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The ARRL Letter

March 2, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  FEMA Needs Experienced New Administrator, Former Head KK4INZ Tells
    Lawmakers
 *  ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, is Hamvention's Amateur
    of the Year
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  WRTC 2018 in Germany: 500 Days and Counting!
 *  RSGB Says Regulator Ofcom is Not Resolving Interference Complaints
 *  ARISS to Swap Out Handheld VHF Transceivers on Space Station
 *  RST-Suffix Special Event is Back
 *  Past ARRL Midwest Division Director Lew Gordon, K4VX, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Getting It Right!
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions


FEMA Needs Experienced New Administrator, Former Head KK4INZ Tells Lawmakers

Now-former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig
Fugate, KK4INZ, told a US House subcommittee this week that the agency needs to
 have a new and experienced administrator soon, or it could lose its forward
momentum. That sentiment was echoed by House members during a February 28
hearing on FEMA's future held by the House Homeland Security Committee's
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee.

"It's not a good job to do on-the-job-training," Fugate told lawmakers. "It's
too brutal, and the citizens deserve better." He said that whoever ends up
heading the agency should understand that FEMA's role in disaster response "is
not about putting FEMA in charge."

"My parting advice for the FEMA team was to continue going big, going early,
going fast, and being smart about it," Fugate said in his written testimony.
The new FEMA head should build upon "the strides the agency has made since
[Hurricane] Katrina." During his time at FEMA, from 2009 until this January,
Fugate was a strong supporter of Amateur Radio as a communication resource in
disasters.

The hearing was the second in a series that will provide recommendations to the
 next FEMA Administrator. Former FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison also
testified. The officially vacant position is being filled for now by Robert
Fenton Jr., FEMA's Region IX administrator.

In a recent interview on HamRadioNow, Fugate focused on Amateur Radio's role in
 disasters, explaining to host Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, how he became familiar with
emergency management from the ground up, first as volunteer firefighter and
paramedic in Florida, and then as head of Alachua County's emergency management
 program for 10 years. That experience, he said, "was my first intersection
with Amateur Radio." He eventually self-studied for his license and passed the
test after arriving in Washington.

He told Pearce that FEMA supports state, local, and tribal governments in
emergencies and disasters, and will work with whatever resources are available.
 While it has taken advantage of radio amateurs and signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with ARRL in 2014, the agency looks at Amateur Radio "a bit
differently."

"We'll work with whoever's up and operating," said Fugate, who has not quite
taken off his FEMA hat. He said that could be an ARES group, a RACES group, or
an individual radio amateur who may have key information coming out of an area
hit by an emergency.

"Training is great," he told Pearce. "We shouldn't think it's exclusionary." He
 said FEMA needs to remain open to any Amateur Radio resource available,
"because that person may be the only one up and running."

Fugate told Pearce that under his watch, FEMA tried to be inclusionary, taking
advantage of the entire spectrum of radio amateurs, not just the
institutionalized emergency communication organizations. "If you have the
luxury of being exclusionary," he said, "it's probably not a bad disaster."
Fugate said that while he favors formal emergency communications training,
those completing the courses may not always be available when a disaster
strikes.

Fugate said now that he's home in Florida, he is hoping to have more
opportunities to pursue his interest in digital modes. He belongs to the
Gainesville Amateur Radio Society (GARS).



ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, is Hamvention's Amateur of the
Year

Dayton Hamvention(R) has announced its 2017 award winners for Amateur of the
Year, Club of the Year, and Special Achievement. Each year, Hamvention honors
radio amateurs who have made major contributions to the art and science of
Amateur Radio.


Amateur of the Year

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station International Chair Frank
Bauer, KA3HDO, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is Hamvention's 2017 Amateur of the
Year. Bauer has been a driving force behind the program since its inception. He
 also serves as AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight.

In the mid-1990s, Bauer proposed an experiment to have the high-Earth orbit
(HEO) AMSAT Phase 3D satellite (AO-40) measure the signal strength of the GPS
satellite constellation. The AO-40 experiment subsequently has been cited often
 in aerospace literature, as it remained the most comprehensive
above-the-constellation data source for nearly a decade and led to changes in
the system's specifications and applications. The results of the AO-40
experiment jump started a game-changing transformation in navigation at HEO/GEO
 altitudes, enabling new and exciting missions in these orbits.

A radio amateur since 1974, Bauer holds bachelor's and master's degrees in
aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University. His career in aerospace
spans 4 decades at NASA and within private industry.

In 1983, in preparation for the space mission of Owen Garriott, W5LFL, Bauer
was responsible for setting up and operating the worldwide retransmission of
space shuttle air-to-ground communications via Goddard Amateur Radio Club
station WA3NAN. This initiative provided a critical conduit of information to
hams attempting to contact ham-astronauts in the pre-internet era.


Club of the Year

The Clark County Amateur Radio Club (CCARC) of Vancouver, Washington, is the
Hamvention Club of the Year for 2017. Established in 1930, the club serves
southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. CCARC has been an ARRL-affiliated
club since 1932, and is an ARRL Special Service Club.

The club is active in community service. Under the club's W7AIA call sign,
CCARC members participated in eight public service activities last year,
running up more than 1,500 hours of volunteer service.

The club has an active and growing youth program; it supports the Boy Scouts of
 America and sponsored a Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) station in 2016. The club
also is working to establish a Communications Explorer Post in Vancouver,
Washington, as well as to license students within a local trade school.

In 2016, the CCARC licensed 95 new hams. It periodically holds "Ham Basics"
classes for new licensees and offers a dynamic Elmer program. It also holds
monthly interest meetings such as the "Digital Group," an open forum to
discover and explore the many types of digital modes. This meeting typically
draws hams from other areas.

The CCARC created the pioneering EYEWARN(R) program to provide visual situation
 reports to emergency managers. This program encourages all hams in the county
to "report what they see, where they are" in a disaster.


Special Achievement Award

S. Ram Mohan, VU2MYH, of Hyderabad, India, will receive Hamvention's 2017
Special Achievement Award. Mohan is the Executive Vice Chairman and Director of
 the National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR) in Hyderabad, India. Licensed
since 1988, he has conducted a number of experiments on HF and VHF
communication equipment and carried out propagation tests, organized training
programs, DXpeditions, workshops, and general Amateur Radio activities,
including public service communication.

As Chief Investigator for the Department of Information Technology, Government
of India-funded Pilot Projects, he has successfully implemented programs on
digital connectivity to urban, rural, and remote areas through Amateur Radio,
as explained in his "Study on Propagation Conditions in Coastal Areas and
Advanced Digital Amateur Radio Communication Network."

Mohan has led many emergency communication operations, including the Nepal
earthquake in 2015, Cyclone Hud in 2014, the Uttarakhand Floods in 2013, the
2009 Cyclone Alia disaster in West Bengal, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004,
the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, and the Orissa Super Cyclone 1999.


Technical Achievement Award

Rob Brownstein, K6RB, is the recipient of the Hamvention 2017 Technical
Achievement Award. Licensed in 1958 at age 11, Brownstein could hardly wait to
upgrade to General and get on SSB, but he soon discovered that he enjoyed
operating CW much more. So, he put his microphone aside and never looked back.
In January 2010, Brownstein was among about a dozen hams on several continents
who founded the CW Operators Club (CWops).

In 2012, he was elected president of CWops and served two consecutive terms.
During his tenure as president, Brownstein encouraged and participated in all
aspects of the club, from ragchewing and contesting to mentoring, through CW
Academy, begun in earnest in 2012. Since then, the Academy has mentored more
than 800 radio amateurs through its beginner, intermediate, and advanced CW
courses.

Official award presentations will take place at Hamvention, May 19-21, at the
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio.



The Doctor Will See You Now!

"CTCSS, DTMF, and More" is the topic of the just-released episode of the "ARRL
The Doctor is In" podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the
Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical
topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor@arrl.org, and the Doctor
may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or iPad
podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In". You can also listen
online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android
devices.

If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's guide.



WRTC 2018 in Germany: 500 Days and Counting!

Pointing out that World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 (WRTC 2018) in
Germany is only about 500 days away, the event's all-volunteer Organizing
Committee reports that while many necessary tasks are out of the way, much more
 work remains. So far, among other things, it has wrapped up the qualification
process, drafted official rules for the WRTC 2018 competition, evaluated 160
possible station sites, selected and tested antennas and antenna-related gear,
completed the first major round of testing, and inked several contracts with
major sponsors. Probably the top priority at this
point is to secure the remaining 40% of necessary funds to mount the
international Amateur Radio competition in the Jessen-Wittenberg region near
Berlin.

"Several of the component projects are approaching a stable state; however,
some projects are requiring more work than expected," WRTC 2018 announced on
February 26. "We are on schedule and are proud to be the host. A great number
of volunteers support the organization of the WRTC and dedicate many hours of
their time for this very special event."

Christian Janssen, DL1MGB, is the WRTC 2018 president. "For me as a part-time
organizer of DXpeditions, WRTC 2018 is like 65 DXpeditions; a major difference
is that we don't have to travel anywhere in 2018, rather, the world comes to
us!" he said. "For me, WRTC 2018 is a perfect, unrestricted way to bring
together a lot of different ham radio groups into one large project."

Committee member Rudy Schwenger, DJ3WE, who is among those with fundraising
responsibilities, said high expectations worldwide regarding the committee's
organizational skills is one thing that "occasionally makes me sweat,"
especially given that "we are up to now a very small group, too small."

Ben Buettner, DL6RAI, is overseeing IT services for WRTC 2018. "We are happy to
 have built a great team that maintains several different websites, provides 65
 logging computers for the online-scoring function, and created a custom
web-based application to manage data and documents of the 65 different sites,"
he remarked. "Expectations are high, and we are working on meeting them."

A World Radiosport Team Championship features approximately 60 two-person
Amateur Radio teams competing in a test of operating skill. The event is
concurrent with the IARU HF Championship in July, although WRTC rules vary from
 those of the IARU contest. All stations use identical antennas and power
levels and operate from equivalent sites within the same geographical region in
 an effort to eliminate all variables except operating ability. The last such
event was WRTC 2014 in New England.



RSGB Says Regulator Ofcom is Not Resolving Interference Complaints

Commenting in a UK regulatory proceeding, the Radio Society of Great Britain
(RSGB) has taken issue with assertions by telecoms regulator Ofcom that the
agency "advises and assists spectrum users to help resolve harmful
interference." RSGB said that, while Ofcom does advise complainants from the
amateur community and elsewhere, it is "usually only to the extent of advising
that they can do nothing and have no further interest in the case." The
regulator rarely uses its statutory powers to assist, RSGB said, responding to
Ofcom's proposed 2017-2018 Annual Plan.

The situation in the UK somewhat mirrors that in the US, where the FCC has
dialed back the number of personnel available in the field to handle
complaints. RSGB noted that when Ofcom took over responsibility for UK spectrum
 management in 2003, there were 100 field staffers dealing with interference
and enforcement work, supported by other enforcement and engineering personnel.

"Several commentators felt that was insufficient for the challenges facing the
threats to the radio spectrum," RSGB said. "Since then, the spectrum has become
 steadily more polluted as the number of non-compliant and faulty pieces of
electronic apparatus and equipment has risen, coupled with Ofcom's reluctance
to act against them, while spectrum use has continued to grow. Instead of
rising to the challenge, Ofcom has in fact constantly reduced staff until it
now claims to have just 30 field engineers for the whole UK. In our view, this
is short-sighted and inadequate."

Ofcom has masked this inadequacy, RSGB contended, by raising the noise
threshold for technical assignments for commercial licensees, something it
cannot do for the Amateur Service. Meanwhile, the sources of interference to
radio amateurs "are manifold and increasing," RSGB said, citing more recent
developments as wind farms, domestic solar arrays, and VDSL as the cause of
"severe problems."

RSGB said Ofcom's typical response "is to merely check that the individual
components are CE marked" and don't acknowledge that the electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) regulations require that apparatus must be compliant when
it's first placed into service.

RSGB said it hoped that Ofcom would reappraise its proposals with respect to
interference resolution, "taking a more positive line and promising to increase
 resources."



ARISS to Swap Out Handheld VHF Transceivers on Space Station

The 10th SpaceX International Space Station cargo resupply mission delivered
investigations to study human health, Earth science, and weather patterns last
Thursday. It also carried a new Ericsson 2-meter handheld radio to replace one
that failed a few months ago, disrupting the Amateur Radio on the International
 Space Station (ARISS) program. The VHF radio in the Columbus module was used
for school group contacts and for Amateur Radio packet, temporarily relocated
to UHF after the VHF radio failure. ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, said the new Ericsson radio will, at some point, be installed in
Columbus, replacing the Ericsson UHF radio now supporting APRS packet and some
school contacts. Bauer made it clear that the new Ericsson transceiver is an
interim measure for ARISS.

"ARISS is making great progress on the development of the new interoperable
radio system that we hope to use to replace our aging radio infrastructure in
the Columbus module and the Service module," he said. "The hard -- and
expensive -- part of this effort is just beginning, with testing and human
[spaceflight] certification on the horizon." ARISS was able to shift school
contacts from NA1SS to the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver in the Russian Service
Module. Cosmonauts use that radio to carry out their ARISS school contacts from
 RS0ISS.

Bauer thanked all of ARISS's partners, which include ARRL and AMSAT, as well as
 individuals and entities that have donated to the program. In December, ARISS
announced a "notable contribution" from the Quarter Century Wireless
Association (QCWA) to help support development and certification of new ISS
radio hardware.

The Ericsson MP-A VHF handheld transceiver that ISS crew members had used to
speak via Amateur Radio with students and educational groups around the world
for more than 16 years began displaying an error message last fall, rendering
it unusable. ARISS has said ARISS's new JVC Kenwood TM-D710GA-based radio
system, once on station and installed, will improve communication capability
for students scheduled to participate in educational contacts and related
activities. The new system also will allow greater interoperability between the
 Columbus module and the Russian Service Module.

In 2015, ARISS kicked off its first fundraising program, after relying on
support from NASA, ARRL, AMSAT, and individual donors and volunteers to cover
the costs of day-to-day operations and spaceflight equipment certification.
NASA budget cutbacks made it less certain that ARISS would be able to cover its
 operational expenses going forward. ARISS leadership initiated the fundraising
 effort with the goal of securing greater financial stability. The ARISS
website has more information on how to support the program. -- Thanks to AMSAT
News Service, ARISS



RST-Suffix Special Event is Back

Members of the North Country DX Association (NCDXA) are on the air for the
entire month of March from locations in Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest
Territories, Nunavut, and Greenland using RST-suffix fixed-station call signs.
Expected to be active are KL7RST, VY1RST, VE8RST, VY0RST, and OX7RST. The goal
is to promote Amateur Radio in northern North America.

The 2017 event, the second annual RST operation, features the addition of
OX7RST, as well as more rovers and fixed stations, new QSL cards, and
certificates. Plans call for operation from a Canadian research station near
the North Pole on Ellesmere Island, a diamond mine in Northwest Territories, an
 Alaskan bush school, and many other locations. Activity will be on all modes,
160 through 6 meters, including 30, 17, and 12 meters. SWLs may participate
too.

The object is to work or log as many NCDXA RST stations as possible from their
various locations. NCDXA RST stations will send a signal report and location.
Receiving stations should send signal report and state, province, or DXCC
entity.

Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW). More information is
available on K7ICE's QRZ.com profile page. NCDXA is also on Facebook.



Past ARRL Midwest Division Director Lew Gordon, K4VX, SK

Past ARRL Midwest Division Director Lew Gordon, K4VX, of Hannibal, Missouri,
died on February 25. He was 87. Although he had been suffering from cancer,
Gordon remained active on the air until his death.

Licensed in 1947, Gordon was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. After separating
 from the service, he attended Purdue University, earning a bachelor's degree
in physics.

An ARRL Life Member, Gordon served on the ARRL Board's Membership Services
Committee, including 2 years as chairman, and on its Administration and Finance
 Committee. He stepped down from the Board in 2000 at the age of 70.

Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, who later also served as Midwest Division Director, called
Gordon "a strong advocate for Amateur Radio," who served honorably in the US
Air Force and the CIA.

Gordon's first love was DX contesting, and during his active contest years as
W9APY, W4ZCY, and K4VX, his station made several hundred thousand contacts.
Over the years, he also mentored many young contesters, including three-time
WRTC co-champion Jeff Steinman, then KR0Y, now N5TJ. Among the other budding
contesters that Steinman enticed into the circle of K4VX operators was Dave
Patton, NN1N, now ARRL Field Services Manager. The late Bill Fisher, W4AN, was
another of Gordon's contesting protégés.

Patton said Gordon had a reputation in the contesting world for his high
ethical standards, insisting that operators at his station abide by them,
especially with respect to not exceeding the maximum legal power output.

"His strength of character and contest skills led to his selection as Chief
Judge at two World Radiosport Team Championship competitions," Patton said. "I
was proud to be a competitor when he was there, and we were sure that the
scoring was the best it could be."

Gordon has been published in QST, CQ, NCJ, and in several editions of The ARRL
Antenna Compendium. He said recently that he'd rather be known for the
antenna-design software he wrote -- YagiMax -- and for the various antennas
he's designed. YagiMax remains in use worldwide.

Patton said Gordon ventured beyond contesting and DXing, equipping a local
school with ham gear and teaching classes. "He licensed over 100 kids, and they
 all had tours of a real radio station," Patton said. "Lew was one of our real
true hams, and it goes without saying that he will be missed."



In Brief...


New Section Manager Appointed in West Virginia: Dan Ringer, K8WV, became West
Virginia's Section Manager on March 1. He was appointed to succeed Phillip
Groves, N8SFO, who stepped down for personal reasons after serving since July
2015. Ringer, an attorney who lives in Morgantown, will serve the remainder of
the current term of office, which ends on September 30. An ARRL Life Member,
Ringer serves as an Assistant Section Manager, Volunteer Counsel, and Local
Government Liaison and is a past Assistant Roanoke Division Director. ARRL
Field Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment in consultation
with ARRL Roanoke Division Director Jim Boehner, N2ZZ. The next new 2-year term
 for West Virginia Section Manager starts on October 1. Nominating petitions to
 run for this office are due at ARRL Headquarters on June 9. See the April
issue of QST for more information.


Xenia High School Closing on May 19 to Let Students Attend Hamvention: Xenia
High School has announced that it will cancel classes on Friday, May 19, so
students there can attend the opening day of Hamvention. The largest Amateur
Radio gathering in the US will take place in Xenia for the first time this
spring after being forced to relocate when longtime venue Hara Arena closed. A
message on the high school's website says, "Xenia will welcome Hamvention to
our community for the first time ever this year. Hamvention will be taking
place May 19-21. Because this is the first year of Xenia hosting it, we want
our students to have the opportunity to take advantage of all of the sessions
associated with this program. We also anticipate a large number of people from
outside the city coming to Xenia for the convention. We are excited about what
Hamvention can mean to our city."


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