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Skriven 2021-02-05 09:05:22 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
==============================
   The ARRL Letter                                                         
   February 4, 2021                                                        
                                                                           
     * ARRL Board Confers Awards on Skip Jackson, KS0J, and Josh Nass,      
       KI6NAZ                                                               
     * ARRL Board of Directors to Reconsider the Use of Electronic          
       Balloting                                                            
     * ARISS and Partners Investigating Ham Radio Anomaly Following         
       Spacewalk                                                           
     * ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                              
     * RadFxSat-2 Satellite Signals Detected, AMSAT Engineering Continues  
       to Assess Status                                                    
     * The K7RA Solar Update                                               
     * FT8 and the Other WSJT-X Digital Modes are "Tools," K1JT Says       
     * ARRL Learning Network Webinars                                      
     * Plans to Retrieve Titanic Wireless Equipment Put on Indefinite Hold 
     * Announcements                                                       
     * ARISS is Seeking Hosts for Ham Radio Contacts with the Space        
       Station                                                             
     * Amateur Radio in the News                                           
     * Getting It Right                                                    
     * In Brief...                                                         
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport                                            
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions              
   ARRL Board Confers Awards on Skip Jackson, KS0J, and Josh Nass, KI6NAZ  
                                                                           
   During its Annual Meeting on January 14 - 15, the ARRL Board of         
   Directors announced recipients of the ARRL Knight Distinguished Service 
   Award and the 2020 ARRL Bill Leonard Professional Media Award. The      
   Board also recognized several ARRL-affiliated clubs.                    
                                                                           
                                                 Minnesota ARRL Section    
                                                 Manager Skip Jackson,     
                                                 KS0J.                     
                                                                           
   ARRL Minnesota Section Manager Richard "Skip" Jackson, KS0J, is the     
   recipient of the ARRL Knight Distinguished Service Award. During his    
   16-year tenure, Jackson "has actively promoted ARRL activities in his   
   Section, including visiting hundreds of Field Day operations over the   
   years, represented the League at numerous hamfests, and attended        
   countless club meetings in his state, promoting the League," the        
   Board's resolution read. The Board credited Jackson's leadership for    
   developing "a strong working cadre of volunteers" in the Section,       
   calling him "a model to ARRL Section Managers across the country as a   
   strong supporter of ARRL and its activities."                           
                                                                           
   The Award's namesake is longtime veteran New Mexico Section Manager Joe 
   T. Knight, W5PDY, who was the first recipient of the award in 2003. The 
   Award carries a $250 honorarium and a plaque.                           
                                                                           
   The Board also approved, as recommended by the ARRL Public Relations    
   Committee, Josh B. Nass, KI6NAZ, as the winner of the 2020 Bill Leonard 
   Professional Media Award for Video Reporting. The                       
                                                                           
   Josh Nass, KI6NAZ.                                                      
                                                                           
   Board cited Nass "for his outstanding YouTube channel, 'Ham Radio Crash 
   Course,' which has garnered almost 170,000 subscribers." The Board      
   resolution observed that Nass generated "productions of high levels of  
   content -- and effective and entertaining instruction of that content." 
   The resolution also cited Nass for his use of "new modes of learning    
   and information conveyance that enhance further education of amateur    
   radio operators everywhere." The Leonard Award includes a $250          
   honorarium and a plaque.                                                
                                                                           
   The Board approved a change to the timing of the Philip J. McGan        
   Memorial Silver Antenna Award and the Bill Leonard Professional Media   
   Award. The nomination deadline for both awards has been changed to      
   March 31 each year. This brings the cycle of the two media awards into  
   alignment with five other prominent ARRL awards -- the Hiram Percy      
   Maxim Award; the ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award; the   
   ARRL Microwave Development Award; the ARRL Technical Service Award, and 
   the ARRL Technical Innovation Award. Nominations for these awards will  
   cover the previous calendar year. The change is effective with the      
   March 31, 2022 nomination application, covering the period January 1 -  
   December 31, 2021.                                                      
                                                                           
   The Board also recognized:                                              
     * The 70th anniversary of the Garden State Amateur Radio Association  
       (W2GSA). The Board resolution cited the club's "outstanding record  
       of learning and education programs, including youth programs."      
     * The 105th anniversary of the Amateur Radio Club of the University   
       of Arkansas (ARCUA), W5YM, formed in 1916.                          
     * The 50th anniversary of the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio          
       Society-St Louis, which became an ARRL affiliated club in 1971.     
       Read more.                                                          
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   ARRL Board of Directors to Reconsider the Use of Electronic Balloting   
                                                                           
   The ARRL Board of Directors will look into the use of electronic        
   balloting systems "to augment paper balloting for ARRL elections." The  
   Board instituted a hybrid paper and electronic balloting process in the 
   fall of 2012, which was popular among those who took advantage of it,   
   but overall voter participation declined significantly. In 2015, the    
   Board's Ethics and Elections Committee decided to return to using       
   solely paper ballots. The Ethics and Elections Panel said continuing    
   changes in technology, the acceptance of remote meetings, and           
   significant advancements in voting processes since then have made       
   electronic balloting worth a second look.                               
                                                                           
   "Electronic balloting is now in common use among professional           
   organizations," the Board said. "Using electronic balloting would be of 
   benefit to members who find paper ballots difficult to use. Providing   
   electronic balloting as an alternative to paper balloting may result in 
   a cost savings to the organization and decrease delays and potential    
   conflicts over delays of paper ballots. It is likely, also, that the    
   use of online balloting will be attractive to younger members who are   
   more accustomed to online transactions."                                
                                                                           
   The Board directed its ministration & Finance Committee to            
   investigate the state, cost, and availability of commercial electronic  
   balloting services as a member-selected alternative to paper ballots    
   distributed and collected via the postal service. The committee will    
   report back to the Board within a year.                                 
   ARISS and Partners Investigating Ham Radio Anomaly Following Spacewalk  
                                                                           
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and its        
   partners are troubleshooting what's keeping the NA1SS amateur station   
   off the air. ARISS became aware of the problem after an attempted       
   contact with a school in Wyoming, between ON4ISS on Earth and astronaut 
   Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, at NA1SS, had to abort when no downlink signal    
   was heard. ARISS has determined that the problem is not with the radio  
   equipment on board the ISS Columbus module.                             
                                                                           
   ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, explained that during a  
   January 27 spacewalk to install exterior cabling on the ISS Columbus    
   module, the coax feed line installed 11 years ago was replaced with     
   another built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. It         
   included two additional RF connectors to support the Bartolomeo         
   payload-hosting platform installed last spring on Columbus.             
                                                                           
   "On January 26, prior to the EVA [extravehicular activity], our         
   Columbus next-generation radio system was shut off and the ISS-internal 
   coaxial cable to the antenna was disconnected from the ARISS radio as a 
   safety precaution for the EVA," Bauer said. During the spacewalk, an    
   external four-connector coax feed line replaced one with two RF         
   connections.                                                            
                                                                           
   "This change was made to allow ESA to connect ARISS and three           
   additional customers to Bartolomeo, as compared to ARISS and one        
   additional RF customer," Bauer explained.                               
                                                                           
   With the spacewalk completed, the ISS crew restarted the ISS ham radio  
   station on January 28, but no voice repeater or automatic packet        
   repeater system (APRS) downlink reports were heard, and no downlink     
   signal was heard during an attempted scheduled school contact either.   
                                                                           
   Bauer said that because the exterior cable is not an ARISS cable, ARISS 
   is working with ESA and NASA on a way forward. "NASA has opened a       
   Payload Anomaly Report on this issue. We have talked to both the NASA   
   and ESA representatives," Bauer said. Read more.                        
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
                                                                         
   ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                                  
                                                                           
   The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 13) features a    
   discussion with Curt Laumann, K7ZOO, about his success in boosting      
   activity at the University of Arizona amateur radio club.               
                                                                           
   The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 26) discusses synchronous  
   AM reception and includes an interview with Dave Tipping, NZ1J, about a 
   novel approach to boost foxhunt participation.                          
                                                                           
   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.                            
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   RadFxSat-2 Satellite Signals Detected, AMSAT Engineering Continues to   
   Assess Status                                                           
                                                                           
   AMSAT reports that it's continuing to assess the status of the          
   RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E amateur radio CubeSat after a ham in Nevada         
   reported hearing his CW signal weakly via the spacecraft's transponder  
   on January 27. AMSAT Engineering and Operations was able to confirm the 
   reports from Brad Schumacher, W5SAT, and determined that RadFxSat-2 is  
   partially functioning, although signals are extremely weak.             
                                                                           
   "We also appreciate those who joined in determining whether they could  
   detect their own or other signals in recent passes today," AMSAT said   
   in a January 28 bulletin. "Please do not attempt to transmit through    
   the transponder until further notice. This is very important to the     
   next steps we are taking now."                                          
                                                                           
   AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said on January  
   29 that the beacon still has not been heard, and AMSAT has enlisted the 
   aid of some "big gun" stations. "We have asked everybody to listen," he 
   said. The beacon transmits 1200 bps BPSK telemetry on 435.750 MHz, ñ    
   Doppler, upper sideband (USB). Use FoxTelem to capture any telemetry,   
   and set FoxTelem to "Upload to Server" so that AMSAT will receive the   
   telemetry data. Recordings are welcome, with a detailed description.    
                                                                           
   AMSAT stressed that keeping the RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E transponder clear   
   "is essential to putting all power and attention to the beacon          
   telemetry." Read more.                                                  
   The K7RA Solar Update                                                   
                                                                           
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We just witnessed 5 days in a row     
   with zero sunspots, but on February 2 a small sunspot group (2801)      
   appeared in our sun's northwest limb. It should soon rotate off the     
   sun's visible area. Perhaps we will see a few more days of no sunspots, 
   but a return after February 11 is possible when increased solar flux is 
   forecast.                                                               
                                                                           
   Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 28.1 last week to 3.3 this  
   week. Average daily solar flux dropped from 77.2 to 74.2.               
                                                                           
   Average daily planetary A index went from 9.4 to 6.7.                   
                                                                           
   Solar flux over the next 30 days is predicted at 74 and 72 on February  
   4 - 5; 70 on February 6 - 11; 76 on February 12 - 16; 78 on February 17 
   - 22; 76 on February 23 - 25; 74 on February 26; 73 on February 27 -    
   March 1, and 72 on March 2 - 7.                                         
                                                                           
   Predicted planetary A index is 8, 5, and 5 on February 4 - 6; 16 and 10 
   on February 7 - 8; 5 on February 9 - 20; 20, 16, and 12 on February 21  
   - 23; 5 on February 24-27; 18, 12, and 8 on February 28 - March 2, and  
   5 on March 3 - 5.                                                       
                                                                           
   Jon Jones, N0JK, reported, "Had some sporadic-E on 50 MHz the evening   
   of February 1 (February 2 UTC). XE2TT (DL44) in on 50.313 MHz, 0205     
   UTC. Was on Saturday night for a couple of hours January 31 UTC for the 
   CQ 160-Meter CW Contest. Band noisy due to snow and high winds in       
   eastern Kansas. Made over 50 contacts with 5 W and a rain gutter        
   antenna."                                                               
                                                                           
   Sunspot numbers for January 28 - February 3 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12, and 
   11, with a mean of 28.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 75.6, 75.5, 73.7, 
   73.4, 73.7, 72.9, and 74.3, with a mean of 77.2. Estimated planetary A  
   indices were 5, 3, 2, 1, 5, 17, and 14, with a mean of 9.4. Middle      
   latitude A index was 3, 2, 2, 0, 4, 11, and 10, with a mean of 6.3.     
                                                                           
   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.                                    
                                                                         
   FT8 and the Other WSJT-X Digital Modes are "Tools," K1JT Says           
                                                                           
   According to WSJT-X software co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, the very    
   popular FT8 and the other digital modes in the software suite "are      
   tools, freely available to hams who want to use them. They are very     
   good at some things, not so good at others." Nonetheless, FT8 -- and,   
   by extension, its contest-mode variation, FT4 -- especially have become 
   game-changers on the HF bands, although, as Taylor has explained, FT8   
   "was explicitly designed" for making contacts during weak, multi-hop,   
   sporadic-E openings on 6 meters.                                        
                                                                           
   "It's extremely good at that," he added, and noted that                 
   transcontinental and intercontinental DX on 6 meters has greatly        
   benefited from the use of FT8 over the past several years. Developed in 
   2017, FT8 is named after its developers -- Taylor, and Steven Franke,   
   K9AN. The numeral designates the mode's eight-frequency shift-keying    
   format.                                                                 
                                                                           
   Taylor said that while the development team knew that FT8 would be very 
   useful for weak-signal DXing on HF as well as on 6 meters, it did not   
   foresee that it would have the sort of impact it's had on HF operating. 
                                                                           
   Taylor agreed that FT8 is "a mature mode," with the protocol's details  
   published in QEX. "Details of message structure, in particular, will    
   not change in a way that is not backward compatible," he said.          
                                                                           
   Although some FT8 fans may feel the mode is running out of room on some 
   bands, Taylor said that as far as he and his fellow WSJT-X developers   
   are concerned, the 3 kHz slices of spectrum suggested for FT8 use are   
   just that -- suggestions.                                               
                                                                           
   "There is no reason why additional slices should not be used when       
   over-occupancy requires it," he told ARRL. "We don't attempt to dictate 
   such usage patterns; band planning is best done by committees created   
   for that purpose."                                                      
                                                                           
   Many radio amateurs are taking advantage of the FT8 and FT4 modes all   
   the time. FT8 watering holes are sometimes the only places to find      
   signals on bands that otherwise might be considered dead.               
                                                                           
   The WSJT Development Group this week announced the general availability 
   release of WSJT-X Version 2.3.0. It includes a new Q65 mode but does    
   not involve any changes to the FT8 protocol. A summary of new features  
   can be found in the WSJT-X 2.3 User Guide. The Release Notes offer      
   additional information, including a list of important program changes   
   since the WSJT-X 2.2. Upgrading from earlier versions of WSJT-X should  
   be seamless. Installation packages for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh    
   are available.                                                          
   ARRL Learning Network Webinars                                          
                                                                           
   Visit the ARRL Learning Network (a members-only benefit) to register,   
   check on upcoming webinars, and to view previously recorded sessions.   
                                                                           
   Interesting Stories about Ham Radio & Weather Spotting -- Rob Macedo,   
   KD1CY                                                                   
                                                                           
   One of the most critical ways amateur radio supports agencies such as   
   the National Weather Service (NWS), National Hurricane Center, and      
   emergency management is through weather spotting via the NWS SKYWARN    
   program. This presentation reviews some interesting stories about how   
   amateurs involved in SKYWARN have saved lives and property, and why     
   this is an important amateur radio activity.                            
                                                                           
   Thursday, February 11, 2021 @ 8 PM EST (0100 UTC on Friday, February    
   12)                                                                     
                                                                           
   Maxim Memorial Station W1AW Tour -- Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, W1AW Station      
   Manager                                                                 
                                                                           
   Maxim Memorial Station W1AW, located in Newington, Connecticut was      
   established to honor the memory of ARRL's co-founder and first          
   president, Hiram Percy Maxim. Although ARRL's first station was         
   actually located in Hartford, Connecticut and active as W1MK, W1AW in   
   Newington is known worldwide and considered the radio station most      
   associated with Hiram Percy Maxim. Formally established in 1938 --      
   nearly 2 years after the death of Hiram Percy Maxim  --  W1AW has       
   consistently been on the air, save for the time when the station was    
   ordered off the air by the FCC because of World War II.                 
                                                                           
   Thursday, February 18, 2021 @ 3:30 PM EST (2030 UTC)                    
                                                                           
   Talking to Astronauts: An Elementary School's Exciting ARISS Experience 
   --  Diane Warner, KE8HLD                                                
                                                                           
   This is a story about Tallmadge Elementary School's participation in a  
   once-in-a-lifetime Amateur Radio on the International Space Station     
   (ARISS) school contact. Learn about their amazing journey leading up to 
   the amateur radio contact with an astronaut on the International Space  
   Station. The excitement of the entire experience was shared not just by 
   the students, but included faculty, parents, the community, and local   
   amateur radio operators. You will also learn how to begin the process   
   of submitting your own ARISS contact proposal.                          
                                                                           
   Tuesday, March 2, 2021 @ 1 PM EST (1800 UTC)                            
                                                                           
   The ARRL Learning Network schedule is subject to change.                
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Plans to Retrieve Titanic Wireless Equipment Put on Indefinite Hold     
                                                                           
   RMS Titanic, Inc., (RMST) the company that owns salvage rights to the   
   Titanic shipwreck, has indefinitely put off its plans to retrieve the   
   vessel's radio equipment for exhibit. The company cited the coronavirus 
   pandemic for the delay, according to a January 29 court filing. The     
   Atlanta-based company said its plans have faced "increasing difficulty  
   associated with international travel and logistics, and the associated  
   health risks to the expedition team." RMST's primary source of revenue  
   comes from its exhibits of its vast collection of Titanic relics, which 
   have been closed or seen only limited attendance due to virus-related   
   restrictions.                                                           
                                                                           
   RMST -- a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions and the                     
   "salvor-in-possession" of the Titanic wreck site -- said its planned    
   expedition to recover the ship's wireless station equipment remains a   
   top priority, however, and will "take place as soon as reasonably       
   practicable." The Marconi-equipped station transmitted the distress     
   calls after the Titanic (on its maiden voyage) struck an iceberg some   
   370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in 1912 and began sinking. The  
   transmissions, heard by some nearby vessels, have been credited with    
   helping rescue some 700 passengers in lifeboats deployed from the       
   Titanic, but about 1,500 passengers were lost.                          
                                                                           
   The bow of the Titanic on the                                           
   ocean's bottom. [NOAA/IFE/URI Photo]                                    
                                                                           
   RMST has been in an ongoing legal battle with the US government over    
   whether the recovery operation would be legal. In May 2020, a US        
   federal judge in Virginia gave permission to retrieve the wireless      
   gear, ruling that the company would be permitted "minimally to cut into 
   the wreck" to access the radio room.                                    
                                                                           
   RMST has said the radio room may be reachable via an already-open       
   skylight. But, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric ministration      
   (NOAA) has contended that the retrieval expedition is still prohibited  
   under US law and under an international agreement between the US and    
   the UK.                                                                 
                                                                           
   The wreck, some 2 1/2 miles beneath the surface, remained undiscovered  
   until 1985. Read more.                                                  
                                                                           
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   Announcements                                                           
     * Students at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, New Jersey, launched    
       two picoballoons as a high school STEM project. Teacher Dave        
       Snyder, KD2VGT, said the students did all the work. The balloons'   
       APRS transmitters identify as KD2VGT-1 and KD2VGT-2.                
     * Jim Breakall, WA3FET, will speak at the February 5 meeting of the   
       Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA). His topic will be          
       Innovative Wideband Techniques in Antennas: A New OWA Concept and   
       Other Interesting Antenna Tidbits. The Zoom meeting begins at 6:45  
       PM EST (0400 UTC on February 6 UTC). The meeting ID is 817 3345     
       6763. The passcode is 088132.                                       
     * Opportunities that may appeal to AM enthusiasts are just ahead. The 
       annual AM Rally is February 6 - 8. The AM classic provides award    
       certificates, including one for "most clip leads used in the        
       transmitter" and "highest weight to power." The AWA Amplitude       
       Modulation QSO Party takes place over the February 13 - 14 weekend. 
     * The NCVEC Question Pool Committee (QPC) has announced the           
       withdrawal of one question from the General-class pool and two      
       questions from the Amateur Extra-class pool. Question G1E11 is      
       being removed from the 2019 General-Class Question Pool because it  
       does not have a correct answer. Questions E1C05 and E6B06 are being 
       removed from the 2020 Amateur Extra-Class Question Pool because     
       question E6B06 has two correct answer choices, and E1C05 has an     
       inaccurate question.                                                
     * A past DX editor at CQ Magazine, Urb LeJeune, W1UL (ex-W2DEC), of   
       Tuckerton, New Jersey, died on January 22. An ARRL member, he was   
       90. LeJeune served as CQ's DX editor for 6 years in the 1960s.      
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   ARISS is Seeking Hosts for Ham Radio Contacts with the Space Station    
                                                                           
   Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is seeking     
   formal and informal educational institutions and organizations,         
   individually or working together, to host amateur radio contacts with   
   an International Space Station (ISS) crew member. Contacts would likely 
   be scheduled between January 1 and June 30, 2022. These voice radio     
   contacts are approximately 10 minutes long and in a question-and-answer 
   format.                                                                 
                                                                           
   Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact dates. ARISS is 
   looking for organizations that can draw large numbers of participants   
   and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.         
   Organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in    
   dates and times of the radio contact. The deadline for proposals is     
   March 31, 2021.                                                         
                                                                           
   Visit the ARISS website for more details and a proposal form.           
                                                                           
   ARISS has operated amateur radio from the ISS for 20 years, and         
   scheduled ham radio contacts between ISS crew members and schools and   
   student groups around the world are a hallmark of the ARISS program.    
   The ham radio stations onboard also are available for crew members to   
   use and serve as back-up communications capability.                     
                                                                           
   In the US, ARISS is sponsored by NASA, the ISS National Laboratory,     
   ARRL, and AMSAT. Read more.                                             
                                                                           
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   Amateur Radio in the News                                               
                                                                           
   ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other          
   member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news. Share   
   any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.                          
                                                                           
   Passion and Purpose                                                     
                                                                           
   Next Door Neighbors Magazine (Virginia), February 2021                  
                                                                           
   McAuliffe's Legacy is Alive and Well in RSU 21                          
                                                                           
   Portsmouth Herald (New Hampshire), January 28, 2021                     
                                                                           
   Amateur Radio Operators Serve as Eyes and Ears                          
                                                                           
   The Hoosier Responder (Indiana), February 2021                          
                                                                           
   In Quiet, Remote U.P., Ham Radio Helps Michiganders Connect From        
   Confines of Home                                                        
                                                                           
   Detroit Free Press (Michigan), January 21, 2021                         
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
                                                                         
   Getting It Right                                                        
                                                                           
   An In Brief item in the January 14 edition of The ARRL Letter           
   incorrectly reported the power level that very low frequency (VLF)      
   enthusiast Joe Craig, VO1NA, used to transmit a 50-character message    
   from Newfoundland to Europe on 8.271 kHz. The radiated power was 10     
   microwatts.                                                             
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   In Brief...                                                             
                                                                           
   Organizers of the NCJ-Sponsored North American Sprint (CW and RTTY)     
   have leveraged the US Postal Service to drum up participation. "Some    
   'friends of sprint' have mailed postcards to stations in rare           
   multipliers on occasion in the past," said Ward Silver, N0AX. He        
   located a print-and-mail service that would send promotional cards to a 
   list of addresses the contest sponsors compiled. "I was hoping it would 
   get noticed [and] I guess it did!" Silver said. "There are a lot of     
   short contests these days, so we need to remind folks of the sprints    
   that started it all!" The mailing list was modified from a list of call 
   signs that included past sprinters and participants in the ARRL         
   November Sweepstakes (CW) and the North American QSO Party (NAQP), also 
   sponsored by NCJ. The postcard calls attention to the earlier 2300 UTC  
   start times for the February 6 - 7 CW and March 13 - 14 RTTY sprints.   
   First-time sprinters would be wise to consult the rules. The time shift 
   is to encourage more 20-meter activity in the east and north.           
                                                                           
   IARU has received the gift of the hamradio.org domain. Andrew J.        
   Wolfram, KI7RYC, has donated the hamradio.org domain to the             
   International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) for non-profit educational use 
   to promote the amateur and amateur satellite services. In accepting     
   this gift, IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, said, "The hamradio.org     
   domain offers a unique opportunity for which we are deeply grateful to  
   Andrew. It is our intention to develop a website that can serve as a    
   focal point for anyone, anywhere, who may be seeking information on     
   amateur radio, which is better known as 'ham radio' by the general      
   public." The IARU is the global federation of national amateur radio    
   organizations with member-societies in more than 160 countries and      
   separate territories. Since its founding in 1925, the IARU has          
   successfully defended and expanded access to the radio spectrum by      
   radio amateurs internationally.                                         
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Just Ahead in Radiosport                                                
     * February 5 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint                                      
     * February 5 -- NCCC CW Sprint                                        
     * February 6 -- Mexico RTTY International Contest                     
     * February 6 -- Minnesota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)              
     * February 6 -- FYBO Winter QRP Sprint (CW, phone)                    
     * February 6 -- FISTS Saturday Sprint (CW)                            
     * February 6 -- AGCW Straight Key Party (CW)                          
     * February 6 -- EurAsia HF Championship (CW, phone)                   
     * February 6 - 7 -- Vermont QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)            
     * February 6 - 7 -- 10-10 International Winter Contest, SSB           
     * February 6 - 7 -- KCJ Topband Contest (CW)                          
     * February 6 - 7 -- F9AA Cup, CW                                      
     * February 6 - 7 -- British Columbia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)   
     * February 6 - 7 -- North American Sprint (CW)                        
     * February 8 - 12 -- ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital)    
     * February 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint                                      
     * February 10 -- FT8 Activity Contest                                 
     * February 10 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship, Data                
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions                  
                                                                           
   Many conventions and hamfests have been canceled or postponed due to    
   the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events on the  
   ARRL website.                                                           
     * February 13 - 14 -- Orlando HamCation Special Edition (online)      
     * March 13 - 14 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo                         
                                                                           
   Find conventions and hamfests in your area.                             
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   ARRL  --  Your One-Stop Resource for                                    
   Amateur Radio News and Information.                                     
                                                                           
   .                                                                       
                                                                           
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     * Join or Renew Today! Eligible US-based members can elect to receive 
       QST or On the Air magazine in print when they join ARRL or when     
       they renew their membership. All members can access digital         
       editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ. 
                                                                           
     * Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.                  
                                                                           
   Subscribe to...                                                         
     * NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features      
       articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA  
       Sprint, and QSO parties.                                            
     * QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published          
       bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects,      
       columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and          
       communications professionals.                                       
                                                                           
   Free of charge to ARRL members...                                       
     * Subscribe to the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency  
       communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest     
       newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much more!     
     * Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!          
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                           
   The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members
   and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing
   their profile.                                                          
                                                                           
   Copyright (c) 2021 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and   
   distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
   non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other     
   purposes require written permission.                                    
                                                                           

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