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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-02-04   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   February 4, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  ARRL Announces Partnership with RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater   
       Directory   
    *  US House Cosponsor List for Amateur Radio Parity Act Grows   
    *  Join the Fun at the 2016 ARRL National Convention in Orlando!   
    *  ARRL Board Adopts New Strategic Plan   
    *  ARRL 2016 Field Day Packet Now Available, New Bonus Point Categories   
       Announced   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  Satellite Package Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Released into Orbit   
       from ISS   
    *  Students in Nepal Enjoy that Country's First Ham Contact with the ISS   
    *  ARES Volunteers Help to Distribute Water in Ohio Community with   
       Lead-Tainted Water   
    *  Long-Time ARRL Vice Director, Honorary Vice President Evelyn Gauzens,   
       W4WYR, SK   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
      
   ARRL Announces Partnership with RFinder -- The Worldwide Repeater Directory   
      
   ARRL has established an agreement with RFinder, the creator of a web and   
   app-based directory of Amateur Radio repeaters worldwide, for RFinder to be   
   the League's preferred online resource of repeater frequencies.   
      
   RFinder is a steadily growing worldwide repeater directory with over 50,000   
   repeater listings in over 170 countries. An annual $9.99 subscription to   
   RFinder provides access to repeater data through its collection of apps for   
   Android and Apple devices, and from nearly any web browser. With one   
   subscription, users have access to repeater data worldwide from computing   
   devices on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Apple iOS, and popular GPS systems. A   
   growing list of third-party memory programming applications support radio   
   programming. RFinder provides integrated support for EchoLink on Android and   
   iPhone, allowing users a one-click connection to repeaters worldwide from the   
   directory.   
      
   "The RFinder team is honored to be ARRL's partner, providing the very latest   
   online repeater information and directory technology for radio amateurs in the   
   United States," said Bob Greenberg, W2CYK, creator of RFinder -- The Worldwide   
   Repeater Directory. "We look forward to working with ARRL to make RFinder even   
   better for US hams."   
      
   ARRL will receive a portion of each annual subscription to RFinder. US radio   
   amateurs who subscribe to RFinder will have online access to its entire   
   worldwide directory while supporting ARRL.   
      
   ARRL will discontinue its own products that had supported digital listings of   
   repeater data, including the TravelPlus for Repeaters(TM) software and its own   
   apps. ARRL is working with RFinder on a plan to migrate existing ARRL app   
   users to RFinder, in order to support remaining subscription terms.   
      
   "Rest assured that the printed ARRL Repeater Directory, updated and published   
   each year, will continue to be produced," said ARRL Marketing Manager Bob   
   Inderbitzen, NQ1R. Inderbitzen explained that the Repeater Directory,   
   available in pocket-sized and spiral-bound desktop editions, is especially   
   popular with new radio amateurs, mobile and portable operators, and public   
   service volunteers who rely on the printed copies when they are offline and on   
   the go.   
      
   ARRL's source of repeater data for The ARRL Repeater Directory is voluntarily   
   contributed information from repeater owners and frequency coordinators in the   
   US and Canada. RFinder, on the other hand, assembles its data from worldwide   
   sources, including repeater owners, national and regional coordinating bodies,   
   and carefully reviewed crowd-sourced contributions. RFinder uses dynamic data,   
   allowing users to access listings that regularly reflect new, updated,   
   revised, and deleted information.   
      
   RFinder will have an exhibit at the upcoming Orlando HamCation(R), this year's   
   ARRL National Convention, February 12-14, at the Central Florida Fair and Expo   
   Park in Orlando, Florida. "We are excited and proud to announce our   
   partnership during the ARRL National Convention!" Greenberg said.   
      
   ARRL is the most recent national Amateur Radio society to establish a   
   partnership with RFinder. RFinder is the official repeater directory of Radio   
   Amateurs Canada, the Radio Society of Great Britain, the Deutscher Amateur   
   Radio Club (Germany), and others.   
      
   Subscribe to RFinder by visiting http://subscribe.rfinder.net from your   
   iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or from your Android smartphone or tablet. Those   
   without an Apple or Android device can subscribe using the link at the bottom   
   of http://subscribe.rfinder.net/.   
      
      
   US House Cosponsor List for Amateur Radio Parity Act Grows   
      
   The list of cosponsors for the US House version of the Amateur Radio Parity   
   Act of 2015 (H.R. 1301) continues to grow. The addition of Rep Stevan Pearce,   
   KG5KIQ (R-NM), and Rep Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) as cosponsors on February 1 raises   
   the total to 120 from both sides of the aisle. Pearce and O'Rourke are among   
   four cosponsors to sign on to the bill since the start of the year. The other   
   two are Reps Robert Brady (D-PA) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who became   
   cosponsors on January 12 and 13, respectively.   
      
   One of a small handful of hams in the US House, Pearce got his ham ticket in   
   November, after reaching out to then-Rocky Mountain Division Director (now   
   Second Vice President) Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, and New Mexico Section Manager   
   Ed James, KA8JMW, to find out more about ham radio. He joins his House   
   colleagues Reps Daniel Benishek, KB8TOW (R-MI), and Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR),   
   who chairs the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. During a   
   January 12 hearing on H.R. 1301, Walden called the Amateur Radio Parity Act "a   
   commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues to support it. Brady, Kaptur,   
   Pearce, and O'Rourke may have heeded his advice.   
      
   A League-led effort to encourage members to urge their lawmakers to become   
   cosponsors of the House and Senate measures continues. League representatives   
   will be at the 2016 ARRL National Convention February 12-14 in Orlando,   
   Florida, hosted by the Orlando HamCation, to assist members in writing their   
   members of Congress.   
      
   H.R. 1301 would direct the FCC to extend its rules relating to reasonable   
   accommodation of Amateur Service communications to private land-use   
   restrictions, such as deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions. An   
   identical US Senate measure, S. 1685, has attracted three cosponsors. It   
   cleared the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation last   
   November.   
      
   More information about the legislation is on the ARRL Amateur Radio Parity Act   
   web page.   
      
      
   Join the Fun at the 2016 ARRL National Convention in Orlando!   
      
   The 2016 ARRL National Convention is February 12-14 at Orlando H   
   mCation(R).This year marks the 70th anniversary of HamCation, one   
   [ARRL%20Orlando%20Convention%202016%20logo.jpg] of the largest annual hamfests   
   in the US. Chairman Peter Meijers, AI4KM, reports that advance ticket sales   
   have been very brisk, and the largest commercial building at the fairgrounds   
   -- which will be filled with ham radio manufacturers, equipment dealers, and   
   other exhibitors -- sold out early this year.   
      
   The ARRL National Convention team will include more than 60 members, including   
   ARRL staff, officials, and Field Organization volunteers. Representatives   
   supporting the Amateur Radio Parity Act will be on hand to help attendees   
   generate letters to the Senate and House. An exhibit promoting the year-long   
   National Parks on the Air event has been organized to answer questions about   
   being a national park Activator or Chaser in 2016.   
      
   A complete ARRL National Convention program guide is available for download.   
      
      
   ARRL Board Adopts New Strategic Plan   
      
   The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted an updated Strategic Plan that defines   
   the League's vision and guides its direction over the next 5 years. ARRL COO   
   Harold Kramer, WJ1B, a member of the Strategic Planning Working Group, said   
   the revised plan represents more than 8 months of work on the part of the   
   group's seven members. Now-Honorary ARRL Vice President Jim Fenstermaker,   
   K9JF, chaired the panel, which met some 2 dozen times, mostly via webinar.   
   Kramer said input to the Strategic Plan was considerable and comprehensive.   
      
   "It will let the members know what to expect from their association," he said.   
   Kramer stressed that the updated plan "was not developed in a vacuum" but   
   includes survey input from ARRL members, the Board of Directors, the Field   
   Organization, advertisers, Headquarters staff, and similar strategic plans.   
   "We really tried to take into account what all of these different   
   constituencies thought were the main issues, concerns, and direction of the   
   League for the future," he added.   
      
   When it adopted the Strategic Plan at its Annual Meeting in mid-January, the   
   Board said in its resolution, "Further, the ARRL Board recognizes the   
   Strategic Plan presented is the beginning of a more formal process for the   
   ARRL and requires establishing priorities, resources, monitoring, review and   
   modification and/or addition of goals, initiatives, and tactics supporting the   
   Strategic Plan as future conditions and the environment change."   
      
   Kramer said the Strategic Plan's mission statement -- To advance the art,   
   science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio -- describes "what we are supposed to   
   do as an association," while its vision statement spells out "what we want to   
   be."   
      
   The meat of the plan is its six strategic goals, each of which includes a list   
   of initiatives to further differentiate those goals. The goals are:   
      
    *  Grow Amateur Radio worldwide.   
    *  Increase the vitality of Amateur Radio.   
    *  Keep Amateur Radio accessible to all.   
    *  Advance Amateur Radio science and technology.   
    *  Organize and train volunteers to serve their communities by providing   
       public service and emergency communications.   
    *  Practice good governance and organizational management.   
      
   "Tactics will be developed to define what must be done to support the goals   
   and initiatives, as well as to prioritize activities and programs for   
   development," Fenstermaker explained. "ARRL management is responsible for   
   implementing and managing the process with the Board of Directors' oversight."   
      
   As the Strategic Plan states in its Preamble, "This plan is a starting point   
   to assure that ARRL continues its leading role in the Amateur Radio community."   
      
      
   ARRL 2016 Field Day Packet Now Available, New Bonus Point Categories Announced   
      
   It's not too early to be thinking about Field Day 2016 and planning your   
   club's strategy for a bigger score and greater participation than last year.   
   Field Day is June 25-26 -- always the 4th full weekend in June -- and the 2016   
   ARRL Field Day Packet now is available to download as a PDF file. This year's   
   Field Day introduces two new ways to score bonus points -- Social Media and   
   Safety Officer.   
      
   Rule 7.3.16 Social Media offers 100 bonus points for promoting your Field Day   
   activation to the general public via an active, recognized, and utilized   
   social media platform, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This bonus is   
   available to bona fide Amateur Radio clubs and Field Day groups that welcome   
   visitors to their operations. These bonus points are not available to   
   individual participants, and club websites do not qualify as social media for   
   this bonus. The bonus points are available to all Field Day entry classes   
   meeting the criteria.   
      
   Rule 7.3.17 Safety Officer offers 100 bonus points by designating someone to   
   serve as a Safety Officer for groups setting up Class A stations. This person   
   must verify that all safety concerns on the Safety Check List -- found in the   
   ARRL Field Day Packet -- have been adequately met. This is an active bonus.   
   Simply designating someone as Safety Officer does not automatically earn the   
   bonus points. In order to claim this bonus, participants must include a   
   statement verifying the completion of the Safety Check List in the supporting   
   documentation sent to ARRL Headquarters.   
      
   Last year, 2720 stations submitted ARRL Field Day entries. Nearly 1.3 million   
   contacts were logged during FD 2015 -- an increase of just over 1 percent.   
   Nearly 35,400 individuals took part in Field Day last year.   
      
   The 2016 ARRL Field Day logo makes a connection to the League's year-long   
   National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) operating event. NPOTA celebrates the   
   centennial of the National Park Service (NPS).   
      
   The design's featured hiking boot footprint anticipates that many 2016 Field   
   Day groups and individual operators may want to combine FD and NPOTA, setting   
   up at national parks, historic sites, or at any of the hundreds of official   
   National Park Service units throughout the US. Pick your park, get the okay   
   from park officials, get out and get on the air, and leave nothing but   
   footprints!   
      
   Follow Field Day on Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #ARRLFD). Share your plans,   
   tips, and tricks for a successful Field Day!   
      
   For more information about Field Day 2016, contact ARRL Headquarters.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   Statistics from the first month of National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) prove   
   that the event is a big hit nationwide! In January, 243 of the 483 eligible   
   NPOTA units had at least one activation, with 606 total qualified activations.   
   More than 72,100 NPOTA contacts were uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW)   
   in January.   
      
   The top three most-activated units are all trails: The Appalachian National   
   Scenic Trail, TR01 (15); the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route   
   National Historic Trail, TR23 (10); and the Santa Fe National Historic Trail,   
   TR11 (9).   
      
   The top three units attracting the greatest number of contacts were the Santa   
   Fe National Historic Trail, TR11 (1977); Hot Springs National Park, NP30   
   (1781), and Cape Cod National Seashore, SS03 (1563).   
      
   With an expected uptick in activity as the weather gets warmer across the   
   country, 1 million NPOTA QSOs are not out of the realm of possibility.   
      
   For the week of February 4-10, 28 different NPOTA units are scheduled to be   
   activated, including the Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia. See the   
   NPOTA Activations Calendar for the complete listings.   
      
   Details about these and other activations coming up can be found on the NPOTA   
   Activations calendar.   
      
   Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow NPOTA on Twitter   
   (@ARRL_NPOTA).   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Satellite Package Carrying Amateur Radio Payloads Released into Orbit from ISS   
      
   A package of two satellites carrying Amateur Radio payloads has been deployed   
   into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a   
   collaborative Texas A&M and University of Texas at Austin research effort.   
   Built by Texas A&M students, AggieSat4 (AGS4) will release UT's Bevo-2 CubeSat   
   in about a month, once it is far enough away from the ISS. Both schools   
   received support from NASA's Johnson Spaceflight Center (JSC) for the design,   
   construction, testing, and launch phases.   
      
   The goal of the overarching LONESTAR (Low Earth Orbiting Navigation Experiment   
   for Spacecraft Testing Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking) program is for the   
   two satellites to individually rendezvous with each other and perform docking   
   and undocking maneuvers.   
      
   "The overall objective is to find ways for small spacecraft to join together   
   autonomously in space," Helen Reed, KD7GPX, professor of aerospace engineering   
   and director of the AggieSat Lab at Texas A&M told NASA. "We need simple   
   systems that will allow rendezvous and docking with little to no help from a   
   human, which will become especially important as we venture farther out into   
   space. Applications could include in-space assembly or reconfiguration of   
   larger structures or systems as well as servicing and repair."   
      
   The AggieSat team received its first beacon signal from the satellite at its   
   Texas A&M Riverside Campus ground station. The AggieSat4 team is asking any   
   Amateur Radio operators receiving the beacon signal to send any data to the   
   AGS4 team. AggieSat4 will transmit 9.6 kbps FSK telemetry and 153.6 kbps FSK   
   on 436.250 MHz. Once it's placed into its own orbit, Bevo-2 will transmit on   
   437.325 on CW and 38.4 kbps FSK.   
      
   Both satellites were launched to the ISS during a December resupply mission.   
   Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI, and Scott Kelly handled preparations to deploy   
   the sizable LONESTAR 2 mission satellite package.   
      
      
   Students in Nepal Enjoy that Country's First Ham Contact with the ISS   
      
   Students at an elite school in the Himalayan nation of Nepal enjoyed that   
   country's first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)   
   contact, when they spoke via ham radio with ISS crew member and UK Astronaut   
   Tim Peake, KG5BVI, on January 20. Youngsters attending Brihaspati VidhyaSadan   
   School (BVS) in Kathmandu interviewed Peake about life onboard the space   
   station. Through his Principia Mission, Peake is dedicating part of his   
   scheduled time in space to educational activities for youngsters on Earth. The   
   approximately 8 minute contact was carried out via a "telebridge" with Tony   
   Hutchison, VK5ZAI, in Australia, where the ISS pass was favorable for a   
   contact. Two-way audio was relayed via landline to Nepal.   
      
   "Follow your dreams," Peake told the youngsters. "You need to find out what   
   you are passionate about and what you are enjoying."   
      
   Leading up to the event, the school had organized a week-long program and   
   exhibition related to space travel and technology, including Amateur Radio.   
   The Nepal Amateur Radio Operators' Society supported the exhibition. The   
   school is home to the Free and Open Source Research Lab and Ham facility.   
      
   "This was truly and international event," said Hutchison, pointing out that   
   individuals involved in making the ARISS contact happen were spread around the   
   globe, including Australia, Japan, Sweden, and the US. Pravin Joshi, 9N1KK, at   
   the school was among the contact mentors.   
      
   Peake answered 17 of the students' questions. Read more -- Thanks to ARISS and   
   to AMSAT News Service   
      
      
   ARES Volunteers Help to Distribute Water in Ohio Community with Lead-Tainted   
   Water   
      
   Flint, Michigan, is not the only community with water problems due to high   
   lead content. During the week of January 18, some 8100 water customers in   
   Sebring, Ohio, were notified that they, too, had problems with high lead   
   content in their drinking water. On January 22, both the Ohio and Mahoning   
   County emergency management agencies began giving out bottled water in   
   Sebring. Mahoning County ARES Emergency Coordinator Wes Boyd, W8IZC, activated   
   ARES to assist.   
      
   "Response on the workday was low, but a handful of ARES volunteers were able   
   to respond," said Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL.   
      
   Boyd said, "EMA and Red Cross were overjoyed that radio operators came to work   
   not needing a radio." ARES volunteers joined others in moving and distributing   
   pallets of bottled water, and another call went for weekend duty. ARES members   
   from neighboring counties volunteered. All told, the volunteers moved more   
   than 166 pallets of water in 6 days.   
      
   "This is a perfect example of being ready to serve in whatever capacity we   
   can, in order to help our communities. Sometimes it doesn't involve only   
   operating a radio," Broadway said.   
      
      
   Long-Time ARRL Vice Director, Honorary Vice President Evelyn Gauzens, W4WYR, SK   
      
   A beloved member of the extended ARRL family has passed on. Evelyn Gauzens,   
   W4WYR, of Dunedin, Florida, died on January 31. She would have turned 87 this   
   week. An ARRL Life Member, Gauzens served as the Southeastern Division Vice   
   Director for more than 20 years. The ARRL Board of Directors elected her as an   
   Honorary Vice President in 2002. She may be best known in the wider Amateur   
   Radio community for having co-founded and chaired the Miami Tropical Hamboree   
   for 45 years. Past ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, said that when she became   
   a Vice Director in 1990, Gauzens was there for her as the "go-to" person to   
   teach newcomers the ropes.   
      
   "When I was preparing the supporting materials for her nomination as ARRL   
   Honorary Vice President, I learned about her role with Amateur Radio at the   
   National Hurricane Center," Craigie said. "She was a leader, she had a sense   
   of humor, and she was kind. She contributed to Amateur Radio and her   
   community. I am so glad that I could visit with her again at Orlando, so her   
   face remains fresh in my memory. She was physically frail, of course, but her   
   mind was as sharp as ever, and she left me laughing." Craigie expressed her   
   condolences to Gauzens' family.   
      
   Gauzens received a W4EHW/National Hurricane Center Award of Appreciation in   
   2003 during the annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference. That same year, she   
   was honored for her 50 years of ARRL membership. Gauzens was a member of the   
   Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), a life member of the Dade Radio   
   Club of Miami, and a participant in the Florida Phone Traffic Net. She also   
   belonged to the A-1 Operators Club.   
      
   In 2001, the she was the recipient of the Citizens' Ham Mobile-Marine Patrol   
   (CHAMP) Award, presented to an Amateur Radio operator for an exemplary act of   
   service to the community during the preceding year, or to an amateur who has   
   demonstrated years of distinguished service to both Amateur Radio and the   
   community. She was an ARRL VEC volunteer examiner. In 2002, Kenwood honored   
   Gauzens with its "Top Gun Award."   
      
   In 2012 Gauzens was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame,   
   recognized as "an active proponent of improved Amateur Radio public relations"   
   and as the principal on-site organizer -- on behalf of the ARRL as the host   
   IARU Member Society -- of the 1976 IARU Region 2 conference in Miami Beach.   
      
   "Love Amateur Radio and all those I have met in the fraternity," Gauzens said   
   in her QRZ.com profile.   
      
   Gauzens' late husband Carl was W4DTJ, a call sign now held by her   
   granddaughter, Stephanie. Her son Alan is WA4ATF.   
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the January 28 through February 3   
   reporting week, both sunspot and solar flux averages were down a negligible   
   amount, and geomagnetic numbers were down substantially, compared to the   
   previous 7 days.   
      
   Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 57.3 to 50.6, while average daily   
   solar flux values dipped from 106 to 105.4. Average daily planetary A index   
   softened from 11.6 to 7.3, while the mid-latitude A index (measured in   
   Fredericksburg, Virginia) went from 7.6 to 5.6.   
      
   The latest predicted solar flux is 120 on February 4-5; 115 on February 6; 110   
   on February 7-10; 105 on February 8-20; 100 on February 21-March 2; 95 on   
   March 3; 90 on March 4-5, and 95 on March 6-8.   
      
   Predicted mid-latitude A index is 8 on February 4; 5 on February 5-6; then 8,   
   18, 12, and 8 on February 7-10; 5 on February 11-16; 10, 15, 12, and 10 on   
   February 17-20; 5 on February 21-27; 8 on February 28-29; 15 and 8 on March   
   1-2, and 5 on March 3-5.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for January 28 through February 3 were 64, 49, 30, 39, 42, 52,   
   and 78, with a mean of 50.6. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 109.9, 106.9, 105.1,   
   101.2, 100.2, 102.1, and 112.1, with a mean of 105.4. Estimated planetary A   
   indices were 6, 3, 3, 10, 9, 6, and 14, with a mean of 7.3. Estimated   
   mid-latitude A indices were 5, 3, 3, 8, 6, 4, and 10, with a mean of 5.6.   
      
   In Friday's bulletin look for an update of our 3-month moving average of   
   sunspot numbers, which shows a steady and gradual decrease in the current   
   sunspot cycle.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  February 5-7 -- YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6 -- Triathlon DX Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6 -- FYBO Winter QRP Sprint (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6 -- Minnesota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6 -- AGCW Straight Key Party (CW)   
    *  February 6 -- FISTS Winter Slow Speed Sprint (CW)   
    *  February 6-7 -- Vermont QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6-7 -- 10-10 International Winter Contest (SSB)   
    *  February 6-7 -- F9AA Cup (CW)   
    *  February 6-7 -- Black Sea Cup International (CW, SSB)   
    *  February 6-7 -- British Columbia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 6-7 -- Mexico RTTY International Contest   
    *  February 7 -- North American Sprint (CW)   
    *  February 8-12 -- ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)   
    *  February 10 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (Digital)   
      
   See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on   
   Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL   
   member profile e-mail preferences.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events   
      
    *  February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention, N. Charleston, South   
       Carolina   
    *  February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia   
    *  February 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention, Orlando, Florida   
    *  February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia   
    *  February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona   
    *  February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas   
    *  February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida   
    *  February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico   
    *  February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont   
    *  March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama   
    *  March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana   
    *  March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention, Rosenburg, Texas   
    *  March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas   
    *  March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington   
    *  March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine   
    *  April 2 -- Delta Division Convention, Fort Smith, Arkansas   
    *  April 2 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina   
    *  April 8-9 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma   
    *  April 9-10 -- Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington   
    *  April 15-17 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California   
    *  April 15-17 -- VHF Super Conference, Sterling, Virginia   
    *  April 16 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware   
    *  April 22-24 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho   
    *  April 23 -- Aurora '16 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota   
    *  April 23 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska   
    *  April 29-May 1 -- Nevada State Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... The early bird gets the coffee left over from the night before.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)