The ARRL Letter
June 6, 2019
* Emergency Messaging Demonstration for Red Cross, FEMA is a
Success
* Ohio ARES Activates in Wake of Tornadoes that Badly Damaged Hara
Arena
* Hurricane Michael Investigation Digs into Factors that Hindered
Wireless Services Recovery
* The Doctor Will See You Now!
* New FT4 Beta Release "Leaps and Bounds" Better than Earlier
Iterations
* China Set to Launch New Amateur Satellite with "Sail Ball"
Stabilization
* Mexican Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Communication in
Wildfire Response
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* AMSAT, ARISS Veteran Keith D. Pugh, W5IU, SK
* Yasme Foundation Designates Supporting Grant, Excellence Award
Recipients
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Emergency Messaging Demonstration for Red Cross, FEMA is a Success
On May 23, with Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) officials monitoring, dozens of radio amateurs along the US
east coast demonstrated Amateur Radio's ability to deliver messages
without commercial power, infrastructure, or permanently established
stations. The event took place in coordination with ARRL, as a mock
response to a simulated disaster scenario -- a major hurricane with
mass casualties. During the event, radio amateurs at portable
stations from New England to the Carolinas delivered message traffic
to W1AW, which coordinated and delivered the information to officials
attending a joint Red Cross-FEMA meeting in Baltimore.
W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia,
NJ1Q (front), and ARRL Emergency
Preparedness Assistant Manager Ken
Bailey, K1FUG, working the mics
while Red Cross volunteer Rosty
Slabicky, W2ROS, looks on. [Michelle
Patnode, W3MVP, photo]
"About a dozen stations participated in the demonstration, including
operators in Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, northern
New Jersey, western Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South Carolina," ARRL
Communications Manager Dave Isgur, N1RSN, said. "Red Cross officials
were on-site at W1AW and at the receiving station in Baltimore. At
both sites, they indicated that were impressed with Amateur Radio's
ability to deliver messages digitally so that could be displayed on a
computer screen and in a format that matched the format for messages
that the Red Cross uses." Isgur said ABC, CBS, and Fox TV affiliates
sent reporting teams to W1AW.
A few stations, including W1AW and stations in Baltimore, generated
local media coverage of their participation, much of it tied into the
notion of "Amateur Radio operators and the partner agencies they
serve are getting ready for the 2018 hurricane season," which begins
on June 1 and continues through November 30.
W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, said the exercise went well
overall. "Conditions were a bit tepid at best, but we were able to
establish voice contact first, and then proceed with the digital
traffic (MT63-1KS) during the roll call," Carcia said. "Digital
signals were good. I needed just one retransmit. We used fldigi with
flmsg. This made life so much easier."
+++
Ohio ARES Activates in Wake of Tornadoes that Badly Damaged Hara
Arena
Hara Arena, in Trotwood, Ohio, which served as the home for Dayton
Hamvention^(R) for more than 6 decades, was among the structures
extensively damaged when tornadoes swept through the Dayton area on
Memorial Day. WHIO-TV drone video showed that the roof and side of
the structure had been blown off in several places by the EF3
(severe-scale damage) event. Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan
Broadway, N8BHL, said ARES counties and districts activated after
nearly 40 tornado warnings were issued across the state. He said Ohio
ARES was in the process of announcing a partnership with the Ohio
Emergency Management Agency Watch Desk, in which some 2,000 Ohio
radio amateurs will feed situation awareness to the state.
"Our plan was to use the Ohio DMR statewide talk group along with our
normal HF 80-meter voice and digital nets -- depending on storm
noise," Broadway said. "We got to launch that system under pressure
[on] Memorial Day." Broadway said information received from radio
amateurs during the all-night effort was fed directly into the
state's WebEOC software to help the Watch Desk determine the need to
assist county EMA directors requests for aid. The Ohio AuxComm's
W8SGT was on the air continuously, receiving reports from county ARES
groups, he added.
The severe weather struck after dark, causing widespread damage in
and around Dayton and elsewhere in the Miami Valley. Multiple
injuries and one fatality have been reported. It appears that at
least two tornadoes were responsible for most of the devastation,
which was called "catastrophic." The NWS office in Wilmington, Ohio,
estimated that at one point, storms and tornadoes left some 5 million
people without electrical power.
Snow plows were repurposed to remove debris from Interstate Route 75,
and the American Red Cross set up shelters to accommodate displaced
residents.
"First-tier communications remained solid in most of the affected
areas," Broadway recounted, "but amateur operators were able to
provide situational awareness that enhanced the response." Most ARES
activities in Ohio wrapped up on May 29.
WHIO-TV reported on June 5 that structural engineers were still
assessing the damage at Hara Arena, but Michael Heitz, the Kentucky
developer who now owns the building and the surrounding 120 acres,
has expressed confidence that the main arena can be saved, although
an attached section will have to be demolished.
+++
Hurricane Michael Investigation Digs into Factors that Hindered
Wireless Services Recovery
On May 9, the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
released a report on its investigation into communications providers'
preparation for and response to Hurricane Michael last October. An
array of Amateur Radio public service assets was active as Hurricane
Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle,
boasting devastating 155 MPH winds. The storm was the first Category
4 or stronger hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle since 1992.
The FCC investigation found that three key factors -- insufficiently
resilient backhaul connectivity, inadequate reciprocal roaming
arrangements, and a lack of coordination between wireless service
providers, power crews, and municipalities -- were the predominant
causes behind what the FCC called "the unacceptably slow restoration
of wireless service in the Florida Panhandle" in the storm's wake.
According to the FCC, its investigation even found that recovery
efforts themselves often led to communication outages.
"There were numerous cases in which a wireless provider had restored
service to customers only to have that service brought down as
third-party crews damaged communications assets while clearing trash
or restoring power lines and utility poles," the FCC recounted in a
news release.
To improve recovery efforts from future storms, the report
recommended, among other things, that wireless providers use diverse
backhaul options, such as microwave links and satellite links in
hurricane-prone areas, and that communication providers participate
in training to improve coordination of restoration efforts.
The Hurricane Michael Report is available at on the FCC website. --
FCC News Release
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Stringing Up Wire Antennas" is the topic of the new (June 6) 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.
New FT4 Beta Release "Leaps and Bounds" Better than Earlier
Iterations
The WSJT-X Development Group released yet another new beta version of
the FT4 protocol this week, and WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc7 is now available for
testing. Developers point out that the FT4 included in this "release
candidate 7" version is not compatible with any previous releases. A
short mock contest session to wring out the contesting features of
FT4 took place on June 4.
"Thanks to all who participated in yesterday's FT4 mock-contest
practice session -- and especially to those who provided useful
feedback. It is much appreciated!" said developer Joe Taylor, K1JT.
"Everyone likes the 7.5-second T/R sequences, which provide operators
with significantly more human interaction time than in previous
revisions of FT4. Users also appreciated the sensitivity improvements
and a larger range of acceptable time offsets (DT)." DT represents
the combined clock difference for the transmitting and receiving
computers, he explained.
Based on data compiled by Steve Franke, K9AN, Taylor said that it
appears developers have the WSJT-X timing behavior under good control
on all supported platforms, and the range of measured signal-to-noise
values extended down to -21 dB.
"I operated for about 3 hours using 100 W and a dipole," Taylor
recounted. "I copied transmissions from 263 unique call signs and
made 143 QSOs in 29 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and 15 DXCCs."
Taylor said the developers anticipate addressing all remaining issues
they're aware of. "I believe we are on a good path toward a General
Availability (GA) release of WSJT-X 2.1.0 by mid-July," he said.
Steve Franke, K9AN, of the WSJT-X Development
Group spent most of his time observing during
the mock contest on June 4, decoding some 25,300
FT4 transmissions. This chart represents
signal-to-noise ratios reported.
"This new version of FT4 is leaps and bounds better than before,"
said Mike Black, W9MDB, in a June 4 post to the Yahoo WSJT Meteor
Scatter and Weak Signal Group. "I worked almost everybody I could see
without any repeats. Seems like we have a winner here."
Changes, improvements, and bug fixes that have been made since WSJT-X
2.1.0-rc5 include:
* T/R sequence length increased from 6.0 to 7.5 seconds.
* Signal bandwidth decreased from 90 Hz to 80 Hz.
* Improved sensitivity: Threshold S/N is now -17.5 dB.
Release candidate WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc7 will be available for beta-testing
through July 21, and it will permanently cease to function after that
date. It will not be usable during the ARRL June VHF Contest or
during ARRL Field Day. Taylor advised using WSJT-X 2.0.1 and FT8 for
these events.
Downloadable installation packages for WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc7 under
Windows, Linux, and macOS are available on the WSJT-X web page.
China Set to Launch New Amateur Satellite with "Sail Ball"
Stabilization
Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) has announced the impending
launch of the CAS-7B satellite, also designated as BP-1B, a
short-lived spacecraft that will carry an Amateur Radio payload. An
unusual feature of the spacecraft is its "sail ball" passive
stabilization system. The 1.5 U CubeSat is attached to a
500-millimeter flexible film ball -- or sail -- that will offer
passive "pneumatic resistance" stabilization, the announcement said.
CAS-7B is expected to remain in orbit for up to 1 month.
The spacecraft will carry an Amateur Radio transponder and
educational mission. CAMSAT is working with the Beijing Institute of
Technology (BIT), a top aerospace school, which is providing launch
support. BIT faculty and students are participating in the
development and testing of the satellite, and, with CAMSAT's help,
the university has established an Amateur Radio club (BI1LG). CAMSAT
said many students are now members, "learning Amateur Radio satellite
communication and [experiencing] endless fun."
The VHF and UHF antennas are quarter-wave monopoles. CAS-7B will
transmit a CW telemetry beacon on 435.715 MHz. The V/U FM voice
transponder downlink will be 435.690 MHz, and the transponder uplink
will be 145.900 MHz (16 kHz passband).
CAS-7B during testing. [CAMSAT
photo]
The 3-kilogram satellite will have an apogee of 300 kilometers.
"Because of the orbital apogee and the size and mass of the
satellite, the orbital life is expected to be only 1 week, up to a
maximum of 1 month, which will also provide an opportunity for hams
to track and monitor satellite entering the atmosphere," CAMSAT said
in announcing the new satellite, scheduled for launch late this
month.
"The launch will use a new launch vehicle from a small commercial
rocket company," CAMSAT explained. "This is the first launch of this
launch vehicle, and there is a large possibility of failure; if the
launch fails, we will have another launch later this year." -- Thanks
to Alan Kung, BA1DU/CAMSAT
Mexican Amateur Radio Volunteers Provide Communication in Wildfire
Response
Mexican radio amateurs provided communication support in late May
from a fire scene in a remote area to civil protection authorities in
Monterrey, Mexico. Two-member teams of volunteers were flown in via
helicopter since May 20, the first day of radio support, when the
fire had already been burning for a couple of days. The fire in
Pajonal -- about 20 kilometers south of Monterrey -- covered more
than 200 acres in rough terrain. Temperatures topped 100 °F.
Fueled by hot and dry conditions, Mexico's 2019 fire season has been
intense, leading to poor air quality. By mid-May, more than 100
wildfires were active in 17 Mexican states.
Teams had been using Winlink but added the weak-signal software Vara
HF, after José Alberto Nieto, EA5HVK, provided a Vara license on
short notice. Tom Whiteside, N5TW, in Georgetown, Texas, supported
the effort from across the border, aiming his 40- and 20-meter arrays
in the direction of the fire in Nuevo Leon. Alfonso Tamez, XE2O,
president of Mexico's IARU member-society Federación Mexicana de
Radioexperimentadores (FMRE), was been among the volunteers.
In addition to HF digital traffic, the volunteer teams took advantage
of VHF repeaters. HF antennas consisted of a 40-meter dipole for 40
and a steerable portable dipole. A generator is providing electrical
power.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: According to Spaceweather.com, as
of June 5 there have been no sunspots for 17 days in a row. Average
daily solar flux went to 69.5 for the May 30 - June 5 reporting week
from 67.4 in the previous 7 days. The average daily planetary A index
declined from 7.3 to 5.6, while the mid-latitude A index dipped from
8.1 to 5.
Last week I suggested that sunspots should return soon, based on the
predicted solar flux, but those projections have softened. On June 5
the 45-day predicted solar flux was 70 on June 6 - 13; 72 on June 14
- 16; 71 on June 17; 70 on June 18 - 29; 71 on June 30; 72 on July 1
- 13; 71 on July 14, and 70 on July 15 - 20.
Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8, 10, and 8 on June 6 - 9; 5 on
June 10 - 22; 8, 10, 12, and 8 on June 23 - 26; 5 on June 27 - 29; 8
on June 30 - July 2; 5 on July 3 - 4; 8 on July 5 - 6; 5 on July 7 -
19, and 8 on July 20.
Spaceweather.com reported on June 5 that Northern Hemisphere radars
were "pinging with activity" from a strong daytime meteor shower.
In Friday's bulletin, read about recent openings on 10 and 6 meters.
Sunspot numbers for May - June 5, 2019 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 68.7, 68.7, 69.7,
69.9, 69.8, 70, and 69.8, with a mean of 69.5. Estimated planetary A
indices were 8, 5, 4, 4, 5, 8, and 5, with a mean of 5.6. Middle
latitude A index was 8, 5, 3, 4, 4, 7, and 4, with a mean of 5.
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
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 7 -- HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest (CW)
* June 8 -- Asia-Pacific Sprint, SSB
* June 8 - 9 DRCG WW RTTY Contest
* June 8 - 9 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, phone)
* June 8 - 9 -- Portugal Day Contest (CW, phone)
* June 8 - 9 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)
* June 8 - 9 -- GACW WWSA CW DX Contest
* June 8 - 9 -- REF DDFM 6-Meter Contest (CW, phone)
* June 8 - 10 -- ARRL June VHF Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* June 9 -- All Cookie Crumble QRP Contest (CW, phone, digital)
* June 10 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)
* June 10 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Digital)
* June 12 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT, ARISS Veteran Keith D. Pugh, W5IU, SK
AMSAT and ARISS engineering veteran, Keith Pugh, W5IU, of Fort Worth,
Texas, died on May 24. An ARRL Life Member, he was 80.
Born and raised in Dodge City, Kansas, Pugh was licensed in 1953.
Amateur Radio strongly influenced his decision to pursue a career in
electrical engineering, and he earned a Bachelor of Science in
electrical engineering at Kansas State University in 1961. He moved
to Texas to work for Convair (later General Dynamics and Lockheed
Martin), and, after upgrading to an Amateur Extra-class license, he
became W5IU. Pugh retired from Lockheed Martin in 2004 after a career
in RADAR and Navigation Systems Engineering.
At Dayton Hamvention^(R), Pugh
volunteered in the AMSAT Booth for
many years and frequently headed up
the Dayton Hamvention Satellite
Demonstration Station.
In the early 1980s, he became interested in ham radio satellites,
making contacts on AO-08 and AO-10. He went on to become an AMSAT
Area Coordinator and, later served as AMSAT Vice President for
Operations.
Pugh jump-started his passion for Amateur Radio on human spaceflight
missions in 1991, when the Soviet space station Mir was in orbit.
Pugh joined the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) team in 2004, where he has provided support as an operations
leader, mentoring numerous schools and ARISS contact organizations
and attending ARISS International meetings.
ARISS ARRL Representative Rosalie White, K1STO, said Pugh made a
difference in his role as an ARISS Technical Mentor for many schools.
"ARISS contacts are always exciting and sometimes produce tense
moments," White said. "He touched hundreds of thousands of youth
along with all ages of people who had curiosity about ham radio,
space, and satellites."
Yasme Foundation Designates Supporting Grant, Excellence Award
Recipients
The Board of Directors of The Yasme Foundation has awarded $5,000
each to the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) and ARRL scholarship
programs for 2019, and $5,000 in general support to World Radiosport
Team Championship 2022 (WRTC 2022) in Italy and a second grant to
sponsor the so-called "Widow's Ball" during WRTC 2022.
The Yasme Foundation Board also announced recipients of the Yasme
Excellence Award. They are:
* Angel Vazquez, WP3R, for his work in disaster relief, and as an
outstanding ambassador for Amateur Radio.
* Nikola Percin, 9A5W, for his outstanding work in advancing
Amateur Radio in Croatia and the surrounding region. He is a
cofounder of 9A1A. Percin initiated efforts to recruit young
amateurs and established youth programs in coordination with
local universities.
The Yasme Excellence Award recognizes individuals and groups who,
through their own service, creativity, effort, and dedication, have
made significant contributions to Amateur Radio. These may be in
recognition of technical, operating, or organizational achievement,
as all three are necessary for the growth of Amateur Radio. The Yasme
Excellence Award is in the form of a cash grant and an individually
engraved crystal globe.
In Brief...
The next Kids Day is Saturday, June 15. That's the day to get
youngsters on the air to share in the joy and fun that Amateur Radio
has to offer. Kids Day gets under way at 1800 UTC and concludes at
2359 UTC. Sponsored by the Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, this
event has a simple exchange, suitable for younger operators: first
name, age, location, and favorite color. After that, the contact can
be as long or as short as each participant prefers. Look for activity
on these frequencies: 10 meters: 28.350 - 28.400 MHz; 12 meters:
24.960 - 24.980 MHz; 15 meters: 21.360 - 21.400 MHz; 17 meters:
18.140 - 18.145 MHz; 20 meters: 14.270 - 14.300 MHz; 40 meters: 7.270
- 7.290 MHz, and 80 meters: 3.740 - 3.940 MHz. Repeater contacts are
okay with permission of the repeater owner. As with any on-the-air
activity that includes unlicensed individuals, control operators must
observe third-party traffic restrictions when making DX contacts.
Additional details are on the ARRL website.
+++
LoTW is now accepting FT4 contacts. The latest TQSL update
(Config.xml version 11.8), released on May 22, includes FT4 as a
submode of MFSK. It also adds AISAT-1 and PO-101 in the satellite
category. As of June 5, more 1 billion contact records have been
entered into the system, resulting in 201,492,514 contact
confirmations. LoTW has 118,729 users worldwide.
+++
Adafruit Industries Founder Limor Fried, AC2SN, was one of two 2019
Women in Open Source Award winners. Sponsored by open-source solution
provider Red Hat, the awards honor women who make important
contributions to open-source projects and communities, or those
making innovative use of open-source methodology. Nominations for
this year's awards were accepted for two categories: "Academic" for
those currently enrolled in a college or university, and "Community"
for those working on or volunteering with projects related to open
source. A panel of judges determined finalists based on nomination
criteria, and the public voted to determine the award winners. Fried
was recognized in the community category. She is the founder and lead
engineer at Adafruit Industries, an open-source hardware company
designed to provide a place for people to learn about and purchase
open tools, equipment, and electronics online.
+++
Tom Roscoe, K8CX, has posted 361 photos in his Ham Gallery of various
Dayton Hamvention^(R) 2019 events. Hamvention 2019 hosted the ARRL
National Convention. This is Roscoe's 23rd year of documenting the
event, bringing the total to 6,053 Hamvention photos, including this
one of ARRL Washington Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ. Search the entire
photo database by entering a call sign. Roscoe also invites photos
via email, but at least one ham not already listed on his page must
be in the photo, and all hams shown must be identified by call sign.
He also accepts Dayton Hamvention photos from past years that meet
the same requirements, as well as any "interesting stories or fun
moments" from Dayton Hamvention 2019 or forum reviews for his blog.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
* 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
* August 2 - 3 -- Austin Summerfest, Austin, Texas
* August 3 - 4 -- Cedar Valley ARC Hamfest/Midwest STEM Techfest,
Central City, Iowa
* August 8 - 6 -- Society of Midwest Contesters Specialty
Convention, Normal, Illinois
* August 8 - 10 -- Rocky Mountain Division Convention, Ogden, Utah
* August 9 - 11 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention, Everett,
Washington
* August 17 - 18 -- Huntsville Hamfest, Alabama State Convention,
Huntsville, Alabama
* August 23 - 25 -- West Virginia State Convention, Weston, West
Virginia
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 
