The ARRL Letter for February 8, 2024

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

February 8, 2024

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

- California Storms: Amateur Radio is Ready
- Amateur Radio Goes to High School in New York City
- World Radio Day
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> CALIFORNIA STORMS: AMATEUR RADIO IS READY

Southern California continues to feel the effects of a significant rain
event that began last week, bringing record rainfall, landslides, and
hurricane-strength winds. The heavy rain is the result of two
atmospheric rivers, referred to as "Pineapple Expresses" because of
their origins near Hawaii. Nearly half a year's worth of rain has
fallen in two days. Since Sunday, February 4, areas in Los Angeles
County have seen nearly one foot of rain, which has now moved east into
western Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah, raising the
risk of flash flooding in those areas.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, has
been in contact with Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®)
leadership from throughout the affected area. "ARES member-volunteers
are ready to be pressed into service when called upon by one of their
local served agencies," he said.

The situation continues to evolve, Johnston has received several
situation updates from ARES leaders.

ARRL San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Section Emergency Coordinator Dan
Sohn, WL7COO, wrote:

The SJV Section is experiencing electrical power outages caused by high
winds affecting tens of thousands of homes and businesses mostly in the
westernmost, lower-elevation Central Valley counties and elevations at
or above about 3,500 feet above sea level... The incoming atmospheric
river appears to be moving more to the north than the last two storms,
so we'll see what that brings the SJV counties that are already
saturated... and [we] hope that it lessens the life-threatening,
ongoing damage throughout southern California.

Johnston also received this update from ARRL Nevada Section Emergency
Coordinator John Abrott, KD7NHC:

Here in northern Nevada, a varying amount of snow was received. I
received reports from Carson City of 10 - 11, inches, and reports of 10
- 13 inches in Carson Valley and parts of Reno. There are several feet
of snow at higher elevations. I have not received any reports of ARES
members being activated. Several counties were requested to be ready in
the event that their services were needed. Major roads are clear, but
residential streets still have snow.

ARES teams are ready when needed and will continue monitor the
situations in California and affected neighboring states. Check ARRL
News <http://arrl.org/news> for the latest updates.

==> AMATEUR RADIO GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW YORK CITY

Staten Island Technical High School is the first New York City school
to include amateur radio in its curriculum.

ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, said ARRL is
working with the school in several ways. "We are working with them to
build and equip an amateur radio station, to test and license students,
and to put [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)]
kits in the classroom thanks to a grant from Amateur Radio Digital
Communications <https://www.ardc.net/> (ARDC)."

Goodgame visited the school several weeks ago to help administer
amateur radio license tests, and with the help of the school's
engineering and technology teacher, Everton Henriques, KD2ZZT, there
are now 32 juniors and seniors who are newly licensed amateur radio
operators. Henriques attended the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology
<https://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology> last
year, and he intends to return to the program in 2024 for additional
preparation and training.

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology is a donor-funded
professional development program designed to help teachers elevate
their STEM programs through the use of wireless technology.

==> WORLD RADIO DAY

World Radio Day 2024 will be on February 13, and this year's theme is,
"A Century Informing, Entertaining and Educating."

World Radio Day was first celebrated in 2012, following its declaration
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) General Conference. It was subsequently adopted as an
International Day by the United Nations General Assembly. Amateur radio
is included in the celebration.

The EA Digital Federation <https://www.fediea.org/news/?news=20240213>
designates the day as AO#WRD: World Radio Day, and they will have nine
special event stations on the air on February 9 - 18. The stations will
be active on different bands and modes, including phone, CW, and
digital. You can locate the stations through the DX cluster
<https://www.dxwatch.com/> or the agenda of activity
<https://fediea.org/actividades/consulta.php> on their website.

Operating times and special QSL information can be found at FEDI-EA -
AO#WRD: World Radio Day 2024 (fediea.org) <https://fediea.org/wrd/>.

==> 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>.

"ASCTE hosts radio conversation with astronaut on the International
Space Station"
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/ascte-hosts-radio-conversation-with-astronaut-on-the-international-space-station/ar-BB1hDjbG>

/ WAFF (Alabama) February 1, 2024

"Capital City HamFest 2024
<https://www.wlbt.com/2024/02/02/capital-city-hamfest-2024/>" / WLBT
(Mississippi) February 2, 2024 -- The Jackson Amateur Radio Club is an
ARRL Affiliated Club.

"New amateur radio group established in Upshur County
<https://www.mybuckhannon.com/new-amateur-radio-group-established-in-upshur-county/>"

/ My BUCKHANNON (West Virginia) February 5, 2024

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 Joys of Being a General

The January/February 2024 issue of On the Air featured a story from
Brian McSpadden Gardener, KE8JVX, about "The First-Year Experiences of
a General-Class Ham," in which Brian detailed how he got his feet wet
as a General, and how he put together his first station for HF. Brian
joins this episode of the podcast to tell us a little more about his
first year as a General, as well as what he's done since then.

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 and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry,
iTunes, and Apple Podcasts -- On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News
<https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

==> ANNOUNCEMENTS

This year, George Washington's birthday will be celebrated by three
amateur radio clubs. From 1500Z to 2100Z on February 17, the Washington
Area Amateur Radio Club <https://waarc.net/index.php>, W0ARC, will be
active on 7.071, 7.200, 14.071, 14.275, 21.074, 21.310, 28.071, and
28.350 MHz, as well 10, 15, 20, and 40 MHz phone. A commemorative QSL
card will be available for those who send a self-addressed stamped
envelope to Mark Lukins, AB0DX, at 802 N Second Ave in Washington, Iowa
(zip code 52353). On February 18 - 19, from 1500Z to 2000Z, the Mount
Vernon Amateur Radio Club <https://www.mvarc.org/events> (MVARC) will
operate from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate on 7.042, 7.242,
14.042, and 14.242 MHZ. For more information, email soc...@mvarc.org.
The Columbia Basin DX Club <https://cbn.homestead.com/ws7g.html>, WS7G,
will celebrate Washington's birthday on February 21 - 24 from 0001Z to
2359Z. WS7G will operate on 14.322, 14.255, 7.222, and 7.260 MHz. For a
commemorative certificate and a QSL card, contact Brian Nielson, W7BJN,
at 11650 Road 1 SE in Monitor, Washington (zip code 98836).

==> IN BRIEF...

As part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
program, students at Lilburn Elementary School in Lilburn, Georgia,
were able to contact the International Space Station (ISS) on February
7 and talk to astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL. The contact took place
with help from Daryl Young, K4RGK, ARISS representative and member of
the North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL). Students were able to
ask 15 questions, ranging from "What is the grossest thing about living
in space?" to "Have you read the Dog Man books?" Astronaut Moghbeli
said that collecting and loading the trash into a special waste vehicle
is the grossest job on the ISS. As for the Dog Man books, she has not
read them -- yet -- but would be interested in trying them. She also
talked about growing tomatoes in space, and how her most important job
on the ISS is brushing her teeth every morning. You can view a
recording of the contact on YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlwg2rof0LA>.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating
organizations include NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)
program, the ISS National Laboratory -- Space Station Explorers, ARRL,
<http://www.arrl.org/ariss> and AMSAT.

The SouthWest Ohio DX Association <https://www.swodxa.org/> (SWODXA),
in conjunction with Icom® America, Inc., has announced a DX Mentor
Recognition Program to recognize and reward amateur radio operators who
have helped others achieve DXCC. <http://arrl.org/dxcc> An application
form is now available for those who wish to nominate their DX mentor.
Amateurs who have received mentoring from a nominee must be under 30
years of age during the calendar year of the award; targeting this age
group is meant to keep such amateurs engaged in the hobby after they
achieve DXCC. The judging committee will comprise SWODXA
representatives and a representative from both the Northern California
DX Foundation (NCDXF) and the International DX Association (INDEXA).
The awards will be presented at the DX Dinner, held annually in
conjunction with Dayton Hamvention®. <https://hamvention.org/> More
information and the entry form can be found at
www.swodxa.org/DX-Mentor-Program
<http://www.swodxa.org/DX-Mentor-Program> or by emailing
thedx...@gmail.com.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL
Propagation Bulletin, ARLP006:

Over the recent reporting week (February 1 - 7) ten new sunspot
groups emerged: five on February 1, one on February 2, another on
February 3, two on February 5, and one more on February 7.

Sunspot numbers and solar flux rose, and geomagnetic numbers were
quieter.

The average daily sunspot number increased from 71.8 to 142.3, and the
average daily solar flux rose from 145.4 to 165.5.

Geomagnetic conditions were quieter. The average daily planetary A
index decreased from 6.9 to 5.1, and the average middle latitude
numbers decreased from 5.6 to 4.4.

The following data is sourced from the US Air Force and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Predicted solar flux is 180, 175, 170, 172, and 178 on February 8 - 12;
180, 182, 165, and 170 on February 13 - 16; 160 on February 17 - 21;
165 and 160 on February 22 - 23; 150 on February 24 - 28; 155, 160, and
165 on February 29 through March 2, and 170 on March 3 - 5.

Predicted planetary A index is 5, 15, 12, and 8 on February 8 - 11; 5
on February 12 - 25; 8 and 7 on February 26 - 27, and 5 on February 28
through March 2.

Visit the following websites for recent solar news:

IFL Science: https://bit.ly/3uqpnmV; <https://bit.ly/3uqpnmV;%20%0d>

The Independent Digital News and Media Limited United Kingdom:
https://bit.ly/3SMk8Y1 <https://bit.ly/3SMk8Y1%0d>

Space.com: https://bit.ly/3SPqwxD <https://bit.ly/3SPqwxD%0d>

News Nine India: https://bit.ly/4bw6j7y <https://bit.ly/4bw6j7y%0d>

The Mint India: https://bit.ly/49Kyoq7

earth.com: https://bit.ly/3SzUzrQ <https://bit.ly/3SzUzrQ%0d>

Sunspot numbers for February 1 through 7, 2024, were 113, 131, 123,
138, 152, 175, and 164, with a mean of 142.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux
was 136.9, 142.6, 156.4, 170.4, 173.4, 190.3, and 188.4, with a mean of
165.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 4, with
a mean of 5.1. Middle latitude A index was 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 3,
with a mean of 4.4.

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

- February 10 - 11 -- CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest (digital)

- February 10 -- Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW)

- February 10 - 11 -- KCJ Topband Contest (CW)

- February 10 - 11 -- Dutch PACC Contest (CW, phone)

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

- February 10 - 11 -- OMISS QSO Party (phone)

- February 10 -- RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest (CW)

- February 11 -- Balkan HF Contest CW (phone)

- February 12 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)

- February 12 - 16 -- ARRL School Club Roundup
<https://www.arrl.org/school-club-roundup> (CW, phone)

- February 14 -- PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint (digital)

- February 14 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)

- February 14 -- DARC FT4 Contest (FT4)

- February 14 -- RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data (digital)

- February 15 - 16 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- February 15 -- NTC QSO Party (CW)

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

==> UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- February 9 - 11 | Orlando HamCation
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/orlando-hamcation-arrl-florida-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Orlando, Florida

- February 24 | Central Dakota Amateur Radio Club
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/central-dakota-amateur-radio-club-hamfest-arrl-north-dakota-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL North Dakota State Convention, Bismarck, North Dakota

- February 24 | HAM-CON
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ham-con-arrl-vermont-state-convention-3>,
hosting the ARRL Vermont State Convention, Colchester, Vermont

- March 1 - 2 | Greater Houston HamFest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/greater-houston-hamfest-arrl-west-gulf-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL West Gulf Division Convention, Rosenberg, Texas

- March 8 - 9 | Acadiana DX Association Hamfest & Swapmeet
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/acadiana-dx-association-hamfest-swapmeet-arrl-louisiana-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana

- March 16 | 49th Annual Stuart Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/49th-annual-stuart-hamfest-arrl-southern-florida-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida

- March 16 | St. Patrick's Day Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/st-patrick-s-day-hamfest-arrl-west-texas-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas

- April 6 | Raleigh Hamfest
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/raleigh-hamfest-arrl-roanoke-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina

- April 12 - 13 | Green Country Hamfest 2024
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/green-country-hamfest-2024-arrl-oklahoma-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma

- April 20 | Delmarva Amateur Radio and Electronics Expo
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delmarva-amateur-radio-and-electronics-expo-arrl-delaware-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware

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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