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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-09-08   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   September 8, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Amateur Radio Volunteers on US East Coast Were Ready for Hermine   
    *  SpaceX Falcon 9 Failure Prompts Postponement of Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D   
       Integration   
    *  More Countries Act on 60 Meter Amateur Allocations   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  Gold! NPOTA Activation Set from Alaska's Klondike Gold Rush National   
       Historical Park   
    *  ISS Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, Breaks   
       Time-on-Station Record   
    *  ARRL September VHF Contest is September 10-12   
    *  Search is On for Illegal 10 Meter GPS Buoys   
    *  "Frequency Crunch" is ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Sunday   
       Seminar Topic   
    *  NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative Opens Space to Educators, Nonprofits   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
      
   Amateur Radio Volunteers on US East Coast Were Ready for Hermine   
      
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and weather-spotting volunteers kept   
   close watch on the progress of Tropical Storm Hermine as it made its way up   
   the US Eastern Seaboard over the Labor Day weekend. The storm did most of its   
   damage as a category 1 hurricane, after making landfall along Florida's   
   northern Gulf Coast. Some strengthening was forecast after the center   
   subsequently moved offshore again, after passing over Georgia, but Hermine was   
   downgraded to a tropical storm on September 3, causing no significant weather   
   problems. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), which activated to gather   
   ground-level reports on the storm as it approached landfall, secured after 19   
   hours of continuous on-air coverage.   
      
   "[M]embers of the Hurricane Watch Net, operating under tough band conditions   
   on 20 and 40 meters -- mainly caused by a geomagnetic storm -- transmitted   
   advisories on Hermine to the affected area and received numerous weather   
   reports -- observed and measured," said HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.   
   "Those reports were then forwarded to the National Hurricane Center by way of   
   WX4NHC." He thanked daily users of the net's frequencies --14.325 and 7.268   
   MHz -- for their cooperation in keeping a clear frequency.   
      
   Alerted to a tropical storm watch, ARRL New York City-Long Island Section   
   Emergency Coordinator Jim Mezey, W2KFV, asked all districts in the Section to   
   check their equipment and their availability. Connecticut ARES went on a Level   
   1 alert, to "be prepared for whatever it brings," Connecticut SEC Wayne   
   Gronlund, N1CLV, said.   
      
   The National Weather Service issued its final public advisory for Hermine on   
   September 6, when the storm -- by then referred to as a "post-tropical   
   cyclone" -- was some 120 miles south of the eastern tip of Long Island, with   
   maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH.   
      
   Graves noted that the last major hurricane to strike the US was Hurricane   
   Wilma in 2005. "The Hurricane Watch Net will be prepared for the next   
   hurricane to threaten land in the Atlantic Basin," he added.   
      
   Earlier this week the FMRE (Federaci¢n Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores)   
   Emergency Communication Net activated as Hurricane Newton approached the Baja   
   California peninsula.   
      
      
      
   SpaceX Falcon 9 Failure Prompts Postponement of Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D   
   Integration   
      
   As a consequence of the September 1 explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch   
   vehicle during a "static fire" test, AMSAT has announced that the planned   
   integration of Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D on the maiden voyage of the Spaceflight   
   SHERPA platform would be postponed. AMSAT said the impact of the incident on   
   the launch date is unknown at this time, however. Fox-1C and Fox-1D are   
   scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 between September 1 and November   
   30, and, if integration is rescheduled, they still could launch within that   
   time frame.   
      
   Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D carry university experiments from Pennsylvania   
   State--Erie, Vanderbilt, University of Iowa, cameras provided by Virginia   
   Tech, as well as Amateur Radio voice repeaters capable of U/V or L/V operation.   
      
   The Nayif-1 CubeSat, developed by Emirati students from the American   
   University of Sharjah, was expected to be put into orbit on the same launch as   
   Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D. Nayif-1 carries an inverting 435/145 MHz transponder   
   (FUNcube-5) for SSB/CW.   
      
   The Falcon 9 rocket destroyed on September 1 was to have put Israel's   
   Space-Communications Ltd Amos-6 satellite into orbit on September 3, as part   
   of an effort by Facebook to provide Internet access to parts of Sub-Saharan   
   Africa. The cause of the explosion at Cape Canaveral remains under   
   investigation.   
      
   In a statement, SpaceX said the launch vehicle was "vertical and in the   
   process of being fueled for the test." The company said the explosion appears   
   to have originated in the vicinity of the upper-stage liquid oxygen tank.   
      
   AMSAT has said it will provide schedule updates on Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D, as   
   further information becomes available.   
      
   Meanwhile, AMSAT has learned that the launch of RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E is set for   
   December 2017. RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E is a partnership opportunity between   
   Vanderbilt University's Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE) and   
   AMSAT. It is similar to RadFxSat/Fox-1B, which could launch in the next   
   several months, and both RadFxSat CubeSats will carry radiation effects   
   experiments.   
      
   The Fox-1E will feature a linear V/U (Mode J) transponder, instead of the   
   Fox-series standard FM repeater, installed on Fox-1A through Fox-1D. The   
   remaining Fox series CubeSats will go into space under the NASA Educational   
   Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program.   
      
   Fox-1E will be the fifth in the Fox series that AMSAT has built. Fox-1A, now   
   AO-85, was launched in October 2015 and remains fully operational, providing   
   science data from its onboard experiments and FM transponder service for the   
   Amateur Radio community. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, Southgate Amateur   
   Radio News   
      
      
      
   More Countries Act on 60 Meter Amateur Allocations   
      
   Belarus and Latvia are among the latest countries to open Amateur Radio bands   
   at 5 MHz. The Belarus Federation of Amateur Radio and Radiosportsmen (BFRR)   
   announced recently that radio amateurs there now have access to a new   
   contiguous 15-kilohertz 60 meter band, consistent with the consensus reached   
   at World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). Class A licensees in   
   Belarus may operate on 5351.5-5366.5 kHz on CW, SSB, and digital modes, on a   
   secondary basis with a maximum output power of 50 W. In Latvia, radio amateurs   
   also are now permitted to use 5351.5-5366.5 kHz, with a maximum power output   
   of 15 W EIRP. (Some Latvian hams now may also operate on the new 630 meter   
   band, 472-479 kHz, with a power of 1 W EIRP and a transmitted signal bandwidth   
   no greater than 800 Hz.)   
      
   Andorra returned to 60 meters earlier this summer under a new allocation of   
   5351.5-5366.5 kHz with a maximum power of 15 W EIRP, CW and USB, per consensus   
   reached at WRC-15. Temporary for now, the allocation will become permanent   
   starting in 2017. Andorra's previous 60 meter allocation was withdrawn last   
   fall after WRC-15.   
      
   The South African Radio League (SARL) reports that its recommendation for a   
   100-kilohertz-wide 60 meter allocation, presented to telecoms regulator ICASA   
   earlier this year, has received approval from the frequency spectrum   
   department, although it's not yet authorized for use. The SARL proposal seeks   
   the continued use of 5290 kHz for a WSPR propagation experiment and a   
   secondary allocation of 100 kilohertz that includes the WRC-agreed range of   
   5351.5-5366.5 kHz, with a power maximum of 400 W.   
      
   The SARL supported a 5350-5450 kHz allocation proposed at WRC-15 by the   
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Opposition to that proposal resulted   
   in a compromise to allocate 5351.5-5366.5 kHz. Nonetheless, some countries,   
   including the Netherlands, have given their radio amateurs access to the   
   proposed 100 kilohertz.   
      
   Article 4.4 of the ITU Radio Regulations lets countries authorize frequency   
   assignments that are contrary to the international Table of Allocations, only   
   on a non-interference, non-protected basis.   
      
   Telecomunications regulators in more than 40 countries have authorized access   
   to 60 meters -- many, including the US, in the form of discrete channels -- on   
   a secondary basis.   
      
   IARU Region 1 (Europe and Africa) earlier this year agreed to a paper   
   presented by RSGB HF Manager Ian Greenshields, G4FSU, outlining a basic   
   provisional band plan for the new 5 MHz allocation agreed upon at WRC-15. IARU   
   Region 1 is hoping that its proposed 5351.5-5366.5 kHz usage plan will   
   eventually be adopted by all three IARU regions.   
      
   The Region 1 plan sets aside 5351.5-5354 kHz for CW and narrowband modes;   
   5354.0-5366 kHz for all modes, USB voice recommended, and 5366.0-5366.5 kHz   
   for "weak-signal narrowband modes."   
      
   The Region 1 plan strongly recommends that frequencies within the WRC-15   
   allocation only be used if there are no other frequencies available at 5 MHz   
   under domestic (ie, ITU-R Article 4.4) authorizations. "Local nets and long   
   rag-chew QSOs should not use the 5 MHz WRC-15 allocation but should instead   
   make use of the 3.5 MHz, 5 MHz domestic, or 7 MHz bands, where there is more   
   spectrum available," the plan advises.   
      
   The recent St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition operated on 60 meters, activating   
   that DXCC entity for the first time on that band.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   "Coaxial Connectors" is the topic of the latest 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.   
      
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   As National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) participants make their contacts with   
   stations operating from the more than 480 eligible NPS units, special   
   attention is paid to logging the 59 bona fide National Parks. In order to   
   qualify for the National Parks Honor Roll certificate, Chasers must work 75   
   percent of the 59 National Park Service units activated during 2016. So far,   
   55 of the 59 National Parks have been visited by NPOTA Activators.   
      
   [NPOTA%20Logo.jpg] One of the four National Parks not yet activated is the   
   National Park of American Samoa. Located near the capital city of Pago Pago,   
   this National Park is closer to New Zealand than it is to the US, and it only   
   receives around 5000 visitors annually. Are there any intrepid NPOTA   
   activators willing to put this unit on the air before December 31?   
      
   Forty NPOTA units will be on the air between September 8-14, including the   
   Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site in New York, and San Juan Island   
   National Historical Park in Friday Harbor, Washington.   
      
   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).   
      
      
      
   Gold! NPOTA Activation Set from Alaska's Klondike Gold Rush National   
   Historical Park   
      
   Mark Bowers, VY1MAB, from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, will activate the   
   Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (HP21), for the National Parks on   
   the Air (NPOTA) program. A storm has forced postponement of his trip until   
   Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.   
      
   The NPOTA unit has been only lightly activated this year, so it remains "a   
   rare one." VY1MAB/KL7 will begin operation at 1700 UTC on both days,   
   continuing for as long as he can on Saturday and wrapping up at 2100 UTC on   
   Sunday. He will run 100 W into a Buddipole and dipole antennas. Plans call for   
   operating SSB, PSK31, and WSJT modes.   
      
   Word that gold had been discovered in the region in 1897 started the Klondike   
   Gold Rush. Thousands of prospectors headed north hoping to cash in.   
      
   The park commemorates the bravery of these so-called stampeders by protecting   
   the trails, historic boom towns, and buildings of the Klondike Gold Rush era.   
      
      
      
   ISS Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, Breaks Time-on-Station   
   Record   
      
   NASA astronaut and International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 48 Commander   
   Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, and two of his space station crewmates returned safely   
   to Earth this week, following Williams' US record-breaking mission aboard the   
   ISS. Williams, Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, and Alexey Ovchinin landed in a Soyuz   
   TMA-20M transporter early on September 7 in Kazakhstan. Now with four space   
   missions to his credit, Williams has logged 534 days in space, making him   
   first on the all-time NASA astronaut list in terms of time on station.   
   Skripochka has 331 days in space on two flights, while Ovchinin spent 172 days   
   in space on his first mission.   
      
   "No other US astronaut has Jeff's time and experience aboard the International   
   Space Station," Kirk Shireman, ISS Program manager at NASA's Johnson Space   
   Center, said. "From his first flight in 2000, when the station was still under   
   construction, to present day where the focus is science, technology   
   development, and fostering commercialization. Jeff even helped prepare the   
   space station for future dockings of commercial spacecraft under NASA's   
   Commercial Crew Program."   
      
   During his time on the ISS, Williams and Astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ,   
   ventured outside the space station on two occasions, to install a docking   
   adapter on the first spacewalk, and to retract a spare thermal control   
   radiator and install two new high-definition cameras on the second.   
      
   ISS Expedition 49 officially began with the departure of the Soyuz from the   
   station. Expedition 49 commander Anatoly Ivanishin and his crewmates -- Rubins   
   and Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS -- will operate the station for more than 2 weeks   
   until the arrival of three new crew members. Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, Sergey   
   Ryzhikov, and Andrey Borisenko will head to the ISS from Kazakhstan on   
   September 23.   
      
      
      
   ARRL September VHF Contest is September 10-12   
      
   The ARRL September VHF Contest gets under way on Saturday, September 10, at   
   1800 UTC and wraps up on Monday, September 12, at 0259 UTC. This annual event   
   provides an opportunity for seasoned contesters and newcomers alike to   
   experience contesting on the VHF and UHF bands. The higher you go, the greater   
   the point value of contacts! The goal is to contact as many different stations   
   in as many 2 x 1 grid squares as possible on frequencies above 50 MHz while   
   operating from home, in the field, or as a "rover" -- traveling from grid   
   square to grid square to hand out contacts.   
      
   Six meters has seen E skip in recent days, along with increased tropospheric   
   enhancement. Scatter and auroral propagation are also possible. To follow   
   potential tropo enhancement see the updated Hepburn maps. For a more focused 2   
   meter real-time propagation map, check out the Mountainlake APRS site.   
      
   Spotting or other assistance is allowed before and during any ARRL VHF+   
   operating event, so participants can talk up their plans in advance and   
   observe and discuss contacts posted on chat and spotting pages. Participants   
   may not discuss the content of in-progress contacts, however.   
      
   Newest operating categories include Single Operator 3-Band (6 meters, 2   
   meters, and 70 centimeters), or Single Operator FM Only. More established   
   categories include Single Operator Portable, or Single Operator High Power/Low   
   Power. Using just a handheld transceiver from an elevated location or attached   
   to a small directional antenna can get you into the game. Utilizing   
   frequencies that only require smaller, lightweight antennas provides an   
   excellent opportunity to compete from an ideal operating location. Building   
   your own small Yagis is fairly easy.   
      
   SSB/CW or digital operators will find most activity at the bottom few hundred   
   kilohertz of the VHF+ bands. On 6 meters, most CW is found between 50.080 and   
   50.100 MHz, SSB between 50.125 and 50.250 MHz, and digital modes from 50.250   
   to 50.300 MHz. The frequencies between 50.100 MHz and 50.125 MHz are   
   considered a "DX window," so avoid US-to-US contacts in that part of the band.   
   On 2 meters, look for FM stations in the 146.40 to 146.57 MHz region (all FM   
   simplex calling frequency restrictions were removed in 2015), or look for SSB   
   around 144.200 MHz, with CW intermixed. Digital stations congregate around   
   144.140 MHz. On the higher bands, activity will focus around the "weak-signal"   
   or FM calling frequencies. Check band plans for details on all bands.   
      
   Rules and entry forms are on the ARRL website. All logs must be uploaded to   
   the web app or e-mailed (or mailed) no later than 0300 UTC on October 12.   
   Electronic logs are preferred. Send paper logs to September VHF Contest, ARRL,   
   225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.   
      
   For more information about the ARRL September VHF Contest, e-mail the ARRL   
   Contest Branch.   
      
      
      
   Search is On for Illegal 10 Meter GPS Buoys   
      
   Radio amateurs in Portugal this summer intensified their search for GPS buoys   
   that are illegally operating -- and intruding -- on 10 meters. A recent   
   International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS-R1)   
   report indicated that one such buoy was operating 24/7 on 28.100 MHz, using   
   F1B mode (RTTY), 51 baud, 270 Hz shift. IARUMS-R1 also has posted a lengthy   
   and growing list of intruding driftnet fisheries buoys, transmitting CW in   
   various parts of 10 meters. A group of Portuguese radio amateurs has   
   volunteered to identify the location of GPS buoy clusters that have been   
   transmitting "for years" on 10 meters, an exclusive Amateur Radio allocation.   
      
   "So far, we have had some success in determining the location of the few that   
   we can receive when propagation allows," said Paulo Teixeira, CT2IWW, the team   
   spokesperson. "The data suggest that these clusters are located in the   
   Atlantic, along the coasts of Africa and Europe, but it's possible that they   
   are present elsewhere."   
      
   The F1B transmissions consist of 3-second RTTY bursts. Individual   
   transmissions are 10 seconds apart, and the cycle repeats every 5 minutes.   
   Frequencies are between 28.000 and 28.120 MHz, at 5 kHz intervals.   
      
   "So far we detected them on 28010, 28025, 28035, 28050, 28065, 28075, and   
   28101 kHz," Teixeira said, "but we believe that other frequency ranges are   
   possible."   
      
   The group has asked radio amateurs living along the Atlantic coast, to look   
   for these transmissions and record them. Teixeira said poor propagation is   
   making it difficult to obtain additional samples.   
      
   "More recordings are needed in order to get greater consistency of the decoded   
   data and, possibly, work on an automated or semi-automated decoding solution,"   
   he said. He stressed the importance of indicating date, time (UTC), frequency,   
   and mode. Recordings should be at least 10 to 20 minutes long. E-mail results   
   to CT2IWW via his QRZ.com address.   
      
   Illegal buoys of all types -- fisheries, driftnet, GPS, and Datawell   
   "Waverider" wave measurement buoys -- remain very active on 10 meters,   
   according to Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, the IARUMS-R1 coordinator. The July IARUMS   
   newsletter included more than three dozen reports.   
      
      
      
   "Frequency Crunch" is ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Sunday   
   Seminar Topic   
      
   "Spectrum (It's the frequency crunch for real)" will be the Sunday Seminar   
   topic at the ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) September 16-18   
   in St Petersburg, Florida. Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, and Bob McGwier, N4HY,   
   will headline the tutorial.   
      
   "The Amateur Radio spectrum above 450 MHz is facing serious threats. The   
   demand for useful spectrum is large and growing," a presentation abstract   
   asserts. "We will explain why this spectrum is in demand and what you need to   
   know and do in order to defend it."   
      
   The presentation will offer a practical understanding of digital   
   communication, software-defined radio, codecs, protocols, and cognitive radio.   
   Thompson heads the AMSAT Ground Terminal Team, a component of the so-called   
   "five and dime (5 GHz and 10 GHz)" Phase 4B geosynchronous satellite project.   
   McGwier, an AMSAT stalwart, is chief scientist at the Hume Center for National   
   Security and Technology at Virginia Tech.   
      
   The Saturday night banquet speaker will be ARRL Chief Technology Officer   
   Brennan Price, N4QX. His topic will be "New Frontiers in Wireless: Challenges   
   to and Opportunities for Amateur Radio."   
      
      
      
      
   NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative Opens Space to Educators, Nonprofits   
      
   NASA is soliciting another round of CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI)   
   applications. The agency is inviting accredited education institutions,   
   nonprofit organizations, and NASA centers to join the adventure and challenge   
   of space while helping it to achieve its exploration goals. Many research   
   CubeSats launched as part of the CSLI have carried Amateur Radio payloads.   
   Applications are due by November 22.   
      
   The CSLI provides CubeSat developers with a low-cost pathway to space, in   
   order to conduct research that advances NASA's strategic goals in the areas of   
   science, exploration, technology development, education, and operations. The   
   initiative provides students, teachers, and faculty with a chance to get   
   hands-on flight hardware development experience, designing, building, and   
   operating these small research satellites. NASA will announce its selections   
   by February 17, although selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity.   
      
   Selected experiments are considered auxiliary payloads on NASA launches or for   
   International Space Station deployment starting next year and continuing   
   through 2020. Selected organizations are responsible for funding the   
   development of their CubeSats. To date, NASA has chosen 119 CubeSat missions,   
   and 46 of those have gone on to launch; another 29 are set to launch within   
   the next 12 months.   
      
   For this round of the initiative, NASA is particularly interested in   
   participation from organizations in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and   
   18 states not previously selected. These include Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia,   
   Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,   
   North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington,   
   and Wyoming.   
      
   The NASA website offers more information on the CSLI. -- Thanks to NASA   
      
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down   
   compared to the previous reporting week. This week, September 1-7, solar flux   
   increased, and geomagnetic indices were quite active.   
      
   The average daily sunspot number declined from 60.1 to 46.4, while the average   
   solar flux went from 87.9 to 95.1. The average planetary A index increased   
   from 8 to 26.6, while the average mid-latitude A index rose from 6.9 to 18.1.   
      
   The daily planetary A index on September 1-4 was 36, 39, 40, and 28. An echo   
   of the solar wind that caused this is expected on September 28-October 1, when   
   the predicted planetary A index is predicted to be 35, 38, 40, and 25.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is 92 on September 8-9; 90 on September 10-12; 85 on   
   September 13-14; 83 on September 15; 108 on September 16-19; 110, 105, and 110   
   on September 20-22; 112 on September 23-24; 108 on September 25; 105 on   
   September 26-27; 100 on September 28; 95 on September 29-October 1; 98 on   
   October 2-4; 95 on October 5-6; 90 on October 7-8; 95 on October 9; 100 on   
   October 10-11; 105 on October 12, and 108 on October 13-16. After October 16,   
   flux values meander from 105 to 112.   
      
   On September 5, predicted solar flux values for September 13-October 21 got a   
   big boost -- a predicted increase ranging from 18 to 30 points from the   
   September 4 prediction.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 8, 5 on September 9-10; 8 on   
   September 11-14; 5 on September 15-16; 8, 5, 15, 12, and 8 on September 17-21;   
   5 on September 22-25; 12, 8, 35, 38, and 40 on September 26-30; 25, 20, and 12   
   on October 1-3; 10 on October 4-5; 5 on October 6-9, and 10, 8, 5, 5, and 8 on   
   October 10-14.   
      
   In this week's bulletin, look for an updated prediction and some auroral   
   observations from K2KA regarding activity observed on September 3.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for September 1 through 7 were 66, 50, 46, 59, 22, 32, and 50,   
   with a mean of 46.4. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 95.2, 94.6, 99, 97.4, 93.8,   
   92.4, and 93, with a mean of 95.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 36, 39,   
   40, 28, 17, 14, and 12, with a mean of 26.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices   
   were 29, 24, 21, 20, 13, 12, and 8, with a mean of 18.1.   
      
   This weekly Solar Update is a preview of the Propagation Bulletin issued each   
   Friday. The latest bulletin and an archive of past propagation bulletins is on   
   the ARRL website.   
      
   Send me your reports and observations.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  September 10 -- Ohio State Parks on the Air (phone)   
    *  September 10 -- FOC QSO Party (CW)   
    *  September 10 -- Kulikovo Polye Contest (CW)   
    *  September 10-11 -- WAE DX Contest (SSB)   
    *  September 10-11 -- SARL Field Day Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 10-11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)   
    *  September 10-11 -- Russian Cup Digital Contest   
    *  September 10-12 --ARRL September VHF Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 11 -- North American Sprint (CW)   
    *  September 11-14 -- Classic Exchange (CW)   
    *  September 14 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (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   
      
    *  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   
    *  October 7-8 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida   
    *  October 7-8 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference, Bend, Oregon   
    *  October 13-15 -- Microwave Update Conference, St Louis, Missouri   
    *  October 14-16 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California   
    *  October 16 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut   
    *  October 21-22 -- Arizona State Convention, Maricopa, Arizona   
    *  October 22 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin Rapids,   
       Wisconsin   
    *  November 5 -- TechFest Convention, Lakewood, Colorado   
    *  November 5-6 -- Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia   
    *  November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana   
    *  November 19 -- Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... If that makes any sense to you, you have a big problem.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)