The ARRL Letter
May 23, 2019
* Dayton Hamvention Attracts a Happy Crowd
* Springtime Section Manager Election Results Announced
* Magnetic Loop Antenna Designs Multiply
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* FCC Re-Charters Technological Advisory Council for New Term
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* June Event in Europe to Assess Activity, Ability to Share
Spectrum on 6 Meters
* CQ Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The ARRL Letter will not publish on Thursday, May 30, and there will
be no edition of ARRL Audio News on Friday, May 31. The ARRL Letter
will return on June 6.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dayton Hamvention Attracts a Happy Crowd
Dayton Hamvention^(R), hosting the 2019 ARRL National Convention,
chalked up its third year at its new venue, the Greene County
Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Amateur Radio's largest
annual gathering took place May 17 - 19. Hamvention officials have
not yet released a 2019 attendance figure, but last year's show drew
28,417 -- the third largest attendance ever. For many hams,
Hamvention offers an opportunity each spring to renew old
acquaintances and make new ones, and for manufacturers to debut their
latest and greatest gear.
"These were some of the biggest crowds I've seen since Dayton
Hamvention relocated to Xenia," ARRL Product Development Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said.
Hamvention visitors enjoyed largely comfortable weather, with some
drizzle on opening day. By all accounts, the crowd was animated and
amiable. This year marked the first that Hamvention offered free
Sunday admission.
ARRL President Rick
Roderick, K5UR.
"Dayton Hamvention 2019 was a fantastic event and was a great setting
for the ARRL National Convention," said ARRL President Rick Roderick,
K5UR. "Thank you to everyone for stopping by the ARRL exhibit area to
visit with ARRL officials, staff, and volunteers. It's always a
pleasure to be able to have a face-to-face QSO with everyone. Isn't
ham radio great? The greatest hobby in the world!"
A free ARRL/Dayton Hamvention mobile event app helped visitors
navigate the landscape of exhibitors and forums. Attendees also used
the app to follow the hourly prize drawings, connect with other
visitors, and view maps of the sprawling fairgrounds. The new app got
a positive reception.
Members of the Nashua (New
Hampshire) Area Radio Society
received the Dayton
Hamvention^(R) Club of the
Year Award. At ARRL's
invitation, NARS hosted an
interactive exhibit to serve
as a model for other clubs to
emulate. (L - R) Scott
Andersen, NE1RD; Jamey
Finchum, AC1DC; Fred Kemmerer,
AB1OC; Brian McCaffrey, W1BP;
Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB; Dave
Merchant, K1DLM; Abby Finchum,
AB1BY, and Charlie Dunn,
W1CBD. [Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R,
photo]
The Nashua (New Hampshire) Area Radio Society (NARS) -- the 2019
Dayton Hamvention Club of the Year -- led the "ARRL Spotlight on
Radio Clubs and Mentoring" forum. NARS members described the ways the
club builds and maintains a strong and active membership through its
website, licensing classes, and programs that fit members' schedules.
The success rate for licensing classes is 93%, and the club retains
70% of active members. Instructors from the ARRL Education &
Technology Program shared resources available for introducing radio
science and wireless technology.
In step with the shared ARRL Convention-Hamvention theme, "Mentoring
the Next Generation," the 2019 Youth Forum moderated by Carole Perry,
WB2MGP, drew attendees of all ages.
ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX,
addresses the ARRL Member Forum.
[Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, photo]
It was standing room only at Saturday's ARRL Member Forum, which
featured a panel of ARRL Board members with ARRL Great Lakes Division
Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, moderating. Pacific Division Director
Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, who chairs the Legislative Advocacy Committee,
addressed the Board's decision to hit the pause button on the Amateur
Radio Parity Act. He said the Board intends to renew efforts to get a
bill passed and will craft a new strategy to make that happen.
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH,
discusses the new Volunteer
Monitor Program. [Allison
McLellan photo]
President Roderick and CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, stressed the need
to attract more Technician licensees into ARRL. Roderick challenged
forum attendees to make sure their clubs are welcoming newcomers and
helping them to get active and engaged as radio amateurs. At Michel's
"Engaging Today's Radio Amateur" presentation, audience members
expressed support for the new directions Michel is taking ARRL in
terms of delivering more value to members.
The Youngsters on the Air (YOTA)
delegation (L - R); Florian
Zwingl, OE3FTA; Larissa
Rentmeister (SWL); Markus
Grosser, DL8GM; Phillip Springer,
DK6SP. YOTA is a project of IARU
Region 1. [Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R,
photo]
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, headed up a Sunday forum on ARRL's new
Volunteer Monitor Program. Hollingsworth explained how the program
evolved out of an FCC request. Hollingsworth explained that he polled
FCC District Directors to see which areas of the US needed the most
attention. He said that's where most Volunteer Monitors will be
deployed.
ARRL's Public Service Communications Panel Discussion drew a large
crowd of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members and other
active volunteers.
Dayton Hamvention Radio
Amateur of the Year
Nathaniel Frissell,
W2NAF (left), with Joe
Taylor, K1JT, of WSJT-X
renown. [Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R,
photo]
Audience members expressed constructive concerns over the new ARES
Plan and with reinforcing Amateur Radio recognition nationwide.
"ARRL's big team included 118 members supporting exhibits,
activities, and presentations to help all radio amateurs become more
active, involved, and engaged," Inderbitzen said. "Together we helped
represent the very best of our Amateur Radio Service and ARRL."
At a Thursday Donors' Reception, President Roderick presented the
National Convention recognition award to Hamvention Chairman Jack
Gerbs, WB8SCT, and Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) President
(and past Hamvention General Chair) Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ.
+++
Springtime Section Manager Election Results Announced
In the only contested Section Manager election this spring, ARRL
members in Utah have re-elected Mel Parkes, NM7P, as Section Manager
for a new 2-year term of office that starts on July 1. Parkes, of
Layton, received 481 votes; his opponent, Pat Malan, N7PAT, of South
Jordan, received 233 votes. Parkes has served as Section Manager
since 1999. Ballots were counted and verified at ARRL Headquarters on
May 21.
Elsewhere, John Gotthardt, K1UAF, of Wolfeboro, will become Section
Manager of New Hampshire on July 1. He was the only nominee for the
post after New Hampshire Section Manager Pete Stohrer, K1PJS, of
Concord, decided not to run for a new term after serving since 2013.
Gotthardt is currently the Section Traffic Manager and also serves as
Net Manager and Official Relay Station.
Steve Ostrove, K2SO, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, will become the
Northern New Jersey Section Manager once again in July. Ostrove
previously served as Section Manager from 2016 until 2017. Northern
New Jersey SM Rob Roschewsk, KA2PBT, decided not to run for a new
term after serving for the past 2 years.
Several incumbent Section Managers faced no opposition and were
declared re-elected to new terms starting on July 1: Marty Pittinger,
KB3MXM (Maryland-DC); John Bigley, N7UR (Nevada); Bob Beaudet, W1YRC
(Rhode Island); Dan Pruitt, AE6SX (San Joaquin Valley), and Dale
Durham, W5WI (West Texas).
+++
Magnetic Loop Antenna Designs Multiply
Magnetic loops have become popular as effective and compact antennas
for traveling and stealth applications. An HF magnetic loop design by
John Chappell, W3HX, was an honorable mention in the 2018 QST Antenna
Design Competition. Chappell's mag loop offers coverage on 80 - 20
meters, and he runs FT8 at 50 W. See his article on page 39 of the
June 2019 issue of QST.
The magnetic loop for 40 and 20
meters designed by Richard Robbins,
WA8RR. [Photo courtesy of DELARA
News]
Richard Robbins, WA8RR, wanted to build one of his own for 40 and 20
meters, and he described his efforts in a recent edition of his
club's newsletter, DELARA News. An online calculator helped him come
up with the basics, and he decided on a 10-foot circumference loop
constructed from half-inch copper pipe that would handle 100 W. His
prototype, constructed from a piece of pipe "hand bent into an
approximate circle," a Dayton Hamvention flea market capacitor, and a
coax drive loop, would tune the two bands -- although, as expected,
tuning was very sensitive and affected by body capacitance.
He worked up a reduction drive and remote motorized tuning, and was
able to make several FT8 contacts, using his antenna analyzer to tune
the loop. "The tuning would shift as I was transmitting," Robbins
recounted. "This is a result of a very high circulating current and
heating of the separate components." Encouraged, he went for a
higher-end design constructed around a 5 - 500 pf vacuum variable
capacitor, the project's most expensive component (these go for $150
or more on eBay). "It is big and heavy," Robbins said. He had a metal
fabricator bend a new piece of thin-wall copper tubing into a more
aesthetically pleasing circle.
"To drive the capacitor, I obtained a stepper motor and driver, an
Arduino controller board, and a four-channel remote," Robbins
explained. "I used some sample programs to develop the code that
would move the capacitor at different speeds depending on how long
the remote was pressed. I added markings on the capacitor, so I could
quickly move to different bands." -- Thanks to DELARA News
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Do Dipoles Have to be Straight?" is the topic of the current (May 9)
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 email 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.
FCC Re-Charters Technological Advisory Council for New Term
The FCC has re-chartered its Technological Advisory Council (TAC) for
a 2-year term. Comprised of a diverse group of leading technology
experts, the TAC provides technical expertise to the FCC to identify
important areas of innovation and develop informed technology
policies.
Greg Lapin, N9GL, will continue to represent ARRL on the TAC.
"The TAC will consider and advise the Commission on a variety of
topics such as the deployment of 5G technology, the evolution of
broadband networks and devices and their implications, the spectrum
needs of unmanned aircraft systems, new developments in antenna
technology, and the applications of artificial intelligence to
telecommunications networks," the FCC said in announcing the
re-charter.
Dennis Roberson, Executive Chairman of entigenlogicTM, chairs the
Council. Michael Ha, Deputy Chief of the FCC Policy and Rules
Division, is the Designated Federal Officer.
The TAC will next meet on June 21. The public is welcome. The FCC
Public Notice includes the names of all TAC members, some of whom are
radio amateurs. -- FCC Public Notice
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: May 18 was the last day we saw
sunspot activity, after more than 2 weeks with sunspots visible
daily. The average daily sunspot number declined to 5.3 this week
from 22.7 the previous week. Average daily solar flux declined from
75.7 to 69.8. Geomagnetic conditions were quieter, with the average
daily planetary A index declining from 13 to 5.
Predicted solar flux over the next 45 days is 68 on May 23 - 27; 70
on May 28 - 30; 72 on May 31; 74 on June 1; 76 on June 2 - 10; 74 on
June 11; 72 on June 12 - 13; 70 on June 14 - 15; 69 on June 16 - 17;
68 on June 18; 67 on June 19 - 25; 70, 72, and 74 on June 26 - 28,
and 76 on June 29 - July 6.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on May 23 - 24; 8 on May 25; 5 on
May 26 - 27; 10; 8; 8 and 10 on May 28 - 31; 5 on June 1 - 15; 8 on
June 16 - 18; 5 on June 19 - 23; 10, 12, 8, and 10 on June 24 - 27,
and 5 on June 28 - July 6.
On May 20, Markus Hansen, VE7CA, wrote to say he's been hearing many
10-meter beacons from California, and one from Utah.
Sunspot numbers for May 16 - 22 were 13, 13, 11, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
a mean of 5.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 73.6, 72.1, 70.6, 68,
68.7, 68, and 67.3, with a mean of 69.8. Estimated planetary A index
was8, 5, 5, 3, 6, 4, and 4, with a mean of 5. The mid-latitude A
index was 9, 7, 8, 3, 7, 4, and 5, with a mean of 6.1.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.
Share your reports and observations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Just Ahead in Radiosport
* May 25 - 26 -- CQ World Wide WPX Contest, CW
* May 30 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship, CW
* June 1 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
* June 1 - 2 -- SEANET Contest (CW, phone)
* June 1 - 2 -- 10-10 International Open Season PSK Contest
* June 1 - 2 -- DigiFest
* June 1 - 2 -- UKSMG Summer Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* June 1 - 2 -- Kentucky QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* June 1 - 2 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW)
* June 1 - 2 -- Dutch Kingdom Contest (CW, phone)
* June 1 - 2 -- RSGB National Field Day (CW)
* June 2 -- PVRC Reunion (CW, phone)
* June 4 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
* June 6 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* June 6 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (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 email preferences.
June Event in Europe to Assess Activity, Ability to Share Spectrum on
6 Meters
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has thrown its support
behind an upcoming operating event on 6 meters aimed at assessing
activity on 6 meters and the ability of Amateur Radio to share
spectrum with government users on the band. The worldwide Amateur
Radio community is invited to participate in the Czech-sponsored
Pohotovostní (readiness) Test -- or "P-Test" -- which will take place
on June 13. Agenda Item 1.1 for World Radiocommunication Conference
2019 (WRC-19) will consider an Amateur Service allocation in the 50 -
54 MHz band in Region 1 (Europe, Africa, Asiatic Russia), taking into
account studies looking into sharing between the Amateur Service and
the mobile, fixed, radiolocation, and broadcasting services, "in
order to ensure protection of these services."
The Czech Republic's telecommunications regulator CTO is
investigating if theoretical study results match real life. The June
test follows an initial trial that took place in late February in the
Czech Republic. One objective was to verify that military and Amateur
Radio stations could coexist on the band. The second test will take
place when enhanced propagation is more likely. During the event,
other 50 MHz band users will operate their own communication systems,
and the IARU has cautioned radio amateurs not to interfere with their
activities.
"The purpose of this event is to show regulators that amateurs and
military stations can coexist without causing harmful interference to
each other," said an IARU Region 1 news article by Hans Blondeel
Timmerman, PB2T.
The June 13 event will take place in two activity periods: The first
will run from 0730 until 0900 UTC, and the second will take place
from 1100 to 1230 UTC. Participating stations will call "CQ P
(Contest)" and exchange signal reports, a sequential serial number, a
six-character grid locator, and a geographical location.
Maximum power output will be 25 W PEP, the maximum power under Czech
Amateur Radio Service regulations. Stations outside of the Czech
Republic are requested to use the same output power to enable
comparisons with the February test. The use of spotting networks is
permitted. Submit logs no later than 1230 UTC on June 15.
"We would like to involve amateur stations experimenting with
wideband modes in this test," the IARU news article said. This could
include reduced-bandwidth digital television or other wide-band
emissions. Such stations would participate in the second activity
period. Read more.
CQ Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
CQ Magazine over the weekend announced the 2019 inductees to its
Amateur Radio, DX, and Contest halls of fame.
The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame added 5 new members for 2019,
making a total of 326 inductees since its establishment in 2001. The
CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors radio amateurs who have made
significant contributions "to Amateur Radio, to their professional
careers or to some other aspect of life on our planet." The 2019
inductees are:
John Attaway, Sr., K4IIF (SK); Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ; Doreen
Bogdan-Martin, KD2JTX; Predescu Florin Cristian, YO0CNU, and Ellen
White, W1YL.
CQ inducted two new members to its CQ DX Hall of Fame, which honors
those DXers who not only excel in personal performance, but also give
back to the hobby in outstanding ways. CQ DX Editor Bob Schenck,
N2OO, presented Hall of Fame plaques at an induction ceremony held at
the annual Dayton DX dinner on May 17.
The 2019 inductees to the CQ DX Hall of Fame are: Joe Taylor, K1JT,
and Silvano Borsa, I2YSB, and the Italian DXpedition Team.
The CQ DX Hall of Fame was established in 1967 to recognize those
amateurs who have made major contributions to DXing and
DXpeditioning. This weekend marked the 54th ^ annual induction.
CQ magazine inducted three new members into the CQ Contest Hall of
Fame, which honors contesters who stand out in their own contesting
performance while also contributing greatly to the avocation as a
whole. CQ Contesting Editor David Siddall, K3ZJ, presented Hall of
Fame plaques at an induction ceremony held at the annual Dayton
Contest Dinner on May 18.
The 2019 inductees to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame are: Bruce Horn,
WA7BNM, and Dean Straw, N6BV, and Kresimir "Chris" Kovarik, 9A5K
(SK).
The CQ Contest Hall of Fame was established in 1986 to recognize
those amateurs who have made major contributions to the art of radio
contesting. This year's inductions bring the total number of members
of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame to 74. Read more.
In Brief...
Educator, author, and contester Fred Cady, KE7X, of Bozeman, Montana,
died on May 16. An ARRL Life Member, he turned 77 earlier this month.
Cady was a professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering
at Montana State University. He coauthored The Successful Ham Radio
Operator's Handbook with Vic DiCiccio, VE3YT. He also wrote several
manuals on how to use Elecraft equipment. First licensed in 1959,
Cady earned a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of
Canterbury in New Zealand, and was a senior member of the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He taught for more
than 40 years and published five textbooks on microcomputers. An avid
CW contester, Cady was a member of the world record-holding Team
Vertical contest group. "Fred was my very dear friend and an
important mentor for me," DiCiccio said. "Working with him to write
The Successful Ham book was a joy. He helped so many people as a
professor, author of his books, and in his role as a volunteer
fireman, fire chief, and deputy chief. He will be deeply missed."
+++
Radio Amateurs in India recently provided post-disaster
communication. According to a May 12 article in The Hindu newspaper,
after Cyclone Fani struck eastern India on May 3, two teams of
Amateur Radio operators from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal came to
the rescue. The town of Puri in the state of Odisha remained cut off
for 2 days, and VHF communication systems used by police had very
limited range. The Odisha state control room was not able to
establish regular communication with district headquarters,
"resulting in utter confusion in relief and rescue operations," the
newspaper said. Emergency managers now are looking into how and why
post-disaster communication failed for the first time since 1999. In
the wake of Cyclone Fani, ham radio provided the primary mode of
communication for the first several hours.
+++
IARU Member-Societies have ratified leadership nominations and will
consider new members International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
member-societies on May 3 completed voting to ratify the nominations
of IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, and Vice President Ole
Garpestad, LA2RR, to new terms. With 57 affirmative votes required
for ratification, Ellam received 75 votes, and Garpestad received 74
votes. Applications for IARU membership have been received via IARU
Region 1 from the Saudi Amateur Radio Society (SARS) and the
Seychelles Amateur Radio Association (SARA). As of January 2019,
there were 66 members out of a total of 479 licensed radio amateurs
in Saudi Arabia. SARA has six members, two of whom are licensed. It
is believed that there are four licensed amateurs in Seychelles.
Voting will close on October 9.
+++
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) has announced a Cricket
World Cup Amateur Radio Marathon, from May 30 until July 14. The
Cricket World Cup will take place in England and Wales. UK and
international call signs will be active on nine HF bands on SSB, CW,
and digital modes. Award certificates will be offered based on the
number of contacts made with the special UK and international
stations. Sponsors are inviting other countries to take part and to
activate special call signs with the suffix "19CWC" or similar. A
total of 31 special call signs will be on the air in the UK, with
GB19CWC representing the 2019 Cricket World Cup Headquarters in
England. Listen for other "GB19" prefix call signs. Teams will field
special event stations as well. Details, including the rules for
awards and a list of international call signs, are on the RSGB
website. Follow your progress on the Ham Log website. Email for more
information on the marathon. -- Thanks to Nick Totterdell, G4FAL
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* May 31 - June 1 -- Arizona State Convention, Prescott, Arizona
* May 31 - June 2 -- Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside,
Oregon
* June 1 -- Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia
* June 1 - 2 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect,
Pennsylvania
* June 7 - 8 -- West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com), Plano,
Texas
* June 15 -- W8DXCC DX Convention, Owensville, Ohio
* July 19 - 21 -- Nevada State Convention, Reno, Nevada
* July 25 - 27 -- Central States VHF Conference, Lincoln, Nebraska
* July 26 - 27 -- Ham Holiday, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.
.
.
* Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur
Radio''s most popular and informative journal, delivered to your
mailbox each month.
* Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
Subscribe to...
* NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features
articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores,
NA Sprint, and QSO parties.
* QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published
bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects,
columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and
communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members...
* Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update
(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts
-- and much more!
* Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL members
and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing
their profile.
Copyright (c) 2019 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for
non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other
purposes require written permission.
--- MBSE BBS v1.0.7.12 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)
|
Amateur Radio Interest 
