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The ARRL Letter

August 10, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL Posts Amateur Radio Parity Act FAQ
 *  Hara Arena -- Hamvention's Former Home -- to be Auctioned by IRS
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  A Book that Helps You Prepare for the Eclipse!
 *  ARDF Enthusiasts Compete in USA National Championships
 *  Youngsters on the Air International Summer Camp Doubles Down on ARISS
    Contacts
 *  Northern California DX Club Launching Initiative to Get Newcomers on HF
    Bands
 *  Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Tropical Cyclone Franklin
 *  Radio Club of America Announces 2017 Award Winners and Fellows
 *  Historic Project Amelia Earhart Flight Ends Successfully
 *  In Brief...
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Posts Amateur Radio Parity Act FAQ

The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 is now in the US Senate (S. 1534). ARRL
has developed and posted a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), "The
Amateur Radio Parity Act: Setting the Record Straight," to explain and to
clarify what the passage of the legislation would accomplish -- as well as what
 it would not.

"There has been so much misinformation floating around on forums, blogs,
podcasts, etc. regarding the Amateur Radio Parity Act, that we realized a
listing of facts as to what the bill is and what it does was long overdue,"
said ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL
Board's ad hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, prepared the FAQ on behalf of the Board
 of Directors and its ad hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee.

"We trust that this will address any concerns you may have had about the
legislation," Lisenco said. "Let's buckle down and get this bill passed. We can
 only do this with your help."

Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) co-sponsored S.
1534, which was introduced in the US Senate on July 12, marking another step
forward for this landmark legislation. The measure will, for the first time,
guarantee all radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities governed by
a homeowner's association (HOA) or subject to any private land-use regulations,
 the right to erect and maintain effective outdoor antennas at their homes.
Senate bill S. 1534 is identical to House bill H.R. 555, which passed in
January.

In a message to ARRL members this week, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR,
thanked all who have written their Senators in support of S. 1534. "If you have
 not done so, please do," Roderick said, referring to the bill's Rally Congress
 page.

____________________________________________________________________________


Hara Arena -- Hamvention's Former Home -- to be Auctioned by IRS

Hara Arena, the former home of Hamvention(R), is going on the auction block,
the IRS has announced. The now-beleaguered building and grounds were closed a
year ago last month by the owners, the Wampler Family, which, for years, had
attempted unsuccessfully to put Hara on a profitable plane. The minimum bid is
$850,000; proceeds will satisfy a tax lien. The auction comes in the wake of an
 Order of Sale entered in the US District Court for the Southern District of
Ohio. The IRS will take bids on August 30 on the 1001 Shiloh Springs Road site,
 starting at 11 AM ET (bidders must be registered by 10 AM ET). An "open house"
 for prospective bidders will be held on August 29. According to the
announcement, "any rights, titles, claims, liens, and interest" in the
buildings and land will be discharged once a sale is confirmed. The auction
brochure includes several recent photos of the Hara Complex.

"Hara Arena is a six-building complex that contained an ice rink, ballroom,
conference hall, concerts seating, sports events, shows of unlimited venues and
 restaurant," the auction announcement stated, noting that the two land parcels
 that make up the site in the Dayton suburb of Trotwood comprise slightly more
than 25 acres.

Prospective bidders must put up $170,000 in earnest money to be eligible to
take part in the auction. Payments must be by certified or cashier's check.

"No bids will be received from any person who has not presented proof that, if
he or she is the successful bidder, he or she can make the deposit required by
the Order," the announcement said. Sale of the real property shall be subject
to confirmation by the Court.

Hara Arena served as the home of Hamvention from 1964 until 2016, before it was
 closed last summer. Soon after, Hamvention's sponsor, the Dayton Amateur Radio
 Association (DARA), announced that it would be relocating the country's most
popular Amateur Radio gathering to the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo
Center in Xenia, where Hamvention 2017 took place in May. Last November, an
online auctioneer took bids on a variety of items from the former Hamvention
home, many of which went to nostalgia buffs or those having some sentimental
connection with the facility.

Hara Arena had been facing long-standing financial problems that included
unpaid property taxes and unresolved family issues. Promised renovations never
materialized for the 2016 Hamvention, which attracted more than 25,000
visitors, worth millions of dollars to the Dayton-area economy.

The Wampler family had owned and operated Hara Arena since its humble origins
in the 1950s, when Wampler Ballarena -- then a dance hall and more recently an
exhibit hall familiar to Hamvention visitors -- was built in what had been a
family-owned orchard.

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Keys and Keyers" is the topic of the current (August 3) 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: "S-units."

____________________________________________________________________________


A Book that Helps You Prepare for the Eclipse!

On August 21, a total solar eclipse will cause the shadow of the Moon to
traverse the US from Oregon to South Carolina in just over 90 minutes. Radio
amateurs are preparing to participate in one of the largest ionospheric
experiments ever performed, by making radio contacts and looking for signals
throughout the eclipse. How much do you know about the ionosphere and radio
wave propagation?

Order Propagation and Radio Science, by Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ, for some
insights. The book presents a comprehensive overview of radio propagation in
simple, easy-to-understand terms and graphics. It explains the invisible
phenomena we observe on the air and invites you to embark on the journey of
radio waves from transmitter to receiver, and through the void of space. Get
your copy before the eclipse!

Propagation and Radio Science is available from the ARRL Store or your ARRL
Dealer. (ARRL Item no. 0277), ISBN: 978-1-62595-027-7, $27.95 retail, special
ARRL Member Price $24.95). Call 860-594-0355 or, toll-free in the US,
888-277-5289. It is also available as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARDF Enthusiasts Compete in USA National Championships

Fifteen US-eligible competitors took home first-place awards in the
just-completed 17th US National Championships of Amateur Radio Direction
Finding (ARDF) in Harrison, Ohio. The competition ran from August 3 through 6
on the 4,345-acre Miami Whitewater Forest and other nearby wooded sites, and it
 attracted more than 80 fans of the sport -- also known as foxtailing and
radio-orienteering. This year's USA Championships were combined with the 9th
ARDF Championships of International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2) --
the Americas. The IARU establishes rules for ARDF competitions. The object is
always to find as many of the required transmitters as possible in the shortest
 amount of time, and then navigate to the finish line. Competitors may use only
 their own direction-finding equipment, in addition to a compass and the
provided map.

Classic 80- and 2-meter competitions with up to five hidden transmitters took
place on separate days. Course lengths -- from start to each required
transmitter and then to the finish -- ranged from 2.8 to 7.1 kilometers (1.7 to
 4.4 miles), depending on age/gender category.

Two additional events took place, both on 80 meters. These included the sprint
-- a shortened course with 10 transmitters and a faster transmitter cycle --
and foxoring, a combination of orienteering and foxhunting, in which
participants receive maps marked with the approximate locations of a dozen very
 low-power transmitters to find. In all events competitors are divided into six
 age categories for men and five for women, with medals awarded to winners in
each category. The 4 days of championship events were preceded by 3 days of
informal training in other nearby parks.

According to IARU rules, US-eligible competitors must be either citizens or
legal residents for at least 1 year.

Organizing and staging the championships were members of the OH-KY-IN Amateur
Radio Society. Additional volunteers were members of Orienteering Cincinnati
(OCIN), which also provided the event maps.

Complete results of all events in these Championships are available on the
Homing In website, where there is also much more information about the growing
sport of ARDF. Read more. -- Thanks to Joe Moell, K0OV, ARRL Amateur Radio
Direction Finding Coordinator

____________________________________________________________________________


Youngsters on the Air International Summer Camp Doubles Down on ARISS Contacts

More than 80 participants from about 30 countries are wrapping up this year's
Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) international summer camp -- YOTA UK 2017 -- which
 continues until August 12 at Gilwell Park in London, the site of Scouting
headquarters in the UK. Attendees include two members of the German team who
cycled all the way. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is serving as the
 host of YOTA UK 2017.

Those attending were fortunate to have experienced not one but two Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with ISS astronaut
Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA. The first contact was video only via HamTV -- the
digital Amateur Radio television system on the ISS -- and the second was audio
only. A glitch in the attempted video contact led to the second attempt via
more conventional means.

DATV pictures on 2395 MHz were successfully received on the ground, and campers
 and onlookers were able to see Nespoli floating in the Columbus module. He
could copy audio from the ground, but because of an issue with the Ericsson
2-meter transceiver on the ISS, the YOTA UK 2017 participants could not hear
him.

A second, more successful, contact took place during the next orbital pass. For
 this session, Nespoli operated the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver in the Russian
Service Module. The young radio amateurs used the special event call sign
GB4YOTA to speak with Nespoli at NA1SS, as many spectators looked on. A group
of young Scouts visiting Gilwell Park were excited to witness the contact and
listen in as 12 YOTA UK 2017 participants asked Nespoli questions about life on
 the station, many of them of a more technical nature.

Among other activities, YOTA 2017 participants have been on the HF bands from
GB17YOTA. They also put together QRP CW transceiver kits that they can take
home. An outing to an Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) course offered
participants a challenge. All of the youngsters will have the opportunity to
take the UK Foundation class Amateur Radio exam. This summer's gathering in the
 UK is the seventh international YOTA camp.

____________________________________________________________________________


Northern California DX Club Launching Initiative to Get Newcomers on HF Bands

The Northern California DX Club (NCDXC) has announced an initiative aimed at
getting more new Technician and General class radio amateurs active on HF. The
NCDXC Elmering Project will launch in mid-September.

"Looking around the room at local club meetings makes it very clear that we are
 all aging," NCDXC's John Eisenberg, K6YP, said. "It is critical to the ongoing
 life of our hobby to recruit new blood into our ranks. We all know this, but
it is difficult to organize and take effective action to start programs to
introduce new people to the joys of HF operating. We can't generate new DXers
until we have new HF operators."

NCDXC said its Elmering Project is aimed squarely at swelling the pool of new
HF operators and getting them on HF. After some introductory classes, three
curriculum tracks are offered: General License Exam Preparation, HF Operating
and Station Building, and Advanced Topics. Students sign up only for the
classes that interest them; instruction will be at the participant's skill
level. The club said classes will cover such topics as advanced HF phone, CW,
and digital mode operating skills, propagation analysis, and antennas. Some
classes will be taught using PowerPoint presentations delivered to a student's
computer via WebEx.

"Participants need no special software, as WebEx allows each user to see and
hear the presentation and participate in the two-way audio stream," Eisenberg
said. "Students may be local or on the other side of the country." Additional
instruction by personal Elmers will take place at the Elmer's shack, where
students will gain on-the-air experience using the skills they've been
learning.

"Our goal is to put new hams on the air on the HF bands and give them the tools
 to enjoy the many aspects of the HF experience," Eisenberg said. "We will
strive to make each class fun. We want each participant to succeed!"

More information about each track and the classes it contains are on the NCDXC
website, along with the PowerPoint presentations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Tropical Cyclone Franklin

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated on August 9 to keep an eye on
then-Tropical Cyclone Franklin -- which was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane
when it made landfall between Tampico and Veracruz, Mexico, early on August 10.

"Reports from Mexico were few and far between," HWN Manager Bobby Graves,
KB5HAV, reported afterward. "We did hear from hams in Campeche and Puebla. Our
Spanish operators did a great job in working to find reporting stations on the
Mexican 40-meter emergency nets, but we were never able to find stations on the
 air or else we received interference from elsewhere. During the day, 20-meter
propagation was not that good, but we had members in various locations
throughout the US, Caribbean, and Central America that were able to reach the
affected area." After an 11-hour activation, HWN suspended operations. "We will
 continue working to encourage radio amateurs throughout the Caribbean to get
on the air and participate whenever a hurricane threatens their area," Graves
said.

The net was monitoring 14.325.00 MHz on August 10 to gather post-storm reports.

The VoIP Hurricane Net reported that it was informally active from about 1200
UTC on August 9 until 0600 UTC on August 10. Franklin is now weakening rapidly
over the mountains of Mexico. Graves also monitored the *WX_TALK* Echolink
conference node 7203/IRLP 9219 network and spoke with Carlos Guzman, XE2WCG,
with whom he'd worked previously.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami on August 10 reported that Franklin was
weakening over Mexico. Franklin was expected to produce total rainfall of 4 to
8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible. -- Thanks to
Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, and Rob Macedo, KD1CY

____________________________________________________________________________


Radio Club of America Announces 2017 Award Winners and Fellows

The Radio Club of America (RCA) has recognized several individuals as award
recipients and RCA Fellows for 2017. The list includes several radio amateurs.
Presentations will take place this fall at the 2017 RCA Banquet and Awards
Presentation.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Ulrich Rohde, N1UL -- For significant achievements
and a major body of work accomplished over a lifetime that has advanced the art
 and science of radio and wireless technology. Rohde, an ARRL Life Member, was
recently announced as the winner of the 2017 W.G. Cady Award, sponsored by the
IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control (UFFC) Society, "for
pioneering research, development, and commercialization of signal-generating
and processing devices for commercial and scientific applications."

Armstrong Medal: Eli Brookner -- For outstanding achievements and lasting
contributions to the radio arts and sciences and wireless communications.

Sarnoff Citation: James Breakall, WA3FET -- For exceptional contributions of a
technical or non-technical nature to the advancement of electronic
communications. The Penn State electrical engineering professor, antenna
designer, and ARRL member has credited Amateur Radio for his career path. Known
 in ham radio circles as "Doctor Jim," Breakall is credited with developing the
 OWA (optimized wideband antenna) as well as antennas for such research
facilities as Arecibo Observatory and HAARP.

Fred M. Link Award: Peter J. Madsen, K2PM -- For lifetime achievement in land
mobile radio communication and for his significant contributions to resolve
serious issues affecting repeaters in urban environments. Madsen, an ARRL
member, has said his interest in electronics and ham radio began with "staring
into the vent slot of our 12-inch Emerson, at the 6BG6 and 6W4 glowing inside
the high-voltage cage."

Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award: Michael Kalter, W8CI -- For unique
contributions to the field of Amateur Radio. Kalter, the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association Treasurer and Hamvention(R) spokesperson, was instrumental in
Hamvention's relocation to Xenia, Ohio, this past spring after the 2016 closure
 of Hara Arena. An ARRL member, Kalter is also co-chair of the Hamvention
Awards Committee. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia in 1974 and
1975.

Ralph Batcher Memorial Award: Thomas F. Peterson, Jr. -- For significant work
in preserving the history of radio and electronic communications.

Vivian A. Carr Award: Mary Ann Weitnauer -- For outstanding achievements by a
woman in the wireless industry.

Jack Poppele Award: Robert Hobday, N2EVG -- For important and long-term
contributions to the field of radio broadcasting. An ARRL member, Hobday was
named an RCA Fellow in 2016.

Special Services Award: Charles Kirmuss, W0CBK -- For his many contributions to
 RCA's Youth Activities Program as a sponsor and volunteer. Kirmuss is an ARRL
member.

Fellows

 *  David P. Bart, KB9YPD
 *  Nathan Cohen, W1YW
 *  Brent Finster, K6BEF
 *  Cheryl J. Greathouse
 *  Sean Johnson
 *  James M. Roden, W5JR
 *  Bruce Roloson, W2BDR
 *  Nancy Smith

The annual RCA awards banquet will take place on November 17 in Pittsburgh.
Glenn Cannon, formerly of FEMA and a past director of the Pennsylvania Office
of Emergency Management, will be the keynote speaker.

____________________________________________________________________________


Historic Project Amelia Earhart Flight Ends Successfully

His 'round-the-world Project Amelia Earhart commemorative flight now complete,
pilot and radio amateur Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, is back on his home turf in Texas.
 The solo circumnavigation in his single-engine plane Spirit took a little
longer than 2 months.

"I did it! I did it!" Lloyd exclaimed to the crowd awaiting is arrival at
Kestrel Airpark in Texas on August 4. "This was not a solo flight. This was a
flight that was supported by hundreds of people," he said after landing. Lloyd
logged hundreds of Amateur Radio contacts over the course of his entire
adventure, which was funded by The Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum and through
 other donations. He retraced the route the famous aviator never finished in
1937.

A problem with the plane's fuel system at the approximate halfway point caused
Lloyd to turn back for repairs. That and some poor weather delayed his return
to Texas by a few days.

At mid-week, Lloyd wrote in his blog that he was working up "all the
information about my flight to both Earthrounders and the NAA [National
Aeronautic Association], so that my circumnavigation becomes official."

Lloyd said on his website that he's not sure what to attempt next. "There is
still Lindbergh's flight and a shot at the world speed record over the route
from NYC to Paris," he mused. He acknowledged that a lot of hams he contacted
are waiting for a QSL card. "Trying to fly, make contacts, and getting the info
 onto paper is a challenge," he said.

Lloyd landed in Oakland, California, on July 31, marking his return to the
Continental US. On his final leg, he visited the Amelia Earhart Museum in
Atchison, Kansas, before ending his epic flight at his home airfield, Kestrel
Airpark in Texas, where the celebration awaited. Lloyd crossed the meridian
that passes through Kestrel Airpark on his way to Atchison, Earhart's
birthplace, at that point successfully circumnavigating the globe.

After landing in Texas, Lloyd offered his remaining supply of granola bars that
 had traveled with him around the globe to those crowding around Spirit.

The actual length of his 'round-the-world flight was 34,463 miles, Lloyd
determined after reviewing his flight log. "If you include the hops where I had
 to turn back for problems and test hops after maintenance, the distance would
have been over 31,000 nautical miles," he noted. "That is a long way to fly."
The entire trip took 66 days, with some 200 hours in the air. -- Thanks to
Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, and Jim Linton, VK3PC

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

RSVP for the SEQP: The Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) is just a couple of weeks
 away! This special operating event organized by the Ham Radio Science Citizen
Investigation (HamSCI) will study ionospheric effects caused by the August 21
total solar eclipse. During the SEQP, hams are being asked to operate on the HF
 bands in a manner similar to a contest or QSO party. Let the HamSCI
researchers know where you plan to be and what modes you plan to operate. Visit
 the SEQP Pre-Registration page. Systems such as the Reverse Beacon Network
(RBN), PSKReporter, and WSPRNet are good resources for the event. Participants'
 logs will provide the contact and spot data that researchers at the New Jersey
 Institute of Technology and at Virginia Tech will use to study eclipse-induced
ionospheric effects. Event rules and operating procedures are available on the
HamSCI website.


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