The ARRL Letter for November 3, 2022

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

November 3, 2022

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <ne...@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

- ARRL Delegates Attend IARU Region 2 General Assembly
- Australian Radio Amateurs May Move to a Class Licensing Structure
- Veterans Day 2022 Special Events
- ARDC is Looking for Volunteers for its Advisory Committees
- OPDX Bulletin Editor Retires after 42 Years
- Hurricanes Lisa and Martin Kept Amateur Radio Operators Busy
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> ARRL DELEGATES ATTEND IARU REGION 2 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

An ARRL delegation led by President Rick Roderick, K5UR (Head of
Delegation), and including Chief Executive Officer David Minster,
NA2AA, have attended the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
Region 2 General Assembly this week. This year's meeting will conclude
on Friday, November 4, 2022. ARRL International Affairs Vice President
Rod Stafford, W6ROD, is also participating, serving as the Area B
Director for Region 2.

The triennial General Assembly is the formal decision-making body of
IARU Region 2 <https://www.iaru-r2.org/en/>, comprising The Americas,
and delegates are the representatives of each member society. The
President of IARU Region 2 is Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK.

The meetings began on October 31, 2022, with five evening sessions,
held virtually, of approximately three hours each. The virtual meetings
were necessary because of COVID and travel concerns.

At the meetings, the delegates have reviewed challenges to amateur
radio, debated proposals from member societies, and received reports
from coordinators and elected volunteers. A selection will also be made
for the host society of the next General Assembly in 2025.

"Having a virtual conference has allowed many of our societies with
limited means to participate in the triennial governance process of
IARU Region 2 for the first time," said IARU Region 2 Secretary George
Gorsline, VE3YV / K8HI. "26 member societies are represented with 117
registered attendees from across Region 2 as well as representatives
from Region 1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Northern Asia), 3
(Asia-Pacific), and the IARU Officers. The Wednesday evening committee
reports were especially well received and stimulated much discussion. A
full summary will be published after the General Assembly including
videos of each Plenary session."

The IARU is the worldwide federation of national amateur radio
organizations. ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio
<http://www.arrl.org/>® in the US is a member society and IARU
International Secretariat, participating in matters that promote and
protect the interests of the Amateur Radio Service worldwide.

==> AUSTRALIAN RADIO AMATEURS MAY MOVE TO A CLASS LICENSING STRUCTURE

Australia's radiocommunications regulator, the Australian
Communications and Media Authority <https://www.acma.gov.au/> (ACMA),
is proposing to move the country's radio amateurs to a class license,
which is intended to simplify administration of the Amateur Radio
Service.

Currently, Australia's radio amateurs are regulated under an apparatus
license, with privileges and conditions set out in a
Radiocommunications License Conditions Determination. Australian hams
pay an annual license fee of A$55.00 (US$35.68), but under the proposed
class license, annual license renewal payments would end.

The ACMA reports that the current consultation follows extensive public
feedback on the review of the non-assigned licensing arrangements
<https://www.acma.gov.au/consultations/2021-01/review-non-assigned-amateur-and-outpost-regulatory-arrangements-consultation-012021>

conducted between February and April 2021. The review's principal
objective was to identify the most appropriate licensing mechanism that
would reduce regulatory burden and minimize costs for amateur radio
operators, while preserving the operational utility for amateurs.

The ACMA says they will carefully consider responses received to the
current consultation. As stated in the consultation paper, subject to
the outcomes of the current consultation and the implementation of
supporting operational and administrative arrangements, the ACMA
intends to implement the proposed class-licensing arrangements on July
1, 2023.

The Wireless Institute of Australia <https://www.wia.org.au/> (WIA) is
the national member organization representing the interests of
Australian radio amateurs and is a member of the International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU). The WIA has a well-credentialed working group
developing their response to the ACMA's proposals. The ACMA's deadline
for receiving responses is November 29, 2022.

The WIA's working group intends to open a survey in early November to
gauge the views of the Australian radio amateur community.

"As this is going to be a quantum step in the evolution of amateur
licensing in Australia, such as we have not seen previously, the
details need close and careful consideration," said working group
leader Peter Young, VK3MV. Peter has been licensed since 1964 and has a
background in maritime communications engineering. He is a former
Regional Manager with the ACMA and, since retiring, held positions with
the WIA as a Director on the WIA Board, and Director with IARU Region
3.

Thanks to Peter Young, VK3MV, Media Advisor Naazbano Schonberger, ACMA,
and WIA for their help and contributions to this story.

==> VETERANS DAY 2022 SPECIAL EVENTS

Veterans Day is Friday, November 11, 2022, and will feature many
opportunities for amateur radio operators to celebrate and honor
Veterans throughout the holiday weekend.

Special event stations will be on the air across the county, including
the Redding Veterans Amateur Radio Club, W6VET, in Redding, California,
and the Veterans Day commemoration onboard the USS Kidd (DD-661), a
World War II Fletcher-class destroyer, with the USS KIDD Amateur Radio
Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
<https://www.sacmuseum.org/> in Ashland, Nebraska, has a full day of
activities planned on November 11, including an amateur radio
demonstration by the Strategic Air Command Memorial Amateur Radio Club
<http://www.sacmarc.org/> (SACMARC) using the historic call signs of
General Curtis Emerson LeMay, K0GRL, and the Offutt Air Force Base,
K0AIR.

The American Legion Amateur Radio Club, K9TAL, is located at their
national headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Any station that
contacts K9TAL on Veterans Day will receive a special QSL card.

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, will celebrate
Veterans Day on November 12 - 13, 2022. The USS Cobia Amateur Radio
Club will be onboard and on the air from the USS Cobia World War II
submarine. A commemorative QSL card will be issued for contacts made
during the 2-day event.

A complete list of special event stations, including Veterans Day
stations, is available at www.arrl.org/special-event-stations
<http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations>. Use "Veterans" in the
keyword search.

ARRL Headquarters will be closed on Friday, November 11, in observance
of Veterans Day. There won't be a W1AW bulletin or code practice
transmissions on that day. ARRL HQ will reopen on Monday, November 14,
at 8:00 AM EST.

==> ARDC IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR ITS ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is looking for volunteers
for its 2023 Grants Advisory Committee (GAC) and Technical Advisory
Committee (TAC).

The GAC reviews proposals submitted by organizations seeking ARDC
grants. The committee usually meets twice a month for at least an hour,
with additional time spent reviewing proposals and email correspondence
that happen between meetings. The estimated time commitment from a
volunteer on this committee is about 2 - 5 hours per week.

The TAC advises ARDC's staff and Board on 44Net technology,
architecture, and policy. The TAC usually meets once or twice a month
for at least an hour. Additional time may be spent working on or
attending meetings related to projects, such as refining 44Net
use-cases and standards, developing a new 44Net portal, and developing
a proposal for Points of Presence (PoPs).

If you're interested in joining either committee, please send a resume
and brief cover letter to con...@ardc.net by November 12, 2022.

For more information on the GAC, go to
www.ampr.org/now-accepting-applications-for-grants-advisory-committee
<https://www.ampr.org/now-accepting-applications-for-grants-advisory-committee/>.

For more information on the TAC, go to
www.ampr.org/now-accepting-applications-for-the-2023-technical-advisory-committee

<https://www.ampr.org/now-accepting-applications-for-the-2023-technical-advisory-committee/>.


==> OPDX BULLETIN EDITOR RETIRES AFTER 42 YEARS

Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, has retired from his role as the editor of the
Ohio/Penn DX (OPDX) Bulletin.

Mirgliotta has written the internet publication for 32 years. He
started on a local Radioteletype (RTTY) bulletin board system (BBS) and
moved to a packet BBS (an online dial-up BBS voice and data system),
before adding the internet.

"The last 42 years has been fun," said Mirgliotta. He's retiring
because of age and health considerations. "I am happy to say that the
OPDX Bulletin has been totally free for all those years, with no ads,
no games, no hype or boasting, and no requests for donations, but there
have been very few unsolicited donations. Thanks to those donors," said
Mirgliotta.

Mirgliotta wished all of his friends and supporters good luck and good
DX. For additional information, visit the OPDX Bulletin
<http://www.papays.com/opdx.html> website.

==> HURRICANES LISA AND MARTIN KEPT AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS BUSY

Amateur radio operators were closely monitoring hurricane and weather
nets, as two tropical storms in the eastern and southwest Atlantic were
upgraded to hurricane status late Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

Hurricane Lisa made landfall late Wednesday in the Central American
nation of Belize, near Belize City and the town of Dangriga, with 60
MPH winds and heavy rain. The hurricane has now been downgraded to a
tropical storm, but a state of emergency has been issued and remains in
effect.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Martin, in the eastern Atlantic, has also been
downgraded to a tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is
predicting that Martin will become a large and powerful post-tropical
cyclone by late Thursday, November 3, 2022.

The Hurricane Watch Net <https://hwn.org/> (HWN) was activated late
Wednesday morning on 14.325.00 MHz, and later on 7.268.00 MHz. The VoIP
Hurricane Net <https://voipwx.net/> was also activated, and as of early
Thursday morning, both nets are in standby mode.

Amateur radio operators will continue to monitor the hurricane and
weather nets to be ready if help is needed.

==> 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>.

"St. Stephen's Episcopal School students make contact with space in
unique, STEM-based programming"
<https://communityimpact.com/sponsored/sponsored/2022/10/30/st-stephens-episcopal-school-students-make-contact-with-space-in-unique-stem-based-programming/>

/ Community Impact Newspaper (Texas), October 3, 2022. -- Thanks to
ARISS <https://www.ariss.org> and the Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club,
an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Boy Scouts use amateur radios for worldwide conversations
<https://www.murfreesboropost.com/news/boy-scouts-use-amateur-radios-for-worldwide-conversations/article_ba33c210-563b-11ed-be2f-237aebdce16f.html>"

/ Murfreesboro Post (Tennessee), October 27, 2022. -- The Stones River
Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

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

==> ARRL PODCASTS

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> podcast includes Arc Thames, W4CPD,
the ARRL Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES
Emergency Coordinator of Santa Rosa County, Florida. Thames shares some
of his experiences from supporting emergency communications during
Hurricane Ian.

Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top
news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with
interviews and other features.

The On the Air podcast is available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher
(Android). The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on
Blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio
News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

==> ANNOUNCEMENTS

The 3rd Annual Youth "Dream Rig" Essay Contest is now under way. The
contest is sponsored by the Intrepid-DX Group, a US-based 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization that promotes amateur radio activities around
the world for youth. The contest is open to US and Canadian amateur
radio operators aged 19 or older. The first-place winner will receive a
new HF transceiver. Second- and third-place winners will receive a
handheld transceiver. To enter, contestants must write a two-page essay
answering the question, "How does amateur radio factor into your career
plans?" The submission needs to be in plain text, PDF, or a Microsoft
Word attachment. Additionally, contestants must promise to use the
radios on the air for 1 year and not trade, sell, or "flip" the
equipment. The entry deadline is November 30, 2022, and winners will be
announced on December 15, 2022. More information about the Intrepid-DX
Group <http://intrepid-dx.com/index.php> is available at their website.

==> IN BRIEF...

ARRL Northwestern Division Director Mike Ritz, W7VO, presented the 2021
ARRL Technical Innovation Award to Steve Haynal, KF7O, creator of the
Hermes-Lite software-defined radio (SDR). "This long-overdue
presentation was made during the October 27, 2022, meeting of the
Willamette Valley DX Club <https://wvdxc.org/>," said Ritz. The ARRL
Board of Directors bestowed the 2021 ARRL Technical Innovation Award to
Haynal during its September 2021 meeting. Haynal was cited as the
instrumental and driving force behind the Hermes-Lite 5 W HF SDR
transceiver being a fully open-source hardware and software project.
More information about Hermes-Lite <http://www.hermeslite.com/> is
available on their website.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

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

Solar activity perked up this week. The average daily sunspot number
rose from 58.4 to 70.3, and solar flux averages increased from 113.3 to
129.9.

There are still problems with the Fredericksburg magnetometer, so I did
my own rough estimate of middle-latitude numbers. I wish I could
substitute the Boulder numbers, but I cannot find a source for the data
outside of purely graphic representations.

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/station-k-and-indices
<http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/station-k-and-indices>

Planetary A index averages went from 19.4 to 13.7, and middle latitude
estimated numbers changed from 9.1 to 12.6.

The solar flux prediction shows the highest values over the next
week, starting with 130 on November 3 - 4; 135, 130, 135, 130, and 135
on November 5 - 9; 115 on November 10 - 12; 112 on November 13 - 14;
110 on November 15; 108 on November 16 - 18; 104 on November 19; 100 on
November 20 - 23; 98 on November 24 - 25; 100, 105, 105, and 110 on
November 26 - 29; 112 on November 30 through December 2, and 118 on
December 3 - 6.

Predicted planetary A index is 12 on November 3 - 4; 20, 15, and 8 on
November 5 - 7; 5 on November 8 - 9; 18, 18, and 15 on November 10 -
12; 5 on November 13 - 17; 25, 15, and 8 on November 18 - 20; 5 on
November 21 - 22; 8, 15, and 25 on November 23 - 25; 15 on November 26
- 27; 18, 12, 10, 12, 20, and 15 on November 28 through December 3, and
5 on December 4 - 6.

New videos from Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW:
https://youtu.be/gO0wP6eiS8I

Part 3 of her mini-course:

https://youtu.be/-X-zE44x5Fk

Sunspot numbers for October 27 through November 2, 2022, were 72, 87,
97, 68, 56, 63, and 49, with a mean of 70.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux
was 129.7, 129.3, 133.9, 130.5, 127.9, 128.1, and 129.7, with a mean of
129.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 9, 16, 26, 12, 11, 8, and 14,
with a mean of 13.7. Middle latitude A index was 6, 15, 24, 14, 12, 6,
and 11, with a mean of 12.6

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7...@arrl.net.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit
<http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals> the ARRL Technical
Information Service, read
<http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere> "What the Numbers
Mean..." and check out <http://k9la.us/> the Propagation Page of Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive
<http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available. For
customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio
<https://www.voacap.com/hf/> website.

Share <k7...@arrl.net> your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News
<http://www.arrl.org/news>.

==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- November 3 - 4 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- November 5 -- IPARC Contest (CW)

- November 5 - 7 -- ARRL Sweepstakes Contest (CW)

- November 6 -- IPARC Contest, SSB (phone)

- November 6 -- High Speed Club CW Contest (CW)

- November 7 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, Data (digital)

- November 8 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone))

- November 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

- November 9 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (FT8)

- November 10 -- EACW Meeting (CW)

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

==> UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- November 5 - 6 | Stone Mountain Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/stone-mountain-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- November 12 | Montgomery ARC Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/montgomery-arc-hamfest-arrl-alabama-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama

- November 12 | Rock Hill Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/70th-annual-rock-hill-hamfest-arrl-south-carolina-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South
Carolina

- December 9 - 10 | Tampa Bay Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tampa-bay-hamfest-arrl-west-central-florida-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
Florida

- January 7 | Ham Radio University
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/online-ham-radio-university-arrl-new-york-city-long-island-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention, an
Online Event

- January 20 - 21 | Southwest Florida Regional Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/southwest-florida-regional-hamfest-arrl-southern-florida-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Fort Myers,
Florida

- January 27 - 28 | Capital City Hamfest 2023
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/jackson-ms-capital-city-hamfest-2023-arrl-mississippi-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi

- January 28 | Winterfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/winterfest-arrl-midwest-division-convention-2>,
hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Collinsville, Illinois

- February 10 - 12 | Orlando HamCation
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/orlando-hamcation-arrl-southeastern-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida

- February 25 | HAM-CON
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ham-con-arrl-vermont-state-convention-2>,
hosting the ARRL Vermont State Convention, Colchester, Vermont

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
ne...@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
<ne...@arrl.org>

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