SARL now National Body for South Africa Amateur Radio (Jun. 11 2005) The Department of Communications has officially appointed the South African Radio League (SARL) as the National Body for Amateur Radio. While always having been regarded as the national body, amendments to the radio regulations, promulgated earlier this year, required the official appointment of a national body. "While many viewed this as a formality, it required that we had to go through the legal process with the Department of Communications", Graham Hartlett, ZS6GJH, said. "The SARL is much indebted to Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri and her department for the support given to amateur radio and its future development." In terms of these new regulations, the SARL will now be able to handle the upgrading of restricted amateur radio licences from ZR to ZS. "We have already registered a number of assessors who are qualified to evaluate candidates for upgrades," Graham said Full details of the upgrading process can be found on the SARL web at www.sarl.org.za. (SARL News Service)
GAREC 2005 Takes Place This Week (Jun. 13-14 2005) GAREC 2005, the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications conference, takes place on 13 and 14 June in Tampere, Finland. UK amateur radio emergency communications will be represented by the RSGB’s Radio Communications Voluntary Services National Coordinator, Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, and David Smith, G8IDL, from the Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network Emergency Planning team. Also attending from the UK will be RSGB Board member Gordon Adams, G3LEQ, in his rôle as IARU Region 1 Emergency Coordinator. The conference, under the patronage of Dr Pekka Tarjanne, a former Secretary-General of the ITU, will be chaired by Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS, the IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications. There will be a number of presentations on individual countries’ amateur radio emergency communications organisations, including our own Raynet of course, plus presentations on involvement in recent major disasters. A team from the tsunami-affected countries, including members of the Andaman Islands DXpedition, are expected to be present and give a description of their involvement from the emergency communications point of view. A remotely-controlled MT63 HF station will be operational from the conference venue, look for the callsign OH2PO or OH3AG. The station is also equipped for standard MIL-ALE 188 operation. (RSGB2)
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)
Great Britian...Ofcom Recognises the Importance of Amateur Radio (May 29 2005) On the launch of the consultation on a proposal to reform amateur radio licensing, the RSGB welcomes the statements made by Ofcom recognising the important role amateur radio plays in providing the stimulus for technical careers and the part radio amateurs play in radio communications research and development. They also pay tribute to the work of radio amateurs during emergencies such as the Boxing Day tsunami in South-East Asia. This is a very welcome change of tack by Ofcom, who earlier this year failed to recognise the role amateur radio and radio amateurs play in the field of technology and in the service they provide to the community at large. The consultation runs until 18 August and whilst urging all amateurs to take part in the consultation, the RSGB also asks amateurs to take some time to digest the contents of the document before responding to Ofcom. The RSGB will be providing guidance notes to assist amateurs. These notes will be published on the RSGB website shortly. Note: Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. (RSGB2)
Jun. 10 2005 Tad Cook K7RA Solar Update
We're moving now toward summer propagation from the recent spring conditions we've been experiencing. Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is set for June 21 at 0646z. Today we are 80 days past the equinox, and the bands are behaving differently than they were a few months ago. For instance, paths from the continental U.S. to South America are open much later on 17 and 20 meters. You can run two instances of W6ELprop, located on the web at, http://www.qsl.net/w6elprop/, and run some tests. For instance, perform a test from the center of the Continental U.S. (by entering W for the prefix) to Brazil for any date this week, and enter an average of several days of sunspot numbers (from the end of this bulletin). You can do the same for a date in late March, and get the numbers from past bulletins at, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/. Even though average sunspot numbers were lower in late March than they've been this week, propagation possibilities to Brazil during mid-day on 10, 12 and 15 meters in March were much better than they are now. But signals over the same path show better current openings much later into the evening on those same bands than they were in late March. Plot from the central U.S. to Hawaii as the target, and 20 meter signals drop out in the evening in March, but are currently strong all night long. The ARRL Contest Calendar, located at, http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html, shows this weekend, June 11-13, is the ARRL June VHF QSO Party. The object is to get as many contacts in as many grid squares as possible. Many HF radios these days come with 6-meter capability, so it isn't much of a stretch for HF operators without a 6-meter antenna to just toss up a dipole at the last minute. A half-wave dipole is only about 9 feet and 3 inches long on 6-meters, and when the band opens up, a simple antenna can do quite well. If you don't know your grid-square, calculate it at http://www.arrl.org/locate/grid.html. If you hear stations reporting unfamiliar grid squares, at least for the United States there is a good map at http://www.icomamerica.com/downloads/usgridsq.pdf. You can find the rules for the contest on the calendar mentioned above. There have been many nice 6-meter openings recently, mostly via the sporadic-E layer skip that is common this time of year, and Frank Fascione, KB1LKB of Manchester, Connecticut sent in a report for last Sunday, June 5. He reports an all day opening to the Caribbean on 6-meters, as well as Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Among stations heard but not worked were FG5FR, FM5JC, FM5AD, 9Y4AT, YU4DDK, and PZ5RA. Frank contacted several new ones for him, including FJ5DX, YV4DYJ, PJ2BVU, HK4SAN and J69EN. Doug, CO8DM uses 100 watts to a 2 element quad at 65 feet on 6 meters. He reports that around the first of the month he copied European stations, including Italy and Sicily, and on CW, Malta. The next morning he heard M0BJL in the UK. Regarding the urging above to get on 6-meters, Eric Hall, K9GY wrote, "... please mention for people to get on with their radios that can work VHF and be active in the ARRL VHF contest. It doesn't take a lot of stuff to make QSOs!" Eric made his first 6-meter QSO on June 5 with an FT-817 and a 6-meter Hamstick whip antenna. He was in FM18 and he worked N4OX in EM60 on 50.130 MHz SSB. Then he worked KA4DPF in EM81 about 20 minutes later. People like me who are unfamiliar with grid squares can look on the map mentioned above to see where FM18, EM60 and EM81 are. Bill VanAlstyne, W5WVO in DM65 seemed almost giddy about the opening on Tuesday, May 31. He says it was "one of the most incredible 6M Es openings I've ever been part of since moving to New Mexico a few years ago. 6M was open from before 7 AM local time until nearly midnight, with only a couple hours of rest around mid-day. I think we're all still catching our collective breath from this one!" Bill runs 100 watts to an 18 foot 5 element Yagi up 25 feet. He made over 75 contacts and worked 13 new grids to boost his total above 300. He says he "ran pile-ups of calling stations for an hour at a time like I was a DX station. Unbelievable! During the hottest stretches, even QRP signals exceeded S9 +20 dB and were coming in from all over the country at the same time, with path lengths all the way from quite short (450 miles) to quite long (1800 miles)." He continues, "No so-called 'double hop' here -- these east-coast signals were as strong as those coming from half or a quarter of the distance away. There were obviously a number of rather interesting propagation modalities going on here. If only we really understood this stuff!" Bill has been a ham since 1962, and says "I don't think there is ANYTHING more exciting than this kind of Es opening on 6M. It's almost a transcendent experience!" Nice to hear such enthusiasm. Maybe that's why 6-meter enthusiasts call it "the magic band." Currently we're two weeks away from Field Day. The long range forecast from the U.S. Air Force shows a planetary A index of 20 (a bit high) for both Saturday and Sunday of Field Day weekend, June 25-26. This is probably predicted because of coronal holes and solar wind from the most recent rotation of the sun. Two weeks is a long way off for predicting conditions, so we'll try to come up with a more meaningful look in a couple of weeks. 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 2 through 8 were 69, 55, 74, 77, 89, 94 and 100 with a mean of 79.7. 10.7 cm flux was 93.3, 95.3, 96.9, 105.4, 106, 109.1 and 115.7, with a mean of 103.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 8, 18, 20, 13, 18 and 6 with a mean of 12.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 10, 12, 14, 7, 11 and 3, with a mean of 9.1. (ARRL News Service)
Europe June 12 2005 Solar and propagation report,
Flare activity has remained low, with only C-class flares reported. The solar flux rose slowly from 97 to 114. The average, 109, was 15 points higher than the previous week. The 90-day average rose one point to 94. The geomagnetic field was active at the beginning of the week, with the Ap index of 20 on the 5th. However, quieter levels prevailed later, with the index down to 5 on the 10th. The average was 12 units. Solar wind speeds recorded by the ACE spacecraft reached 700km/sec on the 5th but were mostly in the range 303 to 450km/sec. Particle densities remained in single figures throughout the period. HF propagation felt the effects of geomagnetic activity in the first part of the week and was generally rather flat due to seasonally high levels of absorption. Longer DX paths were best workable early in the day and well into the evening. Even 28MHz produced some good openings into Africa. Sporadic-E was reported on 28 and 50MHz on several days and there were strong and widespread openings on 70 and 144MHz on the 10th and again on 50 and 70MHz on the 11th. There were no reports of VHF aurora. During the coming week flare activity is expected to be mainly low, but two large sunspots that rotated into view a few days ago are reckoned to be capable of giving rise to M-class flares. Whether any such flares would produce Earth-directed coronal mass ejections can only be a matter for speculation at the moment. Geomagnetic activity may well increase on the 12th, as a result of a coronal mass ejection, but it should subsequently be mainly quiet-to-unsettled. The solar flux is probably on the turn about now and could well be below 100 by next weekend. MUFs at equal latitudes will be in the region of 20MHz in the south and 17MHz in the north. Darkness hour lows remain about 11MHz. The path to VK should have a maximum usable frequency, that's a fifty per cent success rate, of about 19MHz. The optimum working frequency, at which there will be a ninety per cent chance of a contact, will be around 16MHz.1000 to 1200UTC will be the optimum period. This remains a good time to keep a sharp ear for sporadic-E on 28, 50 and 70MHz and - if we are lucky - 144MHz. Multihop trans-Atlantic propagation may occur on both Ten and Six. With this propagation mode conditions can change radically from one day to the next, or even from hour to hour. And that's all from the propagation team for another week.
ARISS Seeks School Involvement in "SuitSat" Project (Jun. 3 2005)
"The ARISS team has received permission to include a special compact disk onboard this spacesuit with school artwork included," Bauer said. As a result, participating schools will have an opportunity to 'fly' their artwork as part of the spacewalk." Schools that want to get onboard must act fast, however. ARISS wants a single 8-1/2 by 11-inch page of artwork that "uniquely represents your school" by June 15--so time is tight. Schools may deliver their artistic contributions electronically in JPEG format, with the file size not to exceed 2 MB. No other file formats can be accepted. "This could be an artist's representation of the school, a list of student names, student signatures, a school science project summary or a school mission patch," Bauer explained. "This artwork should be primarily developed by the students. The goal is for you to use your imaginations." Hard-copy artwork can be mailed to School Spacewalk, c/o AMSAT, 850 Sligo Ave, Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD 20910-4703. JPEG images using the naming format <schoolname_location.jpg> may be e-mailed to schoolspacewalk@comcast.net. Artistic contributions to fly aboard SuitSat will be put onto a compact disk that will be delivered to Russia later this month. It will go into space as part of the cargo on a Progress supply rocket flight now set for August. "The ARISS team looks forward to your artwork and is pleased to provide this opportunity to school students around the world," Bauer said. "On behalf of the ARISS team, we look forward to some real excitement as SuitSat gets ready for deployment this fall." Bauer says ARISS will be releasing additional details about SuitSat in the near future. ARISS-Russia's Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, proposed the SuitSat concept at last fall's ARISS International Team meeting, quickly sparking a wide-ranging brainstorming session among the delegates. With diminishing stowage space aboard the ISS, several Russian Orlan spacesuits used for spacewalks have been declared surplus. Samburov's notion was to have an ISS crew equip one of them as an Amateur Radio satellite--possibly including a camera in the helmet area--and launch it during a space walk. A second Orlan space suit is expected to become available for possible deployment as a temporary satellite in 2007. ARISS says plans call for launching SuitSat during a spacewalk currently planned for mid-September. Once deployed, SuitSat is expected to orbit the planet for several weeks before burning up when it enters Earth's atmosphere. A summary of the "School Spacewalk" project is available on the AMSAT Web site. (ARRL 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)
Funds urgently needed to manufacture Amateur radio antennas for the ISS (May 29 2005) Columbus is the name of the European laboratory module to be attached to the International Space station. For the Amateur Radio service exclusively, two UHF antennas and two L/S-band antennas are to be fixed on the Meteorite Debris Panels which protect the hull of the Columbus module. If ever a MDP would be hit by an meteorite and be replaced, the antenna would be lost. Therefore the antennas are doubled and fixed on different panels on the nadir, facing the earth. This does not influence the cost considerably. The ARISS patch antennas will be installed on the nadir of the Columbus module in September - October 2005. The European Space Agency has already contributed over 100.000 euro for the installation of the ARISS antennas. Special feedthroughs for the coaxial cables have been installed on the conical end of the module and coaxial feedlines will run to the antennas on the nadir. The antennas are being developed by Pawel Kabacik, professor at the Institute of Telecommunications and Acoustics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland. Pawel Kabacik and his team also developed the antennas for the SSETI satellite. The antennas shall be delivered in September and installed before end of October, last limit. The antennas will be manufactured in Poland under supervision of the University. The antennas for the SSETI satellite have cost 70.000 euro. The Columbus antennas will cost 80.000 euro. Facing the difficulty to raise 80.000 euro, we have asked the Wroclaw University to consider two separate contracts, one for the UHF antennas and one for the L/S-band antennas. Building the UHF antennas will cost 52.000 euro (latest evaluation). This includes the purchase of materials that can also be used for the L/S-band antennas which will then cost 25.000 euro. The contract for the UHF antennas has to be signed by ARISS before the end of June and 55.000 euro paid. The contract fo the L/S-band antennas can be signed later, if funds are available. FUNDING So far we have collected about 32.000 euro. Donations received :
Donations pledged :
You can see the list of donations on www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm CALL FOR DONATIONS As Bernardo Patti, ESA General Manager for Columbus, stated: "It would be a shame if ARISS would not be able to provide the antennas in due time, whereas the European Space Agency has already spent more than 100.000 euro for the installation of the Amateur Radio antennas". We still need to collect 20.000 euro in the next three weeks to gather the 52.000 euro necessary for the UHF antennas. We call on all possible donors to help ARISS fill the gap. (Thanks to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, ARISS Vice chairman) (RAC News Service)
Amateur Radio to be Fitted On Board ISS Columbus Module (May 29 2005)
The availability of the new frequencies will permit wideband and video operation for the first time, including ATV facilities for school contacts and, additionally, continuous transponder operation. The new ARISS antennas will be installed in autumn this year. The European Space Agency has kindly agreed to cover the entire cost of installation, but a sum needs to be raised quickly to cover the cost of development and manufacture of the antennas. Further details can be found on the ARISS-Europe website: www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm Thanks to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, the ARISS-Europe chairman, for this news story. (RSGB2)
San Diego Area Youngsters enjoy contact with NA1SS (May 24 2005)
One student asked if the space station's living quarters looked like an apartment. Phillips replied, "It's sort of like an apartment. We have a kitchen, a bathroom and two tiny bedrooms." In view of the fact that ISS astronauts are in space for months at a time, Adam Phillips, the astronaut's nephew, asked, appropriately, how Phillips kept in touch with his family. "I can send and receive e-mail," he replied. "I have weekly video conferences with my wife and two children, and I can even make phone calls some of the time. In fact I'm going to call my brother Nathan and your family one of these days." One envious student asked how to become an astronaut. "Well," Phillips replied, "you start by doing well in school and then going to college and start a career as a scientist, engineer, pilot or a medical doctor." The last question belonged to Mrs Singleton, who was filling in for an absent student. She asked Phillips whether he dreams in space. "I haven't remembered any dreams in space yet," he replied, "but that's normal for me because I hardly ever remember them on Earth, either." ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA: www.rac.ca/ariss (ARRL News Service)
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)
AO-51 to be configured in Mode V/S for Field Day (May 2 2005) For Field Day 2005, the AMSAT "Echo" (AO-51) satellite will be configured as an FM repeater in Mode V/S. The uplink will be 145.920 MHz with the 67 Hz tone enabled. The downlink will be 2401.200 MHz. To give users the opportunity to test their Field Day stations, AO-51 will be configured in Mode V/S during two periods leading up to Field Day. From May 19 until May 24 the satellite will be in Mode V/S in support of satellite demonstrations at Dayton Hamvention. From June 18 until June 26 (ie, the weekend and entire week before Field Day) AO-51 also will be in Mode V/S. These operating sessions will give Field Day participants an opportunity to check out their Field Day satellite stations ahead of time. The AO-51 team says working the Mode S downlink on AO-51 does not require expensive equipment nor even a satellite dish. Some operators have successfully copied the AO-51 S band downlink with minimal antennas, such as patch antennas, dipoles with corner reflectors or a simple 3.5-turn helix. If your downconverter's IF is on VHF (which most are), a handheld transceiver or mobile FM rig will work fine as a downlink receiver. The uplink antenna can be any good omnidirectional mobile system. If you have not worked the S band downlink on AO-51 previously, a few passes monitoring the downlink and practicing Doppler correction will be very helpful. The Doppler shift on an AO-51 pass is approximately ±50 kHz. There's more information available on setting up to use Echo on Field Day on the Web site of AMSAT Vice President for Operations Mike Kingery, KE4AZN. (ARRL News Service)
CQ Kids Day (Jun. 18 2005) Mark down Saturday, June 18th as your next chance to participate in the Kid's Day operating event. That's the twice a year ham radio holiday intended to encourage young people - be they licensed or not -- to enjoy Amateur Radio. How do you take part? That's simple. From 18:00 to 24:00 hours U-T-C, simply open your home station to some local kids. Invite them over. Call CQ Kids Day and let them talk to whomever responds. The idea of Kids Day is to inspire an interest among these youngsters in ham radio through a hands-on on-the-air experience. And who knows, one or two might even develop enough interest to pursue getting a license. Even if none if those who visit your shack never become hams, they will at least know what amateur Radio is and what it can do for the community. Again, the next Kids Day operating event Takes place on Saturday, June 18th. More information can be had by joining the Kids Day Reflector at http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/kids (ARNewsLine)
Retirement Villages and Ham Radio (Jun. 10 2005) For an increasing number of senior citizens they face a decision of moving out of their home and into other accommodation. A veteran radio amateur has rightly highlighted a shortcoming in the design of retirement villages, as Jim Linton VK3PC reports. "For many radio amateurs our hobby is an integral part of their lifestyle, and with retirement it's a time for them to look forward to having even more enjoyment from amateur radio. In the letters page of Victorian Senior newspaper, Rodney Champness VK3UG says he would be reluctant to move into a retirement village. This is because some of his personal interests are not adequately taken into consideration. Referring to floor plans of some retirement units, he describes them as having an inadequate single vehicle garage to suit a retiree with a mechanical hobby. They are simply too small to include work benches and storage areas. Any active retirement age bloke like myself, says Rodney, has virtually their hobbies taken away from them if they go into such accommodation. He asks: "Is this fair, and isn't the aim of the government and others to encourage retirees to remain active?" He also mentions that he enjoys amateur radio, which involves the installation of external radio antennas. These are forbidden by many retirement villages. Rodney makes the plea that retirement villages be more attractive to those with mechanical hobbies. If the retirement village industry takes heed of what Rodney Champness VK3UG says they're likely to find it provides them with a marketing advantage - because one size does not fit all retirement needs. (Jim Linton VK3PC) (W1ANews)
ARRL Field Day 2005 publicity information available (Apr 1, 2005) Field Day 2005 is the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26. Per rule 7.3.2, 100 bonus points are available to FD stations in all classes for bona fide efforts to obtain publicity for your Field Day operation from local media. ARRL Field Day 2005 publicity information now available for public information officers and clubs includes sample news releases and information on publicizing your participation in Field Day 2005. The page also includes publicity information for "National Take your HT Radio to Work Day" June 21, when hams are encouraged to clip their handheld transceivers on their belts or place them on their desks to raise awareness and prompt inquiries about Amateur Radio from co-workers. Amateur Radio Week 2005 is June 19-26 (ARRL News Service)
ANARTS WW RTTY / Digital Contest--sponsored by Australian National Amateur Radio Teleprinter Society (ANARTS), from 0000Z Jun 11-2400Z Jun 12. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SO, MS, and SWL, SO and SWL only operate 30 hours. Exchange RST, CQ zone and Time (UTC). QSO points are determined by an exchange table available from ANARTS. Score is QSO points × DXCC entities + VK, JA, VE and W call districts + continents (counted only once, not incl Antarctica). For more information: www.users.bigpond.com/ctdavies. Logs due Sep 1 to ctdavies@bigpond.net.au or Contest Manager Colin Davies, VK2CTD, PO Box 93, Toongabbie, NSW 2146, Australia. Asia-Pacific Sprint--SSB, from 1100Z to 1300Z Jun 11. Frequencies: 20 and 15 meters only (see Feb QST, p 99 or http://jsfc.org/apsprint/aprule.txt). ARRL June VHF QSO Party--from 1800Z Jun 11-0300Z Jun 13 (see May QST, p 99. EU EME Contest--any mode, sponsored by DUBUS and REF, from 0000Z Jun 11-2400Z Jun 12. Frequencies: 432 MHz, 5.7 GHz (see Apr QST, page 103). Portugal Day Contest--SSB, sponsored by Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP), from 0000Z-2400Z Jun 12. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB only. Exchange: RS + serial number or CT district abbreviation. QSO points: different country--3 pts, CT stations--6 pts. Score: QSO points × CT districts counted once per band. For more information: www.rep.pt/dia_de_portugal.htm. Logs due Sep 1 to REP-Rede dos Emissores Portugueses, Award/Contest Manager, PO Box 2483, 1112 Lisboa Codex, Portugal. GACW WWSA CW DX Contest --sponsored by Grupo Argentino de Radiotelegrafia (GACW), from 1500Z Jun 11-1500Z Jun 12. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (QRP <5 W, LP, HP >100 W), MS, MM. Exchange: RST and CQ Zone. QSO points: own country--0 pt (mult credit only), different country--1 pts, diff continent--3 pts, non-SA to SA--5 pts. Score is QSO points × zone + countries from DXCC/WAE/GACW lists. For more information:http://gacw.no-ip.org. Logs due Jul 15 to uranito@gacw.no-ip.org or GACW DX Contest, PO Box 9, B1875ZAA Wilde, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kid's Day Operating Event--from 1800-2400Z Jun 18 (see www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html). West Virginia QSO Party--CW/SSB, sponsored by the West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council, from 1600Z Jun 18-0200Z Jun 19. Frequencies: 80-10 meters, CW--35 kHz from band edge, Phone--35 kHz from General class band edge and Novice/Tech 10 meter segment. Categories: SO, MM and Mobile, all categories may be HP, LP (<100 W), QRP (<5 W), Phone, CW, or mixed mode. Work stations once per band/mode and WV stations from each county (WV mobiles keep separate log for each county). Exchange: RS(T) and WV county or S/P/C. QSO points: Fixed stations: CW--2 pts, SSB--1 pt; Mobiles: CW-- 3 pts, SSB--2 pts; Bonus--100 pts for QSOs with W8WVA once per band/mode, WV mobiles add 100 points per county activated with minimum of 1 QSO. Score: QSO points × WV counties (+ S/P/C for WV stations), add bonus to final score, multipliers count only once. For more information:www.qsl.net/wvarrl. Logs due Jul 20 to WA8WV@aol.com or Dave Ellis, WA8WV, 610 Hillsdale Dr, Charleston, WV 25302. All-Asian DX Contest--CW--sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League from 0000Z Jun 18-2400Z Jun 19. (SSB--Sep 3-4). Frequencies: 160-10 meters (160 is CW only), incl 10-min band change rule. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MO, Low Power (Asian stations only), Junior (JA stations <20 years), Senior (JA stations >70 years). Exchange: RS(T) and a two digit number denoting the operator's age. YL stations may send 00. QSO points for non-Asian stations: 40-15 meters--1 pt, 80 and 10 meters--2 pts, 160 meters--3 pts. Score: QSO pts × Asian prefixes (WPX rules). For more information and Asian station QSO points-- www.jarl.or.jp/English/. Logs due Jul 31 (Oct 31 for phone) to aacw@jarl.or.jp (SSB logs to aaph@jarl.or.jp) or JARL, All Asian DX Contest, 170-8073, Japan. SMIRK QSO Party--sponsored by the Six Meter International Radio Klub, 0000Z Jun 19-2400Z Jun 20. Frequencies: phone QSOs within the lower 48 states and Canada above 50.125 MHz; only DX QSOs between 50.100 and 50.125 MHz. SO category only. No repeater QSOs. Exchange: SMIRK number and grid square. QSO points: SMIRK member--2 pts, nonmember--1 pt. Score: QSO points × grid squares. For more information: www.smirk.org. Logs due Aug 1 to contest@smirk.org or Dale Richardson, AA5XE, 214 Palo Verde Dr, Kerrville, TX 78028. Quebec QSO Party--CW/Digital/Voice--sponsored by the Radio Amateurs du Quebec from 1700Z Jun 18-0300Z Jun 19. Frequencies: 80-2 meters, no repeater contacts. Categories: SOAB (150 W max), MO, QRP, VHF (QRP and VHF are VE2 and NA stations only). Exchange: RS(T) and Quebec region or S/P/C, /MM send ITU zone. QSO points: Voice--1 pt, CW/Digital--2 pts, VE2RIO--10 pts. Score: QSO points × VE2 regions and ITU Zones counted once per band and mode. For more information: www.raqi.ca/qqp. Logs due Aug 24 to qso-log@raqi.ca or Radio Amateur du Quebec (QQP), 4545 Av Pierre-de-Coubertin, CP 1000, Succursale M, Montreal QC, Canada, H1V 3R2. Spanish Islands Contest--CW/SSB/RTTY, sponsored by the Diploma Islas Españolas (DIE), from 0600Z-1200Z Jun 19. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Exchange: RST + DIE number or serial number. QSO points: Island stations 2 pts/QSO, otherwise 5 pts/QSO. For more information: www.ea5ol.net/die. Logs due 60 days after the contest to ea5aen@ea5ol.net or EA5AEN, PO Box 11055, Valencia, Spain. ARRL Field Day--1800Z Jun 25 to 2100Z Jun 26 (see May QST, page 100}. His Majesty King of Spain Contest--SSB--1200Z Jun 25-1200Z Jun 26; see May QST, page 99). QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day--1800Z Jun 25-2100Z Jun 26. Follows ARRL Field Day rules; see www.qrparci.org/contest.htm for more information. Marconi Memorial HF Contest--CW, sponsored by ARI, from 1400Z Jun 25-1400Z Jun 26. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, according to IARU band plan. Categories: SO -LP (<100 W) and -QRP (<5 W), and MO. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points × DXCC entities counted once per band. For more information: www.qsl.net/ik6ptj/marconi.htm. Logs due 30 days after the contest to ik6ptj@qsl.net or ARI sez. di Fano, PO Box 35, I-61032 FANO (PS), Italy. (ARRL News Service)
0000Z Jun 4-2400Z Jun 12, Wyabdotte, OK. The Bunker D-Day Reenactment Club, N5D. Re-enactment of D-Day landing with 4000 paintball players. 14.235 14.035 7.225 7.035. Certificate. Larry Strain, N7DF, 10 Mountain Vista, La Luz, NM 88337. www.oklahomadday.com. 0400Z Jun 4-0359Z Jun 19, Atkinson, NH. Atkinson Amateur Radio Club, K1D. Celebrating Kid's Day & Amateur Radio Awareness. 28.370 21.370 14.270. QSL. Peter Schipelliti, W1DAD, 7 Dearborn Ridge Rd, Atkinson, NH 03811. 1800Z Jun 10-0200Z Jun 12, Worthington, MN. Worthington Okabena Windsurfers, WØW. Annual Windsurfing Regatta and Unvarnished Music Festival. 21.375 14.275 7.275 3.875. QSL. Randy Shirbroun, 1745 N Douglas Ave, Worthington, MN 56187. www.wgtn.net/wow/index.htm. 1300 Z -1700Z June 10 and 1400Z-2200Z Jun 11-Jun 12, Fond du Lac, WI. Fond du Lac Amateur Radio Club, W9EBV. Walleye Weekend. 21.375 14.325 3.975. QSL. Dave Witt, WD9W, 1600 S Park Ave, Fond du Lac, WI 54935-8032. www.fdlhams.org. 1700Z-2300Z Jun 11, Stanhope, NJ. Nutley Amateur Radio Society, W2GLQ. Waterloo Village. 28.350 21.275 14.350 7.250. QSL. Nutley ARS, 169 Chestnut St, Nutley, NJ 07110. http://hometown.aol.com/kc2aup. 1200Z Jun 11-2100Z Jun 12, Hamilton, OH. Butler County VHF Association, W8P. Ohio Covered Bridge Event. 14.250. QSL. John DelaCroix, W8WCQ, 67 Woodcrest Dr, Middletown, OH 45044. www.qsl.net/w8cci/bc07004.html. 1200Z Jun 11-2400Z Jun 12, Cambridge, OH. Cambridge Amateur Radio Association, Inc, W8G. Ohio's Covered Bridges On The Air Weekend. 7.243. QSL. Cambridge Amateur Radio Association, Inc, PO Box 1804, Cambridge, OH 43725. www.w8vp.org. 1200Z Jun 11-2400Z Jun 12, Norwich, OH. Cambridge Amateur Radio Association, Inc, W8D. Ohio's Covered bridges On The Air Weekend. 7.243. QSL. Cambridge Amateur Radio Association, Inc, PO Box 1804, Cambridge, OH 43725. www.w8vp.org. 1400Z Jun 11-2200Z Jun 12, Camden, NJ. United States Power Squadrons and Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station, NJ2BB. National Safe Boating Week from the Battleship New Jersey. 28.367 21.367 14.267 7.267. Certificate. Donald R. Stark, N3HOW, 65 Stark Spur, Eighty Four, PA 15330-2547. Jun 11-Jun 12, 1500Z-0000Z, Marshfield & Wausau, WI. Marshfield Area Amateur Radio Society and Wisconsin Valley Radio Association, W4S. Central Wisconsin Walk for Sarcoma Relay Event. 14.268 7.268. QSL. Jerry Graebel, 624 E Bridge St, Wausau, WI 54403-3566. 0000Z Jun 13-2359Z Jun 26, Great Falls, MT. Great Falls Area Amateur Radio Club, W7M. Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. SSB 28.350 21.350 14.250 3.855 CW up 35 kHz on CW bands. QSL. W7ECA, PO Box 1763, Great Falls, MT 59405. www.w7eca.org. 1500Z Jun 17-0300Z Jun 19, Indianapolis, IN. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club, W9IMS. United States Grand Prix. 21.340 14.240 7.240 3.840. QSL. Indianapolis Motor Speedway ARC, PO Box 18495, Indianapolis, IN 46218. www.w9ims.com. 1500Z Jun 18-2100Z Jun 18, Effingham, IL. National Trail Amateur Radio Club, K9UXZ. The Historic National Road (America's first interstate). 14.240 7.240. Certificate. K9UXZ, PO Box 903, Effingham, IL 62401. www.nationalroad.org. 1400Z Jun 18-1800Z Jun 19, Dalton, PA. Northeast Pennsylvania DX Club, N3XK. 33rd anniversary of Hurricane Agnes. 21.350 14.250 7.250 3.860. QSL. Brian Mennig, KM3X, RR1 Box 308, Dalton, PA 18414. 1500Z Jun 18-2000Z Jun 22, Chicago, IL. Rotary International--Rotarians of Amateur Radio (ROAR), W9R. Celebrating 100 years of Rotary service to mankind. 21.310 14.293 7.280 3.955. Certificate. ROAR - W9R, c/o John Maier, W8AUV, PO Box 797832, Dallas, TX 75379-7832. www.ifroar.org. 1400Z-2200Z Jun 24, Sault Ste Marie, MI. U.P. Net/Wexaukee Amateur Radio Club, N8S. 150th anniversary of the St Marys River Soo Locks. 21.255 14.255 7.255 3.921. Certificate. Al Robertson, PO Box 202, Stevensville, MI 49127-0202. 1400Z -1800Z Jun 25, Emerson, AR. PurpleHull Pea Amateur Radio Club, K5PEA. Commemorating 16th Annual PurpleHull Pea Festival. 14.240 7.240. QSL. PurpleHull Pea Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 273, Emerson, AR 71740. www.purplehull.com/hams. 1800Z Jun 25-1800Z Jun 26, Rusk, TX. A Group of Texas Amateurs, W5R, N5R. Texas State Railroad operation during Field Day. 14.250. QSL. Stephen Hicks, N5AC, 900 Carnegie Ct, Allen, TX 75002. www.FieldDay05.com. 1800Z Jun 25-2100Z Jun 26, Brigantine, NJ. Shore Points Amateur Radio Club, W2HRW. Field Day 2005. 14.280 146.520 446.600 224.900. QSL. Shore Points Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 142, Absecon, NJ 08201. (ARRL)
EGYPT, SU. Gab, HA3JB will be QRV again as SU8BHI from
July 01 to December 31. He will be active on all bands using
CW, RTTY, SSTV, PSK and some SSB during many of the major upcoming contests.
QSL direct only via HA3JB (Kutasi Gabor, P.O.
Box 243, H-8601 Siofok, Hungary).
CY9SS DXpedition on the air after rough landing (Jun 9, 2005) The Daily DX relays a report from Robby Robertson, VY2SS, that the CY9SS StPaul Island DXpedition crew had a very rough landing this week. While coming ashore, the team lost a generator and three tower sections, and the landing craft’s captain hurt his leg. High wind and rain also hampered efforts to set up camp, but CY9SS has been up and running since early on June 8 on 80, 40 and 20 meter SSB (listening up). The DXpedition, scheduled to continue until July 7, hoped to be active on all bands by June 9. Logs will be posted to the Internet. A second wave of CY9SS operators is currently working its way north. CY9SS plans 6-meter operation. Listen on or about 50.103 MHz. QSL CY9SS via VY2SS, 57 Tranquility Ln, Bloomfield, PEI C0B 1E0 CANADA (ARRL News Service)
Les Moxon, G6XN, Inducted to ‘Amateur Radio Hall of Fame’ (Jun. 3 2005) The American CQ Amateur Radio magazine announced on 22 May the induction of 17 new members of its Amateur Radio, Contesting and DXing ‘Halls of Fame’. Among the 14 new members of the ‘Amateur Radio Hall of Fame’ are the late Les Moxon, G6XN, well-known antenna experimenter and author of HF Antennas for All Locations, and Phillip Smith, 1ANB, the inventor of the Smith Chart. (RSGB2)
ARRL accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO cards for DXCC credit (Jun 1, 2005) ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, says that despite reports to the contrary, the League is accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO Andaman and Nicobar Islands DXpedition QSL cards for DXCC credit. "A few cards have been rejected on the basis of incomplete information on the cards," he notes. "We apologize for any misunderstanding." Moore says that in the case of QSL cards bearing less-than-complete data (call sign only, missing time and/or date, etc) DXCC must see the actual card at ARRL Headquarters. "This is usual procedure," he explains. "Blank cards and cards missing information are always subject to inspection at Headquarters." He advises operators holding such cards to not attempt to fill in the missing information themselves. "Simply send us the card, and we will try to obtain the fill," he said. DXpedition team leader Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, has agreed to supply additional VU4RBI/VU4NRO log information to DXCC. "As always we strive to maintain the highest integrity possible in the DXCC program," Moore said. He advises patience to those expecting a direct QSL. (ARRL News Service)
CQ introduces “iDX” Award (May 27, 2005) CQ Amateur Radio magazine has announced the introduction of the “iDX Award,” the final component of its three-part “Waking Up DXing” program designed to encourage more DXing activity. “The iDX Award brings back and updates an old concept of introductory-level awards to help bring newer hams into the sport and mindset of DXing,” explained CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU. The CQ iDX Award recognizes confirmed contacts with 25 to 100 different countries--or entities--made using remote bases or repeaters linked with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks such as IRLP or EchoLink. Because virtually all new hams today come into Amateur Radio as Technicians operating VHF and UHF, Novice awards have been largely discontinued,” Moseson noted. “The iDX Award brings the concept of the Novice award to where newer hams are operating today.” CQ DX Awards Manager Billy Williams, N4UF, says the demarcation between wired and wireless communication has been blurred by modern integrated systems employed by public safety agencies and commercial users. "This blurring of the line between wired and wireless has already reached Amateur Radio in several ways--using the Internet to collect and distribute DX spots, propagation data and location information, to link existing VHF and UHF repeaters over great distances and to access an HF remote base station.” Williams says the CQ iDX Award will focus on the last two activities. “The CQ iDX Award recognizes the changing landscape and its inevitable effect on where Amateur Radio will be in 2020." Contacts must use radio on at least one end of the link to count for the award. Computer-to-computer contacts, while possible on such systems as EchoLink, will not count toward this award. Contacts for the new award may be made starting January 1, 2006. Complete details are in the June 2005 issue of CQ and on the CQ Web site. CQ previously introduced the CQ DX Field Award and the CQ DX Marathon as the first two parts of its “Waking Up DXing” program. (ARRL News Service)
Rockall Over the World (Jun. 14-21 2005) A new website has been set up by the radio amateurs who plan to put Rockall, the final never-activated IOTA island group in Europe, on the air next month. There is a link from the RSGB’s site at www.rsgb.org It is planned that MS0IRC/P will be on the air from Rockall between about 14 and 21 June, weather permitting, operated by David Wood, MM0ALM, and James Cameron, MM0CWJ. (RSGB2)
June 9 2005 ARRL DX News This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by NC1L, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews, DXNL, WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all. GEORGIA, 4L. Slava, US7IGF is QRV as 4L/homecall from Tbilisi until June 13. Activity is on the HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL to home call. JAMAICA, 6Y. John, KB4CRT will be QRV as 6Y5/KB4CRT from June 10 to 16. Activity will be on 80 to 2 meters. He also plans to be QRV in the ARRL VHF contest. QSL to home call. CROATIA, 9A. Gianfranco, I6GFX and others will be QRV as 9A/homecalls from June 10 to 13 from some of the Croatian islands in the IOTA EU-170 group. QSL to home calls. BHUTAN, A5. Takkuma, JF1EGV has been issued A52EGV by the Bhutan Telecommunications Authority. His license is good through August 8, 2005. He has been active on 15 meters using SSB. QSL via operator's instructions. PORTUGAL, CT. Le, EA7AHS will be QRV as CS0RCL/p from Culatra Island, IOTA EU-144, from June 10 to 12. He will have a beacon on 50123 kHz. QSL to home call. ST. PAUL ISLAND, CY9. The CY9SS DXpedition is QRV until July 7. Activity is on all bands, including 6 and 2 meters, using CW, SSB, WSJT-MS and EME. QSL direct to VY2SS. ST. PIERRE AND MIQUELON, FP. Tom, N6RA will be QRV as FP/N6RA from Miquelon, IOTA NA-032, from June 9 to 21. He will concentrate his activity on 6 meters. He will also participate in the ARRL VHF contest. He will be joined by Joe, K2VUI, from June 9 to 14, who will also be QRV as FP/K2VUI. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters. QSL to home call. ENGLAND, G. Members from the Warrington ARC will be QRV as GB0SGI from St. Georges Island, IOTA EU-120, from June 13 to 17. Activity will be on all HF bands, although their operating time will be limited. QSL via M0ANM. JAPAN, JA. JA4NVY/4 is QRV from Nino island, IOTA AS-117. QSL to home call. SVALBARD, JW. Jon is QRV as JW8HF and has been active on 20 meters from around 1030 to 1130z and then from 1730 to 2300z. QSL via LA8HF. SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS. HF0POL has been QRV on 20 meters from around 1800 to 1900z. QSL via SP3WVL. FINLAND, OH. Look for Juha, OH6OS, Toni, OH6TN and Pasi, OH6UM to be QRV as OH6M from Molpe Island, IOTA EU-101, located in the Botnia Gulf, from June 10 to 12. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via bureau. SUDAN, ST. Vlad is QRV as ST2VB and has been active on various HF bands. QSL via UA4WHX. ASIATIC RUSSIA, UA0. Yuri, RA0FU and Ken, RA0FW are QRV as homecalls/p from Iturup Island, IOTA AS-025, until June 15. Activity is on 40 to 15 meters, including 2-meters and 70-cm. QSL to home calls. Meanwhile, Look for UE0ISL to be QRV from Zav'yalova Island, IOTA AS-059, from June 11 to 13. Activity will be on 40 and 20 meters. QSL via operator's instructions. OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC. The following operation is approved for DXCC credit: Saudi Arabia, HZ1EX, from October 27, 2004 though December 31, 2005. THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The ARRL June VHF QSO Party, ANARTS WW RTTY/Digital Contest, EU EME Contest, Portugal Day Contest, Asia-Pacific SSB Sprint, GACW WWSA CW DX Contest and the REF DDFM 6-Meter Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend. Please see June QST, page 93 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for details. (ARRL)
Jun. 10- 24 2005 I.C.P.O. Bulletin Islands, Castles & Portable Operations - I.C.P.O. 10/06/2005: EU-170 9A/I6GFX CROATIAN ISLANDS -
10/06/2005: EU-145 CS0RCL/P CULATRA ISLAND -
10/06/2005: EU-101 OH6M MOLPE ISLAND -
11/06/2005: WAIL:LI-006 IU1PV PUNTA VAGNO LIGHTHOUSE
-
11/06/2005: EU-138 SM7/DL8AAV/P ASPO ISLAND -
12/06/2005: RDA:YR RK3UWK/3 RUSSIAN DISTRICTS -
12/06/2005: VP5/H.C.'s TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS -
13/06/2005: RDA:IV RK3UWK/P RUSSIAN DISTRICTS -
14/06/2005: LA5WJA/MM & LA7DFA/MM NORWAY GRID SQUARES
-
14/06/2005: EU-New! MSØIRC/P ROCKALL ISLAND -
14/06/2005: RDA:YR RK3UWK/3 RUSSIAN DISTRICTS -
17/06/2005: AS-066 UEØLBI BEL'TSOV ISLAND -
17/06/2005: UEØLPI PETROVA ISLAND -
18/06/2005: NA-057 HR9/H.C.'s UTILA ISLAND -
18/06/2005: VE3RCR/P KINCARDINE LIGHTHOUSE -
19/06/2005: CIsA VE3TPZ/P ISLANDS & LIGHTHOUSES
-
19/06/2005: NA-108 J6 ST. LUCIA -
24/06/2005: NA-024 J3/K5AND ISLAND OF GRENADA -
73 and Good Hunting!
Home of ICPO:
www.qsl.net/va3rj
Note: A complete list of Prefixes assigned by International Telecommunications Union can be found on the Trans Provincial Website: www.tpn7055.ca/callsign.html
W1AW, K1D, AO-51, to be On the Air for Kid's Day(s) (Jun 18, 2005) It's the second 2005 running of Kid's Day Saturday, June 18. ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW and perennial Kid's Day special event station K1D will all be ready. AMSAT-NA will sponsor its own Kid's Day event Saturday, June 11, on the AO-51 "Echo" satellite. With help from some area youngsters and fellow ARRL staffers, ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project") Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, will be at the helm of W1AW for the ARRL Kid's Day event, which runs June 18 from 1800 until 2400 UTC. Full Story: www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/06/09/3/?nc=1 (ARRL News Service)
NWS meteorologist praises ARES, SKYWARN (Jun 9, 2005) ARRL Minnesota Section Emergency Coordinator Don Franck, AD0F, says he was grateful that Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN teams were on the job this week when severe weather struck his area. "It is always nice to hear how ham radio steps in to help in time of need," he says, "but, it is even better when ham radio directly aids in protecting human lives. That is what ARES and SKYWARN are all about." Franck, who's also an ARRL Emergency Communications Course instructor and mentor, says it got personal for him after a severe storm dropped a wall cloud right into the field next to his home and later spawned a tornado. "Through it all, local ARES members gave freely of their time and vehicles," he said, "driving many miles across three counties to get the best spotting of the super cell thunderstorms." Observers endured one-inch diameter hail, 70 MPH winds and 7 inches of rain. Franck was at the Olmsted County emergency operations center for the occasion. The work of ARES and SKYWARN also drew praise from National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Todd Shea in La Crosse, Wisconsin, who offered another example of how storm spotters made a difference during the severe weather June 4. "A storm spotter in Clark County, Wisconsin, correctly reported to us a rotating wall cloud from a cluster of storms moving across central Wisconsin," he said. Shea says the report enabled NWS radar to focus on that storm, leading directly to the issuance of tornado warnings. "We were able to warn the rest of the downstream communities and neighboring county during the approximately 20-mile intermittent tornado path," he said. "A spotter can make a difference. Be proactive, organized, correct, and timely. I can't tell you how much it does make a difference and how much we appreciate the information." (ARRL News Service)
ARRL, IARU to be represented at first global EmComm conference (Jun 8, 2005) The ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will be represented June 13 and 14 at the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications conference (GAREC 2005) in Tampere, Finland. ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, will represent both the League and IARU Region 2. Chairing the gathering will be IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS. Conference participants will explore all aspects of Amateur Radio's emergency communication role, then prepare and adopt a statement to the International Telecommunication Union 2005 World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS). An initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), the conference's location in part pays homage to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations. The convention, which became effective January 8, largely eliminates roadblocks to moving telecommunications personnel and equipment into and within disaster-stricken areas. GAREC 2005 will be held under the patronage of Former ITU Secretary-General Pekka Tarjanne. GAREC 2005 Organizing Committee Chairman Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR, was among the speakers at ARRL EXPO 2005 during Dayton Hamvention. The conference will include presentations by the Amateur Radio emergency communication services of various countries as well as reports of involvement in recent major disasters, including last December's earthquake and tsunami in South Asia. The RSGB reports that a remotely controlled MT63 HF station will be on the air from the conference site using OH2PO or OH3AG. There's additional information on GAREC 2005 on the IARU Web site: www.iaru.org/emergency/garec.html (ARRL News Service)
Field Day Alert K6KPH to transmit W1AW FD bulletin for West Coast (Jun 8, 2005) For Field Day 2005 participants on the West Coast, the Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH will again retransmit the W1AW Field Day bulletin this year on Field Day weekend, June 24-25. K6KPH CW frequencies will be 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975 and 21.0675 MHz. In addition to sending the FD bulletin on CW, K6KPH will make digital transmissions both days on RTTY and AMTOR on 40 meters only (7.095 MHz). A Field Day bulletin transmission schedule, which will be updated as necessary, plus full information on Field Day 2005 are posted on the ARRL Web site. (ARRL News Service)
Nebraska Bill Would Effectively Prohibit BPL (Jun. 3 2005) Nebraska's unicameral legislature has passed a bill supported by telecommunications interests to ban "agencies, political subdivisions and public power suppliers" from providing any broadband, Internet, telecommunications or video services. This would include broadband over power line (BPL). The "Unicam," as it's called, approved the measure, LB 645, by a vote of 37-8-4. "So it's time for rejoicing, ARRL Nebraska State Government Liaison Bob Mitchell, WB0RJJ," said. "BPL is dead in Nebraska for this year!" ARRL Nebraska Section Manager Matthew Anderson, KA0BOJ, hailed the bill's passage as "great news." He also extended congratulations to the Nebraska Section team for its work in securing passage for the measure. "All of our contacts, letters, e-mails, phone calls and personal visits have paid off," he said. "This is indeed a great day for ham radio in Nebraska." Mitchell said even if LB 645 is overturned next year, he believes BPL by then "will have been superseded by superior technology that will not pollute the RF environment." The measure now goes to Gov David Heineman for his signature. Mitchell said it's unlikely that the governor would veto the bill. The legislation also creates a Broadband Services Task Force to study--among other things--"The need and necessity for the provision of wholesale broadband services, Internet services, telecommunications services or video services by agencies or political subdivisions of the state and public power suppliers." The task force will report to the legislature, the governor, and the Unicam's Natural Resources and Transportation and Telecommunications committees by December 1, 2006. The "final reading" text of the bill is available via the Unicam's Web site: www.unicam.state.ne.us (ARRL News Service)
ARRL and United States Power Squadrons Join Forces in Education (Jun. 3 2005) The ARRL and the United States Power Squadrons (USPS), a national boating and educational organization, will formally ratify a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 4. The MoU spells out areas where the two organizations can work together in educational activities of overlapping or mutual interest to their respective memberships. "ARRL and USPS have long and distinguished histories, both dating back to 1914, but both organizations have their focus on the future," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "It is a pleasure to be working together." Sumner signed the MoU on behalf of the League, while Chief Commander G. Leslie Johnson signed for the USPS. Among other things, the MoU calls for the League and USPS to assist each other in marketing, developing and promoting educational materials specific to the dual interests of the recreational boater and the Amateur Radio operator. In addition, the two organizations have agreed to collaborate in the development and distribution of promotional materials and to develop products to serve boaters who are also Amateur Radio licensees. With a mission of promoting safe boating through education, USPS--"America's Boating Club"--has more than 50,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across the continental US, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Japan. Local squadrons offer public boating safety courses on a regular basis. Successfully completing a USPS boating course qualifies boaters to meet the educational requirement for boat licensing and operation in most states. It's also a requirement to become a local Power Squadron member. Organized in 1914 as a non-profit boating organization, USPS is a world leader in speaking out for and promoting the needs of all recreational boaters. USPS teaches classes in seamanship and navigation to help our members improve their boating skills, confidence and performance on the water. In addition, through a cooperative program with the US Coast Guard, squadron members conduct vessel safety checks to make sure boaters have all Coast Guard-required equipment aboard. "This is a great way to introduce boating education to the thousands of ARRL members," said Don Stark, ham radio operator and USPS member. "Many hams are also boaters and see the value of continuing boating education. The USPS advanced and elective courses are a natural for this kind of study." Stark says USPS on-the-water events often are coordinated using Amateur Radio, so the match of boating and Amateur Radio operations and a good fit. "It's also a great way to introduce boaters to Amateur Radio," said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "Time and again hams have shown that Amateur Radio gets emergency messages through when other systems fail or are overloaded. The ability to have such a resource on board would make any skipper safer and better able to render aid if needed." A new Amateur Radio Learning Guide for boaters--a cooperative effort by USPS and ARRL--has just been released. The publication will be available from USPS and ARRL as well as through major book retailers. "This new publication is a great reference for anyone interested in ham radio operation, ashore or on the water," said Darrell Allison of USPS marketing. He cited GPS, APRS, radar and marine electronics among the common interests between hams and boaters. The USPS/CPS Amateur Radio Net meets Saturdays, 1700 UTC, on 14.287 MHz. A once-a-month 10-meter net takes place on the first Saturday of each month at 1800 UTC on 28.357 MHz. (ARRL News Service)
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