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The ARRL Letter

June 9, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL, Community Associations Institute Find Common Ground on Parity Act
    Language
 *  Pacific Northwest Earthquake Exercise Reaching for Realistic Response
    Scenario
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  Shop Amazon Smile for Father's Day and Support ARRL
 *  The 2016 ARRL June VHF Contest is Upon Us!
 *  Colorado Creates Auxiliary Emergency Communications Unit
 *  ARES Volunteers Take Part in Search for Missing Plane
 *  Transatlantic VHF Digital Receiver Site Now Operational in Newfoundland
 *  Bouvet Island Activation Planned for 2017-2018 Timeframe
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions


ARRL, Community Associations Institute Find Common Ground on Parity Act
Language

ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI) -- the national association
 of homeowners associations (HOAs) -- have reached consensus on provisions of
the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301. ARRL and CAI have worked intensively
since February to reach agreement on substitute language for the bill in an
effort to move it through the US House Energy and Commerce Committee and to
overcome objections to the companion US Senate bill, S. 1685. Along the way,
the offices of U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Greg Walden, W7EQI,
(R-OR), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) mediated and offered assistance.

ARRL Hudson Division Director and Legislative Affairs Committee Chairman Mike
Lisenco, N2YBB, called the agreement "a significant development in the League's
 30-year pursuit to secure the ability to erect Amateur Radio antennas in deed
restricted communities."

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said the League was pleased to have
reached an agreement with CAI over new proposed language in this legislation
that both ARRL and CAI endorse and support. "We agree with CAI that the
substitute amendment is balanced, and we think that this bill's language is
more objective and offers perhaps more guidance to HOAs than would the PRB-1
'reasonable accommodation' test for municipal land use regulations," he said.

Imlay explained that ARRL did not have the final language for the substitute
amendment until late last week, and the amended bill has not been introduced in
 the House as of yet. ARRL planned no announcement about the text of the
amended House bill until it was introduced. However, because the text became
available from the House Office of Legislative Counsel, and as CAI released the
 text to its members, it was decided to release the amended text now.

"The bottom line," Imlay said, "is that if the bill is enacted, it would allow
every amateur living in a deed-restricted community -- for the first time in
the history of Amateur Radio in the US -- the ability to install an effective
outdoor antenna."

"That would benefit thousands of current and future hams living in
deed-restricted communities," Lisenco added.

Imlay explained that the substitute bill would guarantee that a radio amateur
living in a deed-restricted community -- including condominium or townhouse
communities -- could install and maintain an "effective outdoor antenna."
Achieving the agreement came without disrupting 30 years of zoning case law
that has interpreted the PRB-1 federal preemption and protected radio amateurs
from overregulation by zoning authorities. The bill incorporates the basic
tenets of PRB-1.

According to the substitute bill's language, the FCC would enact rules
prohibiting the application of deed restrictions that preclude Amateur Radio
communication on their face or as applied. Also prohibited would be deed
restrictions that do not permit an Amateur Radio operator living in a
deed-restricted community to install and maintain an effective outdoor antenna
on property under the licensee's exclusive use or control.

The substitute bill would prohibit deed restrictions that do not impose the
minimum practicable restriction on amateur communication to accomplish the
lawful purposes of a homeowners association (HOA) seeking to enforce the
restriction. Amateurs wishing to install an antenna in a deed-restricted
community would have to notify and obtain prior approval of the homeowners
association. HOAs would be able to preclude the installation of antennas in
common areas -- ie, property not under the licensee's exclusive use.

The substitute measure provides that HOAs could enact reasonable written rules
governing height, location, size, and aesthetic impact of outdoor antennas and
support structures, as well as installation requirements. Those rules could not
 preclude amateur communication nor restrict the absolute entitlement of each
amateur living in a deed-restricted community to an effective outdoor antenna,
however. The amended measure reiterates the strong federal interest in Amateur
Radio communication in a licensee's residence.

"Community associations should fairly administer private land use regulations
in the interest of their communities, while nevertheless permitting the
installation and maintenance of effective outdoor Amateur Radio antennas," the
negotiated language states. "There exist antenna designs and installations that
 can be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and
 structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the
 Amateur Radio services."

Lisenco cautioned that getting the Amateur Radio Parity Act signed into law
still remains a long process. "Much work needs to be done," Lisenco said. "ARRL
 will still need to call upon the entire membership to contact their elected
officials, especially in the Senate, to ask for their affirmative vote on this
bill," he stressed.

More information on the Amateur Radio Parity Act, including a copy of the
complete substitute amendment agreed to by ARRL and CAI, is available on the
ARRL website.


Pacific Northwest Earthquake Exercise Reaching for Realistic Response Scenario

This is only a test... Amateur Radio is playing a major role in the largest
FEMA exercise of 2016, "Cascadia Rising," which got under way on June 7 and
continues until June 10. In the exercise scenario, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake
and consequent tsunami have struck the Pacific Northwest, and the exercise
began with a blackout of all conventional means of communication -- a natural
opening for Amateur Radio involvement. ARES/RACES organizations in Oregon and
Washington have been heavily involved, and ARRL Headquarters, including W1AW,
has been in the loop as well.

In the exercise scenario, all Oregon ARES teams have been activated, and an
emergency net convened on 20 meter SSB.

As part of the exercise, a Winlink HF e-mail from ARRL Oregon Section Manager
John Core, KX7YT, indicated that Seaside had been "severely damaged by a
tsunami wave" with "many missing persons." Among those unaccounted for were
ARRL staff, Directors and Vice Directors attending the Pacific Northwestern
Division Convention in Seaside (Sea-Pac -- the actual convention ended on June
5).

ARRL Emergency Response Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, called a meeting of the ARRL
HQ Emergency Response Team on June 7. Corey said ARRL Headquarters has been
taking part via Winlink and HF voice, adding that the exercise offers an
opportunity to exercise the ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team. "This
team is called up to support the ARRL Field Organization during a major
disaster, when support cannot be provided during normal business hours," he
explained.

According to FEMA, emergency operations centers (EOCs) and emergency
coordination centers (ECCs) at all levels of government and the private sector
are conducting simulated field response operations within their jurisdictions
and with neighboring communities, state EOCs, FEMA, and major military
commands. FEMA will activate the five discrete Amateur Radio channels on 60
meters for use during the interoperability exercise.


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"All About Baluns" is the topic of the newest (June 2) 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 on June 16, the topic will be "Grounding."


National Parks on the Air Update

June is the beginning of sporadic-E season, which means the likelihood of good
domestic openings on 10 and 6 meters goes up for a couple of months. NPOTA
Activators and Chasers alike should not overlook the QSO possibilities to be
found on these bands.

Activators can take advantage of gain antennas for these bands, which are much
smaller than their 20 and 40 meter counterparts. In addition, access to 10 and
6 by Technician licensees means many contact opportunities with an entirely new
 segment of Chasers. Stay alert for activity on these bands for the next couple
 of months.

There are 40 activations on the NPOTA calendar June 9-15, including the rare
Niobrara Wild and Scenic River in Nebraska, and the Washita Battlefield
National Historic Site in Oklahoma.

Details about these and other upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA
Activations calendar.

Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook. Follow NPOTA on Twitter
(@ARRL_NPOTA).


Shop Amazon Smile for Father's Day and Support ARRL

Father's Day is Sunday, June 19. Remember to shop smile.amazon.com, and Amazon
will make a contribution to the American Radio Relay League. This helps the
League to extend its reach in public service, advocacy, education, technology,
and membership. Make Dad's day.

Browse great Father's Day gift ideas now!

Bookmark ARRL's link and support Amateur Radio and the ARRL every time you shop
 online.


The 2016 ARRL June VHF Contest is Upon Us!

One of the premier VHF/UHF events on the contest calendar is the ARRL June VHF
Contest, which gets under way at 1800 UTC on Saturday, June 11, and continues
until 0259 UTC on Monday, June 13.

The object for participants in the US and Canada (and their possessions) is to
work stations in as many different 2° x 1°Maidenhead grid squares as possible,
using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US and Canada
(and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions)
and Canada. Stations in KH0-9, KL7, KP1-KP5, CY9, and CY0 count as W/VE
stations and may be worked by DX stations for contest credit.

Whether from a home station, mobile, or even portable (perhaps mountaintopping
or on the air at a nearby National Parks On The Air site), you won't need large
 antennas or elaborate gear to operate in the June VHF Contest, and you don't
have to be a contesting "pro."

June also is a favorable month for band openings on the "Magic Band" -- 6
meters. Even DX contacts are possible on 6.

There are several classic entry categories, but for those new to VHF, these
categories might be a great place to get started in VHF contesting:

 *  Single-Operator, Portable: For those who enjoy operating low power from
    a portable power source and using portable antennas.
 *  Rover: For mobile operators who enjoy traveling from one grid square to
    another to hand out contacts.
 *  Single-Operator, FM-only: A category for the 50, 144, 222, and 440 MHz
    bands at a power of 100 W or less.

Even with a modest station, it's possible to work hundreds of miles on the VHF
bands during a good opening. For more information, contact the ARRL Contest
Branch.


Colorado Creates Auxiliary Emergency Communications Unit

A new Colorado law has created an Auxiliary Emergency Communications (AuxComm)
Unit within the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
(DHSEM). The action implements recommendations contained in a 2012 FCC report
to Congress regarding the value of Amateur Radio in disasters and emergencies.
Colorado Gov John Hickenlooper signed the measure into law on June 6, after it
sailed through both houses of the Colorado General Assembly.

"This bill will make it possible for Colorado ARES to further enhance the level
 of emergency communications services during times of need," ARRL Colorado
Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G, said.

Colorado's General Assembly determined that "a uniformly trained and
credentialed unit of communication volunteers available for disaster response"
would "materially assist emergency preparedness and disaster response efforts
across the state."

The new law was conceived by Colorado Section Emergency Coordinator and State
Government Liaison Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, an attorney, while he met with DHSEM
staff in 2012. That year and the next, Amateur Radio operators played key roles
 in responding to multiple major disasters in Colorado, including wildfires
that destroyed several hundred homes and a 500-year-flood that inundated much
of north-central Colorado.

"The real-life laboratory of successive major disaster helped us quickly
realize the need for statewide response capabilities; which ideas worked, and
which ones didn't," said Wareham. "In essence, we had the perfect storm of
major disasters, FCC recommendations to Congress, and FEMA OEC sponsored
training to bring it all together into the current auxiliary communications
framework."

The new statute provides that Colorado ARES will enter into a Section-level
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state's Office of Emergency
Management to recruit, train, credential, coordinate, and supervise members of
the Auxiliary Emergency Communications Unit.

"Too often, valuable Amateur Radio resources are diluted by having multiple
organizations in a single community competing with one another, such as having
separate ARES and RACES organizations in a single county," Wareham said. "Under
 the Colorado model, all Colorado ARES members who meet the training and
background check requirements of the AuxComm Unit will be issued credentials
that will be recognized statewide." The AuxComm Unit will perform all RACES
functions for the state.


ARES Volunteers Take Part in Search for Missing Plane

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Kentucky recently joined
other volunteer organizations, law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency
managers in an effort to locate a missing single-engine private aircraft. ARES
teams and individual volunteers from Grayson, Hardin, and Davies counties and
elsewhere mustered on June 1 at the Owensboro Airport -- the plane's
destination -- to assist with communication. Kentucky State Police had put out
the call for information on the plane's whereabouts.

Members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) also took part in the search-and-rescue
mission, and the operation had support from the American Red Cross, which
provided meals and water for the responders. The plane was believed to have
gone down near Rough River State Park, not long after departing the Falls of
Rough airfield on a flight back to its home base of Owensboro.

"We were only called out 'for communications,' so we didn't know what would be
needed," Hardin County Assistant Emergency Coordinator Shelby Ennis, W8WN, said
 afterward. "Therefore, both W8QAS [the emergency communications point of
contact for the incident] and I took a lot of gear. Most of it was needed."

Kentucky Region 2 Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator George Allen, WA4YPQ,
 activated Hardin County ARES and requested help from Kentucky Section
Emergency Coordinator Cecil Dennis, K4TCD.

Firefighter Andrew Whobrey, KG4OOZ, also served at incident command (IC) for
communications relay and support on non-ham radio frequencies, and three radio
operators at the IC monitored the various radios and frequencies. Ennis said
four dual-band radios were pressed into service.

The crash site was spotted on the afternoon of June 1 in a remote area. A
ground team subsequently reached the site and removed the body of the pilot, Dr
 Robert C. Dalzell Jr of Owensboro, a retired physician.

"The local emergency manager and the others [involved] were greatly
appreciative of our coming down and providing the communications for them,"
Ennis said. He noted that upward of 50 individuals, including a dozen or so
radio amateurs, were involved in the search effort.


Transatlantic VHF Digital Receiver Site Now Operational in Newfoundland

A transatlantic VHF digital receiver site has begun operation in Newfoundland.
Frank Davis, VO1HP, reports that antennas were erected and a VHF SDR activated
on May 19 to inaugurate the VO1FN "TransAtlantic VHF Digital Beacon Receiver
Site." The receiver site, in grid square GN37, is sponsored by the Society of
Newfoundland Radio Amateurs (SONRA), the Baccalieu Amateur Radio Klub (VO1BRK),
 and the Upper Trinity Amateur Radio Club (UTARC). Davis made his summer home
and station in Freshwater, Conception Bay North, available for the receive-only
 site; it offers an unobstructed view of the North Atlantic, and he's open to
suggestions as to how to take best advantage of the site's capabilities.

"The point of this experiment is to provide a North American receiver online
24/7 that can be used by European beacon operators or well-equipped VHF
stations to test their transmissions," he told ARRL. "It is a receive-only
site, but if it is proven over time that signals can be heard and correlated
with propagation studies, then it might stimulate operators to equip their
stations to attempt a two-way QSO."

Attempts have been made from Newfoundland and Labrador to transmit an Amateur
Radio signal across the North Atlantic on 2 meters, with a two-way contact as
the ultimate goal. The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) offers its
Brendan Trophy to the operators of the Amateur Radio stations to establish the
first two-way communication on 2 meters between Europe and North or South
America. The most recent effort to snag the Brendan Trophy took place from VC1T
 in Newfoundland in 2014. Interest stemming from that experiment led to the
VO1FN project.

"The receiver site is up and running using an SDR and SDR Console software,"
Davis told ARRL. He explained that users would first have to install SDR
Console V2.3, and he would open a free account permitting them to log in.

"We are willing to rotate the Yagi array in any direction for testing with
distant 144 MHz digital stations," Davis said.


Bouvet Island Activation Planned for 2017-2018 Timeframe

Three proven and experienced DXpedition leaders of a large team of operators
have announced plans to activate Bouvet Island (Bouvet?ya), the number 2
most-wanted DXCC entity, in late 2017 or early 2018. Ralph Fedor, K0IR, Bob
Allphin, K4UEE, and Erling Wiig, LA6VM, have been working on this project since
 returning from Peter I (3Y0X) some 10 years ago.

"We are making this announcement now, so that other DXpedition teams that may
be considering Bouvet as a DXpedition target can redirect their time and effort
 elsewhere," the trio said in the announcement. The team has an agreement with
R/V Braveheart skipper Nigel Jolly, K6NRJ, to provide transportation, a
helicopter, pilot, and mechanic. A website is under development.

The group's preliminary plan, submitted to the Norwegian Polar Institute, has
been accepted, and a permit will be issued to land on Slakhallet -- a huge
glacier that covers the volcanic island. A dependency of Norway, Bouvet is a
subantarctic island in the South Atlantic.

The last Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, which took place during a scientific
expedition over the winter of 2007-2008. Petrus Kritzinger, ZS6GCM, was the
DXpedition operator.

A Bouvet activation that occurred in January 2001 surprised the DX community.
Dr Chuck Brady, N4BQW (SK), a retired NASA astronaut, operated solo as 3Y0C
from Bouvet and got to talk about it at the Dayton DX Dinner a few months
later.

Other Bouvet DXpeditions in the 2016 timeframe had been planned and announced
but apparently never came together. -- Thanks to The Daily DX


In Brief...

ARRL Network Maintenance Set for Sunday, June 12: The ARRL IT Department will
conduct network maintenance on Sunday, June 12, to improve reliability and
security. The work will occur between 1100
UTC and 2300 UTC. During this period some or all systems may be temporarily
unavailable, including the website. Among services that will be affected are
the ARRL Store, the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) page, Logbook of The
World (LoTW), the DXCC page, and the ARRL VEC page. E-mail also will be
offline, but all messages will be queued for later delivery. Telephone service
to ARRL Headquarters also may be affected. We apologize for any inconvenience.


Houston Area ARES Activates in Response to Flood Emergency: ARRL South Texas
Section Emergency Coordinator Frank Aguilar, N5SSH, reported on June 2 that
South Texas District 14 Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) had activated in
 response to continued flooding in the area. There had not been any
communications failures, but ARES briefly assisted with other
communication-related "situational awareness issues." District 14 ARES
activated at the request of Harris County Homeland Security Office of Emergency
 Management. "Heavy rainfall continues to fall across Harris County and
Southeast Texas," District 14 Emergency Coordinator Jeff Walter, KE5FGA, said
at the time. The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency
Management moved to Level 3 -- Increased Readiness -- in response to the
potential flooding threat.


Past QST VHF-UHF Columnist, ARRL Staffer Bill Smith, W0WOI (ex-K0CER), SK:
Former ARRL Headquarters staffer Bill Smith, W0WOI (ex-K0CER, W1DVE, and
others), of Jefferson, Iowa, died on June 1. An
ARRL Life Member, he was 78 and had been a radio amateur and League member
since 1952. He served on the ARRL staff from 1967 to 1974 and was the editor of
 QST's "World Above 50 Mc." column, succeeding Sam Harris, W1FZJ. In 1967,
Smith was among the founders (with W0CUC and W0ENC) of the organization that
became the Central States VHF Society. He was said to be looking forward to the
 organization's 50th gathering later this year. Smith activated the Cayman
Islands for the first time ever on 6 meters as ZF1DT in 1968, and he led the
1970 KL7ABR DXpedition to Alaska 2 years later for the ARRL June VHF QSO Party.
 He was on the DXCC Honor Roll and had nearly completed DXCC on 6 meters. He
also enjoyed collecting vintage and rare QSL cards. On the professional side,
Smith had extensive experience in television news reporting and documentary
work.


Former Fanon-Courier Vice President of Engineering Mike Santana, WB6TEB, SK:
Former vice president of engineering for Fanon Courier Miguel Emilio "Mike"
Santana, WB6TEB, of Arcadia, California, died May 24. A native of Cuba, Santana
 was 84 and had been an ARRL member. Santana was the designer of the 12-channel
 crystal-controlled Clegg FM-76 transceiver for 220 MHz, which was licensed to
Midland and Cobra. He also designed the President line of CB radios, many of
which were converted to 10 meter operation. He was an associate member of the
JPL Amateur Radio Club (ARC). Santana also was a reserve police officer for
more than 10 years and served as a radio consultant for the city police and
fire departments. -- Thanks to Mike Morris, WA6ILQ


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: I thought it was too early in the decline of
this solar cycle to start seeing days with no sunspots (ie, when the sunspot
number is zero) but I was wrong.

There were no sunspots on June 3-6. The last time there were four or more
spot-less days was December 18-24, 2010 when there were no sunspots for an
entire week. Last year, we saw no spot-less days, 2014 had just one, and there
were none in 2012 or 2013.

The average daily sunspot number dropped from 33 to 7.7 this week, and the
average daily solar flux went from 87.4 to 80.7. Geomagnetic indicators were up
 slightly, with the planetary A index going from 8.9 to 11.6, and the
mid-latitude A index from 9 to 9.4.

Predicted solar flux for the near term is 80, 82, 85, and 90 on June 9-12; 95
on June 13-16; 90 on June 17-20; 85 on June 21-24; 80 on June 25-28; 78 on June
 29-July 4; 82 on July 5-7; 85 on July 8-11, and 90 on July 12-17.

Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8, 12, 16, and 12 on June 9-13; 8, 6, 8, 15,
and 10 on June 14-18; 5 on June 19-22; 10, 12, and 8 on June 23-25; 10 on June
26-27; 5 on June 28-July 1; 25, 20; and 8 on July 2-4; 5 on July 5-8; 12 on
July 9-10, and 8 on July 11-12.

Sunspot numbers are somewhat subjective, based on a visual count of sunspot
groups, the number of sunspots in those groups, and the total area covered by
sunspots. Solar flux is an actual measure of one type of radiation reaching us
from the sun -- radio energy with a wavelength of 10.7 centimeters, or 2.8 GHz.

Sunspot numbers for June 2 through 8 were 27, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12, and 15, with a
mean of 7.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 85.2, 83.2, 80, 79.1, 78.5, 78.5, and
 80.1, with a mean of 87.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 3, 4, 29, 26,
 9, and 6, with a mean of 8.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 5, 5,
23, 21, 10, and 6 with a mean of 9.

Send me your reports and observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  June 10 -- HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest (CW)
 *  June 11 -- Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB)
 *  June 11-12 -- DRCG WW RTTY Contest
 *  June 11-12 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, phone)
 *  June 11-12 -- Portugal Day Contest (CW, phone)
 *  June 11-12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
 *  June 11-12 -- GACW WWSA CW DX Contest (CW)
 *  June 11-12 -- REF DDFM 6 Meter Contest (CW, phone)
 *  June 11-13 -- ARRL June VHF Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  June 15 -- NAQCC CW Sprint
 *  June 15 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (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

 *  June 10-11 -- West Gulf Division Convention, Irving, Texas
 *  June 18 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
 *  June 24-26 -- Ham Radio 2016, Friedrichshafen, Germany
 *  July 2 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Harrisburg,
    Pennsylvania
 *  July 8-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention, Milton, Florida
 *  July 8-9 -- Utah State Convention, Sandy, Utah
 *  July 15-17 -- Montana State Convention, East Glacier, Montana
 *  July 22-23 -- Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
 *  July 29-31 -- Central States VHF Conference, Rochester, Minnesota
 *  August 5-6 -- Texas State Convention, Austin, Texas
 *  August 5-7 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Portland, Oregon
 *  August 12-14 -- New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
 *  August 19-21 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West Virginia
 *  August 20-21 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama
 *  August 21 -- Kansas State Convention, Salina, Kansas
 *  September 3-4 -- North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
 *  September 9-11 -- New England Division Convention, Boxborough,
    Massachusetts
 *  September 10 -- Kentucky State Convention, Shepherdsville, Kentucky
 *  September 10 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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