The ARRL Letter
July 11, 2019
* ARRL Announces "Happy 150!" Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday
Celebration
* Window Closes on July 15 for Volunteer Monitor Program
Applications
* FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 Changes Recreational Drone Flying
Requirements
* So Now What? Podcast
* Shop AmazonSmile on Prime Day and Support ARRL
* IARU President Offers Assurances Regarding French 144 - 146 MHz
Allocation Proposal
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* W1AW, NU1AW to be Headquarters Multipliers for the IARU HF
Championship
* Historic Amateur Radio Contact via Moon-Orbiting Satellite
Reported
* ARISS-International Delegates Meet in Montreal
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Announces "Happy 150!" Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL's first
president and cofounder Hiram Percy Maxim (HPM), W1AW, born on
September 2, 1869. ARRL will hold an operating event to celebrate
HPM's legacy, getting under way at 0000 UTC on August 31, and
continuing until 2359 UTC on September 8. The event is open to all
radio amateurs.
The goal is straightforward: Contact 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
identify as /150, if permitted by their country of
license.) Participating stations will exchange signal report and
ARRL/RAC Section. DX stations will send signal report and "DX." Those
taking part may use all Amateur Radio bands, excluding 60, 30, 17,
and 12 meters.
Permitted modes: CW, phone (any voice modes), and digital. Submit
Cabrillo log or ADI files. ARRL will calculate all final scores based
on participants' uploads to the ARRL event web app (link not yet
active).
The 84 available multipliers only count once. These include the 83
ARRL/RAC Sections (RAC Sections include the Canadian Northern
Territories, encompassing VE8, VY1, and VY0) and DX. The W1AW
operating schedule during this period may be adjusted as necessary to
accommodate on-air celebration operating activities. Contacts with
W1AW/150 will earn 3 points each. Contacts with any ARRL member will
earn 2 points each. These stations will also identify as /150. Contacts with nonmembers will earn 1 point each.
Participants can earn 150 bonus points by:
* Contacting W1AW/150 on each band and mode.
* Uploading entries (ARRL members only).
* Using social media to publicize this event and/or participation
before, during, and/or after the event.
* Operating with 5 W PEP output or less throughout the event.
* Making at least 20 contacts while operating portable.
* Completing at least 150 contacts.
Online certificates will be awarded, and are available via download
only. Updates and results will be publicized.
There are no power or operator categories. Participating ARRL members
who use Logbook of The World (LoTW) are encouraged to create a
separate LoTW certificate for uploading /150 contacts.
Members then should upload logs for this event using their /150
certificates. Submissions must be via the online web app. No email or
paper submissions will be accepted.
Window Closes on July 15 for Volunteer Monitor Program Applications
Monday, July 15, will be the last day that applications for the new
Volunteer Monitor Program will be accepted. Some 250 applications
have been submitted to fill approximately 150 Volunteer Monitor (VM)
positions in the program, which is succeeding the Official Observer
(OO) program. Retired FCC special counsel and former Atlantic
Division Vice Director Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, is overseeing
ARRL's role in the development and implementation of the program, and
he has been interviewing all applicants. Those not selected as VMs
will be placed in a reserve pool. Current OOs have been invited to
apply for appointments.
Approved by the ARRL Board of Directors at its July 2018 meeting, the
new Volunteer Monitor Program represents a formal agreement between
the FCC and ARRL in which volunteers trained and vetted by ARRL will
monitor the airwaves and collect evidence that can be used to correct
misconduct, as well as to recognize exemplary on-air operation. ARRL
will refer incidents of flagrant violations to the FCC for action, in
accordance with FCC guidelines, and the FCC will give priority to
enforcement cases developed by the Volunteer Monitor Program. The FCC
proposed the program following the closures of several FCC regional
offices and a reduction in field staff.
ARRL and the FCC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that
establishes the Volunteer Monitor Program as a replacement for the
Official Observers.
The first Volunteer Monitors could be in place and ready to begin
their duties by this fall.
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 Changes Recreational Drone Flying
Requirements
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 includes changes to recreational
drone flying in the US. Radio amateurs have used drones to inspect
antenna systems and terrain and to carry support lines aloft, as well
as for other purposes. The FAA considers those who fly their drones
for fun as recreational users. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018
describes how, when, and where owners may fly drones for recreational
purposes. These broad guidelines should apply to most Amateur Radio
users of drones.
* [IMG]Register as a "modeler." A registrant must be at least 13
years old and a US citizen or legal permanent resident.
* Label your model aircraft with your registration number.
* Fly only for recreational purposes.
* Follow the safety guidelines of a community-based organization
(see below).
* Fly your drone at or below 400 feet when in uncontrolled or Class
G airspace, and do not fly it in airspace where flight is
prohibited.
* Keep your drone within your line of sight or within the
line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located and in
direct communication with the operator.
* Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports.
* Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full
of people.
* Never fly near emergencies such as any type of accident response,
law enforcement activities, firefighting, or hurricane recovery
efforts.
* Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Recreational flyers who intentionally violate any of these safety
requirements and/or operate in a careless and reckless manner could
be liable for criminal and/or civil penalties. Read the Authorization
for limited recreational operations as described in Section 44809
(PDF). All limited recreational operations should be conducted in
accordance with this authorization.
For more information, read Advisory Circular 91-57B.
The FAA is upgrading the online system, known as LAANC (the Low
Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), so that
recreational operations can get automated airspace authorizations to
fly in controlled airspace.
The new law also will require that drone operators pass an online
aeronautical knowledge and safety test and carry proof of test
passage. The FAA is developing the test in consultation with
stakeholders. Recreational flyers would have to pass the test, which
could be administered electronically. The FAA will provide additional
guidance and will notify when the test is available. The FAA also
will issue guidance for how it will recognize community-based
organizations.
More detailed information about the FAA's plan to fully implement the
requirements of Section 349 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 is
available in the Federal Register.
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So Now What? Podcast
"Fan Questions" will be the focus of the new (July 11) 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.
Shop AmazonSmile on Prime Day and Support ARRL
Amazon Prime Day is almost here! Deals start at 3 AM ET on Monday,
July 15, and continue through Tuesday, July 16. Prime Day is one of
the biggest shopping days of the year.
As you browse the great deals available exclusively to Amazon Prime
members, we invite you to shop at AmazonSmile, choosing the ARRL as
your charity of choice.
With every qualifying purchase you make through AmazonSmile, Amazon
will make a contribution to ARRL. This helps ARRL extend its reach in
public service, advocacy, education, technology, and membership.
Support the Amateur Radio Service and ARRL with your eligible
purchase on Amazon Prime Day, or on any day of the year.
For more information on Amazon Prime Day and AmazonSmile visit
AmazonSmile and log in to your Amazon account.
IARU President Offers Assurances Regarding French 144 - 146 MHz
Allocation Proposal
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Tim Ellam,
VE6SH/G4HUA, said his organization empathizes with the concerns of
radio amateurs worldwide regarding a French proposal to allocate 144
- 146 MHz to the Aeronautical Service on a primary basis, essentially
sharing it with Amateur Radio. The band is currently allocated to
Amateur Radio on a primary basis around the world. Ellam this week
offered assurances that the IARU is on top of the matter, which is
still a regional issue, and is already working to keep the band in
the hands of radio amateurs. While the issue could end up on the
agenda of World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23), a lot
would have to happen first.
"There is a lot of misinformation circulating as to what the proposal
is seeking and how IARU is responding to it," Ellam told ARRL. "While
the proposal is a concern, petitions and the like, while well
intended, are going to have very limited value and, in fact, may harm
the steps being taken in the regulatory environment."
The French proposal, submitted last month to a pre-WRC-19 European
Conference of Telecommunications and Postal Administrations (CEPT)
meeting, included 144 - 146 MHz within a range of frequencies to be
studied for future airborne, non-safety applications in the
Aeronautical Service. Germany opposed the move, and IARU "objected
strongly," Ellam said. "Nonetheless, the proposal was carried forward
to the next meeting of the CEPT Conference Preparatory Group in late
August." IARU anticipates that other countries attending the August
meeting will oppose the inclusion of 144 - 146 MHz as a frequency
range to be considered for the WRC-23 agenda, Ellam said.
IARU President Tim
Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA
Since the June meeting, IARU Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the Middle
East) has asked its member-societies to contact their national
administrations (i.e., governments) to explain the importance of the
144 - 146 MHz primary allocation, Ellam recounted. "IARU is also
taking other actions to make its views known to those involved in the
proposal," he said.
"If accepted as a WRC-23 Agenda Item, this proposal would require 4
years of studies by administrations," Ellam stressed. "Considering
the challenges of sharing spectrum with aeronautical systems, it
seems inevitable that the conclusion of such studies would be that
sharing with a widely used part of the amateur spectrum presents too
many problems to be viable."
Ellam encouraged individual radio amateurs who want to help to become
members of their IARU member-society. "If anything," Ellam concluded,
"this recent news should serve as a timely reminder that defense of
the amateur spectrum does not just happen. Your member-societies and
the IARU constantly work at defending the amateur allocations." Read
more.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: As was the case in the previous
reporting week, the current week had only 1 day, July 13, on which
sunspots made a brief appearance; both were new spots from Cycle 25,
according to their magnetic signatures.
The average daily solar flux declined marginally from 67.5 to 67.1.
Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 68 on July 11 - 18, and
67 on July 19 - August 24.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on July 1; 5 on July 12-27; 8 on
July 28; 5 on July 29 - August 4; 12, 15, and 12 on August 5 - 7; 5
on August 8 - 23, and 8 on August 24.
Here's an interesting article on space weather from The Conversation:
"Solar weather has real, material effects on Earth."
Space Weather Woman Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, has posted a new video.
Sunspot numbers for July 4 - 10 were 0, 0, 0, 12, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 1.7. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 67.8, 67.5, 66.5, 67.3,
66.5, 66.8, and 67.6, with a mean of 67.1. Estimated planetary A
indices were 5, 5, 3, 5, 9, 17, and 15, with a mean of 8.4. Middle
latitude A index was 8, 6, 5, 5, 7, 16, and 13, with a mean of 8.6.
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
* July 13 -- FISTS Summer Unlimited Sprint (CW)
* July 13 - 14 -- IARU HF Championship (CW, phone)
* July 13 - 14 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* July 15 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
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.
W1AW, NU1AW to be Headquarters Multipliers for the IARU HF
Championship
During the IARU HF Championship contest July 13 - 14, the ARRL HQ
station will be W1AW/7, on the air from Nevada with Tom Taormina,
K5RC, as control operator. IARU Secretariat Club station NU1AW will
be on the air from KC1XX in New Hampshire and K1TTT in Massachusetts
and counts as the IARU HQ station.
Both single and multioperator stations may operate the entire 24-hour
period, and stations may operate on phone, on CW, or on both modes.
IARU member-society HQ stations send signal report and official IARU
member-society abbreviation (e.g., ARRL).
Members of the IARU Administrative Council and the three IARU
regional Executive Committees send "AC," "R1,"
"R2," and "R3," as
appropriate. All other stations send signal report and ITU zone.
Historic Amateur Radio Contact via Moon-Orbiting Satellite Reported
A contact between radio amateurs in Germany and China took place on
July 1 via the moon-orbiting LO-94 satellite, DSLWP-B, launched in
May 2018. The two-way exchange between Reinhard Kuehn, DK5LA, in
Sorup, Germany, and Harbin Institute of Technology club station
BY2HIT (operated by Wei Mingchuan, BG2BHC), in Harbin, China,
occurred between 0551 and 0728 UTC, according to reports. The
GMSK-to-JT4G repeater onboard DSLWP-B was used to make the contact,
the first ever via a lunar-orbiting repeater.
"Using the GMSK-to-JT4G repeater is not easy, in terms of the signal
power needed for the uplink," commented radio amateur and engineer
Daniel Est‚vez, EA4GPZ, whose blog includes images of the lunar
surface downloaded via DSLWP-B. "There were plans to make a QSO
between BY2HIT and Reinhard since many months ago, but previous
attempts didn't work out. My congratulations to the people at both
sides of the QSO, who have achieved it a month before DSLWP-B crashes
against the lunar surface."
As Est‚vez explained it, the GMSK-to-JT4G repeater works by sending
commands to the satellite that embed a 13-character message, using
the same frequency and a similar protocol to the one that commands
the camera and other satellite functions. He said sending a message
in this fashion takes a little longer than 1 minute.
An open telecommand protocol allows radio amateurs to take and
download images, and DSLWP-B transmitted images of the moon and Earth
during this week's solar eclipse. DSLWP-B was launched as a secondary
payload with the Quequiao relay satellite as part of the Chang'e 4
mission to the far side of the moon.
DSLWP stands for "Discovering the Sky at Longest Wavelengths
Pathfinder," and was designed to test low-frequency radio astronomy
and space-based interferometry. The repeater uplink is on 2 meters
and the downlink is on 70 centimeters.
ARISS-International Delegates Meet in Montreal
Representatives of nine nations were on hand as Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) held its 2019 "face-to-face"
meeting of international delegates at the Canadian Space Agency in
Montreal, June 26 - 28. ARISS-Canada was the host for the gathering.
A high point of the conference came when JVC Kenwood Software Manager
Shin Aota, JL1IBD, presented two Kenwood TM-D710GA transceivers to
ARISS-Russia delegate Sergey Samburov, RV3DR. One of the TM-D710GA
radios will replace aging Amateur Radio equipment currently in use on
the International Space Station, while the other will remain on Earth
as a spare for training cosmonauts. For more than a year, these
radios have undergone rigorous NASA qualification testing followed by
final software configuration and verification.
"With today's transfer of the radios to ARISS-Russia, we are one step
closer to an enhanced Amateur Radio system on board the ISS,
supporting various operations such as SSTV, voice communication,
APRS, and a variety of experiments," ARISS-International said in
announcing the presentation. The ARISS Hardware Team met on June 25.
JVC Kenwood's Shin Aota, JL1IBD
(left), hands a new Kenwood
TM-D710GA transceiver to
ARISS-Russia's Sergey Samburov,
RV3DR. [Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, photo]
Other topics included ARISS' future participation in NASA's Deep
Space Gateway (DSG) program. ARISS is the only noncommercial entity
whose ideas are under study by the program. The ARISS plan focuses on
Amateur Radio communication, including optical communication
channels, as well as equipment development, team cooperation,
education, and public outreach.
Those attending the conference included Radio Amateurs of Canada
(RAC) President and ARISS-Canada Delegate for RAC Glenn MacDonell,
VE3XRA; AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO, and AMSAT-Italia
President Emanuele D'Andria, I0ELE. ARRL Southeastern Division
Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, attended in his role as chair of the
ARRL Board's new ARISS Committee. Rosalie White, K1STO, represented
ARRL as an ARISS-US delegate and handled the duties of
ARISS-International Secretary. The other ARISS-US delegate was Dave
Taylor, W8AAS. Read more. -- Thanks to Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS
Public Relations, and Rosalie White, K1STO
In Brief...
Applications for the 2020 ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program will be
accepted between September 1 and December 31, 2019. All applicants
must be FCC-licensed radio amateurs, and many scholarships have other
specific requirements, such as intended area of study, residence
within a particular ARRL Division, Section or state, and license
class. Applicants should review the scholarships and check off the
ones for which they are eligible. If you complete an online
application, you must also email a PDF of academic transcripts from
your most-recently completed school year by January 13, 2020.
Applications not accompanied by transcripts will not be considered.
The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all applicants
for eligibility and award decisions. Scholarship recipients will be
notified in May 2020 via USPS mail and email. For more information,
visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program page.
Starting with the August issue, QST will list the recipients of W1AW
Code Proficiency certificates. Key manufacturer Vibroplex is now
sponsoring the certificates, which have been redesigned. The Code
Proficiency program has been an ARRL staple for decades. Participants
who copy a W1AW qualifying run and submit 1 minute of legible solid
copy and the $10 certificate fee can qualify. Send submissions to
W1AW Qualifying Run, 225 Main St., Newington, CT USA 06111. These are
checked directly against the official W1AW text, and those
demonstrating solid copy will receive an initial Code Proficiency
certificate. Endorsement stickers, which cost $7.50, are issued for
speeds up to 40 WPM. The W1AW Code Proficiency Program is open to
hams and non-hams alike. Those seeking to attain a Code Proficiency
certificate can listen to W1AW daily code practice sessions, in which
the text is taken directly from QST, as announced before each
practice run.
A final call has been issued to solicit technical papers for
presentation at the ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
(DCC). The event is set for September 20 - 22 at the Marriott Detroit
Metro Airport Hotel. Papers will also be published in the Conference
Proceedings. Authors do not need to attend the conference to have
their papers included in the Proceedings. The submission deadline is
August 5. Submit papers via email or mail to Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB,
ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. Papers will be published
exactly as submitted, and authors will retain all rights.
Cathryn Mitchell, M0IBG, the academic director of the University of
Bath Doctoral College in the UK, has received the 2019 Edward
Appleton Medal and Prize. She was recognized for her pioneering
research in tomography and data assimilation that revealed a
completely new perspective on the ionosphere in response to extreme
space weather. "Mitchell innovated a completely new Earth observation
technique by adapting medical tomography to image the Earth's
ionosphere, thus revealing the dynamics of the near-Earth space
environment," an announcement on the Institute of Physics (IOP)
website explained. "Her use of Global Positioning System satellite
signals as a source for space weather tomography, through a new
time-dependent mathematical inversion algorithm, has given us the
first global-scale view of the ionosphere in response to space
weather storms." The award's namesake, Edward Appleton, won the 1947
Nobel Prize in Physics for his 1924 work that proved the existence of
the ionosphere. Radio amateurs participated in listening tests during
the early 1920s that provided data regarding how radio signals
propagate. Read more.
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Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* July 19 - 21 -- Nevada State Convention, Reno, Nevada
* July 25 - 27 -- Central States VHF Conference, Lincoln, Nebraska
* July 26 - 27 -- Ham Holiday, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
* August 2 - 3 -- Austin Summerfest, Austin, Texas
* August 3 - 4 -- Cedar Valley ARC Hamfest/Midwest STEM Techfest,
Central City, Iowa
* August 8 - 10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Ogden, Utah
* August 9 - 11 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett,
Washington
* August 17 - 18 -- Huntsville Hamfest, Alabama State Convention,
Huntsville, Alabama
* 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 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
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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