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The ARRL Letter

May 3, 2018
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL Counting Down to Hamvention(R) 2018
 *  Amateur Radio Case Attracts Attention of FCC Commissioner
 *  Collegiate Radio Amateur Wins Radio Club of America's "Young Achiever
    Award"
 *  Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Communication Test Set for Saturday,
    May 12
 *  Third Public Test of FT8 "DXpedition Mode" Set for May 5
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  New Book, Portable Operating for Amateur Radio , is Now Shipping
 *  Report: Former Hamvention(R) Home Hara Arena Getting a New Owner
 *  Deadline Approaching to Submit Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna
    Award Nominations
 *  Former Orange Section Manager, Veteran ARRL Volunteer Sandi Heyn,
    WA6WZN, SK
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


ARRL Counting Down to Hamvention(R) 2018

Hamvention(R) 2018, May 18-20 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center
in Xenia, Ohio, is largest annual Amateur Radio gathering in the US, and
sanctioned as the 2018 ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention. ARRL EXPO -- a
large exhibit area in Building 2 ("Tesla" Building) -- will serve as the hub
for ARRL activities, booths, and program representatives. More than 90 team
members will support ARRL EXPO, including 18 ARRL Headquarters staffers. Recent
 additions to the ARRL EXPO guide include schedules for the ARRL Stage and
"Meet the Authors" table.

Hamvention's theme this year is "Amateur Radio...Serving the Community." ARRL
will reflect that spirit by sponsoring four forums on Friday and Saturday that
will comprise a Public Service Communications track. Convention goers attending
 three or more ARRL-sponsored Public Service Communications forums will earn an
 ARRL certificate in recognition of their commitment to ham radio public
service training and development.

At the always-popular ARRL Membership Forum at noon on Saturday in Room 3,
Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, will share an update on
proposed new guidelines for Amateur Radio Emergency Service(R) (ARES(R))
volunteers. He'll also discuss plans for a new volunteer management software
system, ARES Connect. Willams is leading a team that is seeking to upgrade ARES
 training and ensure the service continues to be a valuable partner for its
served agencies into the future.

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio Case Attracts Attention of FCC Commissioner

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly has used the latest chapter of an Amateur
Radio proceeding to reiterate his call that the Commission abolish its
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) system. The long-standing case involves efforts
by William F. Crowell, W6WBJ (ex-N6AYJ), of Diamond Spring, California, to
renew his license. Late last week, the FCC denied reconsideration of Crowell's
petition to have the Commission assign a new ALJ to his case, arguing that the
current ALJ, Richard L. Sippel, is biased against him. Attaching his own
comments to a Memorandum and Opinion Order (MO&O) released on April 26,
O'Rielly said he approved the Commission's opinion that Crowell's appeal was
justifiably denied, but he expressed concern that the ALJ "took unnecessary
actions" in Crowell's case and in another unrelated proceeding.

"On a larger scale, complaints about the ALJ process are not isolated
incidents, but paint a picture of questionable decisions coupled with an
elevated level of inefficiency," O'Rielly said in comments attached to the
MO&O. "It seems to me that, too often, the Commission has had to reverse the
decisions of the ALJ or address one ALJ decision or another. This reality only
reaffirms my call to consider eliminating the ALJ process altogether."

It has been 10 years since the FCC set Crowell's license renewal application
for hearing, and nearly as long since Crowell requested disqualification of the
 ALJ assigned to his case. Crowell's license renewal hearing centered on
whether he had violated FCC Part 97 rules by intentionally interfering with
and/or otherwise interrupting radio communications, transmitting one-way
communications, indecent language, and music, and whether he is qualified to be
 and remain a Commission licensee and have his renewal application granted.

In 2016, the FCC imposed a $25,000 fine on Crowell for intentionally
interfering with the transmissions of other radio amateurs and transmitting
prohibited communications, including music. The penalty included "an upward
adjustment reflecting Mr. Crowell's decision to continue his misconduct after
being warned that his actions violated the Communications Act and the
Commission's rules," the FCC said at the time.

"Mr. Crowell does not deny that he made the transmissions that prompted the
fine, but argued, in large part, that those transmissions were protected by the
 First Amendment," the Forfeiture Order said.

The FCC concluded in this month's MO&O, "We have examined Crowell's claims of
bias in accordance with our precedent, a task made more difficult because
Crowell provides virtually no detailed factual support or references to the
record for his allegations."

Crowell's license, which expired in 2007, has not been renewed, but Crowell may
 continue to operate while his renewal application is pending.

____________________________________________________________________________


Collegiate Radio Amateur Wins Radio Club of America's "Young Achiever Award"

ARRL member Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, a 19-year-old student at Michigan's Kettering
University, has received the Radio Club of America's "Young Achiever Award."
The RCA Young Achiever Award is presented to students of high school age or
younger who have demonstrated excellence and creativity in wireless
communications, and who have delivered a presentation at the annual RCA
Technical Symposium. Receiving the award allowed her to attend the
International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) held in Orlando in early
March.

"I was shocked to have received this award. I never dreamed I would be able to
attend such a prestigious wireless event," Willet said in an article for
Kettering University News. "It was an honor be recognized by the Radio Club of
America and to be presented with this award. It was an eye-opening experience
for me to be exposed to the field of wireless communications and to be
introduced to the discussions taking place among first responders and the
government regarding emergency situation preparedness."

Willet, who is from Lawrenceville, Georgia, is the recipient of the ARRL Rocky
Mountain Division Scholarship. At Kettering, she is pursuing a double major in
mechanical engineering and engineering physics. She is president of her
school's recently revived Amateur Radio club, GMTE Amateur Radio & Electronics
Club, K8HPS.

"As an Amateur Radio operator, I've mostly only experienced the hobby side of
radio," Willet said. "This conference allowed me to see a broad range of
applications for radio and technology.... It was very energizing to attend all
sorts of workshops and seminars, and learn how much our daily lives are touched
 by the field of wireless communications."

____________________________________________________________________________


Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Communication Test Set for Saturday, May 12

The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) will sponsor the traditional
military/Amateur Radio communication tests to mark the 67th annual Armed Forces
 Day (AFD) on Saturday, May 12. Armed Forces Day is May 19, but the AFD
Crossband Military-Amateur Radio event traditionally takes place 1 week earlier
 in order to avoid conflicting with Hamvention. Complete information, including
 military stations, modes, and frequencies, is available on the US Army MARS
website.

The annual celebration is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication
between radio amateurs and military stations (authorized under ?97.111 of the
Amateur Service rules). It features traditional military-to-amateur crossband
SSB voice, CW, practice using legacy interoperability waveforms, and the
opportunity for participating hams to utilize more modern military modes, such
as MIL-STD Serial PSK and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). Military stations
 and Amateur Radio stations are authorized to communicate directly on certain
60-meter interoperability channels.

These tests give Amateur Radio operators and shortwave listeners (SWLs) a
chance and a challenge to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly
controlled exercise scenario and to receive recognition from the appropriate
military radio station. QSL cards will be available for stations successfully
contacting participating military stations.

Military stations will transmit (USB, unless otherwise noted on the schedule)
on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific amateur
frequencies they are monitoring. MARS stressed that frequencies used for the
test will not impact any public or private communications and will not stray
outside the confines of the exercise.

An Armed Forces Day test message will be transmitted utilizing the Military
Standard (MIL-STD) Serial PSK waveform (M110) followed by MIL-STD Wide Shift
FSK (850 Hz RTTY), as described in MIL-STD 188-110A/B. Technical information
regarding these waveforms is available. The AFD test message will also be sent
at 0300 UTC in CW.

Those who want a QSL should complete the request form on the MARS website.

____________________________________________________________________________


Third Public Test of FT8 "DXpedition Mode" Set for May 5

A third public test of the developing FT8 "DXpedition Mode" is set for
Saturday, May 5, the WSJT development group has announced. A fourth "release
candidate" is now available, and participants in the May 5 public test should
install WSJT-X version 1.9.0-rc4 beforehand.

"Once again, the goal is to simulate a rare DXpedition pileup by having many
stations ('Hounds') calling and trying to work a designated pseudo-DXpedition
station ('Fox'). Everyone participating in the test must use WSJT-X
v1.9.0-rc4," Joe Taylor, K1JT, said on behalf of the WSJT development team.
Taylor urged participants to "read, understand, and carefully follow" the FT8
DXpedition Mode User Guide, which contains some operating procedure details
that differ from earlier versions of the beta mode software.

"If you have legitimate access to more than one call sign (spouse, a club call,
 or whatever), please feel free to call and work each Fox more than once,"
Taylor said. "The more Hounds, the better; we want the test pileup to be as
deep as possible."

The third public test will include three 1-hour sessions.

UTC     Frequency     Fox Call Sign     Operator
1400    14.090 MHz    W1/KH7Z           N1DG
1500    14.090        W7/KH7Z           AA7A
1600    14.090        K1JT              K1JT

Any last-minute instructions will be announced on the Ping Jockey Relief chat
page.

Installation packages for WSJT-X v1.9.0-rc4 on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and
Raspbian Jessie have been posted on the WSJT website.

Participants are asked to report their test results and any problems
encountered to the WSJT-X development lists on sourceforge.com or to the Yahoo
WSJT-X Development Group reflector. You must be a subscriber in order to post
to these lists.

The third beta release of the new DXpedition Mode has been tested over the past
 several weeks, including during a public test on April 7. "A few additional
bugs were identified and corrected, and the -rc4 release also includes some
minor enhancements," Taylor said. "A general availability (GA) release of
WSJT-X version 1.9.0 will be announced at a suitable time, probably in the near
 future. After that you should stop using any -rc# release candidate."

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Kits and Kit Building" is the topic of the new (April 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.

Just ahead: "RF Loss."

____________________________________________________________________________


New Book, Portable Operating for Amateur Radio, is Now Shipping

Grab your gear and head outdoors with this new book from ARRL, Portable
Operating for Amateur Radio by Stuart Thomas, KB1HQS.

Amateur Radio stations have traditionally been associated with a table full of
gear in a home station. In recent years, that has changed with the increasing
popularity of operating portable, away from home. A new generation of compact,
full-featured, portable radios combines with modern battery technology to make
it easier than ever to set up your station and enjoy Amateur Radio in the great
 outdoors. Added to the increase in organized outdoor operating activities,
clubs, and programs, it's no wonder that ham radio operators are inspired to
venture into portable operations.

Anyone can give portable operating a try. Portable operators use HF and VHF
bands, as well as SSB, FM, CW, and digital modes. There's something for
everyone, no matter your license class or interests. Whether you want to
activate from a picnic table at a nearby park or a remote summit after a
backcountry hike, Portable Operating for Amateur Radio offers a wealth of
practical information to help make your portable Amateur Radio operations
successful.

Portable Operating for Amateur Radio is available from the ARRL Store or your
ARRL Dealer. (ARRL Item no. 0802), ISBN: 978-1-62595-080-2, $22.95 retail,
special ARRL Member Price $19.95). Call 860-594-0355 or, toll-free in the US,
888-277-5289. It will also be available as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle.

____________________________________________________________________________


Report: Former Hamvention(R) Home Hara Arena Getting a New Owner

The Dayton Daily News reported this week that a Louisville, Kentucky-based
developer, Michael Heitz, of Garrett-Day LLC Properties, is in the process of
buying Hara Arena, which served as home to Dayton Hamvention(R) from 1964 until
 2016.

Heitz told the Dayton Daily News that he bought out income tax liens on the
property from Montgomery County and is hoping to close on some bank liens later
 this week. It's not known how much Heitz has invested in the property so far.
The purchase includes the six-building Hara Arena complex and some 120 acres of
 real estate, 25 of them devoted to parking. Heitz said his priority is to
"clean it up and secure the property." Since its closing in 2016, Hara Arena
has been visited by camera-carrying urban explorers as well as by vandals who
have trashed the building and its contents.

The IRS put the Hara Arena complex on the auction block last August to satisfy
a federal tax lien, but no successful bidder came forward. An IRS staff member
involved in the 2017 auction told ARRL early this year that the agency would
not try again to auction the parcel, but suggested that other lien holders,
including a mortgage lender and the Town of Trotwood, might go that route. At
one point, the asking price for Hara Arena was $775,000.

The Dayton Daily News reported in March that Hara property owner-trustees owed
back taxes plus around $350,000 to banks. Heitz is known for buying distressed
properties and getting them "shovel ready." He plans a Monday news conference
to discuss the purchase and his plans.

According to the Dayton Daily News, Heitz has purchased other properties in the
 area by buying up tax and property liens, and his reputation for acquiring
derelict properties and turning them around goes back several years. A former
West Virginia University basketball player and distance cyclist, the
7-foot-tall Heitz is said to be a fearless investor.

The Wampler family had owned and operated Hara Arena since its humble origins
in the 1950s, when Wampler Ballarena -- then a dance hall and now an exhibit
hall familiar to Hamvention visitors -- was built in what had been a
family-owned orchard. When Hara closed in August 2016, the economic hit to the
Dayton area was estimated to be $36 million a year.

____________________________________________________________________________


Deadline Approaching to Submit Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award
Nominations

Friday, May 18, is the deadline to submit nominations for ARRL's annual Philip
J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award. The award celebrates efforts on the
part of an individual ARRL member to boost awareness and understanding of
Amateur Radio's services and benefits to the public. The ARRL Public Relations
Committee will recommend a winner, if any, to the ARRL Board of Directors,
which will announce the Award recipient at its July meeting.

The Award's namesake, journalist Philip J. McGan, WA2MBQ (SK), served as the
first chairman of the ARRL's Public Relations Committee, and helped
reinvigorate the League's commitment to public relations. The McGan Award
recognizes a radio amateur who has demonstrated success in Amateur Radio public
 relations and who best exemplifies McGan's volunteer spirit.

Activities for which the McGan Award may be presented include efforts
specifically directed at focusing the media's and the general public's
attention on the value of Amateur Radio. This may include such traditional
methods as generating media coverage of a specific event, or such
non-traditional methods as hosting a radio show or being an active public
speaker.

The award is given to an individual who must be an ARRL member in good standing
 at the time of nomination. The nominee must not be compensated for any public
relations work involving Amateur Radio -- including payment for articles -- and
 may not be a current ARRL Officer, Director, Vice Director, paid staff member,
 or member of the selection committee.

Check out the specific criteria for nomination and nomination form, or contact
ARRL Communication Manager Dave Isgur, KC1JMX, to obtain a form. The names of
past McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award winners have been posted on the ARRL
website.

____________________________________________________________________________


Former Orange Section Manager, Veteran ARRL Volunteer Sandi Heyn, WA6WZN, SK

Well-known ARRL stalwart and former Orange Section Manager Sandra Mae "Sandi"
Heyn, WA6WZN, of Costa Mesa, California, died on April 28 after a lengthy
illness. An ARRL Life Member, she was 75. Sandi Heyn was the wife of ARRL
Honorary Vice President and past ARRL Southwestern Division Director Fried
Heyn, WA6WZO, who relied on her as his trusted assistant. The couple often
appeared together at ARRL and other Amateur Radio functions, and Sandi Heyn
nearly always accompanied her husband to ARRL Headquarters for the ARRL Board's
 twice-yearly meetings during his years as a Director. As Fried Heyn said, "We
were joined at the hip." Married for 57 years, the Heyns continued as Amateur
Radio ambassadors even after their official League service concluded.

In addition to her service as Orange Section Manager from 1983 until 1985,
Sandi Heyn served as a member of the ARRL Planning Committee during ARRL
President Vic Clark's, W4KFC, administration, was Orange Section Emergency
Coordinator, and president of the Young Ladies Radio League in 1983. She was
Orange Section ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator from 1987 until 2003, and she
chaired the Orange County Council of Amateur Radio Organizations in 1991 and
the Los Angeles Area Council of Amateur Radio Clubs in 1992. Sandi Heyn
received the ARRL Southwestern Division Meritorious Service Award in 2001.

She was also a US Army Military Affiliate Radio Service (MARS) volunteer, a
member of several Amateur Radio clubs in California, and was a Quarter Century
Wireless Association (QCWA) Life Member. She regularly volunteered at the ARRL
booth and in the Amateur Radio reception during the annual National Association
 of Broadcasters conventions in Las Vegas. She played a significant role in
organizing the 1992 ARRL National Convention in Los Angeles.

In accordance with her wishes, Sandi Heyn's body will be donated to science.
Services are not planned at this time.

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

A Puerto Rico radio amateur involved in hurricane recovery was among those who
died when a Hercules C-130 aircraft crashed on May 2, killing all aboard. Among
 the nine fatalities was Eric Circuns,
WP4OXB, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The cargo plane, attached to the Puerto
Rico Air National Guard's 156th Airlift Wing, went down shortly after takeoff
from Georgia while on a routine mission. "Eric had been part of this unit, and
this aircraft had served during both Hurricane Irma and Maria," ARRL
Southeastern Division Assistant Director and Assistant Puerto Rico Section
Manager Jose "Otis" Vicens, NP4G, said in a statement. "The people of Puerto
Rico thank him for his service and ultimate sacrifice. He will be remembered."
According to media accounts, the more than 60-year-old aircraft underwent
repairs in Savannah in April. It had been used in several hurricane relief and
recovery efforts and was on its way to Arizona for decommissioning.


The Orange County (New York) Amateur Radio Club (OCARC) has been presented with
 a Hiram Percy Maxim Society plaque. The plaque recognizes the club's donations
 to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy and Spectrum Defense funds, ARRL
Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD, announced. ARRL Hudson Division
Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, presented the Maxim Society plaque to OCARC
President Bruce Baccaro, K2ULZ, on April 20. "The club is very proud to be one
of only 10 clubs nationwide to be inducted into the Maxim Society," Lisenco
said.


ARRL has suspended registration for "Introduction to Emergency Communications"
(EC-001). Registration was halted on April 30, after ARRL learned that the
online platform provider for the course -- Connecticut Distance Learning
Consortium (CTDLC) -- is being dissolved, effective July 1, according to
CTDLC's parent, Charter Oak State College. CTDLC officials cited the fiscal
challenges that the Connecticut state college and university system and the
state as a whole are facing as the reason for shuttering CTDLC. As plans are
made to move the course content to a new delivery platform, ARRL decided to
halt registration. Anyone who signed up for the EC-001 session that starts on
May 30 will receive a refund. ARRL has been developing new EC-001 content and
will intensify the process of selecting a new platform to deliver it.

____________________________________________________________________________


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspots disappeared again this week, with a
blank sun on April 28, and every day since. Average daily sunspot numbers
dropped from 20 to 3.6, while average daily solar flux decreased from 73.4 to
69.3.

Average daily planetary A index declined from 11.9 to 4.4, and average
mid-latitude A index went from 8.6 to 5.

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