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

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

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

June 30, 2022

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <news@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

- Field Day 2022: 500,000 Contacts Already Reported
- We're back! International Amateur Radio Exhibition Celebrates
Relaunch
- Southern California Exercise Tests Winlink Global Radio Email
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts Schedule
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

FIELD DAY 2022: 500,000 CONTACTS ALREADY REPORTED

2022 ARRL Field Day <http://www.arrl.org/field-day> wrapped up nearly a
week ago, and ARRL Headquarters has already received over 2,400 entries submitted via the online Field Day Entry web application <https://field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php>. Early analysis reveals that
most of the entrants participated as Class D -- home stations, and
Class E -- home stations using emergency power.

As of June 29, the breakdown of Field Day entries by Class showed 2,723
total entries, with 272 in Class A, 361 in Class B, 32 in Class C
(mobile), 1,524 in Class D, 484 in Class E, and 50 in Class F.

So far, a total of over 517,000 contacts were reported for the event
and those numbers are changing daily. In 2021, there were 1.5 million
contacts made during Field Day activities.

Many participants were keeping their hopes up for better propagation,
as early forecasts were looking promising. ARRL Contest Program Manager
Paul Bourque, N1SFE, said that propagation aside, there was substantial activity. "While band conditions might not have been the greatest,
there was a good amount of activity on the bands this past weekend.
Many participants seemed to agree that the recent rule changes, capping transmitter power output to 100 W, were a good idea," he said.

Dustin Lomax, KF7FK, reported in his Soapbox comments that it was
his first Field Day in which he used CW, adding that "CW was a fun
change of pace that really helped make the most of marginal band
conditions in WWA [Western Washington]."

There is still plenty of time to submit your 2022 Field Day entry.
Participants who submit their entries using ARRL's Online Submission
Form <http://field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php> can earn 50 bonus points
and will receive an email confirmation of their completed entry. Be
sure to check the Entries Received <http://field-day.arrl.org/fdentriesrcvd.php> web page to verify your
entry's status. If it indicates "Pending documents," the required dupe
sheet (or in lieu of that, a Cabrillo log file) or other supporting documentation of claimed bonus points is missing.

Participants can edit or add documentation to their online submissions
by using the link provided in the confirmation email. Field Day entries
must be submitted online or postmarked no later than 2059 UTC on July
26, 2022.

2022 Field Day was highly promoted thanks to the efforts of many ARRL
Division and Section volunteers, amateur radio clubs, and their
members. Many states and counties obtained special proclamations from
local governments designating the weekend (in some cases the whole
week) as Field Day and Amateur Radio Week, recognizing the many
contributions of amateur radio operators during emergencies and with
serving their communities.

ARRL treated participants with a live video stream from W1AW, its
Headquarters' station, throughout Field Day. Life Member Karl Schwab,
KO8S, of Warren, Michigan, was delighted with making contact with W1AW
during Field Day. "I heard W1AW calling CQ Field Day on 20 m SSB,"
wrote Schwab. "I responded and then heard, 'Kilo Oscar Eight Sierra,
you're 5 Foxtrot Connecticut.' I responded with my report, and got in
their log. ... After Field Day, and uploading my log, I went to the
ARRL website and there I found a 4-hour video was available on YouTube,
showing W1AW during their Field Day activities. While watching this
video, at hour 2, minute 55, I heard and saw my live contact with them!
[This] was a special moment for me. One I will never forget." A
recording of the W1AW live stream is on ARRL's YouTube channel <https://youtu.be/RN8mc3NVdwg>.

WE'RE BACK! INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO EXHIBITION CELEBRATES

RELAUNCH

2022 Ham Radio, the International Amateur Radio Exhibition, held last
weekend (June 24 - 26) in Friedrichshafen, Germany, drew enthusiastic
crowds and amateur radio enthusiasts from 52 countries.

Messe Friedrichshafen Managing Director Klaus Wellmann and Project
Manager Petra Rathgeber said the event attracted 10,200 participants.
While attendance was down (14,300 in 2019) because of COVID, visitors
and exhibitors were upbeat -- a sentiment reflected in the event's
slogan this year: "Seeing Friends Again."

"Together with our outstanding partner, the German Amateur Radio Club
(DARC), we have put on a top-notch trade fair with a wide-ranging
supporting program," said Wellmann and Rathgeber in a joint statement.

There were 129 commercial exhibitors and associations with 265 flea
market exhibitors from 27 countries. DARC Press Spokesperson Stephanie
Heine, DO7PR, and DARC Chair Christian Entsfellner, DL3MBG, emphasized
the event created a unique space for meeting others in person, and
fulfilled its role as a driver of the future of amateur radio.
"Together we laid the foundation for the regional emergency radio
groups at the fair, and we will launch a nationwide concept for
emergency communications in the near future," said Heine.

ARRL was among the participating International Amateur Radio Union <https://www.iaru.org/> (IARU) member-societies exhibiting at the
convention. Representing ARRL in Germany was President Rick Roderick,
K5UR and his wife Holly Roderick; CEO David Minster, NA2AA; Director of Operations Bob Naumann, W5OV, and Director of Public Relations and
Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R.

Naumann led a team of ARRL volunteers who supported DXCC card checking
at its stand -- a service that's very popular within the international
ham radio community.

"It was fantastic to visit with so many members and friends in
Germany," said Inderbitzen. He noted that ARRL has thousands of
International Members. "QST magazine is among the most recognized
amateur radio journal in the world -- and draws many hams to ARRL for membership," he said. "Other popular membership benefits include ARRL
Equipment Testing and QST Product Review; our entire suite of digital magazines, including QEX, NCJ, and On the Air; and member-pricing for
popular ARRL Awards." He also noted ARRL's role in protecting and
promoting amateur radio worldwide, and as Secretariat for the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

A short video tour from the convention is posted to ARRL's YouTube
channel <https://youtu.be/QbKAPf9o3HY>.

The next Ham Radio event will be held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from
June 23 to 25, 2023.

More information is available at Ham Radio <https://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/>.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EXERCISE TESTS WINLINK GLOBAL RADIO EMAIL

For 2 days in mid-June, over 100 amateur radio operators were joined by
the United States Geological Survey (USGS), local and county law
enforcement agencies, and the EmComm Training Organization (ETO) for participation in a functional earthquake exercise in southern
California, known as SoCal Shifting 2022.

The goal of the exercise, which took place June 18 - 19, was to test
the operational capability and readiness of the Winlink Global Radio
Email® system using amateur radio frequencies.

Oliver Dully, K6OLI, District Emergency Coordinator of the Amateur
Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) Los Angeles Northeast District, said
the exercise came together quickly over 5 days, with the help of the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Disaster Communications Service
(DCS), the San Diego ARES, and the Ventura County ARES.

Dully said, "Amateur operators routinely hold weekly tests but need to
be network-aware and used to the battle rhythm during emergencies to
move traffic in [a] more timely manner."

The exercise scenario included a cluster of earthquakes occurring on
June 18 at 10:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, and amateur radio operators
were asked to send a series of messages ranging from a Did You Feel It
(DYFI) report to a Field Station Report (FSR).

Dully said the exercise was a great success, stating: "Participants
were only given a short 3 days' notice, so the great success of the
SoCal Shifting 2022 functional exercise again demonstrates the value of regular, mission-focused training and collaboration."

Dully said the numbers from the final after-action report were
outstanding:

- The ARES Los Angeles Northeast District tactical call sign received
372 messages from 101 participating stations during this exercise.
Seventy-six of those stations sent all four messages, 16 sent three,
the remainder sent two or fewer. The Winlink check-out was most often overlooked.

- Over 95% of stations correctly located themselves in North and
Central America. Three stations missed a (-) sign in their longitudes
in some (but not all) of their form submissions. Two stations elected
not to send latitude and longitude.

- Over 95% entered the correct exercise name in the DYFI form. That was
of special importance, as it helps USGS aggregate and analyze exercise
data.

The exercise scenario and a brief after-action review are available <https://bit.ly/SoCal_Shifting_2022_Web>.

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>.

"Amateur radio operators: One of the first lines of defense when a
hurricane hits <https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2022/06/26/amateur-radio-operators-one-of-the-first-lines-of-defense-when-a-hurricane-hits/>"

/ WJXT-Channel 4, WCWJ-Channel 17 (Florida), June 26, 2022 -- Clay
County Amateur Radio Emergency Service is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Amateur radio operators test skills during annual 24-hour test <https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/amateur-radio-operators-test-skills-during-annual-24-hour-test/>"

/ ABC 5 KSTP (Minnesota), June 26, 2022 -- The Stillwater Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Amateur Radio Operators prepared to help during emergencies <https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/amateur-radio-operators-prepared-to-help-during-emergencies>"

/ ABC 27 (Florida), June 26, 2022 --The Tallahassee Amateur Radio
Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Local amateur radio club joins counterparts across North America for
annual field day <https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/local-amateur-radio-club-joins-counterparts-across-north-america-for-annual-field-day/>"

/ Trib Total Media (Pennsylvania), June 27, 2022 --The Skyview Radio
Society is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Local "hams" attend national field day for amateur radio <https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/27/local-hams-attend-national-field-day-amateur-radio/7716434001/>"

/ The Monroe News (Michigan), June 27, 2022 -- The Monroe County Radio Communications Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Amateur Radio Operators preparing to communicate in the worst of times <https://www.wfmj.com/story/46761933/amateur-radio-operators-preparing-to-communicate-in-the-worst-of-times-canfield-oh>"

/ 21WFJM (Ohio), June 25, 2022 -- The Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio
Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Hawaii amateur radio operators to participate in emergency
communications drill July 16, 2022 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWoAFQjOe0>" / KITV (Hawaii), June
28, 2022 -- The Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is an
ARRL Affiliated Club.

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

ARRL PODCASTS SCHEDULE

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> podcast (Episode 30) features a
discussion with ARRL Contest Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, about ARRL
Field Day and off-the-grid operating.

The latest edition of the ARRL Eclectic Tech <https://blubrry.com/eclectictech/> podcast (Episode 63) features a
discussion with solar researcher and ARRL Central Division Director
Carl Lutzelschwab, K9LA, about the 1859 super flare,known as the
Carrington Event. Could it happen again during the peak of the current
solar cycle?

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/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Hurricane Watch Net is keeping a close eye on a new system, the
Potential Tropical Cyclone Two. This system was expected to affect the
islands of Curaçao and Aruba as well as the northern coast early
Thursday morning June 30, 2022, with sustained winds of 50 MPH (80
km/h). This system is expected to become a Category 1 Hurricane late
Friday evening July 1, 2022, when it will be around 110 miles (177
kilometers) east of Bluefields, Nicaragua. Located over the
southwestern Caribbean Sea, advisories have been issued with the chance
of formation through Friday July 1, 2022, at 90%. Tropical Storm
Warnings have been issued by the governments of Nicaragua for the
Caribbean coast of Nicaragua from the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border
northward to Sandy Bay Sirpi, and Costa Rica for the Caribbean coast of
Costa Rica from Limon northward to the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border. As
of Thursday June 30, 2022, the Hurricane Watch New has not been
activated but as the situation changes activation notices will be sent
via the private email listing, as well as posted on their website at www.hwn.org <http://www.hwn.org/>. As a reminder, when activated, the
hurricane net will be on 14.325 MHz (USB) by day and 7.268 MHz (LSB) by
night. When propagation dictates, both frequencies will be used
simultaneously.

The Spanish Amateur Radio Union (URE) in Galicia, Spain has organized
an event to commemorate the 2022 jubilee of The Way of Saint James with
amateur radio. Diploma Xacobeo 2021 - 2022, "Galicia for the world",
will take place July 18 - 25, 2022, and is a 1,500 kilometer walk along coastlines and through 10 public routes of landscapes and legends with
Hostels on the Camino de Santiago in Galicia. There will be 10 special
event stations along the routes from July 18 - 25 and a "diploma" (QSL
card) will be issued for making all 10 contacts. On July 25, special
event station A02022XAC will be activated and a sepearete diploma will
be issued for contact with that station. For additional information
visit galiciaxacobeo2022@ure.es

IN BRIEF...

A pedestrian foxhunt hunt was held during the June 21, 2022, Athens
County Ohio Amateur Radio Association's <http://www.ac-ara.org/>
(ACARA) summer potluck picnic at the Southside Park shelter. Kirk
Groeneveld, KC8JRV, hid several weak transmitters throughout the
grounds in the park for hunters who showed up with their gear to zero
in on the locations. After a 15-minute search of the grounds Eric
McFadden, WD8RIF, was able to locate the first of the transmitters
hidden in a squirrel box/brochure tray in an adjacent field. The
weathered box had blended with an attached tree to form the perfect
hiding spot. The warm, humid day was a deterrent for continuing the
hunt for other transmitters, so the hunt was cancelled early. Earlier
Athens, Ohio area foxhunts had been designed for motor vehicle hunting, however, with the price of gas rising, it was decided a hunt (on foot)
would be more logical at this club event. Two dozen ACARA members
attended the picnic.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:

Solar activity took a dramatic plunge over the recent reporting week
(June 23 - 29), but geomagnetic activity stayed the same. ARRLField Day
weekend saw rising geomagnetic numbers, with the planetary A index at
8, 16, and 23, Friday through Sunday.

On Sunday, June 25, 2022, the geomagnetic activity was a problem,
although not severe, with many stations on Field Day reporting
increased absorption. The planetary K index peaked at 5 (a big number)
at the end of the day on Saturday (UTC time) and continued into the
early hours of Sunday, which was early Saturday evening on the West
Coast.

This happened because of a crack in the Earth's magnetosphere, detailed
here:

https://bit.ly/3ONZdQ9

Compared to the previous 7 days, average daily sunspot numbers declined
from 124.6 to 49.1, while average daily solar flux dropped from 140.5
to 105.3.

Planetary and middle latitude A index averages were both the same as
the previous week, all numbers around 11.

The prediction from the United States Air Force (USAF) 557th Weather
Wing is not very optimistic, with solar flux peaking at 140 on July 11
- 16.

The prediction shows 10.7-centimeter solar flux at 90 on June 30 and
July 1; 95 on July 2; 105 on July 3 - 7; 130 on July 8 - 9; 135 on July
10; 140 on July 11 - 16; 135, 130, 125, and 120 on July 17 - 20; 115,
110, 105, and 100 on July 21 - 24; 95 on July 25 - 26; 100 on July 27 -
29, and 105, 110, 115, and 120 on July 30 through August 2.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 10, and 8 on June 30 through July 2;
5 on July 3 - 7; 8, 8, 12, and 8 on July 8 - 11; 5 on July 12 - 13; 12
on July 14 - 16; 10 on July 17; 8 on July 18 - 21; 12, 15, 15, and 10
on July 22 - 25, and 5 on July 26 through August 4.

In Friday's bulletin, look for updated forecasts and observations
emailed by readers to k7ra@arrl.net.

Sunspot numbers for June 23 through 29 were 69, 60, 31, 33, 32, 71, and
48, with a mean of 49.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 121.4, 115.4,
108.1, 102, 98.2, 96.1, and 96.2, with a mean of 105.3. Estimated
planetary A indices were 10, 8, 16, 23, 12, 8, and 6, with a mean of
11.9. Middle latitude A index was 12, 8, 14, 15, 15, 11, and 7, with a
mean of 11.7.

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/> the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

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.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News
<http://www.arrl.org/news>.

JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- July 1 -- RAC Canada Day Contest (CW phone)

- July 2 -- Venezuelan Independence Day Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- July 2 - 3 -- NZART Memorial Contest (CW phone)

- July 2 - 3 -- DL-DX RTTY Contest (digital)

- July 2 - 3 -- Marconi Memorial HF Contest (CW)

- July 2 - 3 -- Original QRP Contest (CW)

- July 2 - 3 -- TA VHF/UHF Contest (CW, phone)

- July 2 - 3 -- PODXS 070 Club 40-Meter Firecracker Sprint (digital)

- July 4 -- OK1WC Memorial (MWC) (CW)

- July 4 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW)

- July 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

- July 6 -- A1 Club AWT (CW)

- July 6 -- 144 VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (FT8)

- July 7 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- July 7 -- 1700 NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- July 7 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

- July 9 - 10 -- IARU HF World Championship (CW, phone)

- July 9 - 10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW, phone)

Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
for more events and information.

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- July 2 | Firecracker Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/firecracker-hamfest-arrl-pennsylvania-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Pennsylvania State Convention, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania

- July 15 -17 | Glacier Waterton Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/glacier-waterton-hamfest-arrl-montana-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Montana State Convention, Essex, Montana

- July 22 - 23 | Ham Holiday 2022 <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ham-holiday-2022-arrl-oklahoma-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

- July 30 - 31 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-west-virginia-state-convention-and-ham-fest>,

Sutton, West Virginia

- August 6 - 7 | Cedar Valley ARC Techfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/cedar-valley-arc-techfest-arrl-iowa-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Iowa State Convention, Central City, Iowa

- August 13 | Tidewater Hamfest and Swap Meet <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tidewater-hamfest-and-swap-meet-arrl-virginia-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Virginia State Convention, Portsmouth, Virginia

- August 20 - 21 | Huntsville Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/huntsville-hamfest-arrl-southeastern-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

- August 26 - 28 | Northeast HamXposition <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northeast-hamxposition-arrl-new-england-and-hudson-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL New England and Hudson Division Conventions,
Marlborough, Massachusetts

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests> to find events in your area.

HAVE NEWS FOR ARRL?

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
<news@arrl.org>

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