The ARRL Letter for February 15, 2024

[ARRL Web site]

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

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

February 15, 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

- Senators Roger Wicker and Richard Blumenthal Introduce S.3690 to
Eliminate Private Land Use Restrictions on Amateur Radio
- Amateur Radio as Educational Tool Represented to Policymakers in
Washington DC
- Highlights from 2024 Orlando HamCation
- Veteran DXpedition Leader Bob Allphin, K4UEE, SK
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

==> SENATORS ROGER WICKER AND RICHARD BLUMENTHAL INTRODUCE S.3690 TO
ELIMINATE PRIVATE LAND USE RESTRICTIONS ON AMATEUR RADIO

On January 30, 2024, US Senators Roger Wicker (MS) and Richard
Blumenthal (CT) introduced S.3690
<https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3690/text>,
the Senate companion bill to H.R.4006, introduced last June
<https://www.arrl.org/news/legislation-to-remove-private-land-use-restrictions-on-amateur-radio-introduced-in-congress>.

Both bills reflect the Congressional campaign efforts by ARRL
<http://www.arrl.org/> to eliminate homeowner association land use
restrictions that prohibit, restrict, or impair the ability of an
Amateur Radio Operator to install and operate amateur station antennas
on residential properties they own.

Amateur Radio Operators repeatedly are relied upon to provide essential
communications when disaster strikes, but their ability to do so is
being impaired by the exponential growth of residential private land
use restrictions that hinder their ability to establish stations in
their homes with which to train and provide emergency communications
when called upon.

In announcing the introduction of S.3690, Senator Wicker said: "Because
communication during natural disasters is often hindered, we should be
making every attempt to give folks more options. Reliable access can
make the difference between life and death in an emergency. Our
legislation removes roadblocks for amateur radio operators looking to
help their friends, families, and neighbors."

In a similar announcement, Senator Blumenthal stated: "Our measure will
help clarify the rules so ham radio enthusiasts can successfully
continue their communications.

In the face of emergency or crisis, they help provide vital,
life-saving information that allow listeners to properly and safely
respond, but prohibitive home association rules and confusing approval
processes for installing antennas have been an unnecessary impediment.
The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act resolves these bottlenecks
and ensures that radio operators can function successfully."

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, and Director John Robert Stratton,
N5AUS, Chair of the ARRL's Government Affairs Committee, both extended
on behalf of ARRL, its Members, and the Amateur Radio community their
thanks and appreciation for the leadership of Senator Wicker and
Senator Blumenthal in their continuing efforts to support and protect
the rights of all Amateur Radio Operators.

Read more on ARRL News
<https://www.arrl.org/news/senators-roger-wicker-and-richard-blumenthal-introduce-s-3690-to-eliminate-private-land-use-restrict>


==> AMATEUR RADIO AS EDUCATIONAL TOOL REPRESENTED TO POLICYMAKERS IN
WASHINGTON DC

ARRL and Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) represented
Amateur Radio at a symposium in Washington on February 1 at which the
top domestic spectrum policymakers from across the federal government
considered implementation of the National Spectrum Strategy
<https://www.ntia.doc.gov/sites/default/files/publications/national_spectrum_strategy_final.pdf>

(NSS) [PDF].

ARRL ensures that Amateur Radio is represented at sessions such as
this so that decisionmakers understand amateur radio's roles when
spectrum decisions are made, including its substantial contributions to
student interest and education in STEM subjects at schools throughout
the country and its role during emergencies and natural disasters.

In the NSS, released by the White House in November, national
policymakers identified some 2,790 megahertz of spectrum to be
considered for future commercial needs. No new amateur spectrum was
included, with only the ongoing reallocation studies related to 3.1 -
3.45 GHz being addressed.

The NSS was prepared for the President by the National
Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) in collaboration
with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). NTIA considered input
from Federal Executive Branch agencies that use spectrum as well as
from other spectrum users, including amateur radio operators. As the
NSS was being formulated during 2023, ARRL's Washington Counsel
presented information on amateur radio to the policymakers at an NTIA
listening session. This was followed with a written submission about
amateur radio spectrum concerns
<https://www.regulations.gov/comment/NTIA-2023-0003-0141>, and later
with a one-on-one meeting with NTIA's Senior Spectrum Advisor in
overall charge of formulating the NSS.

The February symposium followed release of the NSS in November and was
in support of finalizing implementation plans for the strategy that are
expected to be announced by the White House in mid-March.

For the symposium, ARRL Life Member Phil Karn KA9Q, a director and
past-president of ARDC, participated as a panelist and reinforced
amateur radio's important national role in workforce development with
personal testimony based on his own career.

Karn's recruitment by Qualcomm in its early days was due directly to
his pioneering amateur radio accomplishments with digital wireless
projects that included many firsts. Karn retired from Qualcomm as Vice
President for Technology in 2011. He shared with policymakers the value
of amateur radio to interest and recruit youth into STEM areas and into
wireless specifically. Karn's life experience lent special weight to
his remarks about amateur radio's role in attracting youth to STEM
projects.

"I see [amateur radio] - having been involved in it for 52 years now -
as fundamental as an educational system... It is a type of hands-on
intuitive learning that is almost impossible to get any other way,"
said Karn. Watch a video of the panel on YouTube
<https://youtu.be/NaaFb6Sh61E?t=21090>.

==> HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024 ORLANDO HAMCATION

Warm weather greeted the crowds of radio amateurs who attended the 2024
Orlando HamCation® from February 9 - 11. The convention hosted the ARRL
Florida State Convention, but drew attendees from across the country,
and some from even farther, renewing HamCation's place as the second
largest US ham radio convention.

HamCation <https://www.hamcation.com/> is sponsored by the Orlando
Amateur Radio Club (OARC). The convention was sprawled out across the
Central Florida Fairgrounds, including a huge outdoor tailgate and
buildings filled with exhibitors and swap tables. The convention enjoys
significant participation from amateur radio manufacturers, dealers,
clubs, and organizations. In the months leading up to this year's
convention, HamCation International Relations Co-Chairs, Lidy Meijers,
KJ4LMM, and Peter Meijers, AI4KM, traveled to ham radio conventions
across Europe to cast a spotlight on the convention. Their work paid
off, garnering an attendance of amateurs from many other countries, and
even attracting other international societies to exhibit, including the
Radio Society of Great Britain, and the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club
(Germany).

"It was very successful and very busy," said OARC President John Knott,
N4JTK. "The vendors reported traffic at their booths was high and both
the trunk fest and the flea market were busy." Knott also said that
reservations filled 200 RV spaces.

The East-West Hall included a row of booths organized by ARRL.

In addition to supporting renewing members and those who joined ARRL
for the first time, attendees also had the opportunity to meet ARRL
President Rick Roderick, K5UR; CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and
Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB. Baker also moderated
the ARRL membership forum on Saturday afternoon. Together, Baker,
Roderick, and Minster covered several key areas of membership interest.
Roderick, who asked attendees to consider what they've done for amateur
radio lately urged members to find opportunities to support new
licensees and strengthen radio clubs.

Minster spoke about a new, free ARRL membership offering for students
21 and younger that will be introduced soon. He also described ways
that ARRL is increasing amateur radio's role in education through
teachers, students, and schools. "ARRL knows that amateur radio is an
effective tool in developing student experiences in the STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) disciplines," said Minster. "Our
efforts to increase our outreach in education and other areas is
playing a prominent role with the development of the new ARRL strategic
plan."

ARRL member Chris Brault, KD8YVJ (center), a student at Saint Louis
University's School of Science and Engineering, helped represent Youth
on the Air (YOTA) at HamCation. He is an active participant in the ARRL
Collegiate Amateur Radio Program (CARP). Brault is seen here with ARRL
President Rick Roderick, K5UR (right), and Maxim Society Member Holly
Roderick (left).

Also participating at HamCation was ARRL Education and Learning
Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. Goodgame presented a forum covering
recent efforts and success stories to develop pathways for more
teachers and students to use amateur radio in their classrooms. His
wife and member-volunteer Cyndi Goodgame, K5CYN, who is also an
educator, engaged dozens of young and prospective hams by collecting
their experiences and interests for ARRL's ongoing work to increase
outreach to students.

A familiar face to many was ARRL National Instructor Gordon West,
WB6NOA. In January, ARRL announced that it had become Gordon West's new
publisher of his popular license preparation books. "There was a steady
stream of visitors that included recent licensees and instructors who
enjoyed an eyeball with Gordo," said Goodgame. HamCation attendees were
also drawn to the ARRL booths to meet West. He was introduced as ARRL
National Instructor at the membership forum. On Saturday night,
HamCation recognized Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, and his wife Anita,
AB1QB, awarding them with the 2024 Gordon West Ambassador of the Year
Award <https://www.arrl.org/news/2024-orlando-hamcation-awards>.

The ARRL team also included Great Lakes Division Vice Director Roy
Hook, W8REH; Northern Florida Section Manager Scott Roberts, KK4ECR and
Section Emergency Coordinator Arc J. Thames, W4CPD; West Central
Florida Section Manager Mike Douglas, W4MDD; Collegiate Amateur Radio
Program Advisor Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR; Maxim Society Member Holly
Roderick; Honorary Vice President Frank Butler, W4RH; Assistant Member
Services Manager Kim McNeill, KM1IPA; Director of Marketing and
Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, and many DXCC card checkers,
including: N2MFT, K3GO, K4SV, AG4W, KS4WA, KX4TT, K6ND, WA6POZ, W8BLA.
ARRL also recognized member-volunteers Sloan Davis, N3UPS, and Tom
Gaines, KB5FHK, for their help organizing satellite operating
demonstrations.

Visit the ARRL Facebook page
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.790054966490153> to see a
photo album from the convention.

==> VETERAN DXPEDITION LEADER BOB ALLPHIN, K4UEE, SK

Prolific DXpedition leader, ARRL Maxim Society member, and former Chair
of the ARRL DX Advisory Committee, Robert C. "Bob" Allphin, Jr., K4UEE,
has become a Silent Key.

Allphin passed on February 10 at the age of 79. His early life as
the son of a United States Air Force (USAF) officer sent him to many
corners of the globe. That set the tenor for a life in amateur radio
spent operating from far-flung places.

Allphin was first licensed at the age of 14 and graduated high school
in Okinawa, Japan. He served a career in the USAF, serving as an
instructor in electronic warfare during the Vietnam conflict. After an
honorable discharge with the rank of captain, Allphin entered the
financial services world, retiring after 28 years to focus on his
passion of DXpeditions.

Allphin was a natural leader. "Bob was always optimistic and hopeful in
DXpedition planning. He encouraged and coaxed his fellow team members
to bring out the best in everyone.

If there were disappointments, he turned them into humor and
diplomatically mitigated conflicts. He excelled in DXpedition PR and
financing," said Ralph Fedor, K0IR, who frequently co-led DXpeditions
with Allphin.

"Bob was very good at organizing and motivating people to participate,"
said Dr. Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, who co-led several DXpeditions with
Allphin. Allphin always found a way to make the best out of challenging
operating conditions. "He was always thinking outside the box. His
concern was to put on the 'best show' possible and work the
hard-to-reach areas," said Johnson.

In early 2000, Johnson was preparing to travel to a medical assignment
in Bhutan, which was #2 on the DXCC Most Wanted List at the time. He
had applied to operate while in the country but was initially denied a
license. Then, in April, Johnson got a call from the Bhutan Ministry of
Information and Communication asking if he can bring a team on the
first of May. Immediately, he involved Allphin. "I called Bob, and
within 2 weeks we had a team assembled and equipment shipped over. A52A
was a very successful DXpedition and still holds records," said
Johnson.

Iconic activations were Allphin's specialty. According to his QRZ page
<https://www.qrz.com/db/K4UEE>, Allphin participated in, led, or co-led
numerous DXpeditions including: Baker and Howland islands, Heard
Island, Bhutan, South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia Island, Peter I
Island, Lakshadweep, Desecheo Island, Saba/Sint Eustatius, Amsterdam
Island, and Navassa Island. In all, he participated in 38 contest
DXpeditions.

"From the mid-80s through the early 2000s, Bob set five single
operator/single band world records and was a competitor in two World
Radio Team Championship (WRTC) events in 1996 and 2000. Bob is a member
of the CQ DX Hall of Fame, Board of Directors of [The International DX
Association] INDEXA, current President of The KP1-5 Project. He is a
member of the Voodoo Contest Group, FOC (First Class Operator Club),
A-1 Operators Club, [and] the Southeastern DX Club Hall of Fame. He has
visited 131 DXCC entities and been QRV from 85," according to his QRZ
page.

In addition to planning and leading trips, Allphin also excelled at
videography to tell their stories. A documentary filmed by Allphin
about the 2015 K1N Navassa DXpedition
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Zftre0WpI> is available on YouTube.

Allphin was a dedicated amateur radio mentor who wanted to help others
succeed. Craig Thompson, K9CT, was one of many Allphin helped along the
way. "As an aspiring DXpeditioner, Bob was so approachable and helpful.
We had many common friends, and because of those relationships, it was
an honor to be asked to join any of his DXpeditions. At Amsterdam
Island, he was my roommate, and I enjoyed his sincere joy of leading
our team. He loved 160 and CW but mostly the challenge of doing
something really hard, like going where they said he couldn't go. That
is why he was on so many top-ten DXpeditions! What an honor to know
him," said Thompson.

Beyond his prowess as an operator, Allphin leaves a legacy of kindness
among those who knew him well. "He was a gentleman's gentleman, always
cordial, friendly, and jovial," said Johnson.

Allphin was a generous donor to ARRL through the years, being honored
as part of the President Class of the Maxim Society and was a member of
the Diamond Club. He was a major gift donor to the 2014 ARRL Second
Century Campaign. "Bob leaves amateur radio with a legacy of
accomplishments. Above all, he strove to do things well, do things
right, and do things fairly," said Fedor.

Information about memorial services, as well as more details about
Allphin's many non-radio accomplishments, may be found in his online
obituary
<https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/marietta-ga/robert-allphin-11663385>.

A photo memorial has been assembled
<https://hamgallery.com/Tribute/K4UEE/index.html> by photographer Tom
Roscoe, K8CX, at www.hamgallery.com <http://www.hamgallery.com/>.

Read more about Bob Allphin, K4UEE, on ARRL News
<https://www.arrl.org/news/veteran-dxpedition-leader-bob-allphin-k4uee-sk>

==> 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>.

"Amateur radio club members are pros at broadcasting
<https://www.pennlive.com/perry-county-times/2024/02/amateur-radio-club-members-are-pros-at-broadcasting.html>"

/ Patriot News (Pennsylvania) February 10, 2024 -- Perry County Amateur
Radio Club.

"FBCS dials in for radio competition
<https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/feb/13/fbcs-dials-in-for-radio-competition/>"

/ Bonner County Daily Bee (Idaho) February 13, 2024 -- Bonner County
Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Services® of Bonner
County. The Bonner County Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated
Club.

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

==> ARRL PODCASTS

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

The 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

The registration deadline for the Ham Radio Science Citizen
Investigation (HamSCI) sixth annual workshop is March 1. The workshop
will be held March 22 - 23, 2024, at Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland, Ohio. The event is meant to bring together the amateur radio
community and professional scientists. The 2024 workshop's theme is
Alignments, specifically those between the sun, moon, and Earth;
collegiate amateur radio recreation and science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) curricula; data collection and analysis,
and professional and citizen science. Workshop participants will
prepare for the solar eclipse taking place on April 8, 2024, which will
be seen in totality from Cleveland. For registration and additional
information about the event, visit HamSCI Workshop 2024 | HamSCI
<https://hamsci.org/hamsci2024>.

The ARRL Board of Directors met for their Annual Meeting on January 19
-- 20, 2024, in Windsor, Connecticut. The minutes of the meeting are
now posted on the ARRL web site. They may be accessed at the following
link: www.arrl.org/board-meetings <https://www.arrl.org/board-meetings>

ARRL Headquarters will be closed on Monday, February 19, 2024, in
observance of Presidents Day. There won't be any W1AW bulletin or code
practice that day. ARRL HQ will reopen on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at
8 AM EST.

There are several special operating events to mark the holiday. Visit
the ARRL Special Event Stations
<https://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations> database to find more on
the air commemorations of Washington's birthday.

==> IN BRIEF...

The Stillwater Amateur Radio Association's <https://radioham.org/> ice
station, W0JH, will be in operation during Presidents Day weekend from
February 17 - 19, 2024. This is the ninth year for the special event,
and according to their webpage, is held to "drive away the remainder of
Minnesota winter by generating as much RF as possible over the
Presidents Day long weekend." Under the right conditions, the club
would operate on a frozen Lake Elmo in Minnesota, but because of the
mild winter weather, operations will be held at an onshore site. The
station will operate from 10:00 AM (16:00 UTC) to 4:00 PM (22:00 UTC)
on 21.360, 14.260, 7.260, and 3.860 MHz. Contact confirmations will be
by email only. To request a certificate, send an email with your call
sign, the date and time (UTC) of the contact, the band or frequency
used, and the mode used to W0J...@outlook.com.

The Young Ladies Radio League <https://ylrl.net/> (YLRL) will host a
special contest event on February 17 - 18, 2024. The YL (young lady)/OM
(old man) Contest is open to all radio amateurs and runs from 00:00 UTC
February 17 to 23:59 UTC February 18. Only 10 contacts are needed to be
eligible for an award, and the rules are simple: YLs count only OMs and
OMs count only YLs, phone and CW contacts are scored as separate
contests, and digital contacts (RTTY, FT8) count as CW contacts. A log
template can be downloaded from N1MM Logger+
<https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/>. More information is available at
https://ylrl.net/contests/. The Young Ladies Radio League was founded
in 1939 by Ethel Smith, K4LMB (SK), who was the group's first
president, and the YLRL continues to use her call sign today. She
served as the Section Emergency Coordinator for the ARRL Virginia
Section from 1966 - 1969 and later as ARRL Assistant Director for four
different Roanoke Division Directors. In 1972, she received the ARRL
Roanoke Division Service Award. The YLRL will celebrate its 85th year
in July 2024.

==> THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL
Propagation Bulletin, ARLP007:

This solar disk image was taken on February 15, 2024. [Photo courtesy
of NASA SDO/HMI]

Seven new sunspot groups appeared over the past week: two on
February 8, three on February 10, and two more on February 13 and 14.

I don't know why the solar numbers were seemingly out of whack, but the
average daily sunspot number declined, as the average daily solar flux
rose by a lot.

The average daily sunspot number declined from 142.3 to 134.6, but the
average daily solar flux increased from 165.5 to 190.

The average daily planetary A index rose from 5.1 to 7.4, while middle
latitude numbers increased from 4.4 to 6.1.

The most active day was February 11, with the planetary A index rising
to 15, but that is hardly stormy. This was caused by an unexpected
coronal mass ejection impact at 0211 UTC, according to
Spaceweather.com. <https://spaceweather.com/>

It seems the solar flux is in the midst of a peak the next few days, at
185 and 182 on February 15 - 16, then again at 170 on March 3 - 10. On
February 17 - 23, the forecast sees flux at 175, 172, 170, 165, 175,
165, and 160; 150 on February 24 - 28; 155, 160, and 165 on February 29
through March 2, and 170 on March 3 - 10.

The predicted planetary A index is 10 on February 15, 5 on February 16
- 18, 8 on February 19, 5 on February 20 - 25, 8 and 7 on February 26 -
27, and 5 on February 28 through March 23.

Visit the Solar Chat forum at https://bit.ly/3SJhbGi to see images of 3
days of sunspots.

Information on sunspot region 13585 can be found on SpaceWeatherLive,
at https://bit.ly/3UFVhGQ

Bob Kulacz, KB1DK, from Trumbull, Connecticut, wrote:

"During the last 2 weeks, activity on 10-meter SSB was bustling, and
included many POTA, SOTA, and mobile stations in Europe. In fact, I
heard Europeans on 12 meters saying they moved to that band because 10
became so busy. Propagation on 10 has been very good from southern New
England, resulting in multiple QSOs with India and New Zealand. QSOs
with the Middle East are almost routine now. My occasional fixed mobile
operating has been extremely productive and satisfying. I strongly
recommend taking advantage of these great conditions on 10 meters while
we have them."

Sunspot numbers for February 8 through 14 were 149, 105, 146, 144, 153,
122, and 123, with a mean of 134.6. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 185,
183.4, 193.8, 180.4, 208.3, 194.8, and 184.1, with a mean of 190.
Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 6, 5, 15, 4, 10, and 7, with a
mean of 7.4. The middle latitude A index was 5, 4, 4, 12, 4, 8, and 6,
with a mean of 6.1.

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

- February 15 -- NTC QSO Party (CW)

- February 17 - 18 -- ARRL International DX Contest
<https://contests.arrl.org/dxcw/> (CW)

- February 17 - 18 -- YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- February 17 - 18 -- Russian PSK WW Contest (digital)

- February 18 - 19 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- February 21 -- AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening (CW)

- February 22 -- 5 RSGB 80m Club Championship (CW)

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

==> UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- 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>

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

- Join ARRL or Renew Today! <https://www.arrl.org/join> No other
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adaptive technology.

- NCJ -- National Contest Journal <http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published
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statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.

- QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bimonthly, features technical
articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest
to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

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The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 51 times each year. ARRL
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