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The ARRL Letter

November 10, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Amateur Radio "Uniquely Situated" to be at Leading Edge Again, Conferees
    Told
 *  Naval Academy Students Planning CubeSat with HF Uplink
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  National Parks on the Air Update
 *  US JOTA 2016 "Flash Numbers" Show Participation was Up
 *  Austrian Moonbounce Enthusiast Demonstrates Success with Small-Scale
    Setup
 *  Quest Continues for 1 kW Power Privileges in Australia
 *  Reminder: NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Application Deadline is
    November 22
 *  Free Cubes in Space(TM) Program Offers Opportunity for Youth to Put
    Experiments into Space
 *  Latest Edition of the ITU Radio Regulations is Available Online
 *  DX Notes from All Over
 *  Hurricane Watch Net Honors Bermuda Radio Amateur
 *  Getting it Right!
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions


Amateur Radio "Uniquely Situated" to be at Leading Edge Again, Conferees Told

The dawn of so-called "smart" -- or cognitive -- radio has presented Amateur
Radio with an opportunity to regain the leading edge in radio technology in the
 near future. It will also alter our view of [ARRL_TAPR.JPG] spectrum as a
limited resource. Those points and others were part of a forward-looking,
tag-team Sunday Seminar presentation, "Spectrum (It's the frequency crunch for
real)," by Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, and Bob McGwier, N4HY, at the 2016 ARRL
and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), September 16-18 in St.
Petersburg, Florida. Thompson heads the AMSAT Ground Terminal Team, a component
 of the Phase 4B geosynchronous satellite project. McGwier is chief scientist
at the Hume Center for National Security and Technology at Virginia Tech. This
week, HamRadioNow made the entire 3-hour presentation available as part of its
conference coverage: HamRadioNow Episode 276 Parts 1, 2, and 3.

"If you put the smarts in the radio, what can possibly go wrong?" quipped
Thompson, pointing to an example that demonstrated how sufficiently complicated
 technology is also more likely to fail.

Thompson said cognitive radio technology will alter the paradigm of treating
spectrum as if it were land. "Spectrum is immediately reusable," she said, "and
 land is not." Regulation and spectrum allocation have been necessary to manage
 interference among services, but smart radios can avoid collisions among
users, she said.

"[I]t hasn't been until fairly recently that we've been able to inexpensively
and quickly reconfigure a radio," she said. Thompson's Phase 4B project will
take maximum advantage of cognitive radio technology, which can -- among other
things -- determine an optimal clear frequency, mode, and path on the fly,
transparently, and without human intervention.

McGwier called the computer "the tidal wave that has swept over Amateur Radio."
 And, he predicted, "It is going to bring us back to becoming technical
innovators." He said radio amateurs "are uniquely situated to be the leading
edge in radio again."

McGwier said the innovation needed in Amateur Radio will come about through
what he called "Amateur Radio freedom," that encourages experimentation and
thinking outside the box. "It's the ultimate democratic assignment of
frequencies in the world," he said.

He painted a picture of intelligent radio technology that will operate like the
 human brain. "It's going to design the radio on the fly, from scratch, without
 a subject-matter expert involved," he said. "The radio will be done by
artificial intelligence, from beginning to end. The object becomes not the
radio, but the activity it allows."

Responding to a question, McGwier conceded that today's hams may balk at this
sort of paradigm shift, since it's far removed from how most Amateur Radio
communication takes place today. But he said embracing smart radio technology
is what will attract a younger generation of new hams.

"We need to not limit what these kids can do with Amateur Radio," he
maintained. "They are going to outdo us, if we only allow them. We can't limit
them, because this is a fundamental paradigm shift."

Predicted McGwier: "You will not recognize your world in 10 years." The
HamRadioNow presentation also is available in audio format, and a highly
condensed 11-minute synopsis is available on YouTube. -- Thanks to Gary Pearce,
 KN4AQ/HamRadioNow



Naval Academy Students Planning CubeSat with HF Uplink

Students at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, are planning an
Amateur Radio CubeSat -- dubbed HFSAT -- that would carry an HF transponder as
a primary payload as well as 2-meter APRS as a secondary mission when power is
available. The 1.5 U CubeSat will have a linear uplink at 21.4 MHz and a
downlink at 29.42 MHz.

"HFSAT is a small 1.5 U CubeSat that will demonstrate the viability of HF
satellite communications as a back-up communication system using existing
ubiquitous HF radios that are often a part of every amateur station," said USNA
 Instructor Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, who developed APRS. Bruninga said HFSAT would
 be similar to the 1990s-era RS-12/13 Russian Amateur Radio satellite.

"HFSAT will continue the long tradition of small amateur satellites designed by
 students and hams at the US Naval Academy," Bruninga told ARRL. The uplink
will be at 21.4 MHz and downlink at 29.42 MHz, similar to [earlier] Mode K HF
satellites. No launch has yet been identified." Bruninga said HFSAT would be
gravity gradient-stabilized by its full-sized, 10-meter, thin-wire, half-wave
dipole.

Other unique features of HFSAT include its APRS telemetry command-and-control
capability. "For VHF the students have modified a popular Byonics.com MTT4B
all-in-one APRS Tiny-Track4 module for telemetry, command, and control to fit
on a single 3.4-inch square card inside the CubeSat, that they will use for
this and for future CubeSats," Bruninga said. The students are working with
Bill Ress, N6GHZ, on the HF transponder card, which will provide a bandwidth of
 30 kHz, employing an inverting transponder to minimize Doppler. Todd Bruner,
WB1HAI, will be the HFSAT control operator.

Bruninga said the HF transponder is a follow-on from the USNA's existing PSAT
10-meter PSK31 transponder, still operational. HFSAT's telemetry downlink will
be captured via stations in the worldwide ground-station network. The packet
link is a secondary mission compared to the HF transponder on this spacecraft.

Once HFSAT is in space, Bruninga recommended using a vertical HF antenna,
because it would match well with the antenna patterns and geometry of Low Earth
 Orbit (LEO) satellites. "When low on the horizon, both the satellite and the
user antennas are in their main lobes, providing maximum gain at the distant
horizons," Bruninga said. "At the higher elevations, the satellite is 6 dB to
10 dB closer, significantly making up for the reduced antenna pattern
geometry."

He said hams would be able to use "simple, manual" pass-prediction tools, much
as they used the old Oscar Locator in the early years of Amateur Radio
satellites.



The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Anderson Powerpole Connectors, and Antenna Polarization" are the topics of the
 latest (November 3) 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.



National Parks on the Air Update

A couple of milestones were reached in the ARRL National Parks on the Air
(NPOTA) program last week. Washington, DC-based Activator Paul Stoetzer, N8HM,
became the first amateur to activate from all 28 NPOTA units in DC, completing
that feat on November 7.

Pete Kobak, K0BAK, also deserves credit for activating all of the NPS units in
the Eastern Pennsylvania Section. These include some difficult urban units in
Philadelphia.

These are two examples of the efforts that Activators are putting forth to
achieve 1 million total NPOTA contacts by year's end. Activity remains strong,
with more than 25,000 contacts uploaded to Logbook of The World every week.

Fifty-four activations are scheduled for November 10-16, including Theodore
Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York, and Dry Tortugas
National Park in Florida.

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).



US JOTA 2016 "Flash Numbers" Show Participation was Up

According to the US Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) 2016 "flash numbers,"
participation swelled in the annual Scouting event this fall. JOTA Coordinator
Jim Wilson, K5ND, released the preliminary report last weekend.

"After sifting through the reports and eliminating a few duplicates along with
reports from countries outside the US, we've compiled the early flash numbers,"
 Wilson said. "The great news is that there have been some excellent increases
in participation."

The total number of Scouts taking part was up by 51% to 10,761, while the
visitor total was up by 30% to 6,668. Perhaps the best news was an increase in
the number of stations reporting -- up by 28% to 267 this year, just short of
the record 271 in 2013.

After station reports slumped last year, the Boy Scouts made a big push that
included prize drawings to encourage participants to file post-JOTA reports.
Station registrations dropped by 15% this fall to 295. Jamboree on the Internet
 (JOTI) registrations were up from 100 last year, to 505 this time around.

The stats showed that the number of Amateur Radio operators was up by 14% to
1,120, but they used fewer radios -- down 25% in 2016 to 631.

"The next steps are to do further analysis and finalize the report for full
publication," Wilson said. "We'll be sifting through the written reports and
suggestions, finding memorable quotes, and photos/videos, as well as searching
for other insight. We know for starters that there was far more interest this
year in JOTA-JOTI from Scout leaders and parents, based on the new 2016 Arrow
of Light award requirement."

Wilson said he expects to have the final report out by month's end. The grand
prize winner of the drawing for an Icom ID-51A Plus, donated by Icom America,
was Leroy Wignot, WA4OTD.



Austrian Moonbounce Enthusiast Demonstrates Success with Small-Scale Setup

Hannes Fasching, OE5JFL, of Braunau am Inn, Austria, has demonstrated that you
don't need a huge antenna system to operate EME (moonbounce) successfully.
Fasching fired up for the October 22-23 weekend of the ARRL EME Contest, using
a small horn antenna on 1.2 GHz.

"Because of other commitments I had only a few hours to be QRV in the first
part of the ARRL EME Contest," he said in a Moon-Net post on October 26. "As
tests with my recently built 23-centimeter horn antenna were promising, I
decided to give it a try to work some stations."

Fasching placed the horn on his balcony with an 80 W solid-state amplifier.
Operating WSJT, he logged contacts with Switzerland, Russia, Germany, and the
Czech Republic.

He also heard stations in the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, and Italy on
digital modes and in the UK, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Italy on CW.
Fasching, who also has a 7.3-meter homemade dish, has uploaded recordings of
some EME signals to his website, along with the results of tests with his small
 system.



Quest Continues for 1 kW Power Privileges in Australia

On the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) VK1WIA National News, WIA Director
 Roger Harrison, VK2ZRH, recently remarked on efforts to raise the Amateur
Radio power limit to 1 kW there. A 1 kW limit was trialed in 2012-2013, but
Harrison said he does not expect the Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA) to repeat that test.

The central issue comes down to that of compliance with electromagnetic
radiation standards in Australia," Harrison said, not what other countries may
allow. He noted that radiocommunication regulation in Australia is embodied
both in license conditions and in compliance with electromagnetic radiation
standards, and ACMA has a responsibility to ensure that emissions from all
radio transmitting systems do not expose the public to harm.

"In fulfilling that responsibility, the ACMA needs to know where possibly
harmful transmitter systems are located and that such locations are recorded on
 a license," Harrison continued. "With that understanding, the [WIA] Spectrum
Strategy Committee is working with ACMA to develop suitable procedures under
which amateurs interested in running high power can make an application that
meets the ACMA's technical and regulatory requirements. Talks are continuing."
-- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News; WIA



Reminder: NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Application Deadline is November 22

The application deadline to take part in NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative
(CSLI) is Tuesday, November 22. NASA has invited accredited education
institutions, nonprofit organizations, and NASA centers to join the adventure
and challenge of space, while helping the agency to achieve its exploration
goals. Many research CubeSats launched as part of the CSLI have carried Amateur
 Radio payloads.

CSLI provides CubeSat developers with a low-cost pathway to space, in order to
conduct research that advances NASA's strategic goals in science, exploration,
technology development, education, and operations. The initiative provides
students, teachers, and faculty members with a chance to gain hands-on flight
hardware development experience by designing, building, and operating small
research satellites. NASA will announce its selections by February 17, 2017;
selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. Selected experiments are
considered auxiliary payloads on NASA launches or for International Space
Station deployment starting next year and continuing through 2020. More
information on CSLI is on the NASA website. -- Thanks to NASA



Free Cubes in Space(TM) Program Offers Opportunity for Youth to Put Experiments
 into Space

The free Cubes in Space(TM) program provides students ages 11 to 18 an
opportunity to design and compete to launch an experiment into space at no
cost. Cubes in Space is offered by idoodledu inc, in partnership with the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, the Colorado Space Grant
 Consortium, and the NASA Langley Research Center.

Based on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics), the
global education initiative enables students to learn about space exploration
using innovative problem-solving and inquiry-based learning methods.
Participants have access to resources that help prepare them to design and
develop an experiment to be integrated into a small cube.

There are two launch opportunities in 2017 -- into space via sounding rocket
from Wallops Island or via high-altitude balloon, launched from NASA's Columbia
 Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico.

The registration deadline is January 6, 2017. E-mail or visit the Cubes in
Space website for more information, or call (888) 735-4565. -- Thanks to AMSAT
News Service via NASA



Latest Edition of the ITU Radio Regulations is Available Online

What the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) calls "The global treaty
behind your mobile communications" -- the ITU Radio Regulations (2016 edition)
-- now is available online and at no cost via the ITU website. Published in
ITU's six official languages, the new edition of the Radio Regulations is also
available for purchase in hard copy format and as a multilingual DVD.

"Following the successful completion of World Radiocommunication Conference
2015, I am pleased to announce the issue of the ITU Radio Regulations, edition
of 2016, which will come into force for all the signatory parties on 1 January
2017," said François Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.
Calling the treaty "an incredible success story," ITU Secretary-General Houlin
Zhao noted that the global treaty upon which mobile communication and other
uses of wireless technology internationally depend, will celebrate its 110th
anniversary this year.

Delegates to the World Radiocommunication Seminar (WRS-16) in Geneva this
December will mark the occasion. -- Thanks to ITU (media release)



DX Notes from All Over

The ZL7G DXpedition to Chatham Island wrapped up on November 9 after logging
more than 42,000 contacts, including nearly 3,000 of them on RTTY. The
DXpedition team has dismantled stations and antennas and plans to depart the
island on November 19. Chatham Island was number 95 on the ClubLog DXCC Most
Wanted List.

"We continued with RTTY (2,900 QSOs now) and had hoped for one last grey line
on 160," a team news release said. "However, thunderstorms over New Zealand and
 Australia meant that 160-meter QSOs on the morning of [November 9] were hard
to come by."

Earlier, the team had complained of "dire HF conditions," although things did
improve. ZL7G recorded nearly 10,400 contacts with North American stations,
more than 16,400 with stations in Europe, and nearly 14,000 with Asian
stations. The contact count with stations in Africa and Asia were only in the
triple digits. Complete results of the DXpedition are available on the ClubLog
website.


Rebounding from his aborted "Cows Over the World" DXpedition, Tom Callas, KC0W,
 commenced a CW-only operation from the Philippines on November 8, as 4I7COW.
This marks the first time the 4I7 prefix has been used. The Minnesota DXer
plans to focus on 160 meters. He will operate from 4I7COW until November 22.

Callas was forced to abruptly cancel the rest of his "Cows Over the World"
Pacific DXpeditions earlier this fall, after his belongings were stolen in
Kiribati.

After he returns to the US, Callas plans to travel to Equatorial Guinea, where
he will apply in person for 3C and 3C0 call signs. Given the complexity of the
Equatorial Guinea licensing process, Callas has said he believes it's best to
make the preliminary trip to submit all 20 documents required for each call
sign and increase his chances of getting the ones he wants.

He plans to activate Annobon (3C0) and Equatorial Guinea (3C) in January for at
 least 25 days from each entity. He may do some SSB operation too, but no
digital modes. Annobon is number 35 on the ClubLog DXCC Most Wanted List, while
 Equatorial Guinea is number 43.


Peripatetic DXer Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, will be part of a team that will
activate Myanmar (XZ), November 15-22. Joining him will be Champ Muangamphun,
E21EIC; Franz Langner, DJ9ZB, and Madison Jones, W5MJ. The primary purpose of
the trip is to support the Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Myanmar.

Activity will be on 80 through 10 meters on CW, SSB, and RTTY, with two
stations. The call sign has not yet been announced. Myanmar is number 49 on the
 ClubLog DXCC Most Wanted List.


Ken Opskar, LA7GIA, is heading to the Central African Republic, hoping to get
on the air as TL8AO on November 11. He'll be there until November 22, running
400 W to a variety of antennas, mostly on CW, on 80 through 10 meters. He will
upload his log to Logbook of The World.


Yath Yoshikawa, JG2MLI, will head back to the Japanese Polar Research Syowa
Station on East Ongul Island to operate with the commemorative call sign
8J60JARE, marking the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic Research
Expedition (JARE) from January 2017 until January 2018. He will operate SSB,
CW, RTTY, and digital modes on 40 through 10 meters and will post his logs to
Club Log.


CW operator Tony Wanschura, KM0O, will be on the air November 19-28 --
including the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest -- from Vientiane, Laos, as XW0YO.
He'll be on CW and SSB (but not RTTY) on 160 through 10 meters. "Fortunately,
in this time of low solar activity and weak signals, this particular QTH has
virtually zero noise," he said. -- Thanks to KC0W, The Daily DX, DX-World, and
the ZL7G team



Hurricane Watch Net Honors Bermuda Radio Amateur

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has recognized one of its longtime members,
Antony "Tony" Siese, VP9HK. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, announced on
October 20 that the net would confer upon Siese the title of "Honorary Member,"
 in recognition of his 31 years of service. Graves said Siese is the first
non-manager to be named an Honorary Member.

VP9HK joined the HWN in 1985, although, he said, he took a "sabbatical" last
year. In 2003, his reports during Hurricane Fabian gave forecasters at the
National Hurricane Center valuable ground-truth information and insight as to
what the storm was doing in Bermuda, Graves said, earning Siese the Message in
a Bottle Award from W4EHW (now WX4NHC) for the 2003 Hurricane Season.

"It is very rare for any individual to be so dedicated to an organization,
especially as a volunteer," Graves said. "Tony, on behalf of the Hurricane
Watch Net, thank you for all you have done and continue to do."

Siese was first licensed in the UK as G4CIL in the 1970s. He's lived in Bermuda
 for more than 52 years. -- Thanks to the Hurricane Watch Net



Getting it Right!

In the story "Rule Making Petition to FCC Calls for Vanity Call Sign Rule
Changes" in The ARRL Letter for November 3, 2016, the correct number of the
Petition for Rule Making is RM-11775. Interested parties may comment using the
FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Comments are due within 30 days of
 the October 26 posting date.

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club Sponsoring Veterans Day Special Event:
American Legion members will honor fellow veterans with a special event on
Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. The American Legion Amateur Radio Club
(TALARC) will sponsor the activity, which will begin on the HF bands at 1400
UTC and conclude at 2130 UTC, using the call sign K9TAL. Operators who contact
the station are eligible to receive a full-color commemorative certificate by
sending a 9x12 self-addressed, stamped envelope to The American Legion Amateur
Radio Club, 700 N Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. -- Thanks to Ed
Brown, AA3EB


ARISS Packet System on Board the ISS Switched to UHF Due to the recent failure
of the Ericsson VHF radio in the ISS Columbus module, the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) APRS packet system that normally operates
145.825 MHz has not been available. Crew member Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, has
activated an ARISS UHF radio that had been in storage on the ISS, and it is now
 operational on 437.550 MHz. The packet system uses the same protocol as the
VHF system. Operators using the system should adjust for increased Doppler
shift at UHF. The ARISS team is currently
working on Kenwood TM-D710GA models to replace all Amateur Radio transceivers
on board the ISS. The target date for delivery is late 2017. -- Thanks to ARISS


Papers Solicited for 2017 Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference Organizers for
the 2017 Eastern VHF/UHF Microwave Conference have issued a first call for
papers. The event will take place April 21-23, 2017, at Baymont Inn in
Manchester, Connecticut. Papers on all VHF-and-up activities are invited, from
operating, contesting, and propagation to antennas, amplifiers, low-noise
preamps, homebrewing, microwaves, moonbounce, Arduinos, and more. Photos of
projects are especially welcome. For more information, contact Paul Wade,
W1GHZ. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service via the Microwave List


Video of Forum Explaining How Ham Radio Clubs Can Obtain Tax-Exempt Status Now
Available: A video of the presentation by Certified Public Accountant Lynn
Baxter, W0LTB, at the New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest) in October
 is now available online. Most radio clubs are set up as nonprofit
corporations, but this does not mean that they are tax exempt under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code. Some changes that
took place in 2014 simplified the process for smaller organizations with less
than $50,000 in annual gross revenues and reduced the amount of red tape. In
the presentation, Baxter explains how clubs and nonprofits can attain 501(c)(3)
 status under the new rules and how to file a simple online annual report to
maintain that status, which, under some circumstances, would allow Amateur
Radio clubs to accept donations and issue receipts for tax purposes, as well as
 enjoy other benefits. -- Thanks to Mike Crestohl, W1RC


Changes Made to 60-Meter Allocations in Portugal and Finland: José E. Ribeiro
Sá, CT1EEB, has reported on changes to Portugal's 60-meter allocation, which
includes some of the existing discrete channels plus a new contiguous band. He
said his just-renewed, 60-meter band license authorizes him to operate CW and
SSB on 5,371.5 kHz and 5,403.5 kHz, as well as on 5,351.5 kHz to 5,366.5 kHz.
He said his license specifies no power limit. In Finland, Jari Jussila, OH2BU
(aka OH2P on 60 meters), reported that radio amateurs there should gain access
to 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz, starting on January 1, with 15 W EIRP. The 60-meter
band in Finland is divided into sub-bands by mode bandwidth. Amateur Radio is
secondary on all 60-meter allocations. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio
News



The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: At 0002 UTC on November 9, this geomagnetic
warning was distributed by Australia's Space Forecast Centre: Increased
geomagnetic activity expected due to coronal hole high-speed wind stream and
possible glancing blow from CME [coronal mass ejection] associated with
November 5 filament on November 9-10 2016. The Centre said the forecast for
November 10 is "Active."

But the USAF Ap forecast predicts the disturbance will occur perhaps a few days
 later. The USAF forecast was issued about 21 hours later than the Australian
forecast.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 14, 26, 20, 12, and 8 on November 10-15; 5 on
 November 16-18; 8, 15, 54, 42, and 24 on November 19-23; 18, 22, 18, 12, and
10 on November 24-28; 8 on November 29-30; 5 on December 1-3; 8, 20, and 8 on
December 4-6; 10, 12, and 20 on December 7-9; 18, 10, and 8 on December 10-12;
5 on December 13-15; 8, 15, 54, 42, and 24 on December 16-20.

Predicted solar flux is 80 on November 10-12; 85 on November 13-14; 90 on
November 15-16; 78 on November 17-18; 77 and 75 on November 19-20; 78 on
November 21-22; 79 on November 23-25; 78 on November 26; 77 on November 27-28;
76 on November 29-30; 77 on December 1-3; 75 on December 4-5, and 78 on
December 6-15.

Sunspot numbers for November 3 through 9 were 23, 25, 24, 23, 24, 0, and 12,
with a mean of 18.7. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 75.6, 76.7, 76.7, 76.2, 76.5,
 76.9, and 79.9, with a mean of 76.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 18, 5,
 3, 5, 4, 3, and 7, with a mean of 6.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
12, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, and 5, with a mean of 4.3.

Were you active in the ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW) last weekend? Send me a
report of your observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  November 12-13 -- WAE DX Contest (RTTY)
 *  November 12-13 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (Digital)
 *  November 12-13 -- JIDX Phone Contest
 *  November 12-13 -- OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
 *  November 12-13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
 *  November 12-13 -- Kentucky QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  November 12-14 -- CQ-WE Contest (CW, phone, digital)
 *  November 17 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

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

 *  November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana
 *  November 19 -- Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama
 *  December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
    Florida
 *  January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention, Bethpage, New
    York
 *  January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia
 *  January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas
 *  January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia
 *  January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona
 *  January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
 *  January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
 *  February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Ft. Lauderdale,
    Florida
 *  February 4 - South Carolina State Convention, North Charleston, South
    Carolina
 *  February 4 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia
 *  February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention (HamCation), Orlando,
    Florida
 *  February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona
 *  February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference,
    Sarasota, Florida

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
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