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Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
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The ARRL Letter
July 2, 2020
* Prominent Radio Amateur Helps to Lead US Convalescent Plasma
COVID-19 Expanded Access Study
* IARU Appoints New Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Coordinator
* Researchers Use 200 Years of Sunspot Observations to Create "Sun
Clock"
* ARRL Podcasts Schedule
* New Extra Class License Manual and Extra Q&A Now Available
* ARRL Illinois Section Has a New Section Manager
* MARS Announces HF Skills Exercise
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Annual 13 Colonies Event Now Under Way
* Announcements July 2
* Ham Radio Reconnects Boyhood Friends after 60 Years
* In Brief...
* Getting It Right!
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
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COVID-19 Impact & News
Find the latest news and information on the impact of the coronavirus
pandemic to ARRL members and our global amateur radio community.
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Prominent Radio Amateur Helps to Lead US Convalescent Plasma COVID-19
Expanded Access Study
Well-known contester, DXer, and National Contest Journal (NCJ) Editor
Scott Wright, K0MD, has been "substantially" stepping back from ham
radio while offering his expertise to the US convalescent plasma
COVID-19 Expanded Access Program. The study began in early April under
the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr. Michael Joyner, MD, of the
Mayo Clinic; Dr. Peter Marks, MD, PhD -- who is AB3XC -- and Dr. Nicole
Verdun, MD, of the US Food and Drug ministration; Dr. Arturo
Casavedall, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, and Wright, who is
with the Mayo Clinic.
"The US Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program is a collaborative
project between the US government and the Mayo Clinic to provide access
to convalescent plasma for patients in the US who are hospitalized with
COVID 19," Wright told ARRL. The work has been referenced during White
House press briefings and in congressional testimony. The US
government-supported study collects and provides blood plasma recovered
from COVID-19 patients, which contains antibodies that may help fight
the disease. The Mayo Clinic is the lead institution for the program.
"My role was to organize the infrastructure and the research approach,
and to help lead the set-up of the data collection and of the website
teams, while overseeing the study conduct and regulatory compliance,"
Wright explained.
According to a June 18 Washington Post article, "A large study of
20,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients who received transfusions of
blood plasma from people who recovered found the treatment was safe and
suggests giving it to people early in the disease may be beneficial."
An initial safety report on 5,000 patients appeared in May in the
Journal of Clinical Investigation. The safety study on 20,000 subjects
referenced in the Washington Post article was published earlier this
month in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Wright said most scientific studies of this magnitude take months to a
year with planning and execution to get under way. In this case, the
study team went from zero to 60 in a few short weeks.
"We started in less than a week. Most studies recruit 2,500 - 5,000
patients," Wright said. "We have recruited over 30,000 patients in 10
weeks, exceeding all expectations."
Hospitals in all 50 states and several US territories are
participating, Wright said, and more than 8,000 physician-scientists
are working with the team as investigators at their hospitals. "We also
helped manage the start-up of collection of convalescent plasma by the
large blood organizations, such as the American Red Cross, by
strategically connecting donor pools and people willing to donate with
the blood collection centers."
Wright's study responsibilities, which are on top of his regular day
job, have required him to work daily, including weekends, for all of
April, most of May, and all of June. "It has been intense," he said.
Wright said an FDA announcement on the benefit of convalescent plasma
was expected soon. The FDA has been inviting donations of convalescent
plasma from individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19.
Wright will be the keynote speaker at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
August 8 - 9 to discuss the study, its results, and, he said, "linking
it to skills acquired through ham radio. Read more.
IARU Appoints New Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Coordinator
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) ministrative Council has
appointed Martin Sach, G8KDF, as global Electromagnetic Compatibility
(EMC) Coordinator, succeeding Tore Worren, LA9QL.
"EMC is a major challenge for all radiocommunication services," the
IARU noted. "Radio amateurs are experiencing increased interference
caused by unwanted radio frequency emissions from a wide variety, and
rapidly growing number, of electronic devices."
The EMC Coordinator's mission is to ensure that the concerns and needs
of radio amateurs are effectively addressed in international standards
bodies -- particularly the International Special Committee on Radio
Interference (CISPR) and the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) -- as well as in regional telecommunication organizations and at
national levels through IARU member-societies. Assisting in the effort
is a network of volunteers with expertise in the field of EMC.
IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, said, "The IARU ministrative Council
is grateful for Tore's leadership and for his willingness to continue
contributing to this vital work. We are fortunate that someone as
qualified as Martin is willing to take the reins. He has already
represented the IARU effectively at important international meetings
and we look forward to working even more closely with him."
Radio amateurs throughout the world support the work of the IARU
through membership and involvement in their national IARU
member-societies. The IARU needs qualified volunteers in this and other
fields.
New IARU Video
The video "What is IARU?" is now available on the International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 website.
"This video explains the mission and roles of IARU to represent,
develop, and defend frequencies for amateur radio around the world,"
IARU Region 2 explains. "It also describes the regional organizations
and the critical roles of its more than 160 member-societies." The
English-language presentation was developed by the IARU ministrative
Committee and approved at its meeting last October in Lima, Peru.
The short video, available in English and Spanish, was produced by IARU
Region 2 Director Carlos Beviglia, LU1BCE, and Fernando Gomez Rojas,
LU1ARG. The videos are available in MP4 format.
IARU Region 2 encourages member-societies and radio clubs to use the
videos to explain the role and mission of IARU to amateurs, regulators,
and others.
Researchers Use 200 Years of Sunspot Observations to Create "Sun Clock"
Researchers in the UK and the US have developed a new "sun clock" that
quantifies extreme space weather and pinpoints distinct on/off times of
high solar activity and space weather. The sun clock will assist in
planning to protect space and ground-based infrastructure that is
sensitive to space weather. The study, "Quantifying the solar cycle
modulation of extreme space weather," was published in Geophysical
Research Letters. It explains that the sun clock uses the daily sunspot
number record available since 1818 to map solar activity over 18 solar
cycles to a standardized 11-year cycle or "clock."
"Extreme space weather events can significantly impact systems such as
satellites, communications systems, power distribution, and aviation,"
a Warwick University news release said, noting that these events are
driven by solar activity. "By devising a new, regular 'sun
Multiple solar cycles are mapped
onto a regular solar cycle clock
with increasing time reading
clockwise. Circles indicate the
cycle maxima (red), minima (green),
and terminators (blue). The
10.7-centimeter solar flux (blue)
and GOES satellite X-, M-, and
C-class solar flare occurrence is
plotted. Extreme space weather
events on Earth seen in the aa
geomagnetic index are shown as black
dots arranged in concentric circles.
clock', researchers have found that the switch on-and-off of periods of
high solar activity is quite sharp."
The researchers' analysis shows that while extreme events can happen at
any time, they are much less likely to occur during quiet intervals.
The sun clock is aimed at helping scientists to determine more
precisely when the risk for solar storms is highest and to plan the
impact of space weather on space infrastructure. This gains importance
as Solar Cycle 25 is imminent.
According to the researchers, no two solar cycles are the same, but
using a mathematical technique known as the Hilbert transform, they
were able to standardize the solar cycle for the first time. The clock
revealed sharp transitions between quiet and active periods of solar
activity.
"Once the clock is constructed from sunspot observations, it can be
used to order observations of solar activity and space weather," the
university said. This includes the occurrence of solar flares and the
10.7-centimeter solar flux that tracks solar coronal activity.
The researchers determined that once past on/off times are obtained
from the clock, the occurrence rate of extreme events when the sun is
active or quiet can be calculated.
"Scientists spend their lives trying to read the book of nature," lead
author and Professor Sandra Chapman of the University of Warwick's
Centre for Fusion, Space, and Astrophysics, said. "Sometimes, we create
a new way to transform the data, and what appeared to be messy and
complicated is suddenly beautifully simple."
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ARRL Podcasts Schedule
The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 6) details
everything you need to know about ARRL Field Day, with Contest Program
Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE. Learn how to create a simple station setup
as a less-experienced operator. The On the Air podcast is a monthly
companion to On the Air magazine, ARRL's magazine for
beginner-to-intermediate ham radio operators.
The latest episode of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 11), available
on Thursday, July 2, will cover Shortwave Radiogram, web-based remote
receivers, and PSKreporter.
The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both
podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well
as on Blubrry -- On the Air | Eclectic Tech.
New Extra Class License Manual and Extra Q&A Now Available
Go all the way to the top! ARRL has everything you need to pass the
Amateur Extra-class license exam with confidence.
[IMG]The ARRL Extra Class License Manual for Ham Radio is your ticket
to every privilege granted to amateur radio operators -- all
frequencies, operating modes, and power levels. It has all the
questions and answers, with detailed explanations, for examinations
taken between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2024.
Use this book with ARRL Exam Review for Ham Radio online to review the
material. You can even take practice exams, so there are no surprises
on exam day!
When you've successfully passed the exam, The ARRL Extra Class License
Manual will serve as your reference as you explore your new privileges!
If you're looking for a more direct route to studying for the exam,
[IMG]ARRL's Extra Q&A contains all exam questions and the answers.
To upgrade to Amateur Extra class, you must already hold a
General-class license (or have recently passed all of the exam elements
required for a General-class license).
The ARRL Extra Class License Manual new 12th edition spiral bound (ARRL
Item No. 1311, ISBN: 978-1-62595-131-1, $32.95 retail) and ARRL's Extra
Q&A new 5th edition (ARRL Item No. 1335, ISBN: 978-1-62595-133-5,
$19.95 retail) are now shipping. Order from the ARRL Store, or find an
ARRL publication dealer. For additional questions or ordering, call
860-594-0355 (toll-free in the US, 888-277-5289). Both The ARRL Extra
Class License Manual and ARRL's Extra Q&A are available as an e-book
for the Amazon Kindle.
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ARRL Illinois Section Has a New Section Manager
Thomas Beebe, W9RY, has been appointed as the Illinois Section Manager,
effective July 1. He succeeds Ron Morgan, AD9I, who stepped down due to
health concerns that became apparent just as he was ready to start a
new term. Morgan was re-elected in the spring Section Manager election
cycle and had served as SM since February 2017. Beebe, who lives in
Marion, will fulfill the 2-year term that extends through June 30,
2022.
Beebe was one of three candidates who ran for the post in the spring SM
election. He has served as an Assistant Section Manager, Official
Emergency Station, and a Field Instructor and Field Examiner. Beebe has
been a ham for more than 50 years.
ARRL Radiosport and Field Services Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, made the
appointment after consulting with ARRL Central Division Director Kermit
Carlson, W9XA.
MARS Announces HF Skills Exercise
Members of the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) will conduct an
HF skills exercise July 20 - 24 to hone their operating skills and
messaging-handling capabilities. MARS members will be reaching out to
the amateur radio community via the 60 meters Channel 1 Net (5330.5 kHz
dial) twice a day, the SATERN HF net (14.265 MHz), and by contacting
various stations via HFLink throughout the exercise.
Participating MARS members will be requesting assistance with
collecting county status information as well as airport weather
information, called METARs. MARS members will also be passing ICS 213
messages to numerous Department of Defense (DoD), federal, and amateur
radio addressees.
This exercise will be announced via WWV at 00:10 and via WWVH at 00:50
starting on or about July 13. WWV and WWVH listeners will be asked to
take an online listener survey. This HF radio training event will not
impact regular communications.
A Department of Defense program, MARS organizes and trains amateur
radio volunteers to operate in military radio networks to support HF
radio contingency communications. Among other missions, MARS provides
communication support to civil authorities and assists in establishing
normal communication under emergency conditions. -- Thanks to Paul
English, Chief, Army MARS
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots this week.
Spaceweather.com reported a couple of weak, barely emerging spots
(never numbered) but, judging by their magnetic polarity, were from new
Solar Cycle 25. We rely on NOAA for official sunspot numbers, and the
most recent one reported was 11 on June 15.
Average daily solar flux over the June 25 - July 1 reporting week
averaged 68.6, up from 67.7 over the previous 7 days. The average daily
planetary A and the average middle latitude A indices both were 5.5.
Predicted solar flux over the next 45 days is 68 each day from July 2
until August 15 -- hardly a promising outlook. Even with no sunspots,
it would be nice to see solar flux values north of 70.
The predicted planetary A index is 5 on July 2 - 26; 8 on July 27 - 28;
5 on July 29 - August 1; 8 on August 2 - 3, and 5 on August 4 -15.
Sunspot numbers for June 25 - July 1 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 68.9, 67.8, 68.9, 69.2, 68.7,
68.1, and 68.9, with a mean of 68.6. Estimated planetary A indices were
3, 6, 7, 4, 3, 4, and 6, with a mean of 5.5. Middle latitude A index
was 2, 6, 6, 4, 4, 5, and 6, with a mean of 5.5.
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
* July 4 -- FISTS Summer Slow Speed Sprint (CW)
* July 4 - 5 -- DL-DX RTTY Contest
* July 4 - 5 -- Marconi Memorial HF Contest (CW)
* July 4 - 5 -- Original QRP Contest (CW)
* July 4 -5 -- PODXS 070 Club 40-Meter Firecracker Sprint (Digital)
* July 4 - 5 -- YBDXC 80-Meter Contest (Phone)
* July 6 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* July 6 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (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.
Annual 13 Colonies Event Now Under Way
The annual 13 Colonies special event kicked off on July 1 at 1300 UTC
and will continue until July 8 at 0400 UTC. Stations representing the
original 13 British colonies, plus two bonus stations, will be on the
air with 1 * 1 call signs.
The event sponsor stresses that participants do not need to work all 13
colony stations to obtain a certificate and do not need to work the two
bonus stations for a clean sweep. All HF bands will be in play, with
the exception of 60 meters, and simplex on 2 and 6 meters is
encouraged. All modes of operation may be represented.
This year will mark the 12th occurrence of the event. Look for:
* K2A, New York
* K2B, Virginia
* K2C, Rhode Island
* K2D, Connecticut
* K2E, Delaware
* K2F, Maryland
* K2G, Georgia
* K2H, Massachusetts
* K2I, New Jersey
* K2J, North Carolina
* K2K, New Hampshire
* K2L, South Carolina
* K2M, Pennsylvania
Bonus station WM3PEN will be in Philadelphia (the call sign
commemorates the Pennsylvania colony's founder, William Penn). The
other bonus station will be GB13COL in the UK.
Announcements July 2
* ARRL member Wayne Rash, N4HCR, authored a June 30 Forbes magazine
article, "Thousands Of Radio Operators Band Together To Practice
For The Worst," about ARRL Field Day 2020.
* Radio amateurs and others may listen for ham radio activity from
the International Space Station (ISS) by monitoring 145.800 MHz.
* Ken Opskar, LA7GIA, has announced the Jan Mayen 2021 DXpedition,
using the call sign JX0X, in September of 2021, with an emphasis on
160 - 30 meters.
* Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the announced W8S Swains Island
DXpedition has been postponed until spring 2021 at the earliest.
* CQ has named Tim Shoppa, N3QE, of Bethesda, Maryland, as the
magazine's contesting editor. He succeeds Dave Siddall, K3ZJ.
* AMSAT has designated China's CAS-6 (TQ-1) microsatellite as
TQ-OSCAR 108 (TO-108). Reports indicate that the transponder is
active only for intervals of about 2 seconds, but, AMSAT says,
"With patience, and quick transmissions, QSOs have been completed."
* To commemorate the third anniversary of the FT8 Digital Mode Club,
special event stations will be on air during the month of July for
FT8DMC Activity Days. All call signs will have FTDMC or FTDM
suffixes.
Ham Radio Reconnects Boyhood Friends after 60 Years
Two radio amateurs who were in school together in Austria decades ago
have reconnected via VoIP ham radio. One of the two had moved to the
US, and they lost touch. On June 15, Arnold Huebsch, OE1IAH, heard a
call via Echolink from Albin Ennsthaler, KK9HAM, near Spokane.
"At first, I did not want to respond as I was working on a program. But
Arnold Huebsch, OE1IAH.
as I know that usually nobody responds here to calls in English, I
answered," recounted Huebsch, who is also KN6EYB and fluent in English.
As it turned out, they chatted for some 20 minutes. Because each was
familiar with the geography on both sides of the contact, they had a
lot to talk about. Huebsch learned that Ennsthaler was born in Austria
and had relocated to the US years earlier. "He pronounced the local
city names in perfect German but asked to run the QSO in English, as he
felt more comfortable to do so," Huebsch said.
A few minutes after the contact ended, Huebsch turned his attention to
serving as the net control station of a daily net on a local repeater
in Vienna. "I mentioned the contact with KK9HAM and noted that his name
was Albin, a name not common in Austria. That caught the ear of one of
the locals, Gerhard Weissenboeck, OE1WED, who recalled someone named
Albin from school in Styria about 60 years ago, but had lost touch with
him. Weissenboeck wondered if it could be the same person.
"I initiated contact via email between them, as I knew Albin had come
from that area of Austria," Huebsch said. "They found out that they had
shared a desk in school." KK9HAM and OE1WED arranged a sked via
Echolink for a few days later.
"It was an intense, very emotional, funny QSO in a wild mixture of
English and German," Huebsch said. "Without our hobby, these two former
school friends would never have had a chance to meet again."
Ennsthaler later emailed Huebsch. "I am still speechless about this
get-together with Gerhard and Fahrdienstleiter [traffic controller]
Arnold and other members of the group," he said. "What a memorable
day."
In Brief...
Intrepid-DX Group Announces Youth Essay Contest The Intrepid-DX Group,
a US-based IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes amateur
radio in developing countries, has announced its first Youth Essay
Contest. The prize is a new Icom IC-7300 transceiver, which the winner
must agree to keep and use for 1 year. Participants will submit a
two-page essay answering these questions: (1) What are your amateur
radio goals? and (2) What can we do to attract more youth to amateur
radio? The competition is open to US amateur radio licensees aged 19 or
younger. Submit essays in text or MS Word attachment by July 31, 2020,
or mail to The Intrepid-DX Group, 3052 Wetmore Dr., San Jose, CA 95148,
postmarked by July 31, 2020. The winner will be announced on August 10
on the Intrepid-DX Group website and on its Facebook page. Email for
more information. The Intrepid-DX Group hopes to make the Youth Essay
Contest an annual event.
SAQ Announces Annual Alexanderson Day Transmission The vintage SAQ
Alexanderson alternator in Sweden will conduct its annual Alexanderson
Day transmissions on 17.2 kHz on Sunday, July 5. Startup and tuning
will begin at 0830 UTC, with the transmission commencing at 0900 UTC.
Startup and tuning for the second transmission will begin at 1130 UTC,
with the message transmission at 1200 UTC. Both events will be
broadcast live via the Alexderson Association SAQ YouTube channel. QSO
via the reception report form. Amateur radio station SK6SAQ will
operate on 7.035 and 14.035 MHz (CW) and on 3.755 MHz SSB. Send
reception reports via email. Two stations will be on the air most of
the time. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no visitors will be allowed
into the radio station. More details are on the Alexanderson
Association website.
National Hurricane Center's WX4NHC Annual Station Test is Successful On
May 30, operators at WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC),
working from home, conducted the annual readiness check of the station
and of other amateur radio stations and operators around the country
and world. WX4NHC is marking its 40th year of public service in 2020.
Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator at the NHC Julio Ripoll, WD4R,
reported that five WX4NHC operators made 146 contacts with US and
Caribbean stations. Despite poor HF propagation, operators made
contacts with stations as far north as Maine and as far south and west
as Aruba and Curacao, Puerto Rico, and Texas. Operators also made many
contacts using digital modes, including Winlink as well as Florida's
statewide SARNET UHF repeater network that connects 27 repeaters from
Key West to Tallahassee. -- Thanks to the ARES E-Letter
Getting It Right!
The article, "Rescued Radio Amateur Says, 'Ham Radio Saved My Life'" in
the June 25 issue of The ARRL Letter cited a report in the Bennington
Banner. The newspaper's name was incorrect in the article.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
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Note: Many conventions and hamfests have been canceled or postponed due
to the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events on
the ARRL website.
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* July 16 - 19 -- Montana State Convention, Essex, Montana
* July 24 - 25 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
* August 7 - 9 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Parker,
Colorado
* August 21 - 23 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West
Virginia
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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