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N9PMO > LETTER 14.07.14 15:09l 736 Lines 36185 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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ARRL, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial
Convention
Grassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship of "Amateur Radio
Parity Act"
ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership Changes
FCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired Music,
and Failed to Identify
FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated
Transmitters on GMRS
Passengers Now Must Be Able to Power Up Some Electronics During TSA
Screenings
Hurricane Watch Net Shuts Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First
2014 Atlantic Hurricane
A Contesting Confluence this Weekend: The IARU HF Championship and
WRTC-2014!
W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye Week
First Signals Heard from UKube-1
AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates
"Brendan Quest" Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK
"Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th Anniversary of Last US Commercial
Morse Operation
ARDF Enthusiasts Win Medals at 14th Annual USA National Championships
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
WARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT, SK
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL, FEMA to Sign Memorandum of Agreement at National Centennial
Convention
The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will sign a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the ARRL National Centennial
Convention, taking place July 17-19 at the Connecticut Convention Center
in Hartford. ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will join FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, on Friday, July 18, at 4:15 PM, in
signing the MOA, which is aimed at fostering greater cooperation between
the League and FEMA in the area of disaster communication and support.
Fugate will speak at the Centennial Banquet later that evening, and more
than 850 are expected to attend.
All-day workshops and a Thursday lunch at the Convention Center will
kick off the Centennial Convention (advance online registration
required). Keynoting the Thursday lunch will be ARRL First Vice
President Rick Roderick, K5UR. ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director
Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, will serve as the MC. Later in the day, a
reception will be held to welcome international guests. Delegations from
several countries are expected to attend the convention, along with
individual visitors. The League is anticipating some 4000 visitors, with
registrations received from all 50 US states and more than 30 countries.
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, will be the Convention Banquet
speaker on Friday, July 18.
The official opening ceremony and ribbon cutting take place Friday
morning at 8:30, with President Craigie and Convention Co-Chairs ARRL
Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, and New England Division
Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, welcoming attendees.
The theme for the ARRL National Centennial Convention is "Advancing the
Art and Science of Radio -- Since 1914." On Friday and Saturday, more
than 100 vendors and exhibitors will be in the main Convention Center
exhibit hall, and dozens of presenters will lead nearly 70 hours of
forums. Transportation to Newingtwon will be available to shuttle
convention registrants for tours of ARRL Headquarters and W1AW.
President Craigie will host a Presidents Breakfast on Saturday morning,
and Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, will speak at noon. The closing
ceremony and prize drawing will take place Saturday at 4 PM in the
Convention Center Ballroom.
Online registration is now limited to 2-day adult and youth tickets
($25), good on Friday and Saturday. Online registration ends on Tuesday,
July 15. Two-day tickets will be available at the Convention Center for
$30.
Grassroots Campaign Underway to Promote Co-Sponsorship of "Amateur Radio
Parity Act"
A grassroots effort is underway to encourage radio amateurs to promote
co-sponsorship of HR.4969, the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The measure,
introduced in the US House with bipartisan support on June 25, calls on
the FCC to apply the "reasonable accommodation" three-part test of the
PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy to private land-use restrictions
regarding antennas. The bill's primary sponsor is Rep Adam Kinzinger
(R-IL), and it has initial co-sponsorship from Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT).
With Congress going on its August recess in a few weeks, the campaign is
focusing on contacting Members of Congress or their staffers at or
through their district offices during the break. Getting additional
lawmakers to sign on as HR.4969 co-sponsors is considered essential to
the bill's success.
"This is the ideal time for you to develop small teams of constituents
to approach members of Congress in their district offices," said ARRL
Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, a principal proponent of
HR.4969. "Ideally, you'd want no more than three members to go to a
meeting with a Member of Congress or top staff members. These need to be
active, articulate individuals who present themselves well." Individual
radio amateurs or clubs also may wish to e-mail or write their
representatives to urge them to cosponsor the bill.
The primary point to convey is that the greatest threat to Amateur Radio
volunteer emergency and public service communication is restrictions
that prohibit the installation of outdoor antenna systems. Nearly 30
years ago the FCC, in adopting its PRB-1 policy, acknowledged a "strong
federal interest" in supporting effective Amateur Radio communication.
In the intervening years, PRB-1 has helped many amateurs to overcome
zoning ordinances that unreasonably restricted Amateur Radio antennas in
residential areas. The 11-page PRB-1 FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order is
codified at § 97.15(b) in the FCC Amateur Service rules, giving the
regulation the same effect as a federal statute.
After the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ordered the FCC to enact
regulations preempting municipal and private land-use regulation over
small satellite dishes and broadcast TV antennas, the FCC further
acknowledged that it has jurisdiction to preempt private land-use
regulations that conflict with federal policy. At this point, PRB-1 only
applies to state and local zoning laws and ordinances. The Commission
has indicated that it won't extend the policy to private land-use
regulation unless Congress instructs it to do so.
If HR.4969 passes the 113th Congress, it would compel the FCC, within
120 days of the Bill's passage, to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service
rules to apply PRB-1 coverage to include homeowners' association
regulations and deed restrictions, often referred to as "covenants,
conditions, and restrictions" (CC&Rs). HR.4969 has been referred to the
House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR),
chairs that panel's Communications and Technology Subcommittee, which
will consider the measure.
Among other tips, Lisenco advises groups setting up in-person visits
with representatives to pick a leader, listen carefully, and leave
behind information [see below] that supports your primary points, plus a
business card. "Business cards are a big thing in DC," he pointed out.
"Make certain to take them when going to DC or a district office."
"This isn't rocket science, but it does take planning and the ability to
state your case succinctly in no more than 15 minutes," Lisenco advised.
He said delegations should follow up with a thank you note within a day
and a telephone call a week later.
An information sheet on HR.4969, a list of "talking points," and a
sample constituent letter to a Member of Congress will be available
soon.
ARRL Great Lakes Division Leadership Changes
The leadership of the ARRL Great Lakes Division has changed. Director
Jim Weaver, K8JE, announced his retirement from the ARRL Board of
Directors, effective on July 7. Vice Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, of
Dundee, Michigan, has succeeded him as Director. The Great Lakes
Division is made up of Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky.
ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, appointed W. Thomas "Tom" Delaney,
W8WTD, of Cincinnati, Ohio, to fill the resulting Vice Director vacancy.
Both Williams and Delaney will attend the ARRL National Centennial
Convention and the July ARRL Board of Directors' meeting following the
convention in Hartford, Connecticut.
Weaver, of Mason, Ohio, had served as the League's Great Lakes Division
Director since January 2003. He was a member of the Programs & Services
and CEO Candidate Screening committees. He continues to hold several
Field Organization appointments in Ohio.
Williams had been Great Lakes Division Vice Director since January 2012.
He previously served as ARRL Michigan Section Manager -- from 1992 until
1997, and from 2003 until 2011.
Vice Director Delaney was a Public Information Officer for about a
decade. He is active with the Queen City Emergency Net and belongs to
several clubs in Cincinnati. Delaney also is the volunteer chairman of
the Communications Committee for Disaster Services at the Cincinnati
Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
FCC Alleges Oregon Radio Amateur Interfered with Others, Aired Music,
and Failed to Identify
In a Notice of Violation (NoV) released June 5, the FCC has alleged that
Thomas Ryan Price, W7WL, of Sweet Home, Oregon, caused malicious
interference to other radio communications on 3908 kHz, transmitted
music on the same frequency, and failed to properly identify. The FCC
said agents from its Portland, Oregon, office on May 13, 2014, used
radio direction-finding techniques to pinpoint the source of the
interfering signal to Price's residence and further observed that Price
was transmitting music and did not identify at the end of each
communication, as required.
The FCC has called on Price to submit within 20 days a written statement
explaining each violation, stating specific actions taken to correct
each violation and preclude their recurrence, and include a time line to
complete any pending corrective actions.
The FCC said issuance of the NoV "does not preclude the Enforcement
Bureau from further action if warranted, including issuing a Notice of
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for the violations cited."
FCC Turns Away Petition to Allow Hams to Operate Non-Certificated
Transmitters on GMRS
The FCC has denied a Petition for Rule Making (PRM) filed by a Florida
radio amateur that sought to permit hams who also hold General Mobile
Radio Service (GMRS) licenses to operate on GMRS channels with
transmitters that have not been certificated for GMRS use, provided the
transmitter meets GMRS technical standards. Mark Friedlander, KV4I, of
New Smyrna Beach had asserted in his May 29 filing that the proposed
rule change would facilitate interoperability in emergency situations,
since many emergency response groups utilize both radio services.
Transmitters used in the Part 95 GMRS must have FCC certification prior
to sale and marketing; in general, Part 97 Amateur Radio transmitters do
not.
In a June 20 letter to Friedlander, the FCC pointed out that GMRS
transmitters that also can be used on Amateur Radio frequencies will not
be certificated. The FCC said it adopted that rule "to prevent the
possible proliferation of GMRS equipment that is also capable of
operating on frequencies for which the GMRS licensee is not authorized."
Friedlander argued that Amateur Radio operators who are authorized to
design, build, and operate transmitters without equipment certification
in the 420-450 MHz amateur band should be allowed to do so on the
462/467 MHz GMRS channels, the FCC said.
"We conclude that the proposed rule change would undermine the
prohibition on GMRS equipment with Amateur Radio frequency capability,"
the FCC said. "An exception to [the rule] would allow for the
proliferation of home-built, non-standardized transmitters in the GMRS,
with no practicable way for the Commission to monitor and enforce
regulatory compliance for these devices."
Passengers Now Must Be Able to Power Up Some Electronics During TSA
Screenings
Airline passengers boarding direct flights to the US from overseas may
be asked to power up certain electronic devices being carried aboard,
including cell phones. The announcement did not single out any other
electronics. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners at certain
overseas airports with direct flights to the US to "implement enhanced
security measures." All electronics typically undergo screening during
pre-boarding TSA inspections.
"DHS continually assesses the global threat environment and reevaluates
the measures we take to promote aviation security," DHS Secretary Jeh
Johnson said on July 2. "As part of this ongoing process, I have
directed TSA to implement enhanced security measures in the coming days
at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States.
We will work to ensure these necessary steps pose as few disruptions to
travelers as possible."
During security inspections, TSA officers may ask passengers to power up
some devices, including cell phones. Devices that are unable to be
turned on "will not be permitted onboard the aircraft," DHS said,
adding, "The traveler may also undergo additional screening."
While the TSA generally permits Amateur Radio equipment aboard aircraft,
including that packed in carry-on baggage, such items, according to
existing TSA policy, "may be subject to additional screening or not
allowed through the checkpoint, if it triggers an alarm during the
screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other
security concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow
any items on the plane."
DHS said that the TSA "will continue to adjust security measures to
ensure that travelers are guaranteed the highest levels of aviation
security conducted as conveniently as possible."
Hurricane Watch Net Shuts Down after 21 Hours of Activation for First
2014 Atlantic Hurricane
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) wrapped up operations around midday on
July 5 for Hurricane Arthur -- by then a tropical cyclone -- headed out
over the Canadian Maritimes. The HWN initially activated for Arthur on
Thursday, July 3, as the storm threatened to make landfall along North
Carolina's Outer Banks. The net moved to 40 meters (7.268 MHz), after
propagation was lost on its primary 14.325 MHz frequency. The first
activation lasted 18 hours. The HWN activated again on Saturday, July 5,
at 1100 UTC, as Hurricane Arthur, still a Category 1 storm, worked its
way up the Eastern Seaboard headed for Canada.
"This storm seemed to be mainly a heavy rain and strong wind event,
unlike the Category 1 landfall of Sandy in 2012. Thankfully, Arthur
weakened to a tropical storm a few hours prior to [our] activating and
was downgraded further to a post-tropical cyclone at 1200 UTC," said HWN
Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. "Reports from CANWARN indicated nearly
84,000 lost power in Nova Scotia and nearly 59,000 in New Brunswick."
CANWARN -- the (CANadian Weather Amateur Radio Network -- is Canada's
equivalent of the SKYWARN program in the US. The storm also generated
heavy rain and high wind in Down East Maine, blowing down trees and
limbs leaving thousands of homes in the dark. The net stood down at 1400
UTC.
"We were able to link the National Hurricane Center and the Canadian
Hurricane Center together by means of our Internet back channel," Graves
noted. "This link not only allows direct communication between
forecasters at each center but also the forecasters with our net control
operators."
Although the number of reporting stations was low for this initial
activation of the 2014 Hurricane to 100 W, IARU HF Championship participants
may opt to run high power, low power or QRP; there are entry categories
for each.
The IARU HF Championship and WRTC-2014 offer a lot of operating
enjoyment and a chance to check out your station and antennas well in
advance of the 2014 "contest season" this fall and winter.
Ad
W1AW Centennial Operations in Bye Week
The ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS operations taking place throughout 2014
from each of the 50 states are on hiatus from July 9 until July 16,
during which the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-2014) and
the IARU HF Championship take place. W1AW Centennial Operations will
resume at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, July 16 (the evening of July 15 in US
time zones), from South Carolina (W1AW/4). There will be only one state
that week. During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state (at
least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to work all
states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations.
The ARRL Centennial QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a year-long
operating event in which participants can accumulate points and win
awards. The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and
appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL
Centennial QSO Party points.
Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact, even
when working the same state during its second week of activity.
WRTC-2014 competitor stations with 1 x 1 call signs are also worth 5
points.
To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating
portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does
not count for Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants must
work W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be
available.
The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that
participants can use to determine how many points they have accumulated
in the Centennial QSO Party and in the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using
your Logbook of The World (LoTW) user name and password, and your
position will appear at the top of the leader boards. Results are
updated daily, based on contacts entered into LoTW.
First Signals Heard from UKube-1
Following its July 8 launch from Kazakhstan, UKube-1 -- the UK Space
Agency's first CubeSat -- has been heard around the world.
"AMSAT-UK has congratulated the UKube-1 team on the successful launch
and deployment of the spacecraft," Graham Shirville, G3VZV, said Tuesday
in an AMSAT-BB post. "Signals have already been heard from both
transmitters in many countries."
UKube-1 "hosts" FUNcube-2 -- actually a set of FUNcube boards flying as
a sub-system of the 3U UKube-1 CubeSat. FUNcube-2 will include a 400 mW
inverting SSB/CW transponder (435.080-435.060 MHz up/145.930-145.950 MHz
down), with a CW beacon on 145.840 MHz. The transponder is not yet
active. Built by Clyde Space in Glasgow, Scotland, UKube-1 is the first
satellite built in Scotland.
The FUNcube project is aimed at supporting science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives now underway in the US,
the UK, and elsewhere. The target audience is primary and secondary
school students.
The UKube team asks stations to continue monitoring the downlinks and,
if possible, to forward reports to the FUNcube team. Send CW beacon
reports (145.840 MHz) to operations@funcube.org.uk and
steve.greenland@clyde-space.com. Read more.
AMSAT-NA Announces 2014 Board of Directors Candidates
AMSAT-NA has announced the 2014 candidates for its Board of Directors.
In alphabetical order by last name, they are Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Tom
Clark, K3IO; Steve Coy, K8UD; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Frank Griffin,
K4FEG; Bryan Klofas, KF6ZEO; Lou McFadin, W5DID, and JoAnne Maenpaa,
K9JKM.
In addition to the three Board seats to be filled this year, plus two
alternates, there will be an additional Board seat to fill the remainder
of the term of Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, who died earlier this year.
The top three recipients of votes will have 2-year terms, the fourth
highest vote recipient will serve for 1 year, and the fifth and sixth
highest vote recipients will serve as first and second alternates,
respectively.
Ballots will be mailed to the AMSAT-NA membership by July 15, 2014, and
must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2014, to be
counted. There are approximately 3000 AMSAT members. -- AMSAT -- AMSAT
News Service
"Brendan Quest" Team's 2 Meter Signal Copied in the UK
A group of Amateur Radio operators from Atlantic Canada is operating
from Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, until July 12 in a bid to complete a 2
meter transatlantic contact and claim the Brendan Quest trophy. VC1T is
on the air from grid GN37os on 144.155 MHz. The group activated on July
4, and a couple of days later, on July 6 at 1341 UTC, G4SWX was able to
completely decode an FSK441 transmission from VC1T.
Roger Sturtevant, VE1SKY, at VC1T.
"They attempted to complete the QSO for 4 hours, but were not
successful," the team reported. "However, this reception should qualify
for the Brendan Plate." The team said a station in Ireland was able to
copy parts of three transmissions. Because of the initial success, the
group now will use FSK441 exclusively in its Brendan bid. VC1T had been
concentrating its efforts on JT65B, but it has CW and SSB capability,
which the team will try if it is able to achieve an FSK441 two-way. Part
of the WSJT software package developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT, FSK441 was
primarily designed to detect very brief "pings" from meteor trails. VC1T
is running 750 W into a rope-supported 43 element, 100 foot long Yagi
The rope-supported Yagi aimed at Europe.
directed at Europe. It has a gain of more than 23 dBd. When driven with
750 W, the effective radiated power (ERP) in the center of the major
lobe should be about 150 kW, the group estimated.
The Brendan Trophy is a series of awards offered by the Irish Radio
Transmitters Society (IRTS) to the first Amateur Radio operators to
complete a 2 meter transatlantic contact. According to the IRTS, the
Brendan Trophy is awarded for the first "traditional mode" two-way
contact -- ie, SSB or CW capable of being copied without machine
assistance. The Brendan Shield is awared for the first "nontraditional
mode" two-way contact, ie, digital modes and high-speed CW. The Brendan
Plate is given for the first verified reception of a transatlantic
signal in any mode.
The group has a Facebook page, where it is posting updates. Read more.
-- Thanks to AMSAT News Service, Brendan Quest 2 Meter Transatlantic
Attempt
"Night of Nights" 2014 Marks 15th Anniversary of Last US Commercial
Morse Operation
This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the last US commercial Morse
operation -- commemorated each year in a "Night of Nights" event in
which historic coast stations KPH and KSM in California and others
across the US reopen briefly and again take to the MF and HF airwaves.
The Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) sponsors the event, which
will take place Sunday, July 13, from 0001 UTC until 0700 (Saturday,
July 12, from 1701 until midnight PDT). What is believed to have been
the last commercial Morse transmission in the US took place from KPH in
1999. MRHS member Richard Dillman, W6KWO, a veteran coast station
operator, has called July 12, 1999, "a sad day" for him and his
colleagues.
Former KPH operator Rick Wahl at the key during an earlier Night of
Nights observance. [Courtesy of MRHS]
We knew it was coming, but when the end finally arrived, it was a
shock," he said. "It was the supposed last day of Morse code. The final
sign off took place at a remote station on the Pacific Coast. Women
attending the event were dressed as if at a funeral. Grizzled,
hard-bitten old men -- the kind you wouldn't mess with in a barroom --
had tears in their eyes as the last message was keyed out to the world
at 0000 GMT. And then there was silence."
"It was just beeps in the air. But that's how much Morse code means to
the men and women who made the profession of radiotelegrapher one of
honor and skill," Dillman added.
The MRHS has posted a schedule of participating stations and operating
frequencies. The MRHS also operates Amateur Radio station K6KPH, run by
veteran Morse hands, including former KPH staff members with years of
experience "sitting the circuit." K6KPH will monitor 3550, 7050, 14,050,
18,097.5, and 21,050 kHz. Read more.
ARDF Enthusiasts Win Medals at 14th Annual USA National Championships
Newcomers and long-time enthusiasts turned out in early June to take
part in the 14th USA National Championships of Amateur Radio Direction
Finding (ARDF). The events took place June 5-8 in New England, near
Boston.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) sets the rules for ARDF
competitions. The object of ARDF -- also called foxtailing and
radio-orienteering -- is to find as many of the required hidden
transmitters as possible within the shortest time, and then navigate to
the finish line, using only direction-finding equipment, a compass, and
Sixteen-year-old Addison Bosley, KJ4VCV, of Florence, Kentucky, as he
completes the 2 meter competition for a gold medal. He has been
competing since age 11. [Marvin Johnston, KE6HTS, photo]
the provided map. Classic competitions on 2 meters and 80 meters take
place on separate days, with up to five hidden transmitters deployed in
an area of about 1000 acres. Each transmitter is on the air for 60
seconds at a time in rotating sequence.
There are also two new events, both on 80 meters. The sprint is a
shortened course with 10 transmitters and a faster transmitter cycle.
Foxoring is a combination of orienteering and foxhunting, in which
competitors receive maps marked with the approximate locations of 1
dozen very low power transmitters to find. Competitors for all events
are divided into age categories, six for men, five for women, with
medals awarded to the winners in each category.
The top US finishers in each age/gender category were Leszek Lechowicz,
NI1L (M40, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Nicolai Mejevoi (M50, 2
meters, 80 meters, sprint, foxor); Bill Noyce, AB1AV (M60 sprint); Bob
Cooley, KF6VSE (M70, 2 meters, 80 meters, sprint); Alla Mezhevaya (W35,
2 meters, sprint); Addison Bosley, KJ4VCV (M21, 2 meters, 80 meters,
foxor); Joseph Huberman, K5JGH (M60, 2 meters, 80 meters, foxor); Jen
Harker, W5JEN (W35, 80 meters, foxor), and Marji Garrett, KJ4ZKC (W50,
80 meters).
Complete results of all championship events are available online on the
Homing In website. Read more. -- Joe Moell, K0OV, ARRL Amateur Radio
Direction Finding Coordinator
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
In the early 1950s, television interference -- TVI -- became a major
problem for hams. The ARRL took two important steps toward educating
hams and the public about TVI, and how TVI was often the fault of the TV
set, not the ham. Talk about a hard sell! Lew McCoy, W1ICP, went on the
road with a live TVI-education show, complete with "fixed" and "unfixed"
TV sets, ham transmitters, etc. His show was a success but it couldn't
reach everyone. The ARRL also scripted and supplied photographs for a
15-minute slide presentation that could be shown on local TV stations or
to live audiences. As more hams started using 50 MHz, TVI problems
frequently showed up there, especially in areas that had a TV station on
channel 2, which was immediately above 6 meters.
The League also began a strong effort to get more hams on 220 MHz, to
show the FCC the band was being used and to help fight off other
services' efforts to take over the shared band.
The CK722 germanium transistor was introduced in late 1952.
As more hams became seriously interested in 2 meters for long-haul
communication, beams became enormous. Articles and photos in QST showed
rotatable arrays with as many as 104 elements. Long-haul 2 meter tests
were pursued by W4HHK, W4AO, W2UK, W1HDQ, and others, pushing the 2
meter DX envelope. In 1954, the first successful coast-to-coast message
relay on 2 meters occurred. With such efforts underway, it was no
surprise that the 1954 ARRL VHF Sweepstakes broke all records.
Modern-day DXpeditions started being staged. A notable one was the 1954
effort to put much-wanted Clipperton Island on the air. The FO8AJ
DXpedition was organized and executed by W0NWX and a large supporting
cast.
Multiband tank circuits became quite popular, used in projects such as
W1JEQ's three-control, six-band, 500 W transmitter, described in QST.
New 10 GHz DX records were set and reset by W7JIP and W7OKV, out in the
land of tall mountains. The 813 beam-power tube, developed during World
War II and available on the surplus market, became a very popular final
tube. The popular CK722 germanium transistor showed up in various small
projects in QST, such as W6CHB's tiny code-practice oscillator. Herbert
Hoover Jr, W6ZH, was appointed Undersecretary of State. And, effective
June 10, 1954, Novice and Technician license exams would be sent by mail
and administered by a qualified local radio amateur, rather than making
applicants appear in person. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
WARC-79 US Delegate, ARRL Consultant Charles Dorian, W3JPT, SK
Charles "Chuck" Dorian, W3JPT, of Issaquah, Washington, died June 20. He
was 92. Dorian had a long and distinguished history of support to
Amateur Radio and the Amateur-Satellite Service. A veteran member of the
Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC), Dorian served on the US Amateur Radio
FCC Advisory Committee for World Administrative Radio Conference 1979
(WARC-79), in which Amateur Radio gained the so-called "WARC bands" --
30, 17, and 12 meters. His primary focus, however, was the
Amateur-Satellite Service. Dorian and AMSAT's Perry Klein, W3PK,
developed the US Amateur-Satellite positions for WARC-79, and Dorian was
on the US delegation to the international conference. He also served as
a member of the ARRL Long-Range Planning Committee in the 1970s.
Charles "Chuck" Dorian, W3JPT. [Courtesy of Charlie Dorian]
A Massachusetts native, Dorian was first licensed in 1939 as W1LXO. He
graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy with a BS in engineering and
completed post-graduate work in communications at the US Naval Academy.
Dorian spent 30 years in the US Coast Guard in various communication
roles, rising to the rank of captain. During World War II, he served on
vessels in the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Great Lakes, and in
the Pacific. Dorian served from 1964 until 1967 as Chief of Coast Guard
Communications, retiring in 1972 as Deputy Director of the Office of
Telecommunications for the US Department of Transportation.
According to his Seattle Times obituary, Dorian received the US Armed
Forces Legion of Merit in 1967 for exceptional meritorious achievement
to improve maritime safety via radiocommunications, stressing the
benefits of satellites dedicated to maritime emergencies.
After retiring from the DOT, he worked for the Communications Satellite
Corporation as Director of International Relations, dealing with mobile
satellite communications. For more than 20 years, he served on US
Department of State delegations to International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) conferences in Geneva, and was considered one of the "fathers" of
the maritime satellite communication system now in use.
Dorian was a past member of the AMSAT Board of Directors and served as
the Board's secretary. He was a past president of the Washington, DC,
Chapter of QCWA and of the Foundation for Amateur Radio. For 8 years, he
served as the ARRL's representative in Washington.
Dorian was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Donations in his
memory may be made to the Washington Talking Books Library.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity has
strengthened recently, with average daily sunspot numbers for the 7 days
ending June 25 at 72.3, rising 43.3 points to 115.6 for the 7 days
ending July 2, then rising 89.5 to an average of 205.1 for the period
ending July 9. Average daily solar flux for the 7 days ending on June 25
was 98.8. That rose 30.7 points to 129.5 on July 2, and then by another
64.4 points to 193.9 on July 9.
We don't have predictions for daily sunspot numbers, but the predicted
average solar flux for the 7 days following July 9 is 157.9, a decline
of 36 points from the previous 7 days.
Predicted solar flux for the near term is 190, 180, 170, 155, and 140
for July 10-14, 135 for July 15-16, 125, 110 and 105 for July 17-19, 100
for July 20-21, 95 for July 22-23, then 100, 110, 125 and 135 for July
24-27, respectively. Solar flux then peaks at 205 on August 3-5, and
declines to 95 on August 18-19, before rising again in the following
days.
Predicted planetary A index is 7 for July 10-11, 8 for July 12-13, then
7 and 12 for July 14-15, 8 for July 16-17, 5 for July 18-25, and 8 on
July 26.
This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the
"Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an
archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.
In tomorrow's bulletin look for an updated forecast and reports from
readers. Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
July 11 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
July 11 -- FISTS Summer Sprint (CW)
July 12-13 -- IARU HF World Championship/WRTC-2014 (CW, SSB)
July 12-13 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
July 13 -- CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush (CW)
July 17 -- NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint (CW)
July 19 -- Feld-Hell High Road Sprint
July 19-20 -- 144 MHz Digital EME Championship
July 19-20 -- DMC RTTY Contest
July 19-20 -- CQ World Wide VHF Contest
July 19-20 -- North American QSO Party RTTY
July 20 -- RSBG Low Power Contest (CW)
July 21 -- Run For the Bacon
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
July 17-19 -- ARRL National Centennial Convention, Hartford, Connecticut
July 18-19 -- Arizona State Convention, Williams, Arizona
July 18-20 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
July 24-27 -- Central States VHF Society Conference, Austin, Texas
July 25-26 -- Oklahoma State Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
August 1-2 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas
August 7-9 -- Young Ladies Radio League Convention, Vancouver,
Washington
August 8-10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
August 16-17 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Regional ARRL
Centennial Event, Huntsville, Alabama
August 17 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
August 23 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
August 23-24 -- JARL Ham Fair, Tokyo, Japan
August 24 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington,
Pennsylvania
August 30-31 -- North Carolina State Convention (Shelby Hamfest),
Shelby, North Carolina
September 5-7 -- ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference (Austin,
Texas)
September 6 -- Kentucky State Convention (Shepherdsville, Kentucky)
September 6 -- Virginia Section Convention (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
September 12-14 -- Southwestern Division Convention (San Diego,
California)
September 19-20 -- W9DXCC Convention (Schaumburg, Illinois)
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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