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

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

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

August 17, 2023

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

- Amateur Radio Operators Serve in Hawaii Firestorm Relief Efforts
- STEM in Action: YOTA Campers Contact the International Space Station
- Amateur Radio Operator Contacts Spacecraft
- Ohio Surplus Store to Close
- International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS SERVE IN HAWAII FIRESTORM RELIEF EFFORTS

ARRL members, in the Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, (Hawaii
ARES <https://hawaiiares.net/>®), continue to respond following to the
deadly wildfires on the island of Maui.

The radio amateurs are coordinating with state and local officials
during the response and recovery effort. On August 15, an HF SHARES
gateway, and an amateur VHF VARA FM gateway were brought back online,
after having been damaged. Local hams continue to update lists of
frequencies and repeaters that can be used in the response.

ARRL Headquarters staff have been in daily contact with
member-volunteers on the island. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to
the people of Hawaii and especially the island of Maui," said ARRL
Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. "ARRL was in
initial contact with Section Manager [of the ARRL Pacific Section] Joe
Speroni, AH0A, on Wednesday, August 9, and we have had daily briefs
with him. This is an exceedingly challenging time for Hawaii, and we
will be available as needed." ARRL has offered equipment through ARRL
Ham Aid, a program established in 2005 and funded by donations, Ham Aid
makes emergency communications equipment available to amateur radio organizations during disasters.

Johnston emphasized that most amateur radio communications, including
relayed messages are being handled on the existing repeater system in
the state. On shortwave, HF stations across Hawaii are operating nets
on 7.088 MHz.

On August 8, wildfires fueled by strong winds began burning in Maui,
and by the next day, much of Lahaina had been destroyed. As of press
time, 110 people have been killed in the blaze and 2,200 structures
have been destroyed; 86% of those structures were residential,
according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green.

Read more in ARRL News <https://www.arrl.org/news/devastating-hawaii-wildfires-prompt-response-from-amateur-radio-emergency-service>.

STEM IN ACTION: YOTA CAMPERS CONTACT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

STATION

On July 18, 2023, a weeklong Youth on the Air (YOTA) summer camp at
Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, hosted an Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) radio contact.

The purpose of the camp is to connect young amateur radio operators
from North, Central, and South America through amateur radio and
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities.

The youth talked with astronaut Steve Bowen, KI5BKB, who answered 18
questions. ARISS volunteer Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, orchestrated their
activities.

"[The ARISS contact] went so wonderfully -- I'm still on a high! It
never, never, never gets old," said Willet. A reporter for the Radio
Amateurs of Canada magazine, The Canadian Amateur, came to watch and
report on the action.

Watch a video of the contact on YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/live/A5bXZUGifYY?feature=share&t=2567>

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating organizations include NASA, the ISS National Lab, ARRL, and AMSAT.

AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR CONTACTS SPACECRAFT

The headlines are sensational, although a bit exaggerated: "Ham Radio
'hacks' NASA Satellite". While the phrase is eye-catching for social
media, the truth is just as exciting. Amateur radio astronomer Scott
Tilley, VE7TIL, has made contact with NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft <https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/sun/after-seventeen-years-a-spacecraft-makes-its-first-visit-home>,

which passed Earth for the first time in 17 years.

The STEREO-A (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) spacecraft was
launched on October 25, 2006, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with its
twin sister ship, STEREO-B. Both spacecraft were on a mission to circle
behind the and send images back to Earth so scientists could make 3D
models of solar activity. In 2014, STEREO-B failed and was not heard
from again.

"I'm having fun with STEREO-A," Tilley reported to Spaceweather.com <https://spaceweather.com/>. "The spacecraft is close to Earth this
summer, and I can now receive its signal using a small 26-inch dish in
my backyard."

Scott Tilley's, VE7TIL, dish antenna for receiving NASA STEREO-A
spacecraft. [Photo courtesy of Scott Tilley]

Tilley began hearing rumors that other radio operators were picking
up signals from STEREO-A on 8443.580 MHz. He decided to check it out.
"The central carrier is very loud, almost 30 dB above the noise," he
said. "I also noticed data sidebands, which are unusual to see on such
a distant object for my small antenna."

Tilley was able to decode and demodulate STEREO-A's signal using a
special program written by Alan Antonie, F4LAU, known as SatDump <https://www.satdump.org/>, and now, he is monitoring almost all of
STEREO-A's science instruments, including its Extreme Ultraviolet
Imager (EUVI), two coronagraphs (COR1 and COR2), the heliospheric
imager (HI), and a solar radio burst receiver (S/WAVES).

STEREO-A's closest approach to Earth was scheduled to occur on August
17, 2023.

Amateur radio operators who would like to monitor STEREO-A can check
out Tilley's technical blog <https://skyriddles.wordpress.com/2023/07/03/stereo-a-comes-home/> for
more information.

[Thanks to Spaceweather.com and NASA for updated information in this
story]

OHIO SURPLUS STORE TO CLOSE

An iconic electronics surplus store will soon be closing its doors.

Phil Sellati, owner of Fair Radio Sales <https://fairradio.com/> in
Lima, Ohio, says it's time to close the business.

"I took over the business that my dad started in 1947, and after 50
years, it's time to close the doors," he said. Sellati has had an offer
on the building and feels that it's time to move on.

There are 30,000 square feet of equipment and parts that all need to
go. Sellati wants to be done with the business by October 2023, but he
thinks it might take a little longer. He has even received suggestions
to stay open for next year's Hamvention® in Xenia, Ohio.

Thousands of amateur radio operators, collectors, experimenters, and
shortwave listeners have visited the store over the years. The shelves
and aisles are full of old military radios and receivers. The store's fall-winter 1967 catalog <https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Allied-Catalogs/Fair-radio-Sales-67.pdf>

lists a BC-499 FM 20 - 28 megacycle five-channel, crystal-controlled
receiver with a dynamotor for $18.95; a GO-9 Navy 100 W CW transmitter
for $69.95; along with pages of meters, cords, headphones, and
microphones circa 1942.

Many Fair Radio Sales visitors started visiting when they were young,
and they continue to shop there now. For one radio amateur, it was a
must-stop location every year on their way to Dayton Hamvention.
Another amateur radio operator said he stopped there in 1980 to pick up
a Teletype Model 19 that still works today!

Sellati said he likes what he does and has enjoyed coming to work, but
he wonders what comes next. He said he's thinking about looking for
another building and starting over.

INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE-LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) <https://illw.net/>
is on Saturday, August 19, and Sunday, August 20, 2023.

In County Clare, Ireland, the Limerick Clare Radio Club, EI4LCR,
will celebrate the 26th annual event by operating non-stop for 48 hours
from the Loop Head West Clare lighthouse. The club will be using CW and
SSB to contact lighthouses and lightships throughout the world.

Limerick Clare Radio Club Secretary Joe Ryan, EI9HG, said "A special
QSL card has been designed to mark the event. The club will operate two stations, one of which will be at the entrance to the lighthouse, so
members of the public can listen to some of the transmissions."

During this weekend's activation, lighthouse visitors will be able to
listen to communications between some of the 500 lighthouses and
lightships in over 40 countries that will be activated by amateur radio operators. The ILLW website has a complete list of rules, guidelines,
and frequencies for the event.

ILLW began in 1998 as the Scottish Northern Lights Award run by the Ayr
Amateur Radio Group. The annual event takes place on the third full
weekend in August.

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>.

"Mississippi Amateur Radio Operators gather for annual Mississippi
Simulated Emergency Test <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mississippi-amateur-radio-operators-gather-for-annual-mississippi-stimulated-emergency-test/ar-AA1fcz20>"

/ WLOX (Mississippi) August 13, 2023 -- Amateur Radio Emergency
Service®.

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

ARRL PODCASTS

On the Air
Sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>

This month, we talk with Steve Simons, W1SMS, the Technical Coordinator
for the Connecticut Section, who shares his experiences as a TC, from coordinating with Emergency Operations Centers during an emergency, to presenting technical papers at ham club meetings, to working with the
Section's Technical Specialists to help local hams with troubleshooting
and other technical matters.

ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top
news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with
interviews and other features.

The On the Air podcast is available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher
(Android). The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on
blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio
News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The September 2023 issue of QST has an incorrect date for the Midwest
Superfest at the Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. In the "Convention and Hamfest Calendar" on page 86 the date is listed as
September 9, 2023. The actual dates are September 16 - 17, 2023. ARRL
regrets this error. This ARRL-sanctioned hamfest is sponsored by the Peoria-Area Amateur Radio Club, and more information can be found at https://www.w9uvi.org/midwest-superfest-2023/. Additional information
about hamfests and conventions can be found here <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar> on the ARRL
website.

A new special event will take place on Saturday, August 19, 2023,
involving amateur radio and former Atlas F missile silos. Beginning at
11:00 AM EDT, amateur radio operators from the Champlain Valley Amateur
Radio Club (CVARC), W2UXC, as well as a group of amateurs in Texas,
will attempt to activate two missile sites -- one in Oplin, Texas, and
the other in Champlain, New York. The goal is to establish an HF
contact with each site and with other amateurs throughout the day. The frequencies have not been selected yet, but additional information will
be posted on the CVARC Facebook page
<https://www.facebook.com/cvarcny/>. Robert Grabowski, KB5RG, and Lance
Tolar, KD5EFB, will be at the Texas site, which is one of 12 missile
silo sites remaining in the state. "The site has been converted into a
home, but the owner has agreed to let the amateurs use it for the
event," said Grabowski. "Eight of the 12 sites are lived in, and two
are still abandoned," he added. The site in New York, is listed as
Champlain Atlas Missile Silo Site 1, at 67 Missile Base Road. It took
only 4 days to plan this event, but both groups say they envision
organizing other special events and operations linked to historical
dates related to the Atlas F missile program.

IN BRIEF...

In a joint release, the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) <https://www.conatel.gouv.ht/node/553> and the Radio Club D'Haïti (RCH)
have announced their commitment to training new amateur radio operators
for in Haiti. On Monday, July 2, 2023, CONATEL and the RCH jointly
launched a 90 day raining session for CONATEL engineers and young
executives to learn Morse code and other basic techniques for using
amateur radio equipment. The launch of this activity follows the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) between CONATEL and the RCH, which
was signed on March 26, 2023. CONATEL Director General and RCH
President Jean-Robert Gaillard, HH2JR, initialed the MOA. The objective
of the training session is to professionally equip participants, and in
turn, grow the country's amateur radio community. About 20 CONATEL
employees are taking part in the session. Two representatives, Gaillard
and Pierrick Madsen, HH2MK, emphasized the importance of learning the
Morse code as they believe it's the basis of the language of amateur
radio.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP033:

Eleven new sunspot groups emerged over the past week, August 10 - 16,
2023, but average solar indicators declined.

There were two new sunspot groups on August 11, three more on

Solar disk image taken August 17, 2023, courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI.

August 13, another on August 14, two more on August 15, and three
more on August 16.

The average daily sunspot numbers declined from 108.9 to 95.7, while
the average daily solar flux dropped from 166.4 to 154.2.

Predicted solar flux is 160 on August 17 - 24; 162, 160, and 164 on
August 25 - 27; 168 on August 28 - 31; 165, 163, and 160 on September 1
- 3; 158, 155, 152, and 150 on September 4 - 7; 148, 142, 140, and 130
on September 8 - 11; 135 on September 12 - 14, and 145, 150, and 155 on September 15 - 17.

Predicted planetary A index is 15, 12, and 8 on August 17 - 19; 5 on
August 20 - 25; 12 on August 26; 5 on August 27 through September 5;
10, 8, and 8 on September 6 - 8; 5 on September 9 - 11, and 12, 15, 12,
and 8 on September 12 - 15.

Look for comments from readers concerning the transition from summer to
fall conditions in Friday's bulletin.

Sunspot numbers for August 10 through 16, 2023, were 83, 105, 61, 89,
85, 107, and 140, with a mean of 95.7. The 10.7-centimeter flux was
155.7, 152.8, 148.3, 150.4, 154, 158.1, and 160.1, with a mean of
154.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 5, 8, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4,
and 8, with a mean of 6. The middle latitude A index was 8, 6, 10, 7,
6, 7, and 10, with a mean of 7.7.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

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

Yearlong -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/> (VOTA).
See the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable Operations <https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including:

- August 16 - 22 -- Vermont W1AW/1

- August 16 - 22 -- Oklahoma W1AW/5

- August 23 - 29 -- North Dakota W1AW/0

- August 23 - 29 -- Idaho W1AW/7

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- August 17 - 18-- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- August 17 -- NTC QSO Party (CW)

- August 19 - 20 -- SARTG WW RTTY Contest (digital)

- August 19 - 20 -- ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- August 19 - 20 -- Russian District Award Contest (CW, phone)

- August 19 - 20 -- Keyman's Club of Japan Contest (CW)

- August 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)

- August 19 - 20 -- North American QSO Party, SSB (phone)

- August 19 - 20 -- CVA DX Contest (CW)

- August 20 -- FISTS Sunday Sprint (CW)

- August 20 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY (digital)

- August 20 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- August 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- August 19 - 20 | Huntsville Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/huntsville-hamfest-arrl-alabama-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

- August 25 - 27 | Northeast HamXposition <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northeast-hamxposition-arrl-new-england-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention, Marlborough,
Massachusetts

- September 1 - 3 | Shelby Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/shelby-hamfest-arrl-north-carolina-section-convention-2>,

hosting the ARRL North Carolina Section Convention, Shelby, North
Carolina

- September 10 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention and
Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-southern-new-jersey-section-convention-and-hamfest-1>,

Mullica Hill, New Jersey

- September 22 - 23 | HRO Superfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/hro-superfest-arrl-wisconsin-state-convention>, hosting the ARRL Wisconsin State Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

- September 23 | Red River Radio Amateur's 2023 Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/red-river-radio-amateur-s-2023-hamfest-arrl-dakota-division-convention>,

sponsoring the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
Dakota

- September 23 | Spokane HAMFEST <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/spokane-hamfest-arrl-washington-state-convention-1>,

sponsoring the ARRL Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington

- October 6 - 7 | Slidell EOC Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/slidell-eoc-hamfest-arrl-louisiana-state-convention-1>,

sponsoring the ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Slidell, Louisiana

- October 7 | Wichita Area and Kansas State Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wichita-area-and-kansas-state-hamfest-arrl-kansas-state-convention>,

sponsoring the ARRL Kansas State Convention, Wichita, Kansas

- October 7 | 71st Rock Hill Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/71st-rock-hill-hamfest-arrl-south-carolina-section-convention>,

sponsoring the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South Carolina

- October 8 | Nutmeg Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nutmeg-hamfest-arrl-connecticut-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, North Haven, Connecticut

- October 13 - 14 | Melbourne Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/melbourne-hamfest-arrl-florida-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida

- October 14 | ARRL Minnesota State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-minnesota-state-convention>,
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

- October 20 - 22 | Pacificon <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacificon-arrl-pacific-division-convention-1>, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California

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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