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The ARRL Letter
[
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter]
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ [ mailto:
jross@arrl.org ] , Editor | August 29, 2024
ARRL Home Page
http://www.arrl.orgARRL Letter Archive
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletterARRL Audio News
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/iCom ATNO Secret Weapon
[
https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/amateur/]
In this Issue:
�-�Resilience Through Amateur Radio for National Preparedness Month
�-�ARRL Club Grants Will Be Awarded in November
�-�Estate Planning for Hams (What happens to all your stuff?)
�-�Amateur Radio in the News
�-�ARRL Podcasts
�-�In Brief...
�-�Announcements
�-�The K7RA Solar Update
�-�Just Ahead in Radiosport
�-�Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
Resilience Through Amateur Radio for National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month Ready.gov
[
https://www.ready.gov/]
Amateur radio is an excellent tool for community resilience in times of
crisis. The utility value of the critical communications it provides is
enhanced by having well trained local Amateur Radio Emergency Service®
(ARES®) [
http://www.arrl.org/ares ] groups and other teams. However, to
maximize the value to yourself, your family, and your community; an operator
must be prepared. September is National Preparedness Month. ARRL's partners
at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are sharing tips to help
you be prepared. They are centered around the theme of "Start a Conversation"
[
https://www.ready.gov/september ] .
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, is starting the
conversation with radio amateurs to help make sure you, your station, and
your family are ready for whatever may come your way. "It's important that we
take steps to ensure that not only are we ready to provide assistance to our
served agencies, but that we have a plan for our families as well," he said.
ARES® Logo
[
https://www.arrl.org/ares]
Over the month of September, ARRL will share best practices to help prepare
you, your station, your family, and your local ARES® group to thrive in
times of emergency. "There are times when hams may be activated to serve when
all aspects of your life, your station, and your environment are under
stress. That's not the time to start planning or to discover shortcomings,"
said Johnston.
Johnston encourages any radio amateur who is interested in participating in
ARES® to check out the "Join ARES" flyer [
http://www.arrl.org/ares ] , then
reach out to their local ARRL Emergency Coordinator. If you don't know who
that is, find your local ARRL Affiliated Club [
http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club ] , or reach out to your ARRL Section Manager
or Section Emergency Coordinator, whose contact details you can find on page
16 of QST or on
www.arrl.org/sections [
http://www.arrl.org/sections ] .
Find resources for ARES® at
www.arrl.org/ares [
http://www.arrl.org/ares ]
and tools to help plan your family's resilience at www.ready.gov [
http://www.ready.gov/ ] .
RigSelect Radio Switch SO2R + Controller
[
https://RigSelect.com]
ARRL Club Grants Will Be Awarded in November
Applications for the 2024 ARRL Club Grants program are now being reviewed
(the application period closed July 26, 2024).
ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, said 110 grant applications
have been received and the awards will be announced in late November. "Grants
are available up to $25,000 and emphasis is given to projects that are
transformative in nature," said Walters.
ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program
[
https://www.arrl.org/club-grant-program]
Examples of projects include but are not limited to getting on the air
projects, ham training and skills development through mentoring, STEM and
STEAM learning through amateur radio, station resources for use by the ham
community, and emergency communications and public service projects that
emphasize training.
"Since 2022, $500,000 has been distributed to amateur radio clubs," said
Walters. "With this year's awards, that total will increase to $1,000,000
awarded.
The ARRL Club Grants are administered by The ARRL Foundation. [
https://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation ]
KF7P Metal Werks Dacron Rope
[
https://www.kf7p.com/KF7P/Dacron_Rope.html]
Estate Planning for Hams (What happens to all your stuff?)
August is National Make-a-Will month. Some estimates show that nearly
two-thirds of Americans don't have a plan. For some, it's procrastination.
Others don't know where to start. "So many times we hear from the family of a
Silent Key who are overwhelmed with what to do with a lifetime worth of
amateur radio gear," said ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL.
"Simply thinking through what needs to be done ahead of time can prevent the
stress on our loved ones after we are gone."
Estate Planning for Hams Webinar
[
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQF31INyo-w]
ARRL Legacy Circle Logo
[
https://www.arrl.org/arrl-legacy-circle]
ARRL this week held a webinar [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQF31INyo-w ]
, hosted by Beal and Dino Papas, KL0S, to discuss the first steps of
planning. "It is something that, unfortunately, doesn't get a lot of
attention. The bottom-line up front is, �-�what happens to all our beloved
ham gear when that inevitable day comes along that we become a Silent
Key?'... Unfortunately, that day may arrive unexpectedly - so we need to
prepare ahead of time to make it as simple as possible for our families,"
said Papas.
On the ARRLHQ YouTube channel, you can see a replay of the 52-minute
presentation [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQF31INyo-w ] , along with the
question-and-answer section at the end.
"Your station is an asset, just like anything else you've built and put
resources into. Deciding now what happens when you become a Silent Key can
help solidify your legacy to ham radio," said Beal. The ARRL Legacy Circle [
https://www.arrl.org/arrl-legacy-circle ] recognizes the generosity of
individuals who have planned support for ARRL through wills, trusts, life
insurance gifts, and other ways. The ARRL Legacy Circle ensures that ARRL and
amateur radio will continue to thrive for generations to come.
Geochron Global Operational Awareness
[
http://www.geochron.com/ham-radio-4k/]
Amateur Radio in the News
"Ham Radio Still Alive And Kicking In Wyoming [
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/08/25/before-wi-fi-ham-radio-kept-wyoming-connected-with-civilization/] " / Cowboy State Daily (Wyoming) August 25, 2024 -- the Wyoming Cowboy Net.
"Amateur radio fans gather in Joplin for annual Hamfest [
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/amateur-radio-fans-gather-joplin-035306994.html] " / KSNF TV (Missouri) August 24, 2024 -- The Joplin Amateur Radio Club is
an ARRL Affiliated Club.
Terre Haute Children's Museum to hold Radio Day on Saturday [
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/terre-haute-children-s-museum-to-hold-radio-day-on-saturday/ar-AA1pgWRT?ocid=BingNewsSerp] / WTWO (Indiana) August 24, 2024 -- The Wabash Valley Amateur Radio
Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
SLAC fellow searches for dark matter axions using radio waves
(stanforddaily.com) [
https://stanforddaily.com/2024/08/26/slac-fellow-dark-matter-axions-radio-waves/] / The Stanford Daily (California) August 26, 2024 -- Chelsea Bartram,
KD8HNZ, talks about tuning into dark matter air waves during a presentation
at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).
ARRL Podcasts
ARRL On the Air
[
https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/]
On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
The podcast takes a field trip to W1AW, ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial
Station, to hear from W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, about all the
ways to "Practice Code with W1AW," from daily code practice sessions at a
speed that suits you, to Qualifying Runs where you can earn certificates for
submitting accurate copy.
ARRL Audio News
[
https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/]
ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News [
http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news ] , available
every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in
the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other
features. The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on
blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air [
https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/ ] | ARRL Audio News [
https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/ ]
In Brief...
HARA Members
Members of the Highland Amateur Radio Association [
https://www.facebook.com/HighlandK8HO/ ] (HARA), an ARRL Special Service Club
in rural southern Ohio, annually place flags on veterans' graves in the
Hillsboro, Ohio, Cemetery. In 2020, the Hillsboro Cemetery Association
contacted HARA asking if they would be able to undertake placing flags on
about 1,000 veterans' graves. After quick polling of members showed a
positive response, club members placed the flags on Memorial Day 2020 and
returned in July to remove and prepare the flags for storage. The one-time
assistance has now become a tradition and community service project for HARA.
The club was named the Dayton Hamvention Club of Year in 2022.
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory
(NSF NRAO), and its administrator, Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), have
created Superknova [
https://superknova.org/ ] , an online educational
platform that provides inclusive, equitable access to radio technology
learning and training. "Our goal is to broaden participation in STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) by offering no-cost training and
education in skills that help prepare learners for STEM careers," said
Valarie Bogan, NSF NRAO SuperKnova Program Manager. The SuperKnova website
has a wealth of free educational resources for teachers and learners of all
ages. Topics include history of radio astronomy, the physics of radio
technology, and even cube satellites. With a grant from Amateur Radio Digital
Communications [
https://www.ardc.net/ ] (ARDC), learners can now enroll in
two self-paced courses to learn the fundamentals of radio communications.
The Technician Amateur Radio License and EMS course introduces learners to
the electromagnetic spectrum using amateur (ham) radio as a vehicle and helps
them prepare to take the exam. Those who have earned their Technician license
can advance to the General Amateur Radio License and EMS Course. Starting
with the basics of radio waves, electronics, and simple radio equipment,
students then continue learning challenging topics, such as frequency,
propagation, antennas, and general circuitry. "This is a great opportunity to
share amateur radio with a new generation of potential ham radio
enthusiasts," said project instructor Jesse Alexander, WB2IFS. Lyndele von
Schill, director of the NSF NRAO Office of Diversity and Inclusion, notes
that many organizations have come together to make these resources possible.
"Thanks to the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation, with
administration by AUI, and additional support from the ARDC, the SuperKnova
program has emerged as a valu
able and free resource to students and educators across the country."
ARRL New England Division Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, presented a
signed official citation from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy and Lt.
Governor Kimberly Driscoll to mark the ARRL New England Division Convention's
100th anniversary. The presentation, made at the convention's August 27 grand
banquet, was among the special events highlighted at the Northeast
HamXposition. The citation read:
"On behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am
pleased to confer upon you this Governor's Citation in recognition of the One
Hundredth Anniversary of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) New England
Division Convention, held this year in Marlborough, and in deep gratitude to
the approximately 13,000 amateur radio operators in the Commonwealth, who
dedicate their time, knowledge, and equipment to assist their communities."
Northeast HamXposition Program Chairperson Skip Youngberg, K1NKR, reports the
New England Division conventions have been held for one hundred years,
although there haven't been one hundred annual conventions. New England's
first ARRL-sponsored Division convention was held in Springfield,
Massachusetts, on March 28 - 29, 1924. Division conventions moved to
Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1925; Providence, Rhode Island in 1926;
Hartford, Connecticut in 1927, and Boston, Massachusetts in 1928. Throughout
the twenties and thirties, Boston-based Massachusetts state conventions were
typically held in combination with the Boston Hamfest. Division and
state/section conventions filled the average ham's social calendar from the
1920s to the 1960s. Thanks to Program Chairperson Skip Youngberg, K1NKR, for
contributing to this story.
Massachusetts Governor Citation ARRL New England Division Convention 100th
Anniversary 2024
[
https://hamxposition.org/2024/08/27/massachusetts-governor-healy-confers-citation-to-arrl-on-the-100th-anniversary-of-the-new-england-division-convention/]
Announcements
The 25th anniversary of Route 66 On the Air will have a new twist this
year...a California rover. W6V, manned by Annie Lewis, N6ACL, and John Litz,
NZ6Q, will be driving the route from Santa Monica, California to Chicago,
Illinois, activating historic sites, points of interest and blogging the
adventure. They will operate on SSB, FT8 and CW from stop to stop, multi-op
single transmitter, and both will be on the air when they stop for the
evening. The idea of doing a "start-to-finish" Route 66 rover from one end to
the other started several years ago with the help of their friend Dan Reid,
KB6UNC, now SK. The event, from 0001Z September 7 - 2359Z September 15, is
sponsored by the Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club [
https://w6jbt.org/ ] and
the Barstow Amateur Radio Club [
https://wa6tst.club/route-66-on-the-air-2021/ ] . It celebrates the "Mother
Road," U.S. Highway 66, which was established in 1926 and was the first major
roadway improvement to link the West Coast with the natio
n's heartland. There will be 23 (1x1) special event stations along the route
from Santa Monica to Chicago. In 2023, there were 77 such stations, making a
total of 623 contacts during the 9-day event.
Email
route66ota@yahoo.com [ mailto:
route66ota@yahoo.com ] with questions or
for additional information.
RIGOL Oscilloscopes
[
https://www.rigolna.com/dho/?utm_source=QST&utm_medium=eNews&utm_campaign=DHO89]
Radioddity Xiegu X6200 Multi-mode HF Radio
[
https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-g106?utm_medium=banner&utm_source=ARRL&utm_campaign=The%20ARRL%20Letter&utm_content=Xiegu_G106]
Flex Radio FT8
[
https://www.flexradio.com/insider/articles/ft8-tipping-point-for-ham-radio/]
The K7RA Solar Update
K7RA Solar Update - NASA SDO/HMI
For this Friday's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP035:
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) issued a geomagnetic
disturbance warning at 0200 UTC/29 August 2024.
"The solar wind environment remains elevated due to ongoing coronal mass
ejections (CME) effects. G0 - G1 geomagnetic conditions are expected on 29
August. Increased geomagnetic activity expected due to coronal mass ejection
for 29 August. Geomagnetic activity forecast 29 August G0 - G1."
This week, seven new sunspot groups emerged, with two on August 22, one on
August 25, two on August 26 and two more on August 28.
Average daily sunspot number declined slightly from 180.3 to 177.1, and
average daily solar flux from 232.7 to 229.
Planetary and middle latitude A index averages were about the same, at 12.3
and 12.
Predicted solar flux shows 220, 215 and 215 on August 29 - 31; 210 on
September 1; 215 on September 2 - 4; 250 on September 5; 275 on September 6 -
8; 280, 285, 280 and 280 on September 9 - 12; then 275, 270, 265, 260, 255,
250; 245 on September 13 - 19; 240 on September 20 - 21, and then 235, 230,
235 and 240 on September 22 - 25.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 5 and 8 on August 29 to September 1; 5
on September 2 - 16; then 8 and 12 on September 17 - 19, and 5 on September
20 to mid-October.
Sunspot numbers for August 22 through 28, 2024 were 175, 180, 172, 178, 202,
170, and 163, with a mean of 177.1. The 10.7 -centimeter flux was 230.6,
241.7, 232.6, 232.6, 232, 221.3, and 211.9, with a mean of 229. Estimated
planetary A indices were 10, 7, 10, 7, 5, 11, and 26, with a mean of 12.3.
Middle latitude A index was 11, 8, 12, 8, 4, 11, and 30, with a mean of 12.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to
k7ra@arrl.net [
mailto:
k7ra@arrl.net ] .
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For
more information concerning radio propagation, visit [
http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals ] the ARRL Technical Information
Service, read [
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere ] "What the
Numbers Mean...," and check out [
http://k9la.us/ ] the Propagation Page of
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive [
http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation ] is available. For
customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio [
https://www.voacap.com/hf/ ] website.
Share [ mailto:
k7ra@arrl.net ] your reports and observations.
A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News [
http://www.arrl.org/news ] .
Schulman Auction Amateur Radio Equipment Specialists
[
https://www.schulmanauction.com/]
Rig Expert Take on the Air
[
https://rigexpert.com/]
PreppComm MMX Nomad
[
https://tinyurl.com/knuserub]
Just Ahead in Radiosport
�-�August 31 -- Feld Hell Sprint )(digital)
�-�August 31 - September 1 -- Russian WW Multi Mode Contest (CW, phone,
digital)
�-�August 31 - September 1 -- UK/EI DX Contest SSB (phone)
�-�September 1 - 2 -- WARC Tennessee QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
�-�September 2 -- RSGB 80m Autumn Series SSB (phone)
�-�September 2 - 3 -- MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint (CW)
�-�September 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
�-�September 4 - 5 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (phone)
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar [
http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar ] for
more events and information.
Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
�-�August 30 - September 1 | Shelby Hamfest [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/68th-annual-shelby-hamfest-arrl-north-carolina-state-convention-1?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=p6e23] , sponsoring the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North
Carolina
�-�August 31 | Summer Symposium [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/summer-symposium-by-the-bored-net-arrl-santa-barbara-section-convention?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=q6e23] , sponsoring the ARRL Santa Barbara Section Convention, Camarillo,
California
�-�September 8 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-southern-new-jersey-section-convention-and-hamfest-2?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=r6e23] , Mullica Hill, New Jersey
�-�September 20 - 22 | Duke City Hamfest [
https://www.dukecityhamfest.org/ ]
, sponsoring the ARRL New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
�-�September 21 - 22 | Midwest Superfest [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/midwest-superfest-arrl-illinois-section-convention?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=s6e23] , sponsoring the ARRL Illinois Section Convention, Chillicothe, Illinois
�-�September 28 | Red River Radio Amateurs Hamfest [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/red-river-radio-amateurs-hamfest-arrl-dakota-division-convention?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=t6e23] , sponsoring the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
�-�October 5 | Wichita Area Hamfest [
https://www.vcarc.org/hamfest-info/ ] ,
sponsoring the ARRL Kansas State Convention, Wichita, Kansas
�-�October 5 | Northstar Radio Convention [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-star-radio-convention-arrl-minnesota-state-convention] , sponsoring the ARRL Minnesota State Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
�-�October 12 | Rock Hill Hamfest [
https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/rock-hill-hamfest-arrl-south-carolina-section-convention-1?_zs=HPe1m&_zl=ov233] , sponsoring the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South
Carolina.
�-�October 18 - 20 | Pacificon [
http://www.pacificon.org/ ] , sponsoring the
ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
�-�November 2 | Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference 2024 [
https://wi-arrl.org/ ]
, sponsoring the ARRL Wisconsin State Convention, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database [
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests ] to find events in your area.
Have News for ARRL?
Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
news@arrl.org [
mailto:
news@arrl.org ] . -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor [
mailto:
news@arrl.org ]
[
http://www.arrl.org]
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QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters [
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Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects,
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The ARRL Letter for August 29, 2024