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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-08-06   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   August 6, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Amateur Radio Parity Act Would Not Void "Private Contracts," ARRL   
       General Counsel Says   
    *  Hiram Percy Maxim Award Recipient Anna Veal, W0ANT, Sets Sights on   
       Biomedical Career   
    *  California ARES Volunteers Support Wildfire Response   
    *  Fox-1A Satellite Mated to Launcher, Fox-1B Gets a Ride   
    *  Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites Set to Launch in Early September   
    *  Additional ARRL Books Now Available as E-Books   
    *  JH5GHM Donates Foot Switches to W1AW   
    *  Researchers Decode CASSIOPE Satellite Field Day Fly-Over Experiment   
       Results   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
      
   Amateur Radio Parity Act Would Not Void "Private Contracts," ARRL General   
   Counsel Says   
      
   ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, has rebutted assertions, expressed by   
   some, that the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 would represent an unlawful   
   intrusion into "private contracts" and would invalidate architectural   
   limitations and rules regarding the installation of ham radio antennas in   
   residential neighborhoods. Imlay said the argument raised is that no federal   
   legislation should alter private land-use restrictions, since these are   
   contractual obligations. "The contractual characteristic of private land-use   
   regulation has not existed in the United States for a great   
   many years," he pointed out. Imlay recently expanded on the topic during a   
   lengthy interview with HamRadioNow webcast host Gary Pearce, KN4AQ.   
      
   "A contract requires a meeting of the minds between the two parties," Imlay   
   said in his interview with Pearce, which also included ARRL Hudson Division   
   Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, a prime mover of the legislation. With no   
   opportunity to negotiate, "you don't have a contractual relationship at all.   
   Instead, what you have is a preclusion."   
      
   Rather than contracts, Imlay explained, private land-use restrictions are   
   limitations placed on the use of land long before the buyer ever shows up, and   
   they have become increasingly difficult to avoid. With more and more   
   neighborhoods imposing CC&Rs, the only choice a radio amateur has, Imlay told   
   Pearce, is to buy or not to buy a dwelling in a community that may prohibit   
   antennas completely.   
      
   The legislation -- H.R. 1301 and S. 1685 -- calls on the FCC to apply the   
   three-point test of the federal PRB-1 preemption policy to private land-use   
   restrictions. Imlay said its passage would not mean that hams living in   
   neighborhoods governed by CC&Rs could erect any antenna they wished. The   
   obligation a homeowners association would have under the bill is not to   
   prohibit but to make reasonable accommodation for some sort of effective   
   outdoor Amateur Radio antenna, imposing the least practicable restriction to   
   accomplish the association's aesthetic purposes, he explained.   
      
   The legal underpinning of the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 is well   
   established, Imlay pointed out, and private land-use regulations must give way   
   when they conflict with federal telecommunications policy. "It was held a long   
   time ago by the US Supreme Court that federal communications policy trumps   
   even private land-use regulations," Imlay told Pearce. "That's not a taking of   
   land under the Constitution. It's simply a supervening authority." Imlay said   
   that private land-use regulations that conflict with expressed federal   
   telecommunications policy are subject to pre-emption, which would restore   
   private property rights to the landowner. The FCC, he explained, is not   
   hostile to the bill, but it has indicated that it would prefer to have some   
   guidance from Congress -- which does have the power to act -- before amending   
   the Amateur Radio Service Part 97 rules.   
      
   Several years ago, the FCC established the OTARD rule that lets residents   
   living in deed-restricted communities install over-the-air television or radio   
   reception devices, such as a satellite dish, but it does not apply to Amateur   
   Radio antennas. Imlay said this precedent applies to the Amateur Radio Parity   
   Act of 2015, and that the FCC was comfortable with the guidance it got from   
   Congress at the time with respect to OTARD.   
      
   "There is no difference in the effect on the strong interest in Amateur Radio   
   communications, whether or not an amateur station is precluded by a zoning   
   regulation...or by a deed restriction," Imlay said in the interview. "The   
   effect is the same: The ham can't build a station."   
      
   "We have until the end of 2016 to get this bill passed, and we have every   
   intention of doing that," he assured Pearce.   
      
   Full information on The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 is on the ARRL   
   website.   
      
   Hiram Percy Maxim Award Recipient Anna Veal, W0ANT, Sets Sights on Biomedical   
   Career   
      
   Licensed since 2008 when she was just 8 years old, the young winner of the   
   2014 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award, Anna Veal, W0ANT, of Littleton, Colorado,   
   already has an enviable list of accomplishments to her credit. The HPM Award,   
   the League's top youth recognition, is awarded annually to a radio amateur and   
   ARRL member under the age of 21, whose accomplishments and contributions to   
   the Amateur Radio and local communities "should be of the most exemplary   
   nature." The winner receives $1,500 and an engraved plaque. A rising sophomore   
   at STEM School and Academy in Highlands Ranch, she is co-founder of the   
   school's Spartan Amateur Radio Club (AB0BX), which nominated her, and she has   
   served as its president. She envisions a career in the biomedical sciences.   
      
   "I would like to attend Colorado State University and study biomedical   
   engineering," she told ARRL. "Since I'm a diabetic and have been on an insulin   
   pump for a couple of years now, I've seen how biomedical engineers help   
   peoples' lives, and I want to be able to be a part of that."   
      
   Anna will serve as ham radio team captain at the 2015 Juvenile Diabetes   
   Research Foundation (JDRF) Denver "OneWalk" on September 13. Later the same   
   month, she'll participate in her second Tour de Cure cycling event, sponsored   
   by the American Diabetes Association, for which she serves as a youth   
   ambassador.   
      
   In addition to these community activities and her involvement with her   
   school's Amateur Radio club, she's looking forward to technology competitions   
   with the Technology Student Association (TSA) "and continuing to learn the   
   guitar and piano."   
      
   Anna's is a ham radio family. Her mother and father, Paul, N0AH, and Peggy,   
   KD0ISN, are both educators and ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology   
   alumni.   
      
   Anna, who turns 15 this month, has begun to rack up an admirable contesting   
   and DXpeditioning resume. "When I was younger I really enjoyed participating   
   in the ARRL Rookie Roundup," she said, "and this year, we worked the ARRL   
   Sweepstakes phone competition under the school category, and at home the ARRL   
   10 Meter Contest as part of a multiop team." She's already attended two   
   Contest University (CTU) sessions and is a regular presence at Dayton   
   Hamvention, where she was presented with the 2011 Radio Club of America Young   
   Achiever's Award. She was named the 2015 Amateur Radio Newsline "Young Ham of   
   the Year," and will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, this month to accept the   
   award. She also was a team member on the 2011 Youth DX Adventure at TI5N.   
      
   ARRL Colorado Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, sang Anna's praises in an   
   attachment to her HPM Award application, calling her "one of the most   
   qualified candidates I believe we may ever see for this award" and "one of our   
   best ambassadors of young people in ham radio."   
      
   In naming Anna as the 2014 HPM Award recipient, the ARRL Board of Directors   
   cited her "enormous degree of involvement, service, and leadership throughout   
   the Amateur Radio community" as well as her contest and DXpedition   
   participation and her presentations at ham radio gatherings. The Board said   
   she has "provided leadership and a positive example within her Amateur Radio   
   community and among her peers."   
      
   Her dad was more succinct. "We are very proud of her!" he told ARRL.   
      
      
   California ARES Volunteers Support Wildfire Response   
      
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Butte County, California,   
   responded on July 29 to a Red Cross request to support communication at an   
   evacuation shelter in Oroville during the Swedes Fire. Butte County Emergency   
   Coordinator Scott Petersen, KE6VUS, said several ARES operators were called   
   via a newly developed telephone tree. Volunteers used the W6SCR repeater,   
   initially for a logistics net and later for point-to-point contacts.   
      
   Assistant EC Dale Anderson, KK6EVX, was on site in Oroville within an hour of   
   callout at 1600 local, Peterson said, adding, "he had to travel a bit to get   
   there." Peterson arrived on the scene at 1845 local, and the facility was   
   staffed until 2130 local, at which time the communications section was   
   released from service and the gear broken down and packed. Peterson said the   
   Butte County ARES communications van was not utilized for this event. In all,   
   seven ARES members participated in the activation.   
      
   According to Cal Fire, the Swedes Fire -- one of many in California in recent   
   days -- burned over 400 acres, destroying two residences and 14 other   
   structures. That fire was contained as of August 3, although fire crews remain   
   in the area.   
      
   The Swedes Fire was among the smaller blazes that have popped up this summer   
   on the West Coast -- most of them in California, where some 13,000 residents   
   have been ordered to evacuate as firefighters work to contain about 20   
   wildfires. The largest -- the Rocky Fire north of San Francisco -- already   
   covers more than 100,000 square miles. -- Thanks to ARRL Sacramento Valley   
   Section news; Cal Fire   
      
      
   Fox-1A Satellite Mated to Launcher, Fox-1B Gets a Ride   
      
   AMSAT has reported that its Fox-1A CubeSat has been "mated" to the Centaur   
   rocket in preparation for launch late next month from Vandenburg Air Force   
   Base in California. NASA also alerted AMSAT on August 3 that the Fox-1B   
   (RadFxSat -- Radiation Effects Satellite) CubeSat has a ride on a Delta II   
   launcher with a NOAA spacecraft, due to go into space in late 2016. The   
   availability arose because other CubeSats had dropped off the flight manifest.   
      
   Both satellites will go aloft as part of the NASA Educational Launch of   
   Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, which offers free launches to educational   
   entities and encourages science missions. AMSAT has been developing a family   
   of CubeSats with Amateur Radio payloads that can support advanced science   
   experiments, and it has been working with universities on scientific and   
   educational missions that fit the ELaNa mold.   
      
   "This provides us with a way to put ham radio transponders into orbit and   
   provides our university partners with a reliable platform for space-based   
   research projects," AMSAT said on its "Meet the Fox Project" web page.   
      
   The Fox-1A mission hosts a Penn State student experiment involving   
   micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyros. Fox-1B/RadFxSat is a joint   
   mission by AMSAT and the Institute for Space and Defense Electronics at   
   Vanderbilt University.   
      
   The Fox-1A satellite will include a Mode B (U/V) FM transponder with an uplink   
   frequency of 435.180 MHz, and a downlink frequency of 145.980 MHz and   
   capabilities similar to those of the AO-51 satellite, which went dark in late   
   2011. Fox-1B also will offer a Mode B FM transponder (435.250 MHz up/145.960   
   MHz down, pending coordination).   
      
   The first phase of the Fox series 1-Unit CubeSats will allow simple ground   
   stations using handheld transceiver and simple dual-band antennas to make   
   contacts. Read more. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT Vice   
   President-Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY and NASA   
      
      
   Chinese Amateur Radio Satellites Set to Launch in Early September   
      
   China's Amateur Satellite Group CAMSAT said this week that nine satellites   
   carrying Amateur Radio payloads have been delivered to the Taiyuan Satellite   
   Launch Center in Central China. CAMSAT CEO Alan Kung, BA1DU, said they're   
   expected to launch between September 7 and 9. All are part of the CAS-3 series   
   of satellites. Four of the microsatellites and two of the CubeSats included in   
   the launch have been designated as the XW-2 (Hope-2) amateur satellite system   
   (XW-2A through XW-2F), although Kung also refers to them using their initial   
   CAS-3A through CAS-3F nomenclature. The other three satellites -- a CubeSat, a   
   nanosatellite, and a picosatellite -- carry the designations CAS-3G through   
   CAS-3I, respectively. CAMSAT announced earlier this year that the launch date   
   would be postponed from mid-July until early September.   
      
   "Each satellite of the CAS-3 series will work independently, and they are made   
   by different organizations," Kung told ARRL.   
      
   The XW-2 series satellites are equipped with substantially identical Amateur   
   Radio payloads -- a U/V mode linear transponder, a CW telemetry beacon and an   
   AX.25 19.2k/9.6k baud GMSK telemetry downlink, CAMSAT said in May. Each   
   Amateur Radio complement has the same technical characteristics, but will   
   operate on different 70 centimeter uplink and 2 meter downlink frequencies.   
   XW-2A through XW-2F have identical quarter-wavelength deployable monopole   
   antennas made of steel tape.   
      
   CAMSAT worked with three entities to complete the other three satellites:   
   CAS-3G (DCBB), a 2U CubeSat being built by Shenzhen HIT Satellite Ltd of China   
   for educational purposes; CAS-3H (LilacSat-2), a Harbin Institute of   
   Technology of China microsatellite for science experiments and Amateur Radio,   
   and CAS-3I (NDT-Phone Sat), a National University of Defense Technology of   
   China picosatellite for carrying out technical experiments. CAS-3G and CAS-3I   
   will downlink digital telemetry on amateur frequencies, while CAS-3H will   
   carry a U/V FM transponder and APRS.   
      
   Kung said a Long March-6 rocket will carry the XW-2 and CAS-3 satellites into   
   orbit along with 11 other satellites. Read more. -- Thanks to CAMSAT CEO Alan   
   Kung, BA1DU, and IARU   
      
      
   Additional ARRL Books Now Available as E-Books   
      
   ARRL has announced plans to significantly increase the availability of its   
   publications as e-books. At the same time, the League introduced six more ARRL   
   titles in the popular Amazon Kindle format.   
      
   "I'm very pleased that members and readers will find more and more ARRL books   
   available in the reading format they prefer," ARRL Marketing Manager Bob   
   Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said. "This effort underscores our strategy of delivering   
   quality content on the media platforms preferred by members -- including print   
   and digital publishing."   
      
   Inderbitzen said Kindle devices frequently rank highest in preference among   
   e-book readers, and Kindle apps make it possible to use the format on most   
   mobile devices and tablets, including Android and Apple iOS devices.   
      
   "ARRL isn't new to digital publishing," ARRL Publication Manager Steve Ford,   
   WB8IMY, pointed out. Ford oversees staff and contributors responsible for   
   content creation, editing, and publishing. "In 2012, QST was introduced to all   
   members in a digital format. Other books, such as technical proceedings   
   assembled by ARRL for annual conferences, are published digitally and made   
   available to readers on a print-on-demand basis.   
      
   The newest titles available in Kindle format include Understanding Basic   
   Electronics, ARRL's Small Antennas for Small Spaces, Get on the Air with HF   
   Digital, Your First Amateur Radio HF Station, Radios to Go!, and the ARES   
   Field Resource Manual. Earlier this year, ARRL released two titles in Kindle   
   format: Propagation and Radio Science by Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ, and   
   Oscilloscopes for Radio Amateurs by Paul Danzer, N1II.   
      
   All of these publications are also available in a print format, directly from   
   ARRL and ARRL publication dealers.   
      
   All ARRL license manuals are available in Kindle format. The ARRL Ham Radio   
   License Manual has been identified by Amazon as a #1 Best Seller.   
      
   "ARRL's place in digital publishing also means introducing Amateur Radio to   
   more of the world," Inderbitzen said. "When someone searches for or buys an   
   e-book about radio electronics, microcontrollers, or some other related   
   interest, we want their search to lead them to Amateur Radio and ARRL."   
      
   Ford added, "As the largest publisher of Amateur Radio books, we've made great   
   strides in developing a digital publishing competency that will ensure ARRL is   
   an enduring source of content on the art and science of radio -- and in the   
   format you prefer; quickly, easily, and no matter where you are."   
      
      
   JH5GHM Donates Foot Switches to W1AW   
      
   Katsuhiro "Don" Kondou, JH5GHM, has donated eight of his custom-made foot   
   switches to Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. ARRL Field Services and Radiosport   
   Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, said Kondou visited ARRL Headquarters and operated   
   from W1AW during the ARRL Centennial National Convention in 2014 and felt that   
   W1AW needed better foot switches. Now, he's made that happen.   
      
   "We really appreciate Don's generosity!" said Patton. "The foot switches are   
   really a nice addition to the station, as they are solid, comfortable, and   
   don't slide around on the floor." Patton said that in a multi-station   
   environment, such as W1AW's, using a foot switch instead of VOX while   
   operating phone allows each operator to talk more normally and quietly, not   
   bothering adjacent operators. VOX, he said, often tends to make ops shout.   
      
   In his article, "A Prototype Foot Switch for the Future," in the July/August   
   issue of NCJ, Kondou said many radio amateurs do not appreciate the importance   
   of a foot switch in a contest environment. While many types of foot switches   
   are available, he said only a few are specific to Amateur Radio use.   
      
   "I became frustrated with their flexibility," Kondou said of the commercially   
   available units. "Finally I decided to design a more comfortable foot switch."   
   His eventual design represented the culmination of considerable    
   xperimentation. Kondou has said operators won't appreciate the comfort of his   
   foot switch design until they try out his low-fatigue design.   
      
   An enthusiastic contester, Kondou participated in World Radiosport Team   
   Championship 2014 in New England and is a member of the CQ World Wide DX   
   Contest Committee. Licensed in 1978, he is a graduate of the Tokyo Institute   
   of Technology.   
      
      
   Researchers Decode CASSIOPE Satellite Field Day Fly-Over Experiment Results   
      
   The University of Calgary's "Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (ePOP) Radio   
   Receiver Instrument (RRI)" on the CASSIOPE satellite was able to detect   
   several ARRL Field Day stations on June 28. CASSIOPE (CAScade Smallsat and   
   IOnospheric Polar Explorer) is a Canadian-designed and built satellite. The   
   RRI listened on 80 and 40 meter segments. Virginia Tech graduate researcher   
   Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, said that during the first 25 seconds of 7 MHz   
   reception, he and his team aurally decoded and identified 23 stations, most in   
   Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, before the signals "abruptly   
   disappeared." He said very few signals were detected on 80 meters.   
      
   "This experiment was designed to simply test the feasibility of conducting HF   
   Amateur Radio-satellite ionosphere and propagation studies," Frissell told   
   ARRL. "These results show that this is feasible, and that it is possible to   
   detect interesting geophysical features." The others involved in the analyzing   
   the results were Gareth Perry of the University of Calgary; Ethan Miller,   
   K8GU, of Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab; Magdalina Moses,   
   KM4EGE, of Virginia Tech, and CW Skimmer developer Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA.   
      
   The sudden disappearance of signals on 40 meters, Frissell said, suggests that   
   CASSIOPE was passing over regions of differing ionospheric electron densities.   
   "The plasma frequency of the ionosphere is directly proportional to the square   
   root of the electron density," he explained. "Signals transmitted from Earth   
   and vertically incident on the ionosphere will be reflected back to Earth at   
   the altitude where the plasma frequency matches the transmitted frequency. A   
   satellite flying above this layer will be shielded from the signals below."   
   The ePOP experiment on CASSIOPE is a suite of eight instruments that study the   
   outflow of plasma from the ionosphere into near-Earth geospace.   
      
   Frissell has documented the group's results in a presentation, "ePOP RRI   
   Observations of Amateur Radio Transmissions."   
      
   Frissell said that at the time of the satellite's pass, the peak plasma   
   frequency was 6.950 MHz at roughly 290 km altitude, as measured by the   
   Millstone Hill ionosonde in Westford, Massachusetts. "If the conditions were   
   similar to what CASSIOPE was experiencing at its location, it would be able to   
   hear the 7 MHz signal but not the 3.5 MHz signals," he said. "This is, in   
   fact, what we observe."   
      
   He said the 7 MHz signals abruptly disappeared once CASSIOPE reached 42ø N   
   latitude. "We believe it is likely the satellite was above an ionospheric   
   layer that had a plasma frequency greater than 7 MHz, thereby shielding the   
   satellite from the ground transmissions," he said. He and his fellow   
   researchers plan to follow up with more thorough modeling and analysis.   
      
   The researchers were able to record signals appearing within a 30 kHz band   
   segment on 40 meters (7010-7040 kHz) in a special .wav file that requires CW   
   Skimmer multi-channel CW decoding and analysis software to decipher and   
   identify individual stations. Frissell said CW Skimmer detected more than 23   
   signals, but after the results were checked manually, it was determined that   
   the software was unable to accurately identify some individual stations. "CW   
   Skimmer automated detection had difficulty in this case because of the flutter   
   present in the signals observed by the satellite." Frissell said. (An audio   
   file of Field Day participant WR9Y, extracted via CW Skimmer, provides an idea   
   of what the RRI actually was hearing.)   
      
   "In conclusion," Frissell said, "we believe this was a successful experiment   
   that provides an interesting view of a possible plasma density transition   
   region, as well as a basis for designing future HF Amateur Radio-satellite   
   ionospheric experiments." Read more.   
      
      
   In Brief...   
      
   Nevada ARES Volunteers Activate During 911 Outage: Amateur Radio Emergency   
   Services (ARES) members in Nye County, Nevada, were pressed into service on   
   July 27 when the county lost 911 capabilities on the AT&T system. Southern Nye   
   County Emergency Coordinator Gerald Fuge, KC6ILH, reported that nine ARES   
   members deployed to four locations to act as 911 relay points for the   
   Emergency Operations Center (EOC). ARES personnel staffed locations in   
   Pahrump, Amargosa, and Beatty, Nevada. Another radio amateur not affiliated   
   with ARES provided communication with two local FM broadcast stations and   
   delivered EOC information releases from the ARES network to those stations.   
   Nye County encompasses more than 18,100 square miles and is the third largest   
   county in the US. ARES personnel were deployed for about 3 hours. Southern Nye   
   County ARES members have responded to similar 911 outages in the past. --   
   Thanks to John Bigley, N7UR   
      
      
   Updated Canadian Band Plan Released: The Radio Amateurs of Canada Band   
   Planning Committee has released an updated band plan for all LF and HF (0-30   
   MHz) Amateur Radio allocations. This includes the new LF bands at 2200 and 600   
   meters, the 60 meter channels, and changes to reflect current best practice on   
   other bands. The updated band plan represents the RAC Band Planning   
   Committee's year-long review of all LF and HF allocations. RAC said the   
   updated band plan is intended as a quick reference guide, summarizing all   
   bands on a single page. -- Thanks to George Gorsline, VE3YV, RAC International   
   Affairs Officer   
      
      
   AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium 2015 Video Available: High-definition   
   videos of presentations at the 2015 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium   
   now are available on YouTube. The colloquium, July 25-26, attracted attendees   
   from Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Japan. Thanks to the cooperation   
   between the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) and AMSAT-UK, more than 5   
   hours of presentations were recorded. Videos from the 2014 and 2013 Colloquia   
   are also available. -- Thanks to AMSAT-UK   
      
      
   HRO Corporate Offices Relocate: Effective August 3, Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) has   
   moved its corporate offices and has new telephone numbers. The new address is   
   HRO Inc, 110 Tampico, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94598. Telephone (925)   
   933-1771; Fax (925) 933-1774.   
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Compared with the 7 previous days, solar   
   activity increased somewhat over the July 30-August 5 reporting period.   
      
   Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 47.9 to 70.3, while average daily   
   solar flux was up from 96.4 to 104.5. The average daily mid-latitude and   
   planetary A index remained about the same; both were around 10.   
      
   At 2348 UTC on August 5, Australia's Space Weather Services issued a   
   geomagnetic disturbance warning. A high-speed stream of solar wind from a   
   coronal hole is expected to cause unsettled to active conditions with   
   possibility of magnetic storms over high-latitudes on August 7, before   
   settling down to stable conditions by late on August 8.   
      
   Earth is entering the debris field from comet Swift-Tuttle, and the resulting   
   Perseid meteor shower should peak August 12-13. This offers the possibility of   
   VHF meteor-scatter communication on 6 and 2 meters, and possible enhancement   
   of the ionosphere for the upper HF bands as well.   
      
   In Friday's bulletin we will update the 3-month moving average of daily   
   sunspot numbers. Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  August 7 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint   
    *  August 7 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder (CW)   
    *  August 8-9 -- WAE DX Contest (CW)   
    *  August 8-9 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)   
    *  August 8-9 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party (CW, SSB, digital)   
    *  August 8-9 -- 50 MHz Fall Sprint   
    *  August 12 -- NAQCC CW Sprint   
    *  August 12 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (CW)   
    *  August 12-13 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test   
    *  August 12-14 -- MMMonVHF Meteorscatter Sprint   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  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 19 -- San Joaquin Valley Section Convention, Fresno,   
       California   
    *  September 25-26 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee   
    *  September 26 -- Iowa State Convention, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa   
    *  September 26 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota   
    *  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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   )\/(ark   
      
   ... Why would anyone pay to eat a big bucket of cold, soggy fries?   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)