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Text 15722, 537 rader
Skriven 2020-09-18 09:05:20 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
==============================
   The ARRL Letter                                                         
   September 17, 2020                                                      
                                                                           
     * Storms Generate Busy Times for ARES and the Hurricane Watch Net      
     * ARRL to Seek Changes in FCC Draft Decision on Amateur 9-Centimeter   
       Band                                                                 
     * ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                               
     * Analysis Determines We Are in Solar Cycle 25                         
     * The K7RA Solar Update                                               
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport                                            
     * International Telecommunication Union Releases 2020 ITU Radio       
       Regulations                                                         
     * Announcements                                                       
     * Ham Radio Exams are Not Going Away in Brazil After All              
     * In Brief...                                                         
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions              
   Storms Generate Busy Times for ARES and the Hurricane Watch Net         
                                                                           
   The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated on Sunday, September 13, on     
   both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz as Hurricane Paulette was predicted to    
   make landfall on Bermuda the next day as a Category 2 storm. That tour  
   melded into an extended activation in anticipation of Hurricane Sally,  
   which came ashore on the Gulf coast in Alabama on September 16. The     
   slow-moving storm, which diminished to a tropical storm not long after  
   landing, at mid-week was causing "catastrophic and life-threatening     
   flooding" over portions of the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.  
                                                                           
   The HWN stood down at mid-week after 71 hours of continuous operation.  
   HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said it seem long activations such as 
   these are happening all too often. "I suppose Mother Nature hasn't been 
   getting the attention she desires," Graves quipped.                     
                                                                           
   Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Karl Martin, K4HBN,      
   reported on September 17 that Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)    
   teams in his Section were standing down. "We had a total of 4 counties  
   affected by Sally," he said. "The hardest hit was Escambia county,      
   located at the Alabama/Florida border. The Atlantic is still very busy, 
   but I hope the rest of the season is quiet."                            
                                                                           
   ARES teams went on alert in other Sections in the region.               
                                                                           
   The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Tuesday     
   that two 60-meter channels had been made available for interoperability 
   between US government stations and US amateur radio stations involved   
   in emergency communications related to the wildland firefighting        
   response in California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as to Hurricane 
   Sally. The interoperability                                             
                                                                           
   channels will remain active until the need for them no longer exists:   
     * Channel 1 -- primary voice traffic 5332 kHz channel center, 5330.5  
       kHz USB voice                                                       
     * Channel 2 -- digital traffic 5348 kHz channel center, 5346.5 kHz    
       USB with 1.5 kHz offset to center of digital waveform               
                                                                           
   Frequencies may be modified or added to by FEMA Region 10 for their     
   area or operations due to existing 5 MHz/60-meter interoperability      
   plans for their region.                                                 
                                                                           
   Amateur radio is secondary on the 5 MHz band and must yield to          
   operational traffic related to wildland firefighting and hurricane      
   response. Although the intended use for these channels is               
   interoperability between federal government stations and licensed US    
   amateur radio stations, federal government stations are primary users   
   and amateurs are secondary users.                                       
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   The FCC has granted ARRL's request for a temporary waiver to permit     
   amateur data transmissions at a higher symbol rate than currently       
   permitted by section 97.307(f) of the FCC amateur service rules. The    
   FCC acted to facilitate hurricane and wildfire relief communications    
   within the US and its territories.                                      
                                                                           
   ARRL sought the waiver for amateur radio licensees directly involved    
   with hurricane and wildfire relief via HF using PACTOR 4 modems for     
   communication within the US and its territories, relative to several    
   impending hurricane situations and wildfires in the western US. ARRL's  
   petition noted that Section 97.307(f) of the amateur rules prevents the 
   use of PACTOR 4, a data protocol that permits relatively high-speed     
   data transmission. ARRL also noted that past FCC temporary waivers have 
   allowed this protocol during similar events. The waiver is limited to   
   60 days.                                                                
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) is following FEMA's lead on  
   the interoperability channel designations for the wildfire and          
   hurricane response. Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY,     
   says he has alerted all MARS members of the FEMA channel designations   
   and MARS members are prepared to support response efforts as needed.    
                                                                           
   WX4NHC at the NHC also activated on Sunday in advance of Paulette,      
   monitoring and gathering reports from the HWN on 14.325                 
                                                                           
   and 7.268 MHz and via the VoIP-WX Net on EchoLink WXtalk 7203           
   Conference and IRLP 9219.                                               
                                                                           
   The Caribbean Basin has more in store during this hurricane season. "We 
   are now keeping a close eye on Hurricane Teddy," Graves said, noting    
   that Bermuda could be affected by another hurricane by late Sunday      
   night or early Monday morning. "Also, we are keeping a close eye on a   
   system that seems to be getting better organized in the southwestern    
   Gulf of Mexico."                                                        
                                                                           
   The next named storm will be Wilfred, and after that storms will be     
   designated using the Greek alphabet, starting with Alpha. "If we reach  
   Alpha, it will be the second time in history to use that name," Graves  
   pointed out. "The first was in 2005."                                   
   ARRL to Seek Changes in FCC Draft Decision on Amateur 9-Centimeter Band 
                                                                           
   ARRL efforts are under way to preserve amateur radio access to the 3.3  
   - 3.5 GHz (9-centimeter) band. In an 80+ page draft Report and Order    
   and Further Notice of Proposed Rulelmaking (R&O) in WT Docket 19-348,   
   the FCC announced its intention to delete the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz amateur     
   secondary allocation, subject to a phased withdrawal tied to its        
   licensing of new primary users. According to the FCC, the 3.450 - 3.550 
   GHz spectrum will be put up for auction as early as December 2021.      
   Incumbent users will be permitted to continue operating in the band     
   until licensing to commercial interests -- presumably 5G -- begins.     
   That's estimated to be about 3 months after the spectrum auction        
   concludes, or around mid-2022. No alternative spectrum was proposed to  
   replace the 9-centimeter spectrum for amateur radio operations. In an   
   associated Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC said it seeks 
   comment "on whether it is in the public interest to sunset amateur use  
   in the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band in two separate phases," -- first above 3.4  
   GHz, and later below 3.4 GHz.                                           
                                                                           
   "We find that removing the existing secondary non-federal allocations   
   from the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band and clearing these non-federal operations  
   from the band is in the public interest, and therefore, we adopt this   
   proposal," the draft R&O says. "Because the [Department of Defense and  
   the National Telecommunications and Information Agency] agree that      
   commercial users operating pursuant to flexible use licenses can be     
   accommodated in the 3.45 - 3.55 GHz band at full power, and given       
   continued interest in the 3.3 - 3.45 GHz band for future sharing for    
   flexible-use licenses, we find that retaining the secondary non-federal 
   allocations across this spectrum would hinder the Commission's ability  
   to offer flexible-use licensing in the future and would undermine the   
   intensive and efficient use of valuable mid-band spectrum."             
                                                                           
   "Further, to prevent adjacent-channel issues and to preserve the        
   possibility of additional clearing for flexible use licensing below     
   3.45 GHz, we find that sunsetting the secondary amateur allocation from 
   the entire 3.3 -- 3.5 GHz portion of the band is in the public          
   interest," the FCC said.                                                
                                                                           
   Last February, ARRL filed comments opposing the FCC's proposal to       
   delete the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz secondary amateur allocation, pointing to      
   amateur radio's long history of successful coexistence with primary     
   users of the band.                                                      
                                                                           
   The absolute deadline to submit additional comments on the draft R&O    
   and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking via the Electronic Comment    
   Filing System (ECFS) or to contact FCC staff on this issue is           
   Wednesday, September 23 -- 7 days before the full Commission's          
   consideration of the draft for final adoption -- in order to comply     
   with FCC "Sunshine Rules."                                              
                                                                           
   In August, the White House and the Department of Defense announced      
   plans to allow for commercial 5G systems to operate in the 3.45 - 3.55  
   GHz band throughout almost all of the contiguous US. The plan would     
   leave radio amateurs to "individually determine appropriate alternate   
   spectrum from existing available spectrum allocations."                 
                                                                           
   The 3.45 - 3.55 GHz segment would be teed up for a spectrum auction     
   that's expected to commence by the end of 2021. This would mean         
   amateurs would have to cease all operations at 3.45 GHz and above by    
   the middle of 2022 at the earliest, based on an FCC estimate.           
                                                                           
   The 3.3 - 3.45 GHz segment is not immediately available for             
   reallocation and auction, because more work is needed to accommodate    
   the Department of Defense. Under the rules as proposed, amateur         
   operations will be permitted to continue in this spectrum until         
   sometime in the future, when FCC rulemakings establish new rules and    
   conduct a spectrum auction and commercial licensing.                    
                                                                         
   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.                            
   Analysis Determines We Are in Solar Cycle 25                            
                                                                           
   It's now official. The solar minimum between Solar Cycles 24 and 25 --  
   the period when the sun is least active -- occurred in December 2019,   
   when the 13-month smoothed sunspot number fell to 1.8. This is          
   according to the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, co-chaired by the     
   National Oceanic and Atmospheric ministration (NOAA) and the National 
   Aeronautics and Space ministration (NASA). We are now in Solar Cycle  
   25, with peak sunspot activity expected in 2025, the panel said. The    
   panel expressed high confidence that Solar Cycle 25 will break the      
   trend of weakening solar activity seen over the past four cycles.       
                                                                           
   [IMG]"We predict the decline in solar cycle amplitude, seen from Cycles 
   21 through 24, has come to an end," said Lisa Upton, panel co-chair and 
   solar physicist with Space Systems Research Corporation. "There is no   
   indication we are approaching a Maunder-type minimum in solar           
   activity."                                                              
                                                                           
   At 11 years, Solar Cycle 24 was of average length and had the           
   fourth-smallest intensity since regular record-keeping began in 1755,   
   with what is considered Solar Cycle 1. It was also the weakest cycle in 
   a century. At solar maximum in April 2014, sunspots peaked at 114 for   
   the cycle, well below the 179 average.                                  
                                                                           
   Solar Cycle 24's progression was unusual. The sun's northern hemisphere 
   led the sunspot cycle, peaking more than 2 years ahead of the southern  
   hemisphere sunspot peak. This resulted in fewer sunspots at solar       
   maximum than if the two hemispheres were in phase.                      
                                                                           
   For the past 8 months, activity on the sun has steadily increased,      
   indicating that we have transitioned to Solar Cycle 25, forecast to be  
   a fairly weak cycle -- about the same as Solar Cycle 24. Solar Cycle 25 
   is expected to peak in July 2025, with a predicted 115 sunspots.        
                                                                           
   "How quickly solar activity rises is an indicator on how strong the     
   solar cycle will be," said Doug Biesecker, the NOAA-NASA panel co-chair 
   and a solar physicist at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). 
   "Although we've seen a steady increase in sunspot activity this year,   
   it is slow."                                                            
                                                                           
   "While we are not predicting a particularly active Solar Cycle 25,      
   violent eruptions from the sun can occur at any time," Biesecker added. 
                                                                           
   An artist's rendering of the Space                                      
   Weather Follow-On L-1 observatory.                                      
                                                                           
   Before Solar Cycle 25 peaks in 2024, NOAA is slated to launch a new     
   spacecraft dedicated to operational space weather forecasting. The      
   Space Weather Follow-On L-1 observatory (SWFO-L1) will be equipped with 
   instruments that sample the solar wind, provide imagery of coronal mass 
   ejections, and monitor other extreme activity from the sun in finer     
   detail than before. NOAA's next Geostationary Operational Environmental 
   Satellite (GOES-U) is also scheduled to launch in 2024. GOES-U will     
   carry three solar monitoring instruments, including the first compact   
   coronagraph, which will help detect coronal mass ejections. Enhanced    
   observations of the sun from these satellites will help improve space   
   weather forecasting.                                                    
                                                                         
   The K7RA Solar Update                                                   
                                                                           
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: As detailed elsewhere in this edition 
   of The ARRL Letter (see  Analysis Determines We Are in Solar Cycle 25), 
   this week's big news was that scientists have pinned down the Solar     
   Cycle 24 minimum to December 2019 -- and the start of Solar Cycle 25.   
                                                                           
   The reason behind the delay in announcing this is the nature of moving  
   averages, which, in this case, is a smoothed sunspot number derived     
   from arithmetical averaging of sunspot numbers over 1 year -- i.e.,     
   half the numbers before December, and half after December -- to derive  
   a mid-point average.                                                    
                                                                           
   Recent news stories, such as this article from SpaceRef, give           
   predictions for the next cycle.                                         
                                                                           
   Over the September 10 - 16 reporting week, the average daily solar flux 
   was 69.2 -- no significant difference from the previous week. Average   
   daily planetary A index was 5.3, up from 4.4 the previous week. Average 
   daily mid-latitude A index went from 4.9 to 5.4.                        
                                                                           
   Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days (September 17 - October 31)   
   remains 70, the same as reported in recent bulletins.                   
                                                                           
   Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 17 - 22; 8, 10, 15, 10,   
   25, 15, and 10 on September 23 - 29; 5 on September 30 - October 14; 8  
   on October 15 - 16; 5 on October 17 - 19; then, as earlier, 8, 10, 15,  
   10, 25, 15, and 10 on October 20 - 26,and back to 5 on October 27 - 31. 
                                                                           
   Sunspot numbers for September 10 - 16 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, for 
   a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.3, 68.7, 69.3, 69.8, 68.9, 
   68.8, and 69.5, with a mean of 69.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 
   2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 7, and 3, with a mean of 5.3. Middle latitude A index   
   was 2, 2, 6, 7, 10, 8, and 3 with a mean of 5.4.                        
                                                                           
   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 19 -- QRP Afield (CW, phone, digital)                     
     * September 19 -- Wisconsin Parks on the Air (Phone)                  
     * September 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint                                    
     * September 19 -- VHF FOC QSO Party (CW)                              
     * September 19 - 20 -- Collegiate QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)      
     * September 19 - 20 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone,         
       digital)                                                            
     * September 19 - 20 -- SARL VHF/UHF Digital Contest                   
     * September 19 - 20 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW)             
     * September 19 - 20 -- All Africa International DX Contest (CW,       
       phone, digital)                                                     
     * September 19 - 20 -- Iowa QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)            
     * September 19 - 20 -- New Jersey QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)      
     * September 19 - 20 -- New Hampshire QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
     * September 19 - 20 -- Washington State Salmon Run (CW, phone,        
       digital)                                                            
     * September 20 -- North American Sprint, RTTY                         
     * September 20 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (Digital)                           
     * September 20 - 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)             
     * September 21 -- 144 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)            
     * September 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)                                    
     * September 24 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, Data                   
                                                                           
   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.                  
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
                                                                         
   International Telecommunication Union Releases 2020 ITU Radio           
   Regulations                                                             
                                                                           
   The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has published the 2020  
   ITU Radio Regulations -- the international treaty governing the global  
   use of RF spectrum and satellite orbits. The publication contains the   
   complete texts of the Radio Regulations adopted during World            
   Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), held last year in Sharm El 
   Sheikh, Egypt. Available in all six of ITU's official languages, the    
   2020 ITU Radio Regulations are in effect for all signatory parties on   
   January 1, 2021. Electronic versions are free, and the "traditional     
   four-volume boxed set," as well as a multilingual DVD, will be          
   available for purchase in the coming weeks, the ITU said.               
                                                                           
   "The publication of the Radio Regulations is the culmination of the     
   hard work and intense deliberations that took place during WRC-19,"     
   said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. "Efficient and economical use   
   of the naturally limited radio-frequency spectrum is key to ensuring we 
   bring the benefits of connectivity and digital transformation to people 
   everywhere. The ITU Radio Regulations are a vital vehicle for this      
   endeavor."                                                              
                                                                           
   The ITU said that, when it comes to allocating radio frequencies,       
   including sharing and harmonizing their use for different purposes, the 
   Radio Regulations are the ultimate tool. "They ensure the use of the RF 
   spectrum is rational, equitable, efficient, and economical, all while   
   aiming to prevent harmful interference between different radio          
   services," the ITU said.                                                
                                                                           
   The Radio Regulations govern 40 radiocommunication services, and are    
   designed to protect existing radio services while enabling the          
   introduction of new and enhanced services.                              
   Announcements                                                           
     * CQ World Wide Contest Director John Dorr, K1AR, has announced some  
       rule changes effective with this fall's contests. Multi-Single,     
       Multi-Two, and Multi-Multi will be the standard entry category      
       names; amplifiers will be included in the 500-meter diameter circle 
       of the station location, and logs must be uploaded online.          
     * The Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge on October 3 - 4   
       permits operation as a portable station from backyard, garden, or   
       patio, using portable equipment.                                    
     * The FCC has announced that the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club VEC has 
       joined the list of authorized Club Station Call Sign ministrators 
       (CSCSAs).                                                           
     * Radio Amateurs of Canada has announced that it will hold its Annual 
       General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, September 20. It will be a virtual 
       event.                                                              
     * The Collegiate QSO Party this weekend provides bonus points for     
       alumni working their alma maters, or an alumnus/alumna working      
       other alumni. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, rules have been     
       relaxed to allow a campus radio station to be operated remotely by  
       college club members, some entry classes have been changed, and     
       scoring has been modified.                                          
     * [IMG]Weatheradio Canada has announced that it's considering         
       shutting down 48 of its 230 VHF weather information transmitters    
       across the country -- about 20% of the network. The Canadian        
       government says most of the sites are in urban areas with ample     
       access to other sources of weather information. -- Thanks to The    
       SWLing Post                                                         
                                                                           
                                                                         
   Ham Radio Exams are Not Going Away in Brazil After All                  
                                                                           
   Amateur radio examinations are not being eliminated in Brazil. A notice 
   that the country's telecommunications regulator ANATEL released         
   recently was intended to prompt discussion and elicit comment on the    
   idea, but it prompted confusion too. On September 10, ANATEL responded  
   to a letter from Brazil's national amateur radio society, LABRE, that   
   expressed concern regarding the proposal to scrap amateur radio exams.  
   ANATEL told LABRE that no such change is in the works, although the     
   regulator did say that some rules and regulations will be revised and   
   modernized in due course.                                               
                                                                           
   "With respect to the merit presented in the correspondence, this will   
   be analyzed and considered by the technical team of this agency [i.e.,  
   ANATEL] in the finalization of the regulatory impact analysis report    
   and the respective regulatory proposal, if any," ANATEL told LABRE.     
                                                                           
   Henrique Gravina, PU3IKE, contacted ARRL to offer his take on the       
   confusion. He said many people have complained to ANATEL over the years 
   about amateur exams. When ANATEL considers that a particular issue      
   raised represents a problem area, it selects a complaint to use as a    
   starting point for discussion. This is akin to a Petition for           
   Rulemaking (PRM) that the FCC might "put on notice" to invite comment   
   after a suggested change in the rules.                                  
                                                                           
   "Portuguese is a difficult language, even for natives, and it gets      
   worse when we speak and write in legal terms and in bureaucratic        
   processes that are very complicated," Gravina allowed. "Hams who are    
   not law students or lawyers read the [proposal] and did not understand  
   what was happening."                                                    
                                                                           
   LABRE has said it was satisfied with ANATEL's response and will         
   continue to collaborate with the agency to help modernize the           
   regulatory framework that governs amateur radio in Brazil. ANATEL said  
   it's considering extending the deadline for public comment on the group 
   of proposals that included the suggestion to eliminate ham radio exams. 
                                                                           
   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some changes have already come about in   
   the form of online exams for two license classes -- A and C. Brazil     
   retains a 5 WPM Morse code requirement for the class B license, and     
   that has not been made available online. Applicants must have 1 year of 
   experience as a class B licensee to sit for the class A exam. The Morse 
   code exam can only be taken at an ANATEL agency office, available in    
   most Brazilian states. -- Thanks to Henrique Gravina, PU3IKE            
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   In Brief...                                                             
                                                                           
   The ARRL Board of Directors has named James W. Brown, K9YC, as the      
   recipient of the 2019 ARRL Technical Service Award. The Board cited     
   Brown's frequent contributions to -- and presentations at -- amateur    
   radio forums at conventions including Dayton Hamvention^(R), Pacificon, 
   and the International DX and Contesting Convention in Visalia,          
   California. Brown, of Santa Cruz, California, has also collaborated     
   with the ARRL Lab, contributed to various ARRL publications, including  
   The ARRL Handbook, The ARRL Antenna Book, and others, and shared his    
   technical and educational expertise in the fields of audio engineering, 
   RFI, and other aspects of electronics and engineering. He shares his    
   knowledge and expertise with the amateur radio community via his        
   informational website. The Board said, "Brown continues to provide his  
   expertise as a means of 'giving back' to the amateur community, in the  
   spirit of the amateurs that worked with him when he was first licensed  
   at the age of 13."                                                      
                                                                           
   Former Federal Emergency Management ministration (FEMA) ministrator 
   Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, recently encouraged the use of mesh networking.   
   He said mesh networking can empower volunteers during natural           
   disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Fugate was the keynote     
   speaker for the International Wireless Communications Expo's (IWCE)     
   virtual event. "By building these types of networks, you can put people 
   back into communication and put people to work where they're needed,"   
   he said. He encouraged public safety agencies to work with local        
   amateur radio groups and commercial providers to create solutions that  
   can build these mesh networks when the main network goes down. --       
   Thanks to The ARES Letter                                               
                                                                           
   Past New England Division Director Bill Burden, WB1BRE, of Strafford,   
   Vermont, died on July 29. An ARRL Life Member, he was 84. Burden served 
   as ARRL New England Division Director from 1992 to 1996. Prior to that, 
   he was New England Division Vice Director (1991 - 1992) and New         
   Hampshire Section Manager (1985 - 1991). He served as the emergency     
   management director for the Town of Strafford. A graduate of Lowell     
   Tech with a degree in electrical engineering, Burden worked for         
   Lockheed-Sanders, retiring in 1991.                                     
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   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 14 - 15 -- Central Division Convention, Fort Wayne,        
       Indiana                                                             
     * 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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