The ARRL Letter for September 22, 2016

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

September 22, 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

- Momentum Building to Urge Senate Passage of the Amateur Radio Parity
Act
- AT&T's New "AirGig" is Not Your Father's BPL
- Get Set for the SET: ARRL 2016 Simulated Emergency Test is October
1-2 Weekend
- The Doctor Will See You Now!
- National Parks on the Air Update
- A Record Breaker on 630 Meters!
- "Cows Over the World" DXpedition Tour to Resume
- FCC Updates Notice on Amateur Radio Operation in CEPT Countries
- Limor Fried, AC2SN, Named Among Most Influential Women in Internet of
Things Industry
- World War II Norwegian Resistance Member Haakon Sørbye, LA8Y, SK
- Past ARRL Oregon Section Manager Randy Stimson, KZ7T, SK
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> MOMENTUM BUILDING TO URGE SENATE PASSAGE OF THE AMATEUR RADIO
PARITY ACT

The response to ARRL's call to action urging the support of US Senators
for the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act>, has been gratifying --
although the campaign continues. More than 50,000 e-mails have been
sent to Capitol Hill via Rally Congress
<https://arrl.rallycongress.net/ctas/urge-senate-to-support-amateur-radio-par
ity-act>,
and all 100 US Senate members have been contacted. The League continues
to encourage members of the Amateur Radio community who have not yet
done so to reach out to their two US Senators seeking their support.
Just where things stand with respect to the bill's future in the US
Senate is not yet entirely clear.

"As of this moment, we have no date set for action by the Senate," said
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who has been deeply
involved in promoting passage of the legislation. "The Senate will
adjourn the September work period soon and members will return home to
campaign. If we do not achieve consideration before they go into
hiatus, we will have to wait until they return after Election Day."

On September 12, the US House of Representatives approved
<https://soundcloud.com/user-731126960/house-vote-on-hr-1301-sept-12-2016-fro
m-cspan>
H.R. 1301 on a voice vote under a suspension of the rules, culminating
many years of effort on ARRL's part to gain legislation that would
enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities to erect
antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The bill calls on
the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules "to prohibit the application to
amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and for
other purposes."

Shepherded by ARRL, the overwhelming grassroots support for H.R. 1301
from the Amateur Radio community was credited for getting the bill
through the US House, but it faces significant obstacles to passage in
the US Senate. The earlier US Senate version of the bill, S. 1685, no
longer is in play, and the Senate is expected to vote on the version of
H.R. 1301 that the House adopted this month. The vote came after ARRL
worked with the Community Association Institute -- which represents
homeowners associations -- to develop language that both organizations
could support.

Rally Congress makes it easy to generate letters to Senators in support
of The Amateur Radio Parity Act. The entire process takes just a couple
of minutes.

"So it is critical that ARRL members continue to write their Senators,"
Lisenco urged. "To those who have already written, thank you! If you
haven't done so already, please do so today. We can only do so much.
After that, it becomes the responsibility of the membership to
participate."

As the amended bill
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/ParityAct-SubstituteBill-Official-
2016.pdf>
provides, "Community associations should fairly administer private
land-use regulations in the interest of their communities, while
nevertheless permitting the installation and maintenance of effective
outdoor Amateur Radio antennas. There exist antenna designs and
installations that can be consistent with the aesthetics and physical
characteristics of land and structures in community associations while
accommodating communications in the Amateur Radio services."

More information <http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> on The
Amateur Radio Parity Act is on the ARRL website.

==> AT&T'S NEW "AIRGIG" IS NOT YOUR FATHER'S BPL

Recalling the earlier efforts of the FCC and telecommunications and
utility interests to roll out "Broadband over Power Line" (BPL
<http://www.arrl.org/broadband-over-powerline-bpl>) technology, the
Amateur Radio community has been buzzing with questions about AT&T's
just-announced "AirGig
<http://about.att.com/newsroom/att_to_test_delivering_multi_gigabit_wireless_
internet_speeds_using_power_lines.html>"
BPL plan to make broadband available via apparently similar technology.
ARRL's earlier anti-BPL campaign, and market forces, eventually led to
the demise of the prior BPL initiative. ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed
Hare, W1RFI, who spearheaded the earlier effort to quantify BPL's
threat to Amateur Radio's HF spectrum and remains the resident expert
on the subject, said this newest BPL incarnation should not pose an
interference issue for radio amateurs.

"This technology uses millimeter-wave RF signals (30 GHz to 300 GHz)
coupled onto the surface of power lines to transmit the signal along
the line with relatively low losses," Hare explained. "After looking at
this technology, it looks nothing like the type of HF and VHF BPL that
caused us so many problems years ago. The sky is not falling."

Hare added that it is not likely that the AT&T technology will even use
Amateur Radio bands, so there is little reason for concern even among
those amateurs who use spectrum above 24 GHz.

According to AT&T's September 20 announcement, the company is "deep in
the experimentation phase" of the developing technology, which it says
would be "easier to deploy than fiber, can run over license-free
spectrum, and can deliver ultra-fast wireless connectivity to any home
or handheld wireless device." AT&T said its initial -- and continuing
-- testing at AT&T outdoor facilities "has been positive," and initial
field trials are set to begin in 2017.

Hare said the League will keep an eye and ear out for interference
problems, but he believes that the frequencies involved and the fact
that these signals should not propagate far from the lines will pose
little risk to the Amateur Radio Service. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/at-t-s-new-airgig-not-your-father-s-bpl>.

==> GET SET FOR THE SET: ARRL 2016 SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST IS OCTOBER
1-2 WEEKEND

The primary focal point of the 2016 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET)
is just ahead -- Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2. The national
emergency exercise is aimed at testing the skills and preparedness of
the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other organizations that
are called into action in actual emergency situations.

"Every local ARES team and/or ARRL Section will come up with their own
scenarios and work with served agencies and partner organizations
<http://www.arrl.org/served-agencies-and-partners> during the SET,"
ARRL Field Organization Team Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, said, noting
that not all SETs will take place on October 1 and 2.

"SETs can be scheduled at the local and Section levels and conducted
throughout the fall to help maximize participation," he said. "But ARRL
Field Organization leaders have the option of conducting their SETs on
another weekend, if October 1 and 2 is not convenient."

ARRL Field Organization leaders are among those tasked with developing
plans and scenarios for this year's SET, Ewald explained.

"The SET invites all radio amateurs to become aware of emergency
preparedness and available training," Ewald said. "ARES, Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service (RACES), National Traffic Systemâ(tm)¢, SKYWARN,
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Salvation Army Team Emergency
Radio Network (SATERN), and other allied groups and public
service-oriented radio amateurs are encouraged to participate."

The object of the annual nationwide exercise is to test training and
skills and to try out new methods.

"It's a time to work with partner organizations and served agencies to
get to know them better and to determine their needs before an
emergency or disaster strikes," Ewald said. "Knowing who to contact
within partner groups and knowing the planned procedures will help
everyone to accomplish their goals and succeed in their missions.

To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net
Manager. See the ARRL Sections <http://www.arrl.org/groups/sections>
web pages or your ARRL Section Manager (see page 16 of QST for contact
information). Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/get-set-for-the-set-arrl-2016-simulated-emergency-t
est-is-october-1-2-weekend>.

==> THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

"Coping with the Solar Minimum" is the topic of the latest (September
22) 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>.

==> NATIONAL PARKS ON THE AIR UPDATE

More than 650,000 contacts have been logged for ARRL's National Parks
on the Air (NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>) program. This comes from
over 12,000 different activations of over 450 eligible NPOTA units from
1,178 Activators.

One of those activators is Bob Voss, N4CD. Bob is incredibly active in
county hunting, and has transmitted from all 3077 US counties twice.
Bob has also been an NPOTA road warrior, activating better than 230
unique NPOTA units from his mobile station. Bob is wrapping up another
of his multi-state trips, with activations from Louisiana to the
Eastern Seaboard. Look for him this weekend from the Washington, DC
area; he says he'll probably head out on another NPOTA adventure in
November.

Fifty activations are slated for September 22-28, including Chaco
Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, and Canyonlands
National Park in Utah.

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).

==> A RECORD BREAKER ON 630 METERS!

Although US radio amateurs do not yet have access to 630 meters,
Canadian licensees do, and one of them was on the North American end of
the first two-way contact on that band between Canada and Australia.
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, in British Columbia, and Roger Crofts, VK4YB, in
Queensland, completed a contact on September 15 between 1225 and 1319
UTC using JT9 <http://www.arrl.org/have-a-great-time-with-jt9> digital
mode. The distance covered was on the order of 7000 miles.

"This morning a historic QSO for the Amateur Service was completed!"
commented John Langridge, KB5NJD, who also holds an FCC Part 5
Experimental license, WG2XIQ. "This is also the longest two-way QSO on
630 meters ever completed." The contact took place on 474.300 kHz.

McDonald said band conditions were just good enough to get the job
done. "Well, it wasn't pretty as in 'pretty-quick,' but it's done," he
told Langridge in recounting the contact. McDonald told ARRL that the
band "was not particularly good this far north and was much better just
a few hundred miles to my south," but had been improving "little by
little."

Crofts agreed that he and McDonald had a tough time of it. "It was a
real struggle, but finally got there," he told Langridge in an e-mail.
"I thought we were going to miss out, because all the big signals had
taken a dive. Obviously the path to VE7 was still hanging in there."

McDonald said his antenna is "basically about the size of a 160
meter inverted L, but over extremely poor ground," while Crofts, with
what McDonald described as "a monster antenna" was doing the heavy
lifting for the contact. McDonald was using a transverter that VK4YB
had sent him for beta testing, driving an LF MOSFET amplifier converted
for 630 meter use.

Meanwhile. Joe Lowe, NU6O, in California, reports that VK4YB also heard
his WI2XBQ Experimental Service beacon on September 14. "I was running
0.5 W ERP, 50 W TPO, into a 43-foot vertical in the backyard," he told
ARRL. "Very low power and simple equipment are capable of DX on 630
meters!" Lowe said he was using WSPR mode.

An April 2015 FCC Report and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (R&O/NPRM
<http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=60001030137>) proposed a new
secondary 630 meter MF allocation at 472 to 479 kHz to Amateur Radio,
implementing decisions made at WRC-12. It also allocated 135.7 to 137.8
kHz to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis. A Report and Order is
pending.

==> "COWS OVER THE WORLD" DXPEDITION TOUR TO RESUME

Tom Callas, KC0W, reports his all-CW "Cows Over the World" DXpeditions
will resume with his T30COW operation from Western Kiribati, September
25-October 24.

"My proposed 'Top 25 Most Wanted' DXpeditions is not going to happen,"
he said on his QRZ.com page <https://www.qrz.com/db/kc0w>. "Sorry for
getting anyone's hopes up."

He's still awaiting permission to operate from Tokelau and Nauru.
Callas said all requests to visit Tokelau (ZK3) are reviewed by tribal
elders, a process that "takes a long time," he said in a September 20
update to his QRZ.com page.

"If no firm progress has been made by December, I will DX from Nauru
until -- hopefully -- I receive the official okay to visit Tokelau," he
said. If he has to wait longer than that, he will operate from Fiji,
taking advantage of the 3D2KOW license he's been issued for a
DXpedition in 2017.

He expects to be in the Solomon Islands, operating as H44COW from
October 25 to November 26.

Callas runs 500 W into vertical antennas over salt water, and is active
in all major CW contests. He updates his activities on QRZ.com. QSL
direct via KC0W only. A log search will be available on ClubLog
<http://www.clublog.org/>. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News
via OPDX; The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>

==> FCC UPDATES NOTICE ON AMATEUR RADIO OPERATION IN CEPT COUNTRIES

The FCC has updated its Public Notice
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-1048A1.pdf> on
Amateur Radio operation in European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT <http://www.cept.org/>)
countries that have adopted certain recommendations regarding the US.
The updated notice, in English, German, and French, includes some
additional countries where operation is permitted. Licensees operating
in CEPT countries must have a copy of the Public Notice, proof of US
citizenship, and evidence of an FCC Amateur Radio license grant. These
must be shown to "proper authorities" upon request.

Subject to regulations in force in the country visited, a US citizen
holding an FCC General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class Amateur Radio
license grant "is authorized to utilize temporarily an Amateur Station
in a [CEPT] country that has implemented certain recommendations with
respect to the United States."

Advanced or Amateur Extra class operators are granted CEPT Radio
Amateur License privileges, in accordance with CEPT Recommendation T/R
61-01 <http://www.erodocdb.dk/docs/doc98/official/pdf/TR6101.pdf> (as
amended). General class operators are granted CEPT Novice Radio Amateur
License privileges, in accordance with ECC Recommendation (05)06
<http://www.erodocdb.dk/docs/doc98/official/pdf/rec0506.pdf> (as
amended).

The Public Notice
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-1048A1.pdf>
includes complete details. Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-updates-notice-on-amateur-radio-operation-in-ce
pt-countries>.

==> LIMOR FRIED, AC2SN, NAMED AMONG MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN INTERNET
OF THINGS INDUSTRY

The Internet of Things (IoT) Institute has named ARRL member Limor
Fried, AC2SN, of New York City as one of the 25 most influential women
<http://www.ioti.com/iot-trends-and-analysis/25-most-influential-women-iot>
in the IoT industry. IoT embraces the concept of connecting devices
from cell phones to appliances and machine components to the Internet
and/or to each other. Individuals were named on the basis of attainment
of leadership roles related to IoT, hands-on experience developing IoT
technology, outstanding research related to IoT, and social reach,
among other factors.

Fried founded the open-source hardware firm Adafruit
<https://www.adafruit.com/about> from her MIT dorm room in 2005. The
Manhattan-based company, which now employs more than 50 people, offers
tools, equipment, and electronic components targeted at the "maker"
audience, including IoT technology. She was the first female engineer
to appear on the cover of WIRED and was Entrepreneur magazine's
Entrepreneur of the Year for 2012.

In June, Fried was designated as a White House Champion of Change. As
Adafruit's sole owner, Fried has become known for creating resources
for and supporting the learning of electronics for makers of all ages
and skill levels.

==> WORLD WAR II NORWEGIAN RESISTANCE MEMBER HAAKON SøRBYE, LA8Y, SK

World War II Norwegian resistance activist Haakon Sørbye, LA8Y, of
Trondheim, Norway, died on September 15. He was 96. In 1939, the year
after World War II erupted in Europe, Sørbye, then an engineering
student and young radio amateur, first enlisted as a telegrapher in the
Norwegian military.

After Norway surrendered to the Nazis, he joined the Norwegian
resistance and became part of the "Skylark B" group -- one of two radio
communication teams that relayed to London information on the movement
of German troops and supplies. The mostly student Skylark B team also
alerted London when the Germans captured the world's first plant to
mass-produce heavy water -- a building block for the atomic bomb.

Most Skylark B members eventually were arrested by the Nazis, and seven
of them died in extermination camps. Sørbye survived, however, and was
rescued by the "White Buses" -- an operation carried out by Swedish Red
Cross members in early 1945 that saved more than 15,000 concentration
camp survivors.

Following the war, Sørbye returned to school, eventually becoming a
professor of telematics at the Norwegian Institute of Technology. In
addition to the Defence Medal awarded to military and civilian
personnel who took part in fighting the German invasion and occupation
of Norway, he was decorated with the King's Medal for Courage in the
Cause of Freedom. -- Thanks to Pete Varounis, NL7XM

==> PAST ARRL OREGON SECTION MANAGER RANDY STIMSON, KZ7T, SK

Former ARRL Oregon Section Manager Randy Stimson, KZ7T, died on
September 10, after a period of declining health. He was 82. Stimson
served as Oregon SM from 1987 until 1998. In 2003, he was appointed to
fill a vacancy in the SM post.

He was elected to the position in 2004, and he served until 2006,
making him Oregon's longest-serving SM. In addition to ham radio,
Stimson was active for many years in Cycle Oregon.

A service will be held in Spokane, Washington, on September 24. --
Thanks to Everett Curry, W6ABM

==> IN BRIEF...

Amateur Radio-Military Interoperability Exercise Set for October
31-November 1: An Amateur Radio-military interoperability exercise will
take place October 31-November 1. The event will begin at 1200 UTC on
October 31 and continue through 2359 UTC on November 1 on 60 meter
channels 1-4 --5.3305 MHz, 5.3465 MHz, 5.357 MHz, and 5.3715 MHz,
respectively. During this exercise, military stations will attempt to
make radio contact with stations in as many of the 3077 US counties as
possible. Radio amateurs providing "county status" information will
receive a US Department of Defense "interoperability QSL card." For
more information, contact <mars.ex...@gmail.com> the Military
Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS).

New Section Manager Appointed in Northern New Jersey: Steve Ostrove,
K2SO, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was appointed as ARRL Northern New
Jersey Section Manager, effective September 16. He takes the reins of
the Northern New Jersey Field Organization after Richard Krohn, N2SMV,
announced his resignation after serving as SM since July 2008. ARRL
Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, received
Krohn's resignation and recommendation for his replacement and
consulted with ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB,
before making the appointment. Ostrove will complete the current term
of office that extends until June 30, 2017. Ostrove has served as
Assistant Section Manager in Northern New Jersey since 2009, and was
the Section Emergency Coordinator from 2001 through 2008. He is a
District Emergency Coordinator, Official Emergency Station, and
Official Relay Station.

Kentucky Lieutenant Governor and Radio Amateur Talks Ham Radio during
Hamfest, Interview: ARRL member Jenean Hampton, K5EIB, the relatively
new Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, was a guest of honor at the
Greater Louisville Hamfest <http://louisvillehamfest.com/> on September
10. She told attendees that her duties as Lieutenant Governor did not
let her be as involved in ham radio as she would like, but she does
keep a 2 meter handheld transceiver with her because, she explained,
"It's important to always be prepared in the event of an emergency." Lt
Gov Hampton was interviewed
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb3gg6ommXE> by Katie Allen, WY7YL,
for Amateur Radio Roundtable on August 23. She told Allen that she's
really looking forward to getting some "serious equipment" and that not
having time for ham radio is one of the things she regrets about her
life in politics.

One Radio Amateur Among Expedition 49/50 Crew Members Headed to ISS:
Three Expedition 49/50 crew members will head to the International
Space Station on Friday, September 23. Astronaut Shane Kimbrough,
KE5HOD, and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko will head
into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will spend
approximately 5 months aboard the orbital complex before returning to
Earth in late February. Kimbrough, Ryzhikov, and Borisenko will join
Expedition 49 Commander Anatoly Ivanishin and his crewmates -- Kate
Rubins, KG5FYJ, and Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS, who have been on station
since July. Between launch and docking, the trio will spend 2 days in
the Soyuz MS-02, testing system upgrades. NASA TV
<http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv> will provide live coverage of the launch
and docking.

ARRL November Sweepstakes Operating Period is 30 Hours: The 2016 ARRL
November Sweepstakes <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> announcement
that appears on page 94 of the October 2016 issue of QST incorrectly
indicates the period of the event. The ARRL November Sweepstakes runs
for 30 hours, and participants may operate for 24 out of the 30 hours.
The CW event is November 5-7; the phone event is November 19-21.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspot numbers and solar flux were
down over our September 15-21 reporting week. The average daily sunspot
number was 29.9, down from 50.1 during the previous 7 days. Average
daily solar flux dipped from 88.9 to 83.4.

Geomagnetic indices were up a bit, with the average daily planetary A
index rising from 6.7 to 8.9, and the average daily mid-latitude A
index moving from 6.1 to 7.6. The predicted average planetary A index
for the next 7 days is expected to rise to 13.1, and the average solar
flux to 86.4, according to the latest 45-day outlook.

Predicted solar flux is 85 on September 22-24; 90 on September 25-26;
85 on September 27-29; 95 on September 30-October 2; 90 on October 3-6;
85 on October 7-13; 80 on October 14-15; 85 on October 16-20; 88, 90,
and 95 on October 21-23; 100 on October 24-27, and 95 on October 28-29.

The predicted planetary A index is 8 on September 22-23; 5, 8, 18, and
10 on October 24-27; 35 on September 28-29; 32 on September 30; 30 and
18 on October 1-2; 15 on October 3-5; 5 on October 6-15; 18, 20, 12,
and 8 on October 16-19; 5 on October 20-22; 15 and 10 on October 23-24,
and 35 on October 25-27.

Thursday, September 22 is the autumnal equinox, and the first day of
fall. This should herald better HF propagation than we've seen in the
past couple of months, and Spaceweather.com
<http://www.spaceweather.com/> reports
<http://news.spaceweather.com/autumn-is-aurora-season/> that this is
also the start of the aurora season.

Sunspot numbers for September 15 through 21 were 12, 13, 14, 47, 56,
32, and 35, with a mean of 29.9. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 84.4,
83.7, 80.3, 83, 82.6, 84.5, and 85.5, with a mean of 83.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 3, 4, 9, 10, 19, and 10, with a mean of
8.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 3, 4, 8, 8, 15, and 9,
with a mean of 7.6.

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

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==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- September 24 -- RSGB International Sprint (CW)

- September 24 -- AGCW VHF/UHF Contest (CW)

- September 24-25 -- ARRL EME Contest <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest>
(CW, phone, digital)

- September 24-25 --CQ World Wide DX Contest (RTTY)

- September 24-25 -- Maine QSO Party (CW, phone)

- September 24-25 -- Texas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- September 25 -- UBA ON Contest, 6 meters (CW, phone)

- September 25-28 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)

- September 25 -- Peanut Power QRP Sprint (CW, phone)

- September 27 -- 220 MHz Fall Sprint (CW, phone)

- September 28 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

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

- September 29 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (CW)

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

- September 23-24 -- W4DXCC Convention <http://www.w4dxcc.com/>, Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee

- September 24 -- San Joaquin Valley Section Convention
<http://www.fcemcomm.org/>, Modesto, California

- September 24 -- North Dakota State Convention <http://www.rrra.org/>,
West Fargo, North Dakota

- September 24 -- Washington State Convention <http://kbara.org/>,
Spokane Valley, Washington

- October 7-8 -- Florida State Convention <http://pcars.org/>,
Melbourne, Florida

- October 7-8 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Conference
<http://pnwvhfs.org/>, Bend, Oregon

- October 13-15 -- Microwave Update Conference
<http://www.microwaveupdate.org/>, St Louis, Missouri

- October 14-16 -- Pacific Division Convention
<http://www.pacificon.org/>, San Ramon, California

- October 16 -- Connecticut State Convention
<http://nutmeghamfest.com/>, Meriden, Connecticut

- October 21-22 -- Arizona State Convention <http://copahams.org/>,
Maricopa, Arizona

- October 22 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
<http://www.wi-aresraces.org/>, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

- November 5 -- TechFest Convention <http://na0tc.org/>, Lakewood,
Colorado

- November 5-6 -- Georgia State Convention
<http://www.stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana

- November 19 -- Alabama State Convention
<http://www.w4ap.org/news/Hamfest.htm>, Montgomery, Alabama

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

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information.

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