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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-07-07   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   July 7, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  FCC Investigating Amateur Radio, Commercial Application Processing   
       Glitch   
    *  Amateur Electronic Supply Closing after 59 Years in Business   
    *  Past ARRL Roanoke Division Director, Honorary Vice President Dennis   
       Bodson, W4PWF, SK   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  IARU HF World Championship July 9-10 is Mid-Year Contest Centerpiece   
    *  ARRL 600 Meter Experiment Reports 202,400+ Hours of Operation, Zero   
       Interference Complaints   
    *  New Microwave, UHF Distance Records Set on Same Day   
    *  Juno Spacecraft that Heard Hams Say "HI" Now Orbiting Jupiter   
    *  Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q, Named CQ World Wide DX Contest Director   
    *  Handiham Program's Sister Alverna O'Laughlin, ex-WA0SGJ, SK   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  This Week in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
   FCC Investigating Amateur Radio, Commercial Application Processing Glitch   
      
   The FCC information technology staff is continuing to look into why the   
   Universal Licensing System (ULS) Electronic Batch Filing (EBF) system has   
   stopped processing at least some -- and perhaps all -- Amateur Radio exam   
   session files and applications. The stoppage, which began on June 28,   
   initially affected the handling of all Amateur Radio VEC and commercial   
   license applications, said ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager   
   Maria Somma, AB1FM, who alerted the FCC IT Department. Somma said that by June   
   30, it appeared that the FCC had corrected the broader problem, and   
   processing of most Amateur Radio VEC and commercial applications and exam   
   session files had resumed.   
      
   "The fix for the ARRL VEC remains elusive, however," said Somma. "I assumed   
   the issue would be cleared up quickly, as the FCC has done in the past." She   
   added that the FCC has been unwilling to reveal the extent of the problem,   
   which she believes still could be affecting applications from outside the ARRL   
   VEC.   
      
   According to Somma, resolving the problem has been escalated to Priority 1 at   
   the FCC, and resources have been reprioritized to address the issue.   
      
   "I have been in contact with the FCC every day, inquiring about their   
   progress, and will continue to do so until the problem is resolved," Somma   
   said. "I have also asked them to provide us with an alternate filing option as   
   soon as possible."   
      
   Somma said that as of July 6, the ARRL VEC had more than 900 applications and   
   nearly 275 exam sessions in the queue and awaiting FCC processing.   
      
   "As soon as the FCC staff discovers and corrects the EBF system problem, we   
   will immediately file the backlog, which would take only a day or so to   
   release," Somma estimated.   
      
   She said a lot of candidates and volunteer examiners have begun asking why new   
   call signs or license upgrades have not yet been issued, and she is   
   sympathetic to their concerns. "We usually transmit the exam sessions to the   
   FCC as soon as possible, which is 24 to 48 hours from the day they are   
   received in our office," she said. "Therefore, questions from the field about   
   the delay are understandable."   
      
      
      
   Amateur Electronic Supply Closing after 59 Years in Business   
      
   Amateur Electronic Supply (AES) will close its doors at the end of July after   
   59 years in business. No reason has been given for the decision to close the   
   business. AES has been a premier player among Amateur Radio equipment   
   retailers for decades, as well as a major presence at Dayton Hamvention(R) and   
   other events. Various media outlets were informed of the closing in a brief   
   e-mail message on July 6, but word of the closing has not yet appeared on the   
   retailer's website or Facebook page.   
      
   "It's with great sadness that I have to tell you that Amateur Electronic   
   Supply (AES) will cease operations at the end of this month," AES National   
   Sales Manager Tom Pachner, W9TJP, said in an e-mail. An employee at the   
   Milwaukee headquarters store, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed   
   that the message was legitimate. It's believed that the AES staff was notified   
   before the July 4th holiday weekend. In addition to the Milwaukee store, AES   
   operates outlets in Cleveland (Wickliffe), Las Vegas, and Orlando.   
      
   Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin, native Terry Sterman, W9DIA (SK), founded AES in 1957   
   when he was just 18, after getting into the radio-TV business by working in   
   his father's TV and electronics parts store. On January 1, 1998, ownership of   
   AES shifted to Amateur Electronic Supply LLC, headed by Phil Majerus, a   
   prominent Wisconsin businessman. Sterman died the following year at the age of   
   60, after a period of ill health.   
      
   For many years, the public face of AES was its Executive Vice President Ray   
   Grenier, K9KHW, who oversaw marketing and advertising for the retailer from   
   1964 until his retirement in 2013. Grenier nearly singlehandedly produced the   
   famous AES catalog, as well as magazine ads. For about 20 years, he also   
   organized the well-received AES Superfest, a promotional effort begun in 1995   
   that grew into a hamfest. In April, the AES Superfest hosted the 2016 ARRL   
   Wisconsin Section Convention.   
      
   Many radio amateurs reacted to the news on various online forums, expressing   
   surprise, sadness, and dismay, and saying they would miss AES. A few   
   reminisced about having bought their first radios from AES.   
      
      
      
   Past ARRL Roanoke Division Director, Honorary Vice President Dennis Bodson,   
   W4PWF, SK   
      
   Past ARRL Roanoke Division Director Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, of Arlington,   
   Virginia, died on July 1. He would have turned 77 this month. Bodson had been   
   recovering from recent surgery, but his death was unexpected.   
      
   An ARRL Life Member, Bodson announced his retirement from the ARRL Board of   
   Directors during the Board's 2015 Annual Meeting. Fellow Board members gave   
   Bodson a standing ovation in recognition of his years of service to the   
   League, and they elected him as an Honorary Vice President. Earlier in the   
   meeting, then-ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, presented Bodson with his 60-year   
   ARRL membership certificate. Sumner said he was shocked and saddened to learn   
   of Bodson's passing.   
      
   "His service as Roanoke Division Vice Director and Director met a standard of   
   common sense and loyalty to the ARRL that in my experience has been seldom   
   matched and never exceeded," Sumner said.   
      
   Bodson served the League for more than 20 years -- as Roanoke Division Vice   
   Director from 1993 through 2000, and as Director from 2001 until he stepped   
   down from the Board. He served on the Ethics and Elections, Programs and   
   Services, Administration and Finance, and Executive committees. He also was   
   the first chairman of the Board's Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)   
   Committee, and Past ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, said Bodson's greatest   
   contribution to ARRL stemmed from his work on that panel.   
      
   "The committee's new, proactive stance made it possible to prevent and avoid   
   what would have been a number of thorny problems for Amateur Radio operators   
   and to promptly address others," Craigie said. "Dennis never got the credit he   
   deserved for his leadership of this committee, because a bullet that's dodged   
   doesn't make the headlines."   
      
   "In addition to his technical wisdom," she continued, "Dennis was a delightful   
   colleague and a raconteur. His sense of humor was sly, dry, and sharp, and no   
   bush ever died from his beating around it. He always had something insightful   
   and/or funny to say."   
      
   An electrical engineer and fellow of both the IEEE and the Radio Club of   
   America, Bodson retired in 1998 as Chief of the Office of Technology and   
   Standards of the National Communications System (NCS), US government agency.   
   He occasionally contributed to QST and QEX. "In 1986, he shared some of his   
   expertise in a four-part series of QST articles, 'Electromagnetic Pulse and   
   the Radio Amateur,' that has stood the test of time as the classic treatment   
   of this important topic," Sumner said.   
      
   A funeral mass will be held on July 8 at the Cathedral of St Thomas More, 3901   
   Cathedral Lane, Arlington, with interment to follow. The family invites   
   memorial contributions to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   Are Linear Amplifiers Really Worthwhile? Find out by checking out the current   
   (June 30) episode 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.   
   Just ahead: "HF Propagation" on July 14.   
      
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   August 25 is the actual day of the National Park Service's 100th anniversary.   
   Many national parks around the country will be celebrating with events and   
   public outreach. For ham radio operators, setting up a National Parks on the   
   Air (NPOTA) activation would add a nice flair to these celebrations. Reach out   
   to a park and ask if they would like to include a National Parks on the Air   
   component to any Centennial celebrations they are holding on August 25. If   
   they say yes, then get ready for an adventure!   
      
   There are 54 NPOTA activations on the schedule for the week of July 7-13,   
   including the Wupatki National Monument in Arizona, and Saint Paul's Church   
   National Historic Site in New York.   
      
   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).   
      
      
      
   IARU HF World Championship July 9-10 is Mid-Year Contest Centerpiece   
      
   The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF World Championship over the   
   July 9-10 weekend is the highlight of the mid-2016 contest calendar for radio   
   amateurs around the globe. W1AW/9 in Illinois and NU1AW/6 in California will   
   represent the ARRL and the IARU Secretariat, respectively, as headquarters   
   (HQ) stations. W1AW/9 will operate from the stations of Craig Thompson, K9CT,   
   on CW, and Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, and Jerry Rosalius, WB9Z, on phone. NU1AW/6   
   will be on the air both from the station of Ken Keeler, N6RO, and from the   
   Stanford University Radio Club's W6YX. An unofficial list of IARU headquarters   
   stations, available for download, has been compiled by Joe Roemming, OZ0J, and   
   Bob Wilson, N6TV.   
      
   Headquarters stations count as multipliers, and some new HQ stations are   
   expected to be active for the IARU event. These include J77HQ (DARCI) in   
   Dominica, operated by K5KG, WI9WI, and W4IX; the very similar J87HQ (SVGRS) in   
   St Vincent, operated by KE1B and W6NN, and Z60A in Kosovo, representing SHRAK   
   -- the newest IARU member society -- operated by OH2BH, OZ1IKY, and others.   
      
   In addition to HQ stations, members of the IARU Administrative Council (AC)   
   and the three IARU regional executive committees will send AC, R1, R2, and R3,   
   as appropriate, in the exchange. Contacts with IARU member society HQ stations   
   and officials do not count for zone multipliers.   
      
   The contest gets under way on July 9 at 1200 UTC on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and   
   10 meters and concludes 24 hours later. Participants may operate on CW, on   
   phone, or both. Non-HQ stations will send a signal report and ITU zone. (The   
   IARU HF Championship web page includes ITU Zone Borders for the US and Canada.)   
      
      
      
   ARRL 600 Meter Experiment Reports 202,400+ Hours of Operation, Zero   
   Interference Complaints   
      
   The ARRL 600 Meter Experiment being carried out under the WD2XSH Part 5   
   Experimental license reports that no interference complaints have been   
   received from other services operating in the 465-515 kHz band over the course   
   of more than 202,400 hours of operation, nor was interference from other   
   operations an issue for any of the experiment's participants. That statistic   
   was contained in the experiment's March 1 to May 31, 2016, report, prepared by   
   Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, with participants Rudy Severns, N6LF,   
   and John Langridge KB5NJD, and released on July 3. Utilities' expressed fears   
   of interference to their unlicensed PLC systems prompted the FCC to consider   
   regulatory provisions that include a possible notification requirement by some   
   radio amateurs to utilities with systems in the pending 630 meter (472-479   
   kHz) and 2200 meter (135.7-137.8 kHz) bands, prior to operating. Utilities use   
   unlicensed PLC systems to control parts of the electrical power grid.   
      
   The latest WD2XSH update reported another 16 contacts on the pending 630 meter   
   band, for a total of 578. The Amateur Radio community continues to wait for   
   the FCC to release a Report and Order spelling out service rules and   
   operational requirements for the two bands -- both of which have become   
   available in more than a dozen other countries, including Canada. The ARRL   
   petitioned the FCC in 2012 to carve out the same band for US hams.   
      
   "When the FCC grants amateur access to the band from 472 to 479 kHz, I will   
   restrict operation under the experimental license to 461 to 472 kHz," Raab   
   said in the report. "This will clear the amateur frequencies while allowing   
   the experimenters to run unattended propagation beacons without using the   
   limited bandwidth that will be available to amateurs." Earlier this year he   
   asked that ARRL renew the WD2XSH experimental license while awaiting FCC   
   action on 630 meters and 2200 meters.   
      
   In an ex parte statement filed on March 10 with the FCC, the ARRL asked the   
   Commission not to adopt "an overbroad" requirement for notification of   
   utilities in advance of intended Amateur Radio operation on the pending 2200   
   and 630 meter bands.   
      
   According to the experiment's report, activity on 630 meters continued through   
   the spring, despite increasing noise levels and deteriorating propagation.   
   Band conditions overall were described as "variable." The path to Australia   
   from North America was reported to have been good and "relatively   
   predictable," while the paths to Europe and Japan have been less active.   
      
      
      
   New Microwave, UHF Distance Records Set on Same Day   
      
   New distance records were set on 47 GHz and on 902 MHz on June 30 by stations   
   at vastly different points on the globe. On 47 GHz, US and Canadian operators   
   set up on Whiteface Mountain in New York (FN34bi) and on Mont Tremblant in   
   Quebec (FN26rf), respectively, in the effort to set a new US-Canada record on   
   the band. The distance was calculated at 215 kilometers (133.3 miles). On the   
   US side were Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, and Henry Ingwersen, KT1J; on the Canadian   
   side were Rene Barbeau, VE2UG, and Ray Perrin, VE3FN.   
      
   "On this band, we usually are working line of sight," Seguin said. "We have a   
   lot of experimentation to do, now that there are some good high-power amps   
   available." He said the June 30 attempt marked the second 47 GHz contact for   
   VE2UG and VE3FN. A week earlier, they had worked both KT1J and N1JEZ over a   
   99-kilometer (61.4 miles) path, with signals peaking almost 60 dB out of the   
   noise.   
      
   Once everything was in place, Seguin was able to hear Barbeu's CW signal   
   almost immediately. "Signals were not strong, with a lot of QSB," Seguin said.   
   After aligning their dishes, each operator worked the others. Following the   
   successful 47 GHz contacts, VE3FN and N1JEZ worked each other "easily" on 24   
   GHz SSB. The North American distance record on 47 GHz is 344.8 kilometers   
   (213.8 miles), set in 2015.   
      
   Meanwhile on the Pacific side of the world, Wayne Overbeck, N6NB, and Greg   
   Campbell, W6IT, set a new world DX record on 902 MHz between California and   
   Hawaii. They took advantage of a transpacific tropo duct to complete a contact   
   over a path of 4095 kilometers (2544 miles), topping the old record set more   
   than 20 years ago of 4064 kilometers. Last year, Overbeck and Campbell set   
   world distance records on 2.3 and 3.4 GHz over the approximately the same path.   
      
   "This record contact again underscored the degree to which these   
   record-setting attempts involve good luck as well as planning and   
   preparation," Overbeck said. Not since the tropo duct that allowed Campbell   
   and Overbeck to set their microwave records last year had another occurred,   
   until June 30. "This duct only produced good signals for a matter of a few   
   hours," he recounted. He said he and Campbell both managed to be in the right   
   place at the right time to set the new 902 MHz record. "Three hours later the   
   duct dissipated and transpacific signals faded into the noise," Overbeck said.   
      
   N6NB operated from Hawaii using a suitcase portable station in a rented   
   vehicle at 5260 feet elevation; in California, W6IT used one of N6NB's rover   
   stations to operate 75 miles inland at 6200 feet elevation.   
      
      
   Juno Spacecraft that Heard Hams Say "HI" Now Orbiting Jupiter   
      
   NASA's Juno spacecraft, which in 2013 listened for earthbound radio amateurs   
   sending "HI" in coordinated, very slow-speed CW, now is circling Jupiter. In a   
   first-of-a kind for an interplanetary spacecraft, Juno was able to detect 10   
   meter Amateur Radio signals on October 9, 2013, as it looped past Earth for a   
   gravity-assisted boost on its way to Jupiter. Juno arrived at the solar   
   system's largest planet on July 4.   
      
   At the time of the Amateur Radio experiment in 2013, the spacecraft was about   
   37,500 kilometers (23,250 miles) away, and the signals it received were   
   reported to have been just at or above the noise level. The object of the   
   experiment was to see if Juno's onboard "Waves" experiment would be able to   
   detect the collaborative RF. According to the University of Iowa, after the   
   flyby the Juno team evaluated the Waves instrument data containing the   
   messages.   
      
   "We believe this was the first intelligent information to be transmitted to a   
   passing interplanetary space instrument, as simple as the message may seem,"   
   said Bill Kurth, a University of Iowa Researcher and Lead Investigator for the   
   Waves instrument. "This was a way to involve a large number of people -- those   
   not usually associated with Juno -- in a small portion of the mission."   
      
   Kurth said in 2013 that the activity had raised awareness of the mission, and   
   that some radio amateurs had indicated plans to follow Juno through its   
   science mission to Jupiter.   
      
      
   Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q, Named CQ World Wide DX Contest Director   
      
   Longtime CQ World Wide (CQ WW) DX Contest Committee member Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q,   
   of Randolph, New Jersey, has been named Director of the CQ World Wide DX   
   Contest, CQ magazine Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. Zwiebel   
   succeeds Randy Thompson, K5ZD, who had served for the past 4 years.   
      
   Zwiebel -- who is the longest-serving member of the CQ WW Contest Committee,   
   having joined it in 1979 -- brought the contest into the computer age by   
   writing the first mass log-checking program in 1980. In 1986, he suggested the   
   establishment of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. Ross said Zwiebel brings a   
   unique perspective to the table.   
      
   An ARRL member who was first licensed in 1966, Zwiebel began contesting a year   
   later and has never stopped. He holds DXCC Honor Roll #1 and has worked more   
   than 250 DX entities while running less than 1 W.   
      
      
      
   Handiham Program's Sister Alverna O'Laughlin, ex-WA0SGJ, SK   
      
   Handiham stalwart Sister Alverna O'Laughlin, ex-WA0SGJ, of Rochester,   
   Minnesota, died on May 30. She was 84. Sister Alverna joined the   
   then-fledgling organization in its earliest days, when founder Ned Carman,   
   W0ZSW, came up with the idea of sharing Amateur Radio with people who have   
   disabilities.   
      
   "Ned enlisted the help of a group of local nuns, the Sisters of St Francis, on   
   April 30, 1967," retired Handiham Program Coordinator Patrick Tice, WA0TDA,   
   recounted on the Handiham website. "[T]he sisters were committed to helping   
   Ned with his new project, and several received their licenses. Among them was   
   Sister Alverna O'Laughlin, WA0SGJ, who would eventually become the Educational   
   Coordinator for the Handiham System at Courage Center in Golden Valley,   
   Minnesota."   
      
   Tice praised Sister Alverna's "kindness and patience" and said her guidance,   
   encouragement, and hard work led to many new radio amateurs over the years.   
      
   "Making friends on the radio, learning the math and science of electronics,   
   and striving toward goals were all things that would make the lives of   
   Handiham members better," he said.   
      
   During her active years, Sister Alverna was an ARRL member.   
      
      
      
   In Brief...   
      
   Balloting to Begin for AMSAT Board of Directors: The 2016 candidates for the   
   AMSAT Board of Directors have been chosen, and ballots go out to members this   
   month. The candidates are Tom Clark, K3IO; Clayton Coleman, W5PFG; Mark   
   Hammond, N8MH; Bruce Paige, KK5DO, and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM. AMSAT members will   
   elect three voting Board members -- the seats going to the three candidates   
   receiving the most votes. Two alternates will also be chosen, based on the   
   next highest number of votes received. Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA   
   membership by July 15 and must be received at the AMSAT office by September   
   15. The current AMSAT-NA Board members are Barry Baines, WD4ASW; Tom Clark,   
   K3IO; JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; Lou McFadin, W5DID; Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew   
   Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Bob McGwier, N4HY -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service   
      
      
   Youth DX Adventure Team Headed to Saba in August: The 2016 Dave Kalter   
   Memorial Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) team is heading to Saba this summer, to the   
   Caribbean station of Jeff Jolie, PJ6/NM1Y, who will host three teenaged   
   Amateur Radio operators and their chaperones. This year's youth team includes   
   Morgan Croucher, KD8ZLK; Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, and Faith Hannah Lea, AE4FH.   
   Escorting them will be Joe Binkley, KD8YPY; Sharon Willet, KM4TVU, and James   
   Lea, WX4TV. The budding DXers/DXpeditioners will be on the air from Saba   
   August 2-9. Dave Kalter was KB8OCP, a member of the TI5N contest team and a   
   founder of the YDXA. He served as a vice president of the Southwest Ohio DX   
   Association (SWODXA) and was an active member of the Dayton Amateur Radio   
   Association, which sponsors Hamvention(R). He died in 2013.   
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: The recent zero-sunspot period (June 23-July   
   4) ended when a single sunspot group (2560) appeared on July 5. Sunspot   
   numbers were 23 and 11, respectively, on July 5 and 6. Compared to the   
   previous week, average daily sunspot number rose from zero to 4.9. Average   
   daily solar flux declined from 75.6 to 73.1. The average planetary A index   
   dropped from 9 to 6.7, and the average mid-latitude A index declined from 9.1   
   to 8.3.   
      
   Predicted solar flux shows a rising trend for the next few days, with flux   
   values from USAF/NOAA at 77, 78, and 79 on July 7-9; 80 on July 10-13; 74 on   
   July 14-16; 72 on July 17-30; 74 on July 31-August 12, and 72 on August 13 and   
   beyond.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 18, 15, and 10 on July 7-9; 8, 15, and 12 on   
   July 10-12; 8, 10, and 8 on July 13-15; 5 on July 16-18; 15, 12, 10, 8, and 10   
   on July 19-23; 5 on July 24-27; 8 and 5 on July 28-29; 10 on July 30-31; 5 on   
   August 1-3; 12, 10, 8, and 18 on August 4-7; 12, 8, 10, and 8 on August 8-11,   
   and 5 on August 12-14.   
      
   At 2352 UTC on July 6, the Space Weather Services in Australia issued a   
   geomagnetic warning: The effect of a co-rotating interaction region and a high   
   speed solar wind stream may raise geomagnetic activity to minor storm levels   
   on July 7 and 8.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for June 30-July 6 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 23, and 11, with a mean   
   of 4.9. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 72.9, 72, 70.9, 72.3, 73.8, 72.4, and   
   77.1, with a mean of 73.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 7, 9, 9, 7,   
   4, and 5, with a mean of 6.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 9, 11,   
   9, 9, 6, and 7 with a mean of 8.3.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   This Week in Radiosport   
      
    *  July 9 -- FISTS Summer Sprint (CW)   
    *  July 9-10 -- IARU HF World Championship (CW, phone)   
    *  July 9-10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)   
    *  July 10 -- CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush (CW)   
    *  July 13 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB)   
      
   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 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   
    *  September 16-17 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois   
    *  September 16-18 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, St   
       Petersburg, Florida   
    *  September 17-18 -- Illinois State Convention, Peoria, Illinois   
    *  September 24 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota   
    *  September 24 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... It'll kill ya, but it's the only way to go.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)