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

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

May 5, 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

- Mobile App Available to Navigate 2022 Dayton Hamvention®
- Amateur Radio Club Helps Teach Survival Skills
- Ham Families Continue to Grow
- ARRL RF Safety Committee members to be honored by the Radio Society
of Great Britain
- ARRL Forum at Hamvention Will Include FCC Enforcement Bureau's Lark
Hadley, KA4A
- Amateur Radio in the News
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

MOBILE APP AVAILABLE TO NAVIGATE 2022 DAYTON HAMVENTION®

Dayton Hamvention <https://hamvention.org/>® is offering a free mobile
app for smartphones and tablets to help attendees navigate the
large-scale event, which runs May 20 - 22 at the Greene County
Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. The app, which was
introduced in 2019, is offered in a collaborative effort with ARRL The
National Association for Amateur Radio <http://www.arrl.org/>®.

The ARRL Events app is now available and already includes Hamvention's
full program, so attendees can browse and schedule forums, find
affiliated events, and preview the extensive list of exhibitors. During
the event, attendees can use other app features to follow the hourly
prize drawings populated by the Dayton Hamvention Prize Committee, and
browse building and site maps.

The app is available for Apple and Android smart devices, or access
the web browser version which is optimized for nearly any browser or
other type of mobile device. Visit your app store to download the app
(search "ARRL Events") or access the links <http://www.arrl.org/expo>
available on the ARRL EXPO web page. If you're reading this article on
a mobile device, click here <http://www.tripbuildermedia.com/apps/arrl>
to be redirected to the appropriate app store, or redirected to the web
browser version.

Read <http://www.arrl.org/news/mobile-app-available-to-navigate-2022-dayton-hamvention>

the complete story.

AMATEUR RADIO CLUB HELPS TEACH SURVIVAL SKILLS

Members of the All Things Amateur Radio Association (ATARA-W8ATR), a family-oriented radio club in the foothills of southern Ohio, were in
Lancaster on Saturday, April 30, to help support the Afterschool
Programs of Lancaster with their Family Survival Day at Alley Park.

Along with some radio related activities, ATARA provided instruction
for the National Association for Search and

Rescue's Hug-A-Tree program, explained what to do if you are lost
in the woods, as well as taught families how a trash bag can keep you
warm and dry. There were also primitive fire-starting demonstrations
where families could learn how to use magnesium bars, char cloth, and
jute.

The families visited a Parks on the Air® (POTA) station and listened as contacts were made across the country with stations in the Dominican
Republic and Puerto Rico. Oscillating Keyers were also set up for the
families to key their names in Morse code.

There were 80 participants and 30 volunteers. ATARA is an ARRL
Affiliated Club.

HAM FAMILIES CONTINUE TO GROW

Our news story, "One Family Celebrates Generations of Amateur Radio
Operators," in the April 29 ARRL Letter has generated great interest
among members of the ham community. This story includes four
generations of Stewart family amateur radio operators, spanning nearly
60 years.

ARRL member Bob Weed, W7SCY, of Bend, Oregon, shared that his family
also has four

generations of hams.

Weed was the first to be licensed in 1951, and 2 years later, his
father Chet Weed, WN7TLQ/W7TLQ (SK), earned his license. In 1954,
Grandfather Oscar Weed, WN7ZKJ/W7ZKJ (SK), also became a ham. Later, in
1965, Bob's younger brother Roger became licensed as KN7AEF/K7AEF,
later as KL7HOT, and currently holds the call sign KV4I.

The Weed's ham roots continued to grow when his stepson Ron Bertram,
KF7RB, earned his license. To complete the family tree, Bob's wife Nora
is now licensed as NW7CQ <>, and his daughter-in-law Dawn Bertram is
licensed as KJ7CHG.

ARRL RF SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BE HONORED BY THE RADIO SOCIETY

OF GREAT BRITAIN

Chairman of the ARRL RF Safety Committee (RFSC) Gregory D. Lapin, N9GL,
Ph.D, P.E., will receive an award at the 2022 Dayton Hamvention® from
the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). He will receive the
Founders' Trophy, recognizing his outstanding service to the society.
He will also be accepting awards for committee members Kai Siwiak,
KE4PT; Ric Tell, K5UJU, and Matt Butcher, KC3WD.

Along with members of the RSGB, the ARRL RFSC members formed an EMF
Oversight Group, which has been meeting since August 2020 to help
develop tools and procedures for complying with the new RF Exposure
regulations for amateur radio operators in Great Britain. The new rules
in the UK are similar to those already in effect in the United States.
The new rules will be phased in over a 2-year period and are currently
in effect for high band frequencies only.

RSGB members of the EMF Oversight Group are John Rogers, M0JAV (RSGB
Director); Peter Zollman, G4DSE, and Ian White, GM3SEK, who received
their awards at the society's annual general meeting on April 23, 2022,
during an online ceremony.

To learn more about the Radio Society of Great Britain visit rsgb.org <https://rsgb.org/>.

ARRL FORUM AT HAMVENTION WILL INCLUDE FCC ENFORCEMENT BUREAU'S LARK

HADLEY, KA4A

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Enforcement Bureau Regional
Director Lark Hadley, KA4A, will participate in an ARRL-sponsored forum
at Dayton Hamvention® on Saturday, May 21, 2022. The forum, "Good
Operators and the ARRL Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program" will be led by
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, who heads the VM Program - a joint
initiative between ARRL and the FCC to enhance compliance on radio
spectrum allocated to the Amateur Radio Service.

Hadley is responsible for the FCC Field Offices in Region Three, which responds to enforcement issues involving wireless and broadcast
interference in the western states of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada,
Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and including
Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific island territories.

Hollingsworth, who retired from FCC in 2008 as the Special Counsel for
the Spectrum Enforcement Division, works with ARRL's core of volunteer
VMs to recognize exemplary "good operator" behavior on the air, while
also deterring poor operating practices. The VM Program will also refer well-documented instances of repeated violations to FCC, such as
unlicensed use of amateur radio spectrum and deliberate interference,
and follow-up on FCC requests to the program.

A complete list of ARRL-sponsored forums at Dayton Hamvention is
published at www.arrl.org/expo <http://www.arrl.org/expo>.

ARRL Podcasts Schedule

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> podcast (Episode 28) features a
discussion of digital multimeters with practical usage examples and
shopping tips.

The latest edition (Episode 59) of the ARRL Eclectic Tech <https://blubrry.com/eclectictech/> podcast features a discussion with
ARRL Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, about the upcoming ARRL International Digital Contest.

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/>.

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 Event at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve <http://www.emporiagazette.com/free/article_c8a48b66-cbb9-11ec-87cd-3b199b2130ae.html>"

/ The Emporia Gazette (Kansas), May 4, 2022. Featuring Santa Fe Trail
Amateur Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club.

- "Ham operators help rescue Bangla woman from traffickers <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/ham-operators-help-rescue-bangla-woman-from-traffickers/articleshow/91297998.cms>"

/ The Times of India, May 4, 2022.

- "Ham radio operators salute wireless inventor Marconi <https://www.newsday.com/long-island/ham-radio-operators-communication-babylon-marconi-i2w0spcf>"

/ Newsday (New York), April 23, 2022 (the article is available only to subscribers). Featuring Radio Central Amateur Radio Club and Great
South Bay Amateur Radio Club, both ARRL Affiliated Clubs.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

- The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters Society (NZART) has
announced that negotiations with Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) have
been successful in obtaining a new 60 m (5 MHz) license with the same
terms and conditions as the previous license which expired on May 4,
2022. With the license, New Zealand amateurs may operate on the band
using the WRC-15 allocation. Maximum allowable power is 15 W effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and amateurs are secondary users in
the band. Existing 60 m sub-license holders do not need to reapply.
More information is available on the NZART website:
www.nzart.org.nz/info/60m <https://www.nzart.org.nz/info/60m>.

- A team of four SOTA activators completed a successful DXpedition to
the Arctic Island of Svalbard (IOTA EU-026) in the first five days of
May 2022. The activators were: Knut Lanidsa LA9DSA (operating as
JW9DSA), Lauris Paukste LB1RH (operating as JW/LB1RH), Mikhail Khelik
LB8CG (operating as JW/LB8CG), Manuel Kasper HB9DQM (operating as
JW/HB9DQM). The team was QRV on CW and SSB from 15m through 30m. The
summits activated were: Knapen JW/MS-095, 759m ASL, and Rejmyrefjellet JW/MS-140, 615m ASL. Congratulations to Mikhail LB8CG who achieved his
SOTA Mountain Goat award with the activation of Knapen JW/MS-095. For
more information about the SOTA - Summits on the Air awards program,
please visit www.sota.org.uk <http://www.sota.org.uk/>.

- Online ticketing has opened for the Northeast HamXposition <https://hamxposition.org/>, which will be held August 26 - 28 in
Marlborough, Massachusetts. The event is sanctioned as the combined
ARRL New England and Hudson Division Convention. General admission
tickets, flea market spaces, and Friday and Saturday banquet tickets
can be purchased here online <https://hamxposition.org/ticketing>.

IN BRIEF...

Two videos introducing the ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program are now available. The ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program, funded by a grant
from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), will make $500,000
available to clubs, enabling them to more easily provide and expand
club projects, including those that will have a transformative impact
on amateur radio, create public awareness and support for amateur
radio, and have an educational and training impact. The program will
provide up to $25,000 for worthy club projects. A recording <https://youtu.be/lx42qAFknOw> from an ARRL webinar introducing the
program, which aired on May 4, 2022, is available on ARRL's YouTube
channel. A second video, presented by Jason Johnston, KC5HWB, provides
a step-by-step overview of online ARRL Foundation Club Application
Process. Johnston's video <https://youtu.be/ehe6DQiqTGI >, published on
May 5, can be viewed on his YouTube channel, Ham Radio 2.0. More
information about the Club Grant Program is available at www.arrl.org/club-grant-program
<http://www.arrl.org/club-grant-program>.

An unusual Morse Code story from John Ruckert, WE4IAS, in Hollywood
California: "About 3 AM, I was awakened by someone sending S-O-S on
their car horn. I leaped out of bed, grabbed a bathrobe, and with an
extra-long metal-flashlight zoomed down a flight of stairs to our
apartment buildings' carport. There I found a non-tenet young lady
sitting just inside our rolling car-gate. I inquired, 'Are you the
person sending S-O-S on a car horn?' She smiled, and said, 'Yes. I
guessed if I just leaned on my car horn, to get someone to let me out
with an electronic gate-opener, no one would respond. But you did in
about 30-seconds!'"

A new YouTube video was released this week, "Two Teens, a Ham Radio,
and Operation Deep Freeze." Produced by Lance Geiger, known as The
History Guy, the video <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaTm_LUifUI>
chronicles two teenage hams back in the mid to late 1950's who helped
keep an expedition at the South Pole, during the international
Geophysical year in 1957, in touch with family and friends throughout
the entire winter. Jules Madey, K2KGJ, his brother John, K2KGH (now SK)
are the hams profiled and their use of phone patches and relays to pass
on messages from the crew at the pole. The video presents the back
story of how this all came about with frequent expeditions by the US
Navy to begin setting up a polar base.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:

Spaceweather.com reported on May 4 an M5 solar flare from sunspot

group AR3004, causing a brief shortwave radio blackout over the
Middle East and Africa.

Solar activity was lower this week, even though sunspots were visible
every day.

Average daily sunspot numbers dropped from 109.3 to 68.6, while average
daily solar flux went from 156 to 120.

Average daily geomagnetic indices were only slightly higher, with
average planetary A index changing from 9.1 to 10.7, and middle
latitude A index from 8 to 9.3.

Predicted solar flux looks low for the next month, even dipping below
100 in early June.

Predicted values are 135 and 138 on May 5 - 6, 145 on May 7 - 9, then
140, 130, 120, 115 and 120 on May 10 - 14, 125 on May 15 - 18, 127 on
May 19 - 20, then 130, 128, 125, and 122 on May 21 - 24, 118 on May 25
- 26, then 114 and 110 on May 27 - 28, 105 on May 29 -31, then 102 and
100 on June 1 - 2, 97 on June 3 -5, then 99, 102 and 108 on June 6 - 8.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on May 5 - 12, then 8, 10 and 8 on May
13 - 15, 5 on May 16 - 19, then 12 and 8 on May 20 - 21, 5 on May 22 -
23, 18 on May 24, 15 on May 25 - 27, then 8, 15 and 8 on May 28 - 30,
and 5 on May 31 through June 8.

These predictions are from forecasters Housseal and Dethlefsen of the
USAF 557th Weather Wing.

Sunspot numbers for April 28 through May 4, 2022, were 118, 90, 50, 36,
69, 53, and 64, with a mean of 68.6. 10.7 cm flux was 132.2, 123.5,
119.7, 109, 111.9, 113.8, and 130.1, with a mean of 120. Estimated
planetary A indices were 14, 15, 18, 9, 6, 7, and 6, with a mean of
10.7. Middle latitude A index was 11, 10, 16, 9, 6, 7, and 6, with a
mean of 9.3.

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

- May 6 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint (Digital)

- May 6 -- NCCC Sprint (CW)

- May 6 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test (CW)

- May 7 -- 10-10 International Spring (CW)

- May 7 -- RCC Cup (CW, Phone)

- May 7 -- All above 902 Microwave Spring Sprint All 6-char grid square
sites.

- May 7 -- ARI International DX Contest (Phone, CW, Digital)

- May 7 -- F9AA Cup, (Digital)

- May 7 -- Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

- May 7 -- Call Area QSO Party (CW, Phone, Digital)

- May 7 -- QSO Party (Phone, CW)

- May 7 -- Delaware QSO Party (CW, Phone, Digital)

- May 7 -- New England QSO Party (CW, Phone, Digital)

- May 8 -- WAB 7 MHz Phone (Phone)

- May 9 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday (CW, Phone)

- May 9 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship, SSB (Phone)

- May 11 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest FT8 4-char grid square

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- May 7 -- ARRL Indiana State Convention <http://www.ncihamfest.com/>
(North Central Indiana Hamfest), Peru, Indiana

- May 14 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention
<http://www.lincolnhamfest.org/>, Lincoln, Nebraska

- May 20 - 22 -- Dayton Hamvention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-7>®, Xenia, Ohio, and
featuring ARRL EXPO <http://www.arrl.org/expo>

- June 3 - 5 -- ARRL Northwestern Division Convention
<https://www.seapac.org/> (SEA-PAC), Seaside, Oregon

- June 4 -- ARRL Georgia State Convention
<http://www.atlantahamfest.com/> (Atlanta Hamfest), Marietta, Georgia

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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