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Text 15721, 549 rader
Skriven 2020-09-11 09:05:18 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
==============================
   The ARRL Letter                                                         
   September 10, 2020                                                      
                                                                           
     * Preparations Continue for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023   
     * Ham Radio Wireless Network Camera Detects Washington Wildfire        
     * Hams Provide Situational Awareness as Severe Weather Hits            
       Maryland-DC Section                                                  
     * Air Force Research Laboratory Tracks Sporadic E                      
     * ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                              
     * NCVEC Holds Its Annual Meeting via Teleconference                   
     * The K7RA Solar Update                                               
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport                                            
     * North American CW Sprint is Great Practice for Fall Contesting      
     * K1USN Radio Club Announces New Weekly Slow-Speed CW Contest         
     * Announcements                                                       
     * Maine Radio Amateur Dies after Fall from Tower                      
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions              
   Preparations Continue for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023      
                                                                           
   As preparations for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23)   
   go forward, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) continues its  
   efforts to protect amateur and amateur-satellite allocations. The       
   international conferences, sponsored by the International               
   Telecommunication Union (ITU), typically take place every 4 years.      
                                                                           
   IARU participated in the first online meeting of Project Team A (PTA)   
   of the WRC-23 CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG), reporting this   
   week that "a good start was made on items of interest to the amateur    
   and amateur-satellite services."                                        
                                                                           
   Agenda Item 1.12 addresses studies stemming from WRC-19 that are now    
   under way to consider a new secondary allocation to the Earth           
   Exploration-Satellite (active) Service (EESS active) for spaceborne     
   radar sounders in the 40 - 50 MHz range, taking into account the        
   protection of incumbent services (including in adjacent bands), which   
   would include 6 meters. A handful of countries have also allocated      
   secondary amateur bands in the vicinity of 40 MHz.                      
                                                                           
   The WRC-19 Resolution (Res. 656), which ordered the studies, noted that 
   spaceborne-active RF sensors can provide unique information on physical 
   properties of the Earth, and that spaceborne-active remote sensing      
   requires specific frequency ranges depending on the physical phenomena  
   to be observed. Spaceborne radars are intended to operate only in       
   uninhabited or sparsely populated areas with particular focus on        
   deserts and polar ice fields, between the hours of 3 AM and 6 AM local  
   time.                                                                   
                                                                           
   Agenda Item 1.14 addresses the Earth Exploration-Satellite (passive)    
   Service (EESS passive) in the range 231.5 ƒ** 250 GHz. The amateur and  
   amateur-satellite services have a primary allocation at 248ƒ**-ƒ**250   
   GHz, and a secondary allocation at 241ƒ**-ƒ**248 GHz.                   
                                                                           
   Agenda Item 9.1 will consider and approve the Report of the Director of 
   the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau on its activities since WRC-19. This  
   includes a review of the Amateur Service and the Amateur Satellite      
   Service allocations in the frequency band 1.240 - 1.300 GHz to          
   determine if additional measures are required to ensure protection of   
   the radionavigation-satellite (space-to-Earth) service (RNSS) operating 
   in the same band.                                                       
                                                                           
   The 1.240 - 1.300 GHz band is allocated worldwide to the Amateur        
   Service on a secondary basis, and the Amateur Satellite Service         
   (Earth-to-space) may operate in the band 1.260 - 1.270 GHz. The primary 
   concern is the potential for interference to the Galileo Global         
   Navigation Satellite System (GPS) in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the Middle   
   East, and Africa). Read more.                                           
   Ham Radio Wireless Network Camera Detects Washington Wildfire           
                                                                           
   Nigel Vander Houwen, K7NVH, reported on September 8 that some HamWAN    
   users in the Puget Sound region of Washington, who were viewing the     
   network's camera feeds, spotted a large brush fire.                     
                                                                           
   "They reported it to the DNR [Department of Natural Resources], which   
   thanked them for the first report they'd gotten on the fire, and        
   they've sent a team to try and keep it small and under control," Vander 
   Houwen said. "It's estimated currently at around 50 acres, southeast of 
   Enumclaw, along Highway 410." The fire was not said to be threatening   
   any homes. State Route 410 was reported closed between Enumclaw and     
   Greenwater, and drivers heading to Mount Rainier National Park were     
   advised to take another route.                                          
                                                                           
                        A frame from video via a HamWAN camera of an air   
                        tanker dropping water on the                       
                        fire.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ1X4VvRFWY) 
                                                                           
   HamWAN is a nonprofit organization developing best practices for        
   high-speed amateur radio data networks. It runs the Puget Sound Data    
   Ring. So far, HamWAN networks have been used for such applications as   
   low-latency repeater linking (including DMR), real-time video feeds,    
   APRS internet gateways (I-gates), providing redundant internet access   
   to emergency operations centers, and more.                              
                                                                           
   Amateur radio licensees in the HamWAN service area can connect directly 
   to the network with a modest investment in equipment and no recurring   
   costs. The HamWAN Puget Sound Data Ring has cells deployed at numerous  
   wide-coverage sites, interconnected with 5 GHz radios. The HamWAN       
   technical team has been installing remotely controllable cameras at     
   HamWAN link sites, and one of these was used for the wildfire report.   
                                                                         
   Hams Provide Situational Awareness as Severe Weather Hits Maryland-DC   
   Section                                                                 
                                                                           
   Amateur radio volunteers provided the ARRL Maryland-DC Section with     
   situational awareness and breaking information on September 3, as       
   severe weather, including at least one tornado, hit the region around   
   the nation's capital. ARRL Maryland-DC Section Manager Marty Pittinger, 
   KB3MXM, said Section staff and hams across Maryland joined a            
   Section-wide EchoLink *WASH_DC* node and linked repeaters to report     
   situational awareness as the eastern half of the state and Washington,  
   DC, were hit hard.                                                      
                                                                           
   "Hams began reporting severe weather, sharing local situations across   
   several 2-meter SKYWARN^A(R) nets -- including W3ICF/R near Frederick,  
   Maryland, and KA2JAI/R in Anne Arundel County," Pittinger said. "These  
   repeaters were also linked through *WASH_DC* to extend reach of         
   critical information." For more than 3 hours, nets reported on wind     
   damage, power outages, flooding, and the impact to traffic across six   
   Maryland counties.                                                      
                                                                           
   Several Maryland county emergency management agencies were at           
   heightened activation levels; Section-wide ARES^A(R) was in             
   monitoring-mode, and no ARES activations were requested by served       
   agencies. Bill Feidt, NG3K, in Kensington, said his town was under a    
   tornado watch for several hours.                                        
                                                                           
   "At one point, it went to a warning -- 'a tornado is headed your way,'" 
   said Feidt. "I suspect the cell that we were warned about was a         
   rotating wall cloud and a funnel never                                  
                                                                           
                                      Most of the severe weather took      
                                      place within an area that included   
                                      DC and Baltimore.                    
                                                                           
   reached the ground, since there was little appreciable damage in our    
   immediate area. But that system was definitely a nail-biter."           
                                                                           
   The storms traveled more than 80 miles across Maryland with one passing 
   north of DC, spawning a brief tornado in Edgemere, not far from the US  
   Naval Academy. Another storm crossed over Baltimore. Earlier that day,  
   the Maryland-DC Section and ARES leadership collaborated to plan a      
   course of action. Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Montgomery, WB3KAS, 
   notified ARES teams of approaching storms. Section leadership released  
   information via social media and email.                                 
                                                                           
   "The timeliness, wide-area coverage, interoperability with selected VHF 
   and UHF repeaters, coupled with numerous hams in affected areas,        
   provided the best ground-truth," Pittinger said.                        
   Air Force Research Laboratory Tracks Sporadic E                         
                                                                           
   Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in New Mexico   
   have discovered a new way to track and characterize sporadic E, which   
   occurs when large structures of dense plasma form naturally in the      
   upper atmosphere. These plasma structures, which occur at mid-latitude  
   locations around the world, can affect radio wave propagation in both   
   positive and negative ways. VHF enthusiasts frequently take advantage   
   of sporadic-E propagation (or E-skip) to work stations outside of their 
   local area.                                                             
                                                                           
                                      The Long Wavelength Array at         
                                      Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge   
                                      is capable of imaging the entire sky 
                                      at once, allowing AFRL scientists to 
                                      track and characterize sporadic E.   
                                      The facility consists of 256         
                                      dual-polarization dipoles. [Ken      
                                      Obenberger, photo]                   
                                                                           
   "Previous methods to observe these structures were insufficient for     
   identifying and tracking these structures over large regions," said Ken 
   Obenberger, a research physicist at AFRL. "It would be advantageous to  
   actively identify where these structures are, where they are going, and 
   how dense they are. And we thought we could find a better way."         
                                                                           
   The new method, developed by Obenberger and collaborators at AFRL and   
   the University of New Mexico, leverages unintentional RF emissions from 
   power lines. Using the broadband radio noise, they can map and track    
   dense sporadic-E structures.                                            
                                                                           
   "Since power lines are widespread, we can observe sporadic E over a     
   very large region surrounding our observatory, the Long Wavelength      
   Array (LWA), an asset of our collaborators at the University of New     
   Mexico," Obenberger said. "This technique could be used anywhere in the 
   world where there is an electrical grid and an instrument similar to    
   the LWA, and we are lucky because there are not many."                  
                                                                           
   Climatology of sporadic E can provide a probability that it will occur, 
   but the actual presence of sporadic E can only be determined through    
   trial-and-error observations.                                           
                                                                           
   Chris Fallen, KL3WX, one of Obenberger's collaborators at AFRL, said,   
   "Ken's technique basically provides weather radar for sporadic E, only  
   using radio noise from power lines as the radar transmitter."           
                                                                           
   Having accurate "now-casting" of sporadic E could prove critical during 
   disaster situations, where hams may play a key role in supporting       
   communication of vital information. Read more. -- Thanks to Joanne      
   Perkins, Air Force Research Laboratory                                  
                                                                         
   ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                                  
                                                                           
   The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 9) features a     
   discussion on how to tune HF signals and use transceiver tools to       
   enhance reception. 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 16) features a 
   chat about the 222 MHz band, with QST's "The World Above 50 MHz"        
   columnist Jon Jones, N0JK. Also, Steve Ford, WB8IMY, offers some tips   
   on shopping for coaxial cable.                                          
                                                                           
   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.                            
   NCVEC Holds Its Annual Meeting via Teleconference                       
                                                                           
   ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM,   
   reports that the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators 
   (NCVEC) held its annual meeting via teleconference on August 21. Somma  
   is the NCVEC Vice Chair. NCVEC Chair Larry Pollock, NB5X, presided at   
   the 35th annual meeting. The NCVEC functions to facilitate              
   communication between the FCC and VECs. Representatives of all 14       
   FCC-certified VECs took part in the conference, while nine FCC staff    
   members were on hand.                                                   
                                                                           
   FCC Enforcement Bureau (EB) Special Counsel Laura Smith advised VEC     
   delegates that the FCC has been on lockdown since March and that staff  
   members will be teleworking indefinitely. This includes staff at FCC    
   Headquarters in Washington, DC; the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania location,  
   and the other field offices. Smith said field engineers aren't going    
   out unless the issue involves safety or if lives are in danger.         
                                                                           
   FCC Mobility Division (MD) Deputy Chief Tom Derenge explained that one  
   of his areas of responsibility is processing paperwork for applicants   
   answering "yes" to the basic qualification question (BQQ) that asks if  
   they've ever been convicted of a felony. Derenge said that paperwork    
   from his office goes to the FCC General Counsel and the Investigations  
   and Hearings Division (IHD). Those divisions are responsible for        
   resolution in non-compliant conduct. Paperwork in these instances may   
   take a while to be processed, Derenge said.                             
                                                                           
   Derenge recommended that VECs make it clear to applicants that their    
   address will be public information when the new license is issued. He   
   pointed out that once an address is in the FCC database, it's nearly    
   impossible to be permanently removed.                                   
                                                                           
   Dorothy Stifflemire, the Associate Division Chief of the WTB            
   Technologies Systems and Innovation Division, told VECs that new        
   license applicants should create an FCC user account and register their 
   Social Security number (SSN) in the FCC Commission Registration System  
   (CORES) before attending exam sessions. Registrants will be assigned a  
   Federal Registration Number (FRN), which will be used in all license    
   transactions with the FCC.                                              
                                                                           
   She explained that auto-registration in CORES at exam sessions using a  
   Social Security number will be going away. In addition, because no mail 
   is being sent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants will not receive 
   their auto-created password and FRN and will not be able to access the  
   Universal Licensing System (ULS), the FCC license records database.     
   Going forward, she said, VECs should make sure all applicants have an   
   FRN before exam day.                                                    
                                                                           
   Remote administration of amateur radio exam sessions was the hot topic  
   of discussion, Somma said. Since April 1, ARRL VEC, W5YI-VEC, and the   
   Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group VEC (GLAARG) have remotely      
   tested more than 4,000 applicants using videoconferencing and online    
   examinations. Proof-of-concept and procedural information were          
   discussed for the benefit of other VECs that might be interested in     
   pursuing remote testing. Exam candidates can search for upcoming remote 
   online examination dates on the HamStudy website.                       
                                                                           
   Somma and Assistant ARRL VEC Manager Amanda Grimaldi, N1NHL,            
   represented ARRL at the virtual gathering. Read more.                   
                                                                         
   The K7RA Solar Update                                                   
                                                                           
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: An extended lull in solar activity    
   persists. The smoothed sunspot minimum occurred last December, but the  
   flurry of moderate sunspot activity in August has not continued.        
                                                                           
   When the autumnal equinox occurs at 1330 UTC on Tuesday, September 22,  
   we should see a seasonal improvement in HF propagation around that      
   date. This is because the northern and southern hemispheres are bathed  
   in roughly equal solar radiation, enhancing north-south propagation.    
                                                                           
   Wednesday, September 9, was the 19th consecutive day with no sunspots,  
   but Spaceweather.com reported that a small sunspot with a Solar Cycle   
   25 magnetic signature may be forming in the sun's southeastern          
   quadrant.                                                               
                                                                           
   Average daily solar flux barely budged, moving from 69.6 to 69.7.       
   Geomagnetic indicators were very quiet, with average daily planetary A  
   index declining from 13.1 to 4.4.                                       
                                                                           
   As with last week's forecast, predicted solar flux is 70 on every day   
   over the next 45 days, September 10 - October 24.                       
                                                                           
   Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 10 - 17; 8 on September   
   18 - 19; 5 on September 20 - 22; 8, 10, and 15 on September 23 - 25;    
   10, 25, 15, and 10 on September 26 - 29; 5 on September 30; 8 on        
   October 1; 5 on October 2 - 14; 8 on October 15 - 16; 5 on October 17 - 
   19, and 8, 10, 15, 10 and 25 on October 20 - 24.                        
                                                                           
   Frank Donovan, W3LPL, forwarded a video about big solar events of 3     
   years ago.                                                              
                                                                           
   Sunspot numbers for September 3 - 9 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, for a 
   mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 70, 69.7, 69.2, 69.5, 70.2,     
   69.9, and 69.7, with a mean of 69.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 
   4, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4, and 1, with a mean of 4.4. Middle latitude A index    
   was 3, 9, 7, 5, 5, 4, and 1, with a mean of 4.9.                        
                                                                           
   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. For customizable           
   propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.      
                                                                           
   Share your reports and observations.                                    
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Just Ahead in Radiosport                                                
     * September 12 -- Ohio State Parks on the Air (Phone)                 
     * September 12 -- Russian RTTY WW Contest                             
     * September 12 - 13 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)          
     * September 12 - 13 -- WAE DX Contest, SSB                            
     * September 12 - 13 -- SARL Field Day Contest (CW, phone, digital)    
     * September 12 - 13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)                  
     * September 12 - 13 -- Texas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)           
     * September 12 - 13 -- Alabama QSO Party (CW, phone)                  
     * September 12 - 13 -- Russian Cup Digital Contest                    
     * September 12 - 14 -- ARRL September VHF Contest (CW, phone,         
       digital)                                                            
     * September 13 -- North American Sprint (CW)                          
     * September 14 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone) 
     * September 16 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)                    
     * September 17 -- NAQCC CW Sprint                                     
     * September 17 -- BCC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)                  
     * September 18 -- AGB NEMIGA 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 email preferences.                  
                                                                         
   North American CW Sprint is Great Practice for Fall Contesting          
                                                                           
   The September edition of the North American CW Sprint, sponsored by     
   National Contest Journal (NCJ), is this weekend. The often-frantic      
   4-hour event gets under way on Sunday, September 13, at 0000 UTC        
   (Saturday, September 12 in North American time zones). CW Sprints take  
   place twice a year, in September and February; RTTY Sprints are in      
   March and September.                                                    
                                                                           
   "The CW Sprint can seem intimidating, particularly the first couple of  
   times with its loud signals and high code speed, but there are some     
   secrets to getting the hang of things," said veteran contester and      
   contest manager Ward Silver, N0AX. A unique feature of the CW Sprint is 
   the "QSY rule," which rewards operating agility as much as signal       
   strength. Larger stations can't sit on a single frequency racking up    
   contacts, and more modest stations can make that work in their favor.   
   "Participation in the year's CW contests has been on the upswing, as    
   people are staying home due to the pandemic," Silver added, noting that 
   the September contest offers some solid practice ahead of the various   
   fall contests, especially ARRL November Sweepstakes.                    
                                                                           
   Silver notes that band conditions during the September Sprint are an    
   incentive for operators to put more emphasis on 20 meters than in the   
   February Sprint, because sunset is much later in September. "We will    
   also be just a week from the equinox, a time when conditions are        
   usually pretty good on 20 and 40 meters," he pointed out. Eighty meters 
   will be less noisy than in mid-summer, and if the thunderstorms take a  
   day off, we can expect coast-to-coast activity."                        
                                                                           
   Silver urged Sprint veterans to encourage fellow hams and club members  
   to give it a try. "Teams are fun, too, especially for new contesters    
   and contest club members," he noted. Teams do not have to be associated 
   with formal clubs.                                                      
                                                                           
   The QSY rule can be daunting for newcomers. In short, a station calling 
   CQ on a new, clear frequency may work one responding station on that    
   frequency and then must move at least 5 kHz before calling CQ again,    
   and at least 1 kHz before initiating another contact, either by calling 
   CQ or by responding to another station. The responding station inherits 
   the initial frequency.                                                  
                                                                           
   The exchange is both call signs, a consecutive serial number, name, and 
   state/province/DX. Listening stations can tell which station in a       
   contact to call by listening to call sign placement in the exchange, as 
   Silver describes in "Conversation: Having Fun in the North American CW  
   Sprint," in the September 2 issue of the ARRL Contest Update. Read      
   more.                                                                   
   K1USN Radio Club Announces New Weekly Slow-Speed CW Contest             
                                                                           
   The K1USN Radio Club in Massachusetts is launching a new weekly,        
   hour-long, slow-speed contest, the K1USN SST. The inaugural session     
   will be on Monday, September 14, from 0000 - 0100 UTC (Sunday,          
   September 13, in North American time zones). K1USN trustee Pi Pugh,     
   K1RV, said the decision to embark on sponsorship of a new operating     
   event involved surveying some 2,000 radio amateurs to gauge their       
   enthusiasm for such an event. Pugh said the club worked with a group of 
   CWops members within the club, with the blessing of the CWops CW        
   Academy visor Group. CWops is not involved in sponsoring the K1USN    
   SST.                                                                    
                                                                           
   The 800 who responded indicated an overwhelming need for some sort of   
   slow-speed activity as a follow-up to CW Academy, Pugh told ARRL. "It   
   was a lot of work, but we hope this will prove to be a valuable tool    
   within the CW community," Pugh said.                                    
                                                                           
   Although predicated on the desires of the CW Academy community, Pugh    
   stressed that the weekly activity will be open to all looking to        
   improve their CW skills. It can also provide a more comfortable entry   
   point for those just getting started in CW contesting.                  
                                                                           
   "The weekly 20 WPM or slower SSTs can build confidence to find open     
   frequencies and begin calling CQ," Pugh suggested. Participants are     
   advised to be patient, supportive, and willing to slow down as          
   necessary.                                                              
                                                                           
   Suggested frequencies are 3.532 - 3.539 on 80 meters; 7.032 - 7.039 MHz 
   on 40 meters, and 14.032 - 14.039 MHz on 20 meters. Stations exchange   
   name and state/province/country. Read more.                             
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Announcements                                                           
     * The WA2NYC 9/11 special event commemorates the World Trade Center   
       attack 19 years ago, when more than 2,900 lost their lives. WA2NYC  
       will be on the air from September 10 until September 14. Operation  
       will center on or near 28.450, 21.350, 14.300, and 7.238. QSL cards 
       are available with an SASE to the club address. Contacts will be    
       uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW).                            
     * Comments are being accepted on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking    
       (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which proposes application fees for     
       radio amateurs. Formal deadlines for comments and reply comments    
       will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register.   
       Comments may be filed now, however, by using the FCC's Electronic   
       Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270.      
     * The Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club will sponsor its 21st "Route 66  
       on the Air" special event September 12 - 20, with 21 stations, each 
       with a 1 A* 1 call sign -- W6A through W6U -- from cities along the 
       highway. Route 66 is famous in American history as a major highway  
       from the midwest to the west coast and is associated with American  
       car culture as well as with the vintage Route 66 television program 
       in the early 1960s.                                                 
     * To celebrate their club's 50th anniversary, members of the Texas DX 
       Society (TDXS) will operate K5DX/50 September 14 - October 13 on    
       CW, SSB, and FT8 on 1.8 - 28 MHz.                                   
     * During September, VE3NOO will operate special event station XM3A to 
       commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.             
     * Members of the London [Ontario] Amateur Radio Club (LARC) are using 
       the call sign VE3LON100 through September to mark the centennial of 
       LARC, one of Canada's oldest amateur radio clubs.                   
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Maine Radio Amateur Dies after Fall from Tower                          
                                                                           
   James Larner, N1ATO, of Bangor, Maine, died on Wednesday, September 2,  
   after apparently falling a reported 80 feet from an amateur radio tower 
   in the rural Knox County town of Union. The incident happened just      
   before 1 PM local time. Said to have been a tower professional who had  
   done a lot of work for many Maine broadcasters, Larner, an ARRL member, 
   was 74.                                                                 
                                                                           
   According to news accounts, Larner was disassembling an antenna on a    
   tower located on Olson Farm Lane. The Knox County Sheriff's Office and  
   Union Fire and Rescue responded, and the rescue squad pronounced Larner 
   dead at the scene. The deceased was equipped with a harness and         
   carabiner, a close friend on the scene told authorities.                
                                                                           
   Larner worked part-time as an engineer at News Center Maine's outlet in 
   Bangor. A News Center Maine article paid tribute to Larner. "Jim was a  
   lot of fun, always happy to talk, share a story. A smart, hard-working, 
   real Maine guy," said News Center reporter Don Carrigan. "One of those  
   people the audience never sees, but whose work was critical to them     
   being able to watch TV for many, many years."                           
                                                                           
   The Occupational Safety and Health ministration was contacted and     
   will conduct a follow-up investigation along with the Maine Medical     
   Examiner's office. -- Thanks to the Bangor Daily News, News Center      
   Maine, the Rockland Courier-Gazette, and to Norman Blake, W1ITT         
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions                  
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   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.                                                       
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
     * November 21 -- Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama        
     * December 11 - 12 -- Florida State Convention, Plant City, Florida   
                                                                           
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.                             
                                                                           
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                                           
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