanks to The Daily DX   
      
   IRTS Offers New 70 MHz Band Awards: To celebrate the likely adoption of the   
   band 69.9-70.5 MHz (4 meters) as a secondary Amateur Radio allocation in the   
   European Common Allocation Frequency Table and Ireland's significant   
   involvement in the process, the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) has   
   launched two new 4 meter awards. These awards will recognize and promote DX   
   achievements by Amateur Radio operators interested in this segment of the   
   radio spectrum: The 70 MHz Maidenhead Locator Award (MLA) program and the 70   
   MHz Continents, Countries and Islands (CCI) Award. Details are on the IRTS   
   website.   
      
      
   Getting It Right!   
      
   Some errors crept into the article "New Horizons Phones Home," which appeared   
   in the July 16 edition of The ARRL Letter. The correct downlink frequency is   
   8.44 GHz; 7.2 GHz is the uplink frequency. Dave Hershberger, W9GR, senior   
   scientist with Continental Electronics, told ARRL that his firm is   
   constructing 80 kW uplink transmitters for JPL to reach the probe, which has a   
   12 W transmitter to cover the same distance back (JPL has had 20 kW uplink   
   transmitters but wanted more power, Hershberger said). Also, the correct   
   downlink bit rate is in the 1000 to 2000 bits/second range. A typical   
   compressed image produced by LORRI, the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager, is   
   about 2.5 Megabits. -- Thanks to Dave Hershberger, W9GR, and Bill Byrom, N5BB   
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: All daily sunspot numbers dipped into the   
   double digits last week, with the average declining from 73.7 to 43.4. This   
   compares the latest July 16-22 period with the previous 7 days. Over the same   
   periods, average daily solar flux slid from 114.8 to 95.1.   
      
   Geomagnetic indices were mostly quiet, with the average daily planetary A   
   index going from 13.7 to 6.1, and the average mid-latitude A index declining   
   from 12.3 to 8.1.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is 90 on July 23; 95 on July 24-25; 100 on July 26-27;   
   105 on July 28-29; 110 on July 30-31; 115 on August 1-4; 110 and 105 on August   
   5-6; 100 on August 7-9; then 95 on August 10-13, dipping to 85 by August 15   
   and then peaking weakly at 115 on August 28-31.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 15 on July 23; 10 on July 24; 8 on July 25; 5   
   on July 26-30; 19 on July 31; 25 on August 1; 12 on August 2; 5 on August 3-5;   
   then 20, 25, 15, 10, and 8 on August 6-10; 5 on August 11-15; 10 on August 16;   
   5 on August 17-18; then 15 and 10 on August 19-20, and 5 on August 21-26.   
      
   Here is an interesting Space.com article about how far side views of the Sun   
   from the STEREO mission are disrupted, because the satellite's transmissions   
   back to Earth are blocked by the Sun. But the Curiosity rover on Mars fills in.   
      
   In Friday's bulletin look for reports from readers and updated forecasts. Send   
   me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  July 24 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint   
    *  July 24 -- NCCC Sprint   
    *  July 25-26 -- RSGB IOTA Contest (CW, SSB)   
    *  July 25-26 -- County Hunters CW Contest   
    *  July 26 -- ARS Flight of the Bumblebees (CW)   
    *  July 29-30 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  July 31 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint   
    *  July 31 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  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   
    *  September 5-6 -- Roanoke Division Convention, Shelby, North Carolina   
    *  September 11-12 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois   
    *  September 11-13 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Torrance,   
       California   
    *  September 12 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia   
    *  September 26 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington   
    *  October 2-4 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference, Bensalem,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  October 3 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware   
    *  October 9-10 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida   
    *  October 10-11 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference, Issaquah, Washington   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
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   described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   ... Enough with your technobabble!   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)