Text 11242, 693 rader
Skriven 2017-04-20 18:10:39 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200)
Ärende: The ARRL Letter for April 20, 2017
==========================================
********************************************
            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

April 20, 2017

Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww1me@arrl.org>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- ARRL Hamvention Forum Topics Will Encompass Makers, Youth, HamSCI
- FCC Proposes Levying Huge Fine on New York Police Radio Jammer
- ARISS Gains Visibility at National Science Teachers Association
Conference
- ISS Packet System Returns to VHF
- Ham Radio Club in India Reunites Lost, Injured Pilgrims and Travelers
with Families
- Canada May be the Best Place for Hams to Experience the Solar
Eclipse, Says VE7DXW
- Ham Astronauts Swap Places on International Space Station
- Article Links Amateur Radio Growth to Emergency Communications
- RARSfest Hosts 2017 ARRL Roanoke Division Convention
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> ARRL HAMVENTION FORUM TOPICS WILL ENCOMPASS MAKERS, YOUTH, HAMSCI  

When Hamventionr opens on May 19 for the first time in Xenia, Ohio, the
focus of ARRL activities will be the ARRL EXPO in Building 2 of the
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
<http://www.greenecountyfairgrounds.com/>. ARRL will sponsor a slate of
forums on all 3 days of Hamvention.

To highlight the new location, some fresh ARRL forum topics will
accompany the old standards. Space is limited at some forum venues.

ARRL has reached out to the Maker movement, and "Ham Radio Makers and
Hackers" will kick off the League's forum schedule on Friday at 10:30
AM (Room 4). The ham radio community has always promoted the DIY (do it
yourself) approach -- what some hams call "homebrewing." The panelists
at this hour-long session will share experiences about how ham radio is
finding kinship with the new generation of creators, makers, hackers,
and innovators. Panelists will include ARRL author Glen Popiel, KW5GP,
and ARRL Education & Technology Program instructor Tommy Gober, N5DUX.
Also on the panel is Cara Kouse, Innovation and Makerspace Manager at
the Xenia Community Library, who will talk about the new Makerspace
opened at the library early this year.

Also new at Hamvention 2017 will be the "HamSCI
<http://www.hamsci.org/>, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation"
forum, Saturday at 9:15 AM (Room 4). Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, will
answer the question, "What is HamSCI?" A group of panelists will share
information about professional research programs supported by radio
amateurs. Presentations also will address investigations related to the
total solar eclipse in August, and Frissell will discuss "The Solar
Eclipse QSO Party <http://www.hamsci.org/solar-eclipse-qso-party>:
Ionospheric Sounding Using Ham Radio QSOs."

One popular forum at the Orlando HamCation focused on the ARRL
Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative (CARI
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARRLCARI/>). Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR,
will bring the discussion to Hamvention on Saturday at 12:30 PM (Room
4). A growing number of campus radio clubs and student radio amateurs
have begun to share ideas and suggestions on the CARI Facebook page to
rekindle interest in ham radio on college and university campuses,
bringing students together, and developing career connections.
Students, alumni, and faculty will present at the forum. The ARRL
Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative is sponsored in part by the W1YSM
Snyder Family Collegiate Amateur Radio Endowment.

"Learning. Discovery. And FUN!" on Sunday at 9:15 AM (Room 2). ARRL
Teachers Institute
<http://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology> on
Wireless Technology instructor Tommy Gober, N5DUX, will introduce
teachers to a variety of tools, as well as a curriculum to take back to
their classrooms. Topics include an introduction to basic electronics,
the science of radio, space technology, and satellite communication, as
well as weather science, introduction to microcontrollers, and basic
robotics. Gober will share strategies to motivate students to learn and
to inspire interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) fields.

ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, will moderate
the ARRL Member Forum on Saturday at 11:45 AM (Room 1). It's an
opportunity for ARRL members and prospective members to hear from local
and national ARRL officials on key areas of membership interest. Learn
how ARRL supports dozens of ways to get involved, get active, and get
on the air.

   The wide-ranging "Public Service Communications Panel Discussion" on
Saturday at 1:45 PM (Room 4) will offer a chance to hear from
representatives of organizations active during disasters and
emergencies. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, will
moderate. There will be presentations by representatives of the VoIP WX
Net and VoIP Hurricane Net; the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS);
the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN); the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio
Network (SATERN), and the US Department of Homeland Security's SHARES
network.

At "Ham Radio and the Law: Antenna Permits and Problems" on Friday at
2:45 PM (Room 2), attorney Fred H. Hopengarten, K1VR -- the author of
Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur -- will head a panel of Amateur
Radio attorneys in a discussion of legal issues to include avoiding
restrictive covenants, tower permits, and recent court rulings on the
PRB-1 limited federal preemption. The forum will present the latest
information on H.R. 555, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017.

"ARRL National Parks on the Air Recap" on Sunday at 10:30 AM (Room 2)
will review the highly successful NPOTA <http://www.arrl.org/npota>
activity that commemorated the centennial of the US National Park
Service last year, inspiring more than 1 million contacts during park
activations. ARRL Radiosport Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and ARRL Media
and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, will moderate.

A complete schedule
<http://hamvention.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Forum-Charts-2017.pdf>
of Hamvention forums is available on the Hamvention website.

==> FCC PROPOSES LEVYING HUGE FINE ON NEW YORK POLICE RADIO JAMMER  

The FCC has proposed imposing a fine of more than $400,000 on a Queens,
New York, man who has admitted making unauthorized transmissions on New
York City Police Department (NYPD) radio frequencies, maliciously
interfering with NYPD officers' communications. Jay Peralta, 20, is
alleged to have transmitted false bomb threats, false claims of
criminal activities involving firearms, false distress calls from
purported NYPD officers, and threats against individual NYPD officers.
The unauthorized transmissions began a year ago, according to the FCC.

"Through his actions, as he described them to the NYPD, Mr. Peralta has
demonstrated not only a deliberate disregard of the Commission's
authority and rules, but of the safety of NYPD officers and the public
that they are called to serve and protect," the FCC said in a Notice of
Apparent Liability (NAL
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-35A1.pdf>),
issued on April 14. "Commission action in this context is therefore
essential to safeguard authorized operations on spectrum licensed for
public safety uses, and, accordingly, a substantial penalty appears
warranted."

The FCC said the NAL addresses nine unauthorized and interfering
transmissions that Peralta has admitted to the NYPD that he made on its
radio system. According to the FCC, Peralta's unauthorized
transmissions included false bomb threats, false claims of criminal
activities involving firearms, false distress calls from purported NYPD
officers, and threats against individual NYPD officers.

   FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said that with the NAL, the FCC is making it
"abundantly clear that it will not tolerate unauthorized and illegal
use of the radio spectrum." The entire Commission now must sign off on
such proposed fines, and Pai said he was grateful to his fellow FCC
members for "agreeing to act swiftly and strongly" in the matter. "This
may not be a typical pirate radio case in which an unauthorized
operator inflicts damage on a radio broadcaster that is operating with
a valid FCC license," Pai said, "but it does involve unauthorized
interference to critical public safety communications systems."

Peralta was arrested last fall, along with two other men suspected of
committing several robberies. According to news accounts, police found
a cache of scanners and radios in one of the suspects' homes. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-proposes-levying-huge-fine-on-new-york-police-rad
io-jammer>.

==> ARISS GAINS VISIBILITY AT NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION  
CONFERENCE

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) program gained some valuable visibility at the
2017 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA
<https://www.nsta.org/>) national conference, March 27-April 2, in Los
Angeles. ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ,
represented ARISS and ARRL at the annual gathering. The ARISS Team
shared a booth with a few other educational programs under the Center
for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS <http://www.iss-casis.org/>)
Space Station Explorers
<http://www.spacestationexplorers.org/programs/> umbrella. CASIS is an
important sponsor of the ARISS program and the sole manager of the ISS
US National Laboratory.

An estimated 4,000 educators visited the CASIS booth, learning what is
available to engage students in ISS research and activities.

"The Space Station Explorers program includes a number of educational
activities available to teachers that are appropriate for various grade
levels: Story Time in Space, Zero Gravity, and Orion's Quest, to name a
few," Johnson said. "While at the NSTA, I had opportunities to speak
with several curriculum developers, pointing up the importance of
including radio and wireless communications in their physical science
curricula," she added. "Curriculum material about the electromagnetic
spectrum and for using sensor technologies abounded, but radio was hard
to find."

Johnson said the NSTA conference also allowed an opportunity to engage
in some team building with other program representatives, discussing
ideas for future collaboration.

The NSTA convention came on the heels of the Council of State Science
Supervisors (CSSS <http://www.csss-science.org/>) conference in Los
Angeles. "CASIS also laid the groundwork for the ARISS program to
participate in that conference by conducting a scheduled interview
between ISS Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, and
students in the LA School District for the attending professionals to
experience," Johnson recounted. "The contact and interview went
extraordinarily well and resulted in many inquiries about the program
from those attendees who subsequently visited us at the NSTA."

Johnson also promoted ARISS to individual educators visiting the booth,
explaining the program and the proposal process and handing out more
than 400 flyers. "I also discussed the ARRL's Teachers Institutes
<http://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology> with
some attendees and encouraged them to consider applying," she said.

==> ISS PACKET SYSTEM RETURNS TO VHF  

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) packet digipeater system is again operating on
VHF -- 145.825 MHz. The failure of an Ericsson handheld VHF transceiver
on board the ISS last fall had caused ARISS to shift packet operation
to 70 centimeters. In February, a cargo resupply mission delivered a
new Ericsson 2-meter handheld to replace the one that had failed, which
had been used in the Columbus module for school group contacts and for
Amateur Radio packet.

While the VHF transceiver was offline, ARISS shifted school contacts
from NA1SS to the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver in the Russian Service
Module. NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, said
the VHF capability now back in Columbus can be used in conjunction with
passes involving the HamTV digital amateur television (DATV) system,
which operates on 2.4 GHz.

ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said recently that ARISS
continues to make progress on the development of the new interoperable
radio system on the ISS "that we hope to use to replace our aging radio
infrastructure in the Columbus module and the Service module."

Packets digipeated in a valid APRS format via the ISS system and picked
up by an internet gateway station are documented on the "Amateur Radio
Stations heard via ISS <http://www.ariss.net/>" page. -- Thanks to
Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, ISS Ham Project Coordinator

==> HAM RADIO CLUB IN INDIA REUNITES LOST, INJURED PILGRIMS AND  
TRAVELERS WITH FAMILIES

For the past 24 years, members of India's West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC
<http://www.wbradioclub.in/home.php>) have helped to reunite lost or
injured individuals, many of them pilgrims attending the Ganga Sagar
Mela festival each January. The Ganga Sagar fair and pilgrimage, held
on Sagar Island's southern tip in the Ganges Delta on the Bay of
Bengal, attracts a huge number of people, and the club typically fields
a special event station for the occasion. But each year, a number of
visitors simply lose their way. This year, the Chief Medical Officer of
Health for the region once again reached out to the club for its help.

   "Some people are admitted [to the hospital] at the time of Sagar
Mela, and after the end of mela, many patients are waiting to return to
their homes," WBRC founder and secretary Ambarish Nag "Raju" Biswas,
VU2JFA, told ARRL. "But some patients are not able to reach their
destination on their own, and no family members have claimed them."

WBRC members contact other radio amateurs in the home states of those
who have become separated or, in some cases, just become lost, to
reconnect them with their families and help them on their way.

Recently, a 25-year-old man -- a Tamil speaker not in town for the fair
-- became hurt and lost and was hospitalized. Biswas, who does not
speak Tamil, enlisted the assistance of another club member, T.
Gopinath, VU3ZHC, who was able to translate. Armed with some
information from the man and a photo, the club members, working for
more than a month through ham radio and social media, were able to get
in touch with the man's family in the Vellore district.

"When we met him, he could hardly speak. He had head injuries," Biswas
said. They were able to determine that the young man, who was headed
for Gujarat state for work, had ended up in Kolkata by mistake and had
lost all his belongings on a train.

The young man's father and brother came to West Bengal with documents
to prove his identity, and the hospital and local authorities reunited
him with his family.

   Another patient in his early 70s has only been able to provide his
name and state but nothing else, and after searching via ham radio, the
club has been unable to repatriate him. He remains in the hospital in
West Bengal. "We are trying our best," Biswas said. "We found 563
persons this Sagar Mela." He said others also remain in the hospital
and in limbo.

A man in his 60s who had attended the mela awoke in the hospital after
becoming separated from his family, which had returned home to Bihar
state without him, assuming he was lost. Authorities turned to the
radio amateurs at the club, who were able to reunite him with his
family within a couple of days. -- Thanks to Raju Biswas, VU2JFA, and
to Greg Lee, KI6GIG/HS0ZHM

==> CANADA MAY BE THE BEST PLACE FOR HAMS TO EXPERIENCE THE SOLAR  
ECLIPSE, SAYS VE7DXW

Alex Schwarz, VE7DXW, who developed the online Scanning RF Seismograph
<http://users.skynet.be/myspace/mdsr/> to determine which bands are
open, is among the many looking forward to the solar eclipse on August
21, 2017. Although the path of totality will move over Oregon then
southeastward toward South Carolina, he believes radio amateurs north
of the border can take advantage of this "very exciting celestial
event," as those in the US will be doing, and may have an edge of
sorts. Members of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI
<http://hamsci.org/>) in the US will sponsor a Solar Eclipse QSO Party
(SEQP <http://hamsci.org/basic-project/2017-total-solar-eclipse>) to
conduct their own research.

   "This will be spectacular when viewed with our eyes," Schwarz said.
"The effects of the solar radiation on the propagation of radio waves
will be equally or more exciting." Schwarz said it may appear that
Canada won't be a part of the solar eclipse, but British Columbia (BC)
will have up to 95% coverage, he pointed out.

"As the solar eclipse is moving over the planet, it is leaving a canyon
of de-ionized gas on the ionosphere in altitudes of about 100 to 300
kilometers," Schwarz said. "This puts Canada -- and especially Ontario
-- in a very good position to get really long signal paths to the
horizon toward the south. Southern Ontario will be in the best location
to make contacts into the southern and western US and Central America.
In southern BC, we can aim our antennas right down the length of the
propagation anomaly and reach the Caribbean and southeastern US."
Schwarz said timing is important, because the gas will ionize again
after the solar shadow has passed. The entire passage across North
America will be approximately 90 minutes.

Schwarz said that during the 1999 solar eclipse in Europe, radio
amateurs recorded long-distance contacts on 160 and 80 meters. "We want
to inform all amateurs about the opportunity of experiencing the solar
eclipse on a totally different level by operating radios in their
shacks," he said.

Schwarz encouraged all ham radio clubs to participate in the
opportunity, not only to view the eclipse but to experience its effects
on radio propagation.

NASA offers much more information
<https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/2017-total-solar-eclipse-across-america>
about the 2017 solar eclipse.

==> HAM ASTRONAUTS SWAP PLACES ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION  

With US Astronaut and ISS Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough,
KE5HOD, now back on Earth, two more radio amateurs headed into space
this week from Kazakhstan to join the ISS crew members that Kimbrough
and Russian crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko left behind
on the ISS. The returning trio touched down safely in Kazakhstan on
April 10 after spending 173 days aboard the orbiting laboratory.

"Our crew landed safely in Kazakhstan!" Kimbrough tweeted shortly after
arriving in Kazakhstan. "We are looking forward to time with family and
friends."

   During his time on the orbital complex, Kimbrough participated in
several Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) school contacts. In addition to his scientific
research activities, he also ventured outside the confines of the space
station for four spacewalks.

The Expedition 51/52 crew increment of NASA astronaut Jack Fischer,
KG5FYH, and veteran cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, launched from
Baikonur, Kazakhstan, today (April 20).

The pair will travel on board a Soyuz MS-04 vehicle on a fast-track,
6-hour course to the space station and dock to the Poisk module.
Welcoming them aboard will be Expedition 51 Commander Peggy Whitson,
ex-KC5ZTD, Oleg Novitskiy, and Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG.

Fischer, a first-time space flier, and Yurchikhin, a veteran of four
spaceflights, will spend more than 4 months aboard the ISS, returning
to Earth in early September.

==> ARTICLE LINKS AMATEUR RADIO GROWTH TO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS  

An April 11 article
<http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Emergency-Communications-Driving-Increase-i
n-Amateur-Radio-Operators.html>,
"Emergency Communications Driving Increase in Amateur Radio Operators"
in Emergency Management magazine links the growth in Amateur Radio
numbers to interest in emergency communications.

"There has been a tremendous amount of interest in emergency
preparedness since 9/11 and Katrina, and this is true for the Amateur
Radio community as well," ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike
Corey, KI1U, told the publication. "Emergency communications is a
gateway into Amateur Radio, and many join our ranks through an interest
in being better prepared themselves and as a way to serve their
community."

The article cites numbers from ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, who
notes that 2016 was the third year in a row that the total number of
new licenses exceeded 30,000. The article also cites ARRL Colorado
Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, who agreed with the premise that
the uptick in new licenses is due to Amateur Radio's emergency
capabilities.

"Interest really peaks after a large-scale event where ham radio has
been utilized," Ciaccia said. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/article-links-amateur-radio-growth-to-emergency-commu
nications>.

==> RARSFEST HOSTS 2017 ARRL ROANOKE DIVISION CONVENTION  

The 45th annual RARSfest <http://www.rars.org/rarsfest/> on April 15 --
sponsored by the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society -- hosted the 2017 ARRL
Roanoke Division Convention. The convention was held indoors at the
North Carolina State Fairgrounds, in Raleigh. ARRL Marketing Manager
Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who represented the League at the event, said a
youth-operated special event station was among the activities aimed to
appeal to younger attendees. In a presentation highlighting some ARRL
Second Century activities, Inderbitzen noted the ARRL Collegiate
Amateur Radio Initiative, intended to bolster activity at college and
university ham radio clubs.

Emphasizing some of the goals of the ARRL Strategic Plan
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-strategic-plan>, he further encouraged all
radio amateurs to work closely with ARRL to help new licensees get
involved, get active, and get on the air.

ARRL Roanoke Division Director Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, presented the 2016
Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award to Matthew W. McGuire Jr., AF4UZ.
The award was instituted in 1968 by then-Roanoke Division Director and
past ARRL President Vic Clark, W4KFC (SK). It recognizes an
individual's history of significant and consistent contributions to
Amateur Radio.

   Among the many ARRL volunteers represented at the convention were
North Carolina Section Manager Karl Bowman, W4CHX; Section Youth
Coordinator for Scouting Dave Price, K4KDP; DXCC Card Checker and
Raleigh Area QSL Manager Bill McDowell, K4CIA; Berkeley County (SC)
ARES Emergency Coordinator Linda Selleck, KJ4EVV; Roanoke Division
Assistant Director Chuck Littlewood, K4HF, and Roanoke Division Vice
Director Bill Morine, N2COP.

Inderbitzen estimated that the convention attracted about 600 visitors.
Event photos are on the ARRL Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154728425722408.1073741902.2006921
2407&type=1&l=d06a8cf5af>
page.

==> IN BRIEF...  

Central States VHF Society Solicits Conference Papers, Presentations,
Poster Displays: The Central States VHF Society (CSVHFS
<http://2017.csvhfs.org>) is soliciting papers, presentations, and
posters/tabletop displays for its 51st annual conference
<http://2017.csvhfs.org/>, set for July 27-30 at the Sheraton
Albuquerque Airport Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The conference is
seeking papers, presentations, and posters on all "weak-signal"
VHF-and-above Amateur Radio topics. Such topics as FM, repeaters, and
packet radio are generally considered outside the scope of papers,
presentations, and posters being sought, but there are exceptions.
Contact Ed James, KA8JMW <ka8jmw@arrl.net> (10 Trade Ct., Edgewood, NM
87105), with any questions. You do not need to attend the conference or
present your paper to have it published in the Proceedings. Posters
will be displayed during the conference. Submissions will be accepted
via e-mail, Dropbox, Google Drive, CD/DVD, USB stick/thumb drive, and
other methods. The deadline is June 12 for papers to be included in the
Proceedings. Additional details
<http://2017.csvhfs.org/index.php/guidance-documents/authors> on
papers, presentations, and posters, including formatting guidelines,
are on the conference website. Visit <http://2017.csvhfs.org/> the
conference website for more information on the conference. Online
registration will open on about May 1. -- Thanks to Brian Mileshosky,
N5ZGT, 2017 CSVHFS President

International Girls in Information and Telecommunication Technologies
Day is April 27: International Girls in Information and
Telecommunication Technologies (ICT) Day
<http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-Inclusion/Women-and-Girls/Girls-in-ICT-Por
tal/Pages/Girls-in-ICT-Portal-Home.aspx>
is April 27. The ITU initiative aims to create a global environment
that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers
in the growing ICT field, enabling them and technology companies to
reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.
"Since we launched Girls in ICT Day, we have seen over 240,000 girls
and young women take part in more than 7,200 celebrations in 160
countries worldwide," said the ITU's Kemal Huseinovic, Chief of the
Infrastructure, Enabling Environment and E-Applications Department. He
offered some tips
<https://itu4u.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/5-tips-for-planning-a-girls-in-ict-day-
event/>
on planning Girls in ICT Day events. These include hands-on workshops,
competitions, inviting role models, and hosting a career fair. "In IARU
Region 2, we consider that Amateur Radio is an excellent way for girls
to get to know and appreciate ICTs," IARU Region 2 Public Information
Officer Joaqu¡n Solana, XE1R, said. International Girls in ICT Day is
celebrated on the fourth Thursday in April every year. -- Thanks to
Joaqu¡n Solana, XE1R; ITU

Nominations are Open for the 2017 Bill Pasternak Young Ham of the Year:
Nominations for the 2017 Bill Pasternak/Amateur Radio Newsline Young
Ham of the Year (YHOTY <https://www.arnewsline.org/yhoty>) will be
accepted until May 31. Candidates for the award must be 18 or younger
and reside in the US (or its possessions) or Canada. Nominees must hold
a valid Amateur Radio license issued by the US or Canada. A candidate
needs to have accomplished something outstanding as an Amateur Radio
operator, whether by recruiting new hams, engaging in a community
service project, or helping to benefit Amateur Radio in other ways. The
award presentation will be held at the Huntsville Hamfest on August 19,
2017. The Young Ham of the Year Award was created by Amateur Radio
Newsline founder Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF (SK). The 2016 YHOTY was Skyler
Fennell, KD0WHB, of Denver.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE  

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Spaceweather.com
<http://www.spaceweather.com/> reported that old sunspot AR2644, which
returned after a 2-week trip around the sun, exploded on April 18. The
resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) should miss Earth, but as this
active region moves into a geo-effective position, we could see some
geomagnetic disturbance in the next few days.

Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 16.6 last week to 8.6 over
the April 13-19 reporting week. Average daily solar flux increased from
73.8 to 76.5.

Geomagnetic indicators were lower this week. The average planetary A
index declined from 10.6 to 8, while the average mid-latitude A index
was 6.3, down from 9.3 during the previous 7 days.

Predicted solar flux is 85 on April 20-27; 80 on April 28-May 1; 75 on
May 2-13; 83 and 88 on May 14-15; 90 on May 16-18; 85 on May 19-24; 80
on May 25-28, and 75 on May 29-June 3.

Predicted planetary A index is 15 on April 20; 8 on April 21-22; 40 and
30 on April 23-24; 20 on April 25-26; 30, 15, 10, 5, and 20 on April
27-May 1; 10 on May 2-4; 15 on May 5-6; 5 and 8 on May 7-8; 5 on May
9-13; 20 on May 14; 15 on May 15-16; 10 on May 17; 5 on May 18-19; 35,
25, 18, 20, and 25 on May 20-24; 12, 8, 5, and 18 on May 25-28, and 10
on May 29-30.

Sunspot numbers for April 13-19 were 12, 11, 11, 0, 0, 12, and 14, with
a mean of 8.6. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 73.5, 72.9, 73, 74.5, 75.2,
85.6, and 80.9, with a mean of 76.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
5, 14, 7, 4, 4, 7, and 15, with a mean of 8. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 4, 10, 5, 4, 3, 6, and 12, with a mean of 6.3.

Send <k7ra@arrl.net> me your reports or observations.

==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT  

- April 22 -- QRP to the Field (CW, phone)

- April 22-23 -- SP DX RTTY Contest

- April 22-23 -- UK/EI DX Contest (CW)

- April 22-23 -- Nebraska QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- April 23 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (Digital)

- April 25 -- 222 MHz Spring Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- April 26 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

- April 26 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)

- April 27 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Digital)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
for more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio
contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues> via your ARRL member
profile e-mail preferences.

==> UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS  

- Apr 21-23 -- International DX Convention
<http://www.dxconvention.com/>, Visalia, California

- April 21-23 -- Eastern VHF-UHF Microwave Conference
<http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html>, Manchester, Connecticut

- April 21-23 -- Idaho State Convention <http://www.voiceofidaho.org/>,
Boise, Idaho

- April 22 -- Delaware State Convention
<http://www.radioelectronicsexpo.com/>, Georgetown, Delaware

- April 22 -- Aurora '17 Convention <http://www.nlrs.org/>, White Bear
Lake, Minnesota

- Apr 22-23 -- Communications Academy XIX
<http://www.commacademy.org/>, Seattle, Washington

- April 28-29 -- Southeastern VHF Society Conference
<http://svhfs.org/>, Charlotte, North Carolina

- April 29 -- Louisiana Section Convention
<http://www.twincityhams.org/hamfest.html>, West Monroe, Louisiana

- May 4-6 -- Military Radio Collector's Group Convention
<http://www.mrcgwest.org/>, San Luis Obispo, California

- May 7 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.k3dn.org/>, Bristol, Pennsylvania

- May 13 -- Iowa Section Convention <http://www.3900club.com/>, Boone,
Iowa

- May 19-21 -- Ohio State Convention (Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.hamvention.org/>), Xenia, Ohio

- May 27-28 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention
<http://www.wyominghamcon.org/>, Cody, Wyoming

- June 2-4 -- Northwestern Division Convention
<http://www.seapac.org/>, Seaside, Oregon

- June 3 -- Georgia Section Convention <http://atlantahamfest.com/>,
Marietta, Georgia

- June 4 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention
<http://www.breezeshooters.org/>, Prospect, Pennsylvania

- June 9-10 -- West Gulf Division Convention <http://www.hamcom.org/>,
Irving, Texas

- June 16-18 -- Utah State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/utah-state-convention-1>, Garden City,
Utah

- June 17 -- Tennessee State Convention <http://www.w4bbb.org/>,
Knoxville, Tennessee

Find conventions and hamfests in your area
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.

.

.

- Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> ARRL membership
includes QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst>, Amateur Radio's most popular
and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.

- Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday.

Subscribe to...

- NCJ -- National Contest Journal <http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published
bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints,
statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO Parties.

- QEX <http://www.arrl.org/qex> -- A Forum for Communications
Experimenters <http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bi-monthly, features
technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of
interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members...

- Subscribe
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscription
s>
to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and emergency
communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (bi-weekly contest
newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!

Find ARRL on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org/>! Follow us
on Twitter <https://twitter.com/> and Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/>!
We want to hear from you! Tell us
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-letter-feedback> what you think of The ARRL
Letter.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.

 Copyright (c) 2017 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution.
All other purposes require written permission.

 <http://www.arrl.org/>

73 DE KD5COL

... Computers are unreliable, but humans are even more unreliable.
--- MultiMail/Linux
 * Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)