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Skriven 2021-05-14 09:05:18 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
==============================
   The ARRL Letter                                                         
   May 13, 2021                                                            
                                                                           
     * First-Time Exam Applicants Must Obtain FCC Registration Number       
       Before Taking Exam                                                   
     * Wooden Satellite to Launch by Year's End                             
     * ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                               
     * April 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report Released                 
     * AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch                      
     * PSAT2 (NO-104) Satellite VHF Transceiver is Alive with Innovative   
       Mode                                                                
     * ARRL Learning Network Webinars                                      
     * Intrepid-DX Group ds Second Physician for Trip to "Cold and       
       Inhospitable" Bouvet Island                                         
     * Amateur Radio in the News                                           
     * In Brief...                                                         
     * Announcements                                                       
     * The K7RA Solar Update                                               
     * Just Ahead in Radiosport                                            
     * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions              
   First-Time Exam Applicants Must Obtain FCC Registration Number Before   
   Taking Exam                                                             
                                                                           
   Beginning May 20, 2021, all amateur examination applicants will be      
   required to provide an FCC Registration Number (FRN) to the Volunteer   
   Examiners (VEs) before taking an amateur exam. This is                  
                                                                           
   necessary due to changes the FCC has made to its licensing system.      
                                                                           
   Amateur candidates who already have an FCC license, whether for amateur 
   radio or another service, and already have an FRN may use the same      
   number. All prospective new FCC licensees, however, will be required to 
   obtain an FRN before the examination and provide that number to the     
   volunteer examiners on the Form 605 license application. An FCC         
   instructional video provides step-by-step instructions on how to obtain 
   an FRN through the FCC's COmmission REgistration System (CORES).        
                                                                           
   The FRN is required for all new applicants to take an amateur exam and  
   is used afterward by the applicant to download the license document     
   from the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS), upgrade the license,     
   apply for a vanity call sign, and to submit administrative updates      
   (such as address and email changes) and renewal applications.           
                                                                           
   In addition, after June 29, all applications will be required to        
   contain an email address for FCC correspondence. Applicants will        
   receive an email directly from the FCC with a link to the official      
   electronic copy of their license whenever a license is issued or        
   changed. ARRL VEC suggests that those without access to email should    
   use the email address of a family member or friend. Licensees will be   
   able to log in to the ULS using their FRN and password to download the  
   latest version of their license at any time. The FCC no longer provides 
   paper license documents.                                                
   Wooden Satellite to Launch by Year's End                                
                                                                           
   The WISA Woodsat project, being sponsored by plywood supplier WISA in   
   an unconventional PR initiative, is poised to place a wooden satellite  
   into orbit by the end of the year. The idea is to test the suitability  
   of treated wood as a low-cost and widely available material for space   
   applications. The IARU posting for Woodsat indicates that several       
   amateur radio experiments will be on board as well as photo             
   downlinking, including selfies.                                         
                                                                           
   The wooden satellite is based on a basic, versatile CubeSat format,     
   Kitsat, which is designed with educational use in mind. It retails for  
   just $1,500. Based in Finland, the Woodsat project began with students  
   across the country contributing parts to a CubeSat launched by balloon. 
   The satellite will be a 10-centimeter cube weighing 1 kilogram, covered 
   on all sides by coated birch plywood from WISA Plywood. Nine small      
   solar cells will power the satellite, which will orbit at an altitude   
   of 500 - 550 kilometers.                                                
                                                                           
   As the sponsor explained, "WISA Woodsat will go where no wood has gone  
   before. With a mission to gather data on the behavior and durability of 
   plywood over an extended period in the harsh temperatures, vacuum, and  
   radiation of space in order to assess the use of wood materials in      
   space structures."                                                      
                                                                           
   Once in orbit, Woodsat will be able to extend a selfie stick to capture 
   photographs of the wooden box as it hurtles through space at 40,000     
   kilometers (24,800 miles) per hour. This will allow the mission leaders 
   to monitor the impact of the environment on the plywood.                
                                                                           
   The satellite would downlink its telemetry and images from two cameras  
   using amateur radio frequencies.                                        
                                                                           
   "The wooden satellite with a selfie stick will surely bring laughter    
   and goodwill," added mission manager Jari Mäkinen of Arctic             
   Astronautics. "Essentially, this is a serious science and technology    
   endeavor. In addition to testing plywood, the satellite will            
   demonstrate accessible radio amateur satellite communication; host      
   several secondary technology experiments; validate the Kitsat platform  
   in orbit, and popularize space technology."                             
                                                                           
   An April 23 Engineering and Technology article has more information. -- 
   Thanks to AMSAT News Service via JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; E&T, and the    
   IARU                                                                    
                                                                         
   ARRL Podcasts Schedule                                                  
                                                                           
   The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 17) is a          
   discussion with Ward Silver, N0AX, of the importance of station         
   grounding.                                                              
                                                                           
   The latest episode of Eclectic Tech (Episode 33), features W1AW Station 
   Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, diagnosing and treating several troublesome   
   "patients" at ham radio's most famous station.                          
                                                                           
   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.                            
   April 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report Released                    
                                                                           
   The Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program is a joint initiative between ARRL   
   and the FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service.         
                                                                           
   A General-class renewal applicant withdrew his application after FCC    
   notice that the renewal application would be held up pending review of  
   Volunteer Monitor complaints. As a consequence, the Quakertown,         
   Pennsylvania, applicant has no operating privileges.                    
                                                                           
   Twenty-one operators in 14 states received visories because of their  
   operation in the March CQ World Wide DX Contest. While making contacts  
   with VC3T and VC2W, their LSB signals extended below 7.125 MHz, which   
   is the lower limit of the 40-meter amateur phone band.                  
                                                                           
   Volunteer Monitors participated in a nationwide training program on     
   April 7 that was conducted by ARRL and the FCC.                         
                                                                           
   The Volunteer Monitor Coordinator had two meetings in April with FCC    
   Enforcement Bureau personnel.                                           
                                                                           
   The totals for VM monitoring in March were 1,394 hours on HF            
   frequencies and 2,515 hours on VHF and above frequencies. -- Thanks to  
   Volunteer Monitor Coordinator Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH                
                                                                         
   AMSAT's GOLF-TEE CubeSat Manifested for Launch                          
                                                                           
   GOLF-TEE -- the first satellite in AMSAT's "Greater Orbit, Larger       
   Footprint" (GOLF) program -- has been put on the manifest for NASA's    
   Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission 46. AMSAT says the 
   goal of the GOLF program is to work by steps through a series of        
   increasingly capable spacecraft in learning to develop systems and      
   skills needed to achieve successful high-orbit missions. Among these    
   are active attitude control and the ability to command attitude         
   changes, deployable/steerable solar panels, radiation tolerance for     
   commercial, off-the-shelf components in higher orbits, and propulsion.  
                                                                           
   "The eventual goal of the GOLF program is a satellite in highly         
   elliptical orbit (HEO) similar to AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40, but at an    
   affordable cost, combined with significantly enhanced capabilities,     
   allowing the use of much less complex ground stations," AMSAT said.     
                                                                           
   GOLF-TEE will be a fully-functional low-Earth-orbit VHF/UHF amateur     
   satellite, carrying a linear transponder similar to the one flown on    
   AO-109.                                                                 
                                                                           
   The "TEE" in GOLF-TEE stands for "Technology Exploration Environment."  
   It reflects GOLF-TEE's mission of testing two primary systems needed    
   for higher orbits. First, an attitude determination and control (ADAC)  
   system will be tested to allow active pointing of the satellite's       
   antennas, which will have significant gain. The other primary goal of   
   GOLF-TEE is to gain initial orbit and space radiation exposure for      
   radiation event-induced fault tolerant systems designed using           
   off-the-shelf components.                                               
                                                                           
   GOLF-TEE will carry an integrated housekeeping unit (IHU)/command       
   transceiver designed using the Hercules line of ARM architecture-based  
   microcontrollers.                                                       
                                                                           
   GOLF-TEE will also evaluate a low-cost, deployable, fixed attitude,     
   solar panel array design as part of AMSAT Engineering's exploration of  
   fixed panel arrays that allow for outfitting a variable number of       
   "wings" in order to best match the power requirements of various        
   CubeSat missions.                                                       
                                                                           
   ditionally, GOLF-TEE will carry a modified commercial                 
   software-defined radio (SDR), the Ettus E310, as an experimental        
   package to test a high-speed 10 GHz data downlink.                      
                                                                           
   Donations to the AMSAT GOLF program are welcome. -- Thanks to AMSAT     
   PSAT2 (NO-104) Satellite VHF Transceiver is Alive with Innovative Mode  
                                                                           
   Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, says the PSAT2 VHF transceiver awoke from an      
   8-month slumber on April 26. "We have no idea why. Its telemetry looks  
   fine," Bruninga said.                                                   
                                                                           
   Voltage is between 6.2 and 7.0 V and exterior temperatures are between  
   -18ø and 22ø C. PSAT2 will not be in Automatic Packet Reporting System  
   (APRS) mode, but in a brand-new experimental mode for dual-tone         
   multi-frequency (DTMF) uplink (145.980 MHz) and voice downlink.         
                                                                           
   "You pre-load your grid and call sign into a 16-digit DTMF memory in    
   your radio, and when the satellite hears this it will assign a QSO      
   number and QSL the grid by voice and then generate an APRS packet,"     
   Bruninga explained.                                                     
                                                                           
   There's even a way to send back a DTMF QSL, so you can make it a        
   two-way DTMF contact. Successful DTMF grids and messages will appear on 
   a special URL on the PSAT2 page.                                        
                                                                           
   To QSL, key in that station's 2-digit QSL number and then dump your     
   pre-loaded QSL DTMF message. Bruninga adds, "Read the docs and be sure  
   you know what you are doing." A PSAT2 Users Operations Manual is        
   available on the PSAT2 web page. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via    
   Bob Bruninga, WB4APR                                                    
                                                                         
   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.   
                                                                           
   W1AW Antenna Farm -- W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q / Tuesday,   
   May 18, at 1 PM EDT (1700 UTC)                                          
                                                                           
   Experience a bird's-eye view and description of the antennas used by    
   W1AW for the station's scheduled transmissions and visiting operator    
   activity. All the antennas used at W1AW are single-band Yagis. Viewers  
   will also see the 5 GHz sector antennas that are part of W1AW's AREDN   
   system.                                                                 
                                                                           
   This Learning Network presentation is sponsored by Icom.                
                                                                           
   Ask the Lab: How ARRL's Technical Information Service Can Help You --   
   ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI / Tuesday, June 8, at 1 PM EDT   
   (1700 UTC)                                                              
                                                                           
   Learn all about the ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS) and the    
   expert ARRL Laboratory staff who answer thousands of questions each     
   year from members. Get tips about projects, suggestions to address      
   various station installations, and help for some of your most pressing  
   ham radio questions. You'll discover how to search ARRL's extensive     
   Periodicals Archive, find helpful articles, read test reports, access   
   technical forums, and find answers to technical questions.              
                                                                           
   This Learning Network presentation is sponsored by PreppComm.           
                                                                           
   ARRL members may register for upcoming presentations and view           
   previously recorded Learning Network webinars. ARRL-affiliated radio    
   clubs may also use the recordings as presentations for club meetings,   
   mentoring new and current hams, and discussing amateur radio topics.    
                                                                           
   The ARRL Learning Network schedule is subject to change.                
   Intrepid-DX Group ds Second Physician for Trip to "Cold and           
   Inhospitable" Bouvet Island                                             
                                                                           
   "Bouvet is like the Mount Everest of DXCC entities," 3Y0J DXpedition    
   co-leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said. "It is among the most challenging    
   entities to activate due to significant transportation costs and        
   personal sacrifices required by the team to make the 42-day round trip. 
   Fortunately, Bouvet is not our first mountain." The DXpedition's        
   website describes Bouvet as, "a cold and inhospitable place." At 54ø S, 
   Bouvet Island, a sub-Antarctic island in the South Atlantic and a       
   dependency of Norway, is the most remote place on Earth.                
                                                                           
   Ewing announced recently that Mike Crownover, AB5EB, a veteran          
   emergency room physician, has joined the 3Y0J DXpedition team to pair   
   with ER doctor Bill Straw, KO7SS. The DXpedition is set for January -   
   February 2023, but the planning stage to activate the                   
   second-most-wanted DXCC entity is well under way, with the team         
   researching polar-quality tents and equipment and discussing antenna    
   specifications with various manufacturers.                              
                                                                           
   "We will make careful choices to help us meet the demand for Bouvet     
   contacts," Ewing said. The 3Y0J team has set a goal of making at least  
   100,000 contacts from Bouvet. "3Y0J will be a DXpedition with a focus   
   on good, fast, and accurate operating. QSO rates will be very high,"    
   Ewing said. "We have assembled a team of strong operators who will      
   strive to work everyone. We will focus on CW/SSB/digital for the 10 -   
   160 meter bands. Our goal is to match our VP8STI/VP8SGI achievement     
   with 135,000 contacts made."                                            
                                                                           
   Ewing said that in the later stages of the DXpedition, operators will   
   use "proven techniques" to work the weakest of callers. "We will also   
   use techniques to work the youth in our audience," he added.            
                                                                           
   No real-time log search will be available, but 3Y0J will upload to Club 
   Log and to M0OXO Log Search each day, Ewing said.                       
                                                                           
   The DXpedition has an estimated budget of $764,000, with each team      
   member contributing a minimum of $20,000 each. In April, ARRL awarded a 
   Colvin Grant of $5,000 to the Intrepid-DX Group to help in funding the  
   3Y0J DXpedition. Ewing and ARRL member Ken Opskar, LA7GIA, will share   
   DXpedition leadership duties.                                           
                                                                           
   Follow the DXpedition plans from the DXpedition website and Facebook    
   page.                                                                   
                                                                         
   Amateur Radio in the News                                               
                                                                           
   ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other          
   member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.         
     * Radio Hams Will Celebrate Minnesota's 163rd Birthday / The Gazette  
       (Minnesota), May 7, 2021                                            
     * Local Amateur Radio Club Receives National Award / The Highland     
       County Press (Ohio), May 9, 2021                                    
     * Amateur Radio Operators Are Still In High Demand / WTHI-TV NEWS 10  
       (Indiana), May 7, 2021                                              
     * One Group's Post-Pandemic Travel Plan: Get As Far Away As Possible  
       / The Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2021                              
                                                                           
   Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.                    
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   In Brief...                                                             
                                                                           
   The Amateur Radio Legal Defense and Assistance Committee (ARLDAC) is    
   considering hosting a half-day workshop for attorneys at the ARRL 2022  
   National Convention in Orlando. This would be for attorneys only, and   
   attendees would be eligible to earn continuing legal education (CLE)    
   credit in their respective states. It would be held on the afternoon of 
   February 10, as part of the Thursday training track sessions for the    
   2022 convention. ARLDAC is gauging interest to see if it can come up    
   with a core number to make it worthwhile. Interested attorneys should   
   email ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, by May   
   31, 2021.                                                               
                                                                           
   Radio Frequency Interference Seminar Set for May 19 via Zoom ARRL       
   Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, will hold a Radio Frequency          
   Interference (RFI) seminar via Zoom on Wednesday, May 19, at 2000 UTC.  
   His 30-minute slide presentation offers an overview of politics,        
   personalities, and technical issues involved in electromagnetic         
   interference (EMI) control, as well as causes and cures. A              
   question-and-answer session will follow the slide presentation. The     
   IEEE EMC Society is sponsoring the event. The link will be posted on    
   the IEEE EMC Society website.                                           
                                                                           
   The campaign to save MIT Amateur Radio Club W1MX has succeeded. After a 
   years-long process involving countless hours of meeting, writing,       
   negotiating, and planning across half a dozen entities within MIT, and  
   after an intense, large-scale fundraising campaign to save the W1MX     
   station atop the Green Building roof on campus, the club will get to    
   keep and improve its station. ditionally, a new radome has been       
   installed around the 18-foot "big dish" on the roof. Helping in a big   
   way to make this possible was a $1.6 million grant from Amateur Radio   
   Digital Communications (ARDC), as well as private donations from        
   alumni, members of the MIT community, and friends of amateur radio.     
   "Together, we made this happen," MIT ARC President Milo Hooper, AI1XR,  
   said. "For this, I can only say thank you!" More information about this 
   effort is available on the MIT news website.                            
                                                                           
   Hams in New Zealand again have access to 60 meters. The New Zealand     
   Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) announced recently that       
   negotiations with regulator RSM were successful in accommodating        
   60-meter operation for New Zealand radio amateurs. Following the end of 
   the two-channel 60-meter "trial" in New Zealand during 2020, hams there 
   will now have access to a WRC-15 Amateur Secondary Allocation of 5351.5 
   - 5366.5 kHz with a maximum allowable power of 15 W EIRP (about 9.14 W) 
   by applying for a sub-license. An FAQ on the new licensing system for   
   60 meters has been posted. Scan and email your completed form to NZART  
   Headquarters. Once acknowledged by return email, applicants may begin   
   operation. This trial will be for 12 months, to allow RSM to assess if  
   any interference issues arise. If none do, then NZART will negotiate    
   with RSM to have the 60-meter band added to the General User Radio      
   Licence, eliminating any need for a sub-license in the future. --       
   Thanks to Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, Editor, The 5 MHz Newsletter             
                                                                           
   A Very High Speed Club special event is active during May. Special      
   event call sign OZ60VHSC will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the   
   founding of the Very High Speed Club (VHSC) on May 1, 1961. Leading the 
   group at its founding were PA0LXL, DL1XA, and DJ4KW, who sought         
   operators who could copy at 40 WPM solid for at least 30 minutes,       
   encouraging CW traffic in general and QRQ (high-speed) traffic in       
   particular. Members sponsor new membership candidates. Some of the 29   
   original VHSC members are still active. They include PA0LXL, DJ4KW,     
   DJ5ZN, DJ3VY, N9SW, and G3KMQ.                                          
                                                                           
   The W4DXCC DX and Contest Convention is set for September 24 - 25 in    
   Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Anyone planning to attend is urged to register 
   now. Call the hotel at (865) 428-8350 and indicate that you are         
   attending W4DXCC by SEDCO to get a special room rate. (No online hotel  
   reservations available.) Purchase convention and banquet tickets        
   online. Friday is Ham Radio Bootcamp, for new and experienced hams      
   alike. Saturday is the day for the convention and presentations. A ham  
   station will be set up for attendees.                                   
                                                                           
   ARRL Life Member Lynn Lamb, W4NL, of Maryville, Tennessee, died on May  
   10 following a lengthy illness. He was 83. Lamb co-founded SEDCO W4DXCC 
   DX and Contest Convention in 2005. Licensed in 1954, Lamb retired from  
   a career with the US Department of Defense (US Navy and Air Force). He  
   was a founding member of the National Capitol DX Association (NCDXA)    
   and belonged to Potomac Valley Radio Club, the International DX         
   Association, and other amateur radio organizations. He was 339/371 in   
   the DXCC standings. Lamb was a member of the CQ DX and University of    
   Tennessee Amateur Radio Club Halls of Fame. Survivors include his wife  
   Rosie, KA4S. A memorial service will be held at a later date.           
                                                                           
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   Announcements                                                           
     * The theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day   
       (WTISD) on May 17 is "Accelerating Digital Transformation in        
       challenging times." The event commemorates the founding of the      
       International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the signing of the  
       first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. Special event     
       call signs on the air to mark WTISD include A91WTIS from Bahrain    
       and HZ1WTIS in Saudi Arabia, both active May 13 - 17.               
     * The Neutron-1 CubeSat team seeks radio amateurs to help             
       troubleshoot its satellite. The team theorizes that the satellite   
       goes into safe mode intermittently, making communication difficult. 
       The satellite has had an operational beacon since deployment, but   
       its operation is irregular. Details are on the AMSAT-South Africa   
       website.                                                            
     * "Legacy" records of single-operator scores before the merging of    
       Single Operator and Single Operator Assisted categories for the CQ  
       WPX Contest are now available.                                      
     * Steve Babcock, VE6WZ, was one of six presenters at the Contest Club 
       of Ontario 2021 Midwinter Zoom virtual meeting. His video of the    
       presentation shows how he designed and built his station from       
       scratch. It includes many photos and a description of his 160-meter 
       transmit array, and his 160-meter receive system, as well as        
       station control and switching.                                      
     * A virtual event, "The Senator was a Ham: Barry Goldwater and        
       Amateur Radio," will take place Wednesday, May 19, 1800 - 1900      
       Arizona/Pacific Time. Registration is requested. Arizona State      
       University Professor of History Eric Nystrom will discuss the       
       history of Arizona's most famous radio amateur, US Senator Barry    
       Goldwater, K7UGA. He was a prime mover among volunteers who         
       connected service members stationed in Vietnam with their families  
       via ham radio.                                                      
                                                                           
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   The K7RA Solar Update                                                   
                                                                           
   Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspot activity returned last Friday 
   and has held steady since. Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 11.9 
   to 21.1, and average daily solar flux was up 2.1 points to 74.3.        
                                                                           
   Geomagnetic activity was quiet until Wednesday, when the planetary A    
   index went to 41, as the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that   
   blasted out of the sun on May 9. It was not expected to be very strong, 
   but when it struck on May 12 it sparked a G3-class geomagnetic storm -- 
   the strongest in the current solar cycle.                               
                                                                           
   The planetary A index rose to 41, far above an average of 3.8 on the    
   previous 6 days. The average daily planetary A index for the May 6 - 12 
   reporting week was 9.1, and average middle-latitude A index was 7.4.    
                                                                           
   Predicted solar flux over the next month is 76 and 78 on May 13 - 14;   
   80 on May 15 - 18; 78 and 77 on May 19 - 20; 79 on May 21 - 22; 80, 79, 
   78, 77, and 73 on May 23 - 27; 72 on May 28 - 30; 70 on May 31 - June   
   1; 71 and 75 on June 2 - 3; 76 on June 4 - 5; 74 on June 6 - 7; 75 on   
   June 8 - 9; 77 on June 10, and 79 on June 11 - 13.                      
                                                                           
   Predicted planetary A index is 22 and 10 on May 13 - 14; 5 on May 15 -  
   16; 16, 14, 8, 10, and 8 on May 17 - 21; 5 on May 22 - June 5; 8, 5,    
   and 8 on June 6 - 8, and 8, 5, 12, and 18 on June 9 - 12.               
                                                                           
   Electronics Notes included an item recently about Using Sporadic E, Es  
   Propagation for Amateur Radio. Also check out this useful online        
   sporadic E tool.                                                        
                                                                           
   Sunspot numbers for May 6 - 12 were 0, 15, 17, 18, 36, 31 and 31, with  
   a mean of 21.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 70.8, 74.5, 71.6, 75.9,    
   76.5, 76.1, and 74.7, with a mean of 74.3. Estimated planetary A        
   indices were 4, 3, 3, 4, 6, 3, and 41, with a mean of 9.1. Middle       
   latitude A index was 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 4, and 25, with a mean of 7.4.      
                                                                           
   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                                                
     * May 15 - 16 -- NZART Sangster Shield Contest (CW)                   
     * May 15 - 16 -- His Majesty King of Spain Contest (CW)               
     * May 15 - 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint                                     
     * May 16 -- FISTS Sunday Sprint (CW)                                  
     * May 16 - 17 -- 28 Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)                
     * May 19 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Digital)                 
     * May 20 -- NAQCC CW Sprint                                           
                                                                           
     -------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                           
   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.                                                           
                                                                           
     * May 15 - 16 -- The International DX Convention (online)             
     * May 20 - 22 -- Dayton Hamvention (online)                           
     * June 5 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention (SEA-PAC; online)   
     * August 14 - 15 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo (online)               
     * August 21 - 22 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention (Huntsville 
       Hamfest), Huntsville, Alabama                                       
                                                                           
   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 
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     * 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  
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       communications professionals.                                       
                                                                           
   Free of charge to ARRL members...                                       
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   and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing
   their profile.                                                          
                                                                           
   Copyright (c) 2021 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and   
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