• The ARRL Letter for October 21, 2021

    From ARRL Web site@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 22 01:52:35 2021
    XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.info

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

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

    October 21, 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

    - Enjoy Two Weekends of Fun During the ARRL November Sweepstakes
    - ARDC Grants to Fund Amateur Radio Project Expansions
    - ARRL Podcasts Schedule
    - Hams Support Chicago Marathon
    - ARRL Learning Network Webinars
    - Golden Globe Sailing Race Entrants Banned from Using Amateur Radio
    - Amateur Radio in the News
    - Announcements
    - In Brief...
    - The K7RA Solar Update
    - Just Ahead in Radiosport
    - Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

    ENJOY TWO WEEKENDS OF FUN DURING THE ARRL NOVEMBER SWEEPSTAKES

    The ARRL November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> (SS)
    weekends loom large on the amateur radio contest horizon. The CW
    weekend is November 6 - 8, while the phone weekend is November 20 - 22.
    Both events begin on Saturday at 2100 UTC and conclude on Monday at
    0259 UTC.

    The SS offers operating categories for every preference. The goal for
    many seasoned SS operators is to complete a "clean sweep" by contacting
    all 84 ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Sections <https://contests.arrl.org/contestmultipliers.php>. Canada's Prince
    Edward Island province joined the list last year. Most SS operators try
    to run up the contact and multiplier counts and stay in the chair for
    the full 24 (out of 30) allowable hours.

    The competition can be fierce, and the pileups can be huge. In 2020,
    ARRL received 1,445 logs for the CW event and 2,046 for the phone
    event.

    Some Sections are harder to contact than others. Northern Territories
    (NT) is always a challenge, but there's a slim chance that snagging NT
    could be easier this year.

    Gerry Hull, W1VE (also VE1RM), is hoping to operate as VY1AAA for both weekends, using "J" Allen's, VY1JA, Yukon Territory station remotely
    from the US. Now in his mid-70s, Allen essentially retired from ham
    radio a few years ago due to health issues, but he's bounced back this
    year with renewed enthusiasm and working to get a station and antennas
    ready for Hull to operate. At this point, he's sorting through a
    backyard scrap pile that includes tower sections he had up in the past.
    He wants to get 80 - 100 feet assembled and clamped to a sturdy utility
    pole. Hull says Allen is committed to the task.

    "VY1JA is now in re-construction," Allen says on his QRZ.com <https://www.qrz.com/lookup/vy1ja> profile. "There is only a small
    chance that it will be done and on the air for SS CW this year. If so,
    signals may be weaker than in the past, with only a 100 W Omni VII and
    wire antennas. Plans for building an amp failed, and antenna work has
    taken far longer than expected."

    Hull said if Allen does manage to erect the antenna support tower,
    VY1AAA will have inverted V antennas for 20 and 40 meters, which Hull
    considers "the money bands from Yukon on CW."

    "So, hoping for good weather and good health for J, and then we might
    have VY1AAA on for the masses for SS CW," he said. Hull said if the CW
    weekend is successful, he'll consider also operating in the phone
    event.

    Other difficult Sections to contact include Delaware, Puerto Rico, the
    US Virgin Islands, Pacific, and North Dakota. (Alaska, Hawaii and other
    US territories in the ARRL Pacific Section, Puerto Rico, and the US
    Virgin Islands count as W/VE stations, not as DX, for the SS.)

    Contesters, especially the less experienced, often want to know how to
    handle duplicate contacts (dupes). It's almost a given that this will
    happen in SS. While some operators still set up a "hot key" to send
    "WKD B4" on CW when encountering a dupe, current best practice is to
    work the apparent dupe, log it, and move on. While dupes don't earn any
    points, they also don't mean you'll incur a NIL (not-in-log) penalty if
    the apparent dupe did not log the initial contact for one reason or
    another.

    The SS exchange is patterned on traffic-handling terminology. For both
    the CW and phone events, stations exchange a sequential serial number
    (no leading zeros are required), an operating category (precedence),
    call sign, the last two digits of the year first licensed (check), and
    ARRL/RAC Section.

    Most areas of the US change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time
    at 2 AM local time on November 7, by moving clocks back 1 hour. UTC is
    not affected.

    Logs are due within 7 days after the event is over. Certificates will
    be awarded in the top operator CW and Phone scores in each category in
    each ARRL/RAC Section and Division, and plaques will be awarded to the
    Overall and Division winners. Icom America is the principal awards
    sponsor.

    An operating guide that relates some of the history and evolution of
    these North American contests is available under "Operating Guidelines"
    on the ARRL November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>
    page.

    ARDC GRANTS TO FUND AMATEUR RADIO PROJECT EXPANSIONS

    Two recent Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC
    <https://www.ampr.org/>) grants will benefit the Santa Barbara Amateur
    Radio Club (SBARC <http://www.sbarc.org/>), K6TZ, and Oregon HamWAN <https://www.oregonhamwan.org/>.

    A $35,550 grant will enable SBARC to construct an amateur radio station
    at the new Chrisman California Islands Center (CCIC <https://www.facebook.com/Chrisman-California-Islands-Center-109763950524522/>) in downtown Carpinteria, California, at the invitation of the Santa
    Cruz Island Foundation (SCIF <http://www.scifoundation.org/home.aspx>). According to Levi Maaia, K6LCM, who is the K6TZ club call sign trustee,
    the station is scheduled to open in 2022. SBARC promotes education and
    training programs for anyone interested in ham radio. It also
    encourages and sponsors experiments in electronics and promotes the
    highest standards of practice and ethics in the conduct of
    communications.

    The station will be prominently located near the CCIC main entrance. An interactive display will provide an overview of amateur radio
    communications and the role that amateur radio has played in the
    history of the islands.

    When the station is not staffed, visitors can interact with it using a
    custom touchscreen that controls an interactive presentation on amateur
    radio and wireless technologies and their importance to mariners,
    aviators, scientists, and explorers who visit the rugged islands off
    the California coast. Webcams connected to the station via SBARC's
    microwave data network will offer visitors a view of the island's
    terrain in real time.

    An ARRL-Affiliated <http://www.arrl.org/affiliated-club-resources>
    club, SBARC already maintains open repeaters, data systems, and a club
    station in Santa Barbara County under the K6TZ call sign.

    Oregon HamWAN has received an ARDC grant of $88,000 to expand its
    digital communications network. The project aims to enhance amateur
    radio digital and emergency communications capabilities between
    Portland and Salem, Oregon.

    The nonprofit plans to expand its digital communications network by
    deploying 12 network backbone distribution sites between the two
    cities. Eventually, the sites will connect to the Puget Sound Data
    Ring, which currently extends from Seattle to Vancouver, Washington.
    The network would allow emergency management personnel to communicate
    in the event of a disaster, such as a major earthquake, that disrupts telecommunications systems. In such cases, amateur radio operators will
    be able to quickly set up network nodes where they are needed to
    provide emergency communication via the Oregon HamWAN digital network.
    "This will be a game changer for emergency communications in the
    Portland area," said Herb Weiner, AA7HW, the Oregon HamWAN Project
    Leader.

    "Deciding to fund [the] Oregon HamWAN project was an easy decision,"
    said ARDC Grants Advisory Committee Chair John Hays, K7VE. "It is a well-organized and well-staffed project that uses multiple amateur
    radio technologies, such as the 44Net IP address space, 5 GHz radios,
    and proven software methodologies. It will provide a strong backbone
    network in Oregon and help preserve our microwave bands."

    ARDC is a California-based private foundation that supports innovative
    amateur radio projects. The foundation makes grants for projects and organizations that follow amateur radio's practice and tradition of
    technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital
    communication science.

    ARRL PODCASTS SCHEDULE

    The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 22) will feature
    a discussion with Chris Plumblee, W4WF, about contesting and what this
    activity has to offer new amateurs.

    The latest episode of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 45) will
    feature a discussion about the current status of amateur television
    with Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, as well as a brief description of an unusual
    "sound dampening screw."

    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/>.

    HAMS SUPPORT CHICAGO MARATHON

    A team of 135 radio amateurs from four states supported medical teams volunteering for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon <https://www.chicagomarathon.com/> on October 10. The Chicago Marathon
    is the third largest marathon in the world. This marked the 13th year
    that amateur radio volunteers have partnered with the marathon medical
    team to help coordinate responses, arrange for deployment of medical
    supplies, and provide situational awareness for the organizers.

    The largely flat marathon course has 20 aid stations on its 26.2-mile
    course, each with a medical tent. Hams are deployed at each medical
    tent to support communication for the medical teams.

    There are two main communication nets: a medical net and a logistics
    net, and nine repeaters support these nets. Most of the repeaters
    belong to local clubs, but five temporary repeaters are also deployed.

    In addition to passing urgent medical and health-and-welfare traffic,
    ham radio volunteers also provide situational awareness for race
    organizers, such as updating the number of individuals under care at
    each medical tent. Hams at each medical tent are also responsible for
    changing the event alert flag, which informs runners of course
    conditions so they can adjust their pace. This year, the flags were
    changed to red because of the humidity and an increased potential for
    serious heat-related injuries.

    Most communication is done via FM repeaters. If a runner develops a
    problem, spotters alert a rapid-response medical team, each with a ham volunteer to handle communication. In serious situations, hams can call
    into the Forward Command post to dispatch medical assistance. Ten ham volunteers in Forward Command serve as net controls, traffic handlers,
    logging specialists, and expediters.

    The event provides plenty of personal challenges. Many ham
    volunteers report to their duty stations very early in the morning to
    conduct roll calls at 6 AM, and many remain on course until the event
    ends at around 4 PM. The hams and the medical teams must adjust to the
    weather as well. Hams also serve the aid stations where race volunteers dispense water and Gatorade. In the event of an emergency, hams shadow
    the aid station captain to facilitate communication with Forward
    Command.

    Even in an era of ubiquitous cell phones, ham radio remains able to
    provide an independent resource that can back up all other
    communication.

    Read an expanded version
    <http://www.arrl.org/ares-el?issue=2021-10-20#toc01> in this week's
    edition of The ARES Letter. -- Thanks to Rob Orr, K9RST, via The ARES
    Letter

    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.

    More webinars are coming soon. Check the website for updated
    information.

    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.

    GOLDEN GLOBE SAILING RACE ENTRANTS BANNED FROM USING AMATEUR RADIO

    The use of amateur radio by participants in the 2022 - 23 Golden Globe
    Race (GGR) -- an around-the-world sailing competition -- has been
    banned. Race organizers put the restriction in place because of
    unlicensed use of amateur radio equipment in the 2018 - 19 event,
    Yachting Monthly reported <https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/boat-events/golden-globe-race/golden-globe-race-2022-the-long-way-81199>.
    In the 2018 - 19 race, Estonian skipper Uku Randmaa, ES1UKU, was
    penalized after seeking weather routing (the best route according to
    wind and weather conditions) via ham radio. While he escaped
    disqualification <https://goldengloberace.com/ggr-notice-of-race-determination-no-6-uku-randmaa-20th-february-2019/>,
    he did receive a 72-hour penalty. Randmaa received weather routing
    information from Bob McLeod, VP8LP, who advised Randmaa, "The more
    north you go, the quicker you get out of the wind hole.

    The race rules say, "Entrants are free to speak to media, family,
    friends, and sponsors by radio at any time during the event, but must
    not be given any form of weather routing." But in the next sentence,
    the rules allow competitors to "communicate freely (by radio or by
    hailing) with other competitors, or other mariners on vessels at sea, requesting or giving any verbal information/advice whatsoever, even if
    this is considered weather routing."

    The GGR rules that were spelled out in the Notice of Race <https://cdn.goldengloberace.com/app/uploads/2020/07/GGR_pre_NOR_EN_2022_20200726.pdf>
    require at least a 125 W marine MF/HF radio transceiver with a
    frequency range of at least 1.6 to 29.9 MHz, "fitted in a 100%
    watertight enclosure (able to be sealed in any storm) with permanently installed antenna and [ground] and an emergency antenna when the
    regular antenna depends upon the permanent Backstay."

    The rules make clear that, "Any proven breach of International radio telecommunication regulations, such as transmitting on illegal maritime frequencies, may result in a time penalty. Ham Radio transmissions are specifically banned."

    According to Yachting Monthly, the change has caused concern within the
    race community, "with some of the 2018 entrants highlighting
    difficulties in picking up Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
    (GMDSS) frequencies in the Southern Ocean due to the shrinking of the broadcasting network as more mariners rely on satellite communication."

    "This is a retro race with skippers restricted to using a sextant [a navigation instrument used to measure altitudes of celestial bodies],
    paper charts, and wind-up chronometers, just as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
    used in the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 50 years ago," Race
    Chairman Don McIntyre has explained.

    In the 2018 race, some GGR skippers who operated on ham radio
    frequencies using bogus call signs were asked to stop operating.

    GGR monitors all severe weather with winds over 40 knots and, if
    appropriate, provides both forecasting and routing information to
    assist entrants in sailing safely.

    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>.

    - Mary Hare pupils make contact with International Space Station in
    world first for deaf children with Newbury Amateur Radio Society <https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/mary-hare-pupils-reach-for-the-stars-in-contact-with-interna-9220499/>
    / Newbury Weekly News, UK, October 13, 2021

    - Dialed In: Owensboro Amateur Radio Club going strong <https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/dialed-in-owensboro-amateur-radio-club-going-strong/article_bd719bee-5e1d-5726-be6c-73c84fa9fb3d.html>
    / Messenger-Inquirer, Kentucky, October 11, 2021

    - Hundreds take part in Burlingame's Drill. Residents joined by police,
    fire and Ham radio operators <https://patch.com/california/burlingame-hillsborough/hundreds-take-part-burlingames-drill>
    / Patch, California, October 10, 2021

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

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    - ARRL's YouTube channel, ARRLHQ, has launched a series of amateur
    radio Technician-class license courses. This series of videos features
    Dave Casler, KE0OG, QST's "Ask Dave" columnist, who leads viewers
    through The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual <http://www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-License-Manual/?_zs=xdtxl&_zl=8ns22>.
    These videos supplement the manual and provide an overview of the
    sections students will study, along with a few videos on how things
    work. Share this excellent resource with those who are preparing to
    take the Technician exam, and visit the ARRLHQ YouTube channel <https://www.youtube.com/user/ARRLHQ> for more great amateur radio
    videos.

    - Radio Club Argentina celebrates its 100th anniversary on October 21.
    Special event station L21RCA has been active throughout the year.

    - The WRTC 2022 <https://www.wrtc2022.it/en/> organizing committee has announced final qualification standings for team leaders <https://www.wrtc2022.it/en/qualification-standings-9.asp?Alltl=1#score>
    and teammates <https://www.wrtc2022.it/en/qualification-standings-9.asp?Alltm=1#score>.
    The organizers note that WRTC 2022 has been postponed until July 2023.

    - The International DX Association (INDEXA <http://www.indexa.org/>)
    has a new mailing address. It is 2309 Lincoln Ave., Saint Albans, WV
    25177.

    - A free General-class licensing course via Zoom will begin on
    Thursday, October 28 and continue through Thursday, January 13 -- nine
    sessions in all, plus 3 weeks off for the holidays in November and
    December. Rol Anders, K3RA, will be the instructor. Sessions will start
    at 6:30 PM ET (2230 UTC on October 28; 2330 UTC thereafter) and run for
    3 hours. Classes are sponsored by the National Electronics Museum. To
    sign up, email <roland.anders@comcast.net> Anders.

    - Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, reports that the NO-104 satellite has been
    enabled for APRS-to-voice (A2V) mode. Information on how to use this
    and other features of this satellite is on the PSAT2 website <http://aprs.org/psat2.html>. "PSAT2 voltage telemetry has failed, so
    we will turn the PSAT2 user modes on as long as they work," Bruninga
    said.

    IN BRIEF...

    The November issue of QST <http://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0yMzY0MTUxJnA9MSZ1PTUyMDU0NDE5OSZsaT0yMzIwMDg3NQ/index.html>
    includes the article, "The Beverage Antenna, 100 Years Later," by Ward
    Silver, N0AX, and Frank Donovan, W3LPL. The famous receiving antenna,
    designed and patented in 1921 by Harold Beverage, 2BML, remains popular
    for the low bands as increasing sunspot activity in Solar Cycle 25
    leads to weaker signals on 160 and 80 meters. The article explains the
    Beverage antenna's noise-rejection abilities, as well as how to build a
    basic Beverage antenna system. The November issue also includes a
    special contesting insert, "Contest Season 2021 - 2022," which is full
    of resources and hints to help you have your best radiosport season
    yet.

    The Yasme Foundation <http://www.yasme.org/> Board of Directors has
    announced a grant to the Seychelles Amateur Radio Association (SARA).
    The funds will go toward establishing a facility for its recently
    formed (2018) amateur radio club. The Yasme Foundation also announced
    that Steve Babcock, VE6WZ, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the latest
    recipient of its Excellence Award. This honor is presented to
    individuals and groups who, through their own service, creativity,
    effort, and dedication, have made a significant contribution to amateur
    radio. The Yasme Foundation cited Babcock's contributions to the art of low-band antennas and remote operating. Babcock has made countless
    hours of instructional videos, which are available to the amateur
    community for free via his QRZ.com <https://www.qrz.com/lookup/ve6wz>
    profile. The Yasme Excellence Award is given in the form of a cash
    grant and an individually engraved crystal globe.

    The 2021 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium <http://www.amsat-uk.org/colloquium> will take place as a Zoom webinar <https://tinyurl.com/AMSATUK2021Colloquium> on October 24. It will run
    from 0945 until 1500 UTC. AMSAT-UK membership is not required, but
    participants are asked to register
    <https://tinyurl.com/AMSATUK2021Colloquium> before October 24. The 2021 colloquium will also be livestreamed
    <http://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK> via YouTube. Each presentation
    will be followed by a 5-minute Q&A session, and Zoom participants will
    be able to pose questions to the speakers. The AMSAT-UK Annual General
    Meeting will follow the colloquium and, after a short break, there will
    be an informal evening discussion session on "all things satellite."

    The new Youth category for the CQ World Wide DX Contest <https://www.cqww.com/rules.htm> (CQ WW, phone) will debut October 30 -
    31. The category covers contesters age 25 years old or younger and
    applies not only to the phone event but the CW weekend, November 27 -
    28. International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 (the Americas) is
    one of several organizations sponsoring plaques for the top young
    scorers. In Region 2, plaques will be awarded to the top Youth score in
    each CQ WW event in North America and South America -- four in all.
    Youth plaques are sponsored by other entities for participants from all continents in both events. Unlicensed listeners can log all the
    stations they hear and compare with other shortwave listener (SWL)
    logs. Certificates are available for everyone submitting a contest log.

    THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

    Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity declined last week,
    and October 17 saw no sunspots at all. Most days this week had the
    minimum non-zero sunspot number, which is 11, indicating a single
    sunspot group containing a single sunspot.

    The average daily sunspot number declined from 23.7 to 11.3, and
    average daily solar flux dropped by 7 points from 85.6 to 78.6.

    Geomagnetic indicators were quiet, with average planetary A index
    declining from 12.4 to 8.4, and average middle latitude A index from
    10.1 to 5.4.

    Despite the lower activity, I did notice some 10- and 12-meter openings
    here at my location in Seattle.

    Predicted solar flux appears lower too, with values at 76 on October 21
    - 22; 80 on October 23 - 25; 82 on October 26 - 28; 88 on October 29 -
    30; 85 on October 31 - November 11; 80 on November 12 - 20; 85, 90, 95,
    and 90 on November 21 - 24; 88 on November 25 - 26, and 85 through the
    end of November.

    Predicted planetary A index is 10 and 8 on October 21 - 22; 5 on
    October 23 - November 1; 8 on November 2; 5 on November 3 - 5; 12, 10,
    and 8 on November 6 - 8; 5 on November 9 - 13; 12 on November 14 - 15;
    8 on November 16 - 18; 5 on November 19 - 20; 10 on November 21, and 5
    on November 22 - 28.

    Sunspot numbers for October 14 - 20 were 24, 11, 11, 0, 11, 11, and 11,
    with a mean of 11.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 83.4, 84, 77.6, 77.4,
    75.9, 76, and 75.9, with a mean of 78.6. Estimated planetary A indices
    were 7, 6, 6, 10, 10, 14, and 6, with a mean of 8.4. Middle latitude A
    index was 6, 4, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 5, with a mean of 5.4.

    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.

    JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

    - October 23 - 24 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://arrl.org/eme-contest>
    (CW, phone, digital)

    - October 23 - 24 -- UK/EI DX Contest, SSB

    - October 23 - 24 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)

    - October 24 -- North American SSB Sprint

    - October 24 - 26 -- UHF Telephone Pioneers QSO Party (CW, phone,
    digital)

    - October 24 - 27 -- Classic Exchange, CW

    - October 27 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

    - October 27 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)

    - October 28 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, SSB

    UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

    Some conventions and hamfests may 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.

    - November 6 - 7 -- ARRL Georgia State Convention <http://www.stonemountainhamfest.com/> (Stone Mountain Hamfest),
    Lawrenceville, Georgia

    - November 13 -- ARRL Wisconsin State Convention
    <http://wi-aresraces.org/> (Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference) -- Online

    - November 13 - 14 -- ARRL Central Division Convention <http://acarts.com/hfmain.htm> (Fort Wayne Hamfest & Computer Expo),
    Fort Wayne, Indiana

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

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

    - Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> Eligible US-based
    members can elect to receive QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst> or On the
    Air <http://www.arrl.org/on-the-air-magazine> magazine in print when
    they join ARRL or when they renew their membership. All members can
    access digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air,
    QEX, and NCJ.

    - Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
    available every Friday.

    - The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly
    to the Blind-hams Groups.io <https://groups.io/g/blind-hams> email
    group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it
    concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of
    adaptive technology.

    Subscribe to...

    - NCJ -- National Contest Journal <http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints,
    statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.

    - QEX <http://www.arrl.org/qex> -- A Forum for Communications
    Experimenters <http://www.arrl.org/qex>. 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 <http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
    to the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications
    news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division
    and Section news alerts and much more!

    - Find ARRL on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org/>! Follow us
    on Twitter <https://twitter.com/arrl> and Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/arrlhq>!

    The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL
    members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
    Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.

    Copyright (c) 2021 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.

    <http://www.arrl.org/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)