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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-10-29   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   October 29, 2015   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
   ARRL Home Page   
   ARRL Letter Archive   
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    *  World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 Starts on November 2   
    *  National Emergency Net Activates in Mexico for Category 5 Hurricane   
       Patricia   
    *  ARRL Field Day 2015 Results Now Available   
    *  ARISS Celebrates 1000th Event, 15 Years of Permanent Ham Radio Presence   
       in Space   
    *  UK to Auction Former Ham Radio Spectrum   
    *  It's ARRL November Sweepstakes Season!   
    *  Use of 146.52 MHz FM Simplex Frequency Cleared for ARRL Contests   
    *  Amateur Radio is on National Tribal Assistance Coordination Group   
       Workshop Program   
    *  ARRL Medium-Wave Experimenters Sponsoring November Special Event   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
      
   World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 Starts on November 2   
      
   Amateur Radio's interests will be well represented as the 2015 ITU World   
   Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) convenes on November 2 in Geneva,   
   Switzerland. Preparations have been under way since the last WRC wrapped up in   
   2012. Held every 3 or 4 years, WRCs review, and, if necessary, revise the   
   Radio Regulations -- the international treaty governing the use of the radio   
   frequency spectrum. Delegates will consider several items of interest to the   
   Amateur Radio community during the nearly month-long international gathering.   
   Two ARRL staff members will be on the US delegation   
   to WRC-15 -- Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, and Technical   
   Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA. International Amateur Radio Union   
   (IARU) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, and several others will be on the   
   IARU team or in other delegations.   
      
   The primary WRC-15 agenda item of interest to most radio amateurs is Agenda   
   Item 1.4, which calls on delegates to consider the possibility of allocating   
   an appropriate amount of spectrum -- not necessarily contiguous -- to the   
   Amateur Service on a secondary basis within the band 5250-5450 kHz. Many   
   amateurs have been hoping for a band, rather than the discrete channels now   
   available in the US and in several other countries.   
      
   "While efforts of the IARU and its member societies have led four regional   
   organizations to make affirmative proposals -- two of them quite generous --   
   the outcome of this item remains uncertain," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,   
   who will be attending WRC-15 briefly to support the IARU team. He explained   
   that several major countries, including Canada, Russia, the UK, and the US,   
   view an allocation in the triple digits of kilohertz as too generous and,   
   except for Russia, have not signed on to regional proposals. Russia leads a   
   regional proposal for no change. Canada has proposed allocating 50 kHz in two   
   25 kHz blocks, but several countries, including the US, are on record as   
   opposing an allocation.   
      
   "We are disappointed that the United States was unable to join the   
   Inter-American Proposal (IAP), which is admittedly more generous than we   
   expected the US to be able to support," Sumner said. "With the neighboring   
   countries of Mexico supporting the IAP, Canada proposing two 25 kHz segments,   
   and Cuba proposing a contiguous 27 kHz band, and with affirmative proposals   
   for an amateur allocation having been submitted on behalf of dozens of other   
   countries, we remain hopeful that a positive consensus will emerge that the   
   US, in the end, will be able to accept."   
      
   Countries opposed to any change have argued that propagation characteristics   
   near 5 MHz are ideal to support reliable operation of the incumbent HF   
   services. Current primary non-government occupants of the band are fixed and   
   mobile services, except aeronautical mobile, and radiolocation in the   
   5250-5275 kHz segment.   
      
   Other items that could affect Amateur Radio include:   
      
    *  Agenda Item 1.1, to consider additional spectrum for mobile services on   
       a primary basis and identification of additional bands for commercial   
       mobile telephony and data service -- in essence, smartphones. In 2007,   
       nearly 90 countries identified 3400-3500 MHz in the amateur 9 centimeter   
       band for this purpose. Efforts to maintain amateur access to this band   
       since then has been a country-by-country effort. The US has said that it   
       will not implement mobile telephony and data services at 3400-3550 MHz,   
       due to its use by incumbent services, including radiolocation and   
       Amateur Radio.   
    *  Agenda Item 1.6.1 will consider possible additional primary allocations   
       for the fixed-satellite service of 250 MHz between 10 GHz and 17 GHz in   
       Region 1. It also would review regulatory provisions on current   
       fixed-satellite service allocations, taking ITU-R studies into account.   
       The amateur 10 GHz allocation is not a potential target.   
    *  Agenda Item 1.10 seeks additional mobile-satellite allocations,   
       including the satellite component of broadband applications, including   
       mobile telephony and data services, in the range from 22 to 26 GHz. The   
       amateur 24 GHz allocation has not been identified by proponents as a   
       potential solution.   
    *  Agenda Item 1.12 would consider extending the current worldwide   
       allocation to the Earth exploration-satellite (active) service (EESS) in   
       the band 9300-9900 MHz by up to 600 MHz, which would intrude into the   
       amateur 10 GHz allocation. Although EESS is likely to obtain a primary   
       allocation that overlaps the 10 GHz band in full or in part, its impact   
       on Amateur Radio would likely be nominal.   
    *  Agenda Item 1.18 will address automotive radar applications at 77.5-78.0   
       GHz. Studies have indicated general compatibility with these   
       applications and Amateur Radio, and, in any case, the primary status of   
       Amateur Radio is not proposed to be downgraded. Read more.   
      
      
   National Emergency Net Activates in Mexico for Category 5 Hurricane Patricia   
      
   In the face of the approaching Category 5 Hurricane Patricia, Mexico's   
   National Emergency Net activated on October 23 along Mexico's Pacific Coast,   
   an area popular with tourists. Nets were established on 75, 40, and 20 meters,   
   and on VHF repeaters. The storm, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in   
   the Western Hemisphere by the National Hurricane Center, brought sustained   
   winds of up to 200 MPH as it made landfall along a less-populated stretch of   
   coastline. The storm downed trees, flooded streets, and buffeted buildings,   
   but quickly lost strength in the mountains and was downgraded to a tropical   
   storm. Remnants of the storm eventually caused some heavy rainfall and   
   flooding in the US.   
      
   Omar Alvarez, XE1AO, a faculty member at the University of Colima, initially   
   activated a net October 22 on 7060 kHz (LSB) from the University, which has   
   its own amateur station. Other stations checked in from the capital city of   
   Colima. The net stood down at 0700 UTC on October 24, ending the emergency.   
      
   "The net involved 110 stations in the Republic of Mexico," Zian Aguirre,   
   XE1ATZ, told ARRL. "Nine stations were on the air from Colima State, closest   
   to shore, including some in the port of Manzanillo. The hurricane hit about 65   
   miles from Manzanillo, in a community called 'La Manzanilla,' and the impact   
   zone extended from El Paraiso Beach in Colima to the town of Chamela in   
   Jalisco."   
      
   In the storm's wake, civil protection authorities, the Red Cross, and the   
   Mexican military were on duty, and radio amateurs were standing by to handle   
   any communication needs, Aguirre said.   
      
   "Fortunately in the city of Colima, where I live, the effects of the hurricane   
   were few -- mainly downed trees and some damaged roads," Aguirre said. "There   
   was no loss of life; preventive action paid off magnificently." Tens of   
   thousands were evacuated in advance of the dangerous storm.   
      
   As it approached landfall, the National Hurricane Center in Miami had called   
   the Category 5 storm "potentially catastrophic." The minimum central pressure   
   estimated from NOAA aircraft data was an extremely low 25.96 inches.   
      
      
   ARRL Field Day 2015 Results Now Available   
      
   Results of ARRL Field Day 2015 are now available. These include the searchable   
   scores database, the soapbox, and the QST results article (PDF). A total of   
   2720 stations submitted entries for the ever-popular June 27-28 event.   
      
   While propagation was on the sorry side for Field Day 2015, the number of   
   contacts for this year's event rose slightly over 2014 -- a modest 1.1 percent   
   -- and CW contacts account for all of that increase; phone and digital contact   
   numbers dipped slightly in 2015. Nearly 1.3 million contacts were logged   
   during FD 2015.   
      
   The number of logs received appears to be an all-time ARRL Field Day record.   
   This year saw 35,369 participants, down slightly from 2014.   
      
   A total of 1247 entries claimed the broad classification of "A" (which   
   includes generator, commercial, and alternate/battery-powered entries).   
   Joining that core group operating in temporary setups were an additional 315   
   Class B entries (one- or two-person entries). This indicates that 58 percent   
   of all Field Day 2015 participants in some way took to the field.   
      
      
   ARISS Celebrates 1000th Event, 15 Years of Permanent Ham Radio Presence in   
   Space   
      
   This month, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)   
   program marked its 1000th space station Amateur Radio event, continuing a   
   string that started 15 years ago, when the program established the first   
   permanent ham radio presence in space. The inaugural ARISS contact took place   
   on December 21, 2000, between a member of the ISS Expedition 1 crew and   
   youngsters at Luther Burbank [ARISS.jpg] Elementary School near Chicago.   
   Several pupils and a teacher got to chat on 2 meters with "Space Station   
   Alpha" Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL. The contact had a rocky   
   start. Attempts by the school a couple of days earlier had been unsuccessful,   
   despite extensive technical preparations hampered by snowstorms and   
   sub-freezing temperatures. That contact marked the first use of the special   
   NA1SS call sign for a school contact.   
      
   "It has always been all about youth, piquing their interest in Amateur Radio,   
   science, technology -- especially wireless technology -- engineering, math,   
   and aerospace...really anything educational, and it will always be about these   
   things," said ARISS International Secretary Rosalie White, K1STO. While on the   
   ARRL Headquarters staff, White was in on the ground floor of ARISS, which grew   
   out of the space shuttle-era SAREX (Space Amateur Radio EXperiment). She   
   represented ARRL, an ARISS partner, in initial discussions to set ARISS into   
   motion.   
      
   In 1996, with the ISS still a few years off, the SAREX team decided not to   
   wait until the first crew was on station to start thinking about getting   
   Amateur Radio on board, White said. By then it would be too late to ensure   
   equipment room in the ISS's tight quarters as well as to address cabling,   
   antennas, power, flight certification -- myriad details that also included   
   both NASA and Russian approvals and licensing astronauts. NASA stipulated that   
   it wanted a single, worldwide group to be solely responsible for "everything   
   Amateur Radio" on the ISS.   
      
   With a lot of hard work, an ARISS team based on countries having space   
   agencies supporting the ISS -- Canada, Japan, Russia, several European   
   countries, and the US -- was pulled together. White said it was "a monumental   
   task" to get everyone to the US for the scheduled meeting dates in November   
   1996.   
      
   "In the end, at least one Amateur Radio operator came from Canada, Japan,   
   Europe, Russia, and the United States, the areas now known as ARISS regions,"   
   White said. "That's how it all began!"   
      
   ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, said NASA will be   
   celebrating the arrival of the first crew to inhabit the ISS. "The ham radio   
   gear was activated a few days later," she said. "Amateur Radio is considered   
   the first ISS payload."   
      
   ARISS touches tens of thousands of students per year. One ARISS goal is to   
   inspire an interest among young people in science, technology, engineering,   
   and math (STEM) subjects and in STEM careers. Another is to provide an   
   educational opportunity for students, teachers, and the public to learn about   
   space exploration and satellites, as well as about wireless technology and   
   radio science through Amateur Radio.   
      
   The program has made a positive impression on educators, with 92 percent of   
   those who have been involved indicating that ARISS provided ideas for   
   encouraging student exploration, discussion, and participation, and 78 percent   
   saying that ARISS was effective in stimulating student interest in STEM.   
      
   The proposal submission deadline is looming for schools, educational   
   organizations, and groups willing and able to host an ARISS contact in 2016.   
   The window for formal and informal proposals closes on November 1.   
      
   In an era of tighter NASA budgets, ARISS International President Frank Bauer,   
   KA3HDO, recently indicated that ARISS needs to raise $90,000 annually to   
   maintain its current level of operation, and $214,000 to grow operations and   
   meet its desired goals. ARISS encourages donations via the AMSAT website   
   (select the "ARISS Donate" button). Individuals contributing $100 or more will   
   receive the new ARISS Challenge Coin.   
      
      
   UK to Auction Former Ham Radio Spectrum   
      
   Spectrum at 2.3 and 3.4 GHz that once was allocated to Amateur Radio is going   
   on the auction block in the UK. Telecommunications regulatory agency Ofcom   
   announced this week the steps it will take in selling off the shared spectrum   
   it took back after the military no longer needed it. Ofcom announced in April   
   2014 that it was ending Amateur Radio access to significant portions of the   
   2.3 and 3.4 GHz bands following a year-long consultation -- a rule making   
   proceeding -- that involved the release by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of 40   
   MHz of spectrum at 2.3 GHz and 150 MHz of spectrum at 3.4 GHz. Amateur Radio   
   was secondary on both bands.   
      
   "We expect the award frequencies to be of interest to mobile network operators   
   (MNOs) and others involved with mobile broadband," Ofcom said in its Public   
   Sector Spectrum Release document released on October 26. "The particular   
   characteristics of the spectrum to be released, in terms of propagation and   
   the penetration of signals, make it especially suitable for the latest   
   long-term evolution (LTE) mobile technologies."   
      
   Amateur Radio lost privileges on frequencies in the two bands that overlapped   
   with the 190 MHz of spectrum that Ofcom now has put on the block -- 2350 to   
   2390 MHz and 3410 to 3475 MHz. Amateur Radio will retain access to the   
   adjacent bands, but Ofcom has put procedures in place to remove even those   
   frequencies from Amateur Radio access, if necessary in the future.   
      
   Ofcom said in 2014 that, with military and other government use of the 2.3 and   
   3.4 GHz spectrum ending, it believed that "an award of the spectrum for high   
   power use is likely to deliver greater benefit to UK consumers and citizens   
   than continued amateur use."   
      
   The MoD plan is part of a government commitment to release 500 MHz of spectrum   
   by 2020 for new civil uses "based on growing demand from UK consumers for   
   spectrum-hungry devices such as smartphones and tablets."   
      
   Ofcom has said it would make 2300-2302 MHz available for amateur use, but   
   licensees first must obtain a Notice of Variation to their licenses. Hams in   
   the US have access to 2300-2310 MHz, 2390-2450 MHz (Amateur Radio in the US is   
   primary in the band 2390-2417 MHz), and 3300-3500 MHz. Neither the affected   
   2350-2390 MHz segment nor the 2310-2350 MHz that may be removed down the road   
   in the UK has been available to US amateurs for many years. In the   
   international Table of Frequency Allocations, the 3.4-3.6 GHz band is   
   designated for future mobile wireless broadband in many countries, including   
   the UK, but not in the US. Germany and Israel are the only ITU Region 1   
   countries with amateur allocations at 3400-3475 MHz. -- Thanks to RSGB, Ofcom   
      
      
   It's ARRL November Sweepstakes Season!   
      
   ARRL November Sweepstakes -- two weekends of fun on CW and SSB, respectively   
   -- are just ahead. The CW event is November 7-9; the phone weekend is November   
   21-23. The contest period runs from 2100 UTC on Saturday through 0259 UTC   
   Monday. Those planning to participate should check out the 2015 Operating   
   Guide (PDF).   
      
   "More activity means more fun for everyone!" said ARRL November Sweepstakes   
   Manager Larry Hammel, K5OT.   
      
   Sweepstakes is the ARRL's oldest "domestic" contest and is one in which   
   stations may only contact each other once on any band. The multipliers are   
   official ARRL and RAC sections. Some are especially rare, so keep your ears   
   open! For stations in the United States and Canada (including territories and   
   possessions), the object is to exchange the required contact information with   
   as many other US and Canadian stations as possible on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and   
   10 meters. There are several entry classes.   
      
   Affiliated Club competition continues to be a very popular aspect of   
   Sweepstakes each year. Even members who cannot put in a full-time effort can   
   contribute.   
      
   The Clean Sweep mug -- for working all 83 ARRL/RAC sections -- is available   
   again this year, as are Participation Pins for anyone who completes more than   
   100 contacts on CW or phone during Sweepstakes.   
      
      
   Use of 146.52 MHz FM Simplex Frequency Cleared for ARRL Contests   
      
   The ARRL Programs and Services Committee earlier this year unanimously adopted   
   a recommendation from its VHF and Above Revitalization Committee to remove the   
   rule prohibiting the use of 146.52 MHz simplex for making contest contacts.   
   The change becomes effective in 2016, starting with the ARRL January VHF   
   Contest.   
      
   The VHF and Above Revitalization Committee concluded that the restriction was   
   no longer necessary. The committee felt that permitting the use of 146.52 MHz   
   would allow new/curious contesters possessing only FM-mode radios to stumble   
   upon more contacts, increasing their chances of being drawn further into VHF+   
   contesting -- the primary aim of the Revitalization Committee.   
      
   The change will also be incorporated into the ARRL Field Day rules This change   
   eliminates Rule 1.8 in the "General Rules for ARRL Contests Above 50 MHz,"   
   with subsequent Rule 1 sections renumbered accordingly. -- Thanks to Dan   
   Henderson, N1ND, Regulatory Information Manager/Acting Contest Manager   
      
      
   Amateur Radio is on National Tribal Assistance Coordination Group Workshop   
   Program   
      
   ARRL Oklahoma Section Manager Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, will be among the   
   presenters at the national 2015 National Tribal Assistance Coordination Group   
   (TAC-G) Workshop, November 3 to November 5 in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Colston will   
   speak on "Social Media in Emergency Management/Amateur Radio."   
      
   The 2015 TAC-G National Workshop is aimed at providing an opportunity for   
   collaboration with individuals and organizations that offer assistance to   
   American Indians and Alaska natives, tribes, and tribal governments during   
   emergencies and disasters.   
      
   During his 45-minute presentation, Colston said, he'll offer a broad overview   
   of Amateur Radio and will touch upon the Amateur Radio Emergency Service   
   (ARES), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), Military Auxiliary   
   Radio Service (MARS), and SKYWARN.   
      
   "I will also be covering social media as it relates to emergency management   
   and the Virtual Operations Support Team concept," Colston said.   
      
   Colston, who will represent the League as an ARRL Section Manager, has served   
   since 2014 as the head of Oklahoma's field organization. He will wear   
   additional hats as vice president of the Virtual Emergency Management   
   Association and as the emergency management director for Altus, Oklahoma. He   
   also serves as Oklahoma Section Public Information Coordinator.   
      
      
   ARRL Medium-Wave Experimenters Sponsoring November Special Event   
      
   The 107th anniversary of the Berlin Treaty, which created the international   
   distress frequency at 500 kHz, will be the occasion for a special event   
   operation in that vicinity of the spectrum. The event, announced by ARRL   
   Medium-Wave Experiment (WD2XSH) Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, set for the   
   November 13-14 weekend, will involve experimental operators in the US,   
   Canadian Amateur Radio stations, and US heritage maritime stations.   
      
   "For US experimental ops, this will be a CW event," Raab said. "Some stations   
   will run beacons with special messages, and some will offer special QSLs.   
   Other stations will simulate maritime communication. They will call CQ on a   
   designated calling frequency and then QSY to complete the QSO. Silent periods   
   will be observed. Some stations will pass message traffic."   
      
   Activity for the special event will focus on 465 to 480 kHz and 495 to 510   
   kHz, since different licensees have different frequency authorizations, Raab   
   explained. Designated calling frequencies are 475 kHz for the lower segment,   
   and 500 kHz for the upper.   
      
   Raab said the Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) will conduct a mini   
   "Night of Nights" on Saturday night, with special attention to MF operation.   
   "This will give listeners the best chance of copying their MF signals by   
   operating during the winter and extending our operating hours well into the   
   evening Pacific time," Raab said. MRHS Coast Station operstors KPH will keep   
   426 and 500 kHz active with messages and will verify listener reports.   
      
   Five Canadian amateurs are expected to operate in the 472-479 kHz band. "In   
   addition to activities similar to those of the US experimental stations, the   
   Canadian amateurs will conduct cross-band communication tests with amateurs   
   operating on 80 and 40 meters," Raab said.   
      
   "All stations will either call CQ or send VVV marker beacons while listening   
   on their respective QSX frequencies," Raab said. Stations will announce their   
   listening frequencies. Read more.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   In Brief...   
      
   Palmyra DXpedition to Sign On as K5P: When the Palmyra DXpedition gets under   
   way in January 2016, operators will be using the call sign K5P. The Pacific   
   Islands DXpedition Group has been granted permission to activate Cooper Island   
   in the Palmyra Atoll. Palmyra and Jarvis Islands (KH5) ranks number 9 on   
   ClubLog's DXCC Most Wanted List. "After many months of planning, securing   
   permits, and negotiating contracts with US Fish and Wildlife and the Nature   
   Conservancy, we are quickly approaching the much anticipated DXpedition to   
   Palmyra," co-leaders Craig Thompson, K9CT, and Lou Dietrich, N2TU, said in a   
   recent news release. A team of 12 operators will operate five stations from   
   January 11 through January 26. Visit the Palmyra 2016 website to learn more.   
      
      
   SAREX Reflector to Close on November 1 The SAREX (Space Amateur Radio   
   EXperiment) reflector will close on November 1, and its functions will be   
   folded into the AMSAT-BB list. Those subscribed to both SAREX and AMSAT-BB   
   will not need to take any action. The SAREX archives will continue to be   
   available for historical purposes. Subscribe to AMSAT-BB to continue receiving   
   human spaceflight announcements. Existing SAREX subscription will not be   
   automatically carried over. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service   
      
      
   Ham Radio Used to Gather Election Results from Remote Polling Station in   
   India: Don't look for anything like this to happen in the US anytime soon, but   
   the New Indian Express reports that Amateur Radio will help to facilitate the   
   gathering of local election results from an isolated community in Kerala state   
   in extreme southwestern India. According to the report, a 30-member group led   
   by a ham radio and disaster management society would transmit the poll news   
   for the government and district administration from Edamalakkudy, the most   
   remote polling station in the district, which lacks telecommunications and   
   electrical power. Information from 13 polling stations would be transmitted   
   via a repeater to the collection point. It's not the first time Amateur Radio   
   has been used to help obtain poll results. Ham radio carried news from the   
   region when members of a reclusive tribal community voted for the first time   
   in 2010. The newspaper said election officials in the remote forest also used   
   ham radio to contact their families, and it was used again when wild elephants   
   attacked election officials trapped in dense forest with polling equipment.   
   The article also   
   briefly noted Amateur Radio's role in responding to disasters.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar flux and sunspot numbers barely budged   
   last week. Average daily sunspot numbers went from 75 in the previous 7 days   
   to 77.6 in the week ending October 28. Average daily solar flux slipped from   
   118.2 to 110.9.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is 115 and 110 on October 29-30; 105 on October 31 and   
   November 1; 100 on November 2; 95 on November 3-4; 90 on November 5; 85 on   
   November 6-8; 90 on November 9; 95 on November 10-11; 100, 105, and 110 on   
   November 12-14; 115 on November 15-16, and 120 on November 17. Flux values   
   then drop to 85 on November 30 through December 5, and then rise above 100 a   
   few days later.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 15 and 12 on October 29-30; 15 on October 31   
   through November 1; 12 on November 2; then very high disturbed values of 55,   
   50, and 30 on November 3-5; 12 on November 6-7; and 20, 25, and 20 on November   
   8-10; Geomagnetic conditions remain unsettled and active. On November 30   
   through December 2 planetary A index is predicted to rise to 50, 40, and 25,   
   an echo of the high values on November 3-5. In fact, this activity would be   
   from the same area of the sun a whole solar rotation later.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for October 22 through 28 were 94, 91, 74, 63, 72, 78, and 71,   
   with a mean of 77.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 120.5, 114.9, 106.3, 106.4, 106.2,   
   110.1, and 112.2, with a mean of 110.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 6,   
   7, 11, 8, 3, 4, and 3, with a mean of 6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were   
   4, 5, 10, 7, 2, 3, and 1, with a mean of 4.6.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  October 31-November 1 -- ARRL EME Contest   
    *  October 31 -- Feld Hell Sprint   
    *  October 31 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest   
    *  November 1 -- High Speed Club CW Contest   
    *  November 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)   
    *  November 4 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (SSB)   
    *  November 5 -- NRAU 10 Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  November 7 -- Fall TechFest, Lakewood, Colorado   
    *  November 7-8 -- Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia   
    *  November 14 -- HamJam Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia   
    *  November 14-15 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana   
    *  December 11-12 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,   
       Florida   
    *  January 9 -- TECHFEST, Lawrenceville, Georgia   
    *  January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage,   
       New York   
    *  January 15-16, Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers, Florida   
    *  January 15-16, North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas   
    *  January 17-23, Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona   
    *  January 29-30, Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi   
    *  January 29-31, Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   ... Fresh pineapple:  The fruit that eats you back!   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)