The ARRL Letter for June 6, 2018

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

June 6, 2018

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

- ARRL Drone Transmitters Complaint Spurs Proposed $2.8 Million FCC
Penalty
- Politico Article Raises Visibility of Amateur Radio Parity Act
Progress, Challenges
- FCC Denies Petition Aimed at Preventing Interference from Digital
Repeaters to Analog Repeaters
- The Doctor Will See You Now!
- New Edition of The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual is Now Available
- Baker Island KH1/KH7Z DXpedition Team Bracing for "Grim" Propagation
- President Nominates Enforcement Bureau Official to FCC
- Young US Radio Amateur Will Be Sole IARU Region 2 Attendee at YOTA
Camp
- ARRL Foundation Announces Two New Scholarships
- In Brief...
- Getting It Right
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> INTERNET ACCESS TO ARRL HEADQUARTERS TO BE DISRUPTED BRIEFLY ON
JUNE 10

Internet access to ARRL Headquarters will be disrupted briefly on
Sunday, June 10, as AT&T performs a required security upgrade and
reboots an onsite router. The work will take place between 0400 and
1000 UTC. All internet access at Headquarters will be disrupted during
the upgrade; all services will automatically resume as soon as
connectivity is restored. Affected systems include email, bulk mail,
reflectors, Logbook of The World (LoTW), DXCC, National Parks on the
Air (NPOTA), and the ARRL Development page. The ARRL website will
remain available. Any orders taken on the website during the outage
should be queued for transmission once connectivity returns. ARRL has
no control over the time or length of the outage, which could be very
short. We regret any inconvenience.

==> ARRL DRONE TRANSMITTERS COMPLAINT SPURS PROPOSED $2.8 MILLION FCC
PENALTY

In the wake of an investigation resulting from a 2017 ARRL complaint
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Drone%20Video%20Transmitter%20Complaint%20FINAL%20for%20filing%2001%2011%202017.pdf>,

the FCC has proposed fining HobbyKing and associated entities $2.8
million for apparently marketing noncompliant RF devices and failing to
comply with Commission orders. According to a June 5 FCC Notice of
Apparent Liability (NAL
<https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-71A1.pdf>), HobbyKing
appears to have sold audio/video (A/V) transmitters intended for use
with unmanned aircraft, such as drones, in some instances marketing
them as Amateur Radio equipment.

"The Enforcement Bureau previously issued a Citation notifying
HobbyKing of its legal and regulatory obligations and ordering it to
cease and desist from marketing noncompliant equipment," the FCC said
in the NAL. "Additionally, the Bureau issued a Citation against
HobbyKing for failing to fully respond to a Letter of Inquiry. Despite
these Citations, HobbyKing has continued its apparently unlawful
practices."

HobbyKing had denied that it was marketing its drone transmitters to US
customers, but ARRL's January 2017 complaint pointed out that ARRL
Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was able to purchase two drone
transmitters from HobbyKing and have them shipped to a US address for
testing in the Lab.

In his 2017 letter to the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division, ARRL
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, described the transmitters as
"blatantly illegal at multiple levels," and noted that they used
frequencies intended for navigational aids, air traffic control radar,
air route surveillance radars, and global positioning systems and not
Amateur Radio frequencies, as the marketer had purported.

ARRL told the Enforcement Bureau in 2017 that the devices "represent a
real and dangerous threat to the safety of flight, especially when
operated from a drone platform that can be hundreds of feet in the
air." Hare and ARRL Lab staffers Mike Gruber, W1MG and Bob Allison,
WB1GCM, tested the units. Imlay credited ARRL Central Division Director
Kermit Carlson, W9XA, and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Committee
he chairs, for calling attention to the issue and prompting ARRL's
action.

In a related news release
<https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-351279A1.pdf> this week,
the FCC said that while HobbyKing represented that its transmitters
operated in designated Amateur Radio bands, the Commission's
investigation uncovered that 65 models could also apparently operate
outside of the ham bands. The FCC noted that Amateur Radio equipment
used to telecommand model craft are limited to 1 W (1,000 mW), but
three transmitters included in the NAL "apparently operate at
significantly higher power levels of 1,500 mW and 2,000 mW."

"The Commission generally has not required amateur equipment to be
certified, but such equipment must be designed to operate only in
frequency bands allocated for amateur use," the NAL said. "If such
equipment can operate in amateur and non-amateur frequencies, it must
be certified prior to marketing and operation." The FCC also said in
its NAL that consumers who own such HobbyKing devices "should cease
using them immediately or risk enforcement action."

This week, the FCC also issued an Enforcement Advisory
<https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-581A1.pdf> cautioning
that drone transmitters must comply with FCC rules in order to be
marketed to customers in the US, and that operators must comply with
FCC rules.

In its 2017 complaint, ARRL cited the Lawmate transmitter and its
companion 6 W amplifier as examples of problematic devices being
marketed in the US.

"However, many A/V transmitters that purport to operate on amateur
frequencies also operate on frequencies that extend beyond the
designated amateur frequency bands," the advisory said. "If an A/V
transmitter is capable of operating outside of the amateur frequency
bands, it cannot be advertised, sold, or operated within the United
States without an FCC equipment certification. Individuals without an
amateur license may not use such radio equipment, if it is designed
solely for use by amateur licensees."

Imlay said the FCC action addressed "another of many instances in which
unscrupulous importers import and market products in the US touted as
Amateur Radio equipment but actually marketed to the general public,
and which, in this case, have a high potential for abuse and
interference to other radio services and to radio amateurs." Imlay
characterized the FCC NAL as an important "line in the sand" aimed at
keeping companies from encouraging the general public to use the
amateur bands without a license.

==> POLITICO ARTICLE RAISES VISIBILITY OF AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT
PROGRESS, CHALLENGES

On May 23, the US House version of the National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA) that included the language of the Amateur Radio Parity Act
<http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act> (HR 555) cleared the
House. The following day, a fiscal year 2019 Financial Services
appropriations bill also containing Parity Act language cleared the
Financial Services and General Government subcommittee of the House
Committee on Appropriations and is now working its way through the full
Appropriations Committee. As a result, the Parity Bill has attracted
some attention from outside the Amateur Radio and homeowners
association (HOA) communities.

ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL
Board's Ad Hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee, called attention to a
recent Politico article
<https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2018/05/25/gdpr-gets-real-229693>

that addresses the challenges the bill faces.

On May 25, Politico reported, "Lawmakers are making a multi-pronged
push to drive the bipartisan Amateur Radio Parity Act through Congress
and finally bypass objections from top Senate Commerce [Committee]
Democrat Bill Nelson of Florida, whose allegiance to his state's
homeowners associations drove his panel to yank the bill from
consideration last fall. The legislation, H.R. 555, would direct the
FCC to let Amateur Radio operators get around private rules, like those
imposed by some HOAs, that keep them from putting up radio antennas."

Politico cited a spokeswoman for the US House sponsor of the Parity
Act, Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who told the journal that
Kinzinger is "hopeful that Senator Nelson will see its value."

"When disaster strikes and the power goes out, like when Hurricane Irma
hit Senator Nelson's home state of Florida back in September, Amateur
Radio operators become critical to emergency response efforts,"
Kinzinger's spokeswoman said.

At this point, it's unclear how the Parity Act language or legislation
will fare in the US Senate. The measure's Senate sponsor, Senator Roger
Wicker (R-MS), told Politico that it would suit him to see the Senate
follow the lead of the House in the matter. "I think we've done enough
that Senator Nelson's concerns should have been answered," Wicker was
quoted as saying.

Wicker and Nelson are both senior members of the Armed Services
Committee, which will oversee the NDAA.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, has stressed that the Parity
Act "does entitle each and every Amateur Radio operator living in a
deed-restricted community to erect an effective outdoor antenna. Full
stop. That is the principal benefit of this legislation." Read more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/politico-article-raises-visibility-of-amateur-radio-parity-act-progress-challenges>.


==> FCC DENIES PETITION AIMED AT PREVENTING INTERFERENCE FROM DIGITAL
REPEATERS TO ANALOG REPEATERS

The FCC has turned away a Petition for Rulemaking from a Michigan radio
amateur that asked the Commission to amend Section 97.205 of the
Amateur Service rules to ensure that repeaters using digital
communication protocols do not interfere with analog repeaters. Charles
P. Adkins, K8CPA, of Lincoln Park, had specifically requested that
discrete analog and digital repeaters be separated either by distance
or frequency and that digital repeaters be limited to 10 W output, the
FCC recounted in its June 1 denial letter, released over the signature
of Scot Stone, the deputy chief of the Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau's Mobility Division. According to the letter, Adkins had
characterized digital repeaters as "a major annoyance" to analog
repeater operators.

"In 2008, we rejected a suggestion to amend Section 97.205(b) to
designate separate spectrum for digital repeaters in order to segregate
digital and analog communications," the FCC said in its letter to
Adkins. "We noted that when the Commission has previously addressed the
issue of interference between amateur stations engaging in different
operating activities, it has declined to revise the rules to limit a
frequency segment to one emission type in order to prevent interference
to the operating activities of other Amateur Radio Service licensees."

The FCC told Adkins that current Part 97 rules already address the
subject of interference between amateur stations, prohibiting, among
other things, willful or malicious interference to any radio
communication or signal, and spelling out how interference disputes
between repeaters should be handled.

==> THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

"Field Day Antennas" is the topic of the latest (June 7) 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>.

==> NEW EDITION OF THE ARRL HAM RADIO LICENSE MANUAL IS NOW AVAILABLE

A new edition of The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual is now available.
The exam question-and-answer key is built from the latest entry-level
Technician-class question pool, which goes into effect on July 1, 2018.
Intended for newcomers, instructors, and teachers, this comprehensive
manual covers everything needed to pass the 35-question exam. It also
includes information aimed at helping newcomers get started in Amateur
Radio, from selecting equipment, setting up a station, and making that
first contact.

The 4th edition of The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual is available in
softcover, spiral-bound, or e-book versions. Designed for self-study
and classroom use, with the optional academic-style spiral-bound
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRL-Ham-Radio-License-Manual-4th-Edition-Spiral-Bound/>

edition (ARRL Item no. 0826, ISBN: 978-1-62595-082-6, $32.95), the
manual lies flat, making it more convenient for all newcomers,
instructors, and teachers.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual may be used in conjunction with
ARRL's Tech Q&A
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRL-s-Tech-Q-and-A-7th-Edition/> (7th
edition) and ARRL's online Exam Review for Ham Radio
<http://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/>, so prospective licensees won't
have any surprises on test day.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual is also available in traditional
softcover
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRL-Ham-Radio-License-Manual-4th-Edition-Softcover/>

format (ARRL Item no. 0871, ISBN: 978-1-62595-087-1, $29.95). ARRL
Technician-class license materials are available from the ARRL Store
<http://www.arrl.org/shop> and your local ARRL dealer
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-publication-dealers>. To place an order, call
ARRL Publication Sales, toll-free in the US, at (860) 594-0355 or (888)
277-5289.

In addition to the hard-copy manuals, ARRL has released a digital
edition <http://a.co/cP8obLK> of The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual in
Kindle format from Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/>. ARRL also offers
Kindle editions of The ARRL General Class License Manual
<https://amzn.com/B00X6F8DRS>, The ARRL Extra Class License Manual
<http://a.co/gezaege>, and its question-and-answer study guides, ARRL's
Tech Q&A <http://a.co/brTMbNQ>, ARRL's General Q&A
<http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XAFJ8HS>, and ARRL's Extra Q&A
<https://amzn.com/B01FWFFQ9C>.

==> BAKER ISLAND KH1/KH7Z DXPEDITION TEAM BRACING FOR "GRIM"
PROPAGATION

The 2018 KH1/KH7Z Baker Island DXpedition <http://www.baker2018.net>,
set to begin on June 27 and continue until July 7, is preparing for
less-than-ideal conditions. The sponsoring Dateline DX Association
(DDXA) said this week that its 15 operators are planning to maximize
the times they will be available to work into propagation-challenged
regions of the world. Their effort will include round-the-clock
operation on 20 meters. DDXA has permission from the US Fish and
Wildlife Service to conduct an Amateur Radio expedition to Baker Island
National Wildlife Refuge (KH1).

"The 2018 DXpedition to Baker Island occurs during the declining side
of the solar cycle where propagation is usually much, much worse,
nearing the bottom," a Baker Island DXpedition news release pointed out
this week. "In addition, there are limited hours of darkness in some
Northern Hemisphere locations."

The DXpedition has embedded tools on its website
<http://www.baker2018.net/pages/propagation.html> that DXers can use to
run propagation forecasts specific to grid square and "station
properties." "We have also run these forecasts by geographic area to
know when we should be listening for you," the DXpedition organizers
said this week. "The forecasts are grim."

"Our network of worldwide pilots will also report how well we are being
heard in your area to keep us abreast of propagation," the news release
added. Operation is planned on SSB, CW, RTTY, and FT8.

The DXpedition's permit restricts antennas to 43-foot verticals. "We
will be using SteppIR [verticals] and special-design antennas to take
advantage of the saltwater ground," the release said. KH1/KH7Z will
also use FT8 to find openings that may not be all that obvious and to
serve as a beacon. "When we find an opening, we will put as many
radios/modes/ops on as we can," the organizers pledged. The DXpedition
will use the latest version of WSJT-X
<https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html> software to
incorporate the FT8 "DXpedition Mode."

Baker/Howland Islands (KH1) is the fifth most-wanted DXCC entity. Read
more
<http://www.arrl.org/news/baker-island-kh1-kh7z-dxpedition-team-bracing-for-grim-propagation>.


==> PRESIDENT NOMINATES ENFORCEMENT BUREAU OFFICIAL TO FCC

Acting on a recommendation from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,
President Donald Trump has nominated FCC Enforcement Bureau Assistant
Chief Geoffrey Starks to fill the Commission's sole open seat. If
confirmed by the US Senate, Starks would fill the seat vacated by
Mignon Clyburn. Both are Democrats. Republican nominees have a 3-2
advantage on the FCC, which is headed by Chairman Ajit Pai. Starks'
term would end in 2022. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is the other
Democrat on the FCC.

An attorney who holds degrees from Harvard University and Yale Law
School, Starks has worked in government for most of his career and
joined the FCC staff in late 2015. Before taking his current job in the
Enforcement Bureau, Starks worked for the Justice Department.

Rosenworcel congratulated Starks on his nomination and said he would be
"a welcome addition" to the Commission. Clyburn called Starks "a sharp
communications attorney committed to public service." Republican
Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said Starks "will bring a new voice to
important debates before the Commission."

==> YOUNG US RADIO AMATEUR WILL BE SOLE IARU REGION 2 ATTENDEE AT YOTA
CAMP

Thirteen-year-old Faith Hannah Lea, AE4FH, of Palm Coast, Florida, will
be the only representative of International Amateur Radio Union Region
2 (IARU R2 <http://www.iaru.org/region-2.html>) at the Youngsters on
the Air (YOTA) camp <http://www.zs9yota.co.za/>, August 8 - 15 in South
Africa. Faith Hannah has mounted a GoFundMe campaign
<https://www.gofundme.com/ae4fh-to-yota-in-south-africa> to help cover
her trip expenses.

"When I was chosen to go to South Africa for the YOTA summer event, I
was thrilled that the committee thought I was one of the best choices
to represent the United States," Faith Hannah said. "With the help and
generosity of other hams, I will be able to go to South Africa for the
summer event and learn more about Amateur Radio and other cultures. I
am extremely thankful for any and all donations. To everyone who
donates, thank you."

Licensed at age 10 and now holding an Amateur Extra-class license,
Faith Hannah is very active on the airwaves and in promoting Amateur
Radio via YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-iQYMcSAW0> and
elsewhere. She has been a presenter at the Hamvention Youth Forum.
Faith Hannah comes from an all-ham family. Her dad, James, is WX4TV;
her mother, Michelle, is N8ZQZ; her brother, Zechariah, is WX4TVJ; one
sister, Hope, is KM4IPF, and her other sister, Grace, is KM4TXT. Faith
Hannah will be traveling to South Africa from Florida in early August
with her father.

The South African Radio League (SARL
<http://www.sarl.org.za/Default.asp>) will host 80 young hams between
the ages of 16 and 26 at the 2018 YOTA camp, where it's expected they
will spend some time at the helm of the camp's station, ZS9YOTA.

==> ARRL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES TWO NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

The ARRL Foundation has announced two new scholarships available to
young radio amateurs to support their post-secondary education,
bringing the total number of scholarships the Foundation administers to
81. The new scholarships have been endowed by the East Coast Amateur
Radio Service (ECARS) and the Palomar Amateur Radio Club (PARC).
Applicants for the ECARS scholarship must be performing at a high
academic level and pursuing full-time studies at a 2-year vocational
school or 4-year undergraduate degree-granting institution, with no
restrictions on the applicant's field of study.

ECARS Scholarship applicants must be between 17 and 25 years old at the
time of the award and reside in the general ECARS coverage area, which
includes the ARRL Atlantic, Great Lakes, Hudson, New England, and
Roanoke Divisions (Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland/DC,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont,
Virginia, and West Virginia). The scholarship award will be $1,000
annually. ECARS will submit an annual contribution for its scholarship.

Applicants for the PARC scholarship must be high school seniors
performing at a high academic level and accepted at an accredited
college, university, junior college, or a vocational-technical school
in the US. They should demonstrate activity and interest in radio
service or technical proficiency by participating in some form of
radio-related activity, such as emergency communications, equipment
construction, or community service. Preference will go to applicants
who live in San Diego or Imperial counties, California. Applicants are
encouraged to be members of PARC.

The scholarship award(s) will be $1,000 annually, with the first
scholarship awarded in 2019. The PARC Scholarship Fund Committee will
determine the number of scholarships to be awarded each year. The PARC
scholarship is endowed with a $25,000 gift from the club.

==> IN BRIEF...

The ARRL 2018 Field Day Site Locator is live, and public service
announcements are available. ARRL Field Day
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day> is June 23 - 24; the full Field Day
announcement is in the May issue of QST, page 85. The Field Day site
locator <http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator> is now up and running,
and, to date, some 900 sites are already in the database. To find a
Field Day site near you, type your town and state in the "Location or
Call Sign" box at the upper left. Listings are also available by state
or Canadian province. To add a site, visit the Add Field Day Station
<http://www.arrl.org/field_days/add> page. Amateur Radio public service
announcements (PSA <http://www.arrl.org/public-service-announcements>s)
for event publicity are now available in audio or video formats. Local
versions have room at the end for clubs to add a tag that includes
contact information. Each spot is 29 seconds. Notify <dis...@arrl.org>
ARRL if you are able to place these PSAs for radio, TV, or cable system
airtime, and let us know if your club tagged a PSA with local contact
information to promote your club. More information
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2018/2018%20New%20Field%20Day%20PR%20Kit.pdf>

is available to promote ARRL Field Day. Visit
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2018/2018%20Social%20Media.pdf>
the Field Day social media page for information on promoting your Field
Day operation via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ARRL will sponsor a 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season webinar on Monday,
June 11, at 8 PM ET (0000 UTC on Tuesday, June 12 UTC in US time
zones). The approximately 90-minute session will address the role of
Amateur Radio during the 2018 hurricane season. Anyone interested in
hurricane preparedness and response is invited to attend this online
presentation. Those planning to attend should register
<https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2080577657137371905> in
advance. Topics will include a meteorological overview from the
Canadian Hurricane Centre of the upcoming season; Amateur Radio station
WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org/> at the National Hurricane Center: Who
We Are and What We Do; ARRL Media and Public Relations; the Hurricane
Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org/>); the VoIP Hurricane Net
<http://www.voipwx.net/>; Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
(SATERN <http://www.satern.org/>), and ARRL coordination and interface.
Webinar registration is open to all. The webinar will conclude with a
Q&A session. For additional information, contact <mco...@arrl.org> ARRL
Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U.

The World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 (WRTC 2018
<http://www.wrtc2018.de/en/>) Organizing Committee reports that all of
the station sites it's selected for the July event in Germany "are
perfect for the competition." A WRTC 2018 news release said this week,
"The inspections proved that there are enough very well-suited sites
with no topographical or interference problems." The aim of the
exercise is to ensure a level playing field for all competing teams in
terms of location. Ulrich Weiss, DJ2YA, and Frank Neumann, DM5WF,
carefully inspected more than 80 possible WRTC 2018 sites in the region
around Muehlberg, Jessen, and Jueterbog. Neumann noted that five sites
did not meet their criteria and will be replaced with backup sites that
they also inspected. WRTC 2018 has a last-minute opening for a team
leader on a wild card team, with DL1CW as the teammate. The deadline to
apply <qualif...@wrtc2018.de> is June 9, 2359 UTC. Applicants
should explain why they are applying as team leader.

The 18th USA Championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding
<http://homingin.com/usachamps2018.html> (ARDF
<http://www.homingin.com/>) will take place June 13-17 near Truckee,
California, some 30 miles southwest of Reno, Nevada. The competition
sites are at about 6,300 feet elevation near Donner Summit. The opening
day will be devoted to foxoring, a combination of radio direction
finding and classic orienteering. The morning of Friday, June 15, will
be the sprint event, followed by a model event for equipment testing
and a competitor briefing. Classic 2-meter and 80-meter competitions
will take place Saturday and Sunday, respectively. These sites have not
been used for any previous ARDF competitions. More information
<http://www.homingin.com/farsnews.html> is available. -- Thanks to ARRL
ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV

==> GETTING IT RIGHT

The story "Radio Amateurs to Swap Spots on International Space Station
(ISS) Crew" in the May 31 edition of The ARRL Letter, failed to include
the call sign of Serena Auсуn-Chancellor, KG5TMT.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspots vanished again after
appearing each day from May 21 through June 4. Average daily sunspot
numbers for the May 31-June 6 reporting week dropped from 26.3 to 12.9.
Average daily solar flux declined from 74.9 to 73.2, the average
planetary A index increased from 3.9 to 11.7, and the average
mid-latitude A index increased from 4.7 to 10.4.

Predicted solar flux is 70 on June 7-9; 72 on June 10-17; 70 on June
15-17; 74 on June 18-23; 72 on June 24-30; 73 and 72 on July 1-2; 70 on
July 3-7; 72 on July 8-14; 74 on July 15-20, and 72 on July 21.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 7-12; 10 on June 13-14; 5 on
June 15-18; 8 on June 19; 5 on June 20-26; 15, 28, and 18, on June
27-29; 10 on June 30-July 1; 8 on July 2; 5 on July 3-9; 8 on July 10;
5 on July 11-15; 8 on July 16, and 5 on July 17 - 21.

The Northern Hemisphere summer solstice arrives on June 21, just before
ARRL Field Day. Around this time of year, we should see sporadic-E
propagation on 10 meters and sometimes on 6 meters.

Sunspot numbers for May 31-June 6 were 21, 22, 20, 16, 11, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 12.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 76.8, 74.8, 74.4,
73.6, 70.5, 71.3, and 71.1, with a mean of 73.2. Estimated planetary A
indices were 12, 26, 17, 9, 5, 6, and 7, with a mean of 11.7. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 11, 19, 14, 9, 5, 6, and 9, with a mean of
10.4.

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

==> JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- June 8 -- HA3NS Sprint Memorial Contest (CW)

- June 9 -- Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB)

- June 9-10 -- ARRL June VHF Contest <http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf>
(CW, phone digital)

- June 9-10 -- DRCG WW RTTY Contest

- June 9-10 -- VK Shires Contest (CW, phone)

- June 9-10 -- Portugal Day Contest (CW, phone)

- June 9-10 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

- June 9-10 -- GACW WWSA CW DX Contest

- June 9-10 -- REF DDFM 6-Meter Contest (CW, phone)

- June 10 -- Cookie Crumble QRP Contest (CW, phone)

- June 11 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)

- June 13 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

- June 13 -- 80-Meter Club Championship (CW)

- See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
for more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio
contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues> via your ARRL member
profile email preferences.

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

- June 8-10 -- West Gulf Division Convention <http://www.hamcom.org/>
(Ham-Com), Plano, Texas

- July 13-14 -- Indiana State Convention <http://indyhamfest.com/>,
Indianapolis, Indiana

- July 20-22 -- Nevada State Convention <http://nvcon.org/>, Reno,
Nevada

- July 27-28 -- Oklahoma Section Convention
<http://www.hamholiday.org/>, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

- August 2-5 -- YLRL 2018 Convention <http://ylrlconvention.org/>,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

- August 3-4 -- Texas State Convention
<http://www.austinsummerfest.org/>, Austin, Texas

- August 3-5 -- Pacific Northwest DX Convention
<http://pacificnwdxconvention.com/>, New Westminster, British Columbia,
Canada

- August 4-5 -- Midwest Division Convention <http://www.w0gq.org/>,
Central City, Iowa

- August 18-19 -- Southeastern Division Convention
<http://www.hamfest.org/>, Huntsville, Alabama

- August 19 -- Kansas State Convention <http://www.w0cy.org/>, Salina,
Kansas

- August 24-26 -- West Virginia State Convention
<http://qsl.net/wvsarc/>, Weston, West Virginia

- August 31-September 2 -- Roanoke Division Convention
<http://shelbyhamfest.org/>, Shelby, North Carolina

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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