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The ARRL Letter

January 14, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL Asks FCC for "Minimal but Necessary Changes" to Correct
    Reapportioning Error
 *  Subcommittee Chair, H.R. 1301 Sponsor Testify on Behalf of Amateur Radio
    Parity Act
 *  ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, Concluding Nearly 3 Decades as a
    League Official
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  New Section Manager Appointed in Missouri
 *  Orlando Amateur Radio Club Donates to ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund
 *  UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, Notes Death of Space Oddity's "Major
    Tom"
 *  Hamvention Seeks 2016 Award Nominations
 *  Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants
 *  GlobalSET 2015 is a Wrap, with Lessons Learned
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Asks FCC for "Minimal but Necessary Changes" to Correct Reapportioning
Error

The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to fix a "shortfall in available RTTY/data
spectrum" the regulator created when it reapportioned 80 and 75 meters a decade
 ago. The League's January 8 Petition for Rule Making asks the FCC to shift the
 boundary between the 80 meter [ARRL%20logo%20type_17.jpg] RTTY/data subband
and the 75 meter phone/image subband from 3600 kHz to 3650 kHz. The ARRL's
Petition points out that the proposed change has received strong support from
the ARRL membership and was adopted as policy by the League's Board of
Directors in July 2015. At that time the Board also agreed to seek RTTY and
data privileges for Technician and Novice licensees within the portion of the
15 meter band where they now may operate CW and to do the same on 80 meters,
contingent upon the 80/75 meter subband revision.

Specifically, the petition asks the FCC to make the following changes, with
regard to 80/75 meters:

 *  Modify the 80 meter RTTY/data subband, so that it extends from 3500 kHz
    to 3650 kHz.
 *  Modify the 75 meter phone/image subband, so that it extends from 3650
    kHz to 4000 kHz.
 *  Make 3600-3650 kHz available for General and Advanced Class licensees,
    as was the case prior to 2006.
 *  Make 3600-3650 kHz available to Novice and Technician licensees for
    telegraphy -- consistent with existing rules permitting Novices and
    Technicians to use telegraphy in the General and Advanced RTTY/data
    subbands on 80, 40, and 15 Meters.
 *  Modify the rules governing automatically controlled digital stations
    (ACDS), to shift the 80 meter ACDS segment from 3585-3600 kHz to
    3600-3615 kHz, consistent with the IARU Region 1 and 2 band plans

The FCC's 2006 "Omnibus" Report and Order in WT-140 addressed a number of other
 non-Amateur Radio related issues.

The ARRL contended that the FCC Report and Order in Docket 04-140 released in
2006 made "a very substantial" and unjustifiable departure from what the
so-called "Omnibus" Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) had proposed, with
respect to 75 and 80 meters. The resulting R&O in that proceeding, among other
actions, expanded voice privileges on additional frequencies in various bands,
including 75 meters. The FCC shifted the phone/image subband from 3750-4000 kHz
 to 3600-4000 kHz, trimming the 80 meter RTTY/data subband from 3500-3750 kHz
to 3500-3600 kHz and changing "the entire dynamic of this band substantially,"
the League said.

The League said that, while the Omnibus R&O indicated that incumbent licensees
would lose no operating privileges, some licensees "clearly" did. The ARRL said
 the most substantial adverse effect of the "unexpected and vast expansion" of
the 75 meter phone/image was the elimination of access to 3620-3635 kHz by
ACDS.

The Omnibus R&O rule changes limited 80 meters to 3500-3600 kHz, and no longer
authorized RTTY and data emissions above 3600 kHz. The R&O also did not modify
? 97.221 of the rules, "so its provision for automatically controlled digital
stations in the subband 3620-3635 kHz was rendered a nullity," the League said.
 "This was clearly an oversight by the Commission at the time."

The FCC denied a subsequent ARRL Petition for Reconsideration seeking a partial
 stay of the new rules and instead replaced the inadvertently deleted 3620-3635
 kHz ACDS segment with 3585-3600 kHz.

"Far from fixing the problem created by the error in the Omnibus R&O, the
moving of the inadvertently deleted digital subband downward in frequency below
 3600 kHz made the situation in the 80 meter RTTY/data subband even worse than
it was," the ARRL said. The result has been a shortfall in available RTTY/data
spectrum at 80 meters. Read more.

____________________________________________________________________________


Subcommittee Chair, H.R. 1301 Sponsor Testify on Behalf of Amateur Radio Parity
 Act

During a January 12 Capitol Hill hearing, US House Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology Chair Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), called the
Amateur Radio Parity Act "a commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues to
support it. H.R. 1301 was one of four telecoms bills to come before his panel.
Walden told the subcommittee that, as a ham, he's "acutely aware" of the
passion Amateur Radio possess for the service.

"Despite its widespread use and importance in times of emergencies, land-use
restrictions in some areas have prioritized esthetics over the rights of hams.
H.R. 1301 seeks to ensure that Amateur Radio operators get a fair shake and
protection from unnecessary bans on their equipment by instructing the FCC to
adopt rules to this end."

Walden said he's aware of suggestions that the bill would open the door to 40
foot towers in townhome backyards. "That's not the case," he assured his
subcommittee colleagues. "Ham equipment can be as small as over-the-air digital
 television antennas becoming popular with 'cord cutters.' I'm sure that
Amateur Radio operators' communications deserve no less protection than access
to prime time television."

In his remarks, the bill's sponsor, Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), pointed out that
 most House members have a few hundred radio amateurs living in their
districts. He explained that hams in some neighborhoods "are outright
prohibited" from erecting antennas on their properties, "even as small as a 4
millimeter diameter wire that might be placed under an awning or laid flat
against the house."

Kinzinger cited Amateur Radio's role in emergency communication support and
noted the comments of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, to the effect
that when conventional communications go down, Amateur Radio is often the last
line of defense.

Kinzinger said his bill's "reasonable accommodation standard" would not mandate
 placement, size, or esthetics regarding an outdoor antenna, leaving ham radio
operators and homeowners associations to decide those issues.

"We just simply add the same standard that has been used successfully in
municipal areas to other areas," he concluded.

H.R. 1301 would direct the FCC to extend its rules relating to reasonable
accommodation of Amateur Service communications to private land-use
restrictions, such as deed covenants, conditions, and restrictions. The bill
has attracted 118 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. An identical US
Senate measure, S. 1685, has attracted 3 cosponsors. It cleared the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation last November.

More information about the legislation is on the ARRL Amateur Radio Parity Act
web page.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, Concluding Nearly 3 Decades as a League
Official

Now completing her third term, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will be
handing off the baton to her successor this week. The ARRL Board of Directors
will elect the League's next president -- its 16th -- when it meets January
15-16. President Craigie said it has been her privilege to serve during the
ARRL Centennial in 2014 and to help usher in Amateur Radio's second century.

"The operating events, the convention, the whole year!" she said. "To be ARRL
President during this celebration was my great good luck, and I'll never forget
 all the members who told me how much they appreciate what the ARRL does for
them and Amateur Radio."

President Craigie was first elected as a volunteer League official in 1986,
when she became the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager. The ARRL Board
of Directors chose her as the League's 15th president in January 2010.

President Craigie said she also was proud to represent the ARRL at
international conferences and events during her time at the League's helm. "As
President I represented the ARRL at the Radio Society of Great Britain's 100th
anniversary observance, led the ARRL delegation at two International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 conferences, and was part of ARRL teams at
Friedrichshafen and Tokyo," she said.

She also attended part of World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 as an
observer. "For years, I have heard about the work done by IARU volunteers and
the hams serving on their national delegations at the WRCs," she said, "but
until I saw their efforts firsthand, I really didn't comprehend exactly how
hard and how well they work together to protect and advance Amateur Radio for
the rest of us."

President Craigie said she was happy to sign the first formal agreement between
 the ARRL and the Boy Scouts of America. "One of my best friends in Amateur
Radio got his start as a Scout," she noted, adding that she hopes the agreement
 will lead to welcoming "even more talented young people into our ranks."

During her tenure as the League's President, she also has been deeply involved
in efforts to achieve "reasonable accommodation" for all US hams, regardless of
 zoning and land-use regulation, and especially the current Amateur Radio
Parity Act campaign. She said she's "certain that the ARRL's leadership and
membership will continue to press this essential issue until the job is done."

President Craigie said she finds Amateur Radio still relevant, even in an era
when technology seems to be advancing at lightning speed. "University students
in scientific and technical programs get the point of Amateur Radio and see how
 it fits with their career plans and their talents," she said, adding that she
has see this firsthand in her community of Blacksburg, Virginia, the home of
Virginia Tech. "Very bright students are not just getting licensed but are
getting active."

"These are the young people who will drive Amateur Radio technology into the
future, and their energy and intelligence make me absolutely reject the idea
that Amateur Radio is irrelevant and on its way out," the ARRL President said.

____________________________________________________________________________


National Parks on the Air Update

Although the ARRL's year-long National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event began
just 2 weeks ago, Larry Burke, K5RK, of Alvin, Texas, already has confirmed
more than 120 NPOTA units.

"It speaks volumes, not only about Larry being a dedicated chaser," ARRL Media
and Public Relations Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, said, adding that 25 hams had
already confirmed more than 50 units. Kutzko also called it "pretty amazing"
that more than 100 NPOTA units were on the air this soon.

Throughout 2016, Amateur Radio will help the National Park Service to mark its
100th anniversary. In the process, hams ("activators" from across the country
will activate NPS units, promote the National Park Service, and showcase
Amateur Radio to the public. "Chasers" like Burke will attempt to work as many
of them as possible. Logbook of The World (LoTW) is being use to record and
confirm contacts among Activators and Chasers.

ARRL has added NPOTA to the "soapbox" area of the ARRL website, so people can
share photos and stories of their NPOTA activations.

The deadline for the March NPOTA photo contest is January 15. The winner will
get his/her photo published in the March QST NPOTA column and receive NPOTA
swag too.

Activators will operate from more than a dozen NPOTA units during the week of
January 15-21. Details are available on the NPOTA Activations calendar. Love
NPOTA? Join the ARRL NPOTA Facebook Group.

____________________________________________________________________________


New Section Manager Appointed in Missouri

The ARRL's Missouri Section has a new leader. Cecil Higgins, AC0HA, of
Pittsburg, Missouri, has been appointed as ARRL Missouri Section Manager,
effective January 11. Dale Bagley, K0KY, had stepped down because of family
commitments after having served as Missouri's SM since June 1999. Bagley
recommended Higgins for the post.

ARRL Manager of Field Services and Radiosport Dave Patton, NN1N, made the
appointment after reviewing Bagley's recommendation and consulting with ARRL
Midwest Division Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS.

A ham for more than 20 years, Higgins has served previously as an Assistant
Section Manager, an Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, and the District
Emergency Coordinator for ARES District D in Missouri. He is retired from a
career in law enforcement and in emergency management.

Higgins will complete the current SM term of office, which continues until
December 31, 2016.

____________________________________________________________________________


Orlando Amateur Radio Club Donates to ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund

At the January meeting of the Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC), President John
 Knott, N4JTK, presented ARRL Southeastern Division

Director Doug Rehman, K4AC, with a check for $2500, designated for the ARRL
Spectrum Defense Fund. OARC sponsors the Orlando HamCation, which will host the
 2016 ARRL National Convention February 12-14 in Orlando, Florida.

"ARRL is very pleased to start 2016 with such a wonderful gift to the Spectrum
Defense Fund, and we deeply appreciate OARC's generosity and commitment to
helping ARRL in our advocacy efforts," said ARRL Development Manager Lauren
Clarke, KB1YDD. "ARRL is very fortunate to have so many dedicated clubs that
support this important work. As we prepare for HamCation and the 2016 ARRL
National Convention, I look forward to the opportunity to thank all of OARC's
members in person."

Clubs and individuals may contribute to the League via the ARRL website.

____________________________________________________________________________


UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI, Notes Death of Space Oddity's "Major Tom"

In his Twitter feed, UK/ESA Astronaut and ISS crew member Tim Peake, KG5BVI,
tipped his space helmet to rock legend David Bowie, whose 1969 hit single
"Space Oddity" was covered in space by Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield,
VA3OOG/KC5RNJ. Bowie died on January 10. In the somber "Space Oddity," Bowie
assumes the character of "Major Tom," an astronaut who becomes stranded in
space.

"Saddened to hear David Bowie has lost his battle with cancer," Peake tweeted
from the International Space Station. "His music was an inspiration to many."

Hadfield also remarked on Bowie's death. His own rendition of "Space Oddity,"
performed as he floated in microgravity during his 2012/2013 duty tour on the
ISS and uploaded to YouTube, became a hit in its own right. Hadfield
accompanied himself on acoustic guitar.

Hadfield joined Peake and the European Space Agency (ESA) in paying tribute to
Bowie on Twitter. "Rest in peace, Starman," Hadfield tweeted. "The stars look
very different today," the ESA remarked in re-tweeting Peake's message, which
was accompanied by lyrics from "Space Oddity."

____________________________________________________________________________


First "Principia Mission" ARISS Contact

Meanwhile, a brand-new ham was the first to speak with Peake when students at
Sandringham School in Hertfordshire, England, enjoyed a January 8 Amateur Radio
 on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Peake, whose "Principia
Mission" is focusing on educational activities, used the special GB1SS call
sign for his first ARISS contact; the school obtained permission to use GB1SAN.
 Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh, M6LPJ, who passed her Foundation class exam just
before Christmas, was first in line to talk with Peake.

"When I get home, I'll be completely in shock," Leigh told the BBC after the
contact, noting that the "amazing experience" of talking to someone in space
had yet to sink in.

A week-long Sandringham School Space Festival culminated with the live VHF
contact with Peake. With an enrollment of 1300, Sandringham School students
range in age from 11 to 19, with 100 faculty members. Head teacher Alan Gray,
G4DJX, called the event "an extraordinary experience for the school."

The week leading up to the contact included a wide range of activities aimed at
 engaging the students in space and space travel, including a presentation from
 a spacecraft engineer, mobile planetariums, an Amateur Radio "buildathon,"
rocket workshops, and talks on Mars and cosmonauts.

____________________________________________________________________________


Hamvention Seeks 2016 Award Nominations

Dayton Hamvention(R) 2016 is soliciting nominations for Amateur of the Year,
Special Achievement, Technical Excellence, and Club of the Year awards. All
Amateur Radio operators/clubs are eligible, with winners recognized at
Hamvention(R) 2016, May 20-22 at Hara Arena.

The Amateur of the Year Award goes to an individual who has made a long-term,
outstanding commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio.

The Special Achievement Award honors someone who has made an outstanding
contribution to the advancement of Amateur Radio, typically by spearheading a
significant project.

The Technical Excellence Award recognizes an individual who has made an
outstanding technical advancement in Amateur Radio.

The Club of the Year Award honors a club that has made a significant
contribution to the advancement of Amateur Radio. Nominations must be received
by February 1.

Additional details and nomination forms are available on the Dayton
Hamvention(R) website. Send nominations via e-mail or to Dayton Hamvention
Awards, PO Box 1446, Dayton, OH 45401-1446.

____________________________________________________________________________


Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants

The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced several grants to Amateur
 Radio organizations and activities. Beneficiaries include the Amateur Radio on
 the International Space Station (ARISS) program, the ARRL Teachers Institute
on Wireless Technology, and the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN). The ARISS US Team
 said its $5000 grant will support the development of power converters, needed
as a part of an extensive upgrade to the entire Amateur Radio system on the
ISS.

"The Yasme grant will jump-start the project by allowing the ARISS hardware
team to build a prototype converter, purchase critical parts for the flight
converters, and further develop the design," ARISS International President
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said. A group of ARISS US team members convened at Johnson
 Space Center last month to solidify plans for the design of the
next-generation radio system.

Yasme Foundation President Ward Silver, N0AX, said the Yasme Board hopes the
grant will serve as a catalyst for individuals and other groups to follow suit.

In support of scholarships and youth programs, the Yasme Foundation funded the
Yasme Foundation scholarship through the ARRL Foundation. It also designated
grants to the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) in support of its 2016
scholarship program, to the Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) program to support
programs aimed at promoting Amateur Radio among those under age 26 throughout
IARU Region 1, and to the ARRL Teacher's Institute to fund one teacher's
attendance at a 2016 Teachers Institute session.

To support scientific and technical endeavors, the Yasme Foundation made grants
 to the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) Beacon Project to update the
beacon station in Sri Lanka, and to the Reverse Beacon Network, to build and
install a node to provide coverage in an unidentified underserved area that's
of particular interest to propagation studies.

To support HF operating around the world, the grants went to a representative
of the Haiti Amateur Radio Club for the purchase of Amateur Radio training
materials aimed at developing future licensees in Haiti as well as donate a
Kenwood TS-440S transceiver for use by the new licensees; to the International
Amateur Radio Club at International Telecommunication Union Headquarters in
Geneva (4U1ITU) for station maintenance and the acquisition of needed
equipment, and to World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 (WRTC 2018) to
support the expense of mounting the contesting competition in Germany and to
encourage other organizations and individuals to contribute.

The Yasme Foundation also announced grants to the Ethiopian Amateur Radio
Society club station ET3AA to acquire a new computer, interfaces, and programs
for logging and operating digital modes and to purchase new headsets; to the
World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF), and to Dokufunk, in support of
its activities to preserve the history of radio communication.

____________________________________________________________________________


GlobalSET 2015 is a Wrap, with Lessons Learned

More than three dozen countries took part in the 2015 Global Simulated
Emergency Test (GlobalSET) last month, organized by IARU Region 1 and designed
in part to measure the disaster readiness of Amateur Radio. IARU Region 1
Emergency Communications Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, pointed out that the
2015 event differed from other GlobalSETs held since 2006, which emphasized
message handling and setting up stations in the field.

"The IARU emergency communications coordinators decided that the best way to
achieve this would be to have an availability or 'call-out' exercise," Mossop
said. "It asked all countries with emergency communications groups to contact
their members and ask them how quickly they could get on the air if required."
The start of the exercise was not announced in advance but propagated via a
variety of channels, including e-mail and social media. IARU regional
coordinators chose December 18 as being clear of most social and cultural
events. A time limit of up to 48 hours was set for potential responding
organizations to complete the local callout exercise and submit results via a
web form.

The survey results covered an estimated 8466 members worldwide, of which 2048
reported they could be available in less than 1 hour.

"This exercise occurred on a normal business day in many countries," Mossop
said. "An availability rate of 20-30 percent of stations is very good and does
seem reasonable as a planning assumption for future exercises."

Mossop said the exercise identified a need to revise or improve alerting
procedures. "Where possible a mixture of methods should be used for alerting
members with automatic feedback of message delivery or the response," he said,
adding that reliance on any single system, such as e-mail, was not the best
approach. Read more. -- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

Ramsey Kits Calls it Quits: After more than 40 years as a purveyor of
inexpensive electronics kits for hobbyists, the Ramsey Hobby Kits group has
announced that it's thrown in the towel, effective on January 1. The Ramsey RF
Test Equipment Group is unaffected by this change. The Victor, New York,
company sold a wide array of hobby kits over the years, starting with its LED
Blinky kit in the 1970s and eventually including simple ham radio transmitters
and receivers, aircraft band receivers, and other devices. Ramsey kits were
frequently available at hamfests. The company said it will continue to provide
technical and warranty support for hobby kits purchased through the end of
2015. Ramsey said its remaining hobby kit inventory has been relocated to
Amazon.


CWops Announces Award for Advancing the Art of CW: CWops has announced a new,
annual award to recognize individuals, groups, or organizations that have made
the greatest contribution(s) toward advancing the art or practice of radio
communication by Morse code. Eligible candidates include the authors of
publications related to CW; recruiters, trainers, mentors, coaches, and
instructors of Morse code; designers and inventors who advance the art or
practice of CW, and others contributing to the art or practice of CW. The award
 is not limited to Amateur Radio operators or organizations. Anyone can submit
a nomination (with a copy to secretary@cwops.org). Nominations must be received
 by April 15, 2016. They should include the nominee's name and applicable call
sign, the nominee's contact information, including e-mail and USPS addresses
and a telephone number, and a detailed explanation to support the nominee's
qualifications. The individual nominating should provide complete contact
information too. A plaque will be presented at the Dayton Hamvention, or mailed
 to the recipient.


SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Christmas Eve Transmission Generates a Host of
Reports: The 2015 Christmas Eve transmission from SAQ, the Alexanderson
alternator station at the World Heritage Grimeton site in Sweden, elicited more
 than 350 reports, according to a preliminary accounting, many of them from
hams. SAQ transmits on 17.2 kHz. The lion's share of reports -- nearly 160 --
came from Germany. Listeners in the US filed eight reports, with just five
indicating they actually heard SAQ. "The transmission appears to be our best so
 far," said Lars Kalland, SM6NM, who distributed the report. Kjell Dahl,
OH0KXJ, reported hearing SAQ for the first time. "It is always a pleasure to
listen to this CW melody on 17.2 kHz," commented Manu Aft, F5ROL. The vintage
station began its holiday transmissions in 2006. Read more.


____________________________________________________________________________

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Trends over the past week were just as we
like them, with average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux increasing, and
geomagnetic indices lower.

Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 41 to 55.7, and the average daily solar
 flux increased from 98.2 to 106.5. The average daily planetary A index
declined from 16.6 to 11.1, while average daily mid-latitude A index went from
10.6 to 8.4.

The predicted solar flux is 100 on January 14; 105 on January 15-17; 100 on
January 18; 95 on January 19-20; 100 on January 21-22; 105 on January 23-26;
110 on January 27-28; 105 on January 29-31; 110 on February 1-7; 108, 105, and
100 on February 8-10; 105 on February 11-14, and 100 on February 15-18.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on January 14, 6 on January 15-20; 8, 15, and
10 on January 21-23; 5 on January 24-27; 18, 12, and 8 on January 28-30; 5 on
January 31 through February 1; 15, 12, and 8 on February 2-4; 5 on February
5-6; 6, 15, 12, and 8 on February 7-10; 6 on February 11-13, and 5 on February
14-16.

Be sure to check out the article "Radio Wave Propagation: How Waves Attenuate
with Distance," by KE4PT on page 37 in the February 2016 issue of QST.

Sunspot numbers for January 7 through 13 were 57, 80, 84, 73, 41, 29, and 26,
with a mean of 55.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 103.4, 108.5, 107, 108.9,
108, 105.5, and 104.1, with a mean of 106.5. Estimated planetary A indices were
 14, 8, 6, 7, 14, 15, and 14, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 11, 6, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11, with a mean of 8.4.

Send me your reports and observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  January 15 -- LZ Open Contest (CW)
 *  January 16 -- Hungarian DX Contest (CW, SSB)
 *  January 16-17 -- Feld Hell Sprint
 *  January 17 -- North American QSO Party (SSB)
 *  January 18 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on
Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL
member profile e-mail preferences.

____________________________________________________________________________


Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

 *  January 15-16 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers,
    Florida
 *  January 15-16 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
 *  January 17-23 -- Quartzfest, Quartzsite, Arizona
 *  January 29-30 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
 *  January 29-31 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
 *  February 6 -- South Carolina State Convention, N. Charleston, South
    Carolina
 *  February 6 -- Virginia State Convention (Frostfest), Richmond, Virginia
 *  February 12-14 -- ARRL National Convention, Orlando, Florida
 *  February 13 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia
 *  February 19-20 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Yuma, Arizona
 *  February 20 -- Arkansas State Convention, Hoxie, Arkansas
 *  February 27 -- WCF Section Technical Conference, Tampa, Florida
 *  February 27 -- New Mexico TechFest, Albuquerque, New Mexico
 *  February 27 -- Vermont State Convention, S. Burlington, Vermont
 *  March 4-5 -- Alabama Section Convention, Birmingham, Alabama
 *  March 11-12 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana
 *  March 12 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks,
    California
 *  March 18-19 -- South Texas Section Convention, Rosenburg, Texas
 *  March 19 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington
 *  March 19 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
 *  March 25-26 -- Maine State Convention, Lewiston, Maine

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

"So let me ask you a question about this brave new world of yours. When you've
killed all the bad guys, and when it's all perfect, and just and fair, and when
 you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do
with the people like you? The trouble makers. How are you going to protect your
 glorious revolution from the next one?" - The twelfth Doctor

... As interested in life as a chronically depressed lemming.
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)