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Text 15725, 589 rader
Skriven 2020-10-09 09:05:02 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
==============================
   The ARRL Letter                                                         
   October 8, 2020                                                         
                                                                           
     * FCC Orders Amateur Access to 3.5 GHz Band to "Sunset"                
     * ARRL National Convention and Orlando HamCation^(R) Postponed to      
       February 2022                                                        
     * Hurricane Delta Prompts Net Activations                              
     * ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                               
     * ARISS to Celebrate 20 Years of Ham Radio on the International Space 
       Station                                                             
     * IARU Region 2 Releases 2020 Revision of its Band Plan               
     * The K7RA Solar Update                                               
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport                                            
     * British Columbia Radio Amateur Hears Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter    
     * Announcements                                                       
     * Solar Physicist Predicts a Slightly Better Solar Cycle 25           
     * New England ARES Academy Set                                        
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions              
   FCC Orders Amateur Access to 3.5 GHz Band to "Sunset"                   
                                                                           
   Despite vigorous and continuing opposition from ARRL and others, the    
   FCC has ordered the "sunsetting" of the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz amateur radio     
   secondary spectrum allocation. The decision allows current amateur      
   activity on the band to continue, "grandfathering" the amateur          
   operations subject to a later decision. The FCC proposed two deadlines  
   for amateur operations to cease on the band. The first would apply to   
   the 3.4 - 3.5 GHz segment, the second to 3.3 - 3.4 GHz. The FCC will    
   establish the dates once it reviews additional comments.                
                                                                           
   "We adopt our proposal from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to remove 
   the amateur allocation from the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz band," the FCC said in    
   its Report and Order. "[W]e adopt changes to our rules today that       
   provide for the sunset of the secondary amateur allocation in the band, 
   but allow continued use of the band for amateur operations, pending     
   resolution of the issues raised in the Further Notice."                 
                                                                           
   The Report and Order (R&O) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 
   WT Docket No. 19-348 adopted on September 30                            
                                                                           
   followed a 2019 FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in which the   
   FCC proposed re-allocating 3.45 - 3.55 GHz for "flexible-use service"   
   and auctioning the desirable "mid-band" spectrum (generally defined as  
   between 1 GHz and 6 GHz) to 5G providers. These and other recent        
   spectrum-repurposing actions stem from the MOBILE NOW Act, enacted in   
   2018, in which Congress directed the Commission to make additional      
   spectrum available to auction for mobile and fixed wireless broadband.  
                                                                           
   In the run-up to the Commission's decision, ARRL met with the FCC's     
   professional staff to explain its concerns and to answer questions. In  
   subsequent meetings with the wireless advisors to the FCC Chairman and  
   two Commissioners, ARRL reiterated that continued secondary status for  
   amateurs will not impair or devalue use of this spectrum by primary     
   licensees intending to provide 5G or other service. ARRL noted amateur  
   radio's long history of successful coexistence with primary users of    
   the 9-centimeter band, sharing this spectrum with the federal           
   government users and secondary, non-federal occupants.                  
                                                                           
   ARRL pointed out that vital links in amateur television and amateur     
   radio high-speed mesh networks using the band have been especially      
   valuable during such emergency situations as the wildfires currently    
   raging on the west coast. Deleting the amateur secondary allocation     
   will result in lost opportunities for experimentation and public        
   service with no countervailing public interest benefit, ARRL said.      
                                                                           
   The FCC action means that amateur radio will lose access to the 3.5 GHz 
   secondary allocation even where commercial operations do not exist.     
   ARRL has argued that amateur operations should be permitted until and   
   unless an actual potential for interference exists.                     
                                                                           
   Deletion of the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz secondary amateur allocation will become  
   effective on the effective date of the FCC's order, but amateur radio   
   operation as of that date may continue while the FCC finalizes rules to 
   license spectrum in the 3.45 - 3.55 GHz band and establishes deadlines  
   for amateur operations to cease. Read more.                             
   ARRL National Convention and Orlando HamCation^(R) Postponed to         
   February 2022                                                           
                                                                           
   ARRL and the Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC) have announced that the  
   ARRL National Convention and Orlando HamCation^(R) -- which was to host 
   the convention -- have been postponed until February 10 - 13, 2022. The 
   convention had been set for next February.                              
                                                                           
   "The joint decision came after considering the national public health   
   emergency including the health and safety of all participants, the      
   uncertainty that continues to impact our organizations, and the         
   reluctance to travel to, and attend, large events," said ARRL CEO David 
   Minster, NA2AA. "We regret the disruption to the hard work already      
   completed by so many volunteers preparing for the ARRL National         
   Convention and HamCation."                                              
                                                                           
   "While postponing was a difficult decision, our top priority is         
   delivering a safe and successful HamCation experience for everyone,     
   including our attendees, dedicated volunteers, exhibitors, and service  
   partners," said HamCation General Chairman Michael Cauley, W4MCA.       
                                                                           
   OARC President John Knott, N4JTK, noted that holding the convention in  
   2022 will mark the 75th anniversary of HamCation -- one of the largest  
   annually held gatherings of radio amateurs in the US. The published     
   gate figure for 2020 was 24,200 for all 3 days.                         
                                                                           
   "We want our diamond anniversary show to be an exciting, five-star      
   event," said Knott. "We look forward to seeing you in Orlando in 2022,  
   and hope that you and your loved ones remain safe in the months to      
   come."                                                                  
                                                                           
   A full day of National Convention programming and training sessions was 
   previously scheduled to precede HamCation. That will be rescheduled for 
   Thursday, February 10, 2022. HamCation will host the rest of the        
   convention on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 11 -13, 2022 at    
   the Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expo Park in Orlando.                 
                                                                           
   Cauley said HamCation may organize some online presentations and        
   programs for what would have been HamCation 2021 next February. A QSO   
   party is also under consideration. The HamCation website will soon post 
   details, including information for anyone seeking refunds and other     
   options for pre-purchased tickets and exhibit space. You can follow     
   HamCation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Further details and any  
   changes will be shared via the 2022 ARRL National Convention and        
   Orlando HamCation websites.                                             
                                                                         
   Hurricane Delta Prompts Net Activations                                 
                                                                           
   The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center  
   (NHC), The Salvation Army's SATERN, and the Louisiana Amateur Radio     
   Emergency Service (ARES) HF Net -- with support from the ARRL Delta     
   Division and the Arkansas Section -- announced activations on October 7 
   for Hurricane Delta. The HWN has activated on 14.325 MHz. WX4NHC        
   monitors the same frequency to gather "ground truth" reports from radio 
   amateurs that may assist NHC forecasters.                               
                                                                           
   "Hurricane Delta continues to advance on the Gulf Coasts of Texas,      
   Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama," said ARRL Emergency Management    
   Director Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW. "It is following mostly the same track    
   that Hurricane Laura did."                                              
                                                                           
   The NHC forecast Delta to become a Category 3 storm before making       
   landfall in the early evening of Friday, October 9, near Vermilion Bay, 
   Louisiana.                                                              
                                                                           
   The NHC predicted hurricane conditions and life-threatening storm surge 
   to begin along portions of the northern Gulf Coast on Friday.           
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   FEMA has announced that Channels 1 and 2 of the 60-meter (5-MHz) band   
   will be available, as necessary, starting on October 9, for             
   interoperability between US Government stations and US amateur radio    
   stations involved in Hurricane Delta emergency communication. The       
   interoperability status will remain active until after the storm has    
   passed, and the need for these channels no longer exists. These         
   frequencies will be used: 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. Stations should yield to operational traffic       
   related to Hurricane Delta. 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.                         
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Gilbert pointed out that the region is still recovering from Hurricane  
   Laura. "As a result, many of the regular Louisiana net control          
   operators and stations are still not operational, or may be placed in   
   mandatory evacuations," he said. Plans call for activating the          
   Louisiana ARES HF Net at mid-day on Friday on 7.255 MHz ñ10 kHz during  
   daylight hours and on 3.878 MHz (ñ3 kHz) at night.                      
                                                                           
   The HWN suspended operations at 1800 UTC on October 7, but plans to     
   resume operations on Friday at 1200 UTC on 14.325 MHz.                  
                                                                           
   WX4NHC has been active on both HWN frequencies, as well as on the VoIP  
   Hurricane Net, requesting surface reports from stations in the affected 
   area "with or without weather data for use by NHC forecasters,"         
   Assistant WXNHC Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, said. WX4NHC also has   
   an online Hurricane Report Form.                                        
                                                                           
   "NHC appreciates all the surface reports from the affected area during  
   hurricanes as they fill in gaps of not just weather data, but also give 
   a real-time, first-person perspective of what is actually happening on  
   the ground," Ripoll said.                                               
                                                                           
   The International SATERN SSB Net (14.265 MHz, alternate 14.312 MHz) and 
   the Southern Territory SATERN SSB Net (7.265 MHz) plan to activate      
   Thursday through Saturday.                                              
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                                  
                                                                           
   The latest episode of the On The Air podcast (Episode 10) will include  
   an interview with ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC,   
   about ARRL's new "Learning Network" webinars.                           
                                                                           
   The latest edition of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 18) features   
   discussions of a revolutionary new RF-shielding material; storing       
   software in the Arctic, and the importance of fan cooling with Al       
   Rabassa, NW2M.                                                          
                                                                           
   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.                            
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
                                                                         
   ARISS to Celebrate 20 Years of Ham Radio on the International Space     
   Station                                                                 
                                                                           
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will soon      
   celebrate 20 years of continuous ham radio operations on the            
   International Space Station (ISS). NASA is commemorating the milestone  
   with a newly produced infographic highlighting the                      
                                                                           
                                      Jordan was among the participating   
                                      students at Celia Hays Elementary    
                                      School in Rockwall, Texas, late last 
                                      February, who were excited to have   
                                      their ARISS contact with Astronaut   
                                      Drew Morgan. More than 190 students  
                                      sat on the gym floor while another   
                                      680 on campus listened via the       
                                      school's inter-communication system. 
                                                                           
   educational contacts via amateur radio between astronaut crew members   
   aboard the ISS and students. Over its 20 years, ARISS has supported     
   nearly 1,400 scheduled ham radio contacts with schools, student groups, 
   and other organizations.                                                
                                                                           
   Planning for ARISS began in 1996 as a cooperative venture among         
   national amateur radio and amateur satellite societies, with support    
   from their respective space agencies. The ARISS ham radio gear actually 
   arrived on the station before the Expedition 1 crew, headed by          
   Commander Bill Shepherd, ex-KD5GSL. The FCC issued ham radio call sign  
   NA1SS for ISS operations. After Expedition 1 arrived on station, some   
   initial tests with ARISS ham radio ground stations and individual hams  
   confirmed the ham gear was working properly. The first ARISS school     
   contact was made with students at Luther Burbank Elementary School in   
   Illinois on December 21, 2000, with Shepherd at the helm of NA1SS on    
   the ISS.                                                                
                                                                           
   NASA produced a video of students talking with astronaut Chris Cassidy, 
   KF5KDR, during an ARISS contact in May 2020.                            
                                                                           
   Before and during scheduled ham radio contacts, students, educators,    
   parents, and communities learn about space and related technologies,    
   and radio communication using amateur radio.                            
                                                                           
   ARISS relies on a large network of amateur radio operator volunteers,   
   many associated with radio clubs in the communities where students and  
   groups participating in the contact reside. ARISS volunteers support    
   satellite ground stations, serve as technical mentors, and provide      
   additional help in the areas of education, community outreach, and      
   public relations.                                                       
                                                                           
   While student-to-astronaut radio contacts are a primary objective for   
   ARISS, the capability has also inspired further experimentation for     
   amateur radio in space and the evaluation of new technologies. In       
   September, ARISS announced that the initial element of its              
   next-generation ham radio system had been installed in the ISS Columbus 
   module. The new radio system replaces equipment originally certified    
   for spaceflight in mid-2000. The onboard ham station also provides a    
   contingency communications system for the ISS crew. Several astronauts  
   have also enjoyed using NA1SS to make casual contacts with -- and       
   delighting -- earthbound members of the ham radio community.            
                                                                           
   In the US, ARISS sponsors include ARRL, AMSAT, and NASA, the ISS        
   National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA's Space Communications   
   and Navigation program.                                                 
                                                                           
   Students at Kittredge Magnet School                                     
   near Atlanta, Georgia, took part in                                     
   an ARISS contact with Astronaut Drew                                    
   Morgan, KI5AAA. Morgan answered 15                                      
   student questions. The students have                                    
   their own radio club, Kittredge                                         
   Magnet School Amateur Radio Club,                                       
   KQ4KMS.                                                                 
                                                                           
   The next proposal window for US schools and educational organizations   
   to host an amateur radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS    
   opened on October 1 for contacts that would take place from July        
   through December 2021.                                                  
                                                                           
   Proposal information and more details, including expectations, proposal 
   guidelines, and proposal forms, and dates and times of informational    
   webinars, are on the ARISS website. Send questions to                   
   ariss.us.education@gmail.com.                                           
                                                                           
   Like many educators who have coordinated ARISS radio contacts for their 
   students, teacher Rita Wright, KC9CDL, an ARRL member, described the    
   first ARISS school contact as inspirational and having a lasting impact 
   on their community. Five months after their contact, nearly 500         
   students greeted Bill Shepherd when he visited Luther Burbank School.   
   Wright said it was "like tossing a pebble into a stream."               
                                                                           
   "The ripple effects are still occurring, and I suspect will continue to 
   occur for a long time," she said. Read more.                            
   IARU Region 2 Releases 2020 Revision of its Band Plan                   
                                                                           
   IARU Region 2 (IARU R2) -- the Americas -- has released the September   
   2020 revision of its Band Plan and made procedural changes to shorten   
   the time to reflect future adjustments. The Band Plan includes a change 
   approved at the October 2019 General Assembly to add an Amateur         
   Satellite uplink subband, 21.125 to 21.450 MHz, on a non-exclusive      
   basis. This matches similar changes in the Region 1 and Region 3 band   
   plans.                                                                  
                                                                           
   A number of administrative changes have been made to the text, although 
   the Band Plan itself has not been modified. These changes include:      
     * Modifications to the wording of the Band Plan to ensure that        
       national regulators understand it is a voluntary document, and that 
       countries may depart from the plan based on national requirements.  
     * Definition additions: Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF),       
       primary service, secondary service, and several acronyms.           
     * Inclusion of information detailing the primary and secondary users  
       in each amateur radio allocation band.                              
     * Correction of minor typographical errors.                           
                                                                           
   At its May 2020 meeting, the IARU R2 Executive Committee added text to  
   the Standard Operating Procedures that provides a process for the Band  
   Plan to be updated in a more timely manner. Prior to this change, Band  
   Plan modifications could only be approved at a General Assembly, held   
   once every 3 years. Under the new provision, the Band Planning          
   Committee may circulate proposed changes to member-societies with the   
   approval of the Executive Committee. "Should no more than one objection 
   be received within a 60-day period, the change shall be deemed accepted 
   and reported as such at the next conference," the Band Planning         
   Committee's terms of references state.                                  
                                                                           
   The IARU R2 Band Planning Committee has a member from each of the seven 
   areas in Region 2, and one of those members also serves as the          
   committee's chair. The current Committee Chair is Alphonse Penney,      
   VO1NO/VA1AVR. -- Thanks to IARU Region 2 Secretary George Gorsline,     
   VE3YV                                                                   
                                                                         
   The K7RA Solar Update                                                   
                                                                           
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Geomagnetic activity quieted over the 
   October 1 - 7 reporting week. Compared to the previous 7 days, average  
   daily mid-latitude A index declined from 15.6 to 6, and average         
   planetary A index slipped from 22 to 7.1.                               
                                                                           
   There were no sunspots this week and only one in the previous 7 days.   
   Average daily solar flux went from 73.4 to 71.8.                        
                                                                           
   Predicted solar flux over the next 45 days is 71 on October 8 - 15; 70  
   on October 16 - 18; 72 on October 19 - 31; 70 on November 1 - 14, and   
   72 on November 15 - 21.                                                 
                                                                           
   Predicted planetary A index is 5 on October 8 -- 19, then 10, 18, 20    
   and 24 on October 20 -- 23, then 16, 38 and 38 on October 24 -- 26,     
   then 26, 15 and 10 on October 27 -- 29, then 5 on October 30 through    
   November 6, 10 on November 7, 5 on November 8 -- 15, then 10, 18, 20    
   and 24 on November 16 -- 19, and 16 on November 20 -- 21.               
                                                                           
   Sunspot numbers for October 1 - 7 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a  
   mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 72.8, 72.2, 71.8, 71.2, 72.3,   
   71.7, and 70.7, with a mean of 71.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 
   11, 9, 6, 4, 8, 7, and 5, with a mean of 7.1. Middle latitude A index   
   was 11, 6, 5, 3, 7, 6, and 4, with a mean of 6.                         
                                                                           
   A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL         
   website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the   
   ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"    
   and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.                                  
                                                                           
   A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable           
   propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.      
                                                                           
   Share your reports and observations.                                    
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Just Ahead in Radiosport                                                
     * October 10 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW)                          
     * October 10 -- FISTS Fall Unlimited Sprint (CW)                      
     * October 10 -- 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint (CW, phone,      
       digital)                                                            
     * October 10 - 11 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest                           
     * October 10 - 11 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)            
     * October 10 - 11 -- Nevada QSO Party (CW, phone)                     
     * October 10 - 11 -- Oceania DX Contest (CW)                          
     * October 10 -- Microwave Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)            
     * October 10 - 11 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB               
     * October 10 - 11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)                    
     * October 10 - 11 -- Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)           
     * October 10 - 11 -- Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone)               
     * October 10 - 11 -- South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)      
     * October 10 - 11 -- PODXS 070 Club Great Pumpkin Sprint              
     * October 11 -- UBA ON Contest (CW)                                   
     * October 11 -- UBA ON Contest, 6 Meters (CW, phone)                  
     * October 12 -- 4 States QRP Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)         
     * October 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint                                       
     * October 14 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest                          
     * October 14 -- AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening (CW)                  
     * October 14 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (Digital)                 
                                                                           
                                                                         
   British Columbia Radio Amateur Hears Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter        
                                                                           
   According to a Spaceweather.com report, Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, in        
   British Columbia, Canada, received a signal from the NASA Mars          
   Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), flying just 274 kilometers (about 170     
   miles) above the red planet's surface. The signal was an X-band carrier 
   containing no data or telemetry.                                        
                                                                           
   "Its purpose is to allow for Doppler tracking," Tilley explained. "The  
   rapid change in pitch of the signal is caused by the relative motion of 
   the satellite and the observer." He used a homemade satellite dish to   
   hear the orbiter.                                                       
                                                                           
                                      Scott Tilley, VE7TIL used this       
                                      homebrew dish antenna to hear        
                                      signals from NASA's Mars             
                                      Reconnaissance Orbiter. [Scott       
                                      Tilley, VE7TIL, photo]               
                                                                           
   Tilley enjoys tracking down signals from "dead" satellites, zombie      
   satellites, and spy satellites, but the MRO was a first for him. "MRO's 
   signal is weak, but it is one of the louder signals in Mars orbit," he  
   said. "The spacecraft has a large dish antenna it uses as a relay for   
   other Mars missions. With the proximity of Mars these days, it was the  
   perfect time to try."                                                   
                                                                           
   In 2018, Tilley saw the "signature" of the Imager for                   
   Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE), a NASA spacecraft    
   believed to have died in 2005. That discovery delighted space           
   scientists.                                                             
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Announcements                                                           
     * Registration and the "Early Bird" preview for the 15th Annual ARRL  
       Online Auction are now open. Bidding will begin in a week, starting 
       at 10 AM EDT (1400 UTC) on Thursday, October 15. The Auction is     
       sponsored by GigaParts. You may browse the without being a          
       registered bidder; register on the ARRL Online Auction website      
       anytime during the auction. Auction proceeds benefit ARRL education 
       programs, including activities to license new hams, strengthen      
       Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) training, offer continuing   
       technical and operating education, and create instructional         
       materials.                                                          
     * The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Republican FCC      
       member Michael O'Rielly for a second term on the Commission.        
       President Donald Trump had nominated O'Rielly for another 5-year    
       term on the Commission last March. No reason was given for          
       withdrawing the O'Rielly nomination, who was initially appointed to 
       the FCC in 2013 by President Barack Obama. The White House has      
       nominated Nathan Simington in O'Rielly's stead. The FCC has five    
       members.                                                            
     * CWops has announced two recipients for its annual award for         
       advancing the art of CW. The award recognizes individuals, groups,  
       and organizations that "have made the greatest contribution(s)      
       toward advancing the art or practice of radio communication by      
       Morse code." The recipients are The Essex (UK) CW Club and Stephen  
       C. Phillips. "The Essex CW Club was cited for providing a focus for 
       CW interests, and then starting boot camps where day-long intensive 
       CW teaching takes place," CWops said. Phillips wrote and maintains  
       the CWops Morse Academy trainer.                                    
     * The call sign HS10A was granted on September 24 to Thailand's King  
       Vajiralongkorn. National telecoms regulator NBTC and RAST, the      
       national amateur radio society, presented the vanced-class        
       license and amateur radio equipment -- including HF and VHF/UHF     
       transceivers, antennas, and peripherals.                            
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Solar Physicist Predicts a Slightly Better Solar Cycle 25               
                                                                           
   Solar physicist Leif Svalgaard of the W.W. Hansen Experimental Physics  
   Laboratory at Stanford University has predicted a maximum sunspot       
   number of 128 ñ10, slightly better than Solar Cycle 24.                 
                                                                           
   "The overall average is 132 ñ47 (median 124)," he said. "None of these  
   numbers are substantially different, so one could perhaps just go       
                                                                           
   Graph from Svalgaard's paper:                                           
   Smoothed monthly maximum sunspot                                        
   numbers for Solar Cycles 21 - 24                                        
   averaged over 3 years before solar                                      
   minimum (blue symbols) and over 2                                       
   years (violet symbols). The                                             
   prediction for Cycle 25 is shown                                        
   with red diamonds.                                                      
                                                                           
   with the 'wisdom of the crowd.' All predictions that we consider have   
   the underlying assumption that the sun has not changed its behavior     
   (its 'spots,' so to speak) on a timescale of a few centuries (the       
   Maunder Minimum may be a possible violation of that assumption), and    
   that there will be no such changes in the near future, in spite of      
   speculative suggestions." Those included one of his own in 2013.        
                                                                           
   Svalgaard characterized the science of solar cycle prediction to be     
   still in its infancy, "borne out by the extreme range of predictions of 
   Cycle 25." -- Thanks to Frank Donovan, W3LPL                            
   New England ARES Academy Set                                            
                                                                           
   The first-ever New England ARES Academy, originally scheduled for the   
   ARRL New England Division Convention at the Northeast HamXposition in   
   November, will instead take place October 13 - 31 via the Zoom          
   conferencing platform. The presentations are available to all, and the  
   Zoom URL will be sent to all who register via the New England ARES      
   Academy web page.                                                       
                                                                           
   Five basic-track classes will aim at those just getting started in      
   ARES, and more advanced classes and workshops will target those already 
   familiar with the basics.                                               
                                                                           
   Hour-long classes will be held on weeknights starting at 7:30 PM EDT    
   (2330 UTC), and 2-hour workshop sessions will be held Saturday mornings 
   from 9:00 to 11:00 AM EDT (1300 - 1500 UTC).                            
                                                                           
   Topics covered include:                                                 
     * Go Kits                                                             
     * Hardening Your Station or Repeater                                  
     * Expedient Training & Utilization of Volunteers                      
     * Working with Served Agencies (Panel Discussion).                    
                                                                           
   Participants will be able to ask questions and interact with            
   instructors via chat.                                                   
                                                                           
   Other New England HamXposition events just ahead include the            
   HamXposition Virtual Banquet (November 7), Ham Bootcamp (November 7),   
   and the W1A special event (November 6 - 8). Attendance for all events   
   is free.                                                                
   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.                                                       
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
     * October 9 - 10 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Melbourne,   
       Florida                                                             
     * 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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