The ARRL Letter for April 27, 2023

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

April 27, 2023

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 Advocates for Radio Amateurs as FCC Proposes Changes to 60-Meter
Band
- 2023 ARRL Field Day Gear is Now Shipping!
- New STEM Trailer for All Things Amateur Radio Association
- International Marconi Day: National Parks Director Makes QSO
- 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 ADVOCATES FOR RADIO AMATEURS AS FCC PROPOSES CHANGES TO
60-METER BAND

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comments about
changing the secondary allocation available to radio amateurs on 60
meters. The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on April
21, 2023, that deals with the band. In a prior petition, ARRL The
National Association for Amateur Radio <http://www.arrl.org/>® urged
protecting the existing use of the band by amateurs when adding a new
allocation adopted internationally.

Currently, radio amateurs in the US have access to five discrete
channels on a secondary basis: 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373
kHz, and 5405 kHz. Users of these channels are limited to an effective
radiated power (ERP) of 100 W PEP.

The FCC proposes to allocate 15 kHz of contiguous bandwidth between
5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz on a secondary basis with a maximum power of 15 W
EIRP (equivalent to 9.15 W ERP). This allocation was adopted at the
2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).

The federal government is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum. The
government's manager of spectrum use, the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA), has expressed support for
implementing the allocation as adopted at WRC-15. Doing so would result
in amateurs losing access to four of the five discrete channels, and
power limits would be reduced from 100 W ERP to 9.15 W ERP. However, it
would provide access to a new contiguous 15 kHz band that includes one
of the current five channels.

In 2017, ARRL petitioned the FCC
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Petition%20for%20Rule%20Making%205%20MHz%20FINAL%20January%2012,%202017.pdf>

to keep the four 60-meter channels that fall outside the new band, as
well as the current operating rules, including the 100 W PEP ERP limit.

The ARRL petition stated, "Such implementation will allow radio
amateurs engaged in emergency and disaster relief communications, and
especially those between the United States and the Caribbean basin, to
more reliably, more flexibly, and more capably conduct those
communications."

ARRL said that years of amateur radio experience using the five
discrete channels have shown that amateurs can coexist with primary
users at 5 MHz while complying with the regulations established for
their use. The petition also stated, "Neither ARRL, nor, apparently,
NTIA, is aware of a single reported instance of interference to a
federal user by a radio amateur operating at 5 MHz to date."

In the NPRM
<https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-implements-and-proposes-final-acts-wrc-19-and-wrc-15>,

the FCC recognizes that Canada has already adopted 60-meter allocations
and related rules that align with those proposed by ARRL. The
Commission wrote, "Finally, we note that Canada has essentially
implemented the same rules as ARRL has requested."

The FCC proposed to allocate the 15 kHz bandwidth, but stopped short of
making a proposal on whether the existing channels should remain
allocated to amateur radio and what the power limitations should be.
They requested comments on their proposal and the related channel and
power issues.

Comments will be due 60 days after the NPRM is published in the Federal
Register, which is expected within the next two weeks.

==> 2023 ARRL FIELD DAY GEAR IS NOW SHIPPING!

ARRL Field Day <http://www.arrl.org/field-day> is June 24 - 25. Get
ready for amateur radio's largest on-air operating event with official
2023 ARRL Field Day merchandise available for order now. T-shirts
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009939463>,
hats
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009938538>,
pins
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009939617>,
patches
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009995195>,
and stickers
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2009995181>
are great ways to show off your involvement in this annual event. This
year's colorful design features a globe centered on North America and
the words, "Tune In The World." The back of the t-shirt includes a
check-off list of ARRL and RAC Sections - a fun way to keep track of
your Field Day contacts.

Encourage club members, family, friends, and prospective hams to take
part with ARRL Field Day recruitment posters
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2023/ARRL_FD23_Poster.pdf>
and attractive "Get on the Air" (GOTA) pins
<https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/115014>
for newcomers.

Get your 2023 ARRL Field Day supplies from the ARRL online store
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/fieldday> or by calling the toll-free number
1-888-277-5289, from Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 7 PM and on
Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. If you are outside of the US,
call 1-860-594-0355.

The complete 2023 ARRL Field Day
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2023/2023%20Field%20Day%20Packet%20v1.pdf>

packet is online. ARRL encourages participants to register their Field
Day operations with the Field Day Site Locator
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>.

==> NEW STEM TRAILER FOR ALL THINGS AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION

The All Things Amateur Radio Association (ATARA), W8ATR, in Carroll,
Ohio, revealed its new science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) trailer on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Rising
Park's Seeds of Change Earth Day event.

The trailer, funded by a grant from the ARRL Foundation, offers
visitors a hands-on STEM experience, including a CW oscillator, a
display about the history of Morse code, and signage explaining the
history of wireless technology and radios.

There are three Snap Circuits® stations set up for visitors to build an
FM radio, and a working replica of a spark-gap transmitter. There is
also a complete amateur station with a telescoping mast and a quarter
wave vertical ground plane antenna. The trailer has all of the
necessary equipment for youth to fox hunt.

More than 100 people went through the trailer and ATARA is planning on
setting up again for Field Day in June.

ATARA Activities Director Diane Warner, KE8HLD, said it was a great
day. She stated, "It was exciting to see children's excitement as they
keyed their name in Morse code, built an FM radio, made a spark on the
spark gap transmitter, and watched the waterfall on the radio station's
monitor."

She added that ATARA plans to add improvements and more exhibits to the
trailer.

Warner also thanked the ARRL Foundation, saying, "We have been given a
wonderful opportunity to reach youth and adults and show them the
wonderful world of amateur radio!"

The All Things Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

==> INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY: NATIONAL PARKS DIRECTOR MAKES QSO

International Marconi Day celebrates the accomplishments of radio
pioneer Guglielmo Marconi on the Saturday closest to his birthday each
year. Stations around the world activate a special operating event to
celebrate.

On January 18, 1903, the first public two-way wireless communication
occurred between the United States and Europe. A message from President
Theodore Roosevelt was sent to King Edward VII from the South Wellfleet
site <https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/marconi.htm>. The
site is preserved within the Cape Cod National Seashore in
Massachusetts.

For International Marconi Day 2023, the Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club
activated the site
<https://nediv.arrl.org/2023/01/06/km1cc-on-the-air-for-120th-anniversary-of-marconis-transatlantic-message/>

with their club call sign, KM1CC. Their event featured a special guest,
the Director of the National Park Service Charles "Chuck" Sams III
<https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/director.htm>. The Director operated third
party from the site for a scheduled QSO with W1AW, the Hiram Percy
Maxim Memorial Station at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut.

During the 40-meter QSO, Sams relayed his appreciation for the history
of the site, stating, "This historic site is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places for its global importance in communication
history." He also noted his time in the United States Navy and how
critical it was to have two-way radio communications from ship-to-shore
and ship-to-ship.

==> 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>.

"West Michigan aviation students speak with astronaut in space
<https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/west-michigan-aviation-students-speak-with-astronaut-in-space/>"

/ WOOD-TV (Michigan), April 20, 2023 -- Students from the West Michigan
Aviation Academy speak to astronaut with help from several amateur
radio groups.

"International Marconi Day Celebrated At Binghamton Landmark
<https://www.wicz.com/story/48769775/international-marconi-day-celebrated-at-binghamton-landmark>"

/ WICZ (New York), April 22, 2023 -- The Binghamton Amateur Radio
Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Columbia-based amateur radio operator named Howard's Emergency
Management Volunteer of the Year
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/columbia-based-amateur-radio-operator-named-howard-s-emergency-management-volunteer-of-the-year/ar-AA1ahBL0>"

/ Baltimore Sun (Maryland), April 24, 2023 - Dan Wilt, N3YQ, is a
member of the Columbia Amateur Radio Association, an ARRL Affiliated
Club.

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

==> ARRL PODCASTS

On the Air
Sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>

The March/April 2023 issue of On the Air featured an article on "The
Incident Command System and Amateur Radio," that introduced the
Incident Command System (ICS), an emergency management system that
public safety agencies use to respond to everything from small
incidents to large-scale emergencies. ARRL Director of Emergency
Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins this episode of the podcast to
share more about the system's origins and uses, where and how amateur
radio operators fit into the system, and where to get ICS training.

ARRL Audio News
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 Houston AMSAT Net has been around since the mid - 80-'s and AMSAT
Board of Directors member Bruce Paige, KK5DO, started hosting it in
1993. Net sessions now total more than 1500; number 1,506 occurred on
April 11, 2023. Check-ins feature discussions about satellite and
balloon operations. Andy MacAllister, W5ACM (SK), was the host with
Paige and Marty Smith, WV5Y. Through the years, they morphed from
geostationary satellites and streaming to its current format,
podcasting and EchoLink. Smith is now the host and Paige has relocated
to a different area and cannot reach the local Houston, Texas,
repeater. However, he provides the copy each week for the ARRL Audio
News. Vern Jackson, WA0RCR, has put the program on the top band for all
these years. You can listen to the last net on 1860 kHz AM. The net can
be heard on the local Houston repeater, W5BSA, on 145.190 MHz on
Tuesday evenings at 8:00 PM Central Time. At amsatnet.com
<https://amsatnet.com/>, you can find a link to the live stream of the
net, a link to the recorded nets for the past four weeks, and some
older live streams. There is also a link for the URLs that are
referenced during the net, so you do not need to write them down. A
subscription is available to receive the links via email when they are
posted. The AMSAT net can be found with a stream on EchoLink connecting
to *AMSAT*. A special thanks to Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Board of
Directors member for the updated information.

==> IN BRIEF...

Former Section Manager of the ARRL Northern Florida Section Stephen
Szabo, WB4OMM, passed away Sunday, April 23, 2023.

Szabo was an ARRL Life Member and a Quarter Century Wireless
Association Inc. member. He served as the Northern Florida Section
Manager for four years, from 2014 to 2018. In June 1968, he began his
amateur radio journey with the Boy Scouts while on a weekend camping
trip to Montrose, New York. He earned his Novice license in 1971. Szabo
retired from his full-time role as a captain of the Daytona Beach
Police Department of Florida in 2010 but remained active part-time
until 2021. He was a member of the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio
Association (DBARA) and served as President from 1992 to 1996 and from
1999 to 2003. He also served as Vice President in 1998, Director in
1990, 1991, and 1997, Secretary in 2004, License Trustee, and Treasurer
in 2011 and 2012. Szabo won DBARA Ham of the Year in 1995 and 2009 and
the President's Award in 1996 and 1997. In 2005, he started the Daytona
Beach CERT Amateur Radio Team and had been very active in the club as
President until he stepped down due to illness in early 2023. Read more
about his life and his amateur radio journey on his webpage
<https://wb4omm.com/>.

The Hualapai Amateur Radio Club (HARC), WB6RER, in Kingman, Arizona,
presented the Kingman Regional Medical Center's WL Nugent Cancer Center
with a check for $1,300 in memory of club member Alan Stevenson,
KG7YLB, (SK). The check was presented by club President Rick Cooper,
K7CNT, Trustee David Admire, KE6HHL, and Stevenson's widow, Carol
Stevenson. Mrs. Stevenson donated her late husband's amateur radio
equipment to the club to be sold. She asked that a portion of the sales
be donated to a cancer charity. The remainder of the money was kept by
the club to fund activities, which include communications in support of
the local community. Most of Stevenson's equipment was purchased by
club members eager to help. HARC chose Kingman Regional Medical
Center's WL Nugent Cancer Center to further assist the people of
Kingman. Club Secretary Mike Risser, KG6ECW, said, "One of the reasons
that amateur radio exists is to help the communities that we live in,
[and] this is another way we were able to do that." The HARC is focused
on radio communications that use internationally allocated radio
frequencies. HARC provides communications for community events,
promotes Kingman through on-the-air activities and events, and assists
with emergency communications. HARC also stands ready to assist people
in becoming licensed radio amateurs through certified testing sessions.
They are restarting their annual Hamfests, which were on hiatus due to
COVID-19. The club is heavily integrated in county and municipal
activities throughout the Kingman/Hualapai County area. For more
information or to contact HARC, visit https://www.wb6rer.net
<https://www.wb6rer.net/>. HARC is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL
Propagation Bulletin, ARLP017:

At 0134 UTC on April 27, The Australian Space Weather Forecasting
Centre of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a geomagnetic
disturbance warning, stating, "An equatorial coronal hole is currently
elevating solar wind speeds. Combined with the anticipated impact from
a recent CME on April 27, geomagnetic activity is expected to be at
G0-G1 levels over April 27 - 28, with a slight chance of an isolated
period of G2."

Solar and geomagnetic indicators moved in opposite directions this
week. Average daily sunspot numbers over April 20 - 26 made a dramatic
drop from 146.9 to 91.4, and average daily solar flux dropped from
164.5 to 139.4.

Average daily planetary A index more than tripled from 8.1 to 26.9,
while average middle latitude A index more than doubled from 7.3 to
15.6.

Solar wind and explosions caused all of this grief.

Spaceweather.com reported that on April 21, a large magnetic filament
on the sun exploded and hurled debris toward Earth.

Later, they reported that on April 23, at 1737 UTC a CME hit Earth,
which sparked a severe G4-class geomagnetic storm. Aurora was visible
as far south as southern New Mexico and Texas.

The planetary K index went as high as 8 over April 23 - 24.

Predicted solar flux over the next month is 135 on April 27 - 30; 140
on May 1 - 6, then 145, 150, 155, 160, and 165 on May 7 - 11; 170 on
May 12 - 13, then 165, 160, 155, 150, 145, and 140 on May 14 - 19; 135
on May 20 - 21; 130 and 125 on May 22 - 23; 120 on May 24 - 25, and
125, 130, and 135 on May 26 - 28.

Predicted planetary A index is 18, 25, and 12 on April 27 - 29; 8 on
April 30 through May 3, then 10, 8, 12, and 10 on May 4 - 7; 8 on May 8
- 9, then 5, 5, and 12 on May 10 - 12; 5 on May 13 - 15; 8 on May 16 -
17; 5 on May 18 - 22, then 15 and 18 on May 23 - 34, and 15 on May 25 -
27.

Here is a link to the aurora as observed in China:

https://bit.ly/41KyY3w

Here is a link to explaining the aurora:

https://bit.ly/3n7ROm2

Sunspot numbers for April 20 through 26, 2023, were 97, 114, 87, 86,
88, 87, and 81, with a mean of 91.4. 10.7-centimeter flux was 147,
151.2, 141.2, 135.2, 133.9, 130.7, and 136.5, with a mean of 139.4.
Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 9, 7, 66, 76, 10, and 15, with a
mean of 26.9. Middle latitude A index was 5, 8, 6, 32, 39, 7, and 12,
with a mean of 15.6.

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

The Yearlong -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/>
(VOTA) event continues. On their website you can see the State
Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable Operations
<https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including:

- April 26 - May 2 New Jersey W1AW/2

- April 26 - May 2 New Hampshire W1AW/1

- May 3 - May 10 Iowa W1AW/0

- May 3 - May 10 Alaska W1AW/KL7

==> UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- April 29 - 30 -- 10-10 Int'l Spring Contest, (digital)

- April 29 -- UK/EI DX Contest, (CW)

- April 29 - 30 -- Helvetia Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- April 29 - 30 -- Florida QSO Party (CW, phone,)

- May 1 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test (CW)

- May 1 -- AGCW QRP/QRP Party (CW)

- May 1 -- OK1WC Memorial (MWC) (CW)

- May 2 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)

- May 2 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

- May 3 -- CWops Test (CWT) (CW)

- May 3 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)

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

==> UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- May 7 | Warminster Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/warminster-arc-hamfest-arrl-eastern-pennsylvania-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Bristol,
Pennsylvania

- May 13 | ARRL Nebraska State Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-nebraska-state-convention-2>,
Lincoln, Nebraska

- May 19 - 21 | Dayton Hamvention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-arrl-great-lakes-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Xenia, Ohio

- June 2 - 4 | SEA-PAC
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sea-pac-arrl-northwestern-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon

- June 3 | Atlanta Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlanta-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia

- June 4 | BreezeShooters Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/breezeshooters-hamfest-arrl-western-pennsylvania-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect,
Pennsylvania

- June 17 | Knoxville Hamfest and Electronics Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/knoxville-hamfest-and-electronics-convention-arrl-tennessee-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

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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