[poster note: apologies for the delay in posting this and the next few
articles. have been busy and sick and don't know if i like either... there may
be more delays if i cannot shake this bug...]

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2018-04...

The ARRL Letter

April 12, 2018
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  New ARRL CEO Comes Aboard Facing Challenges and Change
 *  Amateur Radio's Service and Support Commended on National Volunteer Week
 *  IARU President Extends Greetings for World Amateur Radio Day 2018
 *  More-Frequent Spotless Days Signal Start of Lengthy, Deep Solar Minimum
    Phase
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  New Book Featuring Popular Modes FT8 and WSPR is Now Shipping!
 *  ARRL 2018 Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology Application Deadline
    is May 1
 *  ARRL VEC Conducts First-Ever Amateur Radio Licensing Exam Session in
    Cambodia
 *  Second Public Test of FT8 DXpedition Mode Demonstrates High Contact
    Rates Possible
 *  ARRL Rookie Roundup SSB Returns on Sunday, April 15
 *  Kenneth Graham, WX4KEG, is New National Hurricane Center Director
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


New ARRL CEO Comes Aboard Facing Challenges and Change

ARRL's new Chief Executive Officer, Barry Shelley, N1VXY, moved one floor down
at ARRL Headquarters earlier this year to assume leadership of the organization
 with an overarching goal of promoting the League's mission: "To advance the
art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio." Shelley has spent much of his
tenure at ARRL Headquarters toiling out of the limelight, so he's a bit of an
unknown quantity within the greater Amateur Radio community. But he brings to
his new position nearly 3 decades of experience as ARRL's Chief Financial
Officer. Shelley intends to leverage that background in his role as CEO,
enabling him to hit the ground running.

"I am familiar with the issues that matter to ARRL members and the Amateur
Radio community at large," Shelley pointed out in his inaugural "Second
Century" editorial, "Advancing Amateur Radio, Together," in the April issue of
QST.

He acknowledged that with both ARRL and Amateur Radio undergoing "a great deal
of change," not all League members will necessarily be on the same page, but he
 believes disagreement about the way forward "can be healthy, and bring new
perspectives to light." At the same time, he encouraged individuals to "remain
respectful and constructive" in discussing issues.

"In my opinion, fulfilling ARRL's mission means doing so for all Amateur Radio
operators, regardless of their license class, level of technical ability, or
particular interests within the wide range of activities that Amateur Radio has
 to offer," Shelley allowed. Increasing the number of younger radio amateurs
will benefit both the avocation and ARRL, he said. And, Shelley added, that
despite any generational rift -- perceived or otherwise -- between older and
younger hams, "There's more to enjoy than ever before -- Amateur Radio in 2018
looks and sounds different than it did in 1968 or even in 1988 -- and licensing
 numbers indicate that people are still interested in exploring Amateur Radio."

Blazing the trail for Amateur Radio's future should involve all hams, Shelley
believes, and he urged hams to be there for each other.

The ARRL Board elected Shelley as CEO in January, to succeed Tom Gallagher,
NY2RF, who retired. As Shelley nears his own retirement over the next 18
months, the League continues to advertise for applicants to fill the CEO
position on a long-term basis.

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio's Service and Support Commended on National Volunteer Week

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, used the occasion of National Volunteer
Week, April 15 - 21, to express gratitude to "the thousands of Amateur Radio
operators who have given, and who continue to give, of their time and
expertise" to serve as vital communication links during emergencies, disasters,
 and community events. Throughout the past year, President Roderick recounted,
ham radio operators have volunteered during hurricanes, wildfires, and severe
weather to support communication for emergency evacuation shelters, pass
health-and-welfare traffic to anxious families, and partner with the National
Weather Service as SKYWARN volunteers to report local weather conditions. Hams
also volunteered during the solar eclipse last August, working with scientists
to record its impact on radio propagation, he pointed out.

"Amateur Radio volunteers have a long history of providing service and support
to their communities and our served agencies," Roderick said. "As this
avocation continues to evolve, alongside the technological advances in
telecommunications, we are proud that, as hams, public service to our
communities will continue to be at the core of who we are."

Echoing President Roderick's remarks, ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike
Corey, KI1U, cited Amateur Radio's volunteer spirit as one of its most
admirable aspects.

"Radio amateurs have taken their passion for radio, communication, science, and
 technology and given back service in so many ways," Corey said. "Radio
amateurs teach, inspire, offer insights to the world that others cannot, assist
 during times of emergency and disaster, and report to assist during such
community events as marathons and festivals," he said.

"Volunteerism has always been at the heart of Amateur Radio, and it is through
the work of volunteers that Amateur Radio will be there for future generations
to enjoy."

National Volunteer Week is sponsored by Points of Light, an ARRL partner
through National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Points of
Light called the week-long observance "an opportunity to celebrate the impact
of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to come together to tackle
tough challenges and build stronger, more resilient communities."

"Each year, we shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve,
 recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent, and voice to
make a difference in their communities," the organization said.

____________________________________________________________________________


IARU President Extends Greetings for World Amateur Radio Day 2018

Wednesday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day (WARD), this year marking the
93rd anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), founded in
Paris in 1925. Each year, WARD celebrates Amateur Radio's contribution to
society.

"World Amateur Radio Day is an opportunity for our member-societies to show our
 capabilities and promote the use of Amateur Radio, both on the air and through
 social media," IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, said. "It is a
celebration of what the Amateur Radio Service has brought to the public over
the years, and of our ability to provide communication to assist others in
times of crisis."

Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the shortwave
spectrum -- far from being the wasteland "experts" of the time considered it to
 be -- could support worldwide propagation. In the rush to use these shorter
wavelengths, Amateur Radio was "in grave danger of being pushed aside," the
IARU's history has noted. Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and
created the IARU to support Amateur Radio around the globe.

Two years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio
gained the allocations still recognized today -- 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10
meters. The IARU has been working to defend and expand Amateur Radio frequency
allocations ever since.

From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to
include 160 member-societies in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe,
Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia. Region 2 covers the Americas, and
Region 3 is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island nations,
and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has
recognized the IARU as representing the interests of Amateur Radio.

"I wish all amateurs a fantastic day of celebration of Amateur Radio, encourage
 everyone to get involved, and, most of all, to have fun!" IARU President Ellam
 said.

Groups should promote their WARD activity on social media by using the hashtag
#WorldAmateurRadioDay on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

____________________________________________________________________________

More-Frequent Spotless Days Signal Start of Lengthy, Deep Solar Minimum Phase

The sunspot numbers have not been good, and it does not seem they'll be getting
 much better anytime soon. According to the April 12 "K7RA Solar Update," no
sunspots were seen over the April 5 - 11 reporting week. Solar flux has been
sitting in the 60s lately and is forecast to remain at that level for the next
45 days. We're not at solar minimum yet, though; better days lie ahead --
eventually.

Top contester Frank Donovan, W3LPL, asserts that solar precursors like spotless
 days, which correlate physical solar phenomena with future solar activity
levels, are much better indicators of progress toward a solar minimum -- a
broad phase of the solar cycle -- than of a specific event, such as the bottom
of a broad solar minimum. Not only that, these and other solar precursors are
useful in predicting the likely strength of Solar Cycle 25, although accurate
predictions of the strength and timeframe of the Cycle 25 solar maximum aren't
possible until the new sunspot cycle is under way.

"We entered the Cycle 24 solar minimum with the onset of 8 spotless days in
June 2016," Donovan pointed out. "We had only 32 spotless days in 2016. We had
15 spotless days in a row in March 2017, followed by relatively infrequent
spotless days for the next 7 months."

The frequency of spotless days accelerated in early November 2017, with 13
spotless days in a row. That was followed by many more spotless days over the
next 5 months. In all, 2017 experienced 104 spotless days.

"The frequency of spotless days accelerated again last month, when we had 25
spotless days," Donovan noted. "We've already had 54 spotless days during the
first quarter of 2018. This data and comparisons to frequent spotless days
during the last solar minimum suggests that we may have just begun a period of
very frequent spotless days for approximately the next 2 years, similar to the
period of September 2007 through January 2009."

Donovan said the next solar precursor is frequent extended periods of spotless
days. For example, 2016 saw 14 spotless days in a row, March 2017 had 15,
November 2017 saw 13, and early March experienced 14.

"Long periods of spotless days will become even more frequent as we go deeper
into solar minimum," Donovan predicted. Once extended periods of spotless days
become more frequent, another solar precursor will become important, he said.

"New high-latitude, opposite-polarity Cycle 25 sunspots will then begin to
appear more frequently, perhaps by late next year," Donovan said. "More
frequent Cycle 25 sunspots will signal that we're approaching the bottom of the
 [Cycle 24] solar minimum phase."

An ongoing solar precursor that could herald the future strength of Cycle 25 is
 the intensity of the solar polar magnetic fields prior to the Cycle 24 solar
minimum, Donovan said. "The good news is that the solar polar magnetic field
strength is already slightly stronger than it was prior to the last solar
minimum," he said. "This suggests that Cycle 25 will be somewhat stronger than
Cycle 24."

Donovan said if the long periods of spotless days end in about 1 year, that
will be a precursor of a stronger Cycle 25. If they take more than 2 years to
end, however, it will portend a weaker Cycle 25.

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Microphones" is the topic for the latest (April 12) 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.

____________________________________________________________________________


New Book Featuring Popular Modes FT8 and WSPR is Now Shipping!

The popularity of HF digital communications among Amateur Radio operators
continues to grow rapidly. A few watts of RF power are all it takes to work the
 world - digitally!

Fully updated, the second edition of Get on the Air with HF Digital by ARRL's
own Steve Ford, WB8IMY, is a step-by-step guide that'll get you started in the
fascinating world of HF digital technology. Written in an easy-to-understand
style, this book will show you how to set up and operate your own HF digital
station. The text includes instructions for configuring software programs for
popular modes such as PSK31, RTTY, FT8, and JT65. You'll also learn about other
 digital communication modes such as MFSK, Olivia, PACTOR, and WSPR.

"I believe this may be one of the first books to include discussions of FT8 and
 WSPR operating for beginners," Ford said.

Get on the Air with HF Digital includes:

 *  Let's Build an HF Digital Station: An HF digital station boils down to
    three essential pieces: A radio, a computer, and a device that ties them
    together.

 *  PSK31: Enjoy text chats around the world with low power and minimal
    antennas.

 *  RTTY: RTTY may be a vintage operating mode, but it's still the champ
    when it comes to contesting and DX hunting.

 *  WSJT-X Modes FT8 and JT65: You'll be astonished at how low you can go
    with FT8 and JT65. High power and big antennas are definitely not
    required!

 *  MFSK and Olivia: With these two modes, you'll still be chatting when all
    the others have given up.

 *  PACTOR: When your message absolutely must get through error-free, PACTOR
    is a great way to go.

 *  WSPR: Transmissions are strictly one-way, but the results are
    fascinating.

Get on the Air with HF Digital (2nd edition) is available from the ARRL Store
or your ARRL Dealer. (ARRL Item no. 0833, ISBN: 978-1-62595-083-3, $22.95
retail, special ARRL Member Price $19.95).

Call (860) 594-0355 or, toll-free in the US, (888) 277-5289. It's also
available as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL 2018 Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology Application Deadline is May
 1

As part of its educational outreach to schools through the Education &
Technology Program, ARRL will offer three summer sessions of the 2018 Teachers
Institute (TI) on Wireless Technology -- an expenses-paid professional
development seminar. The deadline to apply for this summer's sessions is May 1.
 Apply online. Teachers Institute provides teachers at all grade levels with
tools and strategies to introduce basic electronics, radio science, space
technology, satellite communication, weather science, microcontrollers, and
basic robotics in their [ARRL%20ETP%20logo.jpg] classrooms. Wireless technology
 can be a useful tool within a context of science, technology, engineering, and
 mathematics (STEM) project-based education. The Teachers Institute curriculum
is designed for motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn
more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to their students.

Two TI levels are offered. The introductory TI-1 course will be offered twice
this summer: July 16 - 20 in Dayton, Ohio, with Larry Kendall, K6NDL, and July
23 - 27 at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, with Tommy Gober,
N5DUX. The TI-1 course is a prerequisite for the advanced TI-2 course, which
will be offered July 9 - 12 at ARRL Headquarters with Matt Severin, N8MS. TI-2
students must hold an Amateur Radio license. An Amateur Radio license is not
required to take the introductory workshop.

The TI is only the beginning of a participant's exploration of wireless
technology. The goal of the TI program is to equip educators with necessary
foundational knowledge, and -- through hands-on learning -- inspire them to
continue to explore wireless technology, adapting relevant content into
classroom instruction.

Qualified applicants must be active teachers at an elementary, middle, high
school, community college, or university, or be in a leadership or enrichment
instruction role in an after-school program. Teachers Institute grants cover
transportation; accommodations; a modest per-diem for meals; instructional
resources for the electronics, microcontroller, and robotics segments of the
course, and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications. A refundable $100
 enrollment fee must be submitted with the application.

Graduate credits are available through Fresno Pacific University. These can be
used to satisfy professional growth requirements to maintain teaching
credentials. The class is self-contained, and participants are expected to
complete all requirements during the class time allotted. Graduate credit forms
 may then be requested at the end of the Teachers Institute.

More information is on the ARRL Education & Technology Program page. Contact
ARRL Lifelong Learning and Knowledge Department Administrator Ally Riedel with
any questions.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL VEC Conducts First-Ever Amateur Radio Licensing Exam Session in Cambodia

The first ARRL VEC Amateur Radio examination session in Cambodia was held on
April 5. The session resulted in two new Technician licensees, both Cambodian
nationals, and one university professor, who tested all the way to Amateur
Extra-class in a single bound. Currently, no path exists for Cambodians to
obtain an Amateur Radio license in that Southeast Asia nation, but qualifying
for an FCC-issued US license enables licensees to obtain a Cambodian license
based on their US tickets.

"This is very exciting news!" ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said.
Volunteer Examiners were Mike Adams, KH0AS -- a resident of Cambodia who holds
XU7AJA; Guy West, N0MMA/XU7AKA, and David Creel, AH0AM, who visits Cambodia
often.

Participants were associated with the National Polytechnic Institute of
Cambodia (NPIC). The radio club there has been active in contests for the past
3 years, using Adams' XU7AJA call sign. Adams has been working in Cambodia for
more than 20 years and living there full-time for the past 3 years. He said
that, while foreigners can get a reciprocal license, there is no process for
Cambodians to earn a ham one, except to show a foreign radio license.

"We hope to work with the Ministry of Post and Telecoms to show there is a
demand for Amateur Radio in Cambodia," he said.

____________________________________________________________________________


Second Public Test of FT8 DXpedition Mode Demonstrates High Contact Rates
Possible

The second public test of FT8 DXpedition Mode has shown that the mock
DXpedition stations ("Foxes" were able to work the pileups of callers
("Hounds" at a fairly good clip. Logged data showed that 390 unique stations
were copied by one or more of the three Foxes. FT8 is part of the WSJT-X
digital software suite. Ned Stearns, AA7A, the operator at W7/KH7Z, learned to
manage queues of calling stations much more effectively as his hour progressed,
 according to co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT.

"After a program restart at 1532 UTC, he worked 105 additional stations at a
rate of 225 per hour during the remaining part of the hour," Taylor reported.
"Slowly but surely, we are optimizing the
software and improving our 'FoxOp' skills. Further progress will definitely be
possible!"

Taylor also released a list of stations heard and worked during the second
public test of the still-beta FT8 DXpedition Mode protocol. It showed that
W1/KH7Z logged 61 stations in 36 minutes for a rate of 102 per hour; K1JT
logged 55 stations in 21 minutes for a 157 per hour rate, and W7/KH7Z worked
174 stations in 60 minutes, a rate of 174 per hour.

Stearns told ARRL that FT8 DXpedition Mode is nearing general release, but he
expects another public test. "The development team has identified a few of the
defects that were uncovered in the test on April 7 and is currently working on
the fixes," he said.

Taylor's March presentation on WSJT-X at the MicroHAMS Digital Conference has
been posted on YouTube. Taylor has credited the "very professional" editing by
Budd Churchward, WB7FHC.

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Rookie Roundup SSB Returns on Sunday, April 15

The ARRL Rookie Roundup (SSB) returns on Sunday, April 15, starting at 1800 UTC
 and continuing through 2359 UTC. The aim of Rookie Roundup is to encourage
recently licensed operators in North America (including territories and
possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur
Radio operating.

You're a Rookie if you were first licensed in 2018, 2017, or 2016 (send the
year you were first licensed in the exchange).

You can qualify as a Rookie for just 1 year in two possible ways: if you were
licensed before 2016 but made your first Amateur Radio contact during 2018,
2017, or 2016, or if you never made a contact using the mode of the Rookie
Roundup event (in this case, SSB) before the 2018 Rookie Roundup (send the
current year in your exchange).

The object is simple: Rookies attempt to make as many contacts as possible
during the 6-hour event on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Rookies work
everyone, and non-Rookies work only Rookies. Experienced operators are
encouraged to participate and help new operators -- either on the air or in
person.

Experienced hams may want to consider opening their stations to Rookies and
serving as contesting mentors. The more operators on the air, the more fun the
Roundup will be for everyone.

Rookies call "CQ Rookie Roundup," while veteran operators call "CQ Rookies."
Exchange the call sign of the station you're working, your call sign, your
first name, the two-digit number of the year first licensed, and your state,
Canadian province, Mexican call area, or DX.

To register teams or to submit your score after the event, visit the Rookie
Roundup page hosted by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.

Rookie Roundup events take place three times a year: SSB in April, RTTY in
August, and CW in December. Contact the ARRL Contest Branch for more
information.

____________________________________________________________________________


Kenneth Graham, WX4KEG, is New National Hurricane Center Director

Kenneth Graham, WX4KEG, is the new head of the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
in Miami, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has
announced. Preparations at the NHC continue ahead of the 2018 hurricane season,
 which begins on June 1. Graham picked up the reins from Deputy/Acting Director
 Ed Rappaport on April 1.

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