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

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

October 13, 2022

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <news@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

- Florida Amateur Radio Operators Activate for Hurricane Ian
- Ian, Julia, and Karl - The Latest Storm Updates
- San Angelo Amateur Radio Club Celebrates 100 Years
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

FLORIDA AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS ACTIVATE FOR HURRICANE IAN

As Hurricane Ian was making its way to Tampa, Florida, in late
September, the Sheriff's Tactical Amateur Radio Communications (STARC),
W4HSO, was preparing for activation. ARRL member Tony DeAngelo, N2MFT,
said STARC was activated on Monday, September 26, and continued
operations through Thursday, September 29, 2022.

Tony DeAngelo, N2MFT, President of the Sheriff's Tactical Amateur Radio Communications (STARC) in Hillsborough County, Florida.

STARC has amateur radio equipment in five of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) locations, as well as a Homeland Security
office. "It's a great working arrangement with all of the equipment
provided for us," said DeAngelo. "Our volunteers staffed those
locations and the remainder worked from their homes."

Over the course of the 4-day activation, 16 STARC volunteers worked 24
hours a day passing information for aid and assistance through the
sheriff's office using WebEOC, a web-based emergency management
information system.

DeAngelo emphasized that STARC is not a club, but a service
organization. STARC volunteers are required to undergo an extensive
background investigation, including fingerprinting by the HCSO. STARC volunteers are civilians and employees of various Hillsborough County government agencies, Verizon, Tampa Electric, St. Joseph's Hospital,
Tampa Police Department, and other public and private agencies. In the
event of a disaster, radio operators provide communications between participating agencies if normal means of communications are lost.

DeAngelo is a retired police officer, and has been a licensed amateur
radio operator for 30 years. He will continue to monitor weather
information in case another activation is needed.

IAN, JULIA, AND KARL - THE LATEST STORM UPDATES

Cleanup and damage assessment from Hurricane Ian continues. Power
outages peaked at 2.7 million customers, but new reports indicate power
has been restored for 99% of the outages leaving less than 5,000
residents and businesses still off line. All power is expected to be
restored by Friday, October 14, 2022.

Hardee County Emergency Management in West Central Florida lost power
and all communications, but Hardee County Public Information Officer
Alicia Woodard said it was amateur radio that stepped in to help.

"Our amateur radio operators here began relaying information to our
county agencies," said Woodard.

"A special thanks to Mike Douglas, W4MDD, ARRL West Central Florida
Section Manager and ARRL Assistant Section Manager/ Technical
Coordinator Darrell Davis, KT4WX, for their assistance during the
storm."

Hardee County received 27 inches of water. Normal flooding for the area
is 16 inches and most power is now back on.

Hurricane Julia made landfall this past weekend over Nicaragua with
winds of 85 miles per hour. Now downgraded, the storm has moved out to
the Pacific Ocean but is till able to bring heavy rains to parts of
Central America.

In Nicaraguan there were reports of power outages and 10,000 residents
were moved to shelters. Officials there, report 25 casualties with over
50 people missing.

Hurricane Watch Net <https://hwn.org/> (HWN) Manager Bobby Graves,
KB5HAV, reported late Wednesday morning that Karl is still a tropical
storm. Although it is currently moving to the north-northwest, it is
expected to make a sharp left-hand turn and head south-southwest on
Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently forecasting Karl to
make landfall near Veracruz, Mexico late Friday or possibly early
Saturday morning as a tropical storm, possibly even a tropical
depression.

"The Hurricane Watch Net is closely monitoring the track and intensity
of Karl," said Graves. "Should environmental conditions change allowing
it to become a hurricane and threaten landfall as such, HWN will of
course activate."

SAN ANGELO AMATEUR RADIO CLUB CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

The San Angelo Amateur Radio Club <https://www.w5qx.org/> (SAARC),
based in San Angelo, Texas, will celebrate their 100th anniversary on
October 15, 2022. The club has engaged in a century of community
service, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
education, emergency preparedness, and disaster response.

Founded in 1922, SAARC held their first meeting on June 14 of that
year, and membership today has grown to 40 members. The celebration
will take place at their clubhouse located at 5513 Stewart Lane in San
Angelo. It will include a tailgate swap meet starting at 9 AM, amateur
radio operators working to make contacts with 100 stations, and the Boy
Scouts Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA).

The club call sign, W5QX, honors Carl Brinegar, who originally held the
call sign of 5QX before the "W" prefix was added. He was one of the
earliest members of SAARC.

SAARC is currently working in partnership with Angelo State
University's Mayer Museum
<https://www.angelo.edu/community/mayer-museum/>, located on the campus
of Angelo State University, to create an exhibit that will tell the
story of local radio pioneers. Topics will include amateur radio
operators, retail radio businesses, public safety radio innovators, and broadcast radio stations that formed in the Concho Valley area in the
1920s and 1930s.

Club member Mike Dominy, KD5URW, said SAARC is the only club within a
70-mile radius of San Angelo, Texas. "Our club and Amateur Radio
Emergency Service® volunteers, cover 14,000 square miles with a
population of 165,000," said Dominy. "With cell phone coverage only
along major roads and highways amateur radio is the only communication
during storms and tornadoes."

Dominy added that there are only 381 licensed amateur radio operators
in the area, and the club is working on grants to add and upgrade
repeaters under a 5-year plan.

The SAARC is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

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 returns, helps members obtain FCC licenses <https://baylorlariat.com/2022/10/04/amateur-radio-club-returns-helps-members-obtain-fcc-licenses/>."

/ The Baylor Lariat (Texas), October 4, 2022.

"Local ham radio club receives grant." <https://www.dailyastorian.com/life/community/local-ham-radio-club-receives-grant/article_bfbe55a0-41ce-11ed-9970-9770420e9926.html>

/ The Astorian (Oregon), October 6, 2022. -- The Sunset Empire Amateur
Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Project 425 Hosts Amateur Radio Operators <https://gotowncrier.com/2022/10/project-425-hosts-amateur-radio-operators/>."

/ The Town-Crier (Florida), October 7, 2022. -- Thanks to ARRL member
Mike Bald, K4MIA, of Loxahatchee, Florida, for sharing his call sign in
support of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

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

ARRL PODCASTS

The latest episode of the ARRL On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> podcast includes On the Air and QST contributor Dino Papas, KL0S. Papas provides insight into the
construction and tuning of a J-pole antenna, which he built for On the
Air from a design by John H. Unrath, K6JHU.

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 is available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher
(Android). The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on
Blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio
News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

October 15 - 16 is session three of the ARRL EME Contest, for
frequencies between 50 MHz and 1296 MHz. It's never been easier to
complete the Earth-moon-Earth circuit. Lance Collister's, W7GJ, "6
Meter EME Array <http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/>" document from 2010
talks about the minimum frequency you'd need to decode signals from the
moon, which can be boiled down to a good antenna, reasonable radio, and appropriate software. Activity also helps. With a "regular" 6-meter
antenna, it should be possible to copy signals from the moon at
moonrise, taking advantage of ground gain. -- Thanks to ARRL Contest
Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, for this information.

IN BRIEF...

Dayton Hamvention® has announced that the Ramada Inn in Xenia, Ohio, is closing. The Dayton Daily News <https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/xenia-to-take-possession-of-ramada-inn-property-to-be-incorporated-into-xenia-towne-square-project/DMC4HDLENJG6DEHSDI7N6KYJYM/>

is reporting that the city of Xenia will take full possession of the
Ramada Inn on November 1, 2022. The land will be incorporated into the
Xenia Towne Square revitalization project. Hamvention, the largest
annual ham radio convention in the US, will be held May 19 - 21, 2023,
at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia. A list of
other accommodations can be found on the Hamvention website at https://hamvention.org/travel-parking/accommodation/.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

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

Average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux increased this week.
Sunspot numbers went from 111.4 to 114.9, and flux values went from
149.2 to 155.3.

A feel-good exercise is to compare these numbers with those from a

Solar disk image taken October 13, 2022, courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI.

year ago, when the sunspot reading in bulletin 41 was only 30.7,
and flux was 86.9. Cycle 25 progression is better than predicted.

October 9 saw a planetary A index reading of 25. On that day,
Spaceweather.com warned that sunspot AR3112 had a delta-class magnetic
field with energy for strong solar flares.

The next day, they posted movies of two flares, seen here https://bit.ly/3T82fQS and here https://bit.ly/3evItjp.

Predicted solar flux from USAF and NOAA shows values peaking during the
first week of November, at 160.

The forecast shows flux values of 140 on October 13 - 19; 138 on
October 20 - 22; 140 on October 23 - 25; 145, 145, and 150 on October
26 - 28; 155, 155, and 152 on October 29 - 31; 160 on November 1 - 8;
150, 140, and 135 on November 9 - 11, and 130 on November 12 - 13.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on October 13 - 14; 8 on October 15 -
16; 5 on October 17 - 19; 12 on October 20 - 21; 5 on October 22 - 26;
12, 15, 12, and 20 on October 27 - 30; 15 on October 31 through
November 1; 18, 15, and 12 on November 2 - 4; 20 on November 5 - 6; 8
and 12 on November 7 - 8; 5, 5, 12, and 10 on November 9 - 12, and 5 on November 13 - 15.

Below is another of the many articles about the scary Carrington Event.
This is the first time I have seen the claim that the flare was so
powerful that telegraph messages could be sent through the aurora! 1859
was long before the invention of radio.

https://bit.ly/3CQEveO

Sunspot numbers for October 6 through 12, 2022, were 139, 146, 137,
114, 134, 72, and 62, with a mean of 114.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux
was 155.7, 159.7, 157.2, 160.5, 163.2, 150.3, and 140.6, with a mean of
155.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 18, 15, 12, 25, 10, 7, and 6,
with a mean of 13.3. Middle latitude A index was 14, 12, 10, 18, 8, 7,
and 4, with a mean of 10.4.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@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 <k7ra@arrl.net> your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News
<http://www.arrl.org/news>.

JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

- October 15 - 16 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- October 15 - 16 -- JARTS WW RTTY Contest (digital)

- October 15 - 16 -- 10-10 International Fall Contest (CW)

- October 15 - 16 -- New York QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- October 15 - 16 -- Worked All Germany Contest (CW, phone)

- October 15 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)

- October 15 -- Argentina National 7 MHz Contest (phone)

- October 16 -- Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW)

- October 16 -- UBA ON Contest, 2 Meters (CW, phone)

- October 16 - 17 -- Illinois QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- October 16 -- RSGB RoLo (CW)

- October 16 - 17 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- October 17 - 21 -- WARC ARRL School Club Roundup (CW, phone, digital)

- October 17 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (FT4)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- October 14 - 16 | Pacificon <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacificon-arrl-pacifc-division-convention>, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California

- October 15 | Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference 2022 <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wisconsin-ares-races-conference-2022-arrl-wisconsin-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Wisconsin State Convention, Wisconsin Rapids,
Wisconsin

- October 29 | CopaFest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/copafest-arrl-arizona-state-convention>,
hosting the ARRL Arizona State Convention, Maricopa, Arizona

- November 5 - 6 | Stone Mountain Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/stone-mountain-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia

- November 12 | Montgomery ARC Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/montgomery-arc-hamfest-arrl-alabama-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Montgomery, Alabama

- November 12 | 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

- December 9 - 10 | Tampa Bay Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tampa-bay-hamfest-arrl-west-central-florida-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests> to find events in your area.

GETTING IT RIGHT...

In last week's edition of The ARRL Letter, the In Brief about the
Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications (DLARC) included an incorrect email address for Program Manager Kay Savetz, K6KJN. The
correct email address is kay@archive.org.

Also in that edition, in the story "Amateur Radio Active During 2 Weeks
Of Hurricanes," a quote from Hurricane Watch Net Manager Bobby Graves,
KB5HAV, was mistakenly attributed to another manager.

The ARRL Letter regrets these errors.

HAVE NEWS FOR ARRL?

Submissions for The ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor

<news@arrl.org>

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