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http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2017-11-30

The ARRL Letter

November 30, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Ballots Counted in 2017 ARRL Director, Vice Director Elections
 *  Status Report: The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017
 *  FCC Dismisses Radio Amateur's Petition to Revise Call Sign Rules
 *  ARRL Board of Directors Publicly Censures Southwestern Division Director
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  Major New Edition of The ARRL Handbook is Now Available!
 *  Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals!
 *  AO-91 Commissioned, Declared Open for Amateur Use!
 *  Amateur Radio-Carrying D-Star One CubeSat among Spacecraft Apparently
    Lost
 *  IARU Cites Progress Toward 50 MHz Region 1 Allocation
 *  JOTA "Alive and Doing Well," Although 2017 Participation Down from Last
    Year
 *  Year-Long NASA On The Air Event Kicks off on December 11
 *  Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, Receives Wireless Innovation Forum Leadership Award
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Getting It Right
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


Ballots Counted in 2017 ARRL Director, Vice Director Elections

The votes are in, and the ballots have been tallied at ARRL Headquarters in
contested Director and Vice Director elections.

In a two-way race to fill the Dakota Division Director's chair being vacated by
Kent Olson, KA0LDG, the Division's members elected Vice Director Matt Holden,
K0BBC, of Bloomington, Minnesota. Holden received 698 votes, while Dean
Summers, N0ND, of Dickinson, North Dakota, got 345 votes. Holden was appointed
Vice Director in February 2016 after former Director Greg Widin, K0GW, became
ARRL First Vice President. Olson announced earlier this year that he would not
seek another term.

In a four-way race for the Vice Director's chair that Holden will vacate, the
winner was North Dakota Section Manager Lynn Nelson, W0ND, of Minot. Nelson
earned 427 votes; Tom Karnauskas, N0UW, of Owatonna, Minnesota, received 338
votes; Chris Stallkamp, KI0D, of Selby, South Dakota got 175 votes; and Jay
Maynard, K5ZC, of Fairmont, Minnesota, picked up 93 votes.

In the Atlantic Division, ARRL members chose former FCC Special Counsel Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as Vice Director. In the
final tally, Hollingsworth received 2,559 votes, while Lloyd Roach, K3QNT, of
Bedford, Pennsylvania, garnered 1,348 votes.

In the Midwest Division, Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS, easily held off a
re-election challenge from Cecil Miller, WB0RIW, of Wichita, Kansas, 1,249 to
792. Blocksome was elected Midwest Division Vice Director in 2011. In 2014, he
was the only candidate to succeed retiring Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA.

Unopposed for new terms were Atlantic Division Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM;
Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ; Delta Division Vice Director Ed
Hudgens, WB4RHQ; Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK; Great
Lakes Division Vice Director Tom Delaney, W8WTD, and Midwest Division Vice
Director Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ.

All successful candidates begin new 3-year terms on January 1, 2018.

____________________________________________________________________________


Status Report: The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017

The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 - S. 1534 is alive, but with legislative
action slowed to a glacial pace on Capitol Hill in recent months, there's been
no real progress to report since this past summer. At present, the bill is
under consideration by the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, and it remains an active concern for ARRL. The League is
working diligently to shake the bill loose and move it forward.

While it may appear that time is short, S. 1534 does not need to pass the
Senate by year's end. The bill remains in play until the current session of
Congress adjourns, which doesn't happen until December 31, 2018. Once the bill
has been passed by both chambers, the FCC would still have to implement its
essence in the Part 97 Amateur Service rules.

Introduced on July 12, S. 1534 marked another step forward for the landmark
legislation. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
sponsored the bill in the Senate. The US House version of the legislation, HR
555, passed the House of Representatives by unanimous consent last January.

____________________________________________________________________________


FCC Dismisses Radio Amateur's Petition to Revise Call Sign Rules

The FCC has dismissed a rule-making petition filed last May by Thomas J.
Alessi, K1TA, of Stamford, Connecticut, that sought to amend the Part 97 rules
regarding Amateur Radio Service call signs. The Commission action came in a
November 28 letter from Scot Stone, Deputy Chief of the FCC Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau Mobility Division. Alessi had asked the FCC to make
call signs consisting of one letter, followed by two digits, followed by one
letter (1 xx 1 format) available to Amateur Extra-class licensees. Alessi
asserted that the number of Amateur Extra-class licensees who desire short call
signs exceeds the available supply of 1 x 2 and 2 x 1 call signs, and that his
plan would make available an additional 7,800 four-character call signs.

"Approximately fifteen million call signs are presently available in the
sequential call sign system, but it does not include every amateur call sign
that has been allocated to the United States," Stone wrote in denying Alessi's
petition. He also pointed out that the FCC had rejected a similar suggestion in
2010 that would have made certain additional call signs, including 1 xx 1 call
signs, available to Amateur Extra-class licensees, but concluded at the time
that enough call signs were already available for every Amateur Radio licensee
to obtain an acceptable call sign. In addition, the FCC said in 2010 that it
had no plans to revisit the issue.

"You have not demonstrated any changed circumstances or other reason that would
warrant revisiting this decision," Stone's letter concluded.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Board of Directors Publicly Censures Southwestern Division Director

Acting on a recommendation of its Ethics and Elections Committee, the ARRL
Board of Directors has publicly censured one of its own -- ARRL Southwestern
Director Dick Norton, N6AA. On an 11-3 vote, with one member abstaining, the
Board adopted a resolution to censure Norton for criticizing the ARRL Code of
Conduct for Board members at an Amateur Radio gathering "by virtue of his
characterizations thereof, thus criticizing publicly the collective action of
the Board of Directors adopting said Code of Conduct and drawing the Board's
collective decision making into disrepute." The Board admonished Norton that no
further similar behavior would be tolerated.

The resolution cited "multiple portions of the Code of Conduct" that Norton was
found to have violated. The Board's action related to a complaint filed with
the Ethics and Elections Committee by an ARRL member. The Board met in special
session by teleconference on November 14 to consider the matter.

According to the resolution, fellow Board members had cautioned Norton that
"his actions and his manner" in criticizing the Code of Conduct for Board
members were "not acceptable and cannot continue, with no notable change in his
behavior since that time."

Norton had been provided with a copy of the Ethics and Elections Committee
resolution, dated September 7, 2017, and responded to it in writing,
accompanied by statements of four ARRL members who supported his response.

The Board found that Norton's violation of the ARRL Code of Conduct had "caused
harm to the League" and provided sufficient cause to publicly censure Norton
for "unacceptable behavior as an ARRL Board member."

The minutes of the special ARRL Board of Directors meeting have been posted on
the ARRL website.

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Coaxial Cable vs. Balanced Lines" is the topic of the new (November 9) 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 e-mail 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.

Just ahead: "Listener Mailbag."

____________________________________________________________________________


Major New Edition of The ARRL Handbook is Now Available!

The 2018 edition of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications has undergone a
complete makeover and is now available. First published in 1926, the most
widely used one-stop reference and guide to radio technology principles and
practices over the years since has documented the state-of-the-art in Amateur
Radio as well as emerging technologies in radio experimentation, discovery, and
achievement. The 95th edition of The Handbook has been extensively updated, and
includes significant new content. Each chapter has been authored and edited by
experts in the subject. ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, is promoting The
Handbook as a valuable resource for new and veteran hams alike.

"For new hams, you will be amazed at how quickly you become familiar, not only
with the theory, but also with the practical aspects of radio -- from long
waves to microwaves," he said. "For experienced hams, you're in for a surprise
and delight when you see the extent of the latest revisions. This edition is
the most comprehensive revision since the 2014 edition."

Readers can download a fully searchable, digital edition of the Handbook, plus
expanded supplemental content, software, PC board templates, and other support
files.

The Handbook is not just for radio amateurs. For years now, it's proved to be a
valuable resource for professionals and students in radio and communication
technology, electrical engineering, data communication, physics, and
geophysics.

New projects in the 2018 edition include VHF/UHF/Microwave Filters and
Transmission Lines; Software-Controlled and Manual Preselectors for 1.8-30 MHz;
Digital Mode Audio-Based VOX/PTT Interface; PICAXE-Based Timer; 6-Meter Halo
Antenna; Big Wheel VHF/UHF Mobile Antenna, and an Off-Center End-Fed Portable
40-6 Meter Antenna.

Readers of the 2018 edition of The Handbook will also find new and updated
information on software-defined radio (SDR) and digital signal processing
(DSP), grounding and bonding, Solar Cycle 24-25, tower safety, and
remote-control station building.

The ARRL Handbook is available in hardcover and softcover editions from the
ARRL Store or your ARRL Dealer. Hardcover: ARRL Order No. 0727, ISBN
978-1-62595-072-7, $59.95 retail. Softcover: ARRL Order No. 0710, ISBN
978-1-62595-071-0, $49.95 retail. Call (860) 594-0355 or, toll-free in the US,
(888) 277-5289.

____________________________________________________________________________


Sign Up for ARRL's 12 Days of Deals!

We're making a list and checking it twice. Beginning Monday, December 4, 2017,
ARRL will be offering 12 days of deals. Subscribe by entering your name, call
sign, and e-mail address in the fields
provided. You'll receive an e-mail every day for 12 days with a special online
deal. Each deal is valid for 1 day only at www.arrl.org/shop.

ARRL's 12 days of deals concludes Friday, December 15, 2017.

Sign up now, and unwrap a new deal every day!

____________________________________________________________________________


AO-91 Commissioned, Declared Open for Amateur Use!

AMSAT-NA's latest Amateur Radio CubeSat, RadFxSat (Fox-1B), now known as AO-91,
has been opened for general use. AMSAT Engineering officially announced that
AO-91 was ready for use at 0650 UTC on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. AMSAT VP
of Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, turned over operation to Mark Hammond,
N8MH, and AMSAT Operations during a contact on the AO-91 repeater during the
pass over the Eastern US, AMSAT said in a bulletin.

The latest CubeSat in the Fox series was launched on November 18 from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Telemetry is downlinked via the DUV
sub-audible telemetry stream, which can be decoded using FoxTelem software.

A 1U CubeSat, RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is a joint mission of AMSAT and the Institute
for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE) at Vanderbilt University. AMSAT
constructed the rest of the satellite, including the spaceframe, on-board
computer, and power system. The Amateur Radio package is similar to that
currently on orbit on AO-85, with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and
a downlink on 145.960 MHz. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio-Carrying D-Star One CubeSat among Spacecraft Apparently Lost

The first Amateur Radio satellite to employ the D-Star digital voice and data
format -- D-Star One -- was among about 20 secondary payloads lost on November
28 after an otherwise nominal launch of a three-stage Soyuz 2.1 booster from
the new Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far reaches of eastern Russia.

The mission carried the Russian Meteor M2-1 satellite -- the primary payload --
as well as a Canadian Telestar experimental satellite, and 17 other secondary
payloads, including D-Star One. According to reports, a fault occurred in the
sophisticated and autonomous Fregat upper stage, which, after separating from
the launch vehicle, inserts multiple spacecraft into their respective orbits. A
so-called "space tug," Fregat has been in service for nearly 2 decades and has
suffered three previous failures. Russian space agency Roscosmos is
investigating the Fregat failure.


D-Star One, the first German commercial CubeSat, carried four communication
modules, two designated for Amateur Radio use.

D-Star One was developed by German Orbital Systems in cooperation with the
Czech company iSky Technology as part of a plan to eventually assemble a
low-Earth orbit communication network.

"Hopefully, we'll get another chance to utilize D-Star communications with a
satellite repeater sometime in the future," Wayne Day, N5WD, commented on the
AMSAT-BB.

The Fregat upper stage functions as an orbital vehicle in its own right to
access a range of orbital configurations through a series of "burns." Made up
of six spherical tanks arrayed in a circle, Fregat is "independent from the
lower three stages, having its own guidance, navigation, control, tracking, and
telemetry systems," according to Gunter's Space Page.

The November 28 launch was only the second from the new cosmodrome.

____________________________________________________________________________


IARU Cites Progress Toward 50 MHz Region 1 Allocation

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) says "significant progress" was
made during World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) preparations that
took place earlier this month at International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Headquarters in Geneva. But the IARU cautioned that a lot remains to be done
before the "reservations and concerns of regulators and spectrum users are
adequately satisfied."

For the team representing IARU in Working Party 5A (WP 5A) of ITU
Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), the main focus was on the WRC-19 agenda item
that will consider an Amateur Radio allocation in Region 1 from 50 to 54 MHz
that is similar to the one available in Regions 2 and 3. The current, mainly
secondary, allocation of 50-52 MHz in most European countries is a regional
agreement. Delegates to the meeting considered input documents from IARU,
France, the Russian Federation, and Switzerland. A rough consensus was achieved
on the text that will provide the technical basis for discussions concerning
the access to 50-54 MHz for the Amateur Service in Region 1.

Other key issues affecting the Amateur Service that remain to be addressed
prior to WRC-19 include securing protection for Amateur Service primary
allocations at 24 GHz and 47 GHz and minimizing possible interference arising
from Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) for the charging of electric vehicles.
-- Thanks to the IARU

____________________________________________________________________________


JOTA "Alive and Doing Well," Although 2017 Participation Down from Last Year

Nearly 8,000 Scouts got on the air for the 60th Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) over
the third weekend in October, National JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, said.
This week, Wilson released the 2017 JOTA report, which declared, "Radio
Scouting and Jamboree on the Air are alive and doing well." Facilitating the
October JOTA activity were more than 900 radio amateurs at 525 stations.

"Propagation wasn't our friend, but, even so, [radio amateurs in] almost 90
countries and all 50 states engaged in conversations with Scouts during the
weekend," Wilson said. "In addition to HF, VHF, and UHF, many Amateur Radio
digital modes were in use, as well as online Jamboree on the Internet
channels."

The tally for JOTA 2017 was 7,872 Scouts on the air, which, Wilson pointed out,
was down from the 10,761 who took part in JOTA 2016, but more in line with
2015's participation. Reports were filed by 226 JOTA locations.

"The Boy Scouts of America National Radio Scouting Committee will be exploring
several improvement projects for 2018," Wilson said. These would include
establishing a JOTA Frequency Task Force to explore updated frequency listing
and operating recommendations, looking into new ways to alert participants in
real time about other JOTA stations that are on the air.

The Radio Scouting Committee's work in 2017 resulted in the introduction of new
Radio Merit Badge requirements, which included a new option for Amateur Radio
Direction Finding (ARDF) -- or "foxhunting." The panel also developed documents
to help Scout leaders incorporate radio and JOTA in their unit activities.

Wilson pointed out that the K2BSA operation at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree
in July introduced Amateur Radio to nearly 2,500 Scouts, with 305 earning the
Radio Merit Badge.

____________________________________________________________________________


Year-Long NASA On The Air Event Kicks off on December 11

The Amateur Radio clubs at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
centers around the US have invited the Amateur Radio community to join the NASA
On The Air (NOTA) special event. NOTA gets under way in December and continues
through December 2018. In addition to being the agency's 60th anniversary, 2018
will mark 50 years since NASA orbited the first human around the moon, and 20
years since the first elements of the International Space Station (ISS) were
launched into low-Earth orbit.

Starting on Monday, December 11, 2017, Amateur Radio club stations at various
NASA centers and facilities will be on the air with special event operations to
celebrate these monumental achievements, as well as current milestones. Some
clubs will offer commemorative QSL cards, and a special certificate will be
available indicating the number of NASA club stations worked on various bands
and modes.

"We plan to have a web-based system for you to check your points total and
download a printable certificate at the end of the event in December 2018," the
NASA announcement said. "Points will be awarded for each center worked on each
band and mode (phone, CW, digital, and 'space' modes -- satellites, meteor
scatter, EME, ISS APRS)." That would, of course, include contacts with any of
the Amateur Radio stations on the ISS.

Key anniversaries during NOTA include the 45th anniversary of Apollo 17 on
December 11, 2017, which kicks off the event; NASA's founding on July 29, 1958;
the 20th anniversary of the ISS first element launch on November 20, 1998; the
20th anniversary of the ISS Node 1 Launch on December 4, 1998, and the 50th
anniversary of Apollo 8 -- launched on December 21, 1968, and returned on
December 27 -- marking the end of the event.

More information is on the NASA On The Air website. Participating Amateur Radio
clubs and the NOTA event are independent of -- and not officially sponsored by
-- NASA. -- Thanks to Rob Suggs, KB5EZ, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Amateur Radio Club (NN4SA), and Kevin Zari, KK4YEL, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Amateur Radio Club (N1KSC).

____________________________________________________________________________


Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, Receives Wireless Innovation Forum Leadership Award

The oft-honored Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, is the recipient of the Wireless Innovation
Forum Leadership Award (formerly International Achievement Award). The award
recognizes "especially significant contributions in furthering the global
mission of the Wireless Innovation Forum." A prolific technical author,
academic, and engineer, Rohde is a partner of Rohde & Schwarz in Munich,
Germany, and chairman of Synergy Microwave Corporation, in Paterson, New
Jersey.

While working under an RCA US Department of Defense contract in 1982, Rohde's
department developed the first software-defined radio (SDR), which used the
COSMAC (complementary symmetry monolithic array computer) chip. Rohde was among
the first to present publicly on this topic with his 1985 talk, "Digital HF
Radio: A Sampling of Techniques," at the Third International Conference on HF
Communication Systems and Techniques in London.

"Since then, Rohde has actively driven innovation in the field of SDR, both in
industry and academia," the Award announcement said. Rohde holds some 50
patents. In December 2016, Rohde was invited to deliver the Sir J.C. Bose
Memorial Lecture on "Next-Generation Networks: Software-Defined Radio --
Emerging Trends," at IEEE Hyderabad, India. In the 2017 edition of
Communications Receivers, Rohde and his co-authors set SDR at the core of
modern communications systems design.

A project in which Rohde & Schwarz is involved was also honored. The Wireless
Innovation Forum conferred its Technology of the Year award on the German Armed
Forces Joint Composite Radio Equipment Project; Rohde & Schwarz is lead
industry partner.

Winners were announced at the Wireless Innovation Forum Conference on
Communications Technologies and Software-Defined Radio (WInnComm 2017), held in
San Diego November 15-17.

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

Canada's Polar Prince WSPR beacon will ID with a new call sign on the return
leg of its voyage. With the successful completion of the Canada C3 Expedition
via the Northwest Passage that culminated with the arrival of the Polar Prince
in Victoria, British Columbia, the CG3EXP special event call sign has been
retired. The Polar Prince will continue to carry an Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon as
the ship returns to the East Coast via the Panama Canal, identifying as VE0EXP.
The CG3EXP WSPR beacon transmitted on 20, 30, and 40 meters. Anyone with an HF
receiver and the free WSPR application may be able to receive the VE0EXP signal
and track the vessel's location on WSPRnet. -- Thanks to Radio Amateurs of
Canada


Statistics indicate that the Amateur Radio population in the UK has grown by
approximately 10% over the past 5 years. According to telecommunications
regulator Ofcom, as of the end of August 2017, there were 52,195 Full
licensees, 9,739 Intermediate licensees, and 22,649 Foundation licensees.
Figures recently released in response to a Freedom of Information request from
Peter Bowyer, G4MJS, covered the period from June 2010 and August 2017. The
statistics also show 803 Reciprocal licensees in June 2016. Overseas visitors
do not need a Reciprocal license, if they are visiting the UK for up to 3
months from CEPT T/R 61-01 signatory countries such as the US, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, or CEPT signatories in Europe. Ofcom previously issued
Reciprocal license holders with call signs that were indistinguishable from
Full license call signs; Ofcom now uses the term "Full (Temporary Reciprocal)
Licence." In response to a Freedom of Information request for a list of
available (unassigned) Amateur Radio call signs from Derek Flewin, 2W0FLW,
Ofcom responded, "We no longer hold a list of available Amateur Radio call
signs, as we now use a system that randomly allocates call signs upon request."


ARISS has announced that the MAI-75 Slow-Scan (SSTV) system on the ISS will be
on the air starting on December 5 at around 1500 UTC and continuing until
December 6 at 0900 UTC, transmitting test images on 145.800 MHz FM that should
be available worldwide. SSTV activity on December 7 and 8 is scheduled to occur
at times when the ISS is above Moscow. In the past images have been sent in
PD180 mode, with a 3-minute off time between each image. The SSTV system is in
the Russian Service Module of the International Space Station (ISS). -- Thanks
to ARISS


SKYWARN(TM) Recognition Day (SRD) takes place on Saturday, December 2, from
0000 until 2400 UTC (starts on the evening of Friday, December 1, in US time
zones). During the SKYWARN Special Event, operators at stations set up in
National Weather Service (NWS) offices will contact radio amateurs around the
world. Participating stations will exchange a brief description of their
current weather with as many NWS-based stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15,
10, 6, and 2 meters, plus 70 centimeters. Repeater contacts are permitted. SRD
was developed jointly in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL to celebrate the
contributions SKYWARN volunteers make to the NWS mission -- the protection of
life and property.

____________________________________________________________________________


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: The outlook for the near term shows solar
flux at 72, 71, and 69 for November 30-December 2, 68 on December 3-6; 70 and
71 on December 7-8; 72 on December 9-12; 74 on December 13; 75 on December
14-16; 74 on December 17; 73 on December 18-20; 74 on December 21-22; 76 on
December 23-29; 72 on December 30-31; 70 on January 1-3; 71 on January 4; 72 on
January 5-8; 74 on January 9; 75 on January 10-12, and 74 on January 13.

The predicted planetary A index is 10, 6, 5, and 5 on November 30-December 3;
32, 36, 18, 20, and 10 on December 4-8; 5 on December 9-10; 12, 15, 12, and 8
on December 11-14; 5 on December 15-16; 8, 25, and 10 on December 17-19; 8 on
December 20-21; 5 on December 22-23; 15 on December 24; 12 on December 25-27; 8
on December 28; 5 on December 29-30; 35, 40, 28, 20, and 10 on December
31-January 4; 5 on January 5-6; 12, 15, 12, 8, and 5 on January 7-11, and 8 on
January 12-13.

Sunspot numbers for November 23 through 29, 2017 were 0, 0, 13, 15, 15, 14, and
12, with a mean of 9.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 72.4, 74.1, 74.3, 75.5,
73.6, 71.9, and 72.6, with a mean of 73.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
9, 10, 7, 3, 5, 8, and 5, with a mean of 6.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 7, 8, 4, 2, 4, 6, and 4, with a mean of 5.

Send me your reports and observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Getting It Right

Ross Primrose, N4RP, took issue with our awkward and ambiguous wording of a
sentence in the story "International Grid Chase Will Allow Use of 630 and 2200
Meters" in the November 16 edition of The ARRL Letter. We should have said, "If
UTC does not respond within 30 days or does not specifically deny access, these
stations may commence operation there."


The announcement for the 2017 ARRL 10 Meter Contest, as published in November
2017 QST (p. 94) contains incorrect information. Participants may choose to
operate CW, Phone, or Mixed. Stations in the Mixed category may work stations
on both modes for contact credit -- i.e., once on CW, and once on phone.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  December 1-3 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)
 *  December 2 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
 *  December 2-3 -- TOPS Activity Contest (CW)
 *  December 2-3 -- EPC Ukraine DX Contest (Digital)
 *  December 3 -- Ten-Meter RTTY Contest
 *  December 3 -- SARL Digital Contest
 *  December 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
 *  December 7 -- 1.8 QRP ARCI Topband Sprint (CW)
 *  December 7 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

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 e-mail preferences.

____________________________________________________________________________


Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

 *  December 2 -- Arkansas DX Association's 50th Anniversary Convention,
    North Little Rock, Arkansas
 *  December 8-9 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
    Florida
 *  January 6 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Brookville,
    New York
 *  January 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia
 *  January 19-20 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
 *  January 20 -- GARS TECHFEST Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
 *  January 21-27 -- Quartzfest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona
 *  January 26-27 -- Delta Division Convention, Jackson, Mississippi

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it
wrong...
... Just some fertile weeds from the savage garden of my mind.
---