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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-08-04   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   August 4, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Good-Bye, Hara Arena! Dayton Hamvention Headed for Xenia in 2017   
    *  FCC Proposes Rule Changes in Response to ARRL's "Symbol Rate" Petition,   
       Seeks Comment   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  FCC Levies Fines on Radio Amateurs for Deliberate Interference   
    *  ARRL Expresses Support for All Activities that Strengthen Emergency   
       Communications Infrastructure   
    *  FCC Seeks Comments on Waiver Request from Expert Linears   
    *  MARS Sets Interoperability Communications Exercise for August 15   
    *  Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB, is 2016 Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, Memorial Young   
       Ham of the Year   
    *  Danish Ham-Cyclist Soon to be in Europe and Heading Home   
    *  ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Extends Call for Papers   
    *  Fox-1B (RadFxSat) Nears Completion   
    *  Chatham Marconi Maritime Center Acquires "Creed Machine" from Georgia   
       Radio Amateur   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
      
   Good-Bye, Hara Arena! Dayton Hamvention Headed for Xenia in 2017   
      
   "X" marks the spot! After 52 years at Hara Arena and its entire 64-year   
   history in the Greater Dayton area, Hamvention(R) announced on August 1 that   
   it would relocate to the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. The new   
   venue is about 16 miles east of downtown Dayton off US Route 35 and north of   
   Xenia. On June 29, the Amateur Radio community was stunned to learn that Hara   
   Arena would shut down at the end of August, leaving Hamvention homeless -- at   
   least until this week's big reveal.   
      
   "We appreciate and value all the time and effort the many partners, in   
   particular the Greene County Agricultural Society, the Greene County Board of   
   Commissioners, and the Greene County Convention & Visitors Bureau, have put   
   into helping Hamvention find the right venue to continue our long history here   
   in the Miami Valley," Hamvention General Chair Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, said on   
   August 1. "We look forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship."   
      
   Cramer has said that Hamvention spent "many hours over the last few years   
   evaluating possible [new] locations," and he has assured visitors that their   
   "current accommodations and outside events already planned for Hamvention 2017   
   should not be affected."   
      
   Hamvention chief spokesman and board member Mike Kalter, W8CI, made clear that   
   the move to Xenia was not done in desperation. "Montgomery County didn't have   
   anything for us," he told ARRL. "We looked exhaustively."   
      
   "The key thing is that we plan to have a 5-star event," he said of Hamvention   
   2017. "We'll put a lot of time and energy into it."   
      
   The move to Xenia could prove to be a huge economic bonanza for the city and   
   for Greene County. Hamvention attracts some 25,000 visitors each May. Its   
   annual economic impact has been estimated at between $15 and $17 million to   
   the Dayton/Montgomery County area, and some -- if not most -- of that benefit   
   now could migrate eastward down US 35.   
      
   Kalter conceded that the new venue in Greene County is a slightly longer drive   
   from downtown Dayton -- where some Hamvention-related events traditionally   
   occur -- than it was to Hara Arena, but he believes it will be worth the trip.   
   James M. Cox International Airport in Dayton remains the closest for anyone   
   flying in for the event, although the drive from the airport will be about   
   twice as long for those deciding to stay in Xenia.   
      
   "We expect next year to be a big year," Kalter said. "We expect a lot of   
   people to come to see what it's like." Read more. Also see this story. On his   
   website, KE9V has offered some first-hand information regarding the new venue.   
      
      
      
   FCC Proposes Rule Changes in Response to ARRL's "Symbol Rate" Petition, Seeks   
   Comment   
      
   The FCC has proposed to revise the Amateur Service Part 97 rules in response   
   to the ARRL's so-called "Symbol Rate" Petition for Rule Making (RM-11708),   
   filed in late 2013, and it has invited comments on its recommended changes.   
   The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 16-239, released on   
   July 28, had been making the rounds at the FCC since May. ARRL had asked the   
   FCC to change the Part 97 rules to delete the symbol rate limit in ?97.307(f)   
   and replace it with a maximum bandwidth for data emissions of 2.8 kHz on   
   amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz.   
      
   "[W]e believe that the public interest may be served by revising the Amateur   
   Service rules to eliminate the current baud rate limitations for data   
   emissions, consistent with ARRL's Petition, to allow Amateur Service licensees   
   to use modern digital emissions, thereby furthering the purposes of the   
   Amateur Service and enhancing the usefulness of the service," the FCC said in   
   its NPRM. "We do not, however, propose a bandwidth limitation for data   
   emissions in the MF and HF bands to replace the baud rate limitations, because   
   the rules' current approach for limiting bandwidth use by amateur stations   
   using one of the specified digital codes to encode the signal being   
   transmitted appears sufficient to ensure that general access to the band by   
   licensees in the Amateur Service does not become unduly impaired."   
      
   While tentatively concluding that a specific bandwidth limitation for RTTY and   
   data was not necessary, the FCC nonetheless invited comments on whether it   
   should set emission bandwidth standards for Amateur Service MF/HF RTTY and   
   data emissions.   
      
   Under the current rules, "specified digital codes" in Part 97 may be used with   
   a symbol rate that does not exceed 300 baud for frequencies below 28 MHz, with   
   the exception of 60 meters, and 1200 baud in the 10 meter band. The baud rate   
   limits were adopted in 1980, when the FCC amended Part 97 to specify ASCII as   
   a permissible digital code.   
      
   Comments in the proceeding will be due 60 days after the date that the NPRM   
   appears in the Federal Register.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   "Magnetic Loop Antennas" is the topic of the current 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.   
   Coming up next: "SWR."   
      
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   The ARRL National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program now is in its 8th month,   
   and more than 440 of the 484 eligible NPS units have been activated, with over   
   540,000 QSOs confirmed in Logbook of The World. Despite a rough summer for   
   propagation, plenty of Activators have been on the air, and it's not too late   
   for you to become a new Activator or Chaser.   
      
   The 100th birthday of the National Park System is August 25, and several parks   
   will be active during the Centennial week. See the NPOTA Facebook group for a   
   list of stations active during the actual Centennial week, or to register your   
   own activation.   
      
   There are 31 activations scheduled for August 4-10, including two of the   
   rarest units: President's Park in Washington, DC, and Touro Synagogue in Rhode   
   Island. Do not miss out!   
      
   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).   
      
      
      
   FCC Levies Fines on Radio Amateurs for Deliberate Interference   
      
   The FCC has imposed fines on radio amateurs in California and Georgia after   
   concluding they broke FCC rules and the Communications Act. The FCC   
   Enforcement Bureau imposed a $25,000 penalty on William F. Crowell, W6WBJ   
   (ex-N6AYJ), of Diamond Spring, California, for intentionally interfering with   
   the transmissions of other radio amateurs and transmitting prohibited   
   communications, including music. The forfeiture represents the full amount   
   proposed in a December 2015 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL),   
   and, the FCC said in a lengthy August 2 Forfeiture Order (FO), "is based on   
   the full base forfeiture amount as well as an upward adjustment reflecting Mr   
   Crowell's decision to continue his misconduct after being warned..."   
      
   "Mr Crowell does not deny that he made the transmissions that prompted the NAL   
   in this proceeding, but argues, in large part, that those transmissions were   
   protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution," the Forfeiture Order   
   said. In mutiple responses to the NAL, Crowell not only argued that the   
   enforcement action was directed at the content of his transmissions, which   
   were protected by the Constitution, but were justified on the basis of other   
   operators' actions. "Alternatively, Mr Crowell maintains that someone else   
   caused the interference or transmitted the prohibited communications at issue   
   in this proceeding," the FCC said.   
      
   "It is well-established that regulation of radio in general does not violate   
   the First Amendment or [the Communications Act]," the Commission's Forfeiture   
   Order said, "and courts have made clear that this conclusion applies to the   
   Amateur Service as well."   
      
   Prompting the December 2015 NAL were complaints by members of the Western   
   Amateur Radio Friendship Association (WARFA), which conducts nets three times   
   a week on 75 meters. Crowell had argued that the WARFA Net monopolized the   
   frequency and refused to let him check in.   
      
   The Enforcement Bureau recounted that its agents and the High Frequency   
   Direction Finding Capability Center (HFDFC) monitored Crowell's transmissions   
   on August 25 and 27, 2015, during the WARFA Net on 3908 kHz. They observed   
   Crowell's Amateur Radio station "intentionally interfering with other amateur   
   licensees by transmitting on top of other amateurs, and repeatedly   
   interrupting amateurs using noises," the Forfeiture Order said.   
      
   The Enforcement Bureau concluded that Crowell "willfully and repeatedly"   
   violated the Communications Act and FCC rules "by intentionally causing   
   interference to other Amateur Radio operators and transmitting prohibited   
   communications, including music." The Bureau said that after reviewing   
   Crowell's arguments, it found no reason to cancel, withdraw, or reduce the   
   penalty it had proposed last December.   
      
      
   In a Forfeiture Order released on July 29, the FCC fined David J. Tolassi,   
   W4BHV, of Ringgold, Georgia, $1000 for failing to properly identify. The FCC   
   had proposed the fine 1 year ago in a Notice of Apparent Liability for   
   Forfeiture (NAL), noting that Tolassi had been warned the previous summer   
   about not following Part 97 ID rules. The FCC said at the time that Tolassi's   
   "deliberate disregard" of the earlier warning warranted the proposed penalty   
   that it reaffirmed this month.   
      
   The FCC said Tolassi did not deny transmitting on 14.313 MHz on the date in   
   question, but he argued that his comments were within the 10-minute window   
   mandated by the rules. The FCC disagreed, however, noting that Tolassi never   
   identified during 15 minutes of transmissions that agents had monitored.   
      
   Tolassi had requested the FCC cancel the NAL and substitute a Warning Letter,   
   asserting that the FCC has issued multiple warnings before imposing fines in   
   similar cases. Tolassi was not being treated any differently than other   
   licensees have been, the FCC countered.   
      
      
      
   ARRL Expresses Support for All Activities that Strengthen Emergency   
   Communications Infrastructure   
      
   At its July 2016 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors approved revisions   
   concerning the management and governance of its National Traffic System(TM)   
   (NTS) program. In response, some NTS(TM) participants have proposed to form a   
   new organization with the stated purpose of engaging in current NTS activity,   
   independent of ARRL. This action, in part, was a reaction to ARRL's   
   announcement regarding the creation of an enhanced emergency communications   
   plan, scheduled for implementation later this year. The ARRL plan will address   
   the role of programs such as NTS, which can provide important capabilities to   
   ARRL partner agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency   
   (FEMA), the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army.   
      
   In a statement issued August 3 by ARRL, the League said it believes that the   
   existing ARRL NTS program will rise to meet these new, demanding requirements;   
   NTS resources are already well-established networks and have a long history of   
   reliable operation.   
      
   "We encourage all NTS participants to be involved in current National Traffic   
   System activities by continuing their existing assignments and duties," the   
   statement said. "However, if NTS members wish to explore alternative programs   
   like the one recently proposed, we do not wish to discourage that exploration."   
      
   The statement went on to say that it is ARRL's mission to support all   
   activities that advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio. The   
   League "encourages any activity that strengthens the national emergency   
   communications infrastructure, provides network redundancy, and refines and   
   maintains the critical skills of radio amateurs who daily serve their   
   communities with communication training activities and responses to local and   
   regional emergencies," the statement concluded.   
      
      
      
   FCC Seeks Comments on Waiver Request from Expert Linears   
      
   The FCC is inviting comments on a June 11 request from Expert Linears America   
   LLC to waive ?97.317(a)(2) of the Amateur Service rules to permit it to   
   import, market, and use its model 1.3K FA amplifier in the US. The Texas   
   company is seeking the waiver pending resolution of its earlier Petition for   
   Rule Making (RM-11767), which called on the Commission to eliminate the 15 dB   
   gain limitation on Amateur Radio amplifiers altogether. Expert said the   
   version of the model 1.3K FA amplifier it now imports has been modified to   
   comply with current rules.   
      
   "Expert seeks a waiver in order to be able to import the unmodified version of   
   the Model 1.3K FA, which is capable of considerably more than 15 dB   
   amplification," the FCC explained in a July 29 Public Notice. "Expert argues   
   that the public interest would be served by permitting use of a higher-powered   
   amplifier, because it would improve the communications capabilities of   
   amateurs using portable, low-power transmitters by enabling them to approach   
   the maximum legal power output." Expert assured the FCC that its model 1.3K FA   
   has proprietary software to prevent it from transmitting in the 26-28 MHz   
   band, so it cannot be used in the Citizens Radio Service.   
      
   On May 26, ARRL told the FCC that it "strongly supports" Expert's petition   
   seeking to eliminate the Amateur Service rule, spelled out in ?97.317(a)(2),   
   that amateur amplifiers not be able to boost the RF input signal by more than   
   15 dB.   
      
   Comments on Expert's waiver request are due by August 29, reply comments by   
   September 13.   
      
      
      
   MARS Sets Interoperability Communications Exercise for August 15   
      
   US Department of Defense (DOD) Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS)   
   operators in the US, Germany, and Japan, will take part in an interoperability   
   communications exercise on Monday, August 15, from 1200 UTC to 2359 UTC. The   
   focus of the exercise is "to train during a simulated communicat   
   ons-constrained environment using radio-only communication capabilities," MARS   
   said.   
      
   Throughout the exercise, MARS operators will reach out to and attempt connect   
   with Amateur Radio operators at the local and regional levels using HF, VHF,   
   and UHF. For the purposes of this exercise, the use of the 60 meter   
   interoperability channels -- dial frequencies 5330.5 and 5346.5 kHz -- are   
   authorized and encouraged. Other bands will be coordinated by MARS members at   
   the local/regional level with their ARES/RACES/club counterparts.   
      
   The exercise is tied in with a larger DOD exercise, which will include   
   participation by active duty forces. -- Thanks to Army MARS Program Manager   
   Paul English, WD8DBY   
      
      
      
   Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB, is 2016 Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, Memorial Young Ham of   
   the Year   
      
   Amateur Radio Newsline has announced that 17-year-old Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB,   
   an ARRL member from Denver, Colorado, is the 2016 Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF,   
   Memorial Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY). The recent Denver School of the Arts   
   honors graduate and Amateur Extra licensee was introduced to Amateur Radio   
   when he was a high school freshman, but his interest in electronics began in   
   4th grade.   
      
   "After starting an Amateur Radio club at my high school, we all wanted to be   
   part of a high-altitude balloon launch," he explained on his QRZ.com profile.   
   "After fundraising, and a number of designs, we finally launched with the Edge   
   of Space Sciences (EOSS)." He worked with the EOSS Amateur Radio-equipped   
   balloon launches of the AB0BX STEM School Amateur Radio Club in nearby   
   Littleton.   
      
   Skyler's interest in satellite communication resulted in a revival of the   
   Colorado Amateur Satellite Net; he became a net control operator and created a   
   website for the net. He also has gained extensive experience designing and   
   working on repeater systems, and introduced the AllStar Link system for one of   
   the Rocky Mountain Radio League's repeaters.   
      
   He became project manager for its 440 MHz repeater and helped put together an   
   AllStar and EchoLink repeater for students. He was also involved in proposing   
   and assisting in the construction of a VHF/UHF repeater at a remote   
   mountaintop site and added an AllStar link to the system.   
      
   An Eagle Scout at 13, Skyler has combined his interests in cycling and Amateur   
   Radio, assembling a bicycle mobile setup with VHF and UHF radios. He will be   
   formally recognized as YHOTY during the Huntsville Hamfest on August 20. Read   
   more. -- Thanks to CQ Communications   
      
      
      
   Danish Ham-Cyclist Soon to be in Europe and Heading Home   
      
   Danish Ham-Cyclist Thomas Andersen, OZ1AA, now is in North Africa and soon   
   expects to be in Europe on the last leg of his "Cycling the Globe" bicycle   
   journey. He anticipates being back home in Denmark within a few months.   
      
   "I'm currently in Morocco and ready to cross over to Spain," he told ARRL on   
   August 2. "From there I will cycle through Spain, France, and Germany back to   
   Denmark. It will take 2 months."   
      
   Andersen said that, while he had hoped to, he did not do much hamming while in   
   Africa, but he did visit the ET3AA radio club in Addis Ababa, Ethiopa. "That   
   was a great experience," he said. "It was a great time there, meeting the   
   students and making a few QSOs."   
      
   Andersen typically can cover 60 miles in a day, but he's done as many as 100   
   miles. He began his cycling adventure in Copenhagen 6 years ago. While he does   
   carry a VHF/UHF FM handheld, Andersen said he really has not used it that   
   much. He told ARRL that he hopes to be on the air "from somewhere on my way up   
   through Europe."   
      
   Andersen, who was in the US a year ago, said he purchased a new mountain bike   
   "with fat tires" for the trip through Africa. "It was a good choice, since   
   there have been a lot of rough dirt roads here," he told ARRL. "This bike is   
   the third I've used on my trip around the world."   
      
      
      
   ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Extends Call for Papers   
      
   Technical Papers are invited until August 12 for presentation at the 35th   
   Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), to be held September   
   16-18 in St Petersburg, Florida. Papers will be published in the Conference   
   Proceedings, and authors do not need to attend the conference to have their   
   papers included.   
      
   The ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference is an international forum for   
   technically minded radio amateurs to meet and present new ideas and   
   techniques. Paper/presentation topic areas include -- but are not limited to   
   -- software defined radio (SDR), digital voice, digital satellite   
   communication, digital signal processing (DSP), HF digital modes, adapting   
   IEEE 802.11 systems for Amateur Radio, Global Positioning System (GPS),   
   Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), Linux in Amateur Radio, AX.25   
   updates and Internet operability with Amateur Radio networks.   
      
   Submit papers to via e-mail or via post to Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, ARRL, 225   
   Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Papers will be published exactly as submitted,   
   and authors will retain all rights.   
      
      
      
   Fox-1B (RadFxSat) Nears Completion   
      
   AMSAT-NA Vice President-Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, reports that the   
   Fox-1B CubeSat (RadFxSat -- Radiation Effects Satellite) flight unit has been   
   assembled and now is undergoing various stages of testing before it is put   
   through environmental (shock, vibration, thermal) testing in August for   
   completion by early September. Launch is scheduled for January 20.   
      
   Fox 1B is a joint mission by AMSAT and the Institute for Space and Defense   
   Electronics at Vanderbilt University. It hosts a technology experiment by   
   Vanderbilt University as well as an analog FM Amateur Radio payload.   
      
   During a recent test stop in Fox Labs, most of the testing was streamed live   
   on YouTube (archived) to give enthusiasts an opportunity to look over Buxton's   
   shoulder as he conducted tests on the flight unit along with other Fox   
   Engineering Team members.   
      
   Fox-1B (RadFxSat) is expected to be back in Fox Labs around August 11 for   
   another round of tests, and live streaming will be available during those   
   tests as well.   
      
      
      
   Chatham Marconi Maritime Center Acquires "Creed Machine" from Georgia Radio   
   Amateur   
      
   ARRL member Gene Greneker, K4MOG, of Powder Springs, Georgia, recently   
   fulfilled a dream for the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center museum -- formerly   
   WCC on Cape Cod -- to add an important artifact to its collection. Greneker   
   spotted a brief item in QST last year seeking a so-called "Creed machine" for   
   the museum. While most ship-to-shore station traffic was conducted by skilled   
   Morse operators at their keys, the Creed machine -- or keyer -- read a punched   
   tape prepared in advance that generated one-way Morse code broadcasts to ships   
   at sea.   
      
   "We have searched continuously for roughly 10 years for this artifact,   
   following leads with historians, other museums, archivists, ham radio   
   operators, collectors, and any other possible leads," said Chatham Marconi   
   Maritime Center Operations Manager Dorothy Bassett. The mention in QST,   
   resulting from a visit to the museum by ARRL Lab staffer Mike Gruber, W1MG,   
   did the trick. Greneker spotted it and let Bassett know he had what she was   
   seeking.   
      
   "Our members and supporters raised the funds, and we were able to purchase the   
   Creed machine, a custom table, and an entire exhibit to showcase this item and   
   how it worked with our Kleinschmidt machine," Bassett recounted. The   
   Kleinschmidt machine -- or "Klein" -- refers to the equipment used to create   
   the punched "Wheatstone" tape, the narrow ribbon of heavy, perforated paper   
   read by the Creed keyer.   
      
   Bassett said that once the exhibit is complete, the museum plans to install a   
   button that visitors can push to start the machine, "so guests will get to   
   hear the Creed working, see the tape move, and watch the pins and mechanics in   
   action."   
      
   Greneker said the Creed machine is a rare find for a collector, and he   
   obtained his when he and Fred Dorsey, WA4TDC, bought an entire lot of   
   equipment that had been installed at WOE in Lantana, Florida. "Most of these   
   stations only had one keyer to broadcast the traffic lists on the hour, and   
   these were cut with the Wheatstone perforator," Greneker told Bassett. "Given   
   that there were not that many shore-to-ship stations, not many Creed keyers   
   were ever manufactured." Greneker said the machines were assembled by hand and   
   expensive to purchase. He speculated that the Creed machine he donated may   
   once have been at WCC.   
      
   "RCA was famous for taking old equipment from the flagship station (WCC) and   
   sending it to the smaller stations when they needed some item. The flagship   
   station then got the new replacement equipment," he explained. Greneker   
   explained that when shore station operators such as RCA closed those   
   facilities, "the entire station was loaded up and carried to the dump, making   
   the keyers almost impossible to find today."   
      
   "This piece is very special to us," Basset said, "and I can't thank the ARRL   
   enough for running the ad that secured procurement."   
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers dropped from   
   19.3 last week to 10.7 for the current July 28-August 3 reporting week.   
   Average daily solar flux declined from 82.5 to 72.1. Geomagnetic indices were   
   more active this week, with average daily planetary A index increasing from   
   8.7 to 13, and mid-latitude A index rising from 8.9 to 11.9.   
      
   Sunspot numbers were low all week, and on Wednesday, August 3, the sunspot   
   number dropped to zero.   
      
   The predicted solar flux is 75 on August 4; 80 on August 5-6; 85 on August 7;   
   90 on August 8-9; 95 on August 10-15; 90 on August 16-17; 85 and 80 on August   
   18-19; 75 on August 20-22; 70 on August 23-27; 72 on August 28-30; 75 on   
   August 31; 85 on September 1; 90 on September 2-3, and 95 on September 4-11.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 15 on August 4-5; 10 on August 6-7; 20, 8, 12,   
   10, and 8 on August 8-12; 5 on August 13-14; 12 on August 15-16; 5 on August   
   17; 8 on August 18-19; 5 on August 20-23; 15 on August 24-25; 5 on August   
   26-27; 8 on August 28; 20 on August 29-30; 15 on August 31; 12 on September 1;   
   10 on September 2-3; 8 and 5 on September 4-5; 12 on September 6-7; 8 on   
   September 8, and 5 on September 9-10.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for July 28 through August 3 were 13, 13, 13, 12, 13, 11, and   
   0, with a mean of 10.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 70.3, 70.5, 71, 71.5,   
   71.9, 74.9, and 74.8, with a mean of 72.1. Estimated planetary A indices were   
   15, 14, 6, 3, 3, 17, and 33, with a mean of 13. Estimated mid-latitude A   
   indices were 13, 16, 7, 2, 4, 17, and 24 with a mean of 11.9.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  August 6 -- European HF Championship (CW, phone)   
    *  August 6 -- WAB 144 MHz Low Power Phone   
    *  August 6 -- TARA Grid Dip Shindig (digital)   
    *  August 6-7 -- 10-10 International Summer Contest (SSB)   
    *  August 6-7 -- North American QSO Party (CW)   
    *  August 6-7 -- August UHF Contest (CW, phone, digital   
    *  August 7 -- SARL HF Phone Contest   
    *  August 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)   
    *  August 10 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (CW)   
      
   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   
      
    *  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 23-24 -- W4DXCC Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee   
    *  September 24 -- San Joaquin Valley Section Convention, Modesto,   
       California   
    *  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   
      
   ... Never trust an automatic pistol or a D.A.'s deal. - John Dillinger   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)