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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2016-09-15   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   September 15, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!   
    *  Higher Bands Will Pick Up this Fall, Data Suggest Smaller Solar Cycles   
       Lie Ahead   
    *  Lunar-Orbiting Ham Radio Satellite Could Result from NASA Cube Quest   
       Challenge   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  National Parks on the Air Update   
    *  ARDF Team USA Enjoys Success in Bulgaria   
    *  ARRL Honors Veteran Section Manager Upon Her Retirement   
    *  Radio Club of America Announces 2016 Awards, Fellows   
    *  In Brief...   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
      
   Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!   
      
   "The bill is passed without objection." With those words, Amateur Radio   
   history was made on September 12, when the US House of Representatives   
   approved the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301 on a voice vote under a   
   suspension of the rules. The focus of the campaign to enact the legislation   
   into law now shifts to the US Senate.   
      
   The House victory culminated many years of effort on ARRL's part to gain   
   legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted   
   communities to erect antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The   
   measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules "to prohibit the   
   application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and   
   for other purposes." While similar bills in past years gained some traction on   
   Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the   
   Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301 shepherded by ARRL that a bill made it   
   this far. The legislation faces significant obstacles to passage in the US   
   Senate, however.   
      
   "This is huge step in our effort to enact legislation that will allow radio   
   amateurs who live in deed-restricted communities the ability to construct an   
   effective outdoor antenna," ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said. "Thanks   
   to everyone for their help in this effort thus far. Now we must turn our full   
   attention to getting the bill passed in the Senate."   
      
   ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board's   
   Legislative Advocacy Committee, has been heavily involved in efforts to move   
   H.R. 1301 forward. "This has been a multi-year effort that is finally seeing   
   some light," he said. "The passage of the bill in the House is a major   
   accomplishment, due to the hard work of so many -- from the rank-and-file   
   member to the officers and directors."   
      
   Lisenco said it's not a time to rest on our laurels. "We are only halfway   
   there. The focus now shifts to our effort in the Senate," he said. "We are   
   beginning a massive e-mail campaign in which we need every member to write   
   their two Senators using our simplified process. You will be hearing from   
   President Roderick and from your Directors, asking you to go to our Rally   
   Congress page. Using your ZIP code, e-mails will be generated much like our   
   recent letter campaign. You'll fill in your name and address and press Enter.   
   The e-mails will be sent directly to your Senators without you having to   
   search through their websites."   
      
   Lisenco said getting these e-mails to members' Senators is a critical part of   
   the process. "Those numbers matter! Please help us help you by participating   
   in this effort," he said.   
      
   As the amended bill provides, "Community associations should fairly administer   
   private land-use regulations in the interest of their communities, while   
   nevertheless permitting the installation and maintenance of effective outdoor   
   Amateur Radio antennas. There exist antenna designs and installations that can   
   be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and   
   structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the   
   Amateur Radio services."   
      
      
   Limited Debate   
      
   During this week's limited debate, the House bill's sponsor, Rep Adam   
   Kinzinger (R-IL), thanked ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI)   
   for reaching an agreement to move the bill forward "in a bipartisan and very   
   positive manner." He pointed out to his colleagues that Amateur Radio antennas   
   are prohibited outright in some areas.   
      
   "For some this is merely a nuisance," Kinzinger said, "but for others -- those   
   that use their Amateur Radio license for life-saving emergency communications   
   -- a dangerous situation can be created by limiting their ability to establish   
   effective communication for those in need."   
      
   Kinzinger said that in emergencies, hams can provide "a vital and life-saving   
   function" when conventional communication systems are down. He also praised   
   the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), a US Department of D   
   fense-sponsored program, comprised largely of Amateur Radio volunteers, that   
   also supports communication during emergencies and disasters.   
      
   Cosponsor US Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT) also urged the bill's passage. "This is   
   not just a feel-good bill," Courtney said, recounting how Hurricane Sandy   
   brought down the power grid, and "we saw all the advanced communications we   
   take for granted...completely fall by the wayside." Ham radio volunteers   
   provided real-time communication in the storm's wake, he said, saying the   
   legislation was a way "to rebalance things" for radio amateurs who choose to   
   live in deed-restricted neighborhoods by enabling them to install   
   "non-intrusive antennas."   
      
   Courtney noted that he spoke recently with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, and said   
   that Wheeler "strongly supports this legislation."   
      
   Leading up to the vote, Rep Paul Tonko (D-NY) also spoke in support of the   
   legislation, calling it a common-sense approach that would build "fairness   
   into the equation for Amateur Radio operators" in dealing with homeowners   
   associations.   
      
   The earlier U.S. Senate version of the Amateur Radio Parity Act, S. 1685, no   
   longer is in play, and the Senate is expected to vote by unanimous consent on   
   the version of H.R. 1301 that the House adopted on September 12.   
      
      
      
   Higher Bands Will Pick Up this Fall, Data Suggest Smaller Solar Cycles Lie   
   Ahead   
      
   Propagation guru Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, says that, while conditions on 12   
   and 10 meters will pick up as they always do in the fall, F2 propagation on   
   those bands will decline thereafter, with only sporadic E during the summer   
   months as a possible saving grace. On the other hand, the lower bands -- 160,   
   80, and 40 meters -- should be good going forward, and 20 and 17 meters will   
   be the mainstays of daylight HF propagation. Luetzelschwab offered these   
   observations during an August 23 World Wide Radio Operators Foundation   
   (WWROF)-sponsored webinar "Solar Topics -- Where We're Headed." He said data   
   suggest that Solar Cycle 24, the current solar cycle, will bottom out in 2020,   
   and he advised that radio amateurs may need to lower their expectations on the   
   higher bands (and 6 meters) looking beyond that.   
      
   "I think the only conclusion we can make with some confidence is that we are   
   headed for some small cycles," he told his audience. He cited various evidence   
   related to the Sun's polar fields -- which appear to be decreasing in   
   strength, A index trends, and cosmic ray data to support his assertion.   
   Luetzelschwab cautioned, however, that past performance does not necessarily   
   predict future performance.   
      
   "There seems to be a good correlation between how long a solar minimum is and   
   the next solar cycle," said Luetzelschwab. "The longer you spend at solar   
   minimum, the smaller the next cycle."   
      
   He observed that hams active since the 1950s and 1960s have experienced short   
   inter-cycle solar minimums of approximately 2 years, until the one between   
   Solar Cycle 23 and Solar Cycle 24, which lasted about 4 years. He also allowed   
   that the science is not fully understood, and that some things appearing to be   
   patterns may just be coincidences.   
      
   On the other hand, he said, it looks like the downward trend of disappearing   
   sunspots has leveled off, suggesting that Solar Cycle 25 may see a lower   
   smoothed sunspot number as opposed to zero or near-zero sunspots.   
      
   Counting those sunspots can be a subjective business. "That's a tough job," he   
   said of the task, noting that it appears observer bias also has been a factor   
   over the years, affecting historical sunspot data. "We now have new corrected   
   data that are believed to be more accurate."   
      
   Luetzelschwab's article "The New Sunspot Numbers," appearing in the October   
   issue of QST, discusses the new sunspot numbers.   
      
   Luetzelschwab cited historical sunspot cycle data going back centuries --   
   including the "Maunder Minimum" of zero and near-zero sunspots between the   
   years 1645 and 1715 and a later, less-drastic "Dalton Minimum." He pointed out   
   that over the last 11,000 years, 19 notable grand maximums -- including Solar   
   Cycle 19 and the cycles around it -- and 27 notable grand minimums were   
   recorded. "We're likely to have more of both grand maximums and grand minimums   
   in the future," he predicted. The current system of numbering sunspot cycles   
   begins with Solar Cycle 1 in the mid-18th century.   
      
   "We don't fully understand the process inside the Sun that makes solar   
   cycles," Luetzelschwab said. "Thus, you should exercise caution with   
   statements seen in the news."   
      
      
      
   Lunar-Orbiting Ham Radio Satellite Could Result from NASA Cube Quest Challenge   
      
   A NASA Cube Quest Challenge (CQC) team partnered with AMSAT-NA is among the   
   five CQC teams to receive $20,000 each from the space agency as part of a   
   competition that could lead to a lunar-orbiting Amateur Radio satellite. The   
   Ragnarok Industries Nano-Satellite Company team, comprised of former NASA   
   Goddard Space Flight Center PhD engineering interns, is designing the 6-unit   
   (6U) Heimdallr CubeSat to test advanced propulsion and communication   
   technologies for lunar and deep-space missions.   
      
   AMSAT would develop the 5 GHz uplink/10 GHz downlink -- the so-called "five   
   and dime" paradigm -- Phase 5 Amateur Radio transponder for the spacecraft,   
   and AMSAT's Ground Terminal initiative is supporting the effort. The Heimdallr   
   team was among five teams to score highest in the first of four "ground   
   tournaments" (GT-1) making up the initial phase of the $5 million CQC,   
   although it missed out on another $30,000, because it was not among the top   
   scorers in the second ground tournament. The three teams with the highest   
   total cumulative scores will be offered rides as secondary   
   payloads on the first Space Launch System mission/Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1)   
   in 2018.   
      
   "Cube Quest is an opportunity for non-government CubeSat developers and   
   builders to compete in lunar orbit and deep space for accomplishments in   
   communications, navigation, and longevity," said CQC Competition Manager Jim   
   Cockrell of NASA's Ames Research Center. Cockrell likened a ground tournament   
   to a "mission concept review," where teams present initial spacecraft designs,   
   and no hardware is involved.   
      
   AMSAT P5 Project Manager Howie DeFelice, AB2S, said that at the end of the SLS   
   mission, AMSAT would take control of the satellite and operate it in lunar   
   orbit.   
      
   "This will be AMSAT's first P5 satellite," DeFelice said. "It will also be the   
   most advanced satellite since AO-40, even though it will be smaller than AO-10   
   and AO-13. At 6U it will be about the size of two reams of paper stacked   
   together." DeFelice said Ragnarok is in the running for a launch, "but it is   
   very competitive, and we are underdogs."   
      
   The ultimate goal of the competition is to send CubeSats into lunar orbit or   
   deep space. NASA is offering a total of $3 million in prizes in the "Lunar   
   Derby" portion of the competition -- both for being able to enter lunar orbit   
   and to meet communication and longevity goals.   
      
   The Heimdallr satellite -- named for a Norse deity -- plans to test advanced   
   propulsion and communication technology. According to information filed for   
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Satellite Frequency Coordination,   
   Heimdallr would be a 3-axis stabilized 6U CubeSat weighing approximately 8 kg.   
   It would have a cold-gas thruster and a star tracker for navigation.   
   Deployable, gimbaled solar panels would produce up to 100 W of dc power.   
   Electric propulsion will be used to achieve lunar orbit. The onboard   
   communication gear would use a combination of omnidirectional and   
   directional patch antennas on one side of the spacecraft.   
      
   The first part of the Heimdallr mission is to provide telemetry, tracking, and   
   command to obtain lunar orbit, the second is the data downlink experiment, and   
   the final component is to provide a two-way regenerative repeater and analog   
   repeater in lunar orbit for the lifetime of the satellite. The o   
   nidirectional, directional, and analog transponders would downlink in the 10   
   GHz band, while the uplinks would be in the vicinity of 5.6 GHz.   
      
   "Heimdallr will feature non-volatile and non-energetic electric propulsion to   
   reach lunar orbit," Ragnarok Industries explains on its website. "By not   
   having a pressurized vessel nor carrying dangerous chemicals, Heimdallr will   
   be one of the safest 6U CubeSats" aboard NASA's EM-1 Mission in 2018.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   "Coaxial Connectors" is the topic of the current (September 8) 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 on September 22: "Coping with the Solar Minimum."   
      
      
      
   National Parks on the Air Update   
      
   Two radio amateurs are putting on a real back-country adventure for ARRL's   
   National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program. Dave Swanson, KG5CCI, and Wyatt   
   Dirks, AC0RA, will be backpacking their way across the Channel Islands   
   National Park (NP11) over the September 16-18 weekend. Their primary goal is   
   to give out the park unit, along with the rare CM93 grid square, on Amateur   
   Radio satellites. The team will also have QRP HF and VHF/UHF terrestrial gear.   
   Swanson and Dirks both have extensive experience working the satellites under   
   portable conditions and have secured the special event call sign K6R for their   
   expedition. Detailed information is on the K6R QRZ.com page.   
      
   Thirty-eight other activations will take place between September 15-21,   
   including Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Maine, and the   
   Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. 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).   
      
      
      
   ARDF Team USA Enjoys Success in Bulgaria   
      
   Fifteen of the best on-foot hidden transmitter hunters in the US are back home   
   after picking up seven medals in the 18th World Amateur Radio Direction   
   Finding (ARDF) Championships and World Cup events in Bulgaria. As reported in   
   The ARRL Letter for September 1, Vadim Afonkin, KB1RLI, of Massachusetts,   
   earned a bronze medal in the M40 class of the 80 meter classic event during   
   the ARDF World Cup, an optional competition for individuals that preceded the   
   Championships. Alla Mezhevaya of Illinois won silver in the World Cup 2 meter   
   classic competition in the W35 class.   
      
   In the September 1 World Cup sprint event, Afonkin took gold in the M40   
   category, while Team USA Captain Ruth Bromer, WB4QZG, of North Carolina, took   
   bronze in the W60 category. The next day, she won a second bronze medal in the   
   foxoring event.   
      
   On September 8 during the World Championship events for national teams,   
   Afonkin won an individual bronze medal on a 5.85 kilometer 2 meter classic   
   course, finishing in 1:11:52. Bromer and Karla Leach, KC7BLA, took home a team   
   bronze medal that same day in the W60 category, on a 4.25 kilometer 80 meter   
   classic course.   
      
   More than 400 competitors representing 39 nations took to the courses near   
   Varna, a popular resort on the Black Sea coast. Competitors were divided into   
   six age categories for men and five for women, in accordance with rules   
   established by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).   
      
   Team USA team members included nine men and six women from eight states,   
   ranging in age from 26 to 74. They qualified for the team owing to their   
   excellent performance in the 2016 USA ARDF Championships in Texas and the 2015   
   USA ARDF Championships in Colorado.   
      
   Visit the Homing In website of ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding   
   Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, for more information on ARDF.   
      
      
      
   ARRL Honors Veteran Section Manager Upon Her Retirement   
      
   Retiring ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, was honored on   
   September 10 at the New England Division Convention in Boxboro, Massachusetts,   
   for her many years of service. At the Convention's ARRL Forum, New England   
   Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, presented a plaque to Doane, who is   
   believed to be the dean of the current roster of Section Managers by dint of   
   her 25 years of continuous service in that post. She decided this year not to   
   seek another term of office.   
      
   "Betsey has been a true pleasure to work with over the years she has been   
   Section Manager," Frenaye said afterward. "She seems to know almost every ham   
   in Connecticut and usually has a story to tell about them. As a former   
   professor, she knows how to work with students and volunteers and developed a   
   great Field Organization team. I know she'll continue to contribute after she   
   retires."   
      
   Doane was first appointed as Connecticut's SM in December 1991, after the   
   resignation of Caesar Rondina, N1DCS. She has been elected and re-elected as   
   Connecticut Section Manager continuously ever since. Her current term of   
   office concludes on September 30, and Chuck Motes, K1DFS, will succeed her.   
   Doane said she has enjoyed her time as SM.   
      
   Doane's plaque -- in print and in Braille -- recognizes her "25 years of   
   dedicated and honorable service" as Connecticut SM. Frenaye and New England   
   Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, signed the plaque.   
      
   In addition to her quarter-century as Connecticut SM, Doane served the ARRL   
   Field Organization as Connecticut Section Traffic Manager from 1982 through   
   1991. She has remained very active in the ARRL National Traffic System(TM) and   
   especially in the NTS(TM) Eastern Area. She is currently daytime cycle manager   
   of the First Region Net.   
      
   She continues to hold an appointment as an Official Relay Station and has been   
   an ORS for nearly as long as she has been a radio amateur. Betsey Doane and   
   her twin sister Barb Lombardi, K1EIR, were licensed in 1958, and both began   
   handling message traffic soon after. She has been an Official Emergency   
   Station since April 2010.   
      
   Doane not only has the longest tenure among current SMs, she is in the Top 5   
   of all SMs and SCMs (Section Communication Managers) past and present in terms   
   of years of service, ARRL Field Organization Team Supervisor Steve Ewald,   
   WV1X, said. (The SCM/SM with the longest tenure in recent ARRL history was Bob   
   Summers, K0BXF [SK], who headed the Kansas Section for 40 years -- from 1965   
   until 1995.)   
      
      
      
   Radio Club of America Announces 2016 Awards, Fellows   
      
   Several radio amateurs were among the 2016 Radio Club of America (RCA) award   
   recipients and Fellows. Winners will be honored at RCA's 107th Banquet &   
   Awards Presentation on November 18 in New York City. The awards spotlight   
   outstanding achievements in the field of wireless communication. The 2016   
   award winners are:   
      
   Armstrong Medal: Morgan E. O'Brien for outstanding achievement and lasting   
   contributions to the radio arts and sciences and wireless communication.   
      
   Sarnoff Citation: William T. Murphy, W0RSJ, for exceptional contributions of a   
   technical or non-technical nature to the advancement of electronic   
   communication.   
      
   Lifetime Achievement Award: Joseph H. Taylor, K1JT, recognizing his   
   significant achievements and a major body of work accomplished over a lifetime   
   that has advanced the art and science of radio and wireless technology.   
      
   Henri Busignies Memorial Award: Mischa Schwartz for achievements in the field   
   of communication equipment and contributions to the advancement of electronics   
   for the benefit of humanity.   
      
   Fred M. Link Award: Dan Clark, W9VV, for notable achievements in land mobile   
   radio communication.   
      
   Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award: Stanley Reubenstein, WA6RNU, for unique   
   contributions to the field of Amateur Radio.   
      
   Edgar F. Johnson Pioneer Award: John S. Oblak, in recognition of noteworthy   
   contributions to the success of RCA or to the radio industry.   
      
   Ralph Batcher Memorial Award: Marc F. Ellis, N9EWJ, for significant work in   
   preserving the history of radio and electronic communication.   
      
   Frank A. Gunther Award: Robert A. Rude, K0RAR, for his dedication to the field   
   of military communication.   
      
   Vivian A. Carr Award: Mercy S. Contreras, to recognize outstanding   
   achievements by a woman in the wireless industry.   
      
   President's Award: John E. Dettra Jr, WB4NBF, for unselfish dedication to the   
   work of the Radio Club of America.   
      
   Elevation to Fellow is made by nomination only to members in good standing for   
   at least the previous 5 years and whose contributions to the art and science   
   of radio communication, broadcasting, or the Radio Club of America are deemed   
   outstanding. The 2016 RCA Fellows are Robert J. Hobday, N2EVG; James H.   
   Kreuzer, N2GHD; Robert E. LaRose, W6ACU; W. Brent Lee; Andrew C. Maxymillian;   
   Stephanie McCall; Thomas L. Morrow; Edward F. O'Connor; Sandra J. Wendelken,   
   and Walt Stinson, W0CP, a former ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director.   
      
      
      
   In Brief...   
      
   Former Radio Amateurs of Canada President Patrick Doherty, VE3PD, SK: Past   
   Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) President Patrick G. Doherty, VE3PD, of   
   Murillo, Ontario, died on September 5. He was 81. Doherty was licensed in 1974   
   and enjoyed taking ham radio along on trips to such disparate locations as   
   Siberia and the South Pacific. -- Thanks to Lee Hatfield, K2HAT   
      
      
   RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Set for March 2017: AMSAT has announced that the launch   
   of RadFxSat/Fox-1B has been rescheduled for March 16, 2017. RadFxSat will ride   
   as one of the NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIV secondary   
   payloads aboard a NASA Delta II launch from Vandenberg AFB in California. The   
   RadFxSat mission is a partnership with Vanderbilt Institute for Space and   
   Defense Electronics (ISDE) that will study space radiation effects on   
   commercial off-the-shelf memory. The experiments are carried aboard the AMSAT   
   Fox-1B CubeSat, and experiment data will be transmitted via the sub-audible   
   telemetry stream of the Fox-1B FM repeater along with the CubeSat telemetry   
   data. The telemetry can be decoded and displayed with the AMSAT FoxTelem   
   software. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via AMSAT Vice President-Engineering   
   Jerry Buxton, N0JY   
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the September 8-14 reporting week, the   
   average daily sunspot number rose from 46.4 to 50.1, and average daily solar   
   flux declined from 95.1 to 88.9. This is just the opposite of what occurred   
   the previous week, when sunspot numbers declined and solar flux rose.   
   Normally, we would expect solar flux and sunspot numbers to track one another.   
      
   Geomagnetic indicators were very quiet, with the average daily planetary A   
   index declining from 26.6 to 6.7, and the mid-latitude A index dipping from   
   18.1 to 6.1.   
      
   The latest NOAA/USAF forecast has solar flux at 85 on September 15-17; 80 on   
   September 18-19; 75 on September 20-24; 72, 78, and 80 on September 25-27; 78   
   on September 28-30; 82 on October 1-2; 80 on October 3-7; 82, 86, and 82 on   
   October 8-10; 80 on October 11-12; 75 on October 13-14; 70 on October 15-16,   
   and 75 on October 17-21.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 15-17; 5, 18, 20, 12, and 10 on   
   September 18-22; 5 on September 23-25; 15, 8, 38, 40, and 42 on September   
   26-30; 30, 18, 15, 12, and 10 on October 1-5; 5 on October 6-8; 15 on October   
   9; 8 on October 10-11; 5 on October 12-13; 12 on October 14-16; 15 and 10 on   
   October 17-18, and 5 on October 18-22.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for September 8 through 14 were 49, 65, 66, 63, 57, 27, and   
   24, with a mean of 46.4. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 94.5, 91, 93, 86.4,   
   86.5, 86, and 85.2, with a mean of 95.1. Estimated planetary A indices were   
   14, 5, 5, 4, 6, 5, and 8, with a mean of 26.6. Estimated mid-latitude A   
   indices were 12, 6, 4, 3, 6, 4, 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 16 -- AGB NEMIGA Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 17 -- QRP Afield (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 17 -- Feld Hell Sprint   
    *  September 17-18 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 17-18 -- SARL VHF/UHF Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 17-18 -- All Africa International DX Contest (CW, phone,   
       digital)   
    *  September 17-18 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)   
    *  September 17-18 -- New Jersey QSO Party (CW, phone)   
    *  September 17-18 -- New Hampshire QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 17-18 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  September 18 -- North American Sprint (RTTY)   
    *  September 18 -- BARTG Sprint 75   
    *  September 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)   
    *  September 19 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone)   
    *  September 22 -- NAQCC CW Sprint   
      
   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 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   
      
   ... "Cooling Trend Continues" - The Pangaea Times, Dinosaurs   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)