Canadian Amateur Radio Bulletin

World News

WIA National News (July 1 2005)

In the last couple of weeks the WIA has lodged 2 important submissions. One was the BPL submission, which is the subject of other items in this broadcast.

The other submission is in response to a Discussion Paper released in May by what was then the Australian Broadcasting Authority, and is now merged with the ACA to form the Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, with broad responsibilities in respect of telecommunications, spectrum management, broadcasting and data casting.

We hope that the new Authority will be able to take a broader view of the totality of its functions than could be taken when the planning of the broadcast services bands was a separate responsibility of the ABA.

The ABA Discussion Paper is in respect of the spectrum available for digital radio, looking at three possible bands allocated to broadcasting in Australia, namely the MF Band, the band 174- 230 MHZ and the band 45-52 and 56-70 MHz.

The WIA says that because of the unique propagation characteristics of that part of the spectrum the band 50-54 MHz is of particular interest to the amateur service.

It is those very characteristics that also make the band unsuitable for broadcasting.

The WIA argues that the 50-54 MHz band should be retained for and allocated exclusively to the amateur service once the existing Channel 0 transmitters are removed.

When the WIA makes a submission it seeks the advice of the experts in the relevant area, so that what it says is soundly based and cannot be attacked as being uninformed.

This involves a number of people and a great deal of time and effort.

I would like acknowledge now the assistance that we have had from many people in putting together the two most recent submissions.

In particular, the BPL case has been led by WIA director Phil Wait, VK2DKN with Roger Harrison VK2ZRH and Keith Malcolm VK1ZKM.

The 6 meter submission would not exist without the work of John Martin VK3KWA, once again Keith Malcolm VK1ZKM and Richard Winston, VK2ZRW and WIA director Glenn Dunstan VK4DU.

I really do believe that we should recognise the amount of time and effort that goes into writing these submissions, and to thank each of those involved in this very important aspect of the WIA's responsibility.
______________

EMERGENCY!.....New funding round to help emergency volunteers

The umbrella body, Emergency Management Australia, provides funding to assist communities manage emergencies and it's a potential source of funds for volunteer groups and organisations.

The Australian Government recently launched its "Working Together to Manage Emergencies" initiative, committing $33 million to a Local Grants Scheme and $16 million to a National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund .over four years.

The Government says it's keen to marshal the commitment and enthusiasm of local communities in order to build Australia's preparedness for emergencies and disasters.

Funding is available to emergency groups that have a definite role in State or Territory response or recovery plans.

The volunteer support fund is for projects that boost the recruitment, retention and training of volunteer organisations, and fund capital equipment.

For more details, eligibility criteria and application forms contact Emergency Management Australia on 02 6256 4733 or its website www.ema.gov.au/communitydevelopment

Jim Linton VK3PC

(WIA News)

Great Britain...Ofcom publishes Spectrum Framework Review conclusions (July 1 2005)

Ofcom published the conclusions of its Spectrum Framework Review on 28 June. The report sets out Ofcoms approach to the future management of radio spectrum in the UK.

The Spectrum Framework Review set out four key recommendations to achieve Ofcoms duties and aims, and Ofcom now says that it will, over time, apply this market-led approach to more than 70% of the radio spectrum. However, the report also states that Ofcom will maintain existing regulatory controls:

-where signals cross international boundaries;

-where international mobility is critical, for example in aviation and maritime; and

-where the UK has agreed to harmonise spectrum use in line with important multinational accords.

Ofcom will continue to monitor and act against interference between spectrum users. It will introduce trading and liberalisation in a phased way, intervening where necessary to make sure that these initiatives do not result in excessive harmful interference for other users.

(RSGB2)

Airman flies to Dog Island to test radio communication (Jun. 29 2005)

An avid private pilot and amateur radio operator assigned here participated in Field Day 2005 on June 25, a national emergency preparedness exercise aimed at ham radio operators.

Working alone on a desolate island, Lt. Col. Edward Linch combined his two passions and brought a concept he has long championed to reality.

Colonel Linch, the wing plans chief of the 505th Command and Control Wing, flew to Dog Island, a remote Florida island in the Gulf of Mexico,

to test whether bush planes, or small, maneuverable private aircraft capable of landing on grass airfields, could help bridge gaps in communication during a disaster.

American Radio Relay League officials held Field Day 2005 to link amateur stations with federal, state and local disaster relief agencies. Each station attempts to make contact with as many different operators as possible, forming a virtual chain that can be quickly brought together in a crisis. The nationwide event even caught the attention of President Bush who commented on the importance of the effort.

Licensed amateur radio operators help first responders and law enforcement officials save lives and make our country safer, he said.

Colonel Linch first got his license in 1978, but as his career progressed, his hobby waned with the demands of flying F-16 Fighting Falcons and completing his education. After Sept. 11 and Hurricane Ivan, ham radios proved to be one of the most effective means of communication after other networks became overloaded or damaged, Colonel Linch said.

Ivan was a real catalyst for me to get my station back on the air, he said. I was sitting in my home with no power, no cell phone and no way to help any of my neighbors.

After these events, Colonel Linch resolved to get his station back on the air and regain his proficiency in operating his equipment.

During the exercise, he flew his Van RV-4 experimental aircraft to the island along with a generator and radio gear. The shortwave radio he used bounces its signal off of the ionosphere, allowing for extremely long-range communication.

Colonel Linch ran his station for three and a half hours repeating, CQ  CQ  CQ  Kile Alpha Four Alpha X-Ray Sierra calling CQ Field Day before being forced to leave because of weather. He made contact with 36 other operators from the tiny island, including operators in Canada and Kuwait.

Ham radio operators working with small bush planes are proving to be a powerful tool during crisis, Colonel Linch said. During the ( December tsunamis ), a friend of mine was landing on small roads and dirt patches and was able to send vital communications -- even e-mails -- to rescue workers.

Now that Colonel Linch has proved that bush planes and amateur radio operators can easily set up a network in remote areas, he said he plans to make his services available during the upcoming hurricane season.

This season is supposed to be as active, or maybe even more active, than last year, he said. I hope that I wont have to use these skills, but if needed, Im ready."

1st Lt. Nathan D. Broshear
505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs

(I-Newswire.com)

Jack St Clair Kilby, Ex-W9GTY, Inventor of the IC, Dies at 81 (Jun.22 2005)

Jack Kilby, who held the call sign W9GTY in the 1930s and `40s, died in Dallas June 20 at age 81. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000 for the invention of the first monolithic integrated circuit.

A native of Great Bend, Kansas, Kilby has been credited with making the Information Age possible. His interest in ham radio was recounted in a Web site dedicated to his achievements:

"As a boy, Kilby used to travel the western half of the state with his father in the summers, checking on various power plants in the family's 1935 Buick. When a severe ice storm crippled Western Kansas in 1937, Kilby and his Dad borrowed a neighbor's ham radio to communicate with the various power plants around the state. Kilby became interested in ham radio, and got his license from the FCC, with his own set of call letters--W9GTY."

ARRL HQ staff member Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, recalled: "[He] was my hometown's claim to a famous person. He was sometimes known as `Mr IC.' I remember the first time I heard about the big blizzard and how his father communicated with other people in the area with help from his ham friends. That got Jack interested in ham radio."

Following college and a stint in the Army, Kilby went to work on the transistor for Centralab in Milwaukee. In 1958, he moved to Dallas to work for Texas Instruments, where he came upon the idea of creating the integrated circuit. By 1960 the first chips were made available to industry, and the age of microelectonics was upon us.

The vanity call sign W9GTY is today held by the J. S. Kilby Digital Millenium, based at the US Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.

(ARRL News Service)

Pete Halpin, PH1PH/G7ECN, SK (Jun 22, 2005)

Pete Halpin, PH1PH/G7ECN, of Hengelo, the Netherlands, died June 8 after battling cancer. The co-developer with Simon Brown, HB9DRV, of the freeware Ham Radio Deluxe transceiver-control package, Halpin was considered its support and services guru. "Pete was instrumental in the development of what must be the premier freeware operating, logging, PSK-interface application available to our hobby," said Jim Newton, K9YGW/M0YGW. "He and Simon spent untold hours bringing this resource to the community." Licensed in 1982, Halpin was a retired aircraft technician who, in Brown's words, "devoted copious free time to this project. He will be missed by everyone involved with Ham Radio Deluxe." The Radio Society of Great Britain recognized Brown and Halpin last year for their significant contribution to the development of Amateur Radio technology . Halpin also has received awards from the QRP Amateur Radio Club International, one for his low-power successes on 6 meters. He was a past director of No Code International.

(ARRL News Service)

Amateur Radio Emergency Communication Focus of World Conference (Jun. 21 2005)

Tampere, Finland, played host June 13-14 to the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC 2005). Participants from 17 countries and representatives of all three International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) regions gathered to discuss and exchange information on the role of Amateur Radio in emergency communication. A conference statement summarized the value of Amateur Radio to emergency communication worldwide.

"The Amateur Radio Service has the proven capabilities and capacities to serve the international community through its global network of infrastructure-independent stations," the statement concluded. "Such stations are not only most likely to withstand the physical impact of disasters, but their flexibility furthermore avoids the overload all public networks inevitably experience in the aftermath of disasters."

The statement also pointed to the Amateur Service as "an invaluable resource of skilled operators, trained and experienced in maintaining communications under the most adverse conditions." It further concluded that it's essential "to ensure that this resource can be fully utilized in the service of emergency and disaster response providers." Conferees agreed as well that the Amateur Service needs access to "appropriate portions of the shared and limited resource of the radio frequency spectrum."

The IARU has submitted the summary as an input document to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), set to take place in Tunisia this November.

Representing the IARU and chairing GAREC 2005 was Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, the IARU's International Coordinator for Emergency Communications. Past ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, represented IARU in his capacity as Region 2 President and the League in his capacity as International Affairs Vice President.

Major topics included cooperation between radio amateurs and institutional emergency response providers on the national level, and an exchange of experiences from recent events. Presentations showed how hams support emergency responders as skilled volunteer telecommunication operators as well as via their own global networks.

Conferees also talked over ways to improve and facilitate the work of emergency communication networks. Participants agreed on the desirability of establishing a "Center of Activity Frequency" for emergency traffic on 80, 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters. SRAL, the IARU member-society for Finland and the host of GAREC 2005 will forward a proposal to that effect to the IARU for its consideration. This could happen during the IARU Region 1 Conference in Davos, Switzerland, this September. GAREC-2005 did not put forth specific center-of-activity frequencies, but the proposal did recommend calling them "The Tampere Frequencies."

GAREC 2005 participants expressed their appreciation for the hospitality of Finnish radio amateurs and of Tampere. Because of its association with the history of emergency and disaster communication, the city's name has become nearly synonymous with emergency telecommunication. Among signal events, an experts conference there in 1991 adopted the Tampere Declaration on Disaster Communications. In 1998, the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications (ICET-98) adopted the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations. Effective as of January 8, 2005, the convention largely eliminates roadblocks to moving telecommunications personnel and equipment across international borders into and within disaster-stricken areas. Tampere has hosted several related conferences on emergency telecommunication as well. To maintain the momentum, plans already are being discussed for a second global conference in 2006.

A conference summary is available on the IARU Web site.

(ARRL News Service)

Israeli stations to honour Maccabiah Games June 21-July 21 (Jun 2, 2005)

The Israel Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a special Amateur Radio operation honoring the largest Jewish sport event in the world -- the 17th Maccabiah Games -- to be held in Tel-Aviv July 10-21, 2005. 14 Israeli stations with letters in their suffix from which MACCABIAH can be spelled will be active for 30 days starting June 21. A special Award will be available for stations having at least 6 valid QSOs with the participating Special Event stations. The operation is valid for all radio amateurs and SWLs around the world. More details can be found at the Maccabiah Games page or via www.iarc.org. -- IARC

(ARRL News Service)

Don, VK3DZM Silent Key (Jun. 4 2005)

It is with regret that I announce that Don, VK3DZM became a silent key on the 4th June, 2005.

Don over many years was a very keen, well known and liked operator on the 80 metre phone DX scene who will be sadly missed by all of his many amateur friends, his friends in general and his family.

Don was on his flight home after having just spent time touring and staying with amateur friends in the USA, paying a visit to relatives in Great Britain and a short stay in Paris when he had to leave his flight at Singapore because he was not well and died shortly afterwards from a major coronary attack.

He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

(George, VK5ALS)

Propagation Report

July 1 2005 Tad Cook K7RA Solar Update

Last weekend's Field Day exercise had better propagation than predicted. For several weeks, active geomagnetic conditions were forecast for June 25-26. But by late Friday afternoon in North America that prediction had moderated somewhat. Solar wind arrived early, causing a geomagnetic storm on Thursday, June 23. The planetary K index shot up to 7, and planetary A index for that day was 48. Mid-latitude A index was 30. Activity declined, and there were no visible sunspots for several days. Mid-latitude A index for Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26 was 9 and 6 respectively.

Fifteen meters performed much better than expected, at least as observed from the Pacific Northwest. The K7RA Field Day operation was very modest, operating Class C (Mobile) from a hilltop spot just north of Seattle at a former missile site. Operation was on SSB and CW on 15 and 20 meters, and for just a few hours late Saturday afternoon West Coast time. Fifteen had surprisingly good propagation to the Southeast United States, with many stations contacted in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Dan Eskenazi, K7SS reported that six meters opened from the Seattle area to the southwest U.S. just before Field Day's end on Sunday. He was working stations in a swath from San Diego to Tucson, and also found 10 meters active with sporadic-E skip.

Emory Gordy, W4WRO reported that the Silver Comet Amateur Radio Society operating in North Georgia observed unusual propagation. They only worked four stations on 15 meters, with 20 meters being the productive band. 80 meter activity was the best he'd heard in years. They worked the West Coast quite easily, but didn't hear much from Texas, Arizona, Utah, the Midwest, and worked very few stations in Florida or Tennessee, and not one station in Kentucky.

Yesterday was the end of the second quarter of 2005, so let's look at some quarterly averages to examine any trends.

From the first quarter of 2003 through the second quarter of 2005, the average daily sunspot numbers were 120.3, 107.3, 110.2, 99.2, 72.9, 71.3, 69.3, 61, 46.1 and 55.7.

The average daily solar flux for the same period was 134.3, 124.2, 120.8, 137.4, 111.1, 99.5, 111, 104.8, 96.4 and 93.1.

Sunspot counts dropped during the first quarter of this year, but recovered by nearly ten points during the second quarter. So the declining solar cycle is a general trend, but there is still a lot of variation. Solar flux dropped a few points over the same period. This cycle is still expected to hit bottom around the end of 2006.

For the next few days, a solar wind stream should keep geomagnetic activity higher. Predicted planetary A index for Friday through Monday, July 1-4 is 20, 20, 15 and 15. Solar flux should rise over the next few days, peaking around 115 from July 5-7.

If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at, k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation and an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information Service propagation page at, http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html. An archive of past bulletins is found at, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.

Sunspot numbers for June 23 through 29 were 19, 14, 12, 0, 11, 20 and 57 with a mean of 19. 10.7 cm flux was 77.5, 76.7, 76.7, 78.7, 77.4, 80 and 88.9, with a mean of 79.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 48, 17, 11, 8, 4, 5 and 6 with a mean of 14.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 30, 7, 9, 6, 3, 3 and 4, with a mean of 8.9.

(ARRL News Service)

Europe

July 2 2005 Solar and propagation report,
compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS,and Martin Harrison, G3USF.

Over the past week solar activity was mostly very low. However, by Friday 7 sunspot groups were visible. On Saturday 2 of these groups were large enough to produce 6 C class solar flares. Solar flux levels increased from 77 units to 115 by the 1st. The average was 88 units and the 90 day solar flux average was 94 units. X-ray flux levels also increased and by the end of the period was B2 units. Geomagnetic activity was mostly quiet with the Ap index in single figures most days, but around midday on Friday the effects of a coronal hole began to be felt. The Ap index was 16 units for that day and the average was 8 units. Solar wind speeds declined to around 580 kilometres per second with the coronal hole wind stream. Particle densities remained low throughout.

Taking everything into account HF band conditions was as good as can be expected. Late evening and early morning saw the best of DX on 20 and 17 metres. While South America was heard on 28MHz on some days. Sporadic E also took place on the band with openings on the lower VHF bands also.

And finally the solar forecast. This week the active side of the Sun is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity should be low to moderate. Solar flux levels should increase and peak at around 120 units. Geomagnetic activity should be at quiet levels for the next few days but then increase towards next weekend due to a small coronal hole. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be about 21MHz for the south and 18MHz for the north. The darkness hour lows are expected to be around 11MHz. Paths this week to South America should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 26MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate should be about 19MHz. The best to try this path will be between midday and 2000 hours UTC. Sporadic E is likely to take place some days this week. Now that we at the peak of the sporadic E season watch for openings on 144MHz also.

And that's all from the propagation team for another week.

Space News

ARISS school contact at cole de la Source, Mascouche, QC, Canada (Jun. 22 2005)

On Friday morning, June 17th, 2005, almost three years to the day from a first casual conversation on the ARISS Project, the ISS was answering a call from the earth. The fifth and sixth grade student of this elementary school that had accepted to take on a project submitted by their teachers in 2002, none were there anymore but the ones that replaced them had continued the project and they were all in the school gym on this memorable morning. The members of the Club radioamateur Laval-Laurentide, VE2CRL, had worked very hard to make sure that the technical side had been taken care off.

At exactly 9:34 EDT (13:34 UTC), John Phillips, KE5DRY, answered the call and everybody breathed again. From the questions asked by the students, we learned that it can take him up to four hours only to put on and take off a space suit, that a sick astronaut could have to come back to earth to be treated if his condition was serious enough and we discovered that we do not know yet if space travel could be dangerous for pregnant women. At some point, John Phillips confided that he and Serge Krikalev, U5MIR, enjoyed watching a good movie on DVD to relax after supper. A student beside me whispered in my hear Just like at my home. The signal was lost during the answer to the 15th question and a roaring  Merci went up that John could surely hear even after LOS.

The contact was conducted in a smaller room that had a direct video link with the gymnasium where about 400 pupils, parents and guests were assembled. A representative from the Canadian Space Agency explained the procedure before the contact and translated to French the answers to the questions afterwards. Two national TV networks had sent crews to cover the event, as well as at least one newspaper. Dignitaries were present from the municipality and the school board as well as many parents.

Once again the magic has worked and on their way out of the hall, every one knew that they had just witnessed an unusual and unique event that they will long remember. Thank you to all the ones that made this event possible. (Thanks to Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA, ARISS Canada Team)

(RAC News Service)

SSETI Express Launch Date Announced (Jun. 3 2005)

The launch date for SSETI Express and three cubesats has now been confirmed as 25 August, with the next day, the 26th, as a back-up. The satellite has now completed all its pre-launch tests and is presently back in the clean room where everything is having a final checkout and where the cubesats are being loaded into their launchers. Current plans show that the satellite will be packed and ready for despatch to the launch site during the last week of June. SSETI Express will automatically downlink general telemetry at 9K6 on 70cm and it will also be possible for amateurs to request specific downloads. It is planned that the 38K4 telemetry transmitter on 2.4GHz will also be available for amateur voice operation as a Mode U/S transponder after initial tests on the satellite have been completed. AMSAT-UK provided the 2.4GHz transmitter for the satellite and a presentation on SSETI Express will be given at the AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium to be held from 29 to 31 July at the University of Surrey in Guildford. All amateurs and SWLs are welcome to attend.

(RSGB2)

AMSAT-UK Colloquium set for late July (May 4 2005)

The AMSAT-UK Colloquium for 2005 will take place Friday through Sunday, July 29-31, at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK This year's event marks the 20th colloquium. Attendees do not have to be AMSAT members. AMSAT-UK invites presentations about space-related Amateur Radio activities and papers for the conference Proceedings. Final presentation documents must be submitted by mid-June. Send papers for presentation at the conference and/or for inclusion in the Proceedings to Jim Heck, G3WGM , or via surface mail c/o AMSAT-UK, Badgers, Letton Close, Blandford, Dorset DT11 7SS, UK. AMSAT-UK also invites anyone to submit program topic requests to G3WGM. The colloquium will include sessions specifically for amateur satellite beginners. Registration details and more information are on the AMSAT- UK Colloquium Web pages. Immediately following the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team will meet Monday and Tuesday, August 1-2. Although primarily for ARISS delegates, the meeting is open for anyone to attend as an observer and offers an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the ARISS program.

(ARRL News Service)

Special Interest

eQSO Releases New Software (July 1 2005)

The eQSO VoIP network, which links radio amateurs using RF and PC users via the Internet, has now released new software and moved to a full registration system. The main Dallas Server has been updated to accept only connections from registered users. New and existing users need to log on to the eQSO website to register and download the new software. This update will not affect RF users, providing that their local RF gateway is now using the new software.

(RSGB2)

Study says Internet Surfing leads to less TV viewing (July 1 2005)

Its well known that surfing the Internet is taking many hams away from the airwaves. Now a new survey shows that the World-Wide-Web is affecting the television viewing habits of the world.

According to the investigation, Hungarian non-Internet surfers watch 17.5 hours of TV per week, while those who use the Internet watch only 11.8 hours per week. That's a difference of 5.7 hours. In the United States, Internet users watch 11.6 hours of TV per week, while non-Internet users watch 16.8 hours.

The lengthy, first-of-its kind study, called the World Internet Project, conducted by UCLA Center for Communication Policy surveyed residents of 14 countries. In every case, Internet users watched less television that those who never surf the web. (Science OnLine)

(ARNewsLine)

The view from Space....looking back with Google-Earth (July 1 2005)

Google Earth is a new 3D interface to the planet that is a new free beta service from the Google website. Google Earth reproduces three-dimensional views of the planet. With it you can pick the coordinates and resolution you want to view and what you want to see.

Right now, there are limitations to the operating systems supported by Google Earth. To use it you need at least a Pentium 3 class P-C running either the Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system. There are no Mac or Linux versions available. At least not yet. Windows users will find it at earth.google.com (Google)

(ARNewsLine)

Amateur Radio Begins Podcasting (Jun. 19 2005)

Podcasting - in which broadcasts are downloaded from the Internet for later playback on Ipods - has been much in the news recently. You wont be surprised to hear that there is now an amateur radio podcast. If you have a broadband Internet connection, you may want to give it a try. Type www.podcast.net in your web-browser, and type 'Amateur Radio' in the search field and you will see a list of the latest 'This Week in Amateur Radio International' bulletins. Click on the links and make sure your speakers are turned on.

(RSGB2)

Award-Winning Freeware Author Peter Halpin, PH1PH, is Silent Key (Jun. 19 2005)

Peter Halpin, PH1PH and formerly PE1MHO, has become a Silent Key. Three years ago Peter was given a short time to live after being diagnosed with cancer. He defied all the doctors and lived for an active three years longer than was expected. He will best be remembered by his contribution to the 'Ham Radio Deluxe' software and his successes on 6 metres.

(RSGB2)

Ten-Tec Co-Founder Al Kahn, K4FW, SK (Jun 17, 2005)

Albert R. "Al" Kahn, K4FW, of Cassopolis, Michigan, died June 15. He was 98. An ARRL member, Kahn--with Jack Burchfield, K4JU, co-founded Ten-Tec following his retirement from Electro-Voice, which he'd also founded and served as president. Kahn remained a member of the Ten-Tec Board of Directors until his death. Kahn's daughter, Carol Bieneman, said her father had continued his regular CW schedules with his old friends until just a few days before he died.

Full Story: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/06/17/6/?nc=1

(ARRL News Service)

Contest News

Canada Day Contest--CW/Phone--sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) from 0000Z-2359Z Jul 1. Frequencies: 160-10, 6 and 2 meters. Categories: SOAB (HP (>100 W), LP, QRP (<5 W), SOSB, MS (LP, HP), MM. Exchange: VE1-9 send RS(T) and province or territory, VE0 and non-VE send RS(T) and serial number. QSO points: VE and VE0s--10 pts, non-VE--2 pts, RAC official stations (suffix of -RAC)--20 pts. Score: QSO points  Provinces/Territories counted once per band and mode. For more information: www.rac.ca/service/infoconthtm. Logs due Jul 31 to canada@rac.ca or Radio Amateurs of Canada, 720 Belfast Rd, Ste 217, Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z5, Canada.

MI QRP Jul 4th CW Sprint--2300Z Jul 4-0300Z Jul 5 (see Jan QST, p 102, or www.qsl.net/miqrpclub).

Venezuelan Ind. Day Contest--CW/SSB--sponsored by the Radio Club Venezolano from 0000Z Jul 2-2400Z Jul 3. Frequencies: 160-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (CW, SSB, and mixed), MS (mixed mode). Exchange: RS(T) plus serial number. Work any station--not just YV. QSO points: Own country--1 pt, different country, same continent--3 pts, different cont-- 5 pts. Score: QSO points  YV call areas + DXCC entities counted once per band. For more information: http://radioclubvenezolano.org/concurso.htm. Logs due Aug 31 to contestyv@cantv.net or Radio Club Venezolano, Concurso, Independencia de Venezuela, PO Box 2285, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela.

DL-DX-RTTY-Contest--RTTY/PSK--sponsored by the DL DX RTTY Contest Group (DRCG) from 1100Z Jul 2 -1059Z Jul 3. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SO-Dipole/Ground-Plane (Full-time, 6 Hour), MS. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO points: own country--5 pts, diff country--10 pts, diff continent--15 pts, with DL station add 3 pts from EU, 5 points elsewhere. Score: QSO points  DXCC entities + VK/VE/JA/W call areas from each band. For more information: www.drcg.de. Logs in Cabrillo format due Aug 10 to logs@drcg.de.

Bahia Independence Contest--SSB/CW, sponsored by LABRE-Bahia, from 0000Z Jul 1 - 0000Z Jul 2 (SSB) and from 0000Z Jul 2 - 0000Z Jul 3 (CW). Frequencies: 160 to 10 meters. Categories: SOAB (SSB, CW, Mixed). Exchange: RST and serial number. QSO Points: with non-Bahia stations - 1 pt, with Bahia stations (PY6) - 4 pts, with PY6AA - 30 pts. Total Score: QSO Points X PY Prefixes, counted once per band. For more information:www.labre-ba.org.br. Logs due 31 Jul to labre@labre-ba.org.br or LABRE-BAHIA, Rua dos Radioamadores, 73 Parque Pituau, CEP 41741-080, SALVADOR-BAHIA, BRAZIL or PO Box 533-CEP 41700-000.

DARC 10-Meter Digital "Corona"--RTTY/AMTOR/PACTOR/PSK31/Clover-- sponsored by Deutscher Amateur Radio Club from 1100Z-1700Z Jul 3 (see Nov QST, p 102, or www.darc.de/referate/dx).

IARU HF World Championship--from 1200Z Jul 9 to 1200Z Jul 10 (see Apr QST, p 102, or www.iaru.org/contest.html).

FISTS Summer Sprint--CW, from 1700Z-2100Z Jul 10 (see Feb QST, p 102, or www.fists.org).

QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint--CW, from 2000Z-2400Z Jul 10 (see Dec QST, p 85, or www.qrparci.org/contest.htm). Add the following bonus points for each band on which homebrew gear is used; 2000 pts for homebrew transmitter, 3000 pts for homebrew receiver, 5000 pts for homebrew transceiver. Logs due 30 days after the contest to contest@qrparci.org or Jeff Hetherington, VA3JFF, 139 Elizabeth St W, Welland, ON L3C 4M3, Canada.

(ARRL News Service)

Special Event Stations

Swedish VLF transmitter on the air July 2-3 (Jun 27, 2005)

The SAQ Alexanderson alternator transmitter operating on 17.2 kHz from Sweden will be on the air Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3. The July 2 transmission at 1230 UTC will mark the inauguration of a new visitor's center at the Grimeton site, and July 3 is "Alexanderson Day," when the station will be open to the general public (between 10 AM and 4 PM local time). Transmissions on July 3 will take place at 0815, 0915, 1215 and 1315 UTC. In addition, Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ will operate a special event from the site. Approximate frequencies are 14.035 MHz CW and 3.755 and 14.215 MHz SSB.--RSGB

(ARRL News Service)

Historic Morse Code Radio Station returns to the Air
.

Former RCA Station KPH Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary

Coast Station KSM will make its Inagural Transmission

Coast Stations WLO, KLB, NMC AND NOJ to be on the Air

In the sixth annual event that has become known as the "Night of Nights", historic Morse code radio station KPH will return to the air in commemoration of the last commercial Morse message sent in the United States.

This year's Night of Nights is special: it's the 100th anniversary of KPH, KSM will appear on the air for the first time and four other US coast stations will be on the air, several of them on MF in addition to HF.

Frequencies and reception report information for all stations appear below.

KPH, the ex-RCA coast station located north of San Francisco, will return to the air for commemorative broadcasts on 12 July at 1701 PDT (13 July at 0001 GMT), 6 years and one minute after the last commercial Morse transmission in the US. These on-the-air events are intended to honor the men and women who followed the radiotelegraph trade on ships and at coast stations around the world and made it one of honor and skill.

Transmissions are expected to continue until at least midnight PDT (0700GMT).

Veteran Morse operators, including former KPH staff members, will be on duty at the receiving station at Point Reyes, CA listening for calls from ships and sending messages just as they did for so many years before Morse operations were shut down.

The transmitters are located 18 miles south of Point Reyes in Bolinas, CA at the transmitting station established in 1913 by the American Marconi Co. The original KPH transmitters, receivers and antennas will be used to activate frequencies in all the commercial maritime HF bands and on MF as well.

Many of the KPH transmitters will be 50s vintage RCA sets. KSM will use a 1940s vintage Press Wireless PW-15 transmitter on 12Mc. Power output will be 4 to 5kW. The transmitting antennas include a Marconi T for MF, double extended Zepps for 4, 6 and 8Mc and H over 2s for 12, 16 and 22Mc.

KPH will send traffic lists, weather and press broadcasts as well as special commemorative messages, many of which will be sent by hand. At other times the KPH and KSM "wheel" will be sent to mark the transmitting frequencies.

Members of the public are invited to visit the receiving station for this event. The station will be open to visitors beginning at
1500PDT (3:00pm). The station is located at 17400 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and is on the route to the Point Reyes lighthouse. Watch for a cypress lined driveway on the right about a mile past the entry to Coast Guard station NMC.

KPH is operated by the Maritime Radio Historical Society in cooperation with the Point Reyes National Seashore, part of the National Park Service.

Further information may be found on the Maritime Radio Historical Society Web site at http://www.radiomarine.org or by contacting Richard Dillman at +1 415-990-7090 (email: rd@radiomarine.org) or Tom Horsfall at +1 510-237-9535 (email: wa6ope@hotmail.com).

Station Information follows...

KPH

KPH will transmit on 4247.0, 6477.5, 8642.0, 12808.5, 17016.8 and 22477.5kc on HF and 500 and 426kc on MF.

These frequencies have been made available through the generous cooperation of Globe Wireless, the current owner of the KPH and KFS licenses.

KPH operators will listen for calls from ships on ITU Channel 3 in all bands. The Channel 3 frequencies are 4184.0, 6276.0, 8368.0, 12552.0, 16736.0 and 22280.5kc on HF and 500kc on MF.