The ARRL Letter for October 22, 2015

[ARRL Web site]

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

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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October 22, 2015

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

- Parity Act House Cosponsors Now in Triple Digits!
- ARRL Executive Committee Presented with Draft Enforcement Improvement
Plan
- FCC Seeking User Comments on New Beta Website
- ARES/RACES Teams Expected to Join MARS in Coronal Mass Ejection
Disaster Exercise
- Hudson Amateur Radio Council Donates Nearly $9000 to ARRL
- Amateur Radio was Part of Typhoon Koppu Response in the Philippines
- IARU Region 3 Conference Opens with a Gong
- AO-85 Enthusiasm Prevails at AMSAT 2015 Space Symposium and Annual
Meeting
- Florida Radio Amateurs Support Bicycle Festival
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events

==> PARITY ACT HOUSE COSPONSORS NOW IN TRIPLE DIGITS!

The Amateur Radio Parity Act
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> of 2015 bill in the US
House (H.R. 1301) now has 106 cosponsors! ARRL President Kay Craigie,
N3KN, credited ARRL members "who understand the importance of the
legislation" with making it possible to reach that milestone.

"They have signed letters at hamfests and conventions all over the
country, at booths staffed by Directors, Vice Directors, Section
Managers, and other ARRL officials," President Craigie said. Backing up
those efforts have been recent personal visits to Capitol Hill by ARRL
Directors Dick Isely, W9GIG, and Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, as well as by
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD.

The 100th cosponsor of H.R. 1301 was Rep Larry Bucshon [R-IN], who
signed aboard on October 16. Six more cosponsors added their names on
October 20 and 21. They are Reps Steve Chabot, [R-OH], Mike Bost
[R-IL], and Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ]; Katherine Clark [D-MA]; Thomas
MacArthur [R-NJ], and Sheila Jackson Lee [D-TX].

The Amateur Radio Parity Act would direct the FCC to extend its Part 97
Amateur Radio Service rules relating to "reasonable accommodation" of
Amateur Service communications to include private land use
restrictions. There are two bills, one in the US House and one in the
US Senate. US Rep Adam Kinzinger <http://kinzinger.house.gov/> (R-IL)
introduced H.R. 1301 on March 4 with 12 original cosponsors from both
sides of the aisle. US Sen Roger Wicker
<http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/> (R-MS) introduced S. 1685 into
the US Senate on June 25, with Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) as the
original cosponsor.

"We are not done by any means," President Craigie added. "Let's push
the numbers up and keep our representatives and senators aware of how
much we care about this issue."

She noted that Scouting's Jamboree On The Air (JOTA
<http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota>) over the October 17-18
weekend introduced thousands of youngsters to Amateur Radio. "Let's
make sure their interest can blossom, even if their parents have chosen
to live in communities that don't allow antennas at this time,"
President Craigie urged. "These young people need what Amateur Radio
has to offer, and Amateur Radio certainly needs them. Please help them
be the future."

The ARRL recently introduced a "Clarity on Parity" video
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMY-5U1cJ6E>, and not only has it been
made available on Capitol Hill, it would make an informative Amateur
Radio club meeting program. A "Clarity on Amateur Radio Parity"
document
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Clarity%20on%20Parity.pdf>
stresses many of the same points.

The ARRL Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 page
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> provides more
information and explains how members can become involved.

==> ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESENTED WITH DRAFT ENFORCEMENT
IMPROVEMENT PLAN

At the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) meeting on October 3 in
Bloomington, Minnesota, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD,
presented a draft plan for the improvement of timely and visible
enforcement in the Amateur Radio Service. The ARRL Board had requested
the draft at its July meeting. While no details of the draft plan were
made public, Executive Committee members discussed actions envisioned
in both the short and long term and offered comments that will be taken
into account in the next revision of the draft plan. Regulatory matters
were just one topic area on the wide-ranging EC agenda.

Imlay also reported on several ongoing FCC proceedings, on which no
action has occurred since the Board last met in July. He said there has
been no indication from the FCC as to when to expect a Notice of
Proposed Rule Making in response to the ARRL's petition (RM-11708)
asking the Commission to replace the existing symbol rate limit on HF
data transmissions with a bandwidth limit.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, updated the EC on a report to the full
Board by Chief Technology Officer Brenan Price, N4QX, regarding
prospects for a 5 MHz allocation at next month's World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in Geneva. Four of the six
regional telecommunications organizations (RTOs) have offered
affirmative proposals to the agenda item, while one has proposed no
change. Several major countries are refraining from supporting the
affirmative proposals from their RTOs, however, and it's impossible to
predict what WRC-15 delegates will decide.

During its lunch break, President Kay Craigie, N3KN, presented the
ARRL President's Award to Patrick W. Tice, WA0TDA, who is retiring
after a quarter century as Handiham <http://www.handiham.org/> program
coordinator. All attendees, along with Minnesota Section Manager Skip
Jackson, KS0J, expressed their congratulations and appreciation to Pat
and his wife, Susie. After the meeting resumed, President Craigie and
Sumner briefed the EC on ongoing discussions to ensure that Handiham
Program services will continue after Tice retires.

In other business, Sumner reviewed the future outlook for the ARRL
Repeater Directory and related products. A new agreement is in place
with 54 of 60 repeater coordinating bodies that will result in an
improved Repeater Directory for 2016-17, Sumner said, but he told the
EC that the long-term viability of such printed directories is
doubtful. These face competition from web-based directories and
smartphone apps that accept crowd-sourced data and are growing in
popularity. Sumner told the EC that significant investment would be
needed, if the quality of the Repeater Directory and related products
is to meet future market expectations as well as ARRL organizational
objectives.

The EC took note of the Programs & Services Committee (PSC) endorsement
of a VHF and Above Revitalization Committee recommendation to end the
prohibition to contest use of 146.52 MHz, the traditional 2 meter FM
simplex "calling channel." Advance notification of the rule change has
been communicated to the full Board, and the change will take effect
<http://www.arrl.org/news/use-of-146-52-mhz-fm-simplex-frequency-cleared-for-
arrl-contests>
in 2016, starting with the January VHF Contest.

President Craigie, noting that the October 3 meeting would be her last
as a member of the Executive Committee, expressed her appreciation for
the diligence and cooperation of the committee members. President
Craigie has already indicated that she will not run again when her
second term ends in January.

==> FCC SEEKING USER COMMENTS ON NEW BETA WEBSITE

As part of an ongoing research and design project "to dramatically
improve the usability and functionality" of its website, the FCC has
debuted a new prototype website <https://prototype.fcc.gov/> and wants
to know what users think about it. The FCC's 2011 website re-design was
not well received, and the Commission has continued to maintain its
previous, much older website design in tandem with the newer one.

"You spoke, we listened," FCC Chief Information Officer David Bray said
in an October 9 blog post
<https://www.fcc.gov/blog/your-feedback-building-better-fccgov>. "[W]e
built a new beta (ie test) version of FCC.gov based on your input, and
we need your feedback again. Building upon the foundation of extensive
user research done earlier this year -- and coupled with additional
input we will receive during this beta period -- the new FCC.gov will
be more useful and accessible to FCC stakeholders." Bray stressed that
"old content and features" remain available on the current FCC website
<http://www.fcc.go> "while we perfect the new site. Bray explained that
the new beta website is Drupal <https://www.drupal.com/>-based and
responsive, and the display will optimize based upon the device being
used to view the site.

"The beta website is also connected to our document databases, EDOCS
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/edocsLink.do> and ECFS
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/>, via application programming interfaces
(APIs). The APIs allow real-time EDOCS and ECFS updates to display in
Headlines <https://prototype.fcc.gov/news-events/headlines> and Most
Active Proceedings
<https://prototype.fcc.gov/rulemaking/most-active-proceedings>," Bray
said. "FCC applications will also be updated and increasingly
cloud-based, similar to our new Consumer Help Desk
<https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us>."

Bray said all content on the current FCC website has been migrated
to the new Drupal-based site. The FCC IT staff is now integrating that
content into what Bray called "new information architecture," which, he
said, would offer additional and improved ways of accessing and
interacting with the website's content.

He said that based on additional feedback the FCC receives during the
beta website's "extended" testing period, "we intend to complete the
switch to the new site fully later this fall."

Users can submit their comments and suggested bug fixes by using a web
form <https://prototype.fcc.gov/eform/submit/feedback?destination=home>
or e-mail <WebFe...@fcc.gov>.

==> ARES/RACES TEAMS EXPECTED TO JOIN MARS IN CORONAL MASS EJECTION
DISASTER EXERCISE

Preparations are nearly in place for the previously announced Military
Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) coronal mass ejection (CME) disaster
communication exercise <http://www.usarmymars.org/home/announcements>,
which will take place Saturday through Tuesday, November 7-10. Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service (RACES) groups are expected to participate in the quarterly
contingency HF exercise in support of the US Department of Defense.

"We are looking forward to this exercise and the opportunity to partner
and train with the larger Amateur Radio community," Army MARS Program
Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, told ARRL. The exercise scenario will
simulate a CME event and focus on actions that radio operators should
take prior to and following such an event, which could impact HF
propagation. English said leaders from Army and Air Force MARS will
hold a final exercise coordination teleconference on October 28 "to
answer any final questions about the exercise and make sure everyone is
ready to train."

English said he's responded to some 90 inquiries
<mars.ex...@gmail.com> from ARES and RACES groups as well as from
individuals who would like to involve their ARES teams, and he expects
about 50 ARES/RACES-affiliated organizations to participate. He said a
few additional active duty military units also hope to take part in the
exercise.

English said the November exercise would simulate a radio blackout as
well as infrastructure damage. "During the exercise, we will simulate
the blackout with a 3 hour pause, and then we will bring stations back
on air and begin handling requests for information," he told ARRL.

Training objectives for this exercise will include understanding what a
CME is and how much forecast lead time can be expected; the effects
associated with a CME, and what precautions radio operators take to
protect their equipment, prior to a severe CME. Following the simulated
CME, operators will assess its effects and report that information.
This will involve "inter-operation with Amateur Radio operators and
groups to assist in assessment," English said.

ARES and RACES teams, as well as individual radio amateurs, wishing to
participate in this exercise may contact <mars.ex...@gmail.com>
MARS and provide contact information.

==> HUDSON AMATEUR RADIO COUNCIL DONATES NEARLY $9000 TO ARRL

At the recent meeting of the ARRL Executive Committee in Minneapolis,
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, representing the
Hudson Amateur Radio Council (HARC), donated $8922.93 to the ARRL
Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund <http://www.arrl.org/funds>.

"HARC was formed over 50 years ago to help support expenses incurred
by clubs sponsoring Division conventions," Lisenco said. "Over the past
30 years, conventions in the Hudson Division have become few and far
between, due to the costs associated with an event in the metropolitan
New York area, as well as finding clubs with the people to staff such
an event. The last convention was held in 2000."

Lisenco said Dave Popkin, W2CC, became the guardian of the HARC money
that remained after the last convention and was savvy enough to place
it in a certificate of deposit that yielded the substantial sum donated
to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund.

"The Division is indebted to Dave for his stewardship and grateful that
he was willing to see these monies go to an extremely worthy cause,"
Lisenco added.

Accepting the donation on behalf of the League were ARRL President Kay
Craigie, N3KN, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.

==> AMATEUR RADIO WAS PART OF TYPHOON KOPPU RESPONSE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Amateur Radio in the Philippines was part of the comprehensive response
to the Category 4 Typhoon Koppu -- known locally as Typhoon Lando --
which hit the islands over the past weekend with damaging winds and
heavy rain. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC <http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/>), the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) coordinated with the Philippine
Amateur Radio Association (PARA) to monitor conditions in affected
regions through their local Amateur Radio associations.

PARA stood by to monitor reports from Amateur Radio groups, and through
the PARA DU Net, went into emergency mode to monitor reports from the
eastern seaboard of the main island, Luzon, through its Ham Emergency
Radio Operator Network (HERO). Lando may have been the second most
powerful storm to strike the country this year.

The typhoon came ashore on northeastern Aurora province on October 19,
leaving at least a dozen dead, forcing tens of thousands from their
homes, flooding villages, and knocking out power and
telecommunications. The storm later weakened to a tropical storm.

The overall response also involved the fire service, Coast Guard,
police, army, the Red Cross, and other trained volunteers. -- Thanks to
Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications
Committee

==> IARU REGION 3 CONFERENCE OPENS WITH A GONG

The 16th International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 3 triennial
conference opened in Bali, Indonesia, on October 12 with some pomp and
circumstance that included remarks from government officials and an
opportunity for IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, to help sound
the gong to bring the meeting to order.

Conference President Sutiyoso, YB0ST, welcomed the attendees on behalf
of the hosting Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization (ORARI). IARU
Region 3 Chairman Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, greeted delegates on behalf
of the IARU Region 3 officers, while Ellam welcomed participants on
behalf of the IARU officers and the International Secretariat and
thanked ORARI for hosting the meeting. Ellam said the IARU team
attending the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) in
November would make its best effort for a possible Amateur Service
allocation near 5 MHz.

Representatives from 15 IARU member societies, including the ARRL,
attended. Three other societies were represented by proxy. In his
welcoming remarks, Indonesia's minister of communication and
information technology recognized the important role of Amateur Radio
in disaster communication in his country with many islands.
Participants were uniformly impressed with the excellent organization
of the conference by ORARI, as well as with ORARI's close government
ties.

The conferees got down to business promptly, designating two working
groups. Working Group 1 (WG1) addressed such policy issues as
education, training, development of Amateur Radio, and international
and regional conferences involving radio administrations with special
concentration on youth. ARRL International Affairs Vice President Jay
Bellows, K0QB, chaired WG1. Working Group 2 (WG2) dealt with such
operational and technical matters as emergency communication, digital
modes, a common APRS frequency, and Region 3 band plans. Titon Dutono,
YB3PET, chaired WG2, and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, served as its
secretary. In all, working group members discussed 37 papers and
submitted recommendations to the conference for adoption.

Among recommendations adopted was one to ask the IARU Administrative
Council to make available information on the use of the Amateur
Satellite Service for member societies, satellite groups, Amateur
Satellite operators, and concerned radio amateurs. This information
would include, but not be limited to, criteria for a satellite to be in
the Amateur Satellite Service and the procedure for IARU satellite
frequency coordination. The conference also adopted adjustments to the
Region 3 band plans. Region 3 directors will consider making the format
similar to that used in Regions 1 and 2. Societies were further asked
to publicize digital mode developments and educate amateurs not to
interfere with Amateur Radio digital transmissions. Attention also was
called to newer digital modes, such as MFSK16, DominoEX, and FSQ, as
possibly better performers than PSK31.

The IARU Administrative Council (AC) met just prior to the Region 3
conference, and AC members also took part in the conference. In
addition to Ellam, others on hand from outside Region 3 included IARU
Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD,
Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, and Vice President Faisal
Al-Ajmi, 9K2RR, and Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM, and
Vice President Jose Molina, YS1MS.

Following seven nominations, six individuals, including four
incumbents, were elected to the IARU Region 3 Board. They were Rhee
Joong Geun, HL1AQQ; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI; Peter Young, VK3MV; Gopal
Madhavan, VU2GMN; Wisnu Widjaja, YB0AZ, and Don Wallace, ZL2TLL.
Madhavan was re-elected as chairman. Katsumi "Ken" Yamamoto, JA1CJP,
was returned unopposed as Secretary. New terms will begin on November
15.

Before concluding on October 16, the Region 3 Conference accepted an
invitation from the Korean Amateur Radio League (KARL) to host the 17th
IARU Region 3 Conference in Seoul in late 2018. The ARDF World
Championships will take place that same year in Korea.

==> AO-85 ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS AT AMSAT 2015 SPACE SYMPOSIUM AND ANNUAL
MEETING

Excitement and enthusiasm over the recently launched Fox-1A CubeSat,
now known as AO-85, permeated the just-concluded AMSAT 2015 Space
Symposium and Annual Meeting. Nearly 120 attended the gathering October
16-18 in Dayton, Ohio. AMSAT Vice President for Engineering Jerry
Buxton, N0JY, told his forum that AO-85 is working well and that
telemetry reports from users have been extremely helpful. Buxton told
his forum audience that the Fox team is mulling what might be causing
what he called "a perceived loss of sensitivity" on the AO-85 70
centimeter receiver. "There's a lot of speculation," he allowed. He
also discussed the subsequent entries in the Fox CubeSat series. The
AO-85 transponder is unavailable for general use until October 23 for
further commissioning.

AMSAT-NA Board Member Bob McGwier, N4HY, of Virginia Tech, outlined
efforts to orbit the Phase 3E (P3E) project announced earlier this
year. Virginia Tech approached the US Government last July to fly P3E
in order to support scientific payloads as well as to serve as an
Amateur Radio satellite. As McGwier explained, the project faces some
daunting political and technical challenges. He is working with
AMSAT-DL to transfer the satellite -- which has been in storage in
Germany for years -- to his Virginia Tech team for integration into a
government project that would place the satellite into an elliptical
high-Earth orbit (HEO). Before the satellite becomes available for
Amateur Radio applications, though, it would be shifted into a new --
and lower -- elliptical HEO orbit. If all goes smoothly, the project
could reach fruition in 2018.

AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, announced the appointment of
Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK, of Austin, Texas, as the new editor of The AMSAT
Journal, beginning with the November/December 2015 issue. He succeeds
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM. Kornowski has served as an Assistant Editor
since 2014.

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, provided an update on Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS). While the financial situation is
not as bleak as it was in 2014, Bauer indicated that ARISS needs to
raise $90,000 annually to maintain its current level of operation, and
$214,000 to grow operations and meet its desired goals.

At the AMSAT Board of Directors meeting on October 15, prior to the
2015 AMSAT Space Symposium, the Board approved the appointment of
officers. Barry Baines, WD4ASW, will continue as the president of
AMSAT-NA. Other officer positions also remained unchanged, with Drew
Glasbrenner, KO4MA, as Vice President for Operations; Jerry Buxton,
N0JY, as Vice President for Engineering, and Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, as
Vice President for Human Spaceflight. Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, will serve
as secretary, while Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, will be treasurer.
Martha Saragovitz will continue as AMSAT-NA manager.

The positions of Executive Vice President, Vice President for User
Services, and Vice President for Marketing remain open.

==> FLORIDA RADIO AMATEURS SUPPORT BICYCLE FESTIVAL

Lake County, Florida, ARES and the Lake Amateur Radio Association (LARA
<http://k4fc.org/>) this month again supported radio communication for
the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival <http://mountdorabicyclefestival.com/>
-- something they've been doing for almost 25 years. During the October
9-11 event, ham radio volunteers provided communication from each rest
area as well as from mobile radio units patrolling the various bicycle
routes. The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival is sponsored each year by the
Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce and attracts cyclists from all over the
country.

"Despite a little early morning fog, good weather prevailed for the 3
day event," said Ted Luebbers, K1AYZ. "Temperatures were moderate with
some humidity. For many of the riders this has become an event they
look forward to enjoying each year." Luebbers explained that the
festival is not a competitive race but a series of 12 separate bicycle
tours of Florida's scenic Lake County countryside. "Lake County is
blessed with 1400 named lakes and is considered to be Florida's Hill
Country," Luebbers said.

"Some of these hills offer a unique challenge for even the most
experienced bicycle riders," he said. "The longest ride is 100 miles
and the shortest is 12 miles. Riders choose which rides they want to
take each day." This year's festival attracted 1325 participants.

The radio-equipped mobile vehicles the hams provided transported 30
riders and their bicycles back to the starting area over the 3 days,
due to mechanical breakdowns, medical issues, or fatigue. The most
serious injury was a broken collarbone. This year, 25 Amateur Radio
volunteers took part. -- Thanks to Ted Luebbers, K1AYZ

==> IN BRIEF...

Look for 4U70UN this weekend! To commemorate the 70th anniversary of
the United Nations on October 24, the headquarters Amateur Radio club
station 4U1UN <http://www.4u1un.net/> will operate as 4U70UN over the
October 24-25 weekend (between 1400 and 2130 UTC both days), and
satellite operation will be included. The UN Amateur Radio Club will
set up at a ground-level garden area within the UN Headquarters complex
in New York City; operation will be limited to daylight hours on as
many bands and modes as possible. Regarding satellite operation, 4U70UN
will face blockage from tall buildings to the west, so the best passes
will be to the east of grid FN30as and north and south overhead. 4U1UN
is a separate DXCC entity. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service; The Daily
DX <http://www.dailydx.com/>

SAQ Alexanderson Alternator VLF Transmission set for UN Day, October
24: The SAQ <http://alexander.n.se/?lang=en> Alexanderson Alternator
VLF transmitter at the World Heritage Grimeton <http://grimeton.org>
site in Sweden will be on the air to mark United Nations Day, October
24, at 1000 UTC. The UN this year celebrates its 70th anniversary. SAQ
will begin tuning at about 0930 UTC. SAQ is not requesting reception
reports and will not verify any. Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ will be
on the air on October 24 on several frequencies and modes: 7035 kHz and
14,035 kHz on CW; 7080 kHz on SSB, and 7050 kHz on PSK31. QSL SK6SAQ
via SK6DK or the bureau. -- Thanks to Lars Kalland, SM6NM

JOTA Stations Urged to File their 2015 Reports: National JOTA Organizer
Jim Wilson, K5ND, is calling on all stations that participated in the
2015 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) to submit
<http://www.k2bsa.net/jota-station-report/> their reports. "I hope that
all y'all had a great JOTA weekend," Wilson said, noting that he
visited the National Scouting Museum and K2BSA/5. "From my own station
I also heard lots of stations on 20 and 40 meters along with a few on
17 and 15 meters. I worked a couple on SSB and PSK," he added.
Individual station report information will be compiled into the US JOTA
report and filed with the World Organization of the Scouting Movement
for incorporation into its report. "If you don't have exact numbers for
some of the information, you can use your best judgment to provide an
estimate," Wilson said. After submitting
<http://www.k2bsa.net/jota-station-report/> your report, you'll receive
a confirmation via e-mail along with a link to download the JOTA 2015
Certificate. Wilson said photos and stories are welcome but not
required.

Ofcom Poised to Cancel Unrenewed Amateur Licenses: UK
telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced
<http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/amateur-radio/reva
lidation/>
that it's set to start cancelling Amateur Radio licenses, possibly
numbering into the thousands, that have not been "revalidated" by the
holder. The effort appears to be, in part, an effort to clear dead wood
from the agency's databases. Amateur Radio licenses in the UK must be
revalidated every 5 years, but until Ofcom goes through the process of
revoking the license, such a license remains valid. The first batch to
be revoked will comprise Amateur Radio licenses that had been due for
revalidation between September 2012 and January 2013. -- Thanks to
Southgate Amateur Radio Club; Ofcom

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==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers over
the past week were up by 38.1 points to 75, and average daily solar
flux rose by 30.7 points to 118.2. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet
over the week, with average planetary A index declining from 25.1 to
11, and mid-latitude A index dropping from 17.6 to 9.1.

Predicted solar flux is 130 on October 22-24; 125 on October 25; 120 on
October 26-27; 115 on October 28-29; 90 on October 30; 85 on October
31-November 1; 80 on November 2-6; then 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115,
and 120 on November 7-14; 125 on November 15-17; 120 on November 18-20,
and 115 on November 21-22. Flux values then drop to 80 on November 28
through December 3.

Predicted planetary A index is 10 on October 22; 5 on October 23-27; 8
on October 28-29; 10 on October 30; 5 on October 31-November 2; 50 on
November 3; 40 on November 4; 25 on November 5; 12 on November 6-7;
then 20, 25, 20, and 10 on November 8-11, and 8 on November 12-13. The
A index then drops to 5 on November 19-24, then bounces back to 50 on
November 30.

Those Ap index values of 50 on November 3 and again on November 30 seem
to be echoes of the October 7-8 period, when planetary A index was 77
and 56. The high values are each spaced one whole solar rotation (27-28
days) from each other.

Sunspot numbers for October 15 through 21 were 49, 68, 83, 81, 94, 77,
and 73, with a mean of 75. The 10.7 cm flux was 106.8, 109.1, 116.6,
119.5, 123.7, 122.8, and 129, with a mean of 118.2. Estimated planetary
A indices were 10, 8, 11, 22, 5, 9, and 12, with a mean of 11.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 9, 8, 9, 15, 3, 8, and 12, with a
mean of 9.1.

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

==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- October 23 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint

- October 23 -- NCCC Sprint

- October 24-25 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB)

- October 28 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

- October 28 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW)

- October 29 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (SSB)

- October 31-November 1 -- ARRL EME Contest

- October 31 -- Feld Hell Sprint

- October 31 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest

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

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

- October 23-24 -- Arizona State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arizona-state-convention-2>, Kingman,
Arizona

- October 23-24 -- Oklahoma State Convention
<http://www.texomahamarama.org/>, Ardmore, Oklahoma

- November 7 -- Fall TechFest <http://na0tc.org/>, Lakewood, Colorado

- November 7-8 -- Georgia Section Convention
<http://www.stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- November 14 -- HamJam Convention <http://hamjam.info>, Alpharetta,
Georgia

- November 14-15 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana

- December 11-12 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/west-central-florida-section-convention-tampa-b
ay-hamfest-5>,
Plant City, Florida

- January 9 -- TECHFEST <http://www.gars.org/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- January 10 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York

- January 15-16, Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://swflhamfest.info/>, Fort Myers, Florida

- January 15-16, North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas

- January 17-23, Quartzfest <http://quartzfest.org/>, Quartzsite,
Arizona

- January 29-30, Mississippi State Convention
<http://hamfest.msham.org/>, Jackson, Mississippi

- January 29-31, Puerto Rico State Convention <http://www.arrlpr.org/>,
Hatillo, Puerto Rico

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

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