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Skriven 2021-08-13 09:05:18 av Sean Dennis (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: The Weekly ARRL Letter
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The ARRL Letter
August 12, 2021
* Visit with ARRL at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
* Bouvet Island DXpeditions Are in Planning Stages for 2021, 2022,
and 2023
* ARRL Podcasts Schedule
* July Volunteer Monitor Program Report Released
* AMSAT Continues Efforts to Debug AO-109
* ARRL Learning Network Webinars
* Announcements
* Mines on the Air (MOTA) Promoted as an Activity Similar to Summits
on the Air (SOTA)
* Amateur Radio in the News
* Journalist, Archivist, and Broadcaster Wolf Harranth, OE1WHC, SK
* In Brief...
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Visit with ARRL at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday,
August 14 - 15. Register now and visit the ARRL booth to connect with
ARRL staff representatives in the video lounges on Saturday, 1500 -
2300 UTC, and Sunday, 1500 - 1800 UTC. There will be in-booth drawings
and special offers for the ARRL online store and for joining or
renewing membership.
On Sunday, 1500 UTC (8 AM PDT / 11 AM EDT), ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed
Hare, W1RFI, will present, "How to Comply with FCC RF Exposure Rules,"
in the virtual auditorium.
"Amateur radio has had rules regulating RF exposure for decades," Hare
explains. "The FCC recently announced changes to those rule that change
the ways that all radio services determine whether they need to do an
evaluation of RF exposure or are exempt from that need. I put together
this presentation to explain the rules changes and to answer the most
common questions hams have about the rules and what is expected of
them."
ARRL is a QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo partner.
Bouvet Island DXpeditions Are in Planning Stages for 2021, 2022, and
2023
Parallel planning is under way by three entities for DXpeditions to
Bouvet Island in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The remote volcanic, glacial
sub-Antarctic island in the South Atlantic is the second-most-wanted
DXCC entity, according to Club Log. In June, the Intrepid-DX Group
canceled its 3Y0J DXpedition, planned for 2023, after the RV Braveheart
was put up for sale. Not long after, the Intrepid-DX Group revived its
plans and was seeking a suitable vessel.
On August 8, a DXpedition using the 3Y0J call sign announced the
signing of a contract with the expedition vessel Marama, a 101-foot
sailing ketch with "a proven track record and experienced polar crew."
Co-leaders for the November 2022 effort are Ken Opskar, LA7GIA; Rune
O/ye, LA7THA, and Erwann Merrien, LB1QI. Opskar, who holds the 3Y0J
license, split from the Intrepid-DX Group DXpedition effort he headed
with co-leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE.
In a brief announcement on August 3, Ewing had said that a Bouvet
DXpedition team under "revised leadership" had found "a
suitable/affordable vessel willing to take us to Bouvet," and was
negotiating the terms of that charter contract. Ewing's co-leaders
would be David Jorgensen, WD5COV, and Kevin Rowett, K6TD. The
Intrepid-DX Group now must secure a new license and landing permission
from the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Meanwhile, Polish radio amateur Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX, says planning
continues for a second expedition on Bouvet Island in late 2021, using
the call sign 3Y0I. "As you probably know, our first attempt to reach
the island of Bouvet in March 2019 failed," Grzyb says on the
DXpedition's website. "We were so close -- just 63 nautical miles off
the shore of Bouvet Island."
The reconstituted 3Y0J group under the LA7GIA/LA7THA/LB1QI triumvirate
said in its August 8 announcement that it planned to begin fundraising
"immediately." It would field a team of 12 operators for a 20-day stay
"around Bouvet." They would set up at Cape Fie at the southeastern part
of the island, which they called "the only feasible part where a
DXpedition can safely set up camp on rocky ground; we will not set [up]
camp on the glacier."
ARRL Podcasts Schedule
The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 20) features a
discussion with Oliver Dully, K6OLI, who describes how amateurs use the
Winlink network for various public service applications. He also
discusses the equipment and software necessary to access Winlink.
The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 40) describes how NASA is
using rockets to study Very Low Frequencies. It also discusses a new
Universal Serial Bus standard that allows higher voltages and currents.
Topping things off will be a chat with Dr. Dan Fay, KG5VBY, about
QMesh, an innovative way to send digital voice communications using
inexpensive LoRa transceivers.
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.
July Volunteer Monitor Program Report Released
The July 2021 activity report of the Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program has
been released. This program is a joint initiative between ARRL and the
FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service.
* Technician-class licensees in Spring Valley, Smith River, and
Nipomo, California; Oneonta, New York; Idaho Falls, Idaho, and
Center, Texas, received visory Notices concerning FT8 operation
on frequencies not authorized to Technician licensees.
* General-class licensees in Marco Island and Arcadia, Florida, as
well as in Maryland, received visory Notices for operation in the
Amateur Extra-class portion of the 20-meter band.
* A licensee in Parks, Arizona, received an visory Notice
concerning failure to abide by a request to stay off a repeater.
The matter will be referred to the FCC for enforcement action.
* A General-class licensee in Acworth, Georgia, received an visory
Notice concerning failure to identify properly and for repeated
communications with unlicensed stations on 3.895 MHz.
* An Amateur Extra-class licensee in Keansburg, New Jersey, received
an visory Notice concerning on-the-air threats directed at
another operator on 3.844 MHz.
* The final totals for VM monitoring in July were 1,736 hours on HF
frequencies and 2,185 hours on VHF and UHF frequencies.
The IT staff at ARRL Headquarters has begun work on the automated
system for Volunteer Monitors to report monthly monitoring hours and
Incident Reports. -- Thanks to Volunteer Monitor Program ministrator
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH
AMSAT Continues Efforts to Debug AO-109
In mid-July, AMSAT announced that AO-109 (RadFxSat-2/AMSAT Fox-1E) was
being opened for amateur use. AMSAT advised operators to use efficient
modes for making contacts, such as CW or FT4, because issues with the
satellite make SSB voice contacts "challenging at best."
After soliciting telemetry reports from the satellite, the AMSAT
Engineering and Operations team is continuing its efforts to "debug"
AO-109. "First, the telemetry we have received confirms what we
inferred from our earlier experiments," AMSAT announced over the
weekend. It said antennas are open, AO-109 is in transponder mode, and
the spacecraft "does receive commands successfully, especially from a
strong command station." The team has also determined that the onboard
telemetry is working, but the transmitter output is very low -- between
6 and 8 mW. "You can compare this to our pre-launch testing, which
showed power output of somewhat over 100 mW, as designed," AMSAT said.
It's hypothesizing that one of the dual-power amplifier chips has
failed. Efforts to command higher output from the telemetry modulator
into the mixer and power amplifier resulted in no change. "It may imply
that 8 mW is the highest to expect from the transponder as well," AMSAT
said.
AMSAT said "some data" for the Vanderbilt University
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radiation experiment have been
retrieved. Vanderbilt funded AO-109. Conceding that its Earth stations
will require more robust receiving capabilities, it continues to
solicit telemetry from AO-109.
"Both for Vanderbilt University and for our own engineering testing, we
would really appreciate even a few frames of telemetry that any
stations can receive," AMSAT said.
AMSAT provides a web page that reports on the health of AO-109. --
Thanks to AMSAT News Service
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.
Introduction to DMR and Digital Voice -- Tim Deagan, KJ8U / Thursday,
September 9, 2021 at 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC)
This webinar serves as an introductory overview of digital voice (DV)
technologies for ham radio. This presentation focuses on DMR with notes
on System Fusion, D-STAR, and more. Included will be a description of
DV architecture and components, and the interesting opportunities and
challenges that DV presents.
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.
Announcements
* [IMG]Qualification standings for the World Radiosport Team
Championship 2022 (WRTC-2022) have been updated. No change requests
will be accepted after August 31. Because of the global pandemic,
the WRTC-2022 event has been postponed to July 2023.
* WSJT-X rev 2.5.0-rc5 "release candidate" is now available. These
releases are intended for beta testers -- individuals interested in
testing the program's new features and providing feedback to the
WSJT Development Team. This is the fifth candidate release for
WSJT-X 2.5.0, offering several enhancements and bug fixes. On
Windows platforms, it includes MAP65 3.0.0-rc5, a wideband
polarization-matching tool intended primarily for EME.
* MFJ Enterprises Production Manager Michael W. Enis, KB5YJF, died on
August 6. He was 53. He was considered the world expert for
Ameritron amplifiers.
* Jazz musician Bob Ringwald, K6YBV, died on August 3. He was the
father of actor Molly Ringwald. Ringwald also worked as a radio
host for KCSN-FM, presenting "Bob Ringwald's Bourbon Street
Parade."
* Members of Switzerland's IARU member-society (USKA) with support
from the Radio Amateur Club Swissair (HB9VC) will celebrate the
60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty with special event station
HB60ANT until the end of 2021. QSL via Club Log OQRS (no QSL
needed).
Mines on the Air (MOTA) Promoted as an Activity Similar to Summits on
the Air (SOTA)
Many hams enjoy getting out of the house to operate, engaging in such
activities as Summits on the Air (SOTA), Parks on the Air (POTA), or
Islands on The Air (IOTA). Now it's time to try Mines on the Air (MOTA)
-- but banish any thoughts of underground operating. The spark plug for
this activity is John "JohnnyF" Fuller, WJ0NF, in Colorado.
"I decided to start...the MOTA project because mines are everywhere in
my area, and I was already checking them out and researching their
history," Fuller explained on the MOTA website. He got into ham radio
after losing "internet, cell, and landline service for the fourth time
in 2016."
MOTA aims to see operators get out of the shack, enjoy the hobby, and
take others (spotters) along for the ride. "It is meant to promote the
hobby, enjoy the world around us, and bring a bit of history into our
lives," Fuller said. "I encourage Activators to document their
adventure with photos and videos that they can share with everyone --
either via this site, their own sites, or YouTube videos."
He continued, "I would also encourage activators to bring back part of
the enjoyment via QSL cards. If you have the means, spend a few
dollars, and create one-of-a-kind, limited-edition QSL cards for the
spotters that couldn't be there."
Fuller said he's planned on limited runs of 20 - 30 cards for each
activation, each card bearing an image of the relevant mine.
"We are just starting out, and I am sure things will change as the
project grows," Fuller said. "For now, I would like to create a form
where MOTA Activators can fill out the relevant information and submit
it for addition to the database. Once the project grows past a critical
point, we will have to move to a more interactive site where you can
John "JohnnyF" Fuller, WJ0NF.
search through the database and upload information on your own."
Fuller said to activate a mine and have it added to the database will
just include information describing where the site is located and
photographic proof that the operator was there. If a link to a website
for the mine is available, he'd like that included too. Fuller's
Activation Requirements page has more details.
Fuller has one important caveat: activating a mine for MOTA "is not
meant for people to risk their health or lives by exploring unsafe
locations. No more than SOTA or IOTA. In each activity, you need to use
common sense. Stay out of these old mines and be safe."
He notes that not all mine sites are open to the public. "Make sure you
know ahead of time what legal access you have to the location," he
said.
Amateur Radio in the News
ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.
* Pittsburgh amateur radio group celebrates 80 years of providing
emergency communications during disasters / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(Pennsylvania) August 9, 2021
* Local Amateur Radio Club works with Estes Park Schools / Estes Park
Trail Estate (Colorado) August 9, 2021
* Hurricane Maria cut off a Puerto Rican town. An amateur radio
operator found a way out / Miami Herald (Florida) August 8, 2021
Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.
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Journalist, Archivist, and Broadcaster Wolf Harranth, OE1WHC, SK
Wolf Harranth, OE1WHC/OE3WHC, of Vienna, Austria, died on August 3
after a brief illness. He was 79. His work as a journalist and
broadcaster focused on electronic media and computing. For many years,
he worked for Radio Austria International (ROI), where he hosted
several programs of interest to shortwave listeners (SWLs) and radio
amateurs. These included the German-language Kurzwelle Panorama --
later Medienpanorama and, finally, Intermedia.
He was also the founder of the Dokumentationsarchiv Funk (DokuFunk) --
the radio documentary archive. What began as a QSL card collection is
now a considerable archive on the history of radio and the Amateur
Radio Service, with many contemporary historical documents. The archive
now holds some 9 million items, including the legendary Yasme/Colvin
collection and more recently the HZ1AB QSL collection, making it the
world's largest institution with archival records and collections of
any kind on the history of radio, with a focus on broadcasting and
amateur radio." The holdings are accessible free of charge and are
constantly being added to.
Less well known is Harranth's work as a literary translator. He was
awarded the Austrian State Prize for Literary Translation and the
international Astrid Lindgren Translation Prize, among others, for this
work. He translated classics such as The Jungle Book and The ventures
of Huckleberry Finn.
In 2017, Harranth received the Roy Stevens, G2BVN, memorial award,
International Amateur Radio Union Region 1's highest recognition for
excellence in amateur radio, for his decades of effort and work on the
DokuFunk archive. -- Thanks to The Daily DX and IARU Region 1 HF
Manager Tom Kamp, DF5JL
In Brief...
ARRL member and professional engineer Les Kramer, WA3SGZ, of Longwood,
Florida, will be among the 2020 inductees into the Florida Inventors
Hall of Fame on November 5. The Hall of Fame at the University of South
Florida in Tampa recognizes approximately seven Florida inventors every
year for significant contributions to technology and society. Kramer
holds 17 US patents and two overseas patents, spanning lower limb
prosthetic devices to advances in electric power generation, IED
detection, optical coatings for industrial processes, and dynamic
electronic tagging using a sticky polymer. "One of my primary
inventions is a prosthetic foot that returns energy to both the heel
and the toe of the amputee, thereby giving the user a very lifelike
feeling and natural control of the foot," said Kramer, who is Vice
President of Engineering and Manufacturing at TaiLor Made Prosthetics,
LLC, in Orlando. The prosthetic foot is used by some 3,000 people
worldwide, including two Boston Marathon bombing victims. Kramer said
amateur radio has played a key role in his success as an inventor. He
has been a ham since 1959 and an ARRL member for more than 50 years.
The Intrepid-DX Group has Announced its Essay Contest Winners Faith
Hannah Lea, KD3Z, is the first-place winner of the Intrepid-DX Group
First Annual Youth "Dream Rig" Essay Contest. She'll take home an Icom
IC-7300 transceiver, a vertical flagpole antenna from Greyline
Performance Antennas, a Heil Sound headset, a Powerwerx power supply,
and a Morse QRP Nano Morse Code Key-25-811-P. Second-place winner
Charlie Meadows, N4VTI, is the recipient of a Yaesu FT-65R radio and a
$50 DX Engineering gift card. Patrick Gawthrop, W9GGG, was the
third-place winner. He received a BaoFeng BF-F8HP radio and a $50 DX
Engineering gift card. "We received over 60 essays from all over the
world," Intrepid-DX President Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said. "The essays were
unique in thought and very well-articulated. Extra points were given
for proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Most of the essays gave
unique perspectives on how to reach out and connect with the youth of
today. [W]e can tell you that our youth are full of great ideas and
brimming with enthusiasm to keep our hobby alive well into the future."
The Intrepid-DX Group plans to publish several of the essays on its
Facebook page.
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The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity continues to be very
weak, and the latest 45-day outlook seems to show more of the same.
Sunspots only appeared on 3 out of the 7 days of our August 5 - 11
reporting week, and these appearances were not consecutive.
Average daily sunspot numbers actually rose a little, from 6 to 9.9.
Average daily solar flux softened from 74.8 to 73.7. Average daily
planetary A index went from 8 to 6.3, while middle latitude averages
were 7, down from 8.7 last week.
Predicted solar flux over the next few weeks shows a predicted maximum
of only 75 on just one day, September 11. The solar flux forecast from
USAF and NOAA shows 74 on August 12 - 14; 72 on August 15 - 19; 73 on
August 20; 74 on August 21 - September 1; 73, 72, 72, 74, and 74 on
September 2 - 6; 73 on September 7 - 10; 75 on September 11, and 72 on
September 12 - 15.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on August 12; 5 on August 13 - 14; 8
on August 15 - 16; 5 on August 17 - 22; 8, 12, and 8 on August 23 - 25;
5 on August 26 - September 1; 8 and 12 on September 2 - 3; 8 on
September 4 - 6; 5 on September 7 - 11; 12, 10, 10, and 5 on September
12 - 15.
Sunspot numbers for August 5 - 11 were 36, 0, 0, 11, 0, 0, and 22, with
a mean of 9.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 74.3, 74.4, 73.7, 73.5, 73,
73.3, and 73.8, with a mean of 73.7. Estimated planetary A indices were
3, 7, 11, 5, 5, 7, and 6, with a mean of 6.3. Middle latitude A index
was 3, 9, 9, 6, 6, 9, and 7, with a mean of 7.
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 this 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.
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
* August 14 -- QRP ARCI European Sprint (CW)
* August 14 -- SARL Youth Sprint (phone)
* August 14 -- Kentucky State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)
* August 14 - 15 -- WAE DX Contest (CW)
* August 14 - 15 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* August 14 - 15 -- 50 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)
* August 15 -- SARL HF Digital Contest
* August 15 -- NJQRP Skeeter Hunt (CW, phone)
* August 15 -- FISTS Sunday Sprint (CW)
* August 15 - 16 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Some conventions and hamfests may have been canceled or postponed due
to the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events on
the ARRL website.
* August 14 - 15 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo (online)
* August 21 - 22 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention (Huntsville
Hamfest), Huntsville, Alabama
* August 27 - 29 -- ARRL West Virginia State Convention, Sutton, West
Virginia
* September 3 - 5 -- ARRL North Carolina Section Convention (Shelby
Hamfest), Shelby, North Carolina
* September 10 - 11 -- ARRL Illinois Section Convention (2021 W9DXCC
Convention), Naperville, Illinois
* September 10 - 12 -- ARRL New England Division Convention
(Northeast HamXposition), Marlborough, Massachusetts
* September 12 -- ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention and
Hamfest, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
* September 25 -- ARRL Dakota Division Convention (RRRA Hamfest),
West Fargo, North Dakota
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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