Text 15577, 538 rader
Skriven 2019-11-08 09:05:02 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
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The ARRL Letter
November 7, 2019
* IARU Reports Early Progress, Contention on Difficult Issues Mark
First Week of WRC-19
* Pitcairn Island DXpedition Logs More Than 80,000 Contacts
* MARSRADIO is Keeping the Phone Patch Alive
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* W1AW to Commemorate 98th Anniversary of First Amateur Radio Signals
to Span the Atlantic
* SKYWARN Recognition Day Celebrates 20 Years on December 7
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Preparations Resume for 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition
* France Gives its Highest Honor to The Secret Wireless War Author
Geoffrey Pidgeon
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
IARU Reports Early Progress, Contention on Difficult Issues Mark First
Week of WRC-19
The first week of World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) saw
agreement reached on several issues on which discussions prior to the
conference had revealed consensus. Those were the easy ones; the rest
will be more difficult, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
said. The conference is in its second week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The IARU said the early agreements were only possible because of
countless hours of work conducted within the ITU Radiocommunication
Sector and the six regional telecommunications organizations (RTOs)
since WRC-15. Three of those decisions were on issues of interest to
the IARU.
* The band 47.0 - 47.2 GHz was allocated solely to the Amateur and
Amateur Satellite Services by the 1979 World ministrative Radio
Conference (WARC-79). Commercial wireless broadband interests had
expressed some interest in the band being designated for
International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), and there was some
concern that such a proposal might be made at WRC-19. The fact that
none was forthcoming was due in part to the work of the IARU at the
Conference Preparatory Meeting earlier this year and in the RTOs.
The WRC has agreed to "no change" (NOC) at 47.0 - 47.2 GHz.
* Another NOC decision that avoided impact on the Amateur Service
applies to the band 5850 - 5925 MHz, an amateur secondary
allocation in Region 2. Consideration of proposals involving other
parts of spectrum in the 5 GHz range will take much longer,
according to the IARU.
* Consideration of a 50 MHz allocation in ITU Region 1 (Europe,
Africa, and the Mideast) to harmonize the allocations in the three
regions was the subject of spirited debate in a Sub Working Group
chaired by Dale Hughes, VK1DSH, of the Australian delegation. The
four RTOs in Region 1 made disparate proposals to the conference,
and a small group of administrations proposed no change. For 3
days, there was no progress toward a consensus solution, but that
changed on Friday morning. An agreement was made, subject to
confirmation by the regional groups, that will provide
administrations in Region 1 with flexibility in how to accommodate
their radio amateurs.
The WRC agreed to make no frequency allocations or other changes to the
Radio Regulations to accommodate wireless power transmission for
electric vehicles (WPT-EV). "Much more work remains to be done on an
urgent basis in the ITU and other standards organizations if
IARU President Tim Ellam,
VE6SH (right), chats with
IARU Secretary David Sumner,
K1ZZ, on the way to a WRC-19
session. [Jon Siverling,
WB3ERA, photo]
radiocommunication services are to be adequately protected from harmful
interference that may be generated by WPT-EV, both at the fundamental
frequency and from unwanted emissions," the IARU said.
One of the most difficult issues facing WRC-19 is to develop an agenda
for WRC-23. Dozens of proposals for agenda items have been suggested,
and they cannot all be accommodated within available ITU resources.
Delegates have been warned to expect more intensive use of weekend and
evening hours as the conference proceeds toward its conclusion on
November 22. -- Thanks to the IARU
Pitcairn Island DXpedition Logs More Than 80,000 Contacts
The VP6R DXpedition to Pitcairn Island shut down at 1800 UTC on
November 1, reporting 82,700 contacts. They reported excellent weather
for the teardown and got everything packed and aboard the Braveheart,
which is taking them to Mangareva. According to their update, the
oldest resident of Pitcairn Island died on November 1, and the VP6R
team attended the funeral the next day. The individual was buried next
to Tom Christian, VP6TC, who gave many radio amateurs their first
Pitcairn contacts.
During their stay on the island, VP6R team members helped two local
radio amateurs to get on the air -- Meralda Warren, VP6MW, and Mike
Warren, VP6AZ.
The entire VP6R log will be posted to Logbook of The World (LoTW), and
stations may QSL via K9CT.
"On behalf of the team, our off-island support members, and our
sponsors, may I say thank you to our DX audience for your interest,
support, and of course, the QSOs," Ralph Fedor, K0IR, said. "To the
kids at the Dorothy Grant Elementary School, thank you for taking part
in this great adventure with us through ham radio. You brightened our
path."
The DXpedition reported high spirits, big pileups, and good
propagation, giving out "many all-time new ones" during its stay. "We
had fun with this," Fedor said. "We hope you did too."
VP6R operated from two sites on the island. During their stay, the team
took part in the CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB). A DXpedition veteran,
Fedor had to pull out of the Pitcairn Island trip due to health issues,
but maintained a support role.
MARSRADIO is Keeping the Phone Patch Alive
A military plane over the North Atlantic suddenly experiences rapid
decompression. A call goes out to MARSRADIO, explaining the emergency
and requesting a phone patch to the aircraft's command post. Over the
next few hours, a MARSRADIO volunteer handles many phone patches to
help resolve the situation. An adjunct within the Air Force Military
Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), MARSRADIO is reminiscent of an era when
MARS facilitated hundreds of troop morale phone patches each night
between soldiers deployed in Vietnam and their families and loved ones
back home.
Today, MARS is more oriented to official Department of Defense (DoD)
communication, but the venerable phone patch remains viable within
MARSRADIO, a special MARS operations group that provides primary
service and a backup system that handles requests for official and
morale phone patches, weather forecasts, informal messages, selective
calling tests, and radio checks. Membership in MARSRADIO is open to
both Army and Air Force MARS members, and it is seeking additional
volunteers.
MARSRADIO members have advanced station capabilities, put in many hours
of participation, and operate under more stringent requirements than
the standard MARS program does. These include the ability to monitor
two frequencies simultaneously; an amplifier; a directional antenna
(i.e., Yagi) for operation above 13 MHz; dipoles for use below 13 MHz;
internet access; at least 36 hours of participation per quarter, and no
digital requirement, if MARSRADIO is the station's primary assignment.
"MARSRADIO" is the net call sign for the 11th Air Force MARS MARSRADIO
Squadron (11AFMS) under the 1st AFMARS Special Operations Group
(1AFMSOG). MARSRADIO net members guard frequencies as much as possible,
and the net is authorized 24/7/365. MARSRADIO serves as a backup to US
Defense Department communication, including the US Air Force Global
System, handling an average of 2,500 requests each year for assistance
-- from providing estimated times of arrival to communications
involving medical or mechanical emergencies.
MARSRADIO has evolved into a DoD asset that's noteworthy for its
volunteer support, and interest is rising as HF regains importance.
Volunteers handle communication for all branches of the military and
for other US government users. All types of DoD aircraft and ground
units may request support to complete their missions, and the net is
open to US allies.
MARSRADIO is not for every ham or every MARS member, but those
interested in service would be working with real-time traffic on a
daily basis. A fast-track program is in place to bring well-qualified
operators directly into MARSRADIO. While today's MARS is highly digital
and encrypted, the phone patch is a totally different animal. Members
of MARSRADIO do not need digital capability. They don't even need a
landline. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection via the
internet will provide the phone line needed to run a patch.
More information on MARSRADIO is available.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Antenna Switches" is the topic of the new (November 7) 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 email 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.
W1AW to Commemorate 98th Anniversary of First Amateur Radio Signals to
Span the Atlantic
December 11 marks the 98th anniversary of the success of ARRL's
Transatlantic Tests in 1921, organized to see if low-power amateur
radio stations could be heard across the Atlantic using shortwave
frequencies (i.e., above 200 meters). On that day, a message
transmitted by a group of Radio Club of America members at 1BCG in
Greenwich, Connecticut, was copied by Paul Godley, 2ZE, in Scotland.
While the first two-way contact would not take place until 1923, the
1921 transatlantic success marked the beginning of what would become
routine communication between US radio amateurs and those in other
parts of the world -- the birth of DX.
To commemorate this amateur radio milestone, Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW will be on the air through the day on December 11 with volunteer
operators. The goal is to encourage contacts between radio amateurs in
the US and Europe while showcasing the significance of the
transmissions that pioneered global communication and laid the
groundwork for technology widely used today.
The event will run from 1300 until 0000 UTC. Some details are still
being worked out, but operation will focus on 40 and 20 meters (SSB).
Contact Clark Burgard, N1BCG, for more information.
SKYWARN Recognition Day Celebrates 20 Years on December 7
SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) will mark its 20th anniversary on
December 7, 0000 to 2400 UTC. This is the day each year when radio
amateurs operate from National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices
across the country, celebrating the long relationship between the
amateur radio community and the National Weather Service SKYWARN
program. The purpose of the event is to recognize amateur radio
operators for the vital public service they perform during times of
severe weather and to strengthen the bond between radio amateurs and
their local NWS offices.
Developed in 1999, SRD is cosponsored by ARRL and the NWS.
Traditionally, radio amateurs have assisted the mission of the NWS
through providing near real-time reports of severe weather and storm
development. Reports received from radio amateurs have proven
invaluable to NWS forecasters.
During SRD, participants exchange contact information with as many NWS
stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters, plus 70
centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. Stations should
exchange call signs, signal reports, and locations, plus a quick
description of the weather at your location (e.g., sunny, partly
cloudy, windy, rainy, etc.). EchoLink and IRLP nodes, including the
Voice over Internet Protocol Weather Net (VoIP-WX), are expected to be
active as well.
WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center will also be on the air for
SRD, 1300 - 1700 UTC, for its 21st year of SRD participation.
Event certificates are electronic and printable from the main website
at the conclusion of SRD. To learn more, visit the SKYWARN Recognition
Day website.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Two new sunspot groups appeared this
week on two consecutive days, each lasting for only a day, with a daily
sunspot number of 11 and 13 last Friday and Saturday, just in time for
the ARRL November Sweepstakes CW weekend. Both sunspot groups had a
magnetic polarity signature indicating Solar Cycle 25 and appeared
after 4 weeks of no sunspots.
[IMG]Spaceweather.com reported both appearances as region AR2750, while
NOAA reported a new sunspot group on each day.
Solar flux was higher over the October 31 - November 6 reporting week,
with average daily solar flux rising from 68.5 to 70.4. Geomagnetic
indicators were low, with average daily planetary A index declining
from 16.4 to 4.1, and average mid-latitude A index softening from 13 to
2.7.
Predicted solar flux is 70 on November 7; 68 on November 8 - 14; 67 on
November 15 - 19; 68 and 70 on November 20 - 21; 71 on November 22 -
30; 70 on December 1 - 6; 69 on December 7 - 19, and 70 on December 20
- 21.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on November 7; 5 on November 8 - 10; 8
on November 11 - 12; 5 on November 13 - 19; 15, 25, 18, 12, and 10 on
November 20 - 24; 8 on November 25 - 26; 5 on November 27 - December
16, and 15, 20, 18, 12, and 12 on December 17 - 21.
Even during days with no sunspots, there was notable HF propagation
recently, with the just-ended VP6R Pitcairn Island DXpedition making HF
contacts across the Americas, even on 10 meters.
Sunspot numbers for October 31 - November 6 were 0, 11, 13, 0, 0, 0,
and 0, with a mean of 3.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 71.2, 70.7,
70.7, 69.4, 70.8, 70.4, and 69.3, with a mean of 70.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 4, 2, 2, 4, 5, and 5, with a mean of 4.1.
The middle latitude A index was 5, 2, 1, 1, 4, 2, and 4, with a mean of
2.7.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
* November 9 - 10 -- WAE DX Contest RTTY
* November 9 - 10 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (Digital)
* November 9 - 10 -- JIDX Phone Contest
* November 9 - 10 -- SARL VHF/UHF Analogue Contest (CW, phone)
* November 9 - 10 -- OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
* November 9 - 10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* November 9 - 11 -- CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* November 9 - 11 -- PODXS 070 Club Triple Play Low Band Sprint
(Digital)
* November 9 - 17 -- AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (CW)
* November 10 -- North American SSB Sprint Contest
* November 11 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
* November 11 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Digital)
* November 15 -- YO International PSK31 Contest
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.
Preparations Resume for 3Y0I Bouvet Island DXpedition
Another attempt to activate Bouvet Island is in the planning stages,
according to the 3Y0I website. Efforts are under way to secure the
necessary funds.
"As you probably know, our first attempt to reach the island of Bouvet
in March 2019 failed," the news update said. "Despite complex
preparations and training received in Cape Town, South Africa, our
vessel got hit by a big storm so badly that we had no choice but to
sail back to Cape Town to reshuffle our plans. We were so close -- just
63 nautical miles offshore!" The 3Y0I sponsors estimate that a second
attempt would cost around $170,000. "[W]e have already secured half of
the required budget to go back to Bouvet," the announcement said,
adding that it's beyond the capacity of the DXpedition team members to
cover the entire cost, so they are trying to collect $85,000 to fund
the second attempt.
The 3Y0I team has a GoFundMe page, set up by 3Y0I team leader Dom
Grzyb, 3Z9DX. No time frame was given for the second attempt by Grzyb's
team, and it's not known if Grzyb has obtained operating permission
from the Norwegian government. The 19-square-mile subantarctic island
is a Norwegian dependency.
"Our intentions are clear: If we don't reach our fundraising goal, we
won't receive nor spend a single cent you donate and it would be
returned to your GoFundMe account for withdrawal, or to support any
other GoFundMe project of your choice," the announcement says.
"The future of amateur radio expeditions, especially in terms of
activating entities placed across cold high-latitude seas, isn't
bright," the 3Y0I statement says. "Apart from the uncertainty of future
solar cycles' strength that may badly reflect radio propagations, there
are still very few of us who realize that visiting remote cold islands
may become very seldom or even almost impossible."
According to Club Log's DXCC Most Wanted List, Bouvet Island is number
2, right behind North Korea. The unrelated 3Y0Z DXpedition attempt to
land on Bouvet in early 2018 failed after the vessel transporting the
team developed engine issues as it lay just offshore. The last
successful Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, during a scientific expedition
over the winter of 2007 - 2008. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio
News via OPDX
France Gives its Highest Honor to The Secret Wireless War Author
Geoffrey Pidgeon
The author of The Secret Wireless War, Geoffrey Pidgeon, recently
became the 6,000th veteran to receive the French Legion of Honor
(Legion d'Honneur). Through his undercover work in British
intelligence, Pidgeon, now 93, played a pivotal role in the D-Day
landings. His book, which recounts the important role of the
Geoffrey Pidgeon. [Forces TV]
Communications Division of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)
during World War II, has long been a favorite among hams.
"There never was, in the whole history of wireless, a bigger role for
the amateur wireless enthusiast," says Pidgeon. "This is an
extraordinary story that includes hams among those patriots that
undoubtedly helped the Allied war effort."
Pidgeon said he was "somewhat overwhelmed" by the turnout for the award
presentation by French Ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna. UK
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also attended. The event attracted news
media as well. Reports included one from Forces TV. Pidgeon also was
interviewed by London's The Sunday Times.
"They made a fuss of me today," Pidgeon told Forces TV.
The Secret Wireless War offers a history of the SIS, its growing use of
wireless in the 1930s, its involvement in the dissemination by wireless
of Enigma (Ultra) intelligence, and a whole range of secret uses of
wireless as part of the successful prosecution of the war.
The book documents the personal tales of those who were part of this
most secret of units, and events that helped to win the war: Secret
agents abroad, wireless operators handling Ultra and agents' traffic,
wireless engineers, interceptors, and administrators; the story of
Churchill's personal wireless operator; a fleet of 70+ Packard motor
cars and converted Dodge ambulances used as mobile wireless stations;
and hams listening to the German secret service and the Gestapo.
Pidgeon's memoir of his days in MI6 Communications during World War II
is distributed in the US by ARRL.
In Brief...
The American Legion Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) will operate special
event station N9V on Veterans Day, November 11. The club's headquarters
station, K9TAL, will anchor the N9V Veterans Day operations, joined by
several TALARC stations around the US, for its annual national salute
to veterans. The American Legion is celebrating its 100th anniversary
this year. Operation will be from 1800 to 0000 UTC on or about 7.285,
14.285, and 21.285 MHz. Certificates will be available to all sending a
QSL card. More information is on the N9V profile page on QRZ.com. --
Thanks to Jim Harris, W0EM, and The National Legion Amateur Radio Club
University of Washington
doctoral candidate Paige
Northway with a HuskySat
engineering model.
[Courtesy of UW News]
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft carrying the University of Washington's
student-built HuskySat-1 CubeSat has been successfully launched. The
Cygnus docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on November 4.
It then is scheduled to depart the ISS on January 13, 2020, and raise
its orbit to approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles), where HuskySat-1
and SwampSat will be deployed. After deployment, HuskySat-1's 1,200 bps
BPSK beacon on 435.800 MHz should be active and decodable with the
latest release of FoxTelem. HuskySat-1 is expected to run its primary
mission for 30 days -- testing a pulsed plasma thruster and
experimental 24 GHz data transmitter -- before being turned over to
AMSAT for amateur radio operation. HuskySat-1 features a 30 kHz wide
145 to 435 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW. "Usually people buy most
of the satellite and build one part of it," said Paige Northway, a
doctoral student who's been involved with the project since inception.
"We built all the parts. It was a pretty serious undertaking." For more
information about HuskySat-1's development and its science, read the UW
News article, "Washington's first student-built satellite preparing for
launch." -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via SpaceNews.com; Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM, and UW News
The FCC is looking for a telecommunications specialist to work at the
HF Direction Finding Center in Columbia, Maryland. This is a full-time
position with a competitive salary. The incumbent would perform "watch
duty" and serve as a technical authority, providing technical
assistance and guidance to communication systems users to resolve radio
interference complaints and problems. The telecommunications specialist
collects radio signal analysis information using equipment deployed
throughout the US to collect, correlate, and analyze characteristics of
radio signals involved in interference problems, distress, or
safety-related signals, or other radio signals involved in other
high-priority activities, such as law enforcement or national defense.
This individual analyzes complaints, inquiries, and comments from
multiple sources; investigates compliances with FCC rules and
regulations, and determines appropriate actions, utilizing the FCC's
remote HF network of radio direction finders and radio signal analysis
equipment. For additional information, see the full job description.
The FCC has solicited comments on a Petition for Declaratory Ruling
clarifying Amateur Service rules governing encrypted or encoded
messages. Filed on behalf of New York University (NYU), the Petition
seeks to clarify that Section 97.113(a)(4) of the Amateur Service rules
prohibits the transmission of "effectively encrypted or encoded
messages, including messages that cannot be readily decoded
over-the-air for true meaning." Comments are due by December 2, with
reply comments (comments on comments already filed) due on December 17.
The FCC has requested that all filings refer to WT Docket No. 16-239,
which grew out of an ARRL Petition for Rule Making requesting
elimination of symbol rate limitations on the amateur bands and is
unrelated to the wider encryption issue. The NYU Petition contends that
some communication modes incorporating dynamic compression techniques
"by extension, effectively encrypt or encode the communications."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* November 16 -- Indiana Section Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
* December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant
City, Florida
* January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York
* January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill,
Texas
* January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
* January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto
Rico
* January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference (Winterfest), Collinsville,
Illinois
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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