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Skriven 2019-08-23 17:32:48 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
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The ARRL Letter
August 22, 2019
* Candidates for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors Announced
* FCC Dismisses ARRL, AMSAT Requests in Small Satellite Proceeding
* Ending the Great Radio Silence after "The Great War"
* So Now What? Podcast
* WWV Centennial Committee to Conduct Trial Run of WW0WWV Special
Event
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts
* Radio Amateurs in India Support Rescue and Relief Operations in the
Face of Flooding
* 2-Meter Sharing Proposal is on CEPT Conference Preparatory Group
Agenda
* Questions Raised About Current Process for Awarding the E.T.
Krenkel Medal
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Candidates for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors Announced
Two races for the office of ARRL Director and one contest for Vice
Director are set for this fall. In the Southeastern Division, incumbent
Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, faces a challenge from Mickey Baker,
N4MB. A three-way race is set for the office of Southeastern Division
Vice Director, with incumbent Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW, facing James
Schilling, KG4JSZ, and Jeff Stahl, K4BH.
In the West Gulf Division, incumbent John Stratton, N5AUS, faces a
challenge from Madison Jones, W5MJ. Seats for Director and Vice
Director in three other ARRL Divisions are unchallenged, with
incumbents running for election in all but one case: In the
Southwestern Division, Mark Weiss, K6FG, is running unopposed for the
seat being vacated by Ned Stearns, AA7A. All candidates having no
opposition have been declared elected.
The candidates are:
Pacific Division
Director
Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT
Vice Director
Kristen McIntyre, K6WX
Rocky Mountain Division
Director
Jeff Ryan, K0RM
Vice Director
Robert Wareham, N0ESQ
Southeastern Division
Director
Greg Sarratt, W4OZK
Mickey Baker, N4MB
Vice Director
James Schilling, KG4JSZ
Jeff Stahl, K4BH
Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW
Southwestern Division
Director
Richard Norton, N6AA
Vice Director
Mark Weiss, K6FG
West Gulf Division
Director
John R. Stratton, N5AUS
Madison Jones, W5MJ
Vice Director
Lee Cooper, W5LHC
In Divisions where more than one candidate is seeking the same
position, full members in that Division in good standing as of
September 10, 2019, will have the opportunity to cast ballots. Official
paper ballots and candidates' statements will be mailed no later than
October 1, 2019, to members who are eligible to vote.
Completed ballots must be received at the address on the envelope
provided by noon Eastern Time on Friday, November 15, 2019, when
ballots will be counted at ARRL Headquarters and successful candidates
announced.
FCC Dismisses ARRL, AMSAT Requests in Small Satellite Proceeding
An FCC Report and Order (R&O) released August 2 in the so-called "small
satellite" rulemaking proceeding, IB Docket 18-86, failed to address
concerns expressed by ARRL and AMSAT. Both organizations filed comments
on the FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the proceeding last
year, seeking changes in the FCCs interpretations and procedures
affecting satellites operating on Amateur Satellite Service
frequencies.
"These comments address topics outside the scope of this proceeding,
and we decline to adopt any of the requested rule modifications or
updates at this time," the FCC said in the R&O. The FCC did mention
amateur satellites in its 2018 NPRM, explaining what they are and
describing the documentation and authorization process, but it did not
solicit comments.
"The Commission did not seek comment in the NPRM on any modifications
or updates to the rules governing Experimental or amateur satellite
licensing. The streamlined Part 25 small satellite process adopted in
the Order is an alternative to existing license processes and does not
replace or modify the authorization procedures for satellites currently
contained in Parts 5, 25, or 97 of the Commission's rules," the FCC
explained. "Nevertheless, we received a number of comments in response
to the NPRM, particularly regarding the rules applicable to amateur
satellite operations, suggesting that aspects of those rules be
improved or clarified."
In its 2018 NPRM, the FCC had said, "Because the type of operations
that qualify as amateur [is] narrowly defined, an amateur satellite
authorization will not be appropriate for many small satellite
operations."
In its 2018 comments, ARRL said it wanted the FCC to preclude
exploitation of amateur spectrum by commercial small-satellite users
authorized under Part 5 Experimental rules and suggested that the FCC
adopt a "a bright line test" to define and distinguish satellites that
should be permitted to operate under Amateur Satellite rules.
ARRL's position was to support and encourage college and university
Amateur Radio experiments where the sponsor of the experiment is a
licensed radio amateur and all operation in amateur spectrum is
compliant with Part 97. Part 5 Experimental authorizations for
satellites intended to operate in amateur allocations by non-amateur
sponsors should be discouraged, absent a compelling show of need, ARRL
told the FCC. AMSAT's comments reflected many of the same concerns that
ARRL had expressed. Read more. -- Thanks to Ray Soifer, W2RS, for his
assistance.
Ending the Great Radio Silence after "The Great War"
Practical wireless was still in its infancy at the turn of the 20th
century and unregulated experimentation rampant. Chaos reigned on the
airwaves. Given the technology of the day -- spark gap transmitters
that emitted very, very broad signals -- interference was a problem. As
Al Brogdon, W1AB, explains in "The World War I Shutdown," in the
September 2019 issue of QST (p. 70), hams, passenger ships, and the US
Navy were the main users of wireless, and the Navy went to Congress in
an unsuccessful effort to wrest control over radio and, effectively,
abolish ham radio in the US. Radio amateurs opposing the bill had an
ally in the Marconi Company.
When the US in 1917 joined the European conflict that became World War
I, the federal government ordered hams to disassemble their stations,
lower their antennas, and not use transmitters or receivers. Many hams
who joined the military took their own radio gear along, because, as
Brogdon explains, "the military didn't have enough radio equipment."
The end of the war did not mean the resumption of Amateur Radio. Hams
were allowed to use their receivers again but not transmit. The Navy
was still in charge of all US radio communications, and another bill
introduced in Congress proposed handing over ongoing control of all
radio to the Navy.
ARRL First President Hiram Percy
Maxim, W1AW.
Publication of QST also ceased during the war, and many hams had let
their ARRL memberships lapse for the duration. ARRL officers and key
members dug into their own wallets to thwart the bill, mailing a
"Little Blue Card" to members urging them to ask their congressional
representatives to oppose the Navy proposal. ARRL President Hiram Percy
Maxim went to Washington to speak against the bill, which died in
committee.
It was not until 1919 -- amid another Navy effort to gain control over
radio that was stalled by opposition from hams and others -- that the
transmitting ban was lifted by an act of Congress. As Brogdon explains,
"Maxim went to Washington again and found a sympathetic ear in
Massachusetts Congressman William Greene, who ultimately introduced the
successful House Joint Resolution 217, which asked the Navy 'to remove
the restrictions on the use and operation of Amateur Radio stations
throughout the United States.'"
Hams were back on the air by the fall of 1919 -- 100 years ago!
So Now What? Podcast
"Contesting," with ARRL Contest Program Manager, Paul Bourque, N1SFE,
will be the focus of the new (August 22) episode of the So Now What?
podcast for Amateur Radio newcomers.
If you're a newly licensed Amateur Radio operator, chances are you have
lots of questions. This biweekly podcast has answers! So Now What?
offers insights from those who've been just where you are now. New
episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode
weeks with the ARRL The Doctor is In podcast.
So Now What? is sponsored by LDG Electronics, a family owned and
operated business with laboratories in southern Maryland that offers a
wide array of antenna tuners and other Amateur Radio products.
ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, and ARRL
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, co-host the podcast. Presented as a
lively conversation, with Patnode representing newer hams and Carcia
the veteran operators, the podcast will explore questions that newer
hams may have and the issues that keep participants from staying active
in the hobby. Some episodes will feature guests to answer questions on
specific topic areas.
Listeners can find So Now What? on Apple iTunes, Blubrry, Stitcher
(free registration required, or browse the site as a guest) and through
the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices. Episodes
will be archived on the ARRL website.
WWV Centennial Committee to Conduct Trial Run of WW0WWV Special Event
The WWV Centennial Committee will conduct a trial run of special event
station WW0WWV over the August 24 - 25 weekend in advance of the event
a little more than a month away. WW0WWV will be set up adjacent to the
WWV transmitter site in Fort Collins, Colorado. WWV turns 100 years old
on October 1.
"We'll be testing band and notch filtering, in an attempt to reign in
the extreme RF environment created by WWV and WWVB," said Dave Swartz,
W0DAS, of the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club (NCARC). The special
event is being organized in conjunction with the WWV Amateur Radio Club
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which
operates WWV/WWVH/WWVB. The special event site is within 1/3 of a mile
of all six WWV transmitters and the 50 kW WWVB transmitter.
"On-air tests will start Saturday afternoon, August 24, and run through
Sunday, August 25," Swartz said.
Greg Ella, N0EMP, uses a 10 MHz loop
to monitor the broadcast signal of
WWV at the site of the special event
station. He was able to measure the
drift of a GPS disciplined
oscillator (GPSDO) to about 1 Hz in
90 seconds against the 10 MHz WWV
carrier.
The WWV Centennial special event is set to run from September 28
through October 2, and round-the-clock operation will take place on CW,
SSB, and digital modes. Operations will shift among HF bands following
typical propagation and will include 160 meters as well as satellites
(SO-50, AO-91, and AO-92) and 6-meter meteor scatter. Up to four
stations will be on the air for routine operations. A fifth station
will schedule contacts with schools, universities, and museums, as well
as conducting unscheduled contacts. The additional station will
periodically broadcast an AM carrier from a radio locked with WWV's 10
MHz signal.
Members of the Amateur Radio industry have contributed equipment,
including radios, amplifiers, and antennas. Visit the WWV Centennial
Committee website to see how you can contribute or get involved. Read
more.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Spotless days continue this week,
with the count of consecutive days without sunspots standing at 15 days
as of August 21, according to Spaceweather.com. Note that 1954 had more
spotless days than 2018, and it was just prior to Cycle 19, the biggest
in recorded history.
Average daily solar flux was virtually unchanged -- from 67.4 last week
to 67.5 this week. Average daily planetary A index edged lower, from
6.3 to 4.4. Predicted solar flux looks to remain steady: 67 on August
22 - September 11; 68 on September 12 - 21, and 67 on September 22 -
October 5.
The planetary A index forecast: 5 on August 22 - 26; 8 on August 27 -
28 and 5 on August 29 - 31. Then, with a recurring coronal hole, 38 and
14 on September 1 - 2; 5 on September 3 - 5; 8 on September 6 - 7; 5 on
September 8 - 15; 7 on September 16 - 17; 6 on September 18; 5 on
September 19 - 21; 8 on September 22 - 24 and 5 on September 25 - 27.
With the return of that coronal hole, 38 and 14 on September 28 - 29; 5
on September 30 - October 2; 8 on October 3 - 4, and 5 on October 5.
Sunspot numbers for August 15 - 21 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.6, 67.5, 68, 67.5, 67.7,
67.3, and 66.8, with a mean of 67.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
4, 5, 4, 6, 4, 4, and 4, with a mean of 4.4. Middle latitude A index
was 4, 6, 6, 7, 4, 7, and 5, with a mean of 5.6.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.
Share your reports and observations.
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
* August 24 - 25 -- ALARA Contest (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- W/VE Islands QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- SCC RTTY Championship
* August 24 - 25 -- YO DX HF Contest (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- Kansas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- YARC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 25 -- Ohio QSO Party (CW, phone)
* August 24 - 25 -- CVA DX Contest, SSB
* August 24 - 25 -- 50 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* August 24 - 26 -- Hawaii QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 25 -- SARL HF CW Contest
* August 28 -- SKCC 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 email preferences.
ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts
ARRL has incorporated changes to the rules for all ARRL-sponsored
contests and DXCC, prohibiting automated contacts and requiring that an
actual operator is initiating and carrying out a contact. These changes
also apply to Worked All States (including Triple Play and 5-Band WAS),
Fred Fish W5FF Memorial, and VUCC awards. The changes are effective
immediately and affect the rules for both HF contests, and VHF/UHF
contests as well as DXCC.
A resolution at the July ARRL Board of Directors meeting pointed to
"growing concern over fully automated contacts being made and claimed"
for contest and for DXCC credit. The rules now require that each
claimed contact include contemporaneous direct initiation by the
operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may
either be local or remote.
Radio Amateurs in India Support Rescue and Relief Operations in the
Face of Flooding
Radio amateurs in at least three western Indian states along the coast
of the Arabian Sea are pitching in to support communication for rescue
and relief operations following heavy rainfall and flooding. In Kerala,
Shyam Kumar, VU2JLE, told The Hindu newspaper that he and 15 other
radio amateurs belonging to the Wayanad Hams (WHAMS) group have been
closely monitoring to help the government rescue and relief teams get
to marooned localities. News accounts say more heavy rain is expected
in many parts of India, bringing with it the threat of flooding.
Monsoon rains have been falling for weeks, and more than 270 people
have died, about half of them in Kerala.
In Maharashtra, Amateur Radio and drones have been supplementing relief
and rescue teams dealing with heavy flooding there. Rescue teams were
reported to be using ham radio to pass information into a network. Some
hams have come in from outside the region to assist. Members of the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the military have been
transporting supplies to some 5,000 people stranded in various
locations.
In the northern part of Karnataka state, radio amateurs from the Indian
Institute of Hams (IIH) in Bengaluru (Bangalore) and a ham radio club
consisting of postal department workers were reported to have helped
rescue and relief operations on August 12.
IIH Director Shankar Sathyapal, VU2FI, said three radio-equipped
vehicles fanned out across the region. "This is the second line of
communication," Sathyapal explained for a report in The Hindu. "Relief
officers will be provided with walkie-talkies, while each vehicle can
cover about a radius of around 10 - 15 kilometers, depending on the
topography." -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News and media
reports
2-Meter Sharing Proposal is on CEPT Conference Preparatory Group Agenda
The final European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications
ministrations (CEPT) Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting prior
to World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) gets under way on
August 26. Action at that gathering will determine whether a French
proposal to have WRC-23 study the sharing of 144 - 146 MHz with the
Aeronautical Mobile Service (AMS) will be adopted as a CEPT WRC-19
position. International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) experts will be
present at the CPG to explain the IARU position on this and other
topics. The French proposal, raised on short notice at a CEPT meeting
in June, has riled the Amateur Radio community worldwide and prompted
petitions to prevent its passage. The proposed 144 - 146 MHz segment
would be part of a broader consideration of spectrum allocated to the
Aeronautical Mobile Service.
IARU has asked its member-societies to explain the Amateur Service's
concerns over the French proposal to their telecommunications
regulators, and it has submitted a basic technical analysis showing the
impracticality of such a proposal. IARU has said much more appropriate
parts of the spectrum are available to study for non-safety AMS
applications.
Another issue addressed during the June CEPT meeting concerned the
sharing of the Amateur Radio 1240 - 1300 MHz band with Europe's Galileo
GPS system. IARU has asked its member-societies to discuss with
regulators the best way to resolve concerns regarding a few cases of
Amateur Radio interference to the Galileo navigation system specific to
its E6 subband at 1260 - 1300 MHz.
Documents for the CEPT Conference Preparatory Group meeting are
available via the CEPT website. Read more.
Questions Raised About Current Process for Awarding the E.T. Krenkel
Medal
Questions about how the E.T. Krenkel Medal is being awarded, including
whether recipients have to pay a fee to get the medal, have been
brought to ARRL's attention.
In the past, several prominent radio amateurs and organizations --
including QST -- have been awarded and received the medal without any
advance notice and without having to provide any information or
payment.
ARRL has been advised that in recent months "nominees" have been
invited essentially to complete their own nomination forms and asked to
forward a fee for the cost of obtaining the medal, which some nominees
said they have not received. Regulations for the E.T. Krenkel Medal,
issued by "LLC Russian Traveler and National Academy of Researches and
Discoveries," states that the cost of a medal is to be paid by the
sponsor (individual or organization) nominating a medal recipient. Some
evidence suggests that sponsor and recipient may now be one and the
same.
A small tourism enterprise, LLC Russian Traveler, was reportedly
liquidated in January but is believed to be operated by a Russian radio
amateur. A form attached to the Regulations that's designed for an
organization or individual to nominate an honoree is the one now being
sent to individuals who have been told they were nominated.
ARRL takes no official position regarding the current status of E.T
Krenkel Medal nominations, LLC Russian Traveler, or anyone connected
with either. ARRL does, however, want to ensure that members are aware
of the issues that have been called to its attention.
In Brief...
Reminder: The Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration gets under way on
Saturday, August 31, and wraps up on Monday, September 8. The 9-day
operating event commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL
cofounder and first president Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW (HPM) -- born on
September 2, 1869 -- and is open to all radio amateurs. The objective
is to work as many participating stations as possible. W1AW and all
ARRL members will append "/150" to their call signs during this event
(DX operators who are ARRL members may operate as <call sign>/150, if
permitted by their country of license.) Stations will exchange a signal
report and ARRL/RAC Section. A total of 84 multipliers are available.
DX stations will send a signal report and "DX." All Amateur Radio bands
except 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters are available. Contacts may be made on
CW, phone, and digital modes. Incentives are available for using
different modes, operating portable, and using social media, among
others. Logs will be scored, and downloadable certificates will be
available. An announcement and complete rules appear in the September
issue of QST, p. 86.
A message on WWV is prompting listeners to take a survey about the
service. Through Saturday, August 24, WWV and WWVH will transmit a US
Department of Defense (DOD) message in conjunction with the COMEX 19-3
interoperability exercise in Tennessee. The broadcast also urges
listeners to complete a survey on WWV/WWVH listenership and listening
habits. The messages are broadcast on WWV at 10 minutes past the hour
and on WWVH at 50 minutes past the hour. WWV and WWVH transmit on 2.5,
5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 MHz. Following a proof of concept this year, DOD
anticipates making use of the WWV/WWVH broadcast time slot full time,
all year. Read more.
Joseph
Areyzaga,
K1JGA.
A close friend of a radio amateur who died in a recent tower-related
accident has contacted ARRL with additional observations. Joseph
Areyzaga, K1JGA (photo), died in the July 27 incident, and the tower's
owner was seriously injured. The individual reported that Areyzaga and
Mike Rancourt, K1EEE -- the tower's owner -- were in the process of
lowering one of the antennas when the tower tipped over. The friend
said the tower was genuine Rohn 25, with a genuine Rohn BPH25 hinge
plate, and that the apparent -- but not proven -- failure point was not
obvious while the tower was still standing. All three pier posts on the
hinge plate broke off, with the tower section bolts still intact and in
place, he reported. No official determination has been made as to the
specific cause of the failure. Rancourt, who was seriously injured in
the incident, remains hospitalized but is said to be recovering well.
Ulrich L. Rohde, N1UL, has been named as an Honorary Fellow of India's
Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE). The
IETE's Governing Council bestowed the honor on the noted researcher.
The IETE is a prominent professional society in the field of
electronics, telecommunication computer science/engineering,
broadcasting, information technology, and related areas. The Honorary
Fellowship is accorded to an eminent individual in the fields of
science, technology, education, and industry. A presentation ceremony
will be held during the 62nd annual IETE Convention in late September
in India.
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Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* August 24 -- Society of Midwest Contesters Specialty Convention,
Normal, Illinois
* August 23 - 25 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West
Virginia
* September 6 - 7 -- Arkansas State Convention, Mena, Arkansas
* September 6 - 7 -- Wyoming State Convention, Gillette, Wyoming
* September 6 - 8 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
Massachusetts
* September 7 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach,
Virginia
* September 13 - 14 -- W9DXCC 2019, St. Charles, Illinois
* September 21 - 22 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
* September 27 - 28 -- Central Division Convention, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
* September 28 -- Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota
* September 28 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington
* October 6 -- Iowa State Convention, West Liberty, Iowa
* October 11 - 12 -- PNWVHFS Conference and Meeting, Issaquah,
Washington
* October 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
* October 13 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
* October 18 - 19 -- Delta Division Convention, East Ridge, Tennessee
* October 18 - 20 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon,
California
* October 19 -- 21st Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin
* October 26 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Conway, South
Carolina
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)
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