The ARRL Letter for August 17, 2017

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

August 17, 2017

Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww...@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

- Solar Eclipse QSO Party Will Facilitate Real Science
- Amateur Radio Communication Resources to be Available during Eclipse
Day
- Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC) Presented in Mexico for
Second Year
- Plane Crash Drill Turns to Major Fire Response
- The Doctor Will See You Now!
- ARRL Repeater Directory is Sold Out
- ARRL Audio News Announces New Extra Edition Service
- Radio Eritrea and Radio Ethiopia Still Battling on 40 Meters
- Ham Hoping to Crowdfund Experimental Time at HAARP Facility
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> SOLAR ECLIPSE QSO PARTY WILL FACILITATE REAL SCIENCE

Amateur Radio will be in the service of science on Monday, August 21,
as a total solar eclipse causes the shadow of the Moon to traverse the
US from Oregon to South Carolina in a little more than 90 minutes,
obscuring the sun completely for a few minutes at any given location
along the way. The sudden absence of sunlight -- and especially of
solar ultra-violet and x-rays -- is expected to briefly change the
properties of the upper atmosphere.

<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/August2017/Silver.pdf>A

few hundred radio amateurs already have registered
<http://hamsci.org/seqp-prereg> as participants in the Solar Eclipse
QSO Party (SEQP
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/August2017/Silver.pdf>),

a special operating event organized by the Ham Radio Science Citizen
Investigation (HamSCI <http://www.hamsci.org/>), which will contribute
to the study of the eclipse's impact on the ionosphere. HamSCI's
Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, said those taking part in the SEQP do not
have to be in the path of totality to contribute to the research.

"It is very important for people outside of eclipse totality to
participate, because one of the questions we have is how large is the
effect on the ionosphere," Frissell told ARRL. "So, we actually need
people well outside of where totality is occurring to identify those
boundaries."

Frissell, an assistant research professor at the New Jersey
Institute of Technology (NJIT <https://www.njit.edu/>), said it's easy
to be a citizen-scientist. Just getting on the air during the SEQP is a
first step. Systems such as the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN
<http://www.reversebeacon.net/>), WSPRNet <http://wsprnet.org/>, and
PSKReporter <https://pskreporter.info/> will automatically hear digital
and CW transmissions and report back to their respective databases.

Despite more than 60 years of research, "open questions remain
regarding eclipse-induced ionospheric impacts," Frissell explained in a
paper, "HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse," that he'll deliver at
the ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference this year. He feels
that radio amateurs' advanced technical skills and inherent interest in
ionospheric science make them "ideal for contributing to -- and
participating -- in large-scale ionospheric sounding experiments."

Actually, three HamSci-coordinated Amateur Radio experiments have been
designed to study the 2017 solar eclipse. In addition to the SEQP are
the HF Wideband Recording Experiment and the Eclipse Frequency
Measurement Test (FMT).

The HamSCI Wideband Recording Experiment will aim to capture all
Amateur Radio HF spectrum from locations across North America during
the SEQP. The recordings, according to Frissell's paper, "will allow
for the study of eclipse-induced propagation changes use signals
generated by the SEQP, as well as examine changes in noise floor
measurements throughout the time of the eclipse." The experiment was
developed with input from the TAPR community.

The FMT experiment will provide information as to how much and how fast
the ionosphere changes in height along a particular path. According to
research cited in the paper authored by Frissell and others, rapid
changes in ionospheric electron density caused by the motion of an
eclipse shadow "cause Doppler shifts on HF ray paths propagating
through the eclipsed region."

"Joe Huba and Doug Drob at the Naval Research Laboratory have
calculated a prediction <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073549> of
what the ionosphere will look like using their physics-based SAMI3
model," Frissell pointed out.

ARRL Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX -- a contributor to "HamSCI
and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse" -- said the SEQP is simply a great
way to experience the magic of radio.

<http://hamsci.org/seqp-prereg> "If you're a longtime HFer, you will
hear the day-night cycle compressed and accelerated into a few hours,
plus maybe some subtle things you've never heard before," Silver said.
"If you are new to HF, you can clearly experience the bands changing,
opening, closing very quickly. You can literally hear the world turning
during this eclipse. All you have to do is turn on the radio and make
contacts. Listening or operating, it will be a thrill that you can only
get through ham radio."

It is not necessary to register for the SEQP in order to participate,
Silver pointed out, and many more stations than those who have signed
up are likely to be on the air on August 21. Multiple Amateur Radio
special events also will be on the air along the path of totality on
August 21.

==> AMATEUR RADIO COMMUNICATION RESOURCES TO BE AVAILABLE DURING
ECLIPSE DAY

ARRL, the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army Team Emergency
Radio Network (SATERN <http://www.satern.org/>) will partner on Monday,
August 21, to provide a nationwide communication link for local and
regional American Red Cross units should a communications failure occur
during the solar eclipse.

"Concern has been expressed by public safety, emergency management, and
others that the large number of people -- over 7.5 million nationwide
-- flowing into the relatively narrow path of totality may overload and
disrupt the normal communication infrastructure in some local areas,"
SATERN said in its August 17 newsletter.

If that happens, the Red Cross will use local Amateur Radio Emergency
Service® (ARES) units to provide local back-up communication. The Red
Cross is interested in regional and national HF communication
capability and the ability to pass traffic to its Digital Operations
Coordination Center (DOCC) at its national headquarters. At ARRL's
request, SATERN will activate its net on 14.265 MHz on an extended
monitoring status, from 1400 until 2200 UTC on August 21. The SATERN
Net also may be used as a clearing house for voice traffic if the Red
Cross requires long-range or nationwide communication capability.

Stations checking into the SATERN net will be asked to report any local
conditions that provide The Salvation Army, the Red Cross, or ARRL with
such "ground intelligence" as telecommunications infrastructure outages
associated with the eclipse, special preparations being made by
communities for handling large crowds, and any ARES, RACES, or other
Amateur Radio public service communications activated to assist during
the eclipse.

In addition, W1AW will activate to provide WinLink connectivity to the
Red Cross DOCC, monitor HF channels with federal partners, and provide
coordination assistance between national partners and the field
organization.

FEMA Region 10 will be monitoring and conducting a net, as necessary,
on the 5 MHz/60-meter band frequencies in support of the upcoming solar
eclipse on August 18-23. The following suppressed carrier reference
frequencies, also known as dial frequencies or window frequencies,
5330.5 kHz, 5346.5 kHz, 5357.0 kHz, 5371.5 kHz, and 5403.5 kHz, will be
used as part of the event.

FEMA Region 10 will be using call sign WGY910 from its regional office
in Bothell, Washington. FEMA Region 10 will also be using amateur call
sign KF0EMA from Redmond, Oregon. Other stations that may be monitoring
and/or participating as necessary in support of this event. The FEMA
point of contact is Dave Adsit <david...@fema.dhs.gov>, KG4BIR, FEMA
Spectrum Manager, (540) 272-4605.

Contingency plans were discussed during an August 15 conference call
that involved ARRL staff, American Red Cross headquarters staff and
regional disaster officers, the SATERN national liaison, and ARRL
Section Managers and Section Emergency Coordinators.

Most ARRL Sections have already been working with the Red Cross and
will be on standby. Several shared ICS 205 Communications Plans with
ARRL, SATERN, and Red Cross, indicating that they plan to use nets on
40, 60, and 80 meters to handle traffic, mostly between the field and
state emergency operations centers (EOCs).

==> AMATEUR RADIO ADMINISTRATION COURSE (ARAC) PRESENTED IN MEXICO FOR
SECOND YEAR

For the second year in a row, ARRL, IARU Region 2
<http://www.iaru-r2.org/>, and the Federación Mexicana de
Radioexperimentadores (FMRE <http://www.fmre.org.mx/>) have presented
the Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC) in Mexico City. The
course was held August 7-9 at Mexico City's World Trade Center. The
ARAC is aimed at the people in charge of administering the Amateur
Radio and Amateur Satellite Services within the participants'
respective countries. Participants were from the Instituto Federal de
Telecomunicaciones (IFT) from México; Ministerio de Tecnologías de la
Información y las Comunicaciones (MINTIC) from Colombia; Ministerio de
Ciencia, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones (MICIT) from Costa Rica, and
from the Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) of Honduras.

Among other topics, the course covered the legal framework for
Amateur Radio in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
Amateur Radio spectrum, reciprocal licensing, emergency communication,
and the IARU and its member societies.

Other topics of less institutional and regulatory import included
DXpeditions, contests, digital communication, and Earth-Moon-Earth
(moonbounce) communication. The ARAC concluded with a visit to an
Amateur Radio station, where course participants could gain a better
understanding of what they had learned in class. They also had the
opportunity to get on the air and make contacts.

ARRL and IARU collaborated in developing the ARAC curriculum. -- Thanks
to Joaquín Solana, XE1R, IARU Region 2 News Coordinator

==> PLANE CRASH DRILL TURNS TO MAJOR FIRE RESPONSE

Over the course of a single day, ARES® Los Angeles (ARES LAX) Northwest
District operators on July 8 pivoted from a plane crash mass-casualty
drill to a real major fire response. With the area suffering under
record 108° heat, the ARRL Los Angeles Section's ARES Northwest
District Emergency Coordinator Roozy Moabery, W1EH, had no idea that an
actual emergency would erupt just 6 hours after his ARES team finished
a full-scale mass-casualty drill that morning.

The mass-casualty drill scenario involved numerous hospitals and
agencies responding to a private plane crash at a busy freeway junction
in the Encino area. ARES LAX-Northwest members deployed to their
assigned hospitals by 7 AM for the drill, prepared to handle back-up
communication on hospital utilization and bed availability. Moabery
said the drill provided an excellent example of how ARES interfaces
with other disaster-focused Amateur Radio organizations.

The real emergency happened about 12 hours later -- an explosion and
fire at a City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 230 kV
receiving station in the San Fernando Valley's Northridge area. While
firefighters fought flames, electric power was cut for up to 11 hours
to some 147,000 homes and businesses, already suffering from the
searing heat.

Five hospitals ARES LAX-Northwest serves, including major trauma center
Northridge Hospital Medical Center, switched to emergency back-up
power. ARES LAX-Northwest quickly established a net, and Moabery
immediately deployed to the 409-bed Northridge Hospital, remaining
there until nearly 6 AM the next day. Assistant DEC Marty Woll, N6VI,
served as net control while Assistant DEC Dean Cuadra, WA6P, and
Emergency Coordinator David Goldenberg, W0DHG, kept in contact with
other hospitals to determine their operational status.

Although ARES only physically deployed to Northridge Hospital, other
ARES members were on standby throughout the incident. The reduced
electric power available at Northridge Hospital combined with the
extreme heat resulted in numerous patients being relocated to
unaffected hospitals.

Moabery reviewed lessons learned from the drill and the emergency
during his August ARES LAX-Northwest meeting. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/plane-crash-drill-turns-to-major-fire-response>.
-- Thanks to ARRL Los Angeles Section Manager Diana Feinberg, AI6DF

==> THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

"S-Units" is the topic of the the latest episode of the "ARRL The
Doctor is In <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>" podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering <http://www.dxengineering.com/>, "ARRL The
Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical.
Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever
you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to
doc...@arrl.org, and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arrl-the-doctor-is-in/id1096749595?mt=2>,

or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The
Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry
<https://www.blubrry.com/arrl_the_doctor_is_in/>, or at Stitcher
<https://www.stitcher.com/> (free registration required, or browse the
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or
Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download
our beginner's guide <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>.

==> ARRL REPEATER DIRECTORY IS SOLD OUT

The 2017-2018 edition (46th ed.) ARRL Repeater Directory
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Repeater-Directory/>®, introduced in
April, has sold out. Some ARRL publication dealers and online resellers
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-publication-dealers> may have remaining
copies of the current edition, which was the first edition to use data
supplied from "crowdsourcing" technology. Crowdsourcing is a means of
using data gathered from public resources. Data for the Repeater
Directory was supplied by ARRL partner RFinder
<http://www.rfinder.net/>, the creator of a web- and app-based
directory of Amateur Radio repeaters worldwide. RFinder's data is
provided by users, repeater owners, and volunteer frequency
coordinators.

"This is a great milestone for the Repeater Directory," said ARRL
Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. "We know users still value
having a printed, portable copy of the directory in-hand, and we've
given them a better and more complete snap shot of the repeaters that
are on the air." The 2017-2018 edition has 31,000+ listings -- 10,000
more than the previous edition.

Produced annually, The ARRL Repeater Directory includes listings for
Amateur Radio repeaters throughout the US and Canada, organized by
state/province, city, and operating mode. Analog and digital repeater
systems are included: FM, FUSION, D-STAR, DMR, NXDN, and P25 systems.

The next edition will be introduced in 2018 (no additional details at
this time). An annual subscription to RFinder <http://www.rfinder.net>
provides immediate access to its worldwide database of repeater
frequencies and related data.

==> ARRL AUDIO NEWS ANNOUNCES NEW EXTRA EDITION SERVICE

ARRL Audio News is proud to announce the debut of our Extra Edition
service. Extra Editions are longer, uninterrupted audio segments
devoted to particular topics. They will be posted on the ARRL Audio
News web page <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>. Just go to the
page and then scroll down to Audio News Extra Edition. You can listen
to the audio online, or download the Extra Edition to your computer or
other device.

Our first Extra Edition is an interview with radio amateurs in
Williamson County, Texas, who have constructed a microwave backbone
system to link several local hospitals and key ARES sites.

More Extra Edition segments will be posted as time allows, so check the
page occasionally for new items.

==> RADIO ERITREA AND RADIO ETHIOPIA STILL BATTLING ON 40 METERS

It was a now-familiar story in the July edition of the International
Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU R1 <http://www.iaru-r1.org/>)
Monitoring System (IARUMS <http://www.iarums-r1.org/>) newsletter
<http://www.iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2017/news1707.pdf>, which reports
that Radio Eritrea and Radio Ethiopia are still slugging it out within
the 40-meter amateur band. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the
Middle East, and northern Asia.

"The hostile brothers were daily active on 7,150 and 7,175 kHz,"
said IARUMS Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM. "Earlier complaints were not
regarded. No change." Radio Ethiopia has been deliberately interfering
with Radio Eritrea on both frequencies by transmitting white noise,
Hadel said.

Elsewhere on 40 meters, Radio Hargaysa in Somalia has been transmitting
on 7,120 kHz, and is audible daily in Australia and Japan. On 7,200
kHz, the "Firedrake Jammer" in the People's Republic of China has been
transmitting on top of a broadcaster in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The PRC considers Taiwan a province. The Firedrake (or Fire Dragon)
jammer, which has been interfering with Amateur Radio signals on 40 and
20 meters over the past decade or longer, also disrupts broadcasts from
the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and the BBC. The jammer's
designation derives from the name of a lengthy Chinese folk tune that
the jammer transmits.

So-called "cluster beacons" from Russia have become another issue
reported on the 80- and 40-meter CW/digital segments. These CW signals
are showing up on several frequencies above 3,590 kHz and in the
vicinity of 7,039 kHz and identify with three-letter, R-prefix call
signs. They're operated by the Russian Navy, according to IARUMS.

Over the Horizon (OTH) radar signals also continue to intrude on the
exclusive Amateur Radio 40-, 20-, 15-, and 10-meter allocations.

==> HAM HOPING TO CROWDFUND EXPERIMENTAL TIME AT HAARP FACILITY

Another Luxembourg Effect experiment could take place at Alaska's
High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP
<http://gi.alaska.edu/haarp>) facility during its September research
campaign. Jeff Dumps, KL4IU -- a self-described construction worker,
electronics technician, and radio enthusiast -- wants to purchase 12
minutes at the HAARP controls to carry out his investigation
<https://app.box.com/s/b20vhpczhxiivdh1fifarkhb3d77jp0c>, which he's
hoping to fund with donations
<https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/amateur-radio-science-experiment-at-haarp#/>.

Dumps told ARRL that if he doesn't meet his funding goal, he'll donate
whatever money has been contributed to the Arctic Amateur Radio Club
(KL7KC) and HAARP.

"My experiment will attempt to answer some questions about how audio
frequencies transfer between radio stations during the Luxembourg
Effect (Ionospheric Cross Modulation)," Dumps explained in describing
his proposed experiment.

The super-power ionosphere research facility is owned and operated by
the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. The HAARP
site includes a huge array of transmitting antennas, transmitters and
amplifiers, and computerized controls. In the past, it has been used
for experiments that involve ionospheric heating.

Dumps concedes that his is an amateur's approach to a science
experiment. "It may not be in a typical fashion one would see from a
physics student or a scientist," he said. "Even if my experiment
doesn't provide any insightful information, as happens quite often in
real scientific experiments, it will be a great opportunity to test a
hypothesis."

Dumps said he hopes his experiment will inspire and motivate others to
pursue their own scientific interests.

UAF Space Physics Group Assistant Research Professor Chris Fallen,
KL3WX, who conducted is own Luxembourg Effect experiment earlier this
year, said he wishes Dumps well in his efforts. Fallen transmitted some
music during his own Luxembourg Effect experiments last February. In
addition to tones, he transmitted a dance track, an arrangement of
Pachelbel's Canon, and a variation of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Dumps
composed some of the music, and he arranged and performed all of it.

"Generally, any scientist with funds can conduct experiments with
HAARP, provided the experiment conforms with technical limitations of
the facility and with federal regulations," Fallen told ARRL. "I think
it is exciting to see public citizen-scientist interest in performing
-- and funding -- HAARP experiments. There are many new science
opportunities when the collective creativity, knowledge, and resources
of radio enthusiasts are unleashed."

Fallen said UAF's Geophysical Institute is operating HAARP with a "user
fee model," in which fees paid for HAARP time by scientists --
typically with federal grant support -- fund the operations and
maintenance of the facility. Currently, that fee is $5,000 per hour, to
cover such expenses as generator fuel, compensation of year-round
support staff, and heating the facility throughout the winter. "Short
experiments consisting of a few hours or less are typically bundled
together in 'experiment campaigns' for cost efficiency," Fallen
explained.

If the crowdfunding campaign is successful, Fallen said he plans to
help Dumps in constructing an experiment they can perform.

==> IN BRIEF...

Youth DX Adventure Wraps Up: The Dave Kalter 2017 Youth DX Adventure
(YDXA <http://www.qsl.net/n6jrl/>) is over for another year, after
logging more than 3,100 contacts from Costa Rica "under difficult band
conditions." The young radio amateurs attending the summertime
adventure -- Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO; Austin Harris, WA8CCS, and Chris
Brault, KD8YVJ -- signed off on August 8. Chris Brault was the 2015
recipient of the Hiram Percy Maxim Award, the League's top youth honor.
Bryant Racoll was the winner of The Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure
essay contest. "We lost almost an entire day of operating due to
thunderstorms and lightning," said 2017 team
<http://www.qsl.net/n6jrl/2017_Team/2017_team.html> leader Jim Storms,
AB8YK. He said team members "worked hard and used their tourism day to
operate, since once day was lost." Storms said the final day of YDXA
2017 was the best for band conditions. The QSL card is currently being
designed, and requests should be routed to the individual operator's
home call sign. Byron Swainey, TI5/WA8NJR, in San Ramon, hosted the
group, which consisted of three young operators, three parents, and two
team leaders. Applications to take part in YDXA 2018 will be available
soon. -- Thanks to The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>

ARRL Announces Colvin Award Grant to Bouvet Island 3Y0Z DXpedition: The
ARRL has granted a Colvin Award
<http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants> to help support the upcoming
3Y0Z DXpedition to Bouvet Island <https://www.bouvetdx.org/>, the
second most-wanted DXCC entity. The DXpedition is scheduled to get
under way early next year. "This is a great team, putting forth a
complicated DXpedition to the most remote island on Earth and one of
the rarest of the rare DXCC entities," said ARRL Field Services Manager
Dave Patton, NN1N. The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment
established by Lloyd Colvin, W6KG (SK), who, with his wife Iris, W6QL
(SK), logged more than 1 million contacts during their world travels,
and assembled one of the largest QSL collections in the world. The
Colvin Award is conferred in the form of grants in support of Amateur
Radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX.
Applicants must be groups with a favorable track record in the field of
DX and with experience that is directly related to the project being
proposed. Proposed projects must have as a goal a significant
achievement in the field of DX.

First Bulgarian Amateur Radio CubeSat to Launch in 2018: The Bulgarian
Federation of Radio Amateurs (BFRA) is collaborating with the Space
Challenges program and EnduroSat to launch the first Bulgarian Amateur
Radio CubeSat -- EnduroSat One
<https://www.spaceedu.net/endurosat-one/>. The CubeSat will transmit a
CW beacon and 9.6 k AX.25 telemetry on Amateur Radio frequencies. The
1U CubeSat will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS)
for later deployment and will serve as an educational activity for the
Space Challenges Program and hundreds of students from various
universities in Bulgaria, teaching practical satellite communication
and promoting the Amateur Radio hobby to young people. EnduroSat One
will be manifested on a SpaceX CRS-14 cargo resupply mission to the ISS
in February 2018 for later deployment into orbit.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Several readers pointed out that
averages for the various indicators we track were not correct last
week. The average daily sunspot number was 12.1 instead of 5, average
daily solar flux was 73.2 instead of 71, the average daily planetary A
index was 11.3 instead of 5, and the mid-latitude A index was 6.9,
instead of 6.

The August 10-16 week showed average sunspot numbers at 15.3 and
average solar flux at 72. Predicted solar flux is 78 on August 17-24;
68 on August 25-28; 70 on August 29; 72 on August 30-September 8; 70 on
September 9; 68 on September 10-24; 70 on September 25, and 72 on
September 26-30.

Predicted planetary A index is 26, 20, 16, and 14 on August 17-20; 12
on August 21-22; 8 on August 23; 5 on August 24-29; 12, 24, 18, and 14
on August 30-September 2; 5 on September 3-7; 10 on September 8; 8 on
September 9-10; 5, 10, 20, 25, 15, 12, 10, 8, and 6 on September 11-19;
5 on September 20-25, and 12, 24, 18, 14, and 5 on September 26-30.

Sunspot numbers for August 10-16, 2017 were 11, 11, 11, 11, 12, 21, and
30, with a mean of 15.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 71, 69.8, 70.3,
68.2, 73, 74.2, and 77.3, with a mean of 72. Estimated planetary A
indices were 5, 7, 11, 7, 5, 4, and 6, with a mean of 6.4. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 7, 7, 12, 9, 5, 3, and 5, with a mean of
6.9.

Monthly propagation charts <http://arrl.org/propagation> are available
between four US regions and 12 locations around the globe. An archive
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> of past weekly
Solar Update bulletins is available.

Send <k7...@arrl.net> me your reports and observations.

==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- August 19 -- Feld Hell Sprint

- August 19-20 -- SARTG WW RTTY Contest

- 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 19-20 -- North American QSO Party
<http://www.ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf> (SSB)

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

- August 20 -- SARL HF Digital Contest

- August 20 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup (RTTY)
<http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup>

- August 21 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- August 21 -- Solar Eclipse QSO Party <http://hamsci.org/seqp> (CW,
phone, digital)

- August 23 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
for more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio
contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues> via your ARRL member
profile e-mail preferences.

==> UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- August 18-20 -- West Virginia State Convention
<http://qsl.net/wvsarc/>, Weston, West Virginia

- August 19-20 -- Alabama State Convention <http://www.hamfest.org/>,
Huntsville, Alabama

- August 20 -- Kansas State Convention <http://www.w0cy.org/>, Salina,
Kansas

- September 1-3 -- North Carolina State Convention
<http://www.shelbyhamfest.org/>, Shelby, North Carolina

- September 8-10 -- New England Division Convention
<http://boxboro.org/>, Boxboro, Massachusetts

- September 9 -- Virginia Section Convention <http://vbhamfest.com/>,
Virginia Beach, Virginia

- September 10 -- New Jersey State Convention <http://w2mmd.org/>,
Mullica Hill, New Jersey

- September 15-16 -- W9DXCC Convention <http://www.w9dxcc.com/>,
Schaumburg, Illinois

- September 15-17 -- Southwestern Division Convention
<http://www.hamconinc.org/>, Torrance, California

- September 15-17 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
<http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html>, St. Louis, Missouri

- September 22-23 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention <http://www.w4dxcc.com>,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

- September 23 -- Iowa State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/iowa-state-convention-1>, Sergeant Bluff,
Iowa

- September 23 -- Washington State Convention
<http://www.n7cfo.com/amradio/hf/hf.htm>, Spokane Valley, Washington

- September 29-30 - Wisconsin State Convention
<http://www.n7cfo.com/amradio/hf/hf.htm>, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

- September 30 -- North Dakota State Convention <http://www.rrra.org/>,
West Fargo, North Dakota

- October 6-8 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference
<http://packratvhf.com>, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

- October 7 -- South Carolina Section Convention
<http://www.ycars.org>, Rock Hill, South Carolina

- October 7-8 -- Great Lakes Division Convention <http://GLHamCon.org>,
Brooklyn, Michigan

- October 13-14 -- Florida State Convention <http://www.pcars.org>,
Melbourne, Florida

- October 14 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Society Conference
<http://pnwvhfs.org>, Moses Lake, Washington

- October 20-22 -- Pacific Division Convention
<http://www.pacificon.org>, San Ramon, California

- October 21 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
<http://www.wi-aresraces.org/>, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

- October 22 -- Connecticut State Convention
<http://nutmeghamfest.com>, Meriden, Connecticut

- October 28 -- Arizona State Convention <http://copahams.org>,
Maricopa, Arizona

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

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