The ARRL Letter for December 8, 2016

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

December 8, 2016

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

- Greg Walden, W7EQI, to Chair Powerful House Energy and Commerce
Committee
- ARRL Transitioning to New Digital Publishing Platform
- FCC Affirms Penalty for Unlicensed Amateur Operation, Making False
Distress Call
- The Doctor Will See You Now!
- National Parks on the Air Update
- Use of New Web Log Upload App Encouraged for ARRL 10 Meter Contest
Participants
- Reminder: December 11 Special Event will Commemorate Transatlantic
Reception Anniversary
- Emergency Communication Exercise Uses "Hamsphere®" to Introduce Youth
to Virtual Ham Radio
- Contribute to ARRL through Your IRA
- ARRL Foundation Board Approves Two New Scholarships for Young Radio
Amateurs
- Elves at OF9X Bring the Spirit of Christmas to Ham Radio
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> GREG WALDEN, W7EQI, TO CHAIR POWERFUL HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE
COMMITTEE

US Rep. Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR), who has championed the Amateur Radio
Parity Act (H.R. 1301 <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act>)
as the chair of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, will
chair the US House Energy and Commerce Committee when the 115th
Congress convenes in January. Energy and Commerce is considered one of
the most powerful congressional panels on Capitol Hill.

Walden defeated the more senior Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Rep.
Joe Barton (R-TX) to succeed Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who is stepping
down from the chairmanship because of term limits. Members of the House
GOP Steering Committee elected Walden on December 1 in a closed-door
meeting.

Walden, who represents Oregon's 2nd congressional district, gained
favor within the Republican Party after serving two terms as head of
the National Republican Congressional Committee. The nine-term Oregon
lawmaker had campaigned around the country with House Speaker Paul Ryan
(R-WI) during the run-up to the November election, and Walden's
selection to head Energy and Commerce over a more senior colleague is
being considered recognition of his role in the GOP's election
successes.

During a Capitol Hill hearing last January, Walden, a cosponsor of H.R.
1301, called the measure "a commonsense bill" and urged his colleagues
to support reporting the bill favorably to the full committee. In July,
Walden had recommended the amended version of the bill to his
colleagues as "a good balance." The Amateur Radio Parity Act bill has
been awaiting action in the US Senate.

==> ARRL TRANSITIONING TO NEW DIGITAL PUBLISHING PLATFORM

ARRL is moving to a new digital publishing platform! The January 2017
digital edition of QST will be the first produced using PageSuite. ARRL
Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY, said the transition from the
current Nxtbook platform to PageSuite not only will improve members'
reading experience, it will be more convenient.

"PageSuite provides a sleek, modern design that runs on desktop
browsers, mobile browsers, and within apps for mobile devices," Ford
said. "PageSuite does not require Flash but uses HTML5 instead. This
alleviates many security concerns and makes the magazine more broadly
compatible."

New QST issues, beginning with the January 2017 edition, will take up
less space on mobile devices, speeding up download time. Added features
include digital bookmarks to save a page and pick up right where you
left off, and a clipping tool to save or share important passages as
JPEG files. Video files will be hosted on YouTube in high resolution.

The new application is compatible with Android devices, iOS devices --
including iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads -- and will be newly
available to Kindle Fire. These apps will receive regular, quick
updates in order to keep the application running smoothly.

<http://www.arrl.org/images/view/QST_Page/Digital_QST/PageSuite_display_zoome
d.PNG>
Ford said the link to the digital edition of the monthly journal will
remain in the same spot on the QST website, and members will continue
to be notified of its release via e-mail.

ARRL has compiled a "how-to" guide to help members navigate PageSuite,
which will be available on the QST web page <http://www.arrl.org/qst>
on the day the January digital edition is announced. The announcement
concerning the availability of the January issue of QST in the new
desktop/laptop version, the how-to guide, and the new digital QST apps,
will be forthcoming.

Members can use the online digital QST feedback form
<http://www.arrl.org/digital-qst-feedback-form> to comment on the new
platform when it is available. To ease the transition, Nxtbook
applications will continue to function on iOS and Android devices until
January 1.

==> FCC AFFIRMS PENALTY FOR UNLICENSED AMATEUR OPERATION, MAKING FALSE
DISTRESS CALL

The FCC has affirmed a $23,000 penalty against Daniel Delise of
Astoria, New York, for operating without an Amateur Radio license on
147.96 MHz and for transmitting a false officer-in-distress call on a
New York City Police Department (NYPD) radio channel. The FCC's
December 5 Forfeiture Order
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-1338A1.pdf>
follows its August 31 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0901/DA-16-99
3A1.pdf>),
which detailed a history of complaints and alleged illegal radio
operation by Delise dating to 2012.

"The penalty represents the full amount proposed in the Notice of
Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, and is based on the full base
forfeiture amount as well as an upward adjustment reflecting Mr.
Delise's decision to continue his misconduct after being warned that
his actions violated the Communications Act and the Commission's
rules," the FCC Forfeiture Order said. The FCC said Delise's response
to the NAL offered "no reason to cancel, withdraw, or reduce the
proposed penalty."

Last summer, ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB,
credited the intervention of New York Rep. Peter King with getting the
case "off the back burner and up to the front of the line." Lisenco and
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, met with the Republican
congressman in January to discuss ongoing interference issues in the
Greater New York City/Long Island area. King subsequently wrote FCC
Chairman Tom Wheeler to urge "timely and visible enforcement."

The September 15 response to the NAL did not deny that Delise violated
the Communications Act and FCC rules but argued that the FCC should
reduce or cancel the fine because he is currently incarcerated and has
no income or assets. The FCC turned away that argument, saying that
Delise did not provide any documentation to substantiate his claim of
inability to pay.

Last April, the FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Unlicensed
Operation
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-339040A1.pdf>, after
determining that Delise was transmitting on 147.96 MHz, a repeater
input. Not long after, the NYPD informed an FCC field agent that police
had taken Delise into custody for "sending out false radio
transmissions" over the NYPD radio system and for possessing radios
capable of operating on NYPD frequencies, in violation of state law.

Delise, who could have been fined more than $140,000, has 30 days to
pay the fine. He's now in prison as a result of the false police call
and guilty pleas to other charges.

==> THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

"Yagi Antennas" is the topic of the latest (December 1) 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>. Next time: "Antenna System
Troubleshooting."

==> NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR UPDATE

With 3 weeks to go until the end of ARRL's National Parks on the Air
(NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>) program, Activators continue to
operate from qualified NPS sites in record numbers. The contact count
stands at more than 953,100, an increase of nearly 40,000 since
December 1.

There are NPOTA activations every day -- plenty of opportunities to
work stations, increase your NPOTA totals as a Chaser, and contribute
to the goal of #1MillionQSOs
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/1MillionQSOs>.

Thirty-eight activations are scheduled for the week of December 8-15,
including Saint Paul's Church National Historical Site in New York, and
Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Memorial in Washington, DC. Details
<https://npota.arrl.org/nps-events.php> about these and other upcoming
activations can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar.

Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/NPOTA/>. Follow NPOTA on Twitter
<http://www.twitter.com/> (@ARRL_NPOTA).

==> USE OF NEW WEB LOG UPLOAD APP ENCOURAGED FOR ARRL 10 METER CONTEST
PARTICIPANTS

One of the more popular annual operating events -- the ARRL 10 Meter
Contest <http://www.arrl.org/10-meter> -- is this weekend, December
10-11, beginning at 0000 UTC on Saturday (Friday evening in US time
zones) and winding up 48 hours later at 2359 UTC on Sunday. The object
is simple: Exchange contact information with as many stations as
possible on 10 meters. The ARRL 10 Meter Contest is open to all radio
amateurs, because Technician licensees have access to the band. More
contest newbies are active in the 10 Meter Contest than in any other
event, and it's a good time to get acquainted with contesting
techniques too.

Participants submitting logs for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest are urged
to take advantage of the new web upload app
<http://contest-log-submission.arrl.org>. This app makes it easy to
submit a Cabrillo-formatted log, plus it makes sure the log is properly
formatted before it's accepted. The article, "Online Log Upload for
ARRL Contests," on page 82 of the November issue of QST, explains how
to use the app.

A wide range of entry categories is available for this event, and you
can operate CW, SSB, or both. Stations in the US and Canada send a
signal report and state or province. Alaska and Hawaii count as states;
this is also one contest where the District of Columbia (DC) also
counts as a multiplier. DX stations -- including KP2, KP4, etc. -- send
a signal report and a sequential serial number starting with 001.
Stations in Mexico transmit a signal report and state. Maritime mobile
stations send a signal report and their ITU region (R1, R2, or R3).

In this contest, multipliers count twice -- once on phone and once
on CW -- so there's an extra incentive to give both modes a try, even
if you're a CW beginner!

No matter how many -- or few -- contacts you make, submitting a log
helps to improve the quality of log checking, and you might even find
yourself in line for a certificate! If you're lucky, you could take a
shot at one of the contest records
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-records>. Post contest comments and photos
of you and your station to the ARRL Soapbox
<http://www.arrl.org/soapbox> page. Your story could be included in the
ARRL 10 Meter Contest results article in QST. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/use-of-new-web-log-upload-app-encouraged-for-arrl-1
0-meter-contest-participants>.

==> REMINDER: DECEMBER 11 SPECIAL EVENT WILL COMMEMORATE TRANSATLANTIC
RECEPTION ANNIVERSARY

An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th
anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between
Greenwich, Connecticut <http://www.greenwichhistory.org/DYK_message>,
and Ardrossan, Scotland. ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB
<http://rsgb.org/>), and the Radio Club of America (RCA
<http://radioclubofamerica.org/>) are partnering in sponsoring the
activity. The Greenwich Historical Society will also participate.

On December 11, 1921, a radio signal transmitted from the location
of 1BCG in Connecticut, was heard in Scotland by Paul Godley, 2ZE,
during the second ARRL transatlantic tests. The special event will use
N1BCG <http://www.internetwork.com/radio/n1bcg/>, the call sign of
Clark Burgard of Greenwich, a radio history buff who was instrumental
in making arrangements for the event.

The N1BCG special event, which will be set up at a school near the
original 1BCG site, will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and
conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. Operation will be on AM on 75 and
40 meters; CW and SSB on 40 meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on
20 and 17 meters. Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM),
7.235 (SSB), 7.040 (CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125
(SSB), and 18.088 MHz CW.

The event will include an attempt at a two-way contact between N1BCG
and GB2ZE in Ardrossan.

==> EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION EXERCISE USES "HAMSPHERE®" TO INTRODUCE
YOUTH TO VIRTUAL HAM RADIO

Fifty students in Dominica were introduced to ham radio on November 23,
in the form of a simulated emergency drill conducted via the virtual
Amateur Radio platform HamSphere <http://www.hamsphere.com/>. W1AW at
ARRL Headquarters monitored the exercise. HamSphere is a virtual
Amateur Radio transceiver, available for iOS and Android devices. Under
supervision, selected youth teams competed for speed and accuracy in a
hurricane emergency communication drill, dubbed "Haminica 2016," while
becoming familiar with this virtual version of Amateur Radio.

Sponsoring the project was Dominica's National Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (NTRC <http://www.ntrcdom.org>), and NTRC
Executive Director Craig Nesty and Engineer George James, J73GJ, were
on hand for the exercise. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike
Corey, KI1U, observed "Haminica 2016" at W1AW using the HamSphere 3.0
platform. Well-known DXer Martti Laine, OH2BH -- an enthusiastic
HamSphere supporter -- and Brian Machesney, K1LI/J75Y, organized
"Haminica 2016" and helped to conduct the Dominica exercise. While in
Dominica, Laine celebrated his 70th birthday on the air as J70BH
<https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/J70BH>.

The exercise scenario was a hurricane about to make landfall on the
island. Laine said that, at one point, the group conducting the
exercise had to evacuate the station on short notice.

Laine said the NRTC is producing a video about the training exercise,
and the event caught the attention of the national TV station, which
reported the story in prime time.

==> CONTRIBUTE TO ARRL THROUGH YOUR IRA

Time is running short to contribute to ARRL from your Individual
Retirement Account (IRA). The federal government has now made permanent
the ability for those age 70-1/2 or older to contribute up to $100,000
per year from an IRA directly to qualifying charities without having
first to declare the donation as income. This means you can, for
example, donate your annual required minimum distribution (RMD
<https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-to
pics-required-minimum-distributions-rmds>)
to ARRL without increasing your income for tax purposes. Depending on
your personal tax situation, donating directly from your IRA to ARRL
could have more tax advantages for you than a direct personal donation.
Most custodians need a week or two to complete the transaction, so
contact your IRA custodian as soon as possible!

Here's how it works: Contact the custodian of your IRA plan and
instruct the custodian to make a donation from your IRA directly to
ARRL. Provide the plan custodian with ARRL's federal tax ID number
06-6000004 and legal name and address -- American Radio Relay League
Inc., 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111-1494.

It is important that the check from the custodian is made payable
directly to ARRL. ARRL appreciates contributions of any size from your
IRA.

The custodian of your IRA then will send you an IRS Form 1099 showing
that you, as the owner of the IRA, did not receive the plan
distribution for your personal use. Most fund custodians will ask you
to complete a direct donation form and will mail the plan distribution
check directly to ARRL.

For more information, contact <lcl...@arrl.org> the ARRL Development
Office, (860) 594-0348. The Development Office is happy to help.

ARRL strongly encourages individuals interested in supporting the
League through an IRA distribution to consult with their attorney,
tax/financial advisor, or accountant to determine the tax, or other,
consequences of making such a gift.

American Radio Relay League Inc. is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3)
organization.

==> ARRL FOUNDATION BOARD APPROVES TWO NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUNG RADIO
AMATEURS

The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors recently approved two new
scholarships.

The Helen Laughlin AM Mode Memorial Scholarship

The Helen Laughlin AM Mode Memorial Scholarship -- a scholarship
intended for women Amateur Radio operators -- is funded through the
generosity of the Laughlin-Beers Foundation and is intended exclusively
for educational use -- to provide assistance with the costs of tuition,
room, board, books, and/or other fees essential to the advanced
education of the recipient.

Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited 4-year college or
university, and hold a General or higher Amateur Radio license. It is
suggested that the applicant have made a contact in AM mode, but this
is not a requirement.

Preference is given to Texas residents, but if no qualified applicant
is identified, preference will be given to residents of Arkansas. If no
qualified applicant is identified there, preference will be given to
applicants residing in the ARRL West Gulf or Delta Divisions -- the
states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Tennessee. If no women qualify, then the award will go to a qualifying
male applicant.

The scholarship award will be $1,000 annually, with the first
scholarship granted in 2017.

The Atlanta Radio Club Scholarship

The Atlanta Radio Club Scholarship is funded through the generosity of
the Atlanta Radio Club, and is intended exclusively for educational use
-- to provide assistance with the costs of tuition, room, board, books,
and/or other fees essential to the advanced education of the recipient.
Applicants must reside in Georgia, be between 17 and 25 years old at
the time of the award, attend an accredited 4-year college or
university, or graduate program, and hold a Technician or higher
Amateur Radio license.

The scholarship award will be $500 annually, with the first scholarship
awarded in 2017. One scholarship is to be awarded per year.

In the case of all ARRL Foundation-administered scholarships, the
Foundation shall determine the recipients of the award to be
academically superior and the best among the scholarship applicants.
Applicants for both scholarships must be US citizens.

The ARRL Foundation is currently accepting applications
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-application> from eligible radio
amateurs for more than 80 scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000,
which will be awarded in 2017. More information
<http://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions> is on the ARRL
Foundation web page.

Applications for the 2017 scholarship process must be received by 11:59
PM Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 2017.

==> ELVES AT OF9X BRING THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS TO HAM RADIO

As in past years, Santa Claus will be spreading the spirit of Christmas
via Amateur Radio, but this year the elves are taking over the show.
Twelve elves are operating OF9X ("Old-Father-Nine-Christmas") for the
entire month of December, each with a 3-letter identification. Radio
amateurs can work OF9X on all bands and modes, from 630 meters (where
authorized) to 70 centimeters. Each contact is worth 1 point for
stations in Europe and 2 points for stations outside Europe. The elves
provide the multiplier -- up to 12 -- to determine your final score.
Only contacts made in 2016 are valid. Logs
<https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/OF9X> are available on ClubLog,
and the log will indicate which elf was worked, in case you miss the
ID.

The elves on the air and their 3-letter IDs are Arto, OH2KW (ART);
Arttu, OH2FB (ATU); Jyri, OH2KM (JYR); Martti, OH2BH (MAR); Niko,
OH2GEK (NIK); Pauli, OH5BQ (PAU); Pekka, OH2TA (PEK); Pertti, OH2BEE
(PER); Raimo, OH2BCI (RAI); Tom, OH6VDA (TOM); Pertti, OH2PM (SIM), and
Erik, OH2LAK (LAK).

Three awards are available: SKC Award (Santa is King of Christmas) --
at least 50 points; WMC Award (Warm and Memorable Christmas) -- at
least 35 points, and RNS Award (Remember those Red Nose Elves) -- at
least 20 points.

E-mail <of9xa...@sral.fi> your log and your point calculation by
January 5, 2017. Full-color award certificates will be sent via return
mail. Include the name to be printed on the award and your e-mail
address.

High-scoring operators and their children on each continent will be
offered an opportunity to speak with Santa during Christmas week.
Details will be available on the OF9X QRZ.com profile page. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/elves-at-of9x-bring-the-spirit-of-christmas-to-ham-
radio>.

==> IN BRIEF...

China Plans Lunar-Orbiting Amateur Radio Satellites: China's Harbin
Institute of Technology is developing a pair of lunar-orbiting
satellites -- DSLWP-A1 and A2. According to Mingchuan Wei, BG2BHC,
DSLWP is "a lunar formation-flying mission for low-frequency radio
astronomy, Amateur Radio, and education," consisting of two
microsatellites. Launch is planned in June 2018, to place the pair into
a 200 × 9,000 kilometer (approximately 124 × 5,580 mile) lunar orbit.
The Amateur Radio payload on DSLWP-A1 will provide telecommand uplink
and telemetry and a digital image downlink. Open telecommand is also
designed to allow radio amateurs to send commands to take and download
images. The satellites are 50 × 50 × 40 centimeters, with a mass of
about 45 kilograms and are three-axis stabilized, with two linear
polarization antennas. The team has proposed downlinks for DSLWP-A1 on
435.425 MHz and 436.425 MHz, and downlinks for DSLWP-A2 on 435.400 MHz
and 436.400 MHz, using GMSK with concatenated codes or JT65B. Harbin
Institute of Technology also developed the Lilac series of CubeSats.

Radio Australia Shortwave Broadcasts to End on January 31: Another
prominent shortwave broadcaster is going dark, "The SWLing Post" blog
reports
<http://swling.com/blog/2016/12/radio-australia-to-end-shortwave-broadcast-se
rvice-on-january-31-2017/>.
Radio Australia <http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/> has
announced that it will cease its shortwave transmissions on January 31.
The station, popular with SWLs, broadcasts in the 31-, 25-, 19-, and
16-meter bands. "The move is in line with the national broadcaster's
commitment to dispense with outdated technology and to expand its
digital content offerings, including DAB+ digital radio, online and
mobile services, together with FM services for international
audiences," the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) said in a news
release. The ABC said it would put the money saved from ending
shortwave broadcasting into other program distribution technology.

Ofcom Declines to Act in Nightmare Neighbour Ham Radio Episode: UK
telecommunications regulator Ofcom has declined to act on formal
complaints about an October 27 episode of the Channel 5 television
program Nightmare Neighbour Next Door. That episode focused on
75-year-old Armando Martins, M0PAM, of Kent, whose neighbors had made
unsubstantiated claims that RF radiating from his 30-foot vertical
antenna was detrimental to their health. The Radio Society of Great
Britain (RSGB) weighed in
<http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/rsgb-notices/2016/10/28/rsgb-response-to-chan
nel-5-tv-programme/>
following the airing of the show. Radio amateurs across the UK also
complained that the program episode was replete with false claims and
pointed out that Ofcom had never found any problems with Martins'
station. A radio amateur for more than 60 years, Martins was first
licensed as CR6IL in Portuguese West Africa (Angola). Complainants
contended that the show was "materially misleading," and thus a breach
of the Ofcom Broadcast Code
<https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/86308/bc2015-04-section
_2_harm_and_offence.pdf>.

ISS Packet Digipeater is Now on 70 Centimeters: The Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS <http://www.ariss.org/>) packet
digipeater aboard the ISS now is active on 437.550 MHz. The UHF
frequency means users will have to make adjustments for Doppler on both
uplink and downlink. The change to 70 centimeters comes in the wake of
a problem that has sidelined the Ericsson VHF transceiver, so the UHF
model has been put into service. The digipeater operates just as it did
when it was on its former 145.825 MHz frequency. AMSAT suggests that
users program a group of five memory pairs to permit an operating range
that will compensate for Doppler, with transmit frequencies from
437.560 to 437.540 MHz, and receive frequencies from 437.540 to 437.560
MHz, in 5 kHz increments (i.e., the transceiver would be in simplex for
437.555 MHz). More information <http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144> is
available from the AMSAT website. Scheduled ARISS contacts and APRS
operations will also utilize the Ericsson UHF transceiver in the
Columbia module. -- Thanks to AMSAT News Service

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: The average daily sunspot number for
December 1-7 was 40.9, up 10 points from the previous 7 days. Solar
flux has hardly changed, moving from 82.6 to 82.2. The average daily
planetary A index dropped from 13.6 to 4.9, and the average
mid-latitude A index dipped from 10.3 to 3.4.

The latest prediction from NOAA and the US Air Force shows solar flux
at 75 on December 8-10; 70 on December 11-13; 75 on December 14-15; 78
on December 16-18; 82 on December 19-20; 86 on December 21-27; 84 on
December 28-31; 82 on January 1; 80 on January 2-3; 78 on January 4-8;
80 on January 9, and 82 on January 10-15.

Their latest projection for Planetary A Index is 20 on December 8-9;
18, 12, and 8 on December 10-12; 5 on December 13-17; 8, 12, 16, and 22
on December 18-21; 30, 12, 10, and 8 on December 22-25; 5 on December
26-31; 8, 5, 12, and 15 on January 1-4; 20, 18, and 12 on January 5-7,
and 5 on January 8-13.

A summary of the 3-month moving average of observed daily sunspot
numbers, from January through November 2016: 55.4, 53.5, 49, 45.3,
43.1, 35.4, 33, 33.5, 40, 39, and 29.6. Monthly average daily sunspot
numbers for November were 22.4. This is down from 50.4, 37.4, and 29.1
for August through October. The downward trend in activity is obvious
and undeniable.

Sunspot numbers for December 1 through 7 were 49, 59, 62, 37, 37, 24,
and 18, with a mean of 40.9. 10.7 cm flux was 84.5, 84.4, 84.7, 82.4,
82.7, 79.8, and 77.2, with a mean of 82.2. Estimated planetary A
indices were 3, 4, 3, 2, 4, 7, and 11, with a mean of 4.9. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 6, and 9, with a mean of
3.4.

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

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==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- December 10-11 -- ARRL 10 Meter Contest
<http://www.arrl.org/10-meter> (CW, phone)

- December 10-11 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

- December 10-11 -- International Naval Contest (CW, phone)

- December 10-18 -- AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party (CW)

- December 11-14 -- CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe Run (CW)

- December 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

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

- December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
<http://www.tampabayhamfest.org/>, Plant City, Florida

- January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention
<http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York

- January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention <http://www.techfest.info/>,
Lawrenceville, Georgia

- January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention
<http://cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas

- January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention <http://gaares.org/>, Forsyth,
Georgia

- January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention <http://quartzfest.org/>,
Quartzsite, Arizona

- January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention <http://msham.org/>,
Jackson, Mississippi

- January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention
<http://www.arrlpr.org/>, Hatillo, Puerto Rico

- February 3-4 -- Southern Florida Section Convention
<http://hamboree.org/>, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

- February 4 - South Carolina State Convention <http://wa4usn.org/>,
North Charleston, South Carolina

- February 4 -- Virginia State Convention <http://www.frostfest.com/>,
Richmond, Virginia

- February 10-12 -- Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.hamcation.com/> (HamCation), Orlando, Florida

- February 17-18 -- Arizona Section Convention
<http://www.yumahamfest.org/>, Yuma, Arizona

- February 18 -- Arkansas Section Convention
<http://w5wra.org/winterfest_2017.ht>, Hoxie, Arkansas

- February 25 -- West Central Florida Section Technical Conference
<http://www.arrlwcf.org/>, Sarasota, Florida

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

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