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48th Jamboree on the Air (Oct. 15-16 2005) JOTA is an annual event in which about 500,000 Scouts and Guides all over the world make contact with each other by means of amateur radio. It is a real Jamboree during which Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared, thus contributing to the world brotherhood of Scouting The JOTA is a world-wide event. Units may operate for 48 hours or any part thereof, from Saturday 00.00 h until Sunday 24.00 h local time. It is for members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), and also for members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Additional information is available on the JOTA organizer's web pages.
Letter to America – UK Amateur Broadcasts in the US (Sept. 16 1005) Radio Society of Great Britain member Steve Nichols , G0KYA, is broadcasting a monthly programme about HF propagation on US-based "This Week in Amateur Radio" This Week in Amateur Radio is a professionally-produced broadcast distributed via satellite in the US and on shortwave station WBCQ. It is also aired on repeaters in North America and is available as a downloadable MP3 Podcast. Steve, a member of the RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee, says that his broadcast forecasts HF conditions for the month ahead, providing details of paths likely to be available on each band. He also talks about aspects of propagation such as grey line, sporadic-E and low-band conditions. "I will also look at HF events taking place each month, including contests, special events or DXpeditions," Steve said. Steve - a professional journalist and broadcaster - also contributes other material to This Week in Amateur Radio. He recently presented a five-minute show about Marconi's attempts to span the Atlantic in 1901. The programme featured an interview recorded at the Poldhu ARC in Cornwall, home of the Marconi Centre. (RSGB2)
IARU Region 1 Conference (Sept. 16 2005) The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 conference took place in Davos , Switzerland over 11-15 September. Several members of the Radio Society of Great Britain were in attendance. Reports from this important conference will be published on the RSGB website as and when they become available. (RSGB2)
Amateur Community Asked to Give Katrina Emergency Nets Clear Frequencies (Sept. 5 2005) Several HF nets continue in operation to support Amateur Radio's response to the Hurricane Katrina emergency. ARRL asks all members of the Amateur Radio community who are not taking part in disaster relief or recovery operations to give these nets as much elbow room as possible--5 kHz or more on either side of the net frequency. Nets already are having to deal with less-than-ideal propagation, and any interference--even if it's unintentional--can make their job all the more difficult. Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau says the FCC has not issued an Emergency Communication Declaration (ECD) for any emergency net frequency. "Section 97.101(c) gives priority to emergency communications at all times," he points out, noting there have been very few problems with interference during the current emergency. Given the overall level of cooperation so far within the Amateur Radio community, Hollingsworth told ARRL that he does not anticipate the need for the FCC to issue an ECD. The FCC is aware of all emergency net frequencies, however. The primary nets and their frequencies are:
The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has been concentrating on emergency and priority traffic, although it has been handling health-and-welfare inquiries on the air and via its Web site. The 20-meter SATERN net has been activating daily at 1400 UTC and continuing until the band closes, with as many as 1000 stations are checking in each day. "Amateur Radio is absolutely critical in the operation," SATERN National Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, told ARRL. "We do all of our emergency communication on it, and this past week we have done a lot of rescue assistance." Given the fickle propagation this past week, it's possible that active nets may be audible one minute and below noise level the next. Also, even active nets experience extended periods of relative calm in traffic flow and may appear to have secured operation. So, the best approach is to avoid operating on or near known net frequencies altogether. In his recent statement to the amateur community on the Katrina crisis, ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, called on all stations who are active in Amateur Radio emergency nets to be professional and disciplined whenever checking in. "Net control is a difficult job at best, so be respectful. If you have traffic, fine, but if not, please stand by." McPherson says the thing that makes the SATERN net work is its interface with hams who are not traditionally part of the net but show up from all over just to help out. "It seems in these crises that the entire ham world is on our frequency waiting to help, and that is why we have been blessed with success." (ARRL News Service)
Amateur Radio Awareness Day to Feature Emergency Power Operating Event (Sept. 17 2005) What makes Amateur Radio unique is the ability to communicate with one another anywhere in the world--and even in orbit--without having to rely on any outside infrastructure whatsoever. Hams can even do this without even being plugged into the wall socket. Experienced radio amateurs take this capability for granted, but the general public is far less aware of it. So, an Emergency Power Operating Event (EPOE) on Amateur Radio Awareness Day, Saturday, September 17, will highlight Amateur Radio's ability to communicate worldwide without commercial mains, the Internet or a cellular telephone system. "What better way to mark Amateur Radio Awareness Day than by calling attention to this unique capability?" says ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "It is particularly appropriate since September is the Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month." Amateur Radio Awareness Day activities typically focus on increasing public awareness. Past events have included public demonstrations, talks to community groups and getting local media coverage. According to DHS, National Preparedness Month is aimed at encouraging Americans to prepare for emergencies and to raise public awareness about the importance of being prepared. This Amateur Radio Awareness Day, September 17, the ARRL will sponsor a 15-hour Emergency Power Operating Event for stations operating off the grid. "It is not a contest," Sumner stresses. "It is simply a demonstration of what we amateurs can do without having to rely on the commercial mains, and what we will do whenever the need arises." An announcement in September QST (page 49) spells out the details. The event kicks off at 1300 UTC on Saturday, September 17, and wraps up at 0400 UTC on September 18. The ARRL is inviting home stations to operate from generator or battery power. Portable and mobile stations also may participate. "We hope home stations operating on batteries or generators, mobiles, and possibly even some portables will participate," Sumner says, "although unlike Field Day, the emphasis is not on setting up a temporary station, but rather on operating your regular station on emergency power." There is no set exchange; contacts may be casual, but operators are encouraged to share information on their emergency power sources in addition to the traditional signal report, name and location. ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air for the event, running on emergency power from its 60-kW emergency backup diesel generator. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says the whole point is to showcase that Amateur Radio is prepared during National Preparedness Month--"and any time, for that matter," he adds. A special QSL will be available to stations contacting W1AW while running from an emergency power source. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with all QSL card requests, and indicate on your card the emergency power source used. (Address cards to W1AW, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.) "I hope we can work stations operating on emergency power in all 50 states," says Sumner. "It should be a lot of fun, and we may even learn something!" The League is encouraging participating radio amateurs or groups to invite local Citizen Corps leaders to see Amateur Radio installations in emergency power mode. "The two events offer great opportunities for Amateur Radio to showcase its valued service to the nation," said ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. She urges ARRL-affiliated clubs and Field Organization volunteers to take advantage of the occasion to set up public demonstrations of Amateur Radio and to present or even demonstrate--under the banner of National Preparedness Month--the free services Amateur Radio provides to the community. ARRL Club/Mentoring Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, believes a public Emergency Power Operating Event offers a great opportunity to recruit prospective hams for licensing classes clubs that may be forming this fall. (ARRL News Service)
GB2RS Celebrates 50 Years (Sept. 25 2005) (RSGB2)
UK: Icom supports Ham Commemoration of the Battle of Trafalger (Oct. 17-24 2005) Icom is lending its support to a special event celebrating the Bi-Centenary commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar. This by supplying most of the gear to a special event station which is being run by the Cray Valley Radio Society The station will operate from the
National Maritime Museum at Greenwich in South East London for an
8-day period from October 17th to the 24th. Icom
The battle of Trafalgar fought in 1805 is considered by many as one of the most decisive naval engagements in history, both tactically and strategically. It not only eliminated Napoleon's plans to invade England, but also destroyed French naval power and ensured the dominance of the British navy throughout the world. The Cray Valley Radio Society is no stranger to operating high profile special event stations. The club manned the highly successful Millennium special event station M2000A, making 48,000 QSOs in two months. For more details of the society, please visit www.cvrs.org on the World-Wide-Web. (Icom America) (ARNewsLine)
Sept. 16 2005 Tad Cook K7RA Solar
Update
Next week is the Northern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox. This period could be a good one for HF propagation, but only if solar flares quiet down and the sunspot count doesn't sink back toward zero. The sunspot number rose above 100 on Sunday, September 11, the first time it's done that since August 3. The source of all this excitement is a single, large sunspot group, number 798. This spot was just peeking around the edge of the visible solar disk on September 9, but by September 14-15 it was aimed squarely at our planet. The last time around it was much smaller and still emerging. Although not aimed at Earth on September 7, that day it produced an X17 solar flare--the fourth largest detected over the past three decades. Over the next week it produced eight more flares, each causing HF radio blackouts. Of course, VHF operators probably didn't mind all the disruption. You can check the 50 MHz Propagation Logger to see what they've been up to on 6, and The DX World Web site provides a further look back. Steve Lyon, WB6RIB, and several others sent in an article from NASA about all this activity in the year before the solar cycle bottom, titled "Solar Minimum Explodes." Over the next few days look for declining geomagnetic numbers, but fairly good sunspot and solar flux values. (Remember, HF operators generally want the sunspot and the somewhat-related solar flux numbers to remain high, with the geomagnetic A index and related K index as low as possible). Predicted solar flux for Friday through Monday, September 16-19 is 115, 110, 110 and 105. Predicted planetary A index for those same days is 25, 15, 10 and 10. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts active to minor storm conditions for September 16, active conditions on September 17 and 20, unsettled to active conditions September 21, unsettled conditions for September 18 and 22, and quiet to unsettled conditions on September 19. Ed Douglass, AA9OZ, is trying for his second 5-Band DXCC award. The first time around was as 7P8DX in Lesotho from 1986-1992. This time he wants to do it from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin--just below the 45th parallel on a peninsula extending into Lake Michigan. He aims to work 100 countries on 75 and 80 meters during the sunspot minimum, and he asked if the absence of sunspots might improve his chances on lower frequencies. Certainly the MUF (maximum usable frequency) is lower with fewer sunspots, so openings on 10-15-20 meters are much less common. But I seemed to recall Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, having something to say about the absence of solar activity producing better conditions overall on the low frequencies. Carl referred me to an interesting article he wrote for the September/October 2005 issue of The DX Magazine titled "Getting Ready for Solar Minimum." Among other issues, the article discusses what happens with 160 and 80 meter propagation passing through the auroral zone. This includes West Coast North America-to-Europe, Midwest-to-Europe and Japan, and East Coast-to-Japan paths. During the solar minimum, there is less chance of ionospheric disturbance in northern latitudes. Carl writes, "In general, a quiet high latitude ionosphere provides the best propagation on the lower bands for paths near or going through the auroral zone." Although this excellent article is not online, you can find similar material by entering a query for +K9LA + "auroral zone" in a search engine such as Google. One link returned was for our bulletin #8 from 2004, which talked about this same issue, and mentions that Carl wrote about this in the March 2004 issue of Worldradio. The Space Weather site has current conditions in the auroral zone north of North America. Terry Oldham, KH6MT, wrote asking about 10 meters--an often difficult band at the bottom of the cycle. He lives in north-central Florida, between Jacksonville and Tampa, and wants to know when 10 might be open to El Paso, Texas. He mentioned that the window used to run from September through April, but last year he saw no window at all. I told Terry about W6ELprop, the free propagation program for the PC, and mentioned he could plug in numbers for that path to see what pops up. I tried it, and over the approximately 1500 miles at this time of year, a sustained sunspot number a little higher than we've seen recently would help. Still, if you plug in the average sunspot number for the past week (71.1), according to this program propagation is quite possible. With about 10 more points, or perhaps going over to the 12-meter band, the odds look quite good. For more information concerning radio propagation and an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. An archive of past bulletins is on the ARRL Web site. Sunspot numbers for September 8 through 14 were 36, 59, 59, 101, 62, 95 and 86, with a mean of 71.1. 10.7 cm flux was 94.1, 99, 116, 109.7, 118, 114, and 116.6, with a mean of 109.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 17, 30, 105, 66, 51 and 25, with a mean of 43.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 12, 15, 53, 32, 26 and 13, with a mean of 22.3. (ARRL News Service)
Europe
The dominant feature of the past week was the continuing impact of the intensely active solar region we have been monitoring for the past two weeks. It generated six more X-flares, nineteen M-class flares and a host of lesser flares. To date, this region has by itself made September the most active month on the Sun since March 1991. So, even as we near solar minimum, the Sun can still stage an impressive display. This region also spurred a rise in solar flux, which stayed comfortably over the 100 mark throughout the week, averaging 115 - a gain of no fewer than 31 points on the previous week. The 90-day average rose a more modest two points to 93. The x-ray flux averaged B7 There was a high level of geomagnetic disturbance, starting with a severe storm on the 11th, when the Ap index reached 105. While this was the highest daily figure, fuelled by further flares and coronal mass ejections, there were active or stormy periods every day - giving an average daily Ap index of 52. Solar wind speeds were relatively high, probably exceeding 1000km/sec on the 11th and 12th. We cannot be sure because the protons emitted by the huge solar flares contaminated satellite data. Particle densities were generally quite low. The sustained ionospheric storming meant both HF and LF and HF were in very poor shape, with prolonged periods when signals were non-existent or weak and subject to deep fading. Aurora was reported on most days but became extensive only on the 11th and 15th. The best aurora was on the 11th, when it was reportedly seen as far south as Arizona and Texas. However, although most of the UK could make auroral contacts on the 11th, the opening did not extend as far or become as intense as the high geomagnetic figures may have led one to expect. One bright spot was a 50MHz sporadic-E opening between the UK and Poland on the 15th And the forecast? The exceptionally active side of the sun will be rotating from view. Flare activity could be moderate for the next few days but is expected the decline. Flux levels will fall and could well be back down in the 80s by next weekend. Geomagnetic activity will initially be above average but is expected to quieten from the 20th. MUFs during daylight hours will recover to around 22MHz in the South and 19MHz in the north on the quieter days. Darkness hour lows will be about 9MHz. Paths to Japan should have a maximum usable frequency - giving a fifty per cent chance of success - of about 20MHz. However, the optimum working frequency, with a ninety per cent chance, will be about 15MHz. The best time will be between 1000 and 1200UTC. (This report prepared by Neil Clarke, G0CAS, and Martin Harrison, G3USF)
SSETI Due to Set Off Soon (Sept. 16 2005) SSETI Express – the spacecraft designed by European students, including radio amateurs – is scheduled to be launched into space by a Russian Cosmos 3 rocket on 30 September. The spacecraft will carry a payload of three tiny satellites and will provide a radio transponder for the global amateur radio community. Radio amateurs will be able watch live images of the launch from a special website set up by the Home Counties Amateur Television Club, which operates the ATV repeater GB3HV. The official SSETI mission website is already up and running. This will have full details of the mission, the software, present orbital position and a host of other information. A number of web pages are also being developed to enable amateurs to locate SSETI Express once it has been launched, receive and download the telemetry and to forward it to Mission Control for evaluation. Later in the mission, it will also be possible for amateurs to transmit so called "friendly" commands to request particular telemetry or thumbnail pictures of the spacecraft. The SSETI team and the European Space Agency are keen to recruit as many radio amateurs as possible to help capture the telemetry. The European Space Agency will award a “very significant” prize to the amateur who gathers the largest amount of telemetry data during the mission. It will also give an "I heard it first" T-shirt to the station that sends in the first report. (RSGB2)
Young Japanese Astronaut Hopefuls Discuss ET, Other Topics (Sept. 15 2005) Thirteen Japanese youngsters had the opportunity earlier this month to speak via Amateur Radio with NASA International Space Station (ISS) Science Officer John Phillips, KE5DRY. The contact was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The contact between NA1SS aboard the ISS and 8J9YAC, at the Japan Red Cross Radio Corps in Wakasa took place September 9. Putting the questions to Phillips were members of the JRC Radio Corps-Wakasa branch and the Wakasa Branch of the Young Astronauts Club-Japan. One youngster asked Phillips whether the ISS crew could see the center of large storms on earth. "If we fly near a hurricane or typhoon, yes, we can see the center very easily. In fact, I saw and photographed Typhoon Nabi about four days ago," Phillips replied. The crew this past week also took photographs of Hurricane Ophelia. Another youngster wanted to know what Philips would do if he met an extraterrestrial. "I hope we can find some method of communication, so I can tell him we are friendly, we mean him no harm, and that we can start to build a friendly relationship," he responded. Asked about the time difference between the ISS and the Earth, Phillips responded: "Some scientists predict that there is a very small slowing of time due to the effect of relativity in fast moving objects, but at our speed this would be a change in time of only a fraction of a second during our six months onboard." Masayuki Tsuda, JR9INQ, was the control operator for the contact. A crowd of about 100 onlookers included several members of the news media, parents of the participants and others. The Expedition 12 crew of Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 1 in a Soyuz transporter. They'll arrive at the ISS October 3. (Full
Story: including photos on the ARRL web site)
"SuitSat," New ARISS SSTV Gear Arrives at International Space Station (Sept. 16 2005) An unpiloted Russian Progress cargo ship that docked with the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this month carried two new Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) systems among its 2.5-ton cargo of fuel, food and supplies. Onboard are the SuitSat Amateur Radio hardware and the Slow Scan Television (SSTV) hardware and software. "The successful docking of Progress to ISS on September 10 culminates the successful design, development, certification and delivery of these two ARISS Projects," said ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. "The ISS Expedition 11 crew will unpack this equipment, making it available for installation, use and deployment by the Expedition 12 crew." The Expedition 12 crew of Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 1 in a Soyuz transporter. The SuitSat Amateur Radio gear and a school artwork project are to be installed inside an outdated Russian Orlan spacesuit. SuitSat then will be deployed from the ISS during a spacewalk--or Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), as NASA calls the excursions outside the space station. Bauer says that's expected to occur in December. "More information on SSTV and SuitSat will be provided as we get closer to installation and deployment," he added. During its limited lifetime, SuitSat will beam down special messages and an SSTV image from within the Orlan spacesuit as it floats in space. SuitSat's radio system will allow hams and students to track the suit and decode special international messages, spacesuit telemetry and a pre-programmed SSTV image through its specially built digital voice messaging system and Amateur Radio transmitter. SuitSat will have transmit-only capability and will run on the spacesuit's battery power. As part of the SuitSat project, the payload will also include a CD with hundreds of school pictures, artwork, poems, and student signatures. Two identical CDs were flown into space, Bauer said. "One will go in the suit, and the other will be for the crew to review. Using the crew CD, we hope to downlink these images using the SSTV system that will be located inside the Zvezda Service Module once it is operational." The CD contains some 300 items from all over the world--Japan/Asia, Europe, Russia, Canada, US, South America and Africa. Several NASA Explorer Schools participated as well as numerous ESA and Russian Space Agency-sponsored schools. The ARISS-Russia team headed by Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, first came up with the idea for SuitSat, and the concept came in for extensive discussion during the joint AMSAT Symposium/ARISS International Team meeting in October 2004. The project--called Radioskaf or Radio Sputnik in Russia--is being led by project manager A. P. Alexandrov and Deputy Project Manager A. Poleshuk from RSC Energia. On the US side, AMSAT member Lou McFadin, W5DID, has headed up the hardware project development. Due to the challenging development time constraints, the SuitSat design concept matured and evolved quickly in the past 11 months. "In a very short timeframe, the ARISS International Team designed, built and tested a simple, yet fully featured system that we hope will inspire hams and students around the world," Bauer said. During the past several months, the SuitSat and SSTV systems passed the stringent NASA and Energia safety certification process and were deemed flight-ready--clearing the way for their launch into space aboard the latest Progress vehicle. The new SSTV system will be installed inside the Service Module as an integral part of the ARISS ham radio station, NA1SS/RS0ISS. It will transmit and receive JPEG still images from the ISS. When fully operational, the SSTV system will be able to send up to 480 images per day from the ISS as well as receive images from earthbound radio amateurs. "This system will utilize the already installed Kenwood D-700 radio and the ARISS antennas mounted on the Service Module," Bauer explained. He said the SSTV equipment flown on the Progress 19P flight includes the SpaceCam software, a radio/computer interface module and data cables. A dedicated laptop for SSTV operations will be launched on a subsequent Progress vehicle. "On behalf of the ARISS International team, I want to congratulate the SuitSat hardware development team and the SSTV development team on a job well done," Bauer said. "We look forward to future operation of these systems on ISS, inspiring the next generation of space explorers. Congratulations!" ARISS is an international educational
outreach with US participation from ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
(Full Story: including photos on the ARRL web site)
Get Your Feet Wet Weekend--CW, sponsored by FISTS CW Club, from 0000Z Sep 16 - 2400Z Sep 18. Frequencies (MHz): 3.610, 7.110, 14.110, 21.110, 28.110. Categories: Newcomer or Experienced. Exchange: Callsign/N (newcomer) or Callsign/E (experienced), RST, Name, QTH, FISTS number or power, last two digits of first year licensed. QSO Points: 2 pts for cross-category, 1 pt for same category. Score: QSO Points x number of stations with year of 2000-2005 (counted only once). Send all CW manually (no memory or computer keyers). For more information:www.fists.org. Logs due 30 Oct to hallin1@lanecc.edu (ADIF format) or Lee Hallin N7NU 3413 Walton Ln, Eugene OR 97408. ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, 0600 local-2400 local Sep 17-18 (see Aug QST, p 91) North American Sprint--SSB, 0000Z-0400Z Sep 18 (see Feb QST, p 102, or www.ncjweb.com). Scandinavian Activity Contest--CW--sponsored by Sveriges Sändareamatörer (SSA), 1200Z Sep 17-1200Z Sep 18 (Phone, 1200Z Sep 24-1200Z Sep 25). Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB (QRP <5 W, LP <100 W, HP), MS, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) + serial number. QSO points: EU stations--1 pt, Non-EU--1 pt on 20-10, 3 pts on 80-40. Finals score is QSO pts × Scandinavian call areas counted once per band. For more information: www.nrrl.no/7_english/start_e.htm. Logs due Oct 31 to la4yw@broadpark.no or to NRRL HF Contest Manager: Liv Johansen, LA4YW, Kolstadtunet 4C, NO-7098 Saupstad, Norway. Washington State Salmon Run--CW/SSB--sponsored by the Western Washington DX Club, 1600Z Sep 17-0700Z Sep 18 and 1600Z-2400Z Sep 18. Frequencies: 160-6 meters. Categories: SO (CW, SSB or Mixed Mode, QRP <5 W, LP <200 W, HP), MS, Washington Club Station, Mobile, Washington County DXpedition, SWL. Exchange: RS(T) and S/P/C or county (for WA stations). QSO points: SSB--2 pts, CW--4 pts. Work Portables and Mobiles from each county, log county line QSOs as 2 separate QSOs. Score: QSO points × WA counties (WA stations use S/P/C + WA counties) counted once only. QSOs with W7DX add 500 bonus points for each mode--total 1000 points. For more information: www.wwdxc.org. Logs due Oct 31 to salmonrun@wwdxc.org or Western Washington DX Club, PO Box 395, Mercer Island, WA 98040. South Carolina QSO Party--Phone/CW/Digital, sponsored by the Columbia Amateur Radio Club (CARC), 1300Z Sep 17-2100Z Sep 18. Frequencies (MHz): CW--1.805 and 50 kHz from band edge, Phone--1.845, 3.860, 7.260, 14.270, 21.370, 28.370, 50.125, 144.200, 146.58, 223.50, 446.00. No repeater or cross--band QSOs, work stations again from each county. Categories: SOAB, SC Mobile. Exchange: Serial Number and SC county or S/P/C. QSO points: Phone--1 pt, CW--2 pts, Digital--3 pts. Score: Total QSO points × power multiplier (<5 W ×5, <150 W ×2, >150 W ×1) × SC counties (counted only once) × SC counties activated (SC Mobile only). 300 bonus points for QSO with N2ZZ or KF4GHC. For more information: www.kf4ghc.net/scqp.shtml. Logs due Oct 18 to scqp@kf4ghc.net or CARC--SCQP Entry, PO Box 595, Columbia, SC 29202-0595. Mediterranean Islands Contest--CW/SSB--sponsored by the Mediterranean DX Club, from 1200Z Sep 17-1200Z Sep 18. Frequencies: 80- 10 meters. Categories: SO Island Resident, SO and MM Island Dispatch (Expedition), and SO Non-Island; CW, SSB, and Mixed (all categories except MM, Mixed only). Exchange: RST + MIA island number or serial number. QSO points: Island stations--5 pts, otherwise 1 pt. Score: QSO points × MIA islands counted once per band/mode. For more information: www.mdxc.org/contestmia/rules.htm. Logs due 30 days after the contest to ik8vrn@mdxc.org or Gianfranco Lai, Corso Umberto I°, 285/G, 80034 Marigliano, Naples, Italy, or Gianfranco, PO Box 5, 80034 Marigliano, Naples, Italy. QCWA Fall QSO Party--Phone/CW/Digital--sponsored by the Quarter Century Wireless Association from 1800Z Sep 17-1800Z Sep 18. Frequencies (MHz): CW--1.810, 3.540, 7.035, 14.040, 21.050, 28.050; Phone--1.910, 3.890, 7.244, 14.262, 21.365, 28.325 plus all VHF/UHF bands, no crossband or repeater QSOs. Categories: Mixed, Phone, CW/Digital. 15 QSOs with each station maximum and only one QSO with stations in home QCWA chapter. Exchange: Last two digits of year licensed and QCWA chapter or S/P/C. QSO points: Phone--1 pt, CW/Digital-- 2 pts. Score: QSO points × QCWA chapters + S/P/C counted once per band. W2MM counts as a 3-point multiplier on each band. For more information: http://qcwa.org/2005-qso-party-rules.htm. Send logs to w2od@aol.com or Robert Buus, W2OD, 8 Donner St, Holmdel, NJ 07733-2004. QRP Afield--CW/Phone/Digital--sponsored by the New England QRP Club, 1500Z Sep 17-0300Z Sep 18, submit a log for the best 6 hr period of the contest. Frequencies: 160-10 meter QRP calling frequencies, work stations once per band and mode. Categories: SO and MS. Exchange: RS(T), S/P/C, and NE-QRP number or power. QSO points: HP (>5 W) fixed station-- 1 pt, HP mobile or portable--2 pts, QRP fixed--5 pts, QRP mobile or portable--10 pts. QSOs with WQ1RP score triple points. Score: QSO points × S/P/C (counted once only). For more information: www.qsl.net/wq1rp/main.htm. Logs due Oct 15 to k1cl@arrl.net or Chuck Ludinsky, K1CL, 6 Prancing Rd, Chelmsford, MA 01824-1922. ARRL EME Contest, from 0000Z Sep 24-2400Z Sep 25. Frequencies: 2304 MHz and up, 50-1296 MHz, Oct 22-23 and Nov 12-13. (See Aug QST, p 91) CQ Worldwide RTTY DX Contest--sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Sep 24-2400Z Sep 25. Frequencies: 80-10 meters. Categories: SOAB (LP, HP>150 W), SOSB, Assisted (AB only), MS (LP, HP), M2, MM. Exchange: RST + CQ Zone (W/VE stations also send state/province). QSO points: own country--1 pt, different country, same continent--2 pts, diff cont--3 pts. Score: QSO points × S/P/C (incl WAE countries) + CQ Zones counted once per band. For more information: www.cq-amateur-radio.com. Logs due Oct 29 in Cabrillo format to rtty@cqww.com. Scandinavian Activity Contest--SSB--1200Z Sep 24-1200Z Sep 25 (see Sep 17-18). Texas QSO Party--CW/Phone/Digital--sponsored by Northwest Amateur Radio Society (NARS), 1400Z Sep 24-0200Z Sep 25 and 1400Z-2000Z Sep 25. Frequencies (MHz): CW--40 to 60 kHz above bottom of band, Phone--25 kHz above edge of General segments and 28.300-28.500, VHF--50.2, 144.2. Categories: Fixed Stns--SO-Mixed (HP and QRP <5 W CW, <10 W Phone), SO-CW, MO; Mobile (Texas Only)--SO-Mixed, SO-CW, MO. Exchange: RST + TX County or S/P/C or MM region. QSO points: Phone--2 pts, CW/Digital--3 pts. Score: QSO points × TX counties (TX stations add S/P/C). Multipliers counted only once. Add 500 points for every 5 counties from which a specific TX Mobile is worked. Texas mobiles add 1000 points to final score for every county activated with five or more QSOs. For more information: www.txqp.org. Logs due Oct 31 to k5cx@arrl.net or Texas QSO Party Committee, 16880 E Maglitto Cir, Tomball, TX 77377-8414. Alabama QSO Party--CW/Phone--sponsored by the Central Alabama HF/VHF Contesting Club, 1800Z-2400Z Sep 25. Frequencies: 160 meters-70 cm, SSB, CW, and FM contacts count separately. Categories: SO, MS, Rover, QRP (< 5 W), LP (< 200 W), HP. Exchange: RST and S/P/C. Work Rover stations in each county. QSO points: 1 pt/QSO. Scoring: AL stations--QSOs × states + AL counties + DXCC entities counted once per band. Non-AL stations--QSOs × AL counties counted once per band. Logs due 30 days after the contest. For more information, check the on-line Contest Corral at www.arrl.org/contests/months/sep.html for log submission addresses or contact w4nti@mindspring.com. Classic Exchange--AM/SSB, from 1300Z Sep 25 to 0700Z Sep 26. (CW is Oct 2-3) Frequencies (Mc); AM--1.890 3.880 7.290 14.286 21.420 29.000 50.300 144.300. SSB--1.855, 3.870, 7.280, 14.270, 21.370, 28.390, 50.125, 144.200. Exchange RS, name, QTH, TX, RX, XCVR, AM International number if available. QSO points: 1 pt/QSO. Total Score: QSOs × (number of TX and RX worked + S/P/C counted once per band) × CX multiplier (age of all RX TX and XCVR used for at least 3 QSOs). AMI QSOs count for CX score. For more information: http://qsl.asti.com/CX. Logs to WQ8U@arrl.net or WQ8U, 104 W Queen St , Hillsborough, NC 27278. Tesla Cup--CW/SSB--sponsored by the Tesla Radio Club from 0000Z-2400Z Sep 24 (CW) and 0000Z-2400Z Sep 26 (SSB). Frequencies: 160- 10 meters. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, SO-Assisted, MS, MM, Club/Team, with QRP (<15 W), LO (<150 W), and HP in all categories. Exchange: 4-digit grid square. QSO points: SSB--2 pts, CW--3 pts. Work stations once each 24-hour period. Total Score: QSO points × number of different first three digits of grids (i.e., FN2, CN8) counted once per band. For more information: www.computeradio.us/TeslaCup.htm. Logs due 14 days after the contest to k3bu@aol.com or Tesla Cup, Box 282, Pine Brook, NJ 07058. Fall QRP Homebrewer Sprint--CW/PSK31--sponsored by New Jersey QRP Club, 0000Z-0400Z Sep 26. Frequencies: QRP CW and PSK31 frequencies on 80-10 meters. CW and PSK31 are considered separate bands. Exchange: RST + S/P/C + Output Power. QSO points: Commercial Equipment--2 pts, Homebrew Xmtr or Rcvr-- 3 pts, Homebrew Xmtr and Rcvr or Xcver--4 pts. Kits OK as homebrew. Power Multiplier: 0>250 mW = ×15, 250 mW>1 W = ×10, 1-5 W = ×7, >5 W = ×1. Score: QSO points × S/P/C (counted once per band) × power multiplier. For more information: www.njqrp.org/data/qrphomebrewersprint.html. Logs due 30 days from the contest to n2cq@arrl.net (text format) or Ken Newman, N2CQ, 81 Holly Dr, Woodbury, NJ 08096. (ARRL News Service)
Route 66 On-the-Air
Duluth Aerial Bridge 100th Anniversary
Commemorating the attacks on the
Pentagon, World Trade Center and over Pennsylvania
Commemorating the World Trade
Center Disaster
POW-MIA Recognition Week
200th anniversary of the Discovery
Corps encampment on the route over the Bitterrot Mountains
111th Annual Big Rock Plowing
Match
Montgomery County Amateur Radio
Emergency Corps 50th Anniversary
James Dean Special Event and Picnic
Laurel Amateur Radio Club 30th
Anniversary
Osage River Antique Power Association
Show
Amateur Radio Christian Fellowship
Day
Cory Apple Festival
Halton County Radial Railway Museum
Special Event
Berlin Whiskey Rebellion Celebration
Discovery of Kensington Runestone
in 1898
7th Annual Reunion from the Biloxi
Beach Resort
64th Annual Buckwheat Festival
150th year of the Georgia State
Fair
(ARRL)
Mediterraneo DX Club introduces New SWL Section (Sept. 9 2005) The MDXC has been supporting IOTA since 1997. The IOTA Programme was established back in 1964 by the late Geoff Watts, BRS-3129, the only SWL ever inducted in the CQ DX Hall of Fame. For this reason, the MDXC is now glad to open a web site for SWLs around the world. Please visit:www.mdxc.org/swl and join us! (Dan I1-12387 SWL Section coordinator)
DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit (Sept. 8 2005) The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved these operations for DXCC credit: KH9/AH8H, Wake Island, for operations in 2003 and 2004; TT8BZ, Chad, March 31-August 23, 2005; 5X1B, Uganda, August 3-12, 2005. For more information, visit the DXCC Web page. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can answer most questions about the DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page. (ARRL News Service)
Rare Worked All Britain Square to be Activated (Oct. 10 2005) Kevin Haworth, M0TNX, and Keith Radford, G3SZU, are planning to activate an extremely rare Worked All Britain square – SD35 – near the village of Knott End On Sea in Lancashire on 10 October this year. They believe that this will be only the third time that the square has been activated. The reason the square is so rarely activated is that it lies within Morecambe Bay and is therefore under water for much of the year. Kevin and Keith plan to be active from the square from 1400 to 2100UTC on the 20/40/80/160m bands on both phone and CW. (RSGB2)
Isle of Mallorca (Oct. 1-7 2005) Ian GW0VML / GW1MVL shall be active
as EA6/GW0VML/P from Isle of Mallorca between 1st Oct to 7th Oct
2005. All activity will be on 14MHz, from varios lighthouses on the island.
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).
Sept. 15 2005 ARRL DX News This week's bulletin was made possible
with information provided by NC1L, W0CN, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX,
425DXnews, DXNL, WA7BNM
MONACO, 3A. Slaveck is QRV as 3A/SP2JMB until September 30. Activity is on all HF bands. QSL via SP2PI. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, A6. Ghis, ON5NT is QRV as A6/ON5NT and has been active on 17 meters using CW and SSB around 1545 to 1645z. QSL to home call. NAURU, C2. Roger, G3SXW and Nigel, G3TXF plan to be QRV as C21SX and C21XF, respectively, from September 20 to 25. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters, including the newer bands, using only CW. QSL to home calls. GERMANY, DA. Special event station DQ44FK is QRV from Rantum, Sylt Island, IOTA EU-042, until September 19 during the 44th International Association of Railway Radio Amateurs. QSL via operators' instructions. BALEARIC ISLANDS, EA6. Kurt, HB9XCL will be QRV as EA6/HB9XCL/p from Formentera Island, IOTA EU-004, from September 18 to 23. Activity will be on all HF bands, with an emphasis on SSB and the digital modes. QSL to home call. CANARY ISLANDS, EA8. Olli, OH0XX will be QRV as EA8ZS in the Scandinavia Activity CW contest. QSL via operator's instructions. ECUADOR, HC. Rick, NE8Z will be QRV as HC1MD from Tumbaco from September 19 to 26. He will be active on 40 to 10 meters, including the newer bands. He may also be active on 6 meters. QSL via K8LJG. GUINEA-BISSAU, J5. Gianfranco, J59OFM has been active on 15 meters using SSB around 1600z. QSL via IZ3BIY. JAPAN, JA. Look for 7L3ATQ/1 to be active from To Island, IOTA AS-008, in the North Izu Island group, from September 17 to 19. QSL direct to home call. WAKE ISLAND, KH9. Dan, W0CN will be QRV as KH9/W0CN from September 18 to 30 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via K9JS. WESTERN SAHARA, S0. Mahfoud, S01MZ has been QRV on 40 meters around 2145 to 2330z. QSL via EA1BT. SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, S9. Charles, S9SS plans to be active between 7150 and 7200 kHz to work North American stations. QSL via operator's instructions. SUDAN, ST. Dane, S57CQ is QRV as ST2T and is here for about a year. QSL via S57DX. NAMIBIA, V5. Klaus, DJ4SO will be QRV as V51/DJ4SO from September 18 to October 12. Activity will be on 6 meters. QSL to home call. CHAGOS ISLAND, VQ9. Larry, VQ9LA has been QRV on 80 meters before 0100z and then active on 40 meters using CW around 0140z. QSL via operator's instructions. INDONESIA, YB. A group of operators are QRV as YE7P from Karimata Island, a new IOTA, until September 20. Activity is on 160 to 15 meters, with an emphasis on 160 and 80 meters, using CW and SSB. They are active primarily on the IOTA frequencies on two to three bands simultaneously. North American stations QSL via K8SIX; European stations QSL via IZ8CCW; and Japanese stations QSL via JN6RZM. ASCENSION ISLAND, ZD8. Ian, ZD8I is here until June 2008. QSL via G4LTI. OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR DXCC. The following operations are approved for DXCC credit: Wake Island, KH9/AH8H, for operations in 2003 and 2004; Chad, TT8BZ, from March 31 through August 23, 2005; Uganda, 5X1B, from August 3 through August 12, 2005. THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The ARRL Emergency Power Operating Event, FISTS Get Your Feet Wet CW Weekend, Mediterranean Island Contest, SARL VHF/UHF Contest, ARRL 10 GHZ and Up Contest, Scandinavian Activity CW Contest, South Carolina QSO Party, QRP Afield, Washington State Salmon Run, QCWA Fall QSO Party, North American SSB Sprint and the 144 MHz Fall Sprint will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend. Please see September QST, page 99 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for details. (ARRL News Service)
Sept. 17-30 2005 I.C.P.O. Bulletin Islands, Castles & Portable Operations - I.C.P.O. 17/09/2005:
EU-004 ED6IHP ISLA DEL REY O DEL HOSPITAL -
17/09/2005:
DFCF:86016 F5KOI/P CASTLE MEADOW-NICE -
17/09/2005:
HBØ/ON6UQ, HBØ/ON7TQ LIECHTENSTEIN -
17/09/2005:
EU-024 ISØ/F5CWU SARDINIA -
17/09/2005:
USI:VA-029L W4CA CHRISTMAS TREE ISLAND -
18/09/2005:
EU-004 EA6/HB9XCL/P FORMENTERA -
19/09/2005:
NA-083 AH6HY/W4 TANGIER ISLAND, VA -
20/09/2005:
SA-006 PJ2 CURACAO -
20/09/2005:
ARLHS:BRA-130 PY1NEZ/6 CORUMBAU LIGHTHOUSE -
23/09/2005:
AF-101 SU8GFTN GIFTUN ISLAND -
23/09/2005:
EU-014 TK/F5CWU CORSICA -
24/09/2005:
7P8RH LESOTHO -
24/09/2005:
DFCF:91038 F4DTL/P CASTLE OF TROUSSEAU -
24/09/2005:
EU-011 GBØSM ISLES OF SCILLY -
24/09/2005:
OC-020 K7C KURE ATOLL -
24/09/2005:
NA-005 PJ7/K7ZUM SINT MAARTEN -
24/09/2005:
NA-005 VP9/K7AR BERMUDA -
25/09/2005:
EU-002 OHØP ECKERÖ ISLAND -
25/09/2005:
CIsA:ON-130 VA3SIE/P & VA3QV/P MAPLE ISLAND -
27/09/2005:
AF-016 FR/F6AML REUNION ISLAND -
28/09/2005:
SOTA G3CWI/P SHARP HAW & THORPE FELL TOP -
28/09/2005:
OC-NEW T32 FLINT ISLAND -
30/09/2005:
EU-015 SV9/DK3TNA CRETE -
30/09/2005:
NA-062 W4/DL3OCH KEY WEST -
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
ARRL President Submits Congressional Testimony on Hams' Katrina Response (Sept. 15 2005) ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, has provided written testimony on Amateur Radio's response in the Hurricane Katrina disaster to the US House Government Reform Committee. Haynie submitted the testimony to the congressional panel today "on the successful efforts of Amateur Radio operators providing communications for first responders, disaster relief agencies and countless individuals in connection with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort" on behalf of the League. "As has been proven consistently and repeatedly in the past, when communications systems fail due to a wide-area or localized natural disaster, Amateur Radio works, right away, all the time," Haynie's statement said. "This report is not, therefore, a statement of concern about what must be changed or improved. It is, rather, a report on what is going right, and what works, in emergency communications in the Gulf Coast and what can be depended on to work the next time there is a natural disaster, and the times after that." The congressional committee, chaired by Virginia Republican Tom Davis, is holding hearings on the Hurricane Katrina response. Haynie told the panel that upward of 1000 Amateur Radio volunteers were or have been serving in the stricken area to provide communication for served agencies such as the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army and to facilitate interoperability among agencies. "Trained volunteer Amateur Radio operators are also providing health-and-welfare communications from within the affected area to the rest of the United States and the world," Haynie said. "In the past week, the Coast Guard, the Red Cross, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency all put out calls for volunteer Amateur Radio operators to provide communications, because phone lines and cell sites were inoperative, and public safety communications facilities were overwhelmed due to loss of repeater towers and the large number of first responders in the area." Haynie pointed out that the main reason Amateur Radio works when other communication systems fail during natural disasters is that it's not infrastructure-dependent and is decentralized. "Amateurs are trained in emergency communications. They are disciplined operators, and their stations are, in general, portable and reliable," he told the panel. The ARRL President also put in a good word for the FCC's Enforcement Bureau for what he called "its efficient and successful efforts" during the hurricane response in monitoring HF nets to minimize incidents of interference. "The Committee should be aware that
this vast volunteer resource is always at the disposal of the federal government,"
Haynie concluded. "The United States absolutely can rely on the Amateur
Radio Service. Amateur Radio provides immediate, high-quality communications
that work every time, when all else fails."
ARRL President Jim Haynie's Testimony Amateur Radio Equipment Donations Making a Difference in Gulf Region (Sept. 13 2005) Amateur Radio equipment and supplies now arriving at the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief staging area in Montgomery, Alabama, are being turned around as quickly as possible and heading out into the field with volunteers. A team headed by Alabama ARRL Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, has been on duty for some two weeks now, overseeing Amateur Radio volunteer intake and registration and trying to satisfy the ever-changing requirements of the Red Cross and other served agencies. Sarratt says equipment that started showing up over the weekend is being inventoried and sent right into the field as needed. "The American Red Cross and other served agencies are very thankful and appreciative that we are helping them out," Sarratt said this week. "I have talked with several ARC folks who said they could not operate without us!" ARES and MARS member Matt Hackman, KB1FUP, was among a Rhode Island contingent processed over the weekend through the Montgomery marshaling center for duty in Mississippi. The New England volunteers were able to take advantage of the newly donated handheld transceivers, HF transceivers and antennas for use in and around Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Hackman said Red Cross personnel were using VHF simplex to keep in contact with each shelter. He and two other Rhode Islanders replaced operators rotating out of duty. "I was assigned to the First Baptist Church in Pascagoula, which is being operated as a feeding station by the Southern Baptist Convention," he explained. "SBC is separate from Red Cross with their own relief organization and own Amateur Radio support, but very well staffed and equipped, and we are all working together." The best estimate is that some 1000 Amateur Radio volunteers are helping out in hurricane-ravaged areas along the Gulf Coast and at evacuee centers there and in other states. For the time being, additional volunteers are being told to stand by, but that situation could change as currently restricted areas are reopened and as replacement operators are needed. Sarratt says he has registered approximately 100 Amateur Radio volunteers through the Montgomery marshaling center. Those still in the pipeline will replace operators already on the ground in affected areas when they rotate out, he said. Sarratt rescinded an urgent call for operators put out over the weekend. Sarratt said this week that some operators have been deployed from Montgomery to Red Cross shelters alone, while others have gone in teams of two. Amateur Radio has been the primary means of contact with the outside world for many shelters still lacking reliable communication. He noted, however, that some shelters do now have commercial telecommunication systems available. "We have deployed many great Amateur Radio operators to the field, Sarratt remarked. "Guys have traveled from all over the USA on their own dime to do the right thing and help others. I'm very proud of them." Sarratt said several "shining stars" in the field have made the volunteer effort work well and "kept Amateur Radio looking great." ARRL Louisiana Acting Section Emergency Coordinator Al Oubre, K5DPG, reports, meanwhile, that the emergency activation at the Louisiana State Office of Emergency Preparedness in Baton Rouge is winding down. Telephone and cell service around the state is slowly being restored, he reports, and Louisiana does not need additional help at this time. Operators from Wisconsin were expected to arrive September 12, while others were coming in from Western Washington and Colorado.. Oubre said when St Bernard and Jefferson parishes dry out sufficiently, the Red Cross will then be able to move into that area and set up support services. At that point, he said, more Amateur Radio volunteers may be needed. Amateur Radio stations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast have begun handling more health-and-welfare traffic. Louisiana Section Manager Mickey Cox, K5MC, says he and Benson Scott, AE5V, have been passing H&W traffic via the National Traffic System (NTS) using voice and digital modes and WinLink 2000. Cox is seeking outlets for incoming traffic bound for the affected areas. South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, reports Amateur Radio support for sheltering operations at the Houston Astrodome and other locations around the city is expected to be wrapped up by this weekend. Hams have been shadowing officials and shelter workers and providing a communication link with the Harris County emergency operations center (EOC). In Tullahoma, Tennessee, Jimmy Floyd, NQ4U, has been among a group of operators helping to staff a communications/command center for a shelter operation housing 170 evacuees. They've been relaying messages between the shelter site and the Red Cross center. "We have also been active in communicating with other shelters on HF and attempting to locate family and friends of the evacuees," Floyd said. In Rains County, Texas, some 60 miles east of Dallas, ARES/RACES member T.W. Ivey, K5IJT, reported his team has been keeping in contact with the county EOC via VHF repeater. Given its equipment limitations, however, the group has been unsuccessful in establishing communication with the Texas Guard, which provides shelter security. Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) Liaison Officer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, says TSA canteen are holding with their present complement of Amateur Radio operators and may not rotate them out of service. "As of today, as operators need to leave, we may just scale down," he told ARRL. "We thank all those who are assisting and were willing to assist, along with the ARRL and the National Fire Sprinkler Association, who pooled their membership for operators for us." He also thanked the American Red Cross for referring radio operators to SATERN operations. SATERN has continued monitoring 7.288 MHz and 3.965 MHz each half hour throughout the day and evening. In addition, the SATERN Net activates daily at 1400 UTC on 14.265 MHz. "I advise all radio operators to take the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications courses and FEMA home study courses so you are better prepared for the next time," said Schneller, who was heavily involved in the September 11, 2001, Amateur Radio response in New York City. Observed ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, "The Amateur Radio community has demonstrated an incredible commitment to public service. We should be proud of our efforts."
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