XPost: rec.radio.amateur.misc, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

********************************************
The ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

May 6, 2021

Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww1me@arrl.org>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- Ham-Firefighter Rescues Drowning Man from River
- Returning Four-Ham ISS Crew Makes First Nighttime Splashdown Since
1968
- ARRL Podcasts Schedule
- "A Clear Signal of Resilience:" Europe's HAM RADIO Goes Virtual
Again This Year
- ARRL Learning Network Webinars
- IEEE Committee Webinar "RF Exposure in the Time of Conspiracies" Set
for May 12
- Announcements
- Wireless Institute of Australia Committee Seeks More HF Ham Radio
Spectrum
- IARU Region 1 Seeks Opinions on the Future of Amateur Radio
- Amateur Radio in the News
- Russian Robinson Club Announces Activation of Rare IOTA Islands in
the Aleutians
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

HAM-FIREFIGHTER RESCUES DROWNING MAN FROM RIVER

ARRL member and Edmonson County Emergency Coordinator Tim Skees, K9KSP,
a firefighter in Brownsville, Kentucky, was among those responding to
an April 23 fire dispatch call he heard on his ham station scanner
reporting a possible drowning in the Green River. Radio traffic
indicated that the potential victim was a 40-year-old male.

"After assessing the information provided by family members at the
scene, [I] went downriver approximately 300 yards, located the victim
in water, washed up on a shallow rock shoal in the river," Skees told
ARRL. "[I] waded out to the victim, dragged him to the riverbank, and,
as other responders showed up and came to where the victim was, he was
pulled up the bank of the river. He was suffering exposure/hypothermia
from being in the cold water for hours."

Skees said the man's family had at first called in the incident as a
confirmed drowning. The man was first taken to the vehicle of Edmonson
County Emergency Management Director Terry Massey and warmed up until
an ambulance could arrive. Massey told local media that the local
dispatcher paged the Brownsville Fire Department around 2 AM after a
caller had reported a possible drowning at the Brownsville boat ramp.

Massey said he and Skees arrived at the area and saw two unoccupied
vehicles. "In just a minute, we could hear some yelling down at the
river and could tell it was downstream a good ways," he told <https://www.edmonsonvoice.com/-news/man-rescued-from-green-river-at-lock-6-area-early-friday-morning>

The Edmonson Voice. Massey said he and Skees followed the commotion and
found the man in about a foot of water, lying on his side, and Skees
waded in to retrieve him. Massey said that according to others on the
scene, the man had fallen into the water while trying to retrieve some
fishing gear.

"I submit this as a testament to the need of hams to get involved with emergency services and foster good working relationships with
[emergency managers] and local agencies," Skees said.

RETURNING FOUR-HAM ISS CREW MAKES FIRST NIGHTTIME SPLASHDOWN SINCE

1968

The International Space Station SpaceX Crew-1 mission with astronauts
Michael Hopkins, KF5LJG; Victor Glover, KI5BKC; Shannon Walker, KD5DXB,
and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico
on May 2. It marked NASA's first nighttime splashdown since 1968, the
first ever from the ISS, and the first operational mission for SpaceX.
Launched last November to carry the crew to the ISS, the Crew Dragon
spacecraft Resilience returned the crew to Earth. Crew-1 is the first
of six crewed missions NASA and

SpaceX will fly as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program <https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/>, which worked with the US
aerospace industry to return rockets, spacecraft, and launches with
astronauts to the US.

"We welcome you back to planet Earth, and thanks for flying SpaceX,"
SpaceX mission control official Michael Heiman told the astronauts.
"For those of you enrolled in our frequent flier program, you have
earned 68 million miles on this voyage."

In advance of departure from the space station, Crew-1 astronaut and
Station Commander Walker handed over command of the station to
astronaut and Crew-2 member Akihiko Hoshide last week during a change
of command and farewell event.

The Crew Dragon undocked and departed the space station autonomously.
In addition to the crew, Resilience will also return important and time-sensitive research to Earth.

While still in space, some of the returning astronauts had hosted
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS
<http://www.ariss.org>) contacts with schools. ARRL is an ARISS
sponsor.

ARRL PODCASTS SCHEDULE

The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 16) focuses on
Parks On The Air (POTA), one of the most popular activities taking
place in amateur radio today. We chat with Audrey Hance, KN4TMU, a
relatively new ham who recently operated from Panther Creek State Park
in Tennessee.

The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 33) features a discussion
of station troubleshooting with W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q.

The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both
podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well
as on Blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> |
Eclectic Tech <https://blubrry.com/eclectictech/>.

"A CLEAR SIGNAL OF RESILIENCE:" EUROPE'S HAM RADIO GOES VIRTUAL

AGAIN THIS YEAR

The annual HAM RADIO <http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/> show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, will once again be held virtually. The June
event is sponsored by the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), in
cooperation with Friedrichshafen Fair (Messe Friedrichshafen).

"Under the current circumstances, HAM RADIO can no longer take place in
June, as planned," said Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. He
said to remedy the situation -- and send a clear signal of resilience
-- the virtual "Ham Radio World" will take place from June 25 until
June 27, the original show dates. Admission and participation will be
free.

The annual ham radio gathering, known popularly as simply
"Friedrichshafen," typically draws between 15,000 and 17,000 visitors
from all over Europe and around the world. ARRL has traditionally sent
a contingent to staff a booth at HAM RADIO each summer.

This is the second virtual presentation of HAM RADIO due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. "This year, Ham Radio World will offer a completely
new virtual world in 2D, and its unique live character will be
impressive," DARC said.

DARC Chair Christian Entsfellner, DL3MBG, said the live character of
the event's virtual environment will be recreated in great detail,
opening up new possibilities and offering plenty of space for community networking and virtual meetings, in addition to an online lecture
program and commercial offerings.

To allow participants a more personal experience, individual hams
represented as customizable avatars "will move around the virtual
exhibition grounds and video chat with each other," explained Messe Friedrichshafen Project Manager Petra Rathgeber. Messe Friedrichshafen
and DARC are working closely together "to ensure that a diverse line-up
of ham radio products, trends, and innovations will await our visitors
at the 3-day digital event," she said.

Ham Radio World will offer presentations and discussions on ham radio
topics, as well as a program presented on DARC's virtual stage. Further
details are forthcoming.

ARRL LEARNING NETWORK WEBINARS

Visit the ARRL Learning Network
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-learning-network> (a members-only benefit) to register, check on upcoming webinars, and to view previously recorded
sessions.

HF Noise Mitigation -- ARRL Northwestern Division Director Mike Ritz,
W7VO / Thursday, May 6, at 3:30 PM EDT (1930 UTC)

An educational seminar to help both new and experienced HF operators
who find themselves plagued with noise. We'll learn what "noise" is,
discuss the various noise sources, and talk about how to mitigate those
noises using a variety of techniques.

W1AW Antenna Farm -- W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q / Tuesday,
May 18, at 1 PM EDT (1700 UTC)

Experience a bird's-eye view and description of the antennas used by
W1AW for the station's scheduled transmissions and visiting operator
activity. All the antennas used at W1AW are single-band Yagis. Viewers
will also see the 5 GHz sector antennas that are part of W1AW's AREDN
system.

The above Learning Network presentations are sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/amateur/>. <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/amateur/>

Ask the Lab: How ARRL's Technical Information Service Can Help You --
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI / Tuesday, June 8, at 1 PM EDT
(1700 UTC)

Learn all about the ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS) and the
expert ARRL Laboratory staff who answer thousands of questions each
year from members. Get tips about projects, suggestions to address
various station installations, and help for some of your most pressing
ham radio questions. You'll discover how to search ARRL's extensive
Periodicals Archive, find helpful articles, read test reports, access
technical forums, and find answers to technical questions.

This Learning Network presentation is sponsored by PreppComm <https://preppcomm.com/>.

<http://preppcomm.com>

ARRL members may register for upcoming presentations and view
previously recorded Learning Network <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-learning-network> webinars. ARRL-affiliated
radio clubs may also use the recordings as presentations for club
meetings, mentoring new and current hams, and discussing amateur radio
topics.

The ARRL Learning Network schedule is subject to change.

IEEE COMMITTEE WEBINAR "RF EXPOSURE IN THE TIME OF CONSPIRACIES"

SET FOR MAY 12

The IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation (COMAR) has issued an
invitation to its webinar, "RF Exposure in the Time of Conspiracies."
The 1-hour event is set to get under way at 1800 UTC on Wednesday, May
12. COMAR is a group of experts on health and safety issues related to electromagnetic fields, from power line through microwave frequency
ranges. Its primary focus is on biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation.

<https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=9217549>"The
real idea behind the webinar is to highlight some of the news articles, comments, etc. that purport to declare the hazardous nature of exposure
to weak RF fields, such as those posed by new 5G wireless
communications base stations, explain how they are not scientifically
based and, possibly, some ideas on how to better communicate what we
really know about potential health effects," said COMAR chair Ric Tell,
K5UJU.

Presenters are professional engineer Matt Butcher, KC3WD, and Jerrold
Bushberg, a clinical professor of radiology and radiation oncology at
the University of California-Davis School of Medicine. He is an expert
on the biological effects, safety, and interactions of ionizing and
nonionizing radiation; a specialist in risk communication, he holds
multiple radiation detection technology patents. Both are COMAR
members. Butcher and Tell are also members of the ARRL RF Safety
Committee.

Tell said that Webex, the platform on which the webinar will be held,
imposes a limit of 1,000 simultaneous connections. Those interested may
check in <https://ieeesa.webex.com/ieeesa/j.php?MTID=mfb635179277b903d7e890c511c06fc91>

at 1730 UTC, a half-hour before the webinar is scheduled to start.

ARRL RF Safety Committee Chair Greg Lapin, N9GL, said the committee
devotes a lot of time examining the science to help keep people safe,
but, he added, "there remains considerable fear in our society about
that exposure. It would be to our benefit to understand what people are thinking."

ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said radio amateurs are often asked by neighbors about their stations -- either out of curiosity, or concern
that the antennas may pose a safety hazard. "This webinar will help
amateurs and the public understand why radio energy at exposure levels
found in standards and regulations is safe," Hare said.

Topics on the COMAR webinar agenda include "What is RF?" and "What are
the applicable exposure standards?" as well as discussing how to
address concerns on the part of the general public, and how to improve communication.

COMAR is a technical committee of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and
Biology Society. The webinar is free.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

- NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, is scheduled to make a ham
radio contact from the ISS on Friday, May 7, at 12:36 UTC, with
students at Green Bank Elementary School, in the shadow of Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia via Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org/>). Follow the live stream
via Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenBankObservatory/live/> or
Zoom <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87052256434?pwd=dUYxeFJVMFFvaHBWNnRMOG10TTZ5dz09> starting around 30 minutes before the scheduled contact.

- Bringing attention to National Police Week to Honor All Law
Enforcement's Fallen Heroes, K3FBI will be on the air from multiple US
call districts May 9 - 15.

- Icom America has named Senior Sales Manager of its Amateur Division <https://www.icomamerica.com/en/amateur/> Ray Novak, N9JA, to also lead
its Marine and Avionics Divisions. In its news release <https://www.icomamerica.com/en/media_events/news/NewsArticle.aspx?id=202104>,

Icom added, "Ray has an extensive background in the amateur radio
industry spanning 32+ years... Throughout his tenure at Icom America,
he has managed and worked across multiple divisions and maintains a
close working relationship with teams at Icom Japan." Novak is an ARRL
Life Member.

- The 2020 ARRL 160 Meter Contest results <https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/2020/160M-2020-FinalFullResults.pdf>

reflect more than a half-million contacts across nearly 1,700 logs,
despite the fact that conditions were "down."

- The ARRL November Sweepstakes Phone Results <https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/2020/SS-Phone-2020-FinalFullResults.pdf>

show that entries were up by from 1,600 in 2019 to more than 2,000 logs
last fall, and the contact count was up by some 81,000. Prince Edward
Island (PEI), a new multiplier in 2020, was rare. The single log
submitted by VY2NA had 260 contacts, although at least two PEI stations
showed up in other logs.

WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA COMMITTEE SEEKS MORE HF HAM RADIO

SPECTRUM

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA <https://www.wia.org.au/>)
Spectrum Strategy Committee has called for more amateur radio spectrum
in the 3 - 12 MHz range. The committee raised the issue in its response <https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2021/20210428-1/> to regulator
ACMA's Five Year Spectrum Outlook 2021.

"Global demand for HF amateur spectrum has grown, particularly since
the start of the COVID-19 pandemic," the panel said. "Congestion
(particularly on the 7 MHz band) from both legitimate and unauthorized
illegal transmissions is often severe during times of increased
ionospheric propagation." The committee pointed out that heightened
global tensions have increased the use of high-power HF radars, "which frequently disrupt HF amateur communications across large segments of
spectrum, particularly on the lower-frequency bands."

The committee said increasing HF spectrum access is vital to support
sufficient frequency agility, "so that communications can be maintained
when large amounts of spectrum are suffering interference from
international radar-based intruders."

The WIA -- Australia's IARU <http://www.iaru.org/> member-society --
intends to seek expansions to amateur bands in the 3 - 12 MHz segment
over the next 5 years, at least for Australian amateurs, in alignment
with international allocations, although the WIA acknowledges that this
is a lower priority than other items it has proposed.

The 3 - 12 MHz spectrum is already home to four amateur allocations:
80/75 meters, 60 meters, 40 meters, and 30 meters.

IARU REGION 1 SEEKS OPINIONS ON THE FUTURE OF AMATEUR RADIO

International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 (Europe, Africa,
Mideast, and Northern Asia) is encouraging radio amateurs everywhere to
express their opinions on the future of amateur radio.

<http://youtu.be/AsKTq3t1YAo>A survey <https://www.rsgb.org/survey> is
under way in advance of an IARU Region 1 Workshop on the subject later
this year. The workshop will urge Region 1 member-societies to
formulate their views on the future direction for amateur radio and the programs needed to ensure that amateur radio develops successfully.

"As a first step, work is already under way to develop an understanding
of the current state of amateur radio in each country," IARU said. "The
input of the amateur community is vital for the success of the
workshop."

Watch the short video <https://youtu.be/AsKTq3t1YAo>, "What do YOU
think about the future of Amateur Radio?" with Raisa Skrynnikova,
R1BIG.

AMATEUR RADIO IN THE NEWS

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news <http://www.arrl.org/media-hits>.

- 2016 quakes lead to disaster relief network of ham radio operators <http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14329156> / The Asahi Shinbun
(Japan), April 30, 2021

- An Important Line of Communication <http://www.searcyliving.net/pdf/sl_issue2_2021.pdf> / Searcy Living
(Searcy, Arkansas), Issue 2, Volume 21

- 8-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Ham Radio Operator in Montour County <https://www.dailyitem.com/news/8-year-old-becomes-youngest-ham-radio-operator-in-montour-county/article_0d8f5666-a361-11eb-9db4-b7622266d15d.html>

/ The Daily Item (Pennsylvania), April 25, 2021

- Hamming It Up
<https://www.okl.coop/sections/oklahoma-stories/hamming-it-up/> /
Oklahoma Living Magazine, April 2021

Share <newsmedia@arrl.org> any amateur radio media hits you spot with
us.

RUSSIAN ROBINSON CLUB ANNOUNCES ACTIVATION OF RARE IOTA ISLANDS IN

THE ALEUTIANS

The Russian Robinson Club (RRC <https://www.na-234.com/>) has resumed
its plans to activate rare Kiska Island (IOTA NA-070) and Adak Island
(IOTA NA-039) in Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain in July for Islands On
The Air (IOTA <https://iota-world.org>) enthusiasts. Plans to activate
these islands in 2020 were called off because of COVID-19 concerns.

The uninhabited Kiska Island (52.06° N, 177.57° E) lies in the North
Pacific's treacherous Bering Sea, which RRC calls one of the most
intense patches of ocean on Earth and where strong winds, freezing temperatures, and icy water are the norm. The island also features the prominent conical Kiska volcano. Kiska Island is a National Historic
Landmark and part of the Aleutian Islands World War II National
Monument and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR).
Permission to visit is required from both Alaska's Maritime National
Wildlife Refuge and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The KL7RRC team plans to have a minimum of two stations on the air on
40 - 6 meters, SSB, CW, and FT8. Operators will place special emphasis
on the difficult trans-polar path to Europe.

The 56-foot aluminum sailing vessel Seal will make the 1,000-mile
journey along the Aleutians to Kiska with a stop at Dutch Harbor to
pick up Tim, NL8F, and the gear sent in advance to his location. The
team will continue sailing west to Adak Island, where some team members
will activate Adak Island on June 30 - July 3. The SV Seal will pick up
the entire crew there, which will have flown in by July 3. Then, they
hope to arrive at Kiska and be on the air as KL7RCC on July 7 - 12,
before the return sail to Adak and flights home. Additional KL7RRC
activity may take place from Adak July 14 - 16.

Donations are welcome. QSLs for KL7RRC (Kiska Island NA-070) and KL7RRC
(Adak Island NA-039) are via N7RO. All donors will receive direct QSLs.

Updates will be posted on the Russian Robinson Club website. -- Thanks
to Hal Turley, W8HC, via The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com/>

A slot is open for a fifth operator. Contact team leader Yuri, N3QQ <kl7rrc@gmail.com>, if interested.

IN BRIEF...

Members of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC <http://www.pvrc.org/>)
will activate the historic NSS call sign on Saturday, May 8, during the
2021 Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test <http://www.arrl.org/news/annual-armed-forces-day-cross-band-test-set-for-may-7-8>.

For more than 60 years, military and amateur stations have taken part
in this exercise, during which military stations <http://www.dodmars.org/home/armed-forces-day-2021> transmit on
military frequencies and listen for radio amateurs on adjacent amateur
bands. It will take place May 7 - 8, 2021. NSS operation will be from
the location of the former US Navy High-Power Radio Station at
Greenbury Point in Annapolis, Maryland. NSS began operation in 1918 on
VLF, using a pair of Federal Telegraph Company 500 kW Poulson arc
transmitters and four 600-foot towers. NSS began operations on HF in
the 1920s, and operations there continued until 1976. NSS was
dismantled in 1999, but three of its 600-foot towers remain on
Greenbury Point. A commemorative NSS QSL card is available via K3LU
(SASE appreciated). -- Thanks to Frank Donovan, W3LPL

The semiannual Radio Club of America (RCA) QSO Party <https://rca.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=500767&item_id=1434353>

takes place on May 8. "Band conditions are still not their best, but we
still expect plenty of QSOs," RCA <https://radioclubofamerica.org/>
Executive Vice President Chip Cohen, W1YW, said. "Come join the fun and
contact other club hams and the club's station, W2RCA. All are
welcome." The QSO party is open to RCA members and non-members and is
SSB only. Activity begins at 1800 UTC and continues until Sunday, May
9, at 0300 UTC. Suggested frequencies are 14.280, 7.240, and 3.800 MHz.

Former Dayton Hamvention Venue Hara Arena is now a pile of rubble Hara
Arena originated as a ballroom in 1956. Dayton Hamvention began using
Hara Arena in 1964, when the main 5,500-seat arena was built. Six
buildings were added later. Over the years, Hara Arena was home to
sports teams, concerts, conventions, and social activities. It closed
in August 2016, due to ongoing financial issues and a 20-year-long
legal fight over the unresolved estate of founder Harold Wampler.
Eventually a new owner was found. In May 2019, Hara was severely
damaged by a tornado and considered not worth rebuilding. The
building's iconic logo as well as bricks from the structure were to be auctioned for charity. The site has since been cleared for
redevelopment, and only piles of rubble remain <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLsjo7IHZYg> of the original Hara
Arena facility.

Ham Census <http://hamcensus.org/> is inviting all radio amateurs to
take part in a unique <http://hamcensus.org/>survey. The project's
organizers are hoping to hear from hams in the US, Canada, and around
the world. Survey questions deal with operating preferences, gear, your
shack, views on regulations, clubs and associations, and the future of
amateur radio. Cemil "Jim" Alyanak, K3MRI, the co-administrator of Ham
Census and Ham Community <https://hamcommunity.com/>, says the aim of
the census is to give operators a louder voice to better inform club
leaders, associations, manufacturers, and regulators. "We all want the
amateur radio community to grow organically and collaboratively, and
for that, we need to know what operators are thinking," he said.
Divided into six parts, Ham Census runs year-round, delivering constant updates. Taking and using the survey is free, but only those completing
all six sections get access to the complete results.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Our sun seems to have fallen back
into a very quiet phase, far different from the way it looked in
November 2020. Sunspots disappeared after May 1, and solar flux
naturally declined as well.

Sunspots were visible only for the first 3 days of the April 29 - May 5 reporting week, so average daily sunspot number declined from 47.6 last
week to 11.9 in the current period. Average daily solar flux slipped by
7 points from 79.2 to 72.2. It's odd, but both the average daily
planetary and middle latitude A index remained the same for both weeks,
10.7 and 9.9, respectively.

Predicted solar flux for the next month appears listless: 72 on May 6 -
7; 74 on May 8 - 9; 76 on May 10 - 11; 75 on May 12 - 13; 77 on May 14;
79 on May 15 - 17; 77 on May 18 - 21; 75 on May 22 - 24; 74 on May 25 -
26; 72 on May 27; 70 on May 28 - 31, and 72 on June 1 - 4.

The planetary A index projection shows 5 on May 6 - 11; 8, 20, and 30
on May 12 - 14; 15, 15, and 12 on May 15 - 17; 5 on May 18 - 19; 15 and
10 on May 20 - 21; 5 on May 22 - 29; 12 on May 30 - 31; 10 on June 1,
and 5 on June 2 - 6.

Contester Frank Donovan, W3LPL, says about twice as many geomagnetic
storms occur during March and April, as compared to June and July. The
ratio of severe (Kp = 8 or 9) storms is much greater. But, he points
out, the end of "geomagnetic storm season" doesn't mean the end of
geomagnetic storms; two of the most severe (Kp = 8+) geomagnetic storms
during Solar Cycle 24 occurred on June 22 and 23, 2015.

Sunspot numbers for April 29 through May 5 were 37, 35, 11, 0, 0, 0,
and 0, with a mean of 11.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 76.9, 72.9,
71.6, 72, 71.6, 70.6, and 69.5, with a mean of 72.2. Estimated
planetary A indices were 5, 15, 10, 20, 14, 8, and 3, with a mean of
10.7. Middle latitude A index was 4, 15, 10, 16, 12, 8, and 4, with a
mean of 9.9.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit <http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals> the ARRL Technical
Information Service, read
<http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere> "What the Numbers
Mean...," and check out <http://k9la.us/> K9LA's Propagation Page.

A propagation bulletin archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio <https://www.voacap.com/hf/> website.

Share <k7ra@arrl.net> your reports and observations.

JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- May 7 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint

- May 7 -- NCCC Sprint (CW)

- May 7 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test (CW, maximum 20 WPM)

- May 8 - 9 -- Day of the YLs Contest (CW, phone)

- May 8 - 9 -- SARL VHF/UHF Digital Contest

- May 8 - 9 -- CQ-M International DX Contest (CW, phone)

- May 8 - 9 -- VOLTA WW RTTY Contest

- May 8 - 9 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

- May 8 - 9 -- Arkansas QSO Party (CW, phone)

- May 8 - 9 -- 50 MHz Spring Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- May 9 -- WAB 7 MHz Phone/CW

- May 10 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)

- May 10 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB)

- May 12 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest

UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

Many conventions and hamfests have been canceled or postponed due to
the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/search/page:1/keywords:Canceled/model:Event>
on the ARRL website.

- May 15 - 16 -- The International DX Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/online-idxc-2021-virtual-convention-an-arrl-sanctioned-specialty-convention>

(online)

- May 20 - 22 -- Dayton Hamvention <https://hamvention.org/> (online)

- June 5 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention
<https://www.seapac.org/> (SEA-PAC; online)

- August 13 - 15 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo (online) <https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/>

- August 21 - 22 -- ARRL Southeastern Division Convention <https://hamfest.org/> (Huntsville Hamfest), Huntsville, Alabama

Find conventions and hamfests in your area
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.

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