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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-06-23   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   June 23, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
      
    *  Amateur Radio Parity Act Set for House Energy and Commerce Committee   
       Markup   
    *  FCC Technological Advisory Council Initiates Noise Floor Inquiry   
    *  ARRL Executive Committee Removes NTS Eastern Area Chair, Eastern   
       Pennsylvania Section Manager   
    *  ARRL Programs and Services Committee Expresses Appreciation, Support of   
       NTS   
    *  ARRL Programs and Services Committee Appoints Bud Hippisley, W2RU, as   
       NTS(TM) Eastern Area Chair   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  Amateur Radio Roundtable to Offer Field Day Webcast from Sites across   
       the US   
    *  ARES Teams Stand Down in Wake of Dog Head Fire Activation in New Mexico   
    *  FCC Says "No" to Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses   
    *  Confirmed Tornado in Maryland Downs Tower at W3LPL Contest Station   
    *  STMSat-1 Youngsters Told: "Only Half of the CubeSats Deployed into Space   
       Work"   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  This Week in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
      
   Amateur Radio Parity Act Set for House Energy and Commerce Committee Markup   
      
   The Amateur Radio Parity Act (H.R. 1301) is among five bills that the US House   
   Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled for a "full committee" markup. The   
   markup session had been scheduled for June 23, but it was postponed after the   
   committee, with most members absent, convened on June 22 for about 10 minutes   
   to hear opening statements. When it does meet for the markup session next   
   month, the panel, chaired by Rep Fred Upton (R-MI), will consider H.R. 1301   
   and an "Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 1301." Earlier this   
   month, ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI) -- the national   
   association of homeowners associations (HOAs) -- announced that they had   
   reached consensus on the bill's provisions. Rep Upton called H.R. 1301   
   "legislation to protect the rights of Amateur Radio operators," in a statement   
   he released on June 22.   
      
   "Just as the law recognizes that access to broadcast satellite communications   
   are an important part of our national information infrastructure, so too   
   should we recognize the role of Amateur Radio," Upton wrote. "This is   
   especially important as Amateur Radio operators can serve a crucial role in   
   providing communications in the wake of natural disasters and other times when   
   commercial communications networks might be unavailable. The underlying bill   
   seeks to ensure that Amateur Radio operators are permitted to operate in   
   deed-restricted communities. The amendment in the nature of a substitute under   
   consideration represents a good-faith compromise between the two parties most   
   impacted by this bill: Amateurs and community associations."   
      
   Upton, who is not among the 126 cosponsors of H.R. 1301, said he was looking   
   forward to advancing the five measures out of committee. The date of the   
   rescheduled markup will be announced; committee sessions are streamed live.   
      
   According to ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, the substitute bill would   
   guarantee that a radio amateur living in a deed-restricted community --   
   including condominium or townhouse communities -- could install and maintain   
   an "effective outdoor antenna." He said the agreement was achieved without   
   disrupting 30 years of zoning case law that has interpreted the PRB-1 federal   
   preemption and protected radio amateurs from overregulation by zoning   
   authorities. The bill incorporates the basic tenets of PRB-1.   
      
   More information on the Amateur Radio Parity Act, including a copy of the   
   complete substitute amendment agreed to by ARRL and CAI, is available on the   
   ARRL website.   
      
      
      
   FCC Technological Advisory Council Initiates Noise Floor Inquiry   
      
   Radio amateurs frequently complain about increasing noise from a variety of   
   sources, so it should be welcome news that the FCC Technological Advisory   
   Council (TAC) -- an advisory group to the FCC -- is investigating changes and   
   trends to the radio spectrum noise floor to determine if there is an   
   increasing noise problem, and, if so, its extent. The FCC Office of   
   Engineering and Technology (OET) announced the TAC study in a Public Notice   
   and invited comments and answers to questions that the TAC has posed in the   
   notice. The comment deadline is August 11. The TAC said it is trying to   
   determine the scope of any noise issues and has invited "quantitative   
   evidence" of noise problems, as well as recommendations on how to perform a   
   noise study.   
      
   "The TAC is requesting input to help answer questions about the study of   
   changes to the spectrum noise floor over the past 20 years," the announcement   
   said. "Noise in this context denotes unwanted radio frequency (RF) energy from   
   manmade sources."   
      
   Like many spectrum users, TAC members expect that the noise floor in the radio   
   spectrum is rising as the number of devices in use that emit radio energy   
   grows."   
      
   The ARRL representative on the TAC, Greg Lapin, N9GL, co-chairs the TAC   
   Spectrum and Receiver Performance Working Group with Lynn Claudy of the   
   National Association of Broadcasters. Lapin also serves as chairman of the   
   ARRL RF Safety Committee.   
      
   The TAC said that its search for "concrete evidence of increased noise floors"   
   has turned up only "limited available quantitative data" to support its   
   presumption of a rising noise floor. The TAC said it wants to find ways to add   
   to the available data so it can "answer important questions" on the topic for   
   the FCC.   
      
   The TAC said that responses to the questions it has posed in the Public Notice   
   will help it to "identify aspects of a study to determine trends in the radio   
   spectrum noise floor." The Public Notice included information on all methods   
   of responding to the inquiry. ARRL is planning to comment.   
      
   For more information, contact Greg Lapin, N9GL.   
      
      
      
   ARRL Executive Committee Removes NTS Eastern Area Chair, Eastern Pennsylvania   
   Section Manager   
      
   The Executive Committee of the ARRL Board of Directors has relieved ARRL   
   Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager Joe Ames, W3JY, of his appointments in   
   the ARRL Field Organization, including his position as Chairman of the ARRL   
   National Traffic System(TM) (NTS(TM)) Eastern Area. The vote came as a result   
   of a June 16 recommendation from the ARRL Programs and Services Committee,   
   which oversees NTS. In addition, the Executive Committee voted to declare the   
   Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager position vacant, effective immediately.   
      
   The decision by the Executive Committee results from a determination that Ames   
   unilaterally and repeatedly communicated with officials of the Federal   
   Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on behalf of NTS, making commitments on   
   behalf of ARRL without authority and in violation of the rules and regulations   
   of the ARRL Field Organization. Those actions were contrary to the terms of   
   the Memorandum of Understanding between FEMA and ARRL, which states clearly   
   that ARRL Headquarters staff will be the single point of contact between FEMA   
   and ARRL. There is no independent relationship between NTS and FEMA; the   
   ARRL/FEMA Memorandum of Understanding is the operative document.   
      
   In August 2015, then-ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, wrote to Ames and instructed   
   him that, unless otherwise authorized by ARRL, any communication with FEMA   
   with respect to NTS is to be conducted through ARRL authorized r   
   presentatives. ARRL learned that Ames repeatedly acted contrary to Sumner's   
   directive, which led to the decision to cancel Ames's Field Organization   
   appointments and to declare the office of the Section Manager for Eastern   
   Pennsylvania vacant.   
      
   In accordance with ARRL bylaws, and after consulting with ARRL Atlantic   
   Division Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, the appointment of a new Eastern   
   Pennsylvania Section Manager will be made by ARRL Field Services and   
   Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. The NTS Eastern Area Chair vacancy will   
   be filled by appointment made by the ARRL Programs and Services Committee, the   
   committee that oversees NTS.   
      
      
      
   ARRL Programs and Services Committee Expresses Appreciation, Support of NTS   
      
   The ARRL Programs and Services Committee (PSC) will submit a motion to the   
   ARRL Board of Directors expressing appreciation for the work and volunteer   
   membership of the National Traffic System (NTS(TM)). The PSC motion, submitted   
   by ARRL Southeastern Director Doug Rehman, K4AC, during a recent PSC meeting,   
   thanked NTS members, congratulated them for outstanding service, and assured   
   them of an ongoing ARRL public service communications role.   
      
   "As Field Day approaches, the ARRL Board's Programs and Services Committee   
   wanted to recognize the continued work of the National Traffic System,   
   especially the dedicated rank-and-file participants who are the lifeblood of   
   this important ARRL program," said Roanoke Division Director and PSC Chair Dr   
   Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, who seconded Rehman's motion. "The ARRL is committed to the   
   NTS as a key component in the League's public service communications plans."   
      
   The PSC will submit its motion of NTS support to the full ARRL Board of   
   Directors for consideration at the Board's July meeting.   
      
   The resolution points out that the handling of message traffic by early radio   
   amateurs led to the founding and naming of the ARRL in 1914. The National   
   Traffic Plan published in 1949 gave rise to the NTS.   
      
   The Committee cited the "countless hours" NTS participants devote "to operate   
   CW, phone, and digital nets spanning both the clock and the continent," and   
   the more than 200 NTS members recognized with Public Service Honor Roll status   
   in the most recent monthly listing.   
      
   "NTS plays a vital role in providing a messaging component for Amateur Radio's   
   public service mission, including preparation and training for emergency   
   communications," the resolution asserted. It also noted that the PSC has been   
   working to create the League's Second Century public service communications   
   delivery plan, and, while reviewing the League's current operations over the   
   past several years, "the PSC has seen and has greatly appreciated the valuable   
   contributions of NTS members."   
      
      
      
   ARRL Programs and Services Committee Appoints Bud Hippisley, W2RU, as NTS(TM)   
   Eastern Area Chair   
      
   The ARRL Programs and Services Committee (PSC) has appointed George W. "Bud"   
   Hippisley, W2RU (ex-K2KIR), as the new Eastern Area Chair for the ARRL   
   National Traffic System(TM) (NTS(TM)) for a 2-year term, effective   
   immediately. The appointment comes 2 days after the ARRL Executive Committee   
   voted to remove NTS Eastern Area Chair Joe Ames, W3JY. The PSC reached out to   
   Hippisley this week, and he accepted the PSC's request. This will be his   
   second appointment to the Eastern Area Chair of NTS.   
      
   "We are fortunate to have an appointee who has this breadth of experience and   
   leadership," ARRL Programs and Services Committee Chair Dr Jim Boehner, N2ZZ,   
   said. "Bud is a man who leads by example, and his accomplishments in NTS and   
   Amateur Radio speak for themselves."   
      
   Hippisley has a distinguished resume of nearly a half-century of service to   
   ARRL. He has been active in NTS and ARES(R) since 1955, including his   
   continuing service as the Eastern Area Net Manager. His leadership positions   
   with the ARRL Field Organization include Western New York Section   
   Communications Manager (now Section Manager) and Western New York Section   
   Emergency Coordinator. He also served as Atlantic Division Vice Director from   
   1982 until 1985.   
      
   "It's a privilege to be asked to take on this assignment," Hippisley said. "I   
   look forward to working with my fellow net managers in the Eastern Area, with   
   the other Area Staff chairs, and with N2ZZ and the entire PSC."   
      
   During his previous tenure as NTS Eastern Area Chair from 1976 until 1983,   
   Hippisley was instrumental in merging daytime and evening systems under the   
   NTS banner, affirming NTS practices as mode independent, and inviting   
   proponents of early digital Amateur Radio message-handling systems to   
   demonstrate their concepts at Eastern Area Staff meetings. He is responsible   
   for popularizing the matrix net control form still used by most Area net   
   control stations, and he is the designer of the four-cycle System schedule   
   that underpins NTS expandability in times of heavy traffic loads. In 2010,   
   Hippisley received the George Hart Distinguished Service Award for his   
   long-term contributions to NTS. George Hart, W1NJM, was the chief developer of   
   NTS.   
      
   "Of great importance to me over the years of my involvement in NTS is that the   
   third word in its name is 'System,'" Hippisley stressed. "In the long run, the   
   objectives for a system -- and agreement upon operational principles in   
   response to those objectives -- are more important than our individual   
   desires."   
      
   Bud Hippisley holds a BSEE from M.I.T. and has done graduate work in   
   solid-state physics, electromagnetics, marketing, finance, and strategic   
   planning. He lives in Penhook, Virginia.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   "Grounding" is the topic of the current (June 16) installment of the "ARRL The   
   Doctor is In" podcast. Listen...and learn!   
      
   Sponsored by DX Engineering, "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative   
   discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or   
   smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!   
      
   Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the   
   Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical   
   topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor@arrl.org, and the Doctor   
   may answer them in a future podcast.   
      
   Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or iPad   
   podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In"). You can also listen   
   online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the   
   site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android   
   devices.   
      
   If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide.   
   The topic of our June 30 episode: "Are Linear Amplifiers Really Worthwhile?"   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   Hats off to the organizers of the Light Up the Trail event, which was held   
   June 4-5 along the North Country National Scenic Trail for ARRL National Parks   
   on the Air (NPOTA). John Forslin, KC8ULE, reports that 38 activations in the   
   seven states through which the trail passes resulted in nearly 2500 contacts   
   during the event. Activators also were positioned at the eastern and the   
   western ends of the trail. In addition, North Country Trail NPS Superintendent   
   Mark Weaver, one of NPOTA's most vocal advocates, recently earned his Amateur   
   Radio license. We look forward to hearing Mark activating the trail he   
   oversees.   
      
   There are 43 Activations on the schedule for June 23-29, including the   
   International Peace Garden Affiliated Area in North Dakota, and the Great Sand   
   Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.   
      
   Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA   
   Activations calendar. Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow   
   NPOTA on Twitter (@ARRL_NPOTA).   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Amateur Radio Roundtable to Offer Field Day Webcast from Sites across the US   
      
   Tom Medlin, W5KUB, has announced that his Amateur Radio Roundtable will   
   webcast live on Field Day weekend from the all-kids K1D Field Day site in   
   Deland, Florida, and from selected Field Day sites across the US, and he will   
   take calls at his Memphis, Tennessee, studio. Medlin will webcast from K1D on   
   Saturday, June 25, from 2000 until 2200 UTC. Live video from various Field Day   
   sites will follow for the next 2 or 3 hours, as he takes calls, Medlin told   
   ARRL.   
      
   "Amateur Radio Roundtable is watched around the world," Medlin said. "We   
   invite you to be part of the show. We need your Field Day operation to send a   
   picture or two or, if you have a smartphone, get on Skype, and call into the   
   Amateur Radio Roundtable special Field Day show."   
      
   Medlin pointed out that Field Day teams can earn 100 publicity bonus points   
   for reaching out to the media. He has asked Field Day teams to contact him to   
   schedule a slot on the webcast, which will be archived for later viewing in   
   addition to the live webcast, and to learn more. Amateur Radio Roundtable is   
   broadcast live on the web Wednesdays at 0100 (Tuesday evening in US time   
   zones), and audio is simulcast via international shortwave station WBCQ on   
   5130 kHz.   
      
      
      
   ARES Teams Stand Down in Wake of Dog Head Fire Activation in New Mexico   
      
   With New Mexico's Dog Head Fire nearly two-thirds contained, all evacuation   
   orders and advisories for Bernalillo and Torrance counties [ares.jpg] have   
   been lifted, and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES(R)) support has wound   
   down. ARRL New Mexico Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator Jay Miller,   
   W5WHN, said ARES support in Bernalillo County ceased on June 22, after   
   operating for 6 hours a day at the Bernalillo County East Mountain Emergency   
   Operations Center (EOC) and at an evacuation shelter in Tijeras. The Torrance   
   County ARES team was expected to follow suit.   
      
   Evacuees were being allowed to re-enter the affected area in small groups with   
   law enforcement oversight. The nearly 18,000-acre fire destroyed 24 homes and   
   21 other "minor structures," fire officials said. The fire is said to be   
   caused by humans, but an investigation remains under way.   
      
   "Field Day is a go for W5WHN and the State EOC, NM5EM," Miller said. "We will   
   have company this year at the W5WHN Field Day site -- the US Forest Service   
   Fire Suppression teams for the Battleship Fire at the helipad near Fenton Lake   
   in the Jemez Mountains."   
      
   Miller said winds and humidity have been cooperating with the effort to stanch   
   the flames, and the National Weather Service in Albuquerque has forecast rain   
   for the next few days.   
      
   Miller credited New Mexico SEC Bill Mader, K8TE -- whose Field Day site was   
   put off limits by the fire -- with doing "a stellar job in running the ARES   
   operation and stepping into the breach when needed."   
      
   Torrance County DEC Darryl Clutter, NX5W, oversaw his county's ARES operation,   
   Miller noted, and Bernalillo County EC Stanton Royce, W5CO, managed the ARES   
   operation in that county, while also working full time.   
      
   New Mexico ARES teams sprang into action on June 17 in response to the Dog   
   Head fire.   
      
      
      
   FCC Says "No" to Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses   
      
   The FCC has denied the petition of an Arizona radio amateur, who had   
   petitioned for lifetime Amateur Radio licenses. Mark F. Krotz, N7MK, of Mesa,   
   had filed his Petition for Rule Making (RM 11760) with the FCC last November,   
   and the FCC invited public comments in February. Krotz wanted the FCC to   
   revise ?97.25 of its rules to indicate that Amateur Radio licenses are granted   
   for the holder's lifetime, instead of for the current 10-year term. Hundreds   
   of radio amateurs commented on the petition, but the FCC was not swayed by   
   those favoring the idea.   
      
   "Based on our review of the record, we are not persuaded that the petition   
   discloses sufficient grounds for the requested rule change," the FCC said in a   
   June 21 Order. "Krotz's primary argument is that extending the term of amateur   
   licenses to the lifetime of the holder would reduce the Commission's   
   administrative and personnel costs, but it is not clear to us that the   
   proposal actually would enhance administrative efficiency." That's because the   
   vast majority of license renewals are submitted online and processed   
   automatically by the Universal Licensing System (ULS), "with minimal staff   
   involvement," the Order said.   
      
   The FCC said it had further reduced its overhead by no longer routinely   
   mailing paper licenses. "[I]f license terms were extended to the holder's   
   lifetime, we likely would receive more cancellations on account of the   
   licensee's death, which are labor-intensive, because staff must carefully   
   verify the deceased's identity and licenses in order to guard against   
   erroneous cancellations," the FCC said in its Order, signed by Wireless   
   Telecommunications Bureau Deputy Mobility Division Chief Scot Stone.   
      
   Krotz argued that the General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL) already   
   is issued on a lifetime basis, but the FCC said that's not a comparable   
   situation, because an Amateur Radio license is both an operator's license and   
   a station license, "and there is no Commission precedent for issuing a   
   lifetime station license."   
      
      
      
   Confirmed Tornado in Maryland Downs Tower at W3LPL Contest Station   
      
   A confirmed Fujita scale EF-0 tornado touched down for up to 20 minutes in   
   Howard County, Maryland, on the first full day of summer, taking down a tall   
   AB-105 tower at the contest superstation of Frank Donovan, W3LPL. The tornado   
   was just part of a spate of strong storms to hit the region, dumping heavy   
   rain that caused flooding, and high winds that toppled trees and utility   
   poles. Donovan's station is one of the premier multi-multi contest sites in   
   the US. He told ARRL that his location was "Ground Zero" for the twister.   
      
   "The storm was extreme," Donovan said in a post to the Potomac Valley Radio   
   Club (PVRC) reflector. "I've never experienced anything like it before.   
   Essentially all of the trees in the front of the house and along the driveway   
   are gone. Several power poles on Hobbs Road snapped. The 200-foot tower   
   adjacent to the house collapsed; everything on it was destroyed."   
      
   Donovan said he will have to do "a tremendous amount of testing and   
   inspection" to determine what other damage may have occurred.   
      
   The tornado, which hit just after 1 PM in western Howard County, had top winds   
   of 80 MPH -- at the high end of the EF-0 range. It was some 1500 feet across   
   and traveled nearly 13 miles, according to the National Weather Service. No   
   injuries were reported.   
      
   The felled tower at W3LPL supported antennas for 80, 10, and 6 meters. Donovan   
   told ARRL that plans "are well under way" to install a 200-foot heavy-duty   
   AB-105 replacement tower in August.   
      
      
      
   STMSat-1 Youngsters Told: "Only Half of the CubeSats Deployed into Space Work"   
      
   More than a month after deployment of the STMSat-1 CubeSat from the   
   International Space Station (ISS), prospects are dim that the little   
   spacecraft will ever be heard from. Outside of a weak signal that could have   
   been STMSat-1, nothing has been received from the little CubeSat -- built by   
   students at St Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, Virginia -- since it   
   was placed into orbit on May 16. STMSat-1 Education Manager Emily Stocker said   
   that NASA engineer Joe Pellegrino, who is STMSat-1's mission manager,   
   addressed an assembly at the school on June 14.   
      
   "The assembly was specifically to update the students on the status [of   
   STMSat-1] before they left for summer vacation," Stocker told ARRL. "The   
   feeling at the school is still hopeful, but cautiously so, as we have not yet   
   heard from it." STMSat-1 is supposed to transmit on 437.800 MHz FM and send   
   slow-scan television (SSTV) pictures back to Earth.   
      
   "From the beginning, our mission was to inspire grade-school students -- and   
   anyone else -- to pursue STEM careers and pique that interest," Stocker said.   
   "We have accomplished that mission. While a [SSTV] picture would be nice, that   
   is simply the icing on the cake."   
      
   When a signal from STMSat-1 failed to show up after its release into orbit,   
   some speculation centered on a malfunction of the antenna deployment   
   mechanism, which called for a heated blade to burn through fishing line   
   securing the antennas. Stocker said that, according to the antenna   
   manufacturer, the antennas should have deployed by now, regardless of the   
   mechanism, since the fishing line would already have disintegrated due to the   
   harsh conditions in space.   
      
   In his presentation to the students, Pellegrino stressed that space missions   
   are challenging. He pointed out that the environment of space is very extreme,   
   and that it's "very difficult to build machines that work in this environment."   
      
   "Only half of the CubeSats deployed into space work," he noted. "NASA is a   
   large organization, with thousands of smart people, and their spacecraft still   
   fail sometimes." As an example, he recalled the October 2014 Antares launch   
   failure, in which a few CubeSats built by university students were lost.   
      
   The satellite is the first to be designed and built by grade schoolers, who   
   have been supported along the way by NASA technical advisors and local radio   
   amateurs. NASA's Technology Demonstration Office provided the school with a   
   mobile "clean room" for the construction and a ground-station antenna.   
      
   "The students think it is the coolest thing in the world that this mission   
   ends as a 'shooting star' [when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere] -- and they   
   plan to make a wish," Stocker said.   
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Last week changes in average daily sunspot   
   numbers and solar flux were mixed. Average daily sunspot numbers went from   
   29.1 to 33.6, and average daily solar flux decreased from 88.3 to 71.8.   
      
   Geomagnetic indices quieted, with the average daily planetary A index dropping   
   from 11.1 to 6.9 and average mid-latitude A index going from 10.6 to 6.4.   
      
   The forecast from USAF and NOAA has predicted solar flux at 75 on June 23; 70   
   on June 24-29; 75 on June 30; 80 on July 1-5; 85 on July 6-7; 88 on July 8; 90   
   on July 9-14; 85 on July 15-18; 80 on July 19; 75 on July 20-23; 80 on July   
   24, and 85 on July 25-28.   
      
   They also predict planetary A index at 12, 15, 8, 12, 10, and 8 on June 23-28;   
   5 on June 29-July 1; 25, 20, and 8 on July 2-4; 5 on July 5-6; 8 on July 7; 10   
   on July 8-9; 8, 20, 15, and 5 on July 10-13; 8 on July 14-15; 5 on July 16-19;   
   8, 12, 8, 12, and 10 on July 20-24, and 5 on July 25-28.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for June 16 through 22 were 26, 36, 46, 48, 35, 22, and 22,   
   with a mean of 33.6. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 88.2, 86.6, 83.6, 85.2,   
   84.3, 80.2, and 78.3, with a mean of 71.8. Estimated planetary A indices were   
   6, 8, 8, 5, 4, 4, and 14, with a mean of 6.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices   
   were 5, 7, 10, 5, 4, 3, and 14 with a mean of 6.4.   
      
   This weekend is ARRL Field Day, and conditions should be good, with no   
   geomagnetic disturbances.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   This Week in Radiosport   
      
    *  June 25-26 -- ARRL Field Day   
    *  June 25-26 -- His Majesty King of Spain Contest (SSB)   
    *  June 25-26 -- Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest   
    *  July 1 -- RAC Canada Day Contest (CW, phone)   
      
   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   
      
    *  July 2 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,   
       Pennsylvania   
    *  July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida   
    *  July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention, Sandy, Utah   
    *  July 15-17 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana   
    *  July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma   
    *  July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference, Rochester, Minnesota   
    *  August 5-6 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas   
    *  August 5-7 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Portland, Oregon   
    *  August 12-14 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico   
    *  August 19-21 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia   
    *  August 20-21 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama   
    *  August 21 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas   
    *  September 3-4 -- North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina   
    *  September 9-11 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,   
       Massachusetts   
    *  September 10 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky   
    *  September 10 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
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   described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.   
      
   Copyright (C) 2016 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... The warranty...the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)