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The ARRL Letter

October 26, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Aiming for a "Clean Sweep" is Big Part of ARRL November Sweepstakes'
    Appeal
 *  Communications Interoperability Training with Amateur Radio Community
    Set
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  ARRL Foundation Announces the NEAR-Fest Memorial Scholarship
 *  CW Gets the Message Through in Wake of Hurricane Irma
 *  Tiny LF Signal Makes the Hop from Newfoundland to the UK
 *  SSTV Goes Very High Profile
 *  ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Amateur Radio Contacts with Space
    Station Crew
 *  QRZ DX and The DX Magazine Publisher Carl Smith, N4AA, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  Getting It Right
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


Aiming for a "Clean Sweep" is Big Part of ARRL November Sweepstakes' Appeal

For many, ARRL November Sweepstakes (SS) is the premier ARRL fall operating
event, with the lure of a "Clean Sweep" being the ultimate goal. The challenge
of SS -- or "Sweeps" -- is to work as many stations in as many of the 83 ARRL
and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sections as possible within the 24 available
 hours. The number of sections worked is a score multiplier. Be the first in
your neighborhood to work all 83 and qualify for a "Clean Sweep" mug!

SS takes place on separate November weekends. The CW weekend is November 4-6,
and the phone (SSB) weekend is November 18-20. The contest period for each
contest begins at 2100 UTC on Saturday and continues through 0259 UTC on Monday
 (remember that the shift back to standard time occurs during the CW weekend).
Stations may operate 24 hours of the available 30 hours. In a change this year,
 logs are due 5 days after each event. SS is a "domestic" contest with broad
appeal, and even stations with modest equipment and antennas can enjoy success.
 Many stations like to operate in the QRP category (output of 5 W or less).

Given its origins in the traffic-handling realm, ARRL November Sweepstakes has
a lengthy exchange that replicates a radiogram preamble. In SS, stations
exchange:

 *  A consecutive serial number (NR). Adding zeros ahead of numbers less
    than 100 is not required.
 *  Operating category -- Q for Single Op QRP; A for Single Op, Low Power
    (up to 150 W output); B for Single Op, High Power (greater than 150 W
    output); U for Single Op, Unlimited, regardless of power; M for
    Multioperator, regardless of power, and S for School Club.
 *  Your call sign.
 *  Check (CK) -- the last two digits of the year of first license for
    either operator or station.
 *  Section -- ARRL/RAC Section.

The SS Operating Guide package, available for download, explains how to
participate in Sweepstakes, including all rules and examples of log formatting.
 Clubs or public service teams thinking about giving Sweepstakes a try this
year will find the guide a useful source for information.

____________________________________________________________________________


Records

For those hoping to break one of the current scoring records, there's a high
bar. For example, in SS CW, N2IC in New Mexico holds the Single-Operator, High
Power record with 255,520 points, set in 2009. The Single-Operator, Low Power
record of 213,144 points was set in 2015 by W2GD operating KP2M in the US
Virgin Islands. The Single-Operator, QRP record of 173,168 was set in 2002 by
N6TR operating W5WMU in Louisiana.

Some record holders in the phone (SSB) event include, for example, KE3Q in the
top spot, who operated WP3R in Puerto Rico to earn identical 425,280-point
scores in 2000 and 2002 in the Single-Operator, High Power category. VE4GV has
the Single-Operator Low, Power crown with 308,160 points in 2000 from Manitoba.
 WA2GO holds the Single-Operator, QRP SSB phone record with 189,920 points from
 KL7Y in Alaska in 2001. SS CW and Phone records are also listed for unlimited,
 multi-single, and school categories.

____________________________________________________________________________


Rare Ones

Some ARRL/RAC sections are considered tough ones to work for a "Clean Sweep."
The often-elusive Northern Territories (NT) multiplier will be on the air this
year, however, as Gerry Hull, W1VE/VE1RM, takes the helm of VY1AAA, remotely
operating the station of J. Allen, VY1JA, in Yukon Territory. Hull and Allen
have done a lot of work on the system on their respective ends of things.

"J has done a lot of work on the station, moving it to an outer building, so it
 does not bother him when we operate," Hull told ARRL. "The quad has been
strengthened. A 160-meter double-L with a 70-foot vertical section has been
installed." He said the Alpha linear has been repaired, there is remote antenna
 switching and azimuth control, plus "small changes in the station to improve
reliability." Allen has been working on station wiring, too, he said. Hull
shipped Allen a 500-foot roll of coaxial cable over the summer along with "many
 coax connectors" and other odds and ends.

"A Sweep may be hard, given the conditions in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto
Rico," Hull allowed. According to FEMA, power has been restored to less than
one-third of customers in either location. He said the VY1 station also will be
 active in the ARRL 160-Meter Contest, December 2-3. Hull pointed out that all
VY1AAA remote operators must hold Canadian Advanced amateur licenses.

____________________________________________________________________________


Club Eligibility Lists

A new system is in place to submit club eligibility lists, either by uploading
a file of eligible members or by copying and pasting from a list, right up
until the time of the contest -- November 4 at 2100 UTC in the case of SS CW,
and November 18 at 2100 UTC in the case of SS phone. Direct questions to ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. -- Thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE; Bart
Jahnke, W9JJ

____________________________________________________________________________


Communications Interoperability Training with Amateur Radio Community Set

Elements of the US Department of Defense will conduct a "communications
interoperability" training exercise November 4-6, once again simulating a "very
 bad day" scenario. Amateur Radio and MARS organizations will take part.

"This exercise will begin with a notional massive coronal mass ejection event
which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional
communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and internet
 connectivity," Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, explained in an
 announcement.

During the exercise, a designated DOD Headquarters entity will request
county-by-county status reports for the 3,143 US counties and county
equivalents, in order to gain situational awareness and to determine the extent
 of impact of the scenario. Army and Air Force MARS organizations will work in
conjunction with the Amateur Radio community, primarily on the 60-meter
interoperability channels as well as on HF NVIS frequencies and local VHF and
UHF, non-internet linked Amateur Radio repeaters.

Again this year, a military station on the east coast and the Fort Huachuca,
Arizona, HF station will conduct a high-power broadcast on 60-meter channel 1
(5,330.5 kHz) on Saturday from 0300 to 0315 UTC. New this year will be an
informational broadcast on Sunday, on 13,483.5 kHz USB from 1600 to 1615 UTC.
Amateur Radio operators should monitor these broadcasts for more information
about the exercise and how they can participate in this communications
exercise, English said.

"We want to continue building on the outstanding cooperative working
relationship with ARRL and the Amateur Radio community," English said. "We want
 to expand the use of the 60-meter interop channels between the military and
amateur community for emergency communications, and we hope the Amateur Radio
community will give us some good feedback on the use of both the 5-MHz interop
and the new 13-MHz broadcast channels as a means of information dissemination
during a "very bad day" scenario.

Contact English for more information or questions about this exercise.

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"QRP" is the topic of the new (October 26) 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.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Foundation Announces the NEAR-Fest Memorial Scholarship

A new scholarship is available to radio amateurs. The New England Amateur Radio
 Festival (NEAR-Fest) Memorial Scholarship, administered by the ARRL
Foundation, commemorates NEAR-Fest team members who have become Silent Keys,
and is intended to provide funding toward the educational expenses of a
currently licensed Amateur Radio operator who is pursuing a post-secondary
education.

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents, reside in the ARRL New
England Division (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Massachusetts), and have held an Amateur Radio license for at least 1 year
prior to the date of application. Preference will be given in descending order
of license class as well as to applicants pursuing full-time studies at a
4-year undergraduate degree-granting institution, pursuing post-graduate
studies (any degree), or enrolled in radio communications at a 2-year technical
 school.

The initial scholarship will be awarded for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Scholarships are for the exclusive use of the winner to be applied to tuition,
books, mandatory fees, on-campus housing, and other bona fide educational
expenses.

The ARRL Foundation is currently accepting applications from eligible radio
amateurs pursuing higher education. More than 80 scholarships ranging from $500
 to $5,000 will be awarded in 2018. All applicants must submit a completed
online application. Transcripts are due by February 15, 2018.

____________________________________________________________________________


CW Gets the Message Through in Wake of Hurricane Irma

Any CW operator worth his or her salt will tell you that CW is the mode that
gets through when all others fall short of the mark. CW certainly did the job
for Chet Hogue, N3BK, who handled dozens of messages for residents of Florida's
 Lower Keys in the days following Hurricane Irma in September.

"A message from a Big Pine Key man to his girlfriend, who evacuated with their
young daughter and was waiting to hear how he weathered the storm, was one of
about 80 sent out over the airwaves by ham radio enthusiast Chet Hogue in the
days following Irma's destruction," reporter Katie Atkins wrote in The Keynoter
 in describing Hogue's activity.

"Things here are still incredibly a mess!" Hogue told ARRL this week.

The Summerland Key charter captain, known as "Captain Chester," weathered the
storm in place. He noted that the primary frequencies handling traffic were
quite busy, so he got on CW, which, he told Atkins, allowed him "to relay
messages clearly." He operated from a station at his home as well as from his
boat.

According to the news report, Hogue would transmit message traffic gathered
from residents trying to get in touch with family and friends outside the area.
 He urged anyone interested in Amateur Radio to visit the ARRL website. "It's
just neat, this system," he told Atkins. "With a piece of wire and a car
battery, you can talk around the world."

Hogue told ARRL that he "escaped" to the Keys in 2010 after recovering from an
injury suffered in a vehicle accident. "I haven't been active in some time, but
 have kept my 'bug-out bag' ready for just this situation," he said. "[This]
was my first emergency, as it was for many who passed traffic for me."

Hogue's father -- also Chester -- is N3VA, and his dad and some of his friends
got him interested in Amateur Radio. Hogue entered the military as a teenager
and, he said, realized the vital importance of communication.

Hogue used a 100 W radio powered from deep-cycle marine batteries, a G5RV
antenna on shore and a fiberglass vertical antenna on his charter boat. He kept
 a handwritten log on a piece of cardboard.

"This is a good reason for all of us to learn CW and use it on the bands, and
become skilled at sending and receiving CW," remarked Whitey Doherty, K1VV, a
CW stalwart who shared the news story with ARRL Headquarters. -- Thanks to
"Captain Chester" Hogue, N3BK, The Keynoter, and Whitey Doherty, K1VV

____________________________________________________________________________


Tiny LF Signal Makes the Hop from Newfoundland to the UK

For Joe Craig, VO1NA, in Torbay, Newfoundland, things have been pretty exciting
 lately on VLF (very low frequency). He's among the early MF, LF, and VLF
experimenters in North America -- active even before Canada allocated Amateur
Radio bands in that part of the spectrum. He believes he accomplished a "first"
 for a Canadian radio amateur on October 22, when his very VLF, very QRP signal
 on 8.27 kHz (that would be the 36-kilometer band) was copied in the UK.

"After much effort on both sides of the pond, SWL Paul Nicholson in Todmorden
finally copied a three-letter message," he told ARRL. "It's the
lowest-frequency transatlantic message, made possible because of Paul's EbNaut
coherent BPSK mode and DL4YHF's Spectrum Lab spectrum analyzer." Even more
amazing: The power was 10 µW ERP. Craig is permitted to run 10 mW by regulator
ISED Canada (formerly Industry Canada). The transmission path was more than
3,500 kilometers (approximately 2,170 miles).

VLF signals have been copied across the Atlantic in the past. In March 2014, a
very slow-speed (QRSS) CW signal on 29.499 kHz, transmitted by Bob Raide, W2ZM,
 a New York Experimental licensee, initially was detected in the UK by
Nicholson. In June 2014, Dex McIntyre, W4DEX, in North Carolina, transmitted an
 EbNaut signal on 8.971 kHz, while running on the order of 150 µW effective
radiated power. Nicholson detected that signal too. McIntyre needed no FCC
license to transmit on 8.971 kHz, because the Commission has not designated any
 allocations below 9 kHz, dubbed "the Dreamers' Band."

Craig's transmission from Newfoundland began at 2300 UTC on October 22 and
ended 7 hours later. "Paul replied by e-mail the following day with the correct
 message," Craig said, "and there was much rejoicing across the pond and in the
 Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland!"

Craig said that Nicholson had detected a carrier from VO1NA this past spring,
but it was not stable enough to send a message.

DL4YHF's Spectrum Lab, with a GPS module output signal used to calibrate the
computer and help from DF6NM and DK7FC, worked much better, Craig said. "Paul
measured the phase for a few days before the message was sent. With the new
high-stability carrier, Paul got me on the first call."

The final stage of his VLF transmitter is what Craig described as "the very
Canadian Traynor Group One/SC stage amplifier" from the 1970s. He says his is
"the only known VLF transmitter in Newfoundland and Labrador." His antenna, by
the way, is approximately 100 meters (approximately 328 feet) of #12 copper
wire, about 12 meters high on average.

Craig's blog offers more information.

____________________________________________________________________________


SSTV Goes Very High Profile

In late September, University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcher Chris Fallen,
KL3WX, was attempting to produce an RF-induced airglow -- or artificial aurora
-- using the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility
near Gakona, Alaska, to warm up the atmosphere. Clouds hampered his experiment,
 but Fallen alerted his Twitter followers that he also had embedded a few
Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) frames in the powerful HAARP signal, which were
copied in British Columbia and in Colorado.

"The SSTV images, aside from being a fun way to engage hams in some of the
ionosphere-heating science performed at HAARP, will be useful for understanding
 radio propagation from Arctic or high-latitude sources," Fallen told ARRL.

HAARP consists of multiple transmitters feeding 180 phased-arrays and is
capable of producing 3.6 MW (that's megawatts) of RF. HAARP's signal is
essentially aimed straight up.

The assistant professor at the UAF's Geophysical Institute transmitted two UAF
logos, a photo of his cat -- appearing as a giant feline next to the HAARP
antenna field, and -- most unusual -- a QR code granting the recipient 0.001
Bitcoin. The SSTV images were not the best, and you almost need to use your
imagination to make out the cat.

His transmissions were on three discrete frequencies in the 2.8 MHz range.
Fallen used different frequencies and antenna phase settings to determine if
those factors would affect the airglow.

"I used Scottie-1 encoding for the images, because it is widely used in North
America and the ~120-second duration fit nicely into the airglow experiment,"
Fallen said. "The antenna was directed toward the HAARP magnetic zenith, which,
 at ~75° elevation, is nearly vertical but has often been found by previous
scientists to maximize artificial airglow."

Fallen told ARRL he still has some HAARP time left from his September campaign,
 although he's not certain what he'll use it for. His next opportunity to
experiment further won't be until early next spring. HAARP conducts just two
experimental campaigns a year, due to staff and funding constraints.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARISS Invites Proposals to Host Amateur Radio Contacts with Space Station Crew

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking
 proposals from US schools, museums, science centers, and community youth
organizations to host Amateur Radio contacts in 2018 with a crew member aboard
the International Space Station (ISS). The deadline to submit proposals is
November 15. Contacts would be scheduled between July 1 and December 31, 2018.

Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with opportunities to
learn about space technologies and space communication via Amateur Radio. The
program provides learning opportunities by connecting students to astronauts
aboard the ISS through a partnership that includes NASA, ARRL, AMSAT, and
worldwide space agencies. The program's goal is to inspire students worldwide
to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) through Amateur Radio.

"Educators have overwhelmingly reported that student participation in the ARISS
 program inspires an interest in STEM subjects and careers," ARISS said in
announcing the proposal window. "Ninety-two percent of educators who have
participated in the program have indicated that ARISS provided ideas for
encouraging student exploration, discussion, and participation, while 78% said
that ARISS was effective in stimulating student interest in STEM."

The ARISS website has additional details on expectations, proposal guidelines,
and the proposal form. -- Thanks to ARISS

____________________________________________________________________________


QRZ DX and The DX Magazine Publisher Carl Smith, N4AA, SK

QRZ DX and The DX Magazine Publisher and Editor Carl Smith, N4AA, of Asheville,
 North Carolina, died on October 20. An ARRL member, he was 77 and had been a
radio amateur and DXer for more than 6 decades. Smith and his late wife Miriam,
 KB4C, bought the two publications' parent, DX Publishing, in 1997.

"Carl was a ham's ham, as he dabbled in many aspects of our great hobby," The
Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, observed. "He did a lot for Amateur
Radio over the years."

Licensed in Kansas City in 1954 as WN0YFT (later W0YFT), Smith served in the US
 Air Force from 1958 until 1966. He became W4NQA after moving to North
Carolina. From 1968 until 1970, he was on the
ARRL Headquarters staff and held the call sign W1ETU. When he moved to Virginia
 in 1970, he regained W4NQA and, after moving back to North Carolina, obtained
N4AA in 1976.

An avid DXer and at the top of the DXCC Honor Roll, Smith was inducted into the
 CQ DX Hall of Fame in 2012.

Smith was a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC). He re-established
QCWA Chapter 145 for the primary purpose of establishing the Southern
Appalachian Radio Museum -- now the Asheville Radio Museum -- on the campus of
Asheville-Buncombe Community College. He also was a long-time Roanoke Division
Assistant Director. For many years, he was the owner and manager of Georgetown
Communications, an Amateur Radio store in Asheville.

Smith was among the founders of the SouthEastern DX and Contesting Organization
 (SEDCO) W4DXCC Convention, and his wife's call sign is used on the air at the
annual convention and for various operating activities.

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

Chinese CAS-4A and CAS-4B Amateur Radio Satellite Transponders Activated: The
Amateur Radio linear (SSB/CW) inverting transponders on the CAS-4A and CAS-4B
satellites were activated on October 18. CAMSAT's Amateur Radio payloads
piggybacked on the optical remote-sensing micro-satellites OVS-1A (CAS-4A) and
OVS-1B (CAS-4B), launched on June 15. CAS-4A (call sign BJ1SK) has a CW
telemetry beacon on 145.855 MHz, and 4.8 kB GMSK telemetry on 145.835 MHz. The
uplink is 435.220 MHz, the downlink is 145.870 MHz (20 kHz passband). CAS-4B
(call sign BJ1SL) has a CW telemetry beacon on 145.910 MHz, and 4.8 kB GMSK
telemetry at 145.890 MHz. The uplink is 435.280 MHz, the downlink is 145.925
MHz (20 kHz passband). -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News via AMSAT-UK


November 2017 Frequency Measuring Test Set: Frequency Measuring Test (FMT)
manager Connie Marshall, K5CM, promised something "a little different" for the
fall FMT, which begins on November 3 at 0200 UTC. Instead of measuring a single
 frequency, this test will measure a pair of frequencies -- a "two-tone" test.
Although the two frequencies will not jump back and forth at the rate of an
actual FSK signal, participants will be measuring both signals and the shift
between them. The test will be conducted on 80 and 40 meters. Following the
call up, the test signals will begin on the announced frequency. This is the
lower of the two test signal frequencies. Approximately 1 minute later, the
test signal will stop and resume on the second, somewhat higher frequency. The
shift between the frequencies will be approximately the same as a standard 170
Hz shift RTTY signal. Your job is to measure the frequency of the initial,
lower frequency RF signal, and the audio frequency (AF) shift between the two
test signals. Details are on the Frequency Measuring Tests page.


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