The ARRL Letter for August 4, 2022

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

August 4, 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

- New ARRL Radio Lab Inspires Innovation in the Ham Shack
- Sangamon Valley Radio Club to Sponsor Radio Orienteering Activities
- Hams Radio Operators Support American Red Cross in Kentucky Flood
Response
- Young Amateurs Radio Club to Host Inaugural Special Event
- ARRL New England Division Helps FEMA Test Message Distribution
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts Schedule
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> NEW ARRL RADIO LAB INSPIRES INNOVATION IN THE HAM SHACK

ARRL has unveiled its new Radio Laboratory, W1HQ, in a video
<https://youtu.be/68BJxGHg74Y> released on August 4, 2022. In the
video, Jherica Goodgame, KI5HTA, a summer intern at ARRL Headquarters,
tours viewers through the station.

"The ARRL Radio Lab is an innovative test space designed to reshape the
way we imagine and build a ham radio shack," said Goodgame. The station
is intended to inspire members to build, organize, and equip their own
stations in innovative ways. "From a decluttered workspace and a
digital user interface, to being able to remote into the equipment from
anywhere, W1HQ is a step towards the future of amateur radio stations,"
Goodgame added.

The station includes a new tower and antennas atop the main
administrative building at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut.
Inside the station, three operating positions provide an interface to
rack-mounted and computer-controlled transceivers, amplifiers, antenna
switches, and rotators.

Goodgame explained that the Radio Lab will also support equipment
testing and QST Product Review. "An extension of product reviews in the
future will be to take that piece of gear that we're testing, put it on
this test bench, and see how it integrates with a station that's
already under full automation and control," she said.

The video is published on ARRL's YouTube channel at
https://youtu.be/68BJxGHg74Y <https://youtu.be/68BJxGHg74Y%20>.

==> SANGAMON VALLEY RADIO CLUB TO SPONSOR RADIO ORIENTEERING ACTIVITIES

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has awarded a grant to the
Sangamon Valley Radio Club (SVRC) in Springfield, Illinois for a new
project to introduce youth, outdoor enthusiasts, and members of the
public to amateur radio.

The grant is for Radio Orienteering activities, also known as Amateur
Radio Direction Finding (ARDF). SVRC will purchase transmitters,
controllers, receivers, maps, and other items needed to conduct
successful Radio Orienteering events. In addition, there will be
several events for SVRC members and local youth groups such as Boy
Scouts of America and Civil Air Patrol. The events will allow
participants to learn the technical and outdoor skills needed to
succeed in Radio Orienteering.

Radio Orienteering is an international sport. Participants use handheld
directional radio receivers, compasses, maps, and radio-direction
finding skills to search for transmitters operating in the 2-meter and
80-meter bands. They use their athletic, orienteering, and technical
skills, attempting to locate low-power transmitters and get to the
finish line first.

The ARRL ARDF Committee
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-direction-finding> explains that in
"this sport there are no vehicles, traffic jams, or exhaust fumes.
Radio Orienteering (aka, Amateur Radio Direction Finding, or ARDF)
brings radios into the great outdoors with maps and compasses,
providing a uniquely enjoyable way to learn new radio skills.... It
involves constructing direction-finding equipment, training amateurs in
the rules of the sport, and organizing events in the USA" and other
countries.

The 20th IARU World Championships in Amateur Radio Direction Finding
will be held in Borovets, Bulgaria, August 28 - September 3, 2022. The
22nd USA Radio Orienteering Championships will be held April 19 - 23,
2023, near Dallas, Texas.

The Sangamon Valley Radio Club plans to share their experiences and
equipment requirements to help other amateur radio clubs who may be
considering similar events and programs.

More information about the Sangamon Valley Radio Club
<http://svrc.org/> can be found at their website.

ARDC <https://www.ampr.org/> is a California-based foundation with
roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication.

==> HAMS RADIO OPERATORS SUPPORT AMERICAN RED CROSS IN KENTUCKY FLOOD
RESPONSE

As the flood waters began to recede following devastating rainfall in
Kentucky that began on July 26, the American Red Cross reported that
over 400 of their disaster workers were on the ground, as well as
dozens more in other locations. They provided shelter, meals, and other
forms of support. Red Cross teams also worked alongside their state and
municipal partners among others, including Kentucky Amateur Radio
Emergency Service® (ARES <http://www.arrl.org/ares>®) volunteers.

ARRL <http://www.arrl.org/> Director of Emergency Management Josh
Johnston, KE5MHV, was in touch with American Red Cross personnel in the
affected area. He said ham radio volunteers were supporting Red Cross
damage assessment teams with radio communications. "The rural and
mountainous terrain of the affected area adds to the already difficult
situation," said Johnston.

Much of the local response effort is being coordinated by Steve Morgan,
W4NHO, of Owensboro, Kentucky. The response of radio amateurs
throughout the region is under and in cooperation with an existing
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kentucky Chapter of the
American Red Cross.

ARES® groups from Ohio and Virginia have also been in touch with hams
in the affected areas and have been on standby, ready to respond if
needed.

==> YOUNG AMATEURS RADIO CLUB TO HOST INAUGURAL SPECIAL EVENT

The Young Amateurs Radio Club (YARC) will host their first annual
youth-organized special event from September 1 - 15, 2022. Using their
call sign, WY4RC, the event is known as "Worked All YARC Zones (WAYZ)."
Operators will be activating WY4RC stations from all 10 US call zones.
Different awards are available for youth operators who activate a
station, and for those who contact at least six WY4RC stations.

Any young amateur or club interested in operating during the event can
find the rules and additional information at the Young Amateurs Radio
Club
<https://yarc.world/index.php/events/2022/yarc-worked-all-yarc-zones-wayz-contest-event/>

website.

YARC, founded in 2017, is an international amateur radio club with a
focus on promoting adoption and innovation in amateur radio among young
people. In 2018 the club was officially recognized by the FCC as an
official amateur radio club under the call sign WY4RC.

YARC has over 1,000 members on their Discord server as of 2022, and has
been changing its structure to bring back community events and increase
engagement.

==> ARRL NEW ENGLAND DIVISION HELPS FEMA TEST MESSAGE DISTRIBUTION

The ARRL New England Division recently helped the Massachusetts Task
Force 1 (MA-TF1) FEMA Urban Search & Rescue (FEMA US&R) team test
message distribution in the event of a total communications failure.

Using the National Traffic System (NTS), nearly 250 radiograms were
routed through the system. Charles Rocheleau, W1CPR, a FEMA
Communications Specialist for the MA-TF1, said the alerts were the real
thing. "The alerts I sent out were real-world alerts as the task force,
MA-TF1 FEMA US&R, was on standby for a deployment to Kentucky," he
said. "Steve Hansen, KB1TCE, runs a digital hub in Owls Head, Maine,
and was my go-to person for injecting these messages quickly into the
[NTS]."

Marcia Forde, KW1U, an active traffic handler in the NTS since 1981,
said she received an alert that 40 messages were being sent from W1CPR.
"I alerted key Maine traffic handlers to be ready, and these folks did
a fantastic job of getting them out," she stated. "All 40 messages were
handled in one day."

Phil Temples, K9HI, Vice Director of the ARRL New England Division,
said the NTS and all amateur radio operators involved did a great job
passing the messages.

==> 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>.

"Local Amateur Radio Clubs Achieve Their Best Results in North American
Field Day
<https://mailchi.mp/7510ef78fccb/port-williams-news-2022-07-19>" / Port
Williams News (Canada), July 19, 2022 -- Thanks to the Kings County and
Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Clubs.

"HARA donates radio history
<https://www.timesgazette.com/news/66846/hara-donates-radio-history>" /
The Times-Gazette (Ohio) July 20, 2022 -- The Highland Amateur Radio
Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Kids in Bangor reach for the stars by speaking to astronaut
<https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/kids-in-bangor-making-a-connection-to-space-maine/97-422d53cf-3d8c-449d-b4b9-6f2d5121df59>"

/ WLBZ (Maine) July 28, 2022 -- Thanks to the Challenger Learning
Center of Maine.

"Challenger Maine campers speak with NASA Astronaut aboard ISS
<https://www.wabi.tv/2022/07/28/challenger-maine-campers-speak-with-nasa-astronaut-aboard-iss/>"

/ WABI (Maine) July 28. 2002 -- Thanks to the Challenger Learning
Center of Maine.

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

==> ARRL PODCASTS SCHEDULE

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> podcast (Episode 31) provides an
overview of the 222 MHz frequency band.

The latest edition of the ARRL Eclectic Tech
<https://blubrry.com/eclectictech/> podcast (Episode 65) features a
discussion about lightning protection with Ron Block, NR2B.

The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both
podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well
as on Blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> |
Eclectic Tech <https://blubrry.com/eclectictech/>.

==> ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Pomeranian Local Branch of the Polish Amateur Radio Union (PZK) has
invited all amateur radio operators to participate in the 200th
anniversary of the construction and launch of the lighthouse in
Rozewie, Poland. The on-air "award competition" is active until August
31, 2022, with nine special event stations. Two of them are "joker"
stations that will be on the air only during the 25th anniversary of
International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on August 20 - 21.
Commemorative e-diplomas will be issued to those who meet the special
criteria. The competition is also open for shortwave listening (SWL)
stations. The rules and frequencies for the 200th anniversary of the
Polish lighthouse in Rozewie
<http://ot09.pzk.org.pl/akcje/200lhr/200lhr.php> are available on the
website.

Hi-Z Antenna's full line of HF directive receiving array products will
now be designed and manufactured by DX Engineering. Hi-Z's CEO,
Founder, and Chief Engineer Lee Strahan, K7TJR, said, "The time has
come for me to pass along Hi-Z Antennas' technology to DX Engineering.
It is my wish that they will usher in a new pinnacle of performance as
they carry forward Hi-Z's latest designs and ideas. It is great to know
that Hi-Z will be in such capable hands." Strahan became interested in
low-band operating more than two decades ago, after reaching Japan on
160 meters while contesting. He began building array systems for
personal use, but after publishing one of his designs on the internet,
he drew the attention of like-minded hams. Since then, Hi-Z's singular
focus has been producing and refining receiving systems that deliver
reduced noise, superb weak-signal HF reception, and reliable
performance, especially for 160 and 80 meters and AM DXing. DX
Engineering has been the exclusive dealer of Hi-Z equipment since 2013.

==> IN BRIEF...

Amateur radio provided communications for the Ironman Lake Placid
triathlon on Sunday, July 24, 2022. The Champlain Valley Amateur Radio
Club (CVARC) provided 29 licensed operators with communications for 11
ambulances, five bike aid stations, four support and gear (SAG)
vehicles, two medical tent stations, and two net control stations. All
radio operators volunteered their time and many worked 16 hours or
more, for a combined 385 hours. They were honored with an award for
Special Recognition for a Volunteer Team. -- Thanks to Mark Varin,
KD2RJP, President of CVARC, an ARRL Affiliated Club.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

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

Solar activity continued to decline this week, with the average daily
sunspot number dropping from 91.1 to 36.6, and average solar flux at
95.7, down from 107.6 the week prior.

We have not seen lower values since mid-April in bulletin ARLP015

[Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]

with average sunspot number at 34.4, and the end of February in
ARLP008 with the average solar flux at 95.4.

This was noticeable over the past week on 10 and 12 meters, but there
must still be some daily sporadic E, from what I have seen on an email
list devoted to 10-meter propagation beacons. I have one myself --
K7RA/B transmitting CW from CN87uq on 28.2833 MHz.

The outlook from the United States Air Force space weather group shows
a meager forecast for solar flux, according to forecasters Sadovsky and
Ciopastu on Wednesday.

Predicted solar flux over the next month never rises above 100, having
values of 100 for August 4 - 7; 98 and 96 on August 8 - 9; 98 on August
10 - 14; 100 on August 15 - 16; 98 on August 17 - 18; 96, 96, and 98 on
August 19 - 21; 96 again on August 22 - 23; 92 on August 24 - 28; 90
and 92 on August 29 - 30; 94 on August 31 - September 1; 96 on
September 2 - 3, and 98 on September 4 - 10.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on August 4; 5 on August 5 - 7; 8, 14,
and 12 on August 8 - 10; 8 on August 11 - 12; 5 on August 13 - 16; 22
on August 17; 15 on August 18 - 19; 8 on August 20 - 21; 5 on August 22
- 25; 10 and 12 on August 26 - 27; 5 on August 28 - 29; 12 and 10 on
August 30 - 31, and 5 on September 1 - 6.

Sunspot numbers for July 28 - August 3 were 50, 40, 27, 39, 32, 31, and
37, with a mean of 36.6. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 93, 90.8, 94.3,
95.4, 97.8, 98.8, and 99.9, with a mean of 95.7. Estimated planetary A
indices were 7, 4, 7, 11, 8, 9, and 8, with a mean of 7.7. Middle
latitude A index was 9, 6, 8, 12, 8, 10, and 7, with a mean of 8.6.

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

- August 4 - 5 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- August 4 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

- August 5 -- QRP Fox Hunt (CW)

- August 6 - 7 -- Batavia FT8 Contest (FT8)

- August 6 - 7 -- 10-10 International Summer Contest (SSB, phone)

- August 6 -- European HF Championship (CW, phone)

- August 6 - 7 -- North American QSO Party (CW)

- August 6 - 7 -- ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest (CW, phone,
digital)

- August 7 -- SARL HF Phone Contest (phone)

- August 9 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)

- August 10 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)

- August 10 -- Phone Weekly Test (phone)

- August 10 -- VHF-UHF FT8 (FT8)

- August 12 -- QRP Fox Hunt (CW)

- August 12 - 14 -- MMMonVHF/DUBUS 144-MHz Meteor-scatter Sprint
Contest (CW, phone, digital)

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

==> UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- August 6 - 7 | Cedar Valley ARC Techfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/cedar-valley-arc-techfest-arrl-iowa-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Iowa State Convention, Central City, Iowa

- August 13 | Tidewater Hamfest and Swap Meet
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tidewater-hamfest-and-swap-meet-arrl-virginia-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Virginia State Convention, Portsmouth, Virginia

- August 20 - 21 | Huntsville Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/huntsville-hamfest-arrl-southeastern-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

- August 26 - 28 | Northeast HamXposition
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northeast-hamxposition-arrl-new-england-and-hudson-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL New England and Hudson Division Conventions,
Marlborough, Massachusetts

- September 2 - 4 | Shelby Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/shelby-hamfest-arrl-north-carolina-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL North Carolina Section Convention, Shelby, North
Carolina

- September 11 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-southern-new-jersey-section-convention-1>,
Mullica Hill, New Jersey

- September 17-18 | QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
<https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/> (online event). ARRL is a QSO Today
partner.

- September 23 - 24 | HRO Superfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/hro-superfest-arrl-central-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Central Division Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

- September 24 | Red River Radio Amateur Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/red-river-radio-amateur-hamfest-arrl-dakota-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota

- September 24 | Spokane Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/spokane-hamfest-arrl-washington-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
Washington

- October 1 | Wichita Area Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wichita-area-hamfest-arrl-kansas-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Kansas State Convention, Wichita, Kansas

- October 1 | 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

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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