The ARRL Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
June 2, 2011
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive
Audio News
IN THIS ISSUE
- + Public Service: Central Massachusetts Experiences Rare Tornado,
Area Hams Hasten to Help
- + Public Service: ARES® Stands Down After Joplin Storms
- IARU News: ARRL Headquarters Hosts Overseas Visitors
- + On the Air: Gear Up for the ARRL June VHF QSO Party
- + On the Air: Join the USA ARDF Team in Albuquerque
- + On the Air: ARRL VHF/UHF Advisory Committee Seeks Input
- + FCC News: FCC Issues Citation to Illinois Company for Illegal
Marketing of Unauthorized Radio Frequency Devices
- + US District Court Dismisses Maine Amateur's Counterclaims
- ARRL Section News: New Section Manager Appointed in Santa Clara
Valley
- In the Shack: RadioShack Looking for Suggestions for DIY Parts
- Solar Update
- + Jim Talens, N3JT, Wins May QST Cover Plaque Award
- There's Still Time to Enter the 2011 ARRL Photo Contest!
- This Week on the Radio
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News
> + PUBLIC SERVICE: CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS EXPERIENCES RARE TORNADO,
AREA HAMS HASTEN TO HELP
At least two tornadoes touched down in Central Massachusetts late in
the afternoon on Wednesday, June 1. The storm pulverized or sheared off
the tops of roofs on Main Street in Springfield, a city of more than
150,000, located about 90 miles west of Boston. A debris-filled funnel
swept into downtown from the west, then swirled across the Connecticut
River, which runs through the city. Like their counterparts in Alabama
and Missouri who responded when storms hit those regions, hams in
Western Massachusetts volunteered their time and radios to the American
Red Cross the National Weather Service. Read more here
.
> + PUBLIC SERVICE: ARES® STANDS DOWN AFTER JOPLIN STORMS
Due to the end of the "search and recovery" mode after the EF5
tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri on Sunday, May 22, ARRL Missouri
Section Emergency Coordinator Ken Baremore, W0KRB, notified area hams
that all Amateur Radio communications from the Emergency Operations
Centers to the field operations have been stood down as of May 30.
According to Baremore, officials are now focusing on debris and
potential body part removal. "We do have some ARES® operators who are
scheduled, and we will continue to work with SATERN through the rest of
this week," he said. "I want to thank all of you who volunteered and
came to Joplin to help with communications, as well as those of you who
are still contacting me to see if additional help is needed." Read more
here
.
> IARU NEWS: ARRL HEADQUARTERS HOSTS OVERSEAS VISITORS
Where is Amateur Radio growing the fastest? The answer may surprise
you -- it's China. The enthusiasm of Chinese radio amateurs was very
much in evidence at ARRL Headquarters on Tuesday, May 24, when a dozen
amateurs from Beijing and Shanghai toured ARRL Headquarters. The group
-- which included representatives of Chinese AMSAT -- had attended the
Dayton Hamvention® the previous weekend, where a booth for the Radio
Association of China and its subsidiary, the Chinese Radio Amateur Club
(CRAC, pronounced SEE-rack), was a part of ARRL EXPO.
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, met with Zhu San
Bao, BY1CRA, Executive Vice Chairman of The Radio Association of China,
to hear about the evolution of Amateur Radio in China and to explain
ARRL operations in more detail. China is now represented in the
International Amateur Radio Union by the Chinese Radio Sports
Association (CRSA). CRAC has been established to cover all aspects of
Amateur Radio and is assuming some of the functions of the CRSA.
The Chinese guests capped a busy period of international activity at
ARRL HQ that began on Monday, May 16, with a visit by Gopal Madhavan,
VU2GMN, who is a Director of IARU Region 3, as well as President of the
Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI). The following day, two officers
of the Viet Nam Amateur Radio Club (VARC) -- Chairman Nguyen Minh Duc,
XV2REH, and President Nguyen Bac Ai, XV2A -- arrived to tour ARRL
Headquarters and to discuss their plans for hosting next year's IARU
Region 3 Conference.
All of these visitors included Dayton in their itineraries. While
the Hamvention always attracts many foreign visitors, the theme of this
year's event -- Global Friendship -- made their presence especially
appropriate. To mark the theme, the ARRL EXPO area included exhibits
representing, in addition to China and the IARU itself, four IARU
Member-Societies: Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (Germany), Japan Amateur
Radio League, Qatar Amateur Radio Society and Radio Society of Great
Britain. The Radio Amateurs of Canada booth was nearby, rounding out
our "global village."
> + ON THE AIR: GEAR UP FOR THE ARRL JUNE VHF QSO PARTY
Lots of RF will be generated on 6 meters and up the weekend of June
11-12 during the 2011 ARRL June VHF QSO Party. While many amateurs
think of the VHF+ bands as a "local" band for public service, emergency
communications or even a bit of fun on FM repeaters, weak-signal VHF+
enthusiasts know better. Even with a modest station, it's possible to
work hundreds, or even thousands of miles on the VHF bands during a
good opening.
ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is a big VHF enthusiast.
"In more than 25 years of Amateur Radio, weak-signal work on 6 and 2
meters remains the most fun and intriguing activity I do," he said.
"There is nothing like a good VHF opening. With its fun and interesting
propagation characteristics like sporadic-E, tropospheric ducting,
aurora and even meteor scatter and moonbounce, VHF offers QSO
opportunities that HF can never satisfy." Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: JOIN THE USA ARDF TEAM IN ALBUQUERQUE
The Annual USA Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF)
will take place in forests near Albuquerque, New Mexico from September
14-18, 2011. USA's national championships are being combined with the
IARU Region 2 Championships. According to ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe
Moell, K0OV, they are open to anyone of any age who can safely navigate
in the woods with handheld radio gear for several kilometers. Medals
will be awarded for the top three finishers on each band in 10 age
categories, six for males and four for females. A two day training camp
will precede the formal competitions.
Organizers of the 2011 championships are members of the Albuquerque
Amateur Radio Club and the New Mexico Orienteers, led by Jerry Boyd,
WB8WFK, and Mike Pendley, K5ATM. Registration is now open -- Moell said
that it is important for competitors to register early. The organizers
need an accurate head count and assurances that there will be
sufficient attendees. Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: ARRL VHF/UHF ADVISORY COMMITTEE SEEKS INPUT
The ARRL would like to encourage more participation in its several
VHF/UHF contests held each year. Many of the HF transceivers sold in
recent years include 50 MHz, and some also include the 144 and 432 MHz
bands with multi-mode capabilities. The question at hand is how can we
encourage more owners of such radios to utilize these bands and modes
to participate in VHF/UHF contests?
The ARRL VHF/UHF Advisory Committee (VUAC) has been asked to consider
this question, and to make recommendations to encourage, explore and
expand the ARRL VHF and UHF contests and other operating activities by
using the multi-band and multi-mode capabilities of modern transceivers
and related equipment.
The VUAC would like to ask the Amateur Radio community to provide their
comments and ideas for consideration.
Please send any comments or ideas you have on this matter to your ARRL
VUAC Division representative no later than July 1, 2011. A listing of
each Division's VUAC representative can be found at
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-staff-vuac-cac.
> + FCC NEWS: FCC ISSUES CITATION TO ILLINOIS COMPANY FOR ILLEGAL
MARKETING OF UNAUTHORIZED RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES
On June 2, the FCC issued a Citation to Gary L. Stanford -- doing
business as Spark Gap CB Shop in Lincoln, Illinois -- for "marketing in
the United States unauthorized radio frequency devices and external
radio frequency power amplifiers." This is in violation of section
302(b) of the Communications Act, and Sections 2.803(a)(1) (marketing
of radio frequency devices prior to equipment authorization) and
2.815(b) (external radio frequency power amplifiers) of the
Commission's rules.
On November 1, 2010, an agent from the FCC's Enforcement Bureau office
in Chicago visited the Spark Gap CB shop in Lincoln. According to the
Citation, the agent asked the clerk if the store had any amplifiers for
sale. The clerk showed the agent a display case with external radio
frequency power amplifiers for sale from several different
manufacturers. The clerk also suggested that the agent consider
purchasing a 10 meter Amateur Radio that is modified to operate on
frequencies in the 11 meter Citizen's Band. The clerk also showed the
agent a 10 meter Amateur Radio that was on display and operating on a
Citizen's Band frequency. Read more here
.
> + US DISTRICT COURT DISMISSES MAINE AMATEUR'S COUNTERCLAIMS
After two US Attorneys filed a Complaint in US District Court in
October 2010
against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN, for not responding appropriately to an
order that he pay a $21,000 fine for violating several sections of Part
97, Baxter filed many pro se motions. On May 23, the US District Court
in Maine released an Order
,
dismissing one of Baxter's motions, an amended counterclaim, on
multiple grounds.
The Court dismissed Baxter's claim for the following reasons: That the
counterclaim plaintiff [Baxter] does not have standing to file a civil
action against the government for its decision not to initiate a
prosecution; that this Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction
to review a Federal Communications Commission licensing decision, and
that the Federal Tort Claims Act does not authorize a civil suit based
on a governmental agency's alleged failure to perform its statutory
duty.
The fine had been levied, according to the Complaint, "for defendant's
willful and repeated violations of Sections 97.101(d) [commencing
transmissions on top of existing communications on 3.890 MHz] and
97.113(a)(3) [transmitting communications in which the station licensee
or control operator has a pecuniary interest] of the Commission's
Rules, and for the defendant's willful violation of Section 97.105(a)
[exercising control over station] and 97.113(b) [broadcasting] of the
Rules, and for failure to file requested information pursuant to an
Enforcement Bureau directive" [information in brackets added]. The
Complaint sought to force payment of the $21,000 fine along with a
filing fee and "such other and further relief as the Court deems just
and proper."
> ARRL SECTION NEWS: NEW SECTION MANAGER APPOINTED IN SANTA CLARA
VALLEY
Phil Steffora, K6TT, of Los Altos, California, was appointed as
Santa Clara Valley Section Manager on May 25. ARRL Membership and
Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment in
consultation with Pacific Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG.
Steffora's appointment extends through June 30, 2012. First licensed in
1998 as KF6PEQ, Steffora upgraded to General in 2006 and then Amateur
Extra in 2008. He has served as a Santa Clara Valley Assistant Section
Manager since January 2009, and was Vice President of the Northern
California DX Club (NCDXC ) from 2009-2011.
Steffora holds Worked All States, DXCC and other DX and contest
achievements. The Section's top ARRL Field Organization position has
been open since Bill Dale's, N2RHV, term of office concluded on June
30, 2010. Dale served as Section Manager of Santa Clara Valley for two
terms.
> IN THE SHACK: RADIOSHACK LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS FOR DIY PARTS
Back in the day, RadioShack was the first place many of us looked
for parts. QST construction projects routinely referenced RS part
numbers, and the Shack even sold 10 and 2 meter transceivers. What goes
around comes around, and RadioShack is now looking for input from us,
as members of the larger DIY community, on parts we'd like to see them
carry. There's a video
explaining what they're looking for, and a place to add comments.
> SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
" Cook, K7RA, reports: Last
week, we reported that it has been a long time since sunspot numbers
passed the 100 mark, but this week, that's exactly where the sunspot
numbers have been: On Tuesday, May 31, the daily sunspot number reached
a high of 132. The average daily sunspot numbers increased more than 55
points to 89.9, while the average solar flux rose nearly 20 points to
103.1. The latest forecast shows solar flux at 115 on June 2-3, 110 on
June 4-8, 105 on June 9-10, 100 on June 11-14, rising to 105 on June
15, and 110 on June 16-26. The planetary A index is predicted to be 10,
8, 10 and 8 on June 2-5, 5 on June 6-8. The next period of high
geomagnetic activity is projected for June 22-27, at 12, 22, 18, 18, 15
and 8. Geophysical Institute Prague sees unsettled to active conditions
June 3-4, unsettled June 5, quiet conditions June 6-7 and quiet to
unsettled June 8-9. Look for more information -- including a look at
the three month moving average for daily sunspot numbers, plus have a
peek ahead to Field Day conditions -- on the ARRL website on Friday,
June 3. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
. This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by Dream a Little Dream of Me
, as sung by
Mama Cass Elliot from The Mamas and The Papas
.
> + JIM TALENS, N3JT, WINS MAY QST COVER PLAQUE AWARD
The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for May is Jim Talens,
N3JT , for his article "An Emergency Backup Solar Power System. "
Congratulations Jim! The QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author
or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote
of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page
. Cast a ballot for your
favorite article in the June issue today.
> THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENTER THE 2011 ARRL PHOTO CONTEST!
Have you ever wanted to see a photo of yours in QST, the annual ARRL
Amateur Radio Calendar or another ARRL publication? Well, here's your
chance! If you're among the winners, not only will your photographic
skill be propagated far and wide, but we're offering $100 as the First
Prize. The winning photo and three runners-up will be published in QST.
All submitted photos will also be considered for the 2012 ARRL
Calendar.
- Deadline: Photos must be received at ARRL HQ by June 30, 2011.
- Subject: Must be directly related to Amateur Radio, and be in good
taste. Extra points will be awarded for photos showing folks having fun
with Amateur Radio. Photos will be judged on overall quality and
composition.
- Requirements: Digital images or color prints accepted. A digital
image printed on photo paper, however, doesn't work as well as a
high-resolution file attachment. Digital images should be high
resolution. A digital image up to 8 MB in size can be e-mailed to
upfront@arrl.org, subject line "2011 Photo Contest." An image may also
be burned to a CD and mailed to ARRL Photo Contest, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111. All entries must include caption information
describing where the photo was taken, along with a description of the
subject of the photo, as well as the names and call signs of any
persons shown. If you entered last year's contest, please do not resend
the same photo for this year's contest. One entry per person.
- Miscellaneous: The decisions of the judges -- composed of QST
editorial and production staff -- are final.
> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO
This week:
- June 3 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- June 4 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint
- June 5 -- 10-10 International Open Season PSK Contest
- June 4-5 -- Maritimes QSO Party; Alabama QSO Party; SEANET Contest
- June 7 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
Next week:
- June 10 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- June 11 -- Portugal Day Contest; Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB)
- June 11-12 -- DRCG Long Distance Contest (RTTY), VK Shires Contest;
CWops Mini-CWT Test; GACW WWSA CW DX Contest; REF DDFM 6 Meter Contest
- June 11-13 -- ARRL June VHF QSO Party
- June 12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprint
- June 15 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest
Branch page , the ARRL Contest Update
and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar for more
information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out
the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page
.
> UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS
- June 3-5 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac)
,
Seaside, Oregon; ARRL Wyoming State Convention
, Cheyenne,
Wyoming
- June 4 -- ARRL Atlantic Division Convention
,
Rochester, New York; ARRL East Bay Section Convention
, Berkeley,
California; ARRL Georgia State Convention
,
Marietta, Georgia
- June 10-11 -- ARRL National Convention
,
Plano, Texas
- June 11 -- ARRL Tennessee State Convention
, Knoxville,
Tennessee
- July 2 -- ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
,
Marysville, Pennsylvania
- July 15-17 -- ARRL Montana State Convention
,
Essex, Montana
- July 29-30 -- ARRL Oklahoma State Convention
,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here
.
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