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

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

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

June 22, 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

- Here It Comes! ARRL 2023 Field Day
- AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites
- FCC ULS Reopened, Except Electronic Batch Filing System
- Women of Influence in Engineering 2023 Ham Honoree
- HAM RADIO Exhibition Ready in Germany
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

HERE IT COMES! ARRL 2023 FIELD DAY

Get ready to tune in the world! ARRL 2023 Field Day weekend is just
about here. This year's event will begin at 1800 UTC on Saturday, June
24, and run until 2059 UTC on Sunday, June 25.

ARRL's Field Day <https://www.arrl.org/field-day> web page has all of
the last-minute information you'll need to make Field Day fun and safe
and to help prepare you for 2 days of great contact opportunities. The
web page also includes a link to the ARRL Field Day Facebook Group <https://www.facebook.com/groups/arrlfd/>, where you can share
information and ask questions.

ARRL will be live streaming Field Day weekend on YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06B2N9bG0Ug> from W1AW, the Hiram
Percy Maxim Memorial Station <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw> at ARRL
Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Find the link to our live
stream at www.arrl.org/live. <https://www.arrl.org/live> We plan to
check in with Field Day sites from around the country and will also
feature social media posts tagged with #ARRLFD. If you use #ARRLFD, you
can receive 100 bonus points.

An important part of Field Day is making sure your friends, family, and neighbors know what Field Day is all about and why it's important. You
can do that by making phone calls or sending emails inviting everyone
to watch and listen. Once you get them out to the event, let them
experience the joy of making contacts via the Get On The Air (GOTA)
station.

When you get folks interested in amateur radio, remember the many
resources that ARRL offers to help them get licensed. Our getting
licensed <http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed?_gl=1*8nrh7m*_ga*MjIyNTEwOTE5LjE2NzE0MDgzNTM.*_ga_PZM4RWMR3R*MTY4NzM1NTYyMS4yNS4xLjE2ODczNTU2MjkuMC4wLjA.>

web page outlines the pathway from observer to ham. Our ARRL Ham Radio
License Manual <http://www.arrl.org/ham-radio-license-manual> will
provide everything they need to know to get licensed and get on the
air. The ARRL Learning Center <http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training> is a valuable
resource as well.

Local amateur radio clubs have also found unique ways to publicize
Field Day activities. The Jupiter Tequesta Repeater Group (JTEG) <https://jtrg.org/> was able to grab some airtime on iHeartRadio
station WJNO in West Palm Beach, Florida. Their 10-minute interview
about Field Day aired on June 15, 2023. You can listen to it here <https://www.iheart.com/podcast/486-local-news-wire-28247657/>.

Grab your gear and get ready to be part of ARRL Field Day 2023!

AMSAT FIELD DAY ON THE SATELLITES

2023 AMSAT Field Day is ready to go.It's held concurrently with ARRL
Field Day, and the hours are the same. The event begins at 1800 UTC on Saturday, June 24, and run until 2059 UTC on Sunday, June 25.

The rules are different for AMSAT Field Day. You can find all of the
rules and additional information in a downloadable format here <https://www.amsatnet.com/2023fd.pdf>.

For more information about ASMSAT, visit their website at AMSAT - The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation <https://www.amsat.org/>.

FCC ULS REOPENED, EXCEPT ELECTRONIC BATCH FILING SYSTEM

On Wednesday morning, June 21, 2023, the FCC reopened the Universal
Licensing System (ULS) and supporting systems, according to an email distributed to VEC organizations. However, as of 3:00 PM on Thursday
June 22, the Electronic Batch Filing (EBF) system, used by VEC
organizations for filing exam sessions, individual applications, and
club license applications, was still not available as promised.
Unfortunately, this means applications for new and upgraded licenses,
and individual and club license filings still cannot be uploaded in the
system for issuance. You can read the Full Story <https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-uls-reopened-except-electronic-batch-filing-system>

here.

For the latest information, watch the ARRL News feed <http://arrl.org/news-features>.

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE IN ENGINEERING 2023 HAM HONOREE

Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, Cofounder and CEO of the Open Research
Institute (ORI), has been selected as a 2023 honoree for the Women of
Influence in Engineering section published by the San Diego Business
Journal. The publication celebrates female trailblazers and highlights
the honorees careers and accomplishments.

Thompson has been an amateur radio operator for more than 25 years
and was drawn to the hobby by her father and grandfather, who were
amateur radio operators.

"We were a family of tinkerers, and my dad and granddad were always
fixing and building things, including amateur radios," said Thompson.
"Because of their influence, I was drawn to the vocation of helping
people navigate difficult rules and regulations that impeded their
learning and success."

In 2020, Thompson founded ORI, a nonprofit research and development organization that provides all of its work to the general public under
the principles of Open Source <https://opensource.org/> and Open Access
to Research <https://sparcopen.org/open-access/>. She is responsible
for amateur satellite service regulatory reform and is a member of the
FCC Technological Advisory Council.

Thompson is also chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) San Diego Section. She founded the IEEE Information
Theory Society, as well as the local Open Source Digital Radio Group.

Thompson serves the ARRL Field Organization Southwestern Division as a Technical Specialist for the San Diego Section, and she is an ARRL Life
Member.

HAM RADIO EXHIBITION READY IN GERMANY

HAM RADIO, one of the largest amateur events in the world, kicks off
its 46th international amateur radio exhibition in Friedrichshafen,
Germany on June 23 - 25, 2023.

HAM RADIO is a platform for radio enthusiasts to get together and
exchange information and experiences. The event features commercial
exhibitors, worldwide networked associations, and Europe's largest
radio flea market with more than 300 participants from 16 countries.
ARRL is an active partner at HAM RADIO and will be represented at the
2023 event.

This year's theme, We're all about STEM, is a reference to science,
technology, engineering, and math disciplines that are being integrated
into education to help students better prepare for a changing world.

"We're pleased to have added a Career Day to the well-established
concept of fascinating lectures, live radio contract events, and exams
for the first time this year," said Project Manager Petra Rathgeber.
"After all, the field of amateur radio is perfectly suited to teaching interested children and young people about natural sciences and
awakening an enthusiasm for technology in them."

You can read more about HAM RADIO 2023 <https://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/> at the event website.

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>.

"Alachua County Amateur Radio Emergency Services Field Day" <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/alachua-county-amateur-radio-emergency-services-field-day/ar-AA1cC3QT>

/ Alachua Chronicle (Florida), June 15, 2023 -- The Alachua County
Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, (ARES®).

"See ham radio in action at Amateur Radio Field Day event in Eastvale" <https://www.dailybulletin.com/2023/06/16/see-ham-radio-in-action-at-amateur-radio-field-day-event-in-eastvale/>

/ Daily Bulletin (California), June 16, 2023 -- The GOTAhams Amateur
Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Ham radio operators to participate in nationwide event" <https://www.kpcnews.com/thestar/article_cf145a10-22d5-545c-a489-1c0c4184fa48.html>

/ The Star (Indiana), June 17, 2023 -- The Northeastern Indiana Amateur
Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Amateur Radio clubs prepare for field day event" <https://fredericksburg.com/news/community/amateur-radio-clubs-prepare-for-field-day-event/article_d9438008-0ac9-11ee-8202-a38f85c2ca4f.html>

/ Fredericksburg Free Lance Star (Virginia), June 18, 2023 -- The King
George Amateur Radio Operators is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

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/>

For the June 2023 episode of the On the Air podcast, ARRL Radiosport & Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, and ARRL Contest
Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, join us to talk about a popular
Field Day fixture known as the GOTA (Get On the Air) Station. If you're
a newer ham, or new to Field Day operating, you can find a local Field
Day setup that's running one of these beginner-friendly stations. Tune
in to find out how, so you can make plans to operate from a Field Day
GOTA Station during Field Day weekend, June 24 and 25.

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 Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure is proud to announce that
the special event station, W3Y, will be in operation on July 29, 2023.
The K3LR <http://www.k3lr.com/> contest group is hosting this event at
their station and the trip is being sponsored by the Dayton Amateur
Radio Association <https://w8bi.org/about-dara/>. This is the first
time the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure special event station
will be hosted in the USA. K3LR is considered to be one of the largest
stations in the world, and this adventure is expected to be truly
special for the Dave Kalter kids and their parents. The Dave Kalter
Memorial Youth DX Adventure is an organization that sends young hams,
ages 12 to 17, and a parent on a summer DXpedition. The organization is
named in remembrance of Dave Kalter, KB8OCP (SK), who passed away in
2013. Listen for W3Y on July 29 for an opportunity to make QSOs. The
team is currently being formed, and more information will be available
soon. The organization is anticipating a team of 4 to 5 youth
operators.

Please contact Jim Storms, AB8YK, at ab8yk@hotmail.com with any
questions.

IN BRIEF...

The Hurricane Watch Net <https://www.hwn.org/> (HWN) continues to
monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Bret. Bobby Graves, KB5HAV,
Hurricane Watch Net, Manager / Webmaster reports that as of 1500 UTC,
Bret was located at 13.8N 57.7W, or about 130 miles (205 km)
east-northeast of Barbados and about 220 miles east of St. Lucia, with
maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Movement was to the west,
or 280 degrees, at 14 mph (22 km/h). The minimum central pressure was
999 mb or 29.50 inches. Bret is well within the 300-mile activation
range for a hurricane. The current forecast keeps Bret just below Cat 1 Hurricane strength. Bret, however, could produce wind gusts well above
75 mph. The HWN will remain in Monitoring/Standby Mode. Should Bret
intensify into Hurricane status, the HWN will announce plans of
activation via their email distribution and website homepage at
www.hwn.org <http://www.hwn.org/>.

For additional updates also watch the ARRL News feed <http://arrl.org/news-features>.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP025:

Sunspot numbers and solar flux rose this week. There were two new
sunspot groups on June 15, another on June 17, one more on June 18,
three more on June 19, two more on June 20, and another on June 21.

The average daily sunspot number increased from 122 to 143, and the
average daily solar flux rose from 154.8 to 165.4.

The average daily planetary A index jumped from 5.7 to 15.4, while the
middle latitude numbers increased from 6.7 to 13.1.

Predicted solar flux is 175, 180, and 180 on June 22 - 24; 185 on June
25 - 27; 180 on June 28; 175 on June 29 through July 1; 180 on July 2 -
3; 175 on July 4 - 5; 170 on July 6 - 10; 165, 160, and 160 on July 11
- 13; 165, 160, and 160 on July 14 - 16; 155, 160, and 160 on July 17 -
19, and 165 on July 20 - 24.

Predicted planetary A index is 12, 15, 10, and 8 on June 22 - 25; 5, 5,
and 12 on June 26 - 28; 5, 5, and 12 again on June 29 through July 1; 8
on July 2; 5 on July 3 - 7; 12 on July 8; 5 on July 9 - 11; 20 and 30
on July 12 - 13; 8 on July 14 - 15, and 12 on July 16 - 17.

These predictions are from forecasters Reilly and Kiser of the US Air
Force 557th Weather Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. See https://bit.ly/3qRNJnr for more details.

So, what does this forecast show for ARRL Field Day this weekend?

Geomagnetic numbers are a bit more unsettled than what was shown in
last week's bulletin, which had an A index of 5 for Friday through
Sunday. The latest shows 15, 10, and 8. Predicted solar flux looks
excellent at 180, 180, and 185.

Of course, Field Day does not begin until Saturday morning, but here is
data for the day prior.

Watch a video on the X1.1 solar flare at https://bit.ly/3CI0OCA.

There was another report from South Asia regarding solar flares as some
sort of existential threat.

Don't worry, there was nothing terrifying about what they reported, but
there is a nice description of what the NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) does to monitor it at https://bit.ly/444VhSk. Visit
SOHO's website at https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov
<https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/>.

Look for an updated forecast for ARRL Field Day in Friday's bulletin.

Sunspot numbers for June 15 - 21 were 112, 120, 110, 133, 181, 155, and
190, with a mean of 143. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 153.1, 157.2,
158.1, 164.1, 168.8, 180.1, and 176.4, with a mean of 165.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 24, 38, 8, 10, 10, 10, and 8, with a mean of
15.4. Middle latitude A index was 17, 24, 8, 12, 9, 13, and 9, with a
mean of 13.1.

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:

- June 28 - July 4 -- Maryland W1AW/3

- June 28 - July 4 -- Illinois W1AW/9

- July 5 - July 13 -- Hawaii W1AW/KH6

- July 12 - July 18 -- Wisconsin/W1AW/9

- July 12 - July 18 -- Utah/W1AW/7

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- June 22 -- RSGB 80m Club Champ, SSB (phone)

- June 24 -- UFT QRP Contest (CW)

- June 24 - 25 -- His Maj. King of Spain Contest, SSB (phone)

- June 24 - 25 -- ARRL Field Day (CW, phone, digital)

- June 26 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (FT4)

- June 28 -- 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

- June 23 - 25 | HAM RADIO <http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/>, Friedrichshafen, Germany

- July 8 | SVARC Summer Hamfest Minot <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/svarc-summer-hamfest-minot-arrl-north-dakota-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL North Dakota Section Convention, Minot, North Dakota

- July 15 | SEARC Tailgate Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/searc-tailgate-hamfest-arrl-south-dakota-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL South Dakota Section Convention, Sioux Falls, South
Dakota

- July 29 | CVARC 2023 Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/cvarc-2023-hamfest-arrl-pennsylvania-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Pennsylvania State Convention, Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania

- July 29 | ARRL West Virginia State Convention and Ham Fest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-west-virginia-state-convention-and-ham-fest-1>,

Sutton, West Virginia

- August 12 - 13 | 2023 ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/2023-arrl-rocky-mountain-division-convention>, Albuquerque, New Mexico

- 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

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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