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The ARRL Letter

September 21, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Hurricane Redux: Amateur Radio Community Fires Up for Maria
 *  Reports of Hurricane Devastation on Dominica Relayed by Amateur Radio
 *  Amateur Radio Emergency Net Active in Wake of Earthquake in Central
    Mexico
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  Amateur Radio Supported Hurricane Irma Response in US Virgin Islands
 *  FCC Opens 630- and 2200-Meter Bands; Stations Must Notify UTC Before
    Operating
 *  HamSCI Presents Initial Eclipse Results at ARRL-TAPR Digital
    Communications Conference
 *  IARU Administrative Council Considers New Radio Spectrum Pollution
    Threat
 *  JOTA 2017 Organizers Urge Scout Stations to Register Now
 *  Former MIT President, Electrical Engineering Professor Paul E. Gray,
    ex-W2UWN, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


Hurricane Redux: Amateur Radio Community Fires Up for Maria

Caribbean Island residents and the Amateur Radio community hardly had a chance
to catch a breath from Hurricane Irma, as recovery operations continue, before
Hurricane Maria was knocking on the door. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN)
activated September 18 on 14.325 MHz and on 7.268 MHz (after dark). The VoIP
Hurricane Net activated the same day to track Hurricane Maria and its potential
 impact in the Caribbean. WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National
Hurricane Center, activated to receive weather information from both nets,
while the Caribbean Emergency Weather Net (CEWN) was called up on September 18
on 3.815 MHz (and/or 7.188 and 7.182 MHz as propagation dictates) to provide
round-the-clock coverage during the passage of Hurricane Maria and in the
storm's immediate wake. It has been handling health-and-welfare traffic in and
out of Dominica and is accepting inquiries via e-mail. (Indicate your name and
location, as well as that of the party sought).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened 60-meter interoperability
 nets on September 19, using Channel 1, 5.330.5 MHz (primary voice traffic) and
 Channel 2, 5.346.5 MHz (digital traffic). These will remain active until the
storm has passed and the need for these nets no longer exists.

The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has been on Delta II
extended monitoring status on its 14.265 MHz frequency. "Although the US Virgin
 Islands were heavily damaged, it was apparent that they had some limited
communications capabilities and other resources," SATERN National Liaison Bill
Feist, WB8BZH, said on September 21. "Puerto Rican operators reported that
there was an island-wide power and communications blackout. It was reported
that Amateur Radio seemed to be the only communications that were operational,
and that was somewhat limited, as many 2-meter repeater systems were still not
operational."

Maxim Memorial Station W1AW at ARRL Headquarters resumed its normal schedule of
 transmissions on Thursday morning, although the station has not yet been
reopened to visitors. W1AW will continue monitoring active nets and 60-meter
interoperability channels as needed. The station was helping to support the
communication response to Hurricane Maria, monitoring the HWN, SATERN, the VoIP
 Hurricane Net, and the Caribbean Emergency Weather Net (CEWN), as well as
checking Winlink2000 e-mail and providing interoperability support by keeping
various frequencies open for hurricane traffic. The station was staffed around
the clock during the communication emergency.

The Hurricane Watch Net, the VoIP Hurricane Net, and WX4NHC stood down on
September 20. The HWN was active for about 60 hours.

____________________________________________________________________________


Visit the ARRL website for updates on Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma news
and information, as well as the ARRL news page.

____________________________________________________________________________


Reports of Hurricane Devastation on Dominica Relayed by Amateur Radio

In the immediate aftermath of then-Category 5 Hurricane Maria's passage over
Dominica on Monday, Frans van Santbrink, J69DS, on St. Lucia checked into the
VoIP Hurricane Net to relay damage reports he'd gathered via repeater
conversations with other hams there. The New York Times also reported and
posted audio that Amateur Radio was a primary source to gather initial damage
reports from the storm-ravaged Caribbean Island nation of some 70,000
residents. US-based Julian Antoine, J73JA, solicited reports via a VoIP
connection with the J73MAN repeater on Dominica.

"All power lines are down, our telephone lines are down, internet lines,
everything is down," came a reply to Antoine's inquiry. "Roads are blocked with
 debris. No confirmed information on fatalities or injuries."

A subsequent responder reported, "Lots of flooding, water coming into windows
and doors," while another indicated that though he was "nice and dry now," he
had lost his roof and was at a shelter. "From what I've seen so far, it's
pretty bad," another report stated. The same responder said he could see some
landslides too, along with broken trees and utility poles. "It's just damage
all over," John Christian, J73CC, said.

VoIP Hurricane Net Operations Director Rob Macedo, KD1CY, told ARRL that he
recorded the audio that The New York Times used on Tuesday while he was
monitoring the J62DX-L link on EchoLink.

In his report to the VoIP Hurricane Net, van Santbrink recounted a damage
account from Kerry Fevrier, J69YH, in Roseau, Dominica. "Trees down, river has
flooded half the village, cars are all over, most houses have lost their roofs
or are destroyed, the area between his house and the church is just
flattened...in his words, 'devastation is total,'" van Santbrink told the net.

He also heard from J73CI, who lost his roof; J73WA on the northern end of the
island, who lost his tower and was uncertain how he was going to weather the
back end of the storm, and J73MH, who also lost his roof and was "just
hunkering down and hoping for the best."

Emergency Communications Director, IARU Region 2, Area E Noel Donawa, 9Y4X,
reported on September 21 that the Office of Disaster Management in Dominica's
capital, Roseau, is now in operation using Amateur Radio communication. "Only
official traffic will be handled to assist in getting government services
functional," he said. "As soon as personnel from the Regional Security System
(RSS) search-and-rescue damage assessment teams are deployed,
health-and-welfare messages from family and friends will be addressed.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Caribbean Emergency Weather Network (CEWN)
continued to handle outbound health-and-welfare and other necessary traffic
from Dominica on 7.188 and 3.815 MHz. The net has requested a clear frequency.
No emergency operations center had been established, airports remained closed,
and damage assessment of the seaports was under way, which would determine how
soon relief supplies and significant human resources can access the island. --
Thanks to the VoIP Hurricane Net; The New York Times; Rob Macedo, KD1CY; Jeff
Austin, 9Y4J

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio Emergency Net Active in Wake of Earthquake in Central Mexico

The FMRE National Emergency Net (Red Nacional de Emergencia or RNE) activated
Tuesday on 7.060 MHz following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the central Mexico
 state of Puebla at 1814 UTC. The epicenter was some 75 miles southeast of
Mexico City, which also felt the temblor and suffered damage.

FMRE President Alfonso Tomez, XE2O, said participation from Mexican radio
amateurs has been excellent, and two mobile communication units have been
deployed, one south of Mexico City, where communication problems have been
reported, and the other in communities surrounding the city, where
communication problems exist. A FMRE representative has been stationed in the
emergency operations center in Mexico City as well. Most of the traffic, Tomez
said, has involved missing persons.

The FMRE National Emergency Net also may use 3.690 MHz and 14.120 MHz as well
as IRLP reflector 9200 channel 08, and EchoLink.

Tomez said communication problems persist because of the heavy volume of calls
and message traffic over the cell telephone networks. Around 300 people have
been killed and 30 buildings collapsed, he said. The earthquake came 32 years
to the day after a 1985 magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Mexico City, killing
some 9,500 people in and around the capital city. Just one week ago, a
magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off Mexico's southern coast, killing more than
60 people and causing considerable damage.

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"How High is High Enough" -- a discussion on the effects of antenna height --
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: "Soldering and Unsoldering."

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio Supported Hurricane Irma Response in US Virgin Islands

Members of the St. Croix Amateur Radio Club supported the Hurricane Irma
response at the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency
(VITEMA), utilizing 60-meter band channel 2 (5.346.5 MHz USB) to coordinate
emergency communications. The club's NP2VI served as the net control station at
 the St. Croix Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Participants included the
Virgin Islands National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, National Guard Task
Forces, and VITEMA EOCs on St. Croix and St. Thomas. Puerto Rico Army MARS
members also participated. FEMA posted personnel on two Navy vessels, and they
worked directly with USVI amateurs via 60-meter interoperability channels.

Amateur Radio operators on St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John were involved in
 the response. "Our local communications team is doing what we are trained to
do," USVI Section Manager Fred Kleber, K9VV, said. "Our NIMS [National Incident
 Management System] training has paid off in spades."

Ham radio volunteers were instrumental in passing critical safety-of-life
communications in the days immediately following Hurricane Irma, accessing a
2-meter repeater from the VITEMA EOC. Operators quickly disseminated important
relief information (curfew hours, points of distribution, weather bulletins,
seaport status) and served as the relay between the EOCs and emergency support
functions, and St. John Rescue and St. Croix using 2 meters.

Operators also have provided assistance in coordinating private and military
landings of supplies as well as medical evacuations at the St. John Medical
Center. The USVI now are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. --
Thanks to Garry Green, VITEMA; The ARRL Contest Update

____________________________________________________________________________


FCC Opens 630- and 2200-Meter Bands; Stations Must Notify UTC Before Operating

The FCC has announced that the Office of Management and Budget has approved,
for 3 years, the information-collection requirement of the Commission's March
29 Report and Order (R&O) that spelled out Amateur Radio service rules for the
two new bands -- 630 meters (472-479 kHz) and 2200 meters (135.7-137.8 kHz).
Notice of the action appeared in the September 15 edition of the Federal
Register. Before using either band, stations must notify the Utilities
Technology Council (UTC) that they plan to do so. If UTC does not respond
within 30 days, they may commence operation.

On March 27, 2017, the FCC adopted the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference
 (WRC-12) implementation Report and Order (ET Docket 15-99), amending its
Amateur Radio rules to -- in the FCC's words -- "provide for frequency-sharing
requirements" in the two bands. Section 97.313(g)(2) of the new rules requires
that, prior to starting operation in either band, radio amateurs must notify
UTC that they intend to operate by submitting their call signs, the intended
band(s) of operation, and the coordinates of their antenna's fixed location.
The new rules do not permit any mobile operation.

"Amateur stations will be permitted to commence operations after a 30-day
period, unless UTC notifies the station that its fixed location is located
within 1 kilometer of Power Line Carrier (PLC) systems operating on the same or
 overlapping frequencies," the FCC said. PLC systems are unlicensed. "This
notification process will ensure that amateur stations seeking to operate [on
630 or 2200 meters] are located beyond a minimum separation distance from PLC
transmission lines, which will help ensure the compatibility and coexistence of
 amateur and PLC operations, and promote shared use of the bands."

ARRL 630-Meter Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, advised radio amateurs
who anticipate using either band to read the Federal Register posting "to
understand frequencies, power limitations,
and operating modes permitted." Experimental Group participant Ed Cole, KL7UW,
has been operating as WD2XSH/45 with 100 W into a 43 x 122-foot base-loaded
inverted L, achieving about 3 W ERP. In a message to the Topband Reflector,
Eric Tichansky, NO3M, noted that during his operations as part of the ARRL
Experimental Group and with his own FCC Part 5 Experimental license, he enjoyed
 "many cross-country QSOs at QRP power levels" using a 67-foot top-loaded
vertical that shares the radial field for his 160-meter antenna. The Antennas
by N6LF website offers more information.

____________________________________________________________________________


HamSCI Presents Initial Eclipse Results at ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications
Conference

At the 36th annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), held
September 15-17 in St. Louis, members of the HamSCI group presented preliminary
 evidence that the August 21 solar eclipse had a significant effect on HF
propagation. The DCC is geared toward technically minded Amateur Radio
operators who specialize in building and designing hardware and software to
support digital communication and radio.

In their presentation, "HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse," HamSCI
members Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF; Bill Engelke, AB4EJ; Josh Katz, KD2JAO;
Spencer Gunning, K2AEM, and Josh Vega, WB2JSV, showed initial results of the
Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) and other HamSCI eclipse experiments. Their
presentation demonstrated that the number of 14 MHz Reverse Beacon Network
(RBN) spots decreased, while the number of 1.8 MHz and 3.5 MHz spots increased
during the eclipse totality. The HamSCI researchers say this suggests a
decrease in both maximum usable frequency (MUF) and D-layer absorption during
the eclipse.

John Ackermann, N8UR, described his work in making wideband recordings during
the eclipse in his presentation, "How to Fill a Terabyte Disk: Using Software
Defined Radios in the HamSCI Solar Eclipse Experiment."

In addition to the conference presentation, three New Jersey Institute of
Technology (NJIT) HamSCI papers were included in the conference Proceedings.
"HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (Experiment Description)," by Frissell
 et al., details the procedures for the HamSCI eclipse experiments. "The
H.A.R.C. Database and Visualization Utilities," by Katz et al., describes a
database for unifying RBN, PSKReporter, WSPRNet, and other Amateur Radio
propagation data in one place for research purposes. Vega's "Developing a Solar
 Eclipse Simulation for Greater Good" describes how to simulate the SEQP using
the PHaRLAP raytracing toolkit and SAMI3 model of the eclipsed ionosphere.

HamSCI team members announced that the HamSCI Workshop will be held at NJIT in
Newark on February 23-24.

____________________________________________________________________________


IARU Administrative Council Considers New Radio Spectrum Pollution Threat

The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
 believes high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles has
significant potential to interfere with radio communication. That assessment
came as the AC met on September 15 and 16 in Landshut, Germany, immediately
prior to the IARU Region 1 Conference, to review its priorities and positions
with regard to the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19).
Conference Agenda Item 9.1.6 would call for studies in advance of WRC-23 to
assess the impact of WPT for electric vehicles on radiocommunication services
and to study suitable harmonized frequency ranges to minimize its impact. The
AC determined that addressing the threat requires an increased commitment of
resources by potentially affected radiocommunication services, including
Amateur Radio.

The WPT issue came up earlier this month at the meeting of CEPT WRC Project
Team D, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, the week of September 11. At that
gathering, IARU addressed the impact of spurious emissions from proposed
high-power WPT systems for electric vehicles.

As the ITU explained in its August 2016 report, "Applications of wireless power
 transmission via radio frequency beam," WPT technology is considered a
game-changer. "We will be able to become free from lacking electric power when
electric power will be supplied wirelessly," the report said. WPT vehicle
applications typically use frequencies in the LF and MF range.

In addition to WPT, the WRC-19 agenda includes several other items of potential
 concern to radio amateurs and a possible allocation in Region 1 of 50-54 MHz
to the Amateur Service to harmonize with the allocations in the other two
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regions.

Delegates reviewed and updated the strategic plan to develop support for
amateur spectrum allocations in 2016-2020, and they approved action plan for
the remainder of 2017 and 2018. They also reviewed and adopted the IARU
2018-2020 budget, based upon anticipated financial contributions from the IARU
International Secretariat and the three regional organizations. The budget
adopted reflects ongoing efforts to minimize expenses.

Regional representatives on the AC reported progress in their areas, including
the successful Amateur Radio Administration Course, a course attended by
administrators from several Latin American countries that was offered earlier
this year in Mexico City.

Tore Worren, LA9QL, was appointed as EMC Coordinator, replacing Thilo Kootz,
DL9KCE, who has had to step down because of a change in employment.

____________________________________________________________________________


JOTA 2017 Organizers Urge Scout Stations to Register Now

Scouting's Jamboree on the Air/Jamboree on the Internet (JOTA/JOTI) event takes
 place over the October 20-22 weekend, and organizers are urging Scout stations
 planning to participate to register now. The world JOTA-JOTI team has
activated its online sign-up system.

"Our number one message at this time is to register their station and get ready
 for JOTA," JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, told ARRL. "It's time for Scout
groups to bring together their open action items -- ordering patches, printing
handouts, gathering equipment, reminding staff members, verifying location, and
 getting the word out to the Scouts to be prepared for a fabulous experience
talking with other Scouts across the country and hopefully around the world."

JOTA is the world's largest Scouting event, held annually over the third full
weekend in October, and Scouts of any age can participate -- from Cub Scouts to
 Boy Scouts and Venturers, male and female. During JOTA, Amateur Radio links
Scouts with other Scouts and hams, locally and worldwide. Since the first JOTA
in 1958, millions of Scouts have met each other through this event to exchange
ideas and share experiences via ham radio. Many contacts made during JOTA have
resulted in enduring friendships and connections.

According to the World Scout Bureau, the 2016 JOTA had nearly 1.3 million Scout
 participants from more than 30,000 locations, and reached 156 countries.

The World JOTA-JOTI team has published a Participant's Guide to help Scouts to
get on the air and the internet for the largest Scouting event in the world.
They've also published a brief history of the 60 years of Jamboree on the Air
as well as the Top 10 Challenges and Activities in 2016 that might provide
ideas for your event this year. An online scheduling tool is available too.

For participating via EchoLink, two conference nodes now have been designated
for Scout contacts -- *JOTA-365* (node 480809) and *JAMBO* (node 832996). Visit
 the K2BSA Radio Scouting page for more information on frequencies, including
D-STAR, DMR, and IRLP.

____________________________________________________________________________


Former MIT President, Electrical Engineering Professor Paul E. Gray, ex-W2UWN,
SK

Former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Paul E. Gray,
ex-W2UWN and K1ZVT, of Concord, Massachusetts, died on September 18. He was 85.
 Gray had a nearly lifelong association with MIT, including turns as student,
professor, dean of engineering, associate provost, chancellor, president, and
MIT Corporation chair. He served as MIT's 14th president for the decade 1980
to1990, and chaired the MIT Corporation for another 7 years before returning to
 teaching and advising. He was an emeritus professor of electrical engineering.

"Gray transformed the Institute through his commitment to enhancing
undergraduate education and increasing the presence of women and
underrepresented minorities on campus," an MIT obituary said. "With his wife,
Priscilla King Gray, at his side, he helped guide MIT through the social change
 and technological transformation that marked the second half of the 20th
century."

Gray's administration is credited with expanding MIT's industrial relations and
 developing major research in the areas of communications, health sciences and
technology, microelectronics, and brain and cognitive science.

Gray became a radio amateur as a young teen in the 1940s, first as W2UWN in his
 native New Jersey, and later as K1ZVT. He let his Amateur Radio license lapse
in 1970.

"I can remember as early as first and second grade making things electrical,
like electromagnets," Gray recounted during an MIT Infinite History interview.
"Winding copper wire on a nail and being able to turn it on and off. And that
just continued through as far back as I can remember. I was involved in making
gadgets around the house. If anything could be taken apart that was electric,
from clocks to radios or whatever. By the time I was 10, I was doing radio
repair for the neighbors, vacuum tube radios at that point, of course. As soon
as the war ended, I got myself licensed as an Amateur Radio operator and built
all my equipment."

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