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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2017-02-02   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   February 2, 2017   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Connecticut Radio Amateur Endows ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio   
       Initiative   
    *  Another Outstanding Year for Amateur Radio Licensing!   
    *  Transcontinental Relay Recreated for 100th Anniversary Commemoration   
    *  The Doctor Will See You Now!   
    *  NPOTA Participation Leads to Inaugural Communication Detail for National   
       Park Service   
    *  AM Rally Set for April 1-3 -- No Fooling!   
    *  Shopping for Valentine's Day? ARRL Would Love your Support via   
       AmazonSmile   
    *  Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, is Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Essay Contest   
       Winner   
    *  New Rookie Roundup Rules Will Mean More Rookies on the Air:   
    *  Veteran Volunteer Examiner Lauded for his Dedication   
    *  New York Marathon, Running Luminary Allan Steinfeld, W2TN, SK   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Getting It Right!   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions   
      
      
   Connecticut Radio Amateur Endows ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative   
      
   A generous donation from Dr. Ed Snyder, W1YSM, of Wallingford, Connecticut,   
   will endow a fund to support the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative   
   (CARI). Snyder also has provided an additional contribution of "seed money" to   
   help get the initiative off the ground. Snyder said that he hopes the "W1YSM   
   Snyder Family Collegiate Amateur Radio Endowment Fund" will lead to the   
   development of a national network of college Amateur Radio clubs under the   
   aegis of ARRL and set up ways for these clubs to stay in close contact and   
   communicate on the air, in meetings, and through other activities.   
      
   "College Amateur Radio activities can provide the ideal bridge between   
   youthful interest in the subject and life-long participation in our   
   community," ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, said. "Dr. Snyder, through his   
   generosity, has provided foundational funding for this important mission."   
      
   Gallagher recently wrote about collegiate Amateur Radio in a QST editorial,   
   "Sis-Boom-Bah," which appeared in the December 2016 issue of QST.   
      
   Although he didn't become a ham until fairly recently, Snyder said he   
   developed an interest in Amateur Radio as a teenager; his father and his uncle   
   were involved with the retail side of radio -- his dad, Jack, worked at Allied   
   and Lafayette, and his uncle, Ben Snyder, W2SOH (SK), was an executive at New   
   York City's Harrison Radio.   
      
   "My first radio was a Hallicrafters S-38E," Snyder told ARRL. "I could not put   
   up an antenna to transmit, so I occupied myself as a SWL." Later, he got into   
   collecting vintage and antique radios.   
      
   "Last year while working at the Yale Medical School, James Surprenant, AB1DQ   
   -- a Yale colleague -- came to my office and noticed the antique radios.   
   Twenty minutes later I had found my elusive Elmer," Snyder recounted.   
      
   Within a few months, Snyder had earned his Technician, General, and Amateur   
   Extra tickets, and he became a Volunteer Examiner and traded his first call   
   sign, KC1FCJ, for W1YSM (Yale School of Medicine). Soon, he found himself as   
   secretary/treasurer and net control station of the once-inactive, but now   
   newly reinvigorated, Yale Amateur Radio Club (W1YU), as well as the chair of   
   the Meriden (Connecticut) Amateur Radio Club Activities Committee.   
      
   "I have an awful lot of lost time to make up for," Snyder said wistfully.   
      
   Snyder said he wanted to give something tangible back to Amateur Radio and to   
   honor his family members' prominent association with Amateur Radio. "The idea   
   of setting up an endowment through ARRL seemed like a perfect solution," he   
   said. "I want to focus on collegiate Amateur Radio and hope that the W1YSM   
   Snyder Family Collegiate Amateur Radio Endowment will help ARRL focus some of   
   its efforts on getting college club stations back on the air and active.   
   Amateur Radio needs to have a bigger impact in this age of cell phones and   
   digital communications."   
      
   Snyder, an M.D. and a professor of laboratory medicine at Yale, said he   
   believes his father and his uncle would be pleased to know how active he's   
   become in Amateur Radio. "This may be my hobby, but it is their contributions   
   to an earlier era of radio that I hope to commemorate," he said.   
      
   Visit the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative (CARI) Facebook page to   
   learn more and become involved.   
      
      
      
   Another Outstanding Year for Amateur Radio Licensing!   
      
   Last year -- 2016 -- was another outstanding one for Amateur Radio licensing,   
   says ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM.   
      
   "New Amateur Radio licenses issued were up by 1% over 2015, and this is the   
   third year in a row that the total number of new licenses has exceeded   
   30,000," Somma reported. She said 32,552 were granted in 2016, 32,077 in 2015,   
   and 33,241 in 2014.   
      
   Somma said that while 2014 was a record-setting year for new licenses issued,   
   ARRL VEC "continues to see an elevated interest in obtaining an Amateur Radio   
   license."   
      
   The overall trend continues to be up, up, up! The total number of US Amateur   
   Radio licensees has continued to grow each year since the FCC eliminated the   
   Morse code exam requirement in 2007. Over the past decade, the net number of   
   Amateur Radio licensees has risen by nearly 87,000, according to statistics   
   compiled by ARRL Pacific Section Manager Joe Speroni, AH0A.   
      
   As of December 31, 2016, the total number of licensees in the FCC database was   
   742,787, topping the 2015 total of 735,405, but down just slightly from the   
   all-time high of 743,003 reached last November.   
      
   Somma said license upgrades were down by 5% compared to 2015 -- 10,617 versus   
   11,224. "A new Amateur Extra class [question] pool took effect on July 1,   
   2016, which may have impacted upgrade totals in the second half of the year,"   
   she speculated.   
      
   As of December 31, according to figures compiled by Speroni, there were   
   143,337 Amateur Extra licensees, 45, 071 Advanced licensees, 172,807 General   
   licensees, 371,560 Technician licensees, and 10,012 Novice licensees. The FCC   
   no longer issues Advanced and Novice class licenses. The General and   
   Technician licensee totals at the end of last year were all-time highs, and   
   the Amateur Extra total was nearly so.   
      
      
      
   Transcontinental Relay Recreated for 100th Anniversary Commemoration   
      
   A cross-country, station-hopping relay this month recreated the January 27,   
   1917, route of the first formal Amateur Radio transcontinental message traffic   
   bound for ARRL Headquarters. This method of traffic handling is in the DNA of   
   the then-nascent national organization for Amateur Radio's name -- American   
   Radio Relay League.   
      
   Kent Trimble, K9ZTV, organized the January 27 commemoration, in which a   
   message originating at W6UE, the Caltech club station in Los Angeles, hopped   
   to K8ZTT in Denver; to W9ABD in Jefferson City, Missouri; to KT2D in Albany,   
   New York, and finally to W1AW. The message was addressed to ARRL CEO Tom   
   Gallagher, NY2RF. The commemorative event took place on 160 meters, as it was   
   the band closest to the 200-meter wavelength used for the original   
   accomplishment.   
      
   "The spirits of 6EA 9ZF 9ABD 2AGJ and 1ZM send commemorative greetings on the   
   100th anniversary of first transcontinental relay of formal message traffic   
   73," read the message, which included the call signs and locations of the   
   stations involved in the relay.   
      
   As Trimble reported, the message originated at W6UE at 0801 UTC and followed   
   the same path of the 1917 message relay. "Despite deep QSB, persistence paid   
   off with Bob Dillon, KT2D, confirming receipt before completing the route to   
   W1AW at approximately 0930 UTC," Trimble recounted. That was 4:30 AM in   
   Connecticut.   
      
   "Great work, all, especially W9ABD's patience working through the QSB and QRN   
   on the long Jefferson City-to-Albany leg," Dillon said. W1AW Station Manager   
   Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, reported that copy on KT2D was fair, with some troublesome   
   noise and fading.   
      
   In 1917, two messages originated by the Seefred brothers to ARRL President   
   Hiram Percy Maxim, and one from Lindley Winser to ARRL Co-Founder Clarence   
   Tuska were relayed from 6EA in Los Angeles to Capt. W.H. Smith, 9ZF, in   
   Denver, to Willis P. Corwin, 9ABD, in Jefferson City, to Kenneth Hewitt, 2AGJ,   
   in Albany, and finally to Maxim's 1ZM in Hartford, Connecticut. The routing   
   for this month's commemorative event was identical to that of a century   
   earlier.   
      
   The very first effort to move formal message traffic via Amateur Radio from   
   coast to coast, on January 4, 1917, "was broken up by static," according to an   
   account in Two Hundred Meters and Down, by Amateur Radio historian Clinton   
   DeSoto, W9KL.   
      
   DeSoto said the January 27, 1917, triumph, in which three messages were   
   relayed across the US, was topped a few days later on February 6, when a piece   
   of traffic originating on the east coast made its way to the west coast, with   
   a reply reaching the east coast all within 1 hour and 20 minutes.   
      
   "This marks the first real Amateur Radio communication with a definite   
   address," noted an article, "Trans-continental Traffic Begins," that trumpeted   
   the January 27, 1917, accomplishment in the April 1917 issue of QST. "We are   
   told that broadcast messages have been put across [the country] before, but it   
   is an altogether different thing to get something across by luck, trusting to   
   any station who may happen to hear it, and to handle a message to a definite   
   address through definite relay stations."   
      
   In 2007, the Mid-Missouri Amateur Radio Club in Jefferson City, Missouri,   
   observed the 90th anniversary of that historic night with a special event   
   honoring the then-teenaged Willis P. Corwin, 9ABD, the operator at that second   
   point in the relay in 1917. Today, W9ABD is the call sign of the Corwin   
   Heritage Amateur Radio Club in Jefferson City.   
      
   "We set up within feet of his original spark-gap shack," Trimble recounted in   
   a 2008 Electric Radio article. "The mayor of Jefferson City dedicated a plaque   
   on that site in his memory." Corwin died in 1959, on the 42nd anniversary of   
   the January 27, 1917 milestone.   
      
      
      
   The Doctor Will See You Now!   
      
   "Meteor Scatter" is the topic of the latest (January 26) 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: "AM and SSB."   
      
      
      
   NPOTA Participation Leads to Inaugural Communication Detail for National Park   
   Service   
      
   Jeff Dahn, KB3ZUK, of Rockville, Maryland, activated every available NPOTA   
   unit in the Washington, DC, area during the year-long National Parks on the   
   Air (NPOTA) program. That, and his prior DC-area law enforcement experience,   
   gave him a leg up to snag a gig during the presidential inauguration and the   
   Women's March on Washington as a radio operator for the National Park Service   
   (NPS). Dahn, an ARRL member, spent 32 hours over the course of 3 days as a   
   volunteer, operating park service radios from NPS Headquarters.   
      
   "I was invited to serve as a communications officer during the inauguration at   
   the NPS Incident Command Post at their Headquarters facility as a direct   
   result from participating in NPOTA," Dahn told ARRL.   
      
   NPS Eastern Incident Management Team Communications Officer Gary Shipley,   
   N5GQD, said Dahn was a quick study. "He handled announcements, dispatching,   
   trouble calls, and requests for assistance on four radio nets with ease,"   
   Shipley said. "He also handled equipment issues. He provided timely and   
   valuable assistance and his participation was key to the success of the   
   mission."   
      
   In appreciation, NPS gave Dahn a reflective service vest, scarf, and hat, plus   
   he got to meet the NPS's Acting Director, Michael Reynolds.   
      
   Dahn said the climate-controlled, access-restricted environment was a far cry   
   from his first presidential inauguration experience on January 20, 1993, while   
   serving as a law enforcement officer. "I remember standing at parade rest for   
   what seemed like hours on the parade route between the crowd and the street,   
   facing the crowd, not the procession, while hungry and freezing," he recounted.   
      
   On his second day, Saturday, January 21, Dahn was up very, very early, and   
   involved with "coordinating planning with local point folks involved with the   
   Women's March on Washington (WMW)." Just elected president of the HacDC   
   Amateur Radio Club, Dahn was able to give the okay for his club's W3HAC   
   facility to serve as the net control station site for Amateur Radio operators   
   helping those arriving for the march. "[T]hat facilitated another connection   
   between the NPS Dispatch Center HQS Incident Command Post and the volunteer   
   Amateur Radio NCS, who were both communicating and working with their stations   
   in the field as the 'boots on the ground' on both sides of the equation!" Dahn   
   observed.   
      
   Art Feller, W4ART, was the primary NCS at W3HAC. "We did what hams do best --   
   communicate messages clearly and accurately between WMW leaders and key staff   
   members," Feller told ARRL.   
      
   Dahn said radio amateurs "were, at several times, the only working   
   communication link between organizers, marshals, volunteers, and marchers."   
      
   Dahn said it was an honor and a privilege to serve as a volunteer. "It was   
   amazing to have been given the chance to participate and to have been so   
   closely involved with such an amazing event," he told ARRL.   
      
   "Dahn's participation in a formal NPS communications event has helped to   
   strengthen further the ties between the NPS and the Amateur Radio community,"   
   ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, said.   
      
      
      
   AM Rally Set for April 1-3 -- No Fooling!   
      
   Ever wonder what that "AM" button is for on your transceiver? Well, if you   
   don't know about full-carrier amplitude modulation (AM) or have never used it   
   on the air, you'll get the chance during the AM Rally, April 1-3, on the HF   
   bands between 160 and 10 meters (except 30, 17, and 12 meters) plus 6 meters.   
      
   Amateur Radio voice-mode transmissions on the HF bands into the 1960s were AM,   
   the same mode that used to predominate in radio broadcasting. Single-sideband   
   (SSB), a form of AM, gradually took over the bands, although not without some   
   pushback! Today, a group of dedicated radio amateurs keep the magic flame   
   alive, getting on AM frequently, and for many of them, AM is their primary   
   operating mode. The AM Rally gives the uninitiated a chance to dip a toe into   
   the pool, so to speak.   
      
   A cooperative event organized by AM, SSB, and, yes, even CW operators, the AM   
   Rally aims to encourage fellow operators to take this "sister mode" for a   
   spin, make a few contacts, and have a shot at earning some nice certificates.   
      
   "We plan to make the AM Rally fun for everyone, but we also want to help ops   
   who might be new to the mode get their rigs set up and sounding the best they   
   can in time for the event," said Clark Burgard, N1BCG, who is spearheading the   
   event with Steve Cloutier, WA1QIX, and Brian Kress, KB3WFV. "Whether your rig   
   is software defined, solid state, vacuum tube, hybrid, homebrew, or broadcast   
   surplus, you'll be a welcome part of the AM Rally."   
      
   The event website has complete AM Rally details, contact information, award   
   categories, logging, and tips on how to get the most out of your station   
   equipment in AM mode.   
      
   The AM Rally begins on Saturday, April 1 at 0000 UTC (Friday, March 31, in US   
   time zones) and concludes at 0000 UTC on Monday, April 3.   
      
   It's open to all radio amateurs capable of transmitting full-carrier AM, using   
   any type of equipment, from vintage to bleeding edge. The event is sponsored   
   by Radio Engineering Associates (REA), in cooperation with ARRL, which   
   supports all modes of Amateur Radio operation.   
      
   If you like to get on the air and have fun and now operate -- or would like to   
   operate -- AM mode, then you're good to go!   
      
   Participating stations earn 1 point for each station worked per band, and you   
   may work the same station on more than one band. They also earn 1 point for   
   each state, Canadian province/territory, or DXCC entity worked. Both stations   
   must be using AM for a contact to count.   
      
   Certificates will be awarded to stations scoring the highest number of points   
   in each of the five power classes, regardless of rig category, both for most   
   contacts and most states/provinces.   
      
   "All it takes is a turn, push, or click to participate!" There's also plenty   
   of time to dig out and dust off that old AM-capable tube gear sitting in your   
   attic or basement.   
      
      
      
   Shopping for Valentine's Day? ARRL Would Love your Support via AmazonSmile   
      
   Valentine's Day is Tuesday, February 14. There's still time to find your loved   
   ones the perfect gift. Buy your Valentine's Day gifts at AmazonSmile, and   
   Amazon will make a donation to ARRL!   
      
   This helps the League to extend its reach in public service, advocacy,   
   education, technology, and membership.   
      
   Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for Valentine's Day,   
   including electronics, jewelry, clothing, and more. Bookmark ARRL's link and   
   support Amateur Radio and ARRL every time you shop. You shop. Amazon gives.   
      
   New to AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you already know, with the   
   same products, prices, and service. Visit AmazonSmile and log in to your   
   Amazon account, or, if you're new to Amazon, create an account.   
      
      
      
   Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, is Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Essay Contest Winner   
      
   Twelve-year-old Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, of New Orleans, is the winner of The   
   Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) essay contest. Not only did he receive a   
   transceiver, 50 feet of coax, a power supply, and a vertical antenna, he'll be   
   headed to Costa Rica this summer to take part in the YDXA DXpedition.   
      
   YDXA co-founder Todd Dubon, KD4YHY, made the award presentation at the January   
   26 meeting of the Jefferson Amateur Radio Club -- Bryant's home club.   
      
   Bryant got his license in May 2015, after being introduced into Amateur Radio   
   through the Boy Scouts Radio Merit Badge program. He's chasing DXCC on phone   
   and is a budding CW contester.   
      
   Applications are still being accepted for team members for the August 3-8 YDXA   
   trip. These will also be available at YDXA's Hamvention(R) booth in May.   
      
      
      
   New Rookie Roundup Rules Will Mean More Rookies on the Air:   
      
   Changes to the rules for Rookie Roundup will make it possible for more radio   
   amateurs to qualify for the "Rookie" category. Rookie Roundup is a 6-hour   
   operating event aimed at radio amateurs licensed for 3 years or less.   
   Operators first licensed in 2015, 2016, or 2017 already qualify as Rookies for   
   the next Rookie Roundup, which will be the SSB event on April 17, 1800-2359   
   UTC.   
      
   Starting with the SSB event in April, operators licensed before 2015 may enter   
   as Rookies if they made their first Amateur Radio contact during 2015, 2016 or   
   2017 -- or if they have never before made a contact using the mode of the   
   upcoming Rookie Roundup (i.e., SSB for April, RTTY for August, and CW for   
   December). These operators should send 2017 in their exchange, and those   
   qualifying for either of these reasons will be Rookies only for 1 year.   
      
   Rookie Roundup is the third Sunday in April (SSB), August (RTTY), and December   
   (CW). Stations send the year they were first licensed as part of the exchange.   
   Rookies attempt to make as many contacts as possible and may work everyone.   
   Non-Rookies may only work Rookies. Mentoring is a big part of this event,   
   multioperator teams can compete, and veteran operators are encouraged to   
   participate!   
      
      
      
   Veteran Volunteer Examiner Lauded for his Dedication   
      
   Mel Fukunaga, KH6H, of Wailuku on the Hawaiian island of Maui has been a   
   volunteer examiner with the ARRL VEC since its inception in 1984, becoming   
   accredited with the ARRL VEC in September of that year.   
      
   "For the past 32 years, Mel has faithfully conducted three exam sessions on   
   average every year," said ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. "The VEC   
   appreciates his dedication and service to the Amateur Radio community in   
   Hawaii."   
      
   On December 2, Fukunaga, an ARRL Life Member, administered his 100th exam   
   session, and the Maui Amateur Radio Club honored his long-term dedication to   
   Amateur Radio licensing on Maui by presenting him with an engraved bowl.   
   Fukunaga heads the island's VE team, which administers ham radio examinations   
   three times a year -- in April, August, and December. For many years, Fukunaga   
   served as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) District Emergency   
   Coordinator on Maui.   
      
      
      
   New York Marathon, Running Luminary Allan Steinfeld, W2TN, SK   
      
   Former New York City Marathon Race Director Allan Steinfeld, W2TN, of Bowers,   
   Pennsylvania -- considered a founding father of the modern running movement --   
   died on January 24. He was 70.   
      
   "Allan was one of the great pioneers in road race administration, developing   
   many of the protocols required for a successful big-time event," said Dave   
   Katz, the technical director for the International Association of Athletics   
   Federations (IAAF), USA Track & Field, and many marathons, in a Runner's World   
   obituary.   
      
   Amateur Radio has had a significant role in supporting New York City Marathon   
   communications since the 1970s.   
      
   An ARRL member, Steinfeld was licensed in 1959. He had held the call signs   
   WA2IUQ and KL7HIR over the years, and chose W2TN after upgrading to Amateur   
   Extra.   
      
   Steinfeld got to know legendary New York City Marathon Director Fred Lebow in   
   the early years of the event, joining the New York Road Runners Club, as it   
   was then known, serving as race timekeeper, eventually becoming Lebow's   
   assistant, and, in 1994, its president and CEO. He stepped down in 2005 for   
   health reasons.   
      
      
      
   The K7RA Solar Update   
      
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the January February 26-February 1   
   reporting week, the average daily sunspot number declined 21.1 points to 31.6,   
   compared to the previous 7 days. The average daily planetary A index increased   
   from 8 to 15.6, and the average mid-latitude A index rose 5 points to 11.4.   
      
   Predicted solar flux is 76 on February 2-3; 75 on February 4; 76 on February   
   5-6; 75 on February 7-9; 77 on February 10-12; 78, 79, and 81 on February   
   13-15; 83 on February 16-18; 85 on February 19-21; 80 on February 22-24; 75   
   and 76 on February 25-26; 75 on February 27-March 1; 74 on March 2-3; 72 on   
   March 4-5; 75 and 76 on March 6-7, and 77 on March 8-11.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index is 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, and 8 on February 2-7; 5 on   
   February 8-13; 15 on February 14; 10 on February 15-16; 8 on February 17-18; 5   
   on February 19-21; 10 and 15 on February 22-23; 10 on February 24-26; 25, 20,   
   and 18 on February 27-March 1; 15 on March 2-4; 10 and 8 on March 5-6, and 5   
   on March 7-12.   
      
   On January 30 at 2333 UTC, the Australian Space Forecast Centre warned of   
   enhanced geomagnetic activity due to a high-speed solar wind stream from a   
   coronal hole. Minor (G1) storms were predicted from January 31 until February   
   1.   
      
   The planetary A index on those days was 24 and 29, and high latitude A index   
   (Alaska) was 32 and 47. Mid-latitude A index was 16 and 19. The Centre   
   subsequently reported that the solar wind stream would keep geomagnetic   
   activity at enhanced levels for February 2, with minor (G1) storms.   
      
   Send me your reports or observations.   
      
      
      
   Getting It Right!   
      
   The article, "Second Annual Midwinter 630-Meter Activity Night Set for   
   February 4-5" in The ARRL Letter for January 26 contained erroneous date   
   information. The event will take place on February 5 UTC (Saturday, February   
   4, in North American time zones), although one Canadian participant plans to   
   begin activity at 2130 UTC on February 4.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
   Just Ahead in Radiosport   
      
    *  February 4 -- Minnesota QSO Party (CW, phone)   
    *  February 4 -- Triathlon DX Contest (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 4 -- FYBO Winter QRP Sprint (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 4 -- AGCW Straight Key Party (CW)   
    *  February 4 -- FISTS Winter Slow Speed Sprint (CW)   
    *  February 4-5 -- Vermont QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 4-5 -- British Columbia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
    *  February 4-5 -- 10-10 International Winter Contest (Phone)   
    *  February 4-5 -- Black Sea Cup International (CW, phone)   
    *  February 4-5 --F9AA Cup (CW)   
    *  February 4-5 -- Mexico RTTY International Contest   
    *  February 5 -- North American Sprint (CW)   
    *  February 7 -- ARS Spartan 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   
      
    *  January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi   
    *  January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico   
    *  February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Ft. Lauderdale,   
       Florida   
    *  February 4 -- South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South   
       Carolina   
    *  February 4 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia   
    *  February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention (HamCation), Orlando,   
       Florida   
    *  February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona   
    *  February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas   
    *  February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference,   
       Sarasota, Florida   
    *  February 25 -- New Mexico Tech Fest, Albuquerque, New Mexico   
    *  February 25 -- Vermont State Convention, South Burlington, Vermont   
    *  March 3-4 -- Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama   
    *  March 4 -- Arkansas State Convention, Russellville, Arkansas   
    *  March 10-11 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana   
    *  March 11 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska   
    *  March 18 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas   
    *  March 18 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference 2017, Redmond, Washington   
    *  March 24-25 -- Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas   
    *  March 31-April 1 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine   
    *  March 31-April 2 -- Nevada State Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada   
    *  April 7-8 -- OzarkCon QRP Conference, Branson, Missouri   
    *  April 15 -- Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina   
    *  Apr 21-23 -- International DX Convention, Visalia, California   
    *  April 21-23 -- Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho   
    *  April 22 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware   
    *  April 22 -- Aurora '17 Convention, White Bear Lake, Minnesota   
    *  Apr 22-23 -- Communications Academy XIX, Seattle, Washington   
    *  April 28-29 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference, Charlotte, North   
       Carolinia   
      
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
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