The ARRL Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
August 11, 2011
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive
Audio News
IN THIS ISSUE
- + Propagation News: Solar Explosions Could Impact Earth
- + FCC News: Vanity Call Sign Fee to Go Up in September
- + ARRL VEC Team Attends National VEC Conference
- + On the Air: Attention RTTY Rookies -- The 2011 RTTY Rookie Roundup
Is Here!
- + On the Air: Go High for the 2011 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest
- Second Century Campaign Committee Meets in Newington
- General Class Q&A Now Available for Kindle
- Amateur Radio Technology: 30th Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital
Communications Conference Set for September
- + Malpelo DXpedition to Get Underway in January 2012
- Solar Update
- + RTTY DXCC Award Now Known as Digital DXCC Award
- + Former "World Above 50 MHz" Conductor Receives CSVHFS's President's
Award
- This Week on the Radio
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News
> + PROPAGATION NEWS: SOLAR EXPLOSIONS COULD IMPACT EARTH
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is keeping an
eye on a set of solar storms and explosions that could disrupt
satellite, telecommunications and electric equipment here on Earth in
the next few days. While activity had reportedly returned to somewhat
normal levels when solar winds calmed the morning of Monday, August 8,
another explosion at 0805 UTC on Tuesday, August 9 was three times
larger than the February 15 flare, which, until now, was the most
significant flare of Solar Cycle 24.
Given the location of the activity, any coronal mass ejection (CMEs)
from the flare would likely be directed away from Earth. As such, the
Space Weather Prediction Center is not forecasting "significant
Geomagnetic Storm activity," and the most recent storms should not
affect radio amateurs. But when a CME does hit the Earth's atmosphere
-- approximately 72 hours after exploding on the Sun -- the low bands
will be depressed and signals will be weaker the lower the frequency.
The absorption rate will be most severe on 160 meters, less on 80 and
somewhat better on 40 meters. The maximum usable frequency (MUF) -- the
highest frequency by which a radio wave can propagate between given
terminals by ionospheric propagation alone, independent of power --
will be lower and auroral propagation on the VHF bands is quite
possible. Read more here
.
> + FCC NEWS: VANITY CALL SIGN FEE TO GO UP IN SEPTEMBER
On August 10, the FCC announced via a Final Rule in the Federal
Register that the cost of an Amateur Radio vanity call sign will
increase 90 cents, from to $13.30 to $14.20. The new fees take effect
30 days after publication, making September 9, 2011, the first day the
new fee is in effect. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable
not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon
renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. The first vanity call sign
licenses issued under the current Amateur Radio vanity call sign
program that began in 1996 came up for renewal five years ago. The FCC
is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934, As Amended, to collect
vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that
program. Read more here
.
> + ARRL VEC TEAM ATTENDS NATIONAL VEC CONFERENCE
Representatives of 12 of the nation's 14 Volunteer Examiner
Coordinators (VECs) -- either in person or via proxy -- met July 29 in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the 26th Annual National Conference of
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Conference. NCVEC Chairman
Larry Pollock, NB5X presided over the gathering that offered an
opportunity for representatives of the VECs to discuss issues facing
the volunteer examination program and to meet face-to-face with FCC
staff members. The ARRL's delegation to the conference included ARRL
VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, and Assistant VEC Manager Perry Green,
WY1O, as well as ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson,
N1ND. Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: ATTENTION RTTY ROOKIES -- THE 2011 RTTY ROOKIE
ROUNDUP IS HERE!
For the first time since the Rookie Roundup
came into being last year, the
digital modes will get their day in the Sun: On August 21, the Rookie
Roundup meets RTTY! "Created to give the budding operator a place to
learn about contesting at an easier pace, the Rookie Roundup is a six
hour contest open to all amateurs who have been licensed for three
years or fewer," explained ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko,
KX9X. "If you were licensed in 2009, 2010 or 2011, you qualify as a
Rookie. The Rookie Roundup is run three times per year: SSB in April,
RTTY in August and CW in December." But "Old Timers" have a place in
the Rookie Roundup, too. "Elmering is a critical component of the
Rookie Roundup, and OTs are encouraged to not only get on and work the
Rookies, but to host a Rookie and assist them with learning how to
participate," Kutzko said. "Rookies can work anybody, but non-Rookies
can only work Rookies." Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: GO HIGH FOR THE 2011 ARRL 10 GHZ AND UP CONTEST
If you enjoy the being on the cutting edge of Amateur Radio's
technical side, take a look at the microwave bands. The 2011 ARRL 10
GHz and Up Contest gives you the perfect chance to explore this portion
of the radio spectrum. This contest boasts two weekends of activity:
August 20-21 and again on September 17-18. The contest period for both
weekends starts at 6 AM (local time) on Saturday and runs until
midnight (local time) on Sunday. Points are awarded based on the
distance of a QSO, and operating from several locations during the
contest period is not only allowed, it's encouraged! "Most amateurs use
SSB, although there is some CW, as well," explained ARRL Contest Branch
Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. "Power levels are relatively low compared to
HF; most stations run several hundred milliwatts. A station running a
few watts is considered a 'Big Gun.' Antennas are usually dishes, like
those used for receiving satellite TV." Read more here
.
> SECOND CENTURY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE MEETS IN NEWINGTON
The year 2014 marks the end of the first 100 years of the ARRL. In
these 100 years, amateurs have seen spark gap give way to CW, FM and
AM, SSB and the numerous digital modes, with the ARRL leading the way.
In celebration of the beginning of a second century of Amateur Radio,
the ARRL has formed the Second Century Campaign Committee. This group
-- led by David W. Brandenburg, K5RQ, of Osprey, Florida -- had their
first formal meeting in Newington on Thursday, August 11.
The Second Century Campaign Committee will develop and lead a
multi-million dollar campaign, focused on building the ARRL Endowment
to further secure resources to fund the League's commitment to the
future. The ARRL Second Century Campaign will open the path to
meaningful involvement in Amateur Radio by new generations, providing
opportunities for educational enrichment, community service and
personal achievement through the exploration and use of the magic of
radio communication.
Members of the Second Century Campaign Committee are: Mike Valentine,
W8MM, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Bob Allphin, K4UEE, of Marietta, Georgia;
Frank Donovan, W3LPL, of Glenwood, Maryland; Ken Byers, K4TEA, of
Atlanta, Georgia; L. Dennis Shapiro, W1UF, of Chestnut Hill,
Massachusetts, and Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, of Bemidji, Minnesota. ARRL
President Kay Craigie, N3KN, and Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR,
are also on the Second Century Campaign Committee, as are ARRL Chief
Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, Chief Financial Officer Barry
Shelley, N1VXY, and Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH. All
members of the committee serve in a volunteer capacity.
> GENERAL CLASS Q&A NOW AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE
The fourth edition of ARRL's General Q&A
is now available from Amazon.com for the Kindle. This e-book is your
authoritative guide to every question in the General (Element 3)
question pool -- everything you need to pass your General class license
exam. When you use ARRL's General Q&A, you can be sure that you are
using the best way to review for the 35 question exam. The e-book
includes every question -- and answer -- in the General class question
pool, utilizing a multiple-choice format similar to the one on the
actual exam. The current General class question pool is valid through
June 30, 2015.
Kindle is shaped much like a book, with a paper-like screen that
displays text and pictures. You do not need a Kindle to download and
purchase the General Q&A: those who have the Kindle application
installed on their Apple iPhone
iPod touch
, Android smartphone -- or even on
their computer -- can download the book for use on these devices. Each
version of the Q&A lets you review questions and answers from that
element's entire question pool so you can pass your exam. The Tech Q&A
,
General Q&A
and Extra Q&A
are available from Amazon.com for $9.99 each. The soft cover version of
the General Q&A is also available
for
$17.95. Upgrade and enjoy more frequency privileges today.
> AMATEUR RADIO TECHNOLOGY: 30TH ANNUAL ARRL/TAPR DIGITAL
COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE SET FOR SEPTEMBER
The Four Points Sheraton Hotel at Baltimore Washington International
Airport is home base for the 30th annual ARRL/TAPR Digital
Communications Conference, September 16-18. This conference is an
international forum for radio amateurs to meet and publish their work,
as well as present new ideas and techniques. Presenters and attendees
will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about recent
hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results and
practical applications. Read more here
.
> + MALPELO DXPEDITION TO GET UNDERWAY IN JANUARY 2012
The HK0NA DXpedition to Malpelo -- an island located approximately
235 miles from Colombia's Pacific coast -- is scheduled for January
22-February 6, 2012. Organized by the DX Radio Amateur Club out of
Colombia, the DXpedition boasts an international team of 16 operators
from eight countries. Malpelo is currently #12 on DX Magazine's 100
Most Needed Countries Survey. According to DXpedition leader Jorge
Prieto, HK1R, the HK0NA Team will depart from Buenaventura, Colombia on
January 22 for the boat trip to Malpelo. Depending on sea and landing
conditions, they expect to be on the air within 36 hours after landing
on Malpelo. They will be using SSB, CW and Digital modes on 160-6
meters. Operations are planned on 160-6 meters on CW, SSB and Digital
modes, including EME. Read more here
.
> SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "The Sun is zooming in
" Cook, K7RA, reports: The
average daily sunspot numbers declined more than 24 points to 75.1 this
week, while the average daily solar flux was down more than 12 points
to 104.3. We saw solar flares recently, with a substantial geomagnetic
upset on Friday and Saturday -- August 5-6 -- when the planetary A
index was 49 and 31. The largest solar flare of the current sunspot
cycle ,
an X7 flare, occurred at 0805 UTC on August 9, emerging from sunspot
group 1263. This does not appear to be Earth-directed. The latest
forecast from NOAA has solar flux at 85 through August 17, then 90, 98,
98 and 100 on August 18-21, and then 105 on August 22-30. The planetary
A index is expected to be 7 on August 11, 5 on August 12-15, then 15,
18, 10, 8, 5, 12 and 8 on August 16-22, 5 on August 23-25, and 15, 10,
8, 5 and 5 on August 26-30. Look for more information on the ARRL
website on Friday, August 12. For more information concerning radio
propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation
page . This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by The Clash's London Calling
.
> + RTTY DXCC AWARD NOW KNOWN AS DIGITAL DXCC AWARD
At the 2011 Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors
,
the Board voted to change the name of the RTTY DXCC Award to the
Digital DXCC Award. In changing the name, the Board took into account
that Amateur Radio technology has advanced to include many variations
of digital communications. On July 25, the word "Digital" began
replacing "RTTY on these DXCC certificates.
> + FORMER "WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ" CONDUCTOR RECEIVES CSVHFS'S
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
At the recent Central States VHF Society (CSVHFS
) Convention -- held July 29-30 in Irving,
Texas -- CSVHFS President Chuck Clark, AF8Z, presented the President's
Award to Gene Zimmerman W3ZZ
.
"I truly appreciate this award," Zimmerman told the ARRL. "Central
States is one of the best known VHF organizations in the United States,
and as a former CSVHFS Director, I know what an honor all CSVHFS awards
are." The award was given in recognition of Zimmerman's work on E-skip
propagation and being the VHF Editor and conductor of QST's "The World
Above 50 MHz" column for the past nine years.
> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO
This week:
- August 12 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 13-14 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party; WAE DX Contest (CW)
- August 14 -- SKCC Weekend Sprint
Next week:
- August 19 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- August 20 -- Feld Hell Sprint
- August 20-21 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (local time)
;
SARTG WW RTTY Contest; North American QSO Party (SSB); Russian District
Award Contest; CWOps CW Open
- August 21 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (RTTY)
;
SARL Digital Contest
- August 22 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
- August 24 --
- August 24-25 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test
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
- August 20 -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention
,
Weston, West Virginia
- August 20-21 -- ARRL Alabama State Convention
,
Huntsville, Alabama
- August 21 -- ARRL Kansas State Convention
, Salina,
Kansas
- August 28 -- ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
,
New Kensington, Pennsylvania
- September 9-11 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention
,
Torrance, California
- September 11 -- ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention
,
Findlay, Ohio
- September 17 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention
,
Virginia Beach, Virginia
- September 24 -- ARRL Washington State Convention
,
Spokane Valley, Washington
- October 8-9 -- ARRL Florida State Convention
,
Melbourne, Florida
- October 9 -- ARRL Connecticut State Convention
,
Wallingford, Connecticut
- October 14-16 -- ARRL Pacific Division Convention
, Santa Clara, California
- October 21-22 -- ARRL West Gulf Division Convention
,
Ardmore, Oklahoma
- October 22 -- ARRL Iowa State Convention
,
Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
- November 6 -- ARRL Iowa Section Convention
, Davenport, Iowa
- November 19-20 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention
,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
- December 3-4 -- ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention
,
Palmetto, Florida
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here
.
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