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The ARRL Letter
June 15, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME
* State and Local Governments Honor Amateur Radio in Advance of Field Day
2017
* Spacecraft Probe to Listen for ARRL Field Day Signals
* Federal Register Publishes New MF/LF Rules, But Operation is Not Yet
Legal
* Fifth Annual Experimental MF/LF Outreach and Demonstration Set for Field
Day Weekend
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* Just 9 Days Until ARRL Field Day!
* Support ARRL as You Shop for Father's Day
* Quicker-Turnaround Digital Modes in Experimental Stage for WSJT-X Suite
* Bear is Unwanted Volunteer, as ARES Team Supports Colorado Road Race
* In Brief...
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
State and Local Governments Honor Amateur Radio in Advance of Field Day 2017
Each year as ARRL Field Day approaches, state and local governments have
traditionally taken the opportunity to honor Amateur Radio in the form of
various proclamations. This year is no exception.
* In Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval has proclaimed June as Amateur Radio
Month. Sandoval's proclamation cited the ability of Amateur Radio
volunteers "to provide their tireless service, personal equipment, and
technological capabilities in the interest of the citizens of Nevada and
the United States." He also praised Amateur Radio's part in encouraging
the pursuit of educational and career opportunities in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
* The Board of Commissioners in Palm Beach County, Florida, have
proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur Radio Week. The proclamation takes note
of ARRL Field Day's role as an emergency preparedness exercise, praised
Amateur Radio volunteers' "countless hours" in supporting communication
in the wake of disasters and emergencies as well as for community
events, and expressed appreciation for the SKYWARN weather-spotting
program.
* Idaho Governor Butch Otter has proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur Radio
Week in his state, to recognize those who volunteer to support emergency
communication after conventional telecommunications fail. Otter also
noted ARRL Field Day as an emergency preparedness exercise as well as a
public demonstration of "skills and readiness to provide self-supporting
communications without further infrastructure."
* In declaring June 19-26 as Amateur Radio Operator Week, Texas Governor
Greg Abbott noted Amateur Radio's contribution to technology as well as
at times "when other forms of communication may be unavailable or
unreliable, Amateur Radio operators have stepped into the void to relay
critical emergency information." Abbott concluded, "In times of crisis
and in times of calm, ham radio operators' commitment to community
remains steadfast."
* In Florida, Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed June 19-25 as Amateur
Radio Week, in recognition of Amateur Radio's contributions in providing
"a critical communications link" in disasters and emergencies as well as
at public events. He also cited the role radio amateurs play in the
SKYWARN program.
* New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu declared June as Amateur Radio
Month in the Granite State, citing the Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) program and Amateur Radio volunteer efforts in emergencies and
during public events. "Amateur Radio once again proved its undisputed
relevance in the modern world by providing emergency communications when
other systems failed in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and
hurricanes Sandy and Katrina," the proclamation said.
* The City of Poway, California, has declared the week of June 17 as
Amateur Radio Field Day Week there. A proclamation is to be presented on
June 17 during a ham radio breakfast gathering, at which members of the
City Council will be present. The proclamation cites the value of
Amateur Radio in providing public service and emergency communication.
* In Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner has proclaimed June as Amateur Radio
Month. His proclamation noted that Amateur Radio "provides excellent
volunteer emergency communications" for various agencies. It also points
out that "by continuous learning and experimentation, Amateur Radio
operators help to forward the science of electronics and radio-related
communications" and inspires young people to pursue career opportunities
in radio and electronics.
* In Massachusetts, Governor Charles Baker, has proclaimed June 24 as
Amateur Radio Day. His proclamation cited Amateur Radio's role in
emergency and disaster communication as well as its role in providing
"community support and technical training to local service clubs,
organizations, and interested citizens." In separate resolutions, the
Massachusetts House and Senate commended ARRL Field Day.
* In South Carolina, the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club (GSARC) on June
13 accepted an Amateur Radio Week proclamation from the City of Myrtle
Beach.
Spacecraft Probe to Listen for ARRL Field Day Signals
The Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e-POP) onboard the Canadian Cascade Smallsat
and Ionospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE) satellite will again support Amateur
Radio citizen science by participating in ARRL Field Day 2017, June 24-25. The
HamSCI citizen science initiative says that, from a radio science perspective,
Field Day is an ideal time for e-POP to study the structure of Earth's
ionosphere using participants' transmissions. HamSCI was started by ham
scientists who study upper atmospheric and space physics.
One of e-POP's instruments is the Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI), a digital
receiver with four 3-meter monopole antennas. Its scientific objective is to
study natural and artificial radio emissions from 10 Hz to 18 MHz. The
receiver's monopoles can be electronically configured into a crossed-dipole
setup, and it has two data channels -- one for each dipole. Each channel is
sampled at 62.5 kHz and passed through a 30-kHz bandpass.
During Field Day 2015, the receiver was activated for 2 minutes while e-POP was
just north of Milwaukee, on a southeasterly heading. It was in a
crossed-dipole configuration, with its two channels tuned to 3.525 and 7.525
MHz, respectively. A spectrogram that summarizes the results shows that not
only were CW transmissions visible on the 40-meter channel (B), but they were
only observed for about the first 30 seconds, even though the Reverse Beacon
Network (RBN) showed that these stations transmitted throughout the experiment
period. No signals were received on the 80-meter channel (A), and, at least
theoretically, those signals should not have been able to penetrate the
ionosphere and propagate to the receiver during the experiment.
The signals heard can be used to study HF propagation, and the advantage of
using Amateur Radio transmissions is that call signs readily identify a
signal's source, which can be fed into a HF ray trace model, and then used to
elucidate the properties of the ionosphere during the experiment. During Field
Day 2015, 23 call signs were identified.
One hypothesis under investigation is that the ham signals disappeared as the
spacecraft headed south into latitudes where the ionosphere was denser and
blocked the transmissions.
For Field Day 2017, e-POP will dedicate all of its resources to studying HF
radio wave propagation using ham radio transmissions. The Radio Receiver
Instrument rwill be tuned to the 40- and 80-meter CW bands, although precise
frequencies have not yet been determined. It is scheduled to be activated six
times, in 10-minute increments, over Field Day weekend.
Federal Register Publishes New MF/LF Rules, But Operation is Not Yet Legal
The FCC Report and Order (R&O) spelling out operational rules to allow
secondary Amateur Radio access to 630 meters and 2,200 meters now has appeared
in the Federal Register, but radio amateurs still may not access the new bands.
That's because specific procedures specific procedures, now under development,
to detail how radio amateurs will notify the Utilities Technology Council
(UTC) of their proposed station location prior to commencing operation, still
must undergo approval. The FCC said the notification requirement is necessary
to confirm that a station is not located within 1 kilometer of an active power
line communication (PLC) system.
"While the R&O has been published in the Federal Register, amateurs may not
begin using the new bands until after the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau issues a Public Notice outlining necessary procedures to notify UTC of
pending operation, as the new rules require," ARRL Regulatory Information
Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said. "There is no timetable for that Public
Notice to be released. Amateurs need to practice patience."
The FCC said the notification requirements it adopted "seek to strike a balance
between amateur operations used for experimental purposes and PLC operation
used by electric utilities for the reliability and security of electric service
to the public." Once notification procedures are in place, radio amateurs
intending to operate on either band will notify UTC of their geographical
location. If UTC does not object within 30 days, amateur operation may
commence. The FCC turned away an ARRL request for direct access to the PLC
database that UTC maintains.
Once UTC has developed the new information collection procedures, the FCC must
submit them for review to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). "The
Commission will publish a separate notice in the Federal Register, inviting
comment on the new information collection requirements adopted herein," the FCC
said in the R&O. "The requirements will not go into effect until OMB has
approved [the notification procedures] and the Commission has published a
notice announcing the effective date of the information collection
requirements."
In an unrelated action, the FCC allocated 1,900-2,000 kHz to the maritime
mobile service (MMS) on a primary basis for non-Federal use in ITU Regions 2
and 3, and limited the use of this allocation to radio buoys on the open sea
and the Great Lakes. Amateur Radio was upgraded from secondary to primary in
the 1900-2000 kHz segment in 2015.
Fifth Annual Experimental MF/LF Outreach and Demonstration Set for Field Day
Weekend
Again this year, several radio amateurs who also hold FCC Part 5 Experimental
licenses for 630 and 2,200 meters will transmit Field Day greetings throughout
Field Day weekend, June 24-25.
"This event has been organized for the fifth consecutive year to promote
awareness of the new MF and LF amateur allocations ahead of the opening of the
bands to hams in the US," John Langridge, KB5NJD/WB2XIQ, told ARRL. "It's an
opportunity where hams and ham gear come together for a fun weekend, and we
hope to add yet another layer to the mix."
Participating stations will be on from throughout the US, including Alaska.
Additional details and operational status will be posted as they become
available.
Langridge encouraged Field Day stations to use HF rigs that include general
coverage receivers capable of listening below 500 kHz, coupled to "whatever
antennas they might have on site to listen for these stations and others." He
said HF dipoles and verticals are probably best, with any antenna tuners placed
in bypass mode.
"Let's face it: It's summer, and noise is high, so some groups will have more
success than others, particularly on skywave paths at night when the noise
level increases tremendously," Langridge said, "but we have found that the
exposure to these bands through this event has been quite high in previous
years."
"I hope there are a lot of impromptu attempts to copy these stations,"
Langridge said. "It's a very good engineering exercise for those who like to
build antennas on the fly to increase their signal-to-noise ratio."
Reports are requested and may be sent to respective station operators, but
stations are also encouraged to enter reports on the online QSO/Reception
Report Form for the ARRL 600 Meter Experimental Group, WD2XSH. They also can
earn Field Day points by sending NTS traffic to ARRL (225 Main St., Newington,
CT 06111; 860-594-0200) indicating which stations were heard.
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"The Mystery of Sporadic E" is the topic of the current 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.
Just ahead: "Generators."
Just 9 Days Until ARRL Field Day!
ARRL Field Day -- the most popular on-the-air operating event in Amateur Radio
-- is almost here, and official gear and supplies are still available from
ARRL. Shirts, hats, pins, patches, stickers, and coffee mugs are a great way to
acknowledge -- and commemorate -- your participation in this annual event. Two
t-shirt color options are available for 2017 -- red and white. Order one or
both!
Encourage family, friends, and fellow hams to take part in ARRL Field Day with
recruitment posters and attractive "Get on the Air" (GOTA) pins for newcomers.
All items are available while supplies last.
Get your 2017 ARRL Field Day supplies from the ARRL online store or by calling
888-277-5289 in the US, Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time
(outside the US, call 860-594-0355).
The complete 2017 ARRL Field Day packet is online. For forms, rules, bands, log
submissions, and more, visit www.arrl.org/FieldDay. ARRL encourages
participants to register their Field Day operations using the FD Site Locator.
If you have questions about Field Day, e-mail them or call 860-594-0232.
Support ARRL as You Shop for Father's Day
Father's Day is Sunday, June 18. If you're looking for the perfect gift, we
invite you to shop at AmazonSmile and choose American Radio Relay League Inc.
(ARRL) as the charity to support. With every purchase you make at AmazonSmile,
Amazon will make a contribution to ARRL.
This helps the League to extend its reach in public service, advocacy,
education, technology, and membership. Amazon has a large variety of gifts that
are perfect for Father's Day, including electronics, clothing, and more. Make
Dad's day. Get him something special while supporting Amateur Radio and ARRL.
Bookmark ARRL's link and support Amateur Radio and ARRL every time you shop
online.
Quicker-Turnaround Digital Modes in Experimental Stage for WSJT-X Suite
Recent sporadic-E propagation openings on 6 meters and elsewhere have
demonstrated the need for a digital mode with a faster turnaround time than
what is offered by currently available software versions. A recent WSJT-X
reflector discussion allowed that, while the slow 'JT modes like JT65 and JT9
have excellent sensitivity, their nearly 1-minute-long transmissions may not
permit completion of a contact when evanescent signals pop up and quickly
disappear under certain E-skip conditions. MSK144 and the fast JT9 submodes
allow much shorter transmissions, but they do not offer the multi-decode
capability that JT65 users find so effective. Iain MacDonnell, N6ML, was among
those remarking that, while the use of JT65 for working E-skip on 6 meters has
really taken off, it's too slow to be practical for openings that only last a
couple of minutes or so.
Joe Dzekevich, K1YOW, of Harvard, Massachusetts, sounded a similar theme. "A
few days ago we had a great opening on 6 meters, especially here in the New
England area, given our latitude," he noted. "I often find that often one
cannot complete a QSO due to QSB and the ins and outs of Es. Yet, being a
propagation buff, I love the idea that I can leave the rig on 50.276 in JT65
mode and then see who I hear throughout the day via PSK Reporter."
WSJT-X developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, weighed in to express his appreciation to
all who shared their ideas and experiences using JT9 and JT65 modes during
recent multi-hop E-skip openings on 6 meters.
"We are very much aware that a mode with most of the excellent characteristics
of JT65, but with faster turnaround time, would be a big winner in such
situations," Taylor commented on behalf of the WSJT-X development team. "We are
experimenting with several such possibilities. Tentative goals include
15-second T/R sequences, sensitivity around S/N = -20 dB, occupied bandwidth
less than that of JT65, and capability to decode as many as 10 or 20 signals in
a 2-kHz bandwidth."
But, Taylor added, developing new modes takes a lot of time, and results are
not guaranteed. "We will report significant progress if and when available," he
pledged. -- Thanks to Joe Taylor, K1JT
Bear is Unwanted Volunteer, as ARES Team Supports Colorado Road Race
Lots of things can go awry when Amateur Radio volunteers are supporting public
service events, from technical and weather problems to lost or injured
participants. The 2017 Garden of the Gods 10-mile and 10-kilometer races in
Colorado was no exception. On Sunday, June 11, the Pikes Peak Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) deployed a dozen operators to support more than 1,400
runners in scenic Garden of the Gods Park just west of Colorado Springs. John
Bloodgood, KD0SFY, Region 2, District 2 Emergency Coordinator and Public
Information Officer said all was going well, with cooperative weather and only
a slight delay due to traffic -- nothing out of the ordinary.
"The real excitement came when a couple of the reporting positions called in to
report that a bear was on the course," Bloodgood said. "Bears are not uncommon
in this area, and most of the locals aren't too fazed by them; we know they
will be out foraging this time of year." But for runners unfamiliar with the
lay of the land there, the sudden appearance of a bear can be alarming, he
added.
"This bear was apparently trying to get across the road and wasn't quite sure
why all these people were running through its home so early on a Sunday
morning," Bloodgood said. "It finally saw a gap between groups of runners and
dashed across the road, but not before local runner Donald Sanborn managed to
get a few pictures of it. In the end, the problem resolved itself before any
intervention was necessary."
Bloodgood said Dan Huber, KN0MAP, saw the bear and was the first operator to
call it in. Matthew Bowker, KD0THF, reported it based on reports from runners.
Bloodgood said the ARES volunteers tracked the first three male and female
runners from both the 10-mile and the 10-kilometer races, reported on any
medical issues, supported aid station logistics, helped to ensure the course
was clear, tracked the last runners, and provided an operator on a bicycle for
the sweep function.
Bears notwithstanding, Bloodgood said the event has been a fairly easy one to
support and offers a good training ground for less-experienced operators. "Our
most intense and demanding events, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
(vehicle race) and Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon (half and full marathons) are
coming up," he added.
In Brief...
Kids Day is Sunday, June 18: Kids Day, sponsored by the Boring (Oregon) Amateur
Radio Club, is the perfect way to introduce a young person to the magic of
Amateur Radio. Open your doors, serve some hot dogs or pizza, and let the
youngsters find out what Amateur Radio is all about -- perhaps tracking
stations they hear or work on a map or coloring in a map of states contacted.
Or, help them build something, such as a simple kit. The event kicks off at
1800 UTC and runs through 2400 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.
The suggested exchange is name, age, location, and favorite color. It's okay to
work the same station more than once if the operator has changed. To attract
attention, call "CQ Kids Day." Suggested frequencies: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz,
24.960 to 24.980 MHz, 21.360 to 21.400 MHz, 18.140 to 18.145 MHz, 14.270 to
14.300 MHz, 7.270 to 7.290 MHz, 3.740 to 3.940 MHz, as well as your favorite
2-meter repeater (with permission of the repeater's sponsor). Be sure to
observe third-party restrictions when making DX contacts. More information,
along with a free participation certificate you can fill out and print
yourself, is on the ARRL website. Take some time to inspire the next generation
of potential radio amateurs!
ARRL Donors Feted at Dayton Reception: The 17th Annual ARRL Donor Recognition
Reception took place on May 18 at America's Packard Museum in Dayton. Guests
included ARRL's most generous supporters, including Maxim Society and Legacy
Circle members. QST Contributing Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, was the keynote
speaker, and Maxim Society members received special recognition. ARRL CEO Tom
Gallagher, NY2RF, and ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, welcomed guests.
Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) Treasurer, Mike Kalter, W8CI, presented
the club's 2017 pledge payment to members of the ARRL Second Century Campaign
(SCC) committee who were present that evening. DARA has made a $100,000
commitment to support ARRL's Endowment. Photos from the ARRL Donor Recognition
Reception are available online.
Amateur Radio Net Activated in Wake of Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake in Guatemala:
An Amateur Radio net has been activated in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9
earthquake early this morning (June 14) some 10 kilometers from Malacatán.
According to information relayed by Dani Ardon, TG9AMD, of the Radio Amateurs
Club of Guatemala (CRAG), "At the moment, neither major damage nor reports of
any victims have been reported." Ardon said the net has been monitoring 7.090
MHz as well as the 146.88 MHz CRAG Network frequency. Stations in Panama,
Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras are reported to be ready to provide any
needed assistance. The US Geological Survey (USGS) points out that Central
America is "very seismically active." The USGS said the earthquake "occurred as
the result of normal faulting at an intermediate depth, approximately 100
kilometers beneath the surface of coastal Guatemala." -- Thanks to César Pio
Santos, HR2P, EMCOR Region 2; USGS
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)
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Bulletins from the ARRL 
