The ARRL Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
April 12, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive
Audio News
IN THIS ISSUE
- + Public Service: North Texas Hams Respond When Tornados Strike
- + On the Air: 2012 Continues to Show Growth in Amateur Radio
Licensing
- + On the Air: FCC Seeks Public Comments on Emergency Communications
by Amateur Radio and Impediments to Amateur Radio Communications
- + Digital QST: Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!
- On the Air: Amateurs Must Protect New Radars in 23 cm Band
- On the Air: ARRL Seeks Comments on Proposed 33 cm Band Plan
- + IARU News: April 18 Is World Amateur Radio Day
- + Check Your Mailbox for the May Issue of QST
- + Public Service: Malaysia to Host Eighth Global Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Conference
- Solar Update
- FCC Enforcement Actions for January-March 2012
- This Week in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News .
> + PUBLIC SERVICE: NORTH TEXAS HAMS RESPOND WHEN TORNADOS STRIKE
On April 3, 2012, perfect conditions conducive to tornado activity
converged on North Texas. A slow moving front, combined with abnormally
warm temperatures and moist air coming in from the south, produced
large hail, numerous funnel clouds and tornados. As the weather
worsened, hams in North Texas activated ARES® and RACES nets. Spotters
reported their observations to their local Emergency Operations Center,
which acted on that information in a timely manner to inform the public
of the approaching storms, giving them time to get to safety. A total
of 21 confirmed tornados -- including one EF3 and two EF2 twisters --
swept through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex during the seven hour
storm.
According to ARRL North Texas Section Public Information Coordinator
Jim Pope, N5JCP, the region suffered extensive damage, but thanks to
the assistance of radio amateurs and trained weather spotters who
tracked the storm's path and passed the information on to local
officials who in turn passed the information to the public, there were
no fatalities and very few injuries.
"In Rowlett -- a city of about 56,000 people in the northwest corner of
Dallas County -- hams at the Rowlett Fire and Police dispatch unit
received information on an approaching tornado from weather spotters,"
Pope told the ARRL. "Because of this advance warning, Rowlett officials
activated the sirens, warning its citizens of the imminent storm nine
minutes before the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning
for the area." Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: 2012 CONTINUES TO SHOW GROWTH IN AMATEUR RADIO
LICENSING
The first quarter of 2012 (January-March) saw a high level of Amateur
Radio license exam sessions, producing an elevated influx of
applications for new licensees. According to ARRL VEC Manager Maria
Somma, AB1FM, these numbers outpaced the 2011 first quarter results by
30 percent. This uptick does not only apply to new applications; there
was a 6 percent increase in the number of upgrades, too. "Statistics
over the last 13 years reveal that these are some of the highest
numbers that we've seen since the early 1990s for the total number of
US amateurs," Somma said. "Now there are more than 704,000 radio
amateurs in the US." Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: FCC SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
BY AMATEUR RADIO AND IMPEDIMENTS TO AMATEUR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
In response to the Congressional directive to prepare a study to
assess Amateur Radio's role in emergency and disaster communications
and the impact of private land use regulations on the amateur
community's ability to provide such communications, the FCC issued DA
12-523 soliciting comments from the public. The period for public
comment runs until May 17, 2012.
"As part of the study contained in Public Law No. 112-96, the
Commission has opened a 45 day period for comments to be filed on the
issue," said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND.
"Because of the short deadline for the study to be completed and
presented to Congress -- before the end of August -- the ARRL and the
amateur community must quickly mobilize their response." Read more here
.
> + DIGITAL QST: COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU!
The new digital edition of QST will debut toward the end of May. If
you are an ARRL member and you haven't yet signed up to be notified
automatically when the digital edition becomes available, you can do so
easily. Just click on the "Edit your profile" link on the ARRL website
. Once you are in your profile, click "Edit
e-mail subscriptions" and then check the box next to "Notification of
monthly digital edition of QST." That's all there is to it. A new FAQ
about the digital edition has the
answers to the questions ARRL members have been asking (it can also be
accessed from the QST page on the ARRL website
). We hope you enjoy the new digital edition
of QST.
> ON THE AIR: AMATEURS MUST PROTECT NEW RADARS IN 23 CM BAND
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) is
deploying a new generation of Common Air Route Surveillance Radar
(CARSR) that has some implications for the use of the 1240-1300 MHz (23
cm) band by amateurs. The Amateur Service allocation in this band is on
a secondary basis, with aeronautical radionavigation and several other
services primary in the United States Table of Frequency Allocations.
The FCC rules require that amateur stations operating in the 23 cm band
may not cause harmful interference to stations in the
radionavigation-satellite service, the aeronautical radionavigation
service, the Earth exploration-satellite service (active) or the space
research service (active). One case of harmful interference in Southern
California has been reported.
CARSRs are being installed in several dozen locations throughout the
country and will use various frequencies in the 1240-1350 MHz range
with an occupied bandwidth of about 3 MHz. In the vicinity of the
radars, amateur operation may be precluded in a portion of the 23 cm
band. The ARRL is in contact with FAA engineers. We anticipate that the
constraints on amateur use of the band will be limited to those
necessary to protect aviation safety, which of course cannot be
compromised.
> ON THE AIR: ARRL SEEKS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED 33 CM BAND PLAN
A few months ago, the ARRL UHF/Microwave Band Plan Committee asked
the Amateur Radio community about current, planned and projected uses
of the amateur bands between 902 MHz-3.5 GHz. The response was beyond
our expectations, with hundreds of comments and suggestions received.
After reading the feedback, the Committee began working on the band
plans, and the draft plan for 33 cm (902-928 MHz) is now ready for
review. Read more here
.
> + IARU NEWS: APRIL 18 IS WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY
The year 2012 marks the 87th anniversary of the founding of the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). To mark this occasion, the
IARU and its more than 160 Member-Societies will celebrate World
Amateur Radio Day on April 18. For many years, the IARU has declared a
theme for each World Amateur Radio Day. The theme for 2012 is Amateur
Radio Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space in remembrance of the
launch of OSCAR 1 on December 12, 1961 and the launch of OSCAR 2 on
June 2, 1962. Read more here
.
> + CHECK YOUR MAILBOX FOR THE MAY ISSUE OF QST
This May issue of QST focuses on digital operating. From RTTY to PACTOR
III to PSK31 to D-STAR to JT65, there's a digital mode to satisfy just
about every ham appetite. And with new privileges on 60 meters, there's
a whole new band for digital operators to explore. So set aside a
couple of hours, grab a snack and get ready to explore the May issue of
QST.
A recurring gag on the late-1960's comedy Get Smart involved
telephones. Not only did Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) have a shoe phone,
phones on the show were hidden in more than 50 everyday objects,
including a necktie, comb, watch, clock, handkerchief, magazine and a
garden hose. You, too, can "get smart" when you turn your Android smart
phone into a digital communications terminal. Find out how in "An AFSK
Interface for Android Smartphones" by Martin Huyett, K0BXB.
If you've ever wanted to try D-STAR, but you don't have access to a
D-STAR radio, you won't want to miss "From Analog to D-STAR" by Gary
Pearce, KN4AQ. In his article, Pearce explores how D-STAR works, how to
program a D-STAR radio and even how to get on the air with D-STAR using
your existing equipment. QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, is a digital
radio guru. His article "Who's on JT65?" takes a look at this mode
developed by Nobel Prize laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, and explores its
strong growth as a digital mode on the HF bands.
The 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference ended two months ago, and
delegates are now working on implementing the decisions in their home
countries while preparing for the next WRC, scheduled for 2015. ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, attended WRC-12 as a member
of the IARU delegation. In his article ""WRC-12 Results in New Amateur
MF Allocation," Sumner takes a look at how more than 3000 participants
from 165 countries reached consensus on 30 different issues related to
the allocation and sharing of the radio spectrum -- including Amateur
Radio -- and the efficient use of satellite orbits for
telecommunications and scientific research.
QST Contributing Editor Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, takes a look at the Kenwood
TM-281A 2 meter FM transceiver in this month's Product Review. He says
the rig is a "solidly built, good performing 2 meter FM mobile with a
nice selection of features for the price." QST Technical Editor Joel
Hallas, W1ZR, checked out the Tokyo Hy-Power Labs HL350VDX 2 meter
linear amplifier, calling it "a very flexible and compact 2 meter
medium power amplifier that can follow many types of equipment. It is
easy to set up and run and operates in all modes very well. It is truly
a linear amplifier such that it produces SSB intermodulation products
that would be appropriate for an HF linear." W1AW Station Manager Joe
Carcia, NJ1Q, looked at the Network Sciences/AC0C roofing filter for
the Yaesu FT-2000. "This filter made a noticeable improvement in W1AW's
FT-2000 transceiver's close-in strong signal handling performance," he
said. "Installation requires the proper tools and a steady hand."
Of course, there are the usual columns you know and expect in the May
QST: Happenings, Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is In, Short Takes,
Technical Correspondence, How's DX and more. Look for your May issue in
your mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national
association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of
ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see the
ARRL Web page .
> + PUBLIC SERVICE: MALAYSIA TO HOST EIGHTH GLOBAL AMATEUR RADIO
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE
The Eighth Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference
(GAREC) -- called MyGAREC 2012 --
will be held November 12-14 in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan
at the Thistle Port Dickson Resort
.
GAREC began in 2005 in Tampere, Finland. The conference attracts
radio amateurs who have an interest in providing emergency
communications in response to disasters or during training exercises.
MyGAREC 2012 has been timed to immediately follow the IARU Region 3
Conference in Vietnam (scheduled for November 5-9) with its theme of
disaster relief communications.
General information for MyGAREC 2012 -- including information on the
venue, registration fees, the tentative agenda
and registration forms -- has been posted on the MyGAREC website.
According to organizers, the website will be updated weekly with the
latest news and program changes. Among the topics to be discussed
include the HF emergency operating procedure and the future of GAREC,
as well as presentations from the three IARU regions. Presentations
from various IARU Member-Societies regarding recent disaster relief
communications operations will also be scheduled.
Previous GARECs have been held in Finland (2005 and 2006), the USA
(2007), Germany (2008), Japan (2009), Curaçao (2010) and South Africa
(2011).
> SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "How do you rate the morning Sun?
" Cook, K7RA, reports:
Solar activity took a serious nosedive this week, with the average
daily sunspot numbers dropping to a value less than half the previous
week's average -- down nearly 43 points to 32.6. The solar flux values
were also off, down nearly 12 points to 95.9. The current prediction
shows solar flux at 90 on April 12-18, then suddenly jumping to 105 on
April 19-21, 110 on April 22-25, then back to 105 on April 26-28, 100
on April 29-30, and then 95 on May 1-9. The predicted planetary A index
is an unsettled 12 on April 12-14, 10 and 8 on April 15-16, 5 on April
17-23, 10 and 8 on April 24-25, 5 on April 26-29, 8 on April 30, and 5
on May 1-7. One good way to view the decline since last fall is with a
solar plotting utility by Scott Craig, WA4TTK, which can be downloaded
free . He currently has an updated
data file that goes through April 4, 2012. Look for more information on
the ARRL website on Friday, April 13. For more information concerning
radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service
Propagation page . This
week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by Robbie Williams' Morning Sun
.
> FCC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS FOR JANUARY-MARCH 2012
Here's a summary of FCC enforcement actions during the past quarter
(January-March 2012): Repeater-related cases: 1. General infractions
(including unauthorized operation): 10. Power-line cases: 0. Click here
for details.
> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT
This week:
- April 13 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- April 14 -- EU Spring Sprint (CW)
- April 14-15 -- Georgia QSO Party; Montana QSO Party; New Mexico QSO
Party; QCWA Spring QSO Party; JIDX CW Contest; Yuri Gagarin
International DX Contest
- April 15 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (SSB)
; International Vintage Contest HF
Contest; Hungarian Straight Key Contest
- April 17 -- 222 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)
Next week:
- April 20-21 -- Holyland DX Contest
- April 21 -- Feld Hell Sprint; EU Spring Sprint (SSB); TARA Skirmish
Digital Prefix Contest; ES Open HF Championship
- April 21-22 -- Michigan QSO Party; South Dakota QSO Party; Ontario
QSO Party; CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest; EA-QRP CW Contest; YU DX
Contest
- April 25 -- 432 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)
- April 25-26 -- 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
- April 14 -- ARRL Delta Division Convention
, Bartlett,
Tennessee
- April 14-15 -- Communications Academy 2012
, Seattle,
Washington
- April 20-22 -- ARRL Idaho State Convention
, Boise, Idaho;
63rd International DX Convention
,
Visalia, California
- April 21 -- ARRL Delaware State Convention
,
Georgetown, Delaware; ARRL Louisiana Section Convention
, Monroe,
Louisiana
- May 4-6 -- EMCOMMWEST
, Reno, Nevada
- May 18-20 -- Dayton Hamvention
, Dayton, Ohio
- June 1-3 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention
,
Seaside, Oregon
- June 2 -- ARRL Georgia Section Convention
,
Marietta, Georgia
- June 8-9 -- ARRL West Gulf Division Convention
,
Plano, Texas
- June 9 -- ARRL Arkansas State Convention
, Rogers,
Arkansas; ARRL Tennessee State Convention
, Knoxville,
Tennessee
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here
.
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