|
|
| American Radio Relay League, INC. (ARRL) News
Past News Stories are Compiled and Edited by ARRL Staff
The K7RA Solar Update
(Feb 19, 2010)
-- We've now observed sunspots continuously for the past 30 days --
certainly a turnaround from the quiet conditions of the past few years.
In fact, in 10 weeks, we have seen only three days with no sunspots:
December 25, January 6 and January 19. This is a little more than 4
percent no-sunspot days, a nice contrast with all of 2009, with more
than 71 percent days with no sunspots. Sunspot numbers for February
11-17 were 64, 38, 37, 28, 27, 28 and 49, with a mean of 38.7. The 10.7
cm flux was 94.2, 95.5, 94.1, 89.4, 87.6, 86.8 and 86.9, with a mean of
90.6. The estimated planetary A indices were 5, 6, 3, 4, 14, 9 and 4,
with a mean of 6.4. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 4, 2,
3, 8, 11 and 2 with a mean of 4.9. Since the first of the year, the
average weekly sunspot numbers were 14.6, 26.4, 18.6, 28, 14.6, 43.3
and 38.7.
Full Story
|
Feature: Surfin': Ham Apps for Everyone
(Feb 19, 2010)
-- This week, Surfin' finds more smartphone ham radio apps for iPhones and non-iPhones alike.
Full Story
|
March W1AW/West Coast Qualifying Run Schedules
(Feb 18, 2010)
-- The March schedules for the W1AW and West Coast Qualifying Runs were inadvertently left out of the March issue of QST.
The March schedules for W1AW are as follows: Friday, March 5 at 10 PM
EST (Saturday, March 6 at 0300 UTC) for 10-25 WPM and Tuesday, March 16
at 7 PM EDT (2300 UTC) for 10-40 WPM. The West Coast Qualifying run
will be transmitted by station K6KPH on Saturday, March 13 at 2 PM PDT
(2200 UTC) for 10-35 WPM. The run will be transmitted simultaneously on
3581.5, 7047.5, 14047.5, 18097.5 and 21067.5 kHz.
Link to this item
|
Calling All Rookies -- and Non-Rookies, Too! Get On the Air for the ARRL Rookie Roundup
(Feb 18, 2010)
-- The ARRL Rookie Roundup is designed to help newly licensed amateurs
build their operating skills on HF. It is a contest specifically for
those new to Amateur Radio, similar to the ARRL Novice Roundup that ran
from 1952 until 1995. The Rookie Roundup brings the fun and Elmering of
the old Novice Roundup into the 21st century. Three Rookie Roundups
will be held each calendar year: SSB in April, RTTY in August and CW in
December.
Full Story
|
Check Out the March/April 2010 NCJ
(Feb 17, 2010)
-- The March/April issue of NCJ, The National Contest Journal,
is filled with the latest news from the contesting world. Whether you
are new to contesting or are a seasoned pro -- or somewhere in the
middle -- you will find something in NCJ just for you.
Full Story
|
Grant Hopper, KB7WSD, Appointed Northwestern Division Vice Director
(Feb 17, 2010)
-- ARRL President, Kay Craigie, N3KN, has appointed Grant Hopper,
KB7WSD, of Everett, Washington, as the new Northwestern Division Vice
Director. The position became vacant when no one submitted the
necessary election materials needed to run for the Vice Director
position. Hopper is an attorney and serves as an ARRL Volunteer Counsel
(VC).
Full Story
|
IARU Region 2 Officials Clarify Award Rules
(Feb 16, 2010)
-- Since the announcement on the ARRL Web site of the IARU Region 2 Award
last week, Region 2 officials have been busy answering question from
amateurs all over the world about this award, first introduced in
October 2007. According to IARU Region 2 Secretary Ramón Santoyo,
XE1KK, officials have analyzed the questions asked and have now
clarified the rules, making them easier to understand. You can access
the newly rewritten rules on the IARU Region 2 Web site.
Link to this item
|
QEX -- the March/April 2010 Issue
(Feb 16, 2010)
-- The March/April issue of QEX is coming soon, and it is full of theoretical and practical technical articles that you won't want to miss.
Full Story
|
Rod Blocksome, K0DAS, Appointed Midwest Division Vice Director
(Feb 16, 2010)
-- ARRL President, Kay Craigie, N3KN, has appointed Rod Blocksome,
K0DAS, of Robins, Iowa, as the new Vice Director in the Midwest
Division. The position became vacant when Midwest Division Director
Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, was elected ARRL Vice President at the 2010 ARRL
Board of Directors Annual Meeting and Vice Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA,
moved into the Director position.
Full Story
|
W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions
(Feb 16, 2010)
-- Beginning Monday, March 15, W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial
Station, will alternate the digital modes used for its digital bulletin
transmissions. While Baudot, PSK31 and MFSK16 still make up the digital
mode complement, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says that the
schedule will be altered to give more exposure to PSK31 and MFSK16.
"Because of time constraints and the varying lengths of digital
bulletins, there were many instances where only Baudot was used," he
said. "With the new schedule, amateurs preferring either PSK31 or
MFSK16 will find these modes no longer secondary."
Full Story
|
The K7RA Solar Update
(Feb 12, 2010)
-- Increasing sunspot activity continues. A glance at the image from
NASA's STEREO mission shows a string of active regions in the Sun's
northern hemisphere, both visible and over the horizon on the far side.
The high sunspot number for the week was 71 on February 8; the average
for the week was 43.3. We haven't reported a weekly average that high
since the week of March 27-April 4 in 2008, when it was 43.6. The daily
sunspot number hasn't been as high as 71 since May 28, 2006 when it was
78. The earlier reading that reached that level or more was 105 on
April 6, 2006.
Full Story
|
Feature: Surfin': The Cooling of Ham Radio
(Feb 12, 2010)
-- This week, Surfin' considers the coolness of iPhone ham radio applications ("apps").
Full Story
|
ARRL Headquarters Closed in Observance of Presidents' Day
(Feb 11, 2010)
-- ARRL Headquarters will be closed in observance of Presidents' Day on
Monday, February 15. There will be no W1AW bulletin or code practice
transmissions that day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, February
16 at 8 AM Eastern Standard Time. We wish everyone a safe Presidents'
Day holiday.
Link to this item
|
More Cosponsors for HR 2160
(Feb 11, 2010)
-- Earlier this week, another Congressional Representative -- Jo Bonner (R-AL-1) -- pledged his support for HR 2160, The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 34, including original sponsor Sheila Jackson-Lee
(D-TX-18). HR 2160 is also sponsored by W. Todd Akin (R-MO-2), Michael
Arcuri (D-NY-24), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-6), John Boozman (R-AR-3),
Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), André Carson (D-IN-7), Geoff Davis
(R-KY-4), Bob Filner (D-CA-51), Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5), Bart Gordon
(D-TN-6), Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22), Michael
Honda (D-CA-15), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH-15), Tom Latham (R-IA-4), Zoe
Lofgren (D-CA-16), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-9), Thaddeus McCotter
(R-MI-11), Charlie Melancon (D-LA-3), Candice Miller (R-MI-10), Dennis
Moore (D-KS-3), John Olver (D-MA-1), Bill Posey (R-FL-15), Dana
Rohrabacher (R-CA-46), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2), Michael Turner
(R-OH-3), Peter Welch (D-VT), David Wu (D-OR-1), C.W. Bill Young
(R-FL-10) and Don Young (R-AK). Click here for information on how to encourage your Congressional representative to sponsor HR 2160.
Link to this item
|
The IARU Region 2 Award
(Feb 11, 2010)
-- In October 2009, IARU's Region 2 announced a new award -- the IARU
Region 2 Award -- available to amateurs and shortwave listeners who
submit confirmed QSLs with 20 Region 2 countries or entities. To be
considered for the award, contacts must have been made after April 16,
1964 -- the date when IARU Region 2 was founded.
Full Story
|
|
News and information on this page is compiled and edited by the ARRL staff
at the headquarters office in Newington, CT.
| |
|