XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

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

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

February 23, 2023

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

- 2022 Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award Recipient Selected
- Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Seeking Contact
Proposals
- W8LT - A History of Amateur Radio at Ohio State University
- World Amateur Radio Day Theme: Human Security for All
- ARRL Welcomes Kevin Beal, K8EAL, as the Director of Development
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

2022 ROANOKE DIVISION ARRL SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT SELECTED

John Gendron, NJ4Z, has been named the recipient of the 2022 Roanoke
Division ARRL Service Award. This award is the highest and most
prestigious recognition of an ARRL member operator within the
Division's four states who has shown consistent and extensive
leadership.

First licensed as a Technician in 2016, Gendron quickly advanced to
the General- and Amateur Extra-class licenses. At the same time, he
helped revitalize the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) in his
area, as well as the York County Amateur Radio Society (YCARS) in Rock
Hill, South Carolina. Gendron's story about reinvigorating YCARS is
featured in the "Club Station" column in the September 2022 issue of
QST . He also has a YouTube channel, "From the Hamshack," is an avid DX
chaser, and can often be found activating parks for Parks on the Air
(POTA).

Gendron is the 55th recipient of the Roanoke Division ARRL Service
Award, which began in 1968 and is bestowed annually. Judges for the
award are past recipients. The award is also nicknamed the Vic Clark
Award after one of the original winners, Victor Clark, W4KFC (SK), who
was a Roanoke Division Director and ARRL President. The list of all 55
winners, as well as a history of the award, can be found on the Roanoke Division's website <http://www.arrl-roanoke.com/>.

Nominations for the 2023 Roanoke Division ARRL Service Award recipient
will open in January 2024.

AMATEUR RADIO ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SEEKING CONTACT

PROPOSALS

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is
seeking formal and informal educational institutions and organizations,
either individually or working together, to host an amateur radio
contact with a crew member on board the International Space Station
(ISS).

ARISS anticipates the contact will be held between January 1, 2024, and
June 30, 2024. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact
contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is
looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants
and integrate the radio contact into a well-developed education plan.

The deadline to submit a proposal is March 31, 2023. Proposal
information and more details, such as expectations, proposal
guidelines, and the proposal form, can be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html.

An ARISS introductory webinar will be held March 1, 2023, at 8:00 PM
EST. The Eventbrite link to sign up for the free webinar is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ariss-proposal-webinar-for-spring-2023-proposal-window-registration-515706320487.


ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. The United States sponsors
are ARRL, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), Amateur
Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), NASA's Space Communications and
Navigation program (SCaN), and the ISS National Lab Space Station
Explorers (SSE).

W8LT - A HISTORY OF AMATEUR RADIO AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

W8LT is the call sign for the Amateur Radio and RF Club at The Ohio
State University (OSU).

The university club has a long history, and archive records indicate
that 1926 was the year it officially became a club, likely making it
the oldest one on campus. W8LT is just 3 years shy of celebrating its
100th anniversary.

In the early 1920s, the call sign started out as 8LT, until the Radio
Act of 1927 added a "W" to all radio call signs. Then, W8LT had been
closely associated with WOSU Radio, the university's non-commercial
station, which began as WEAO in June of 1922. The two stations were
believed to have shared a small building near campus until the
mid-1950s.

In 1957, both stations were moved to small military-style Quonset huts.

From July 1961 to January 1963, the club was unable to find a location anywhere on campus, so all of their equipment was put into storage in

club member Bill Hale's, K8JIX, basement and brought out only for ARRL
Field Day each June.

Eventually, W8LT found a new home in the bell tower at Ohio Stadium, a
room directly below where the bell rings after every home-game win.
That location allowed a 500-foot-long wire antenna to be stretched from
the tower to a nearby smokestack at OSU's power station. The result was
a very powerful signal that could be heard clearly on stations around
the world.

When Ohio Stadium was renovated, W8LT moved again, this time to Bevis
Hall, where it remains today near the location of the old military -
style Quonset huts.

Today, the club continues to grow with 15 active members, including
students, staff, and alumni.

Faculty Advisor Larry Feth, K8HTC, said that the club takes every
opportunity to recruit new members and offer license testing sessions.

More information is available on the W8LT <https://u.osu.edu/w8lt>
website and on their Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/w8ltosu/> page.

W8LT is an ARRL Affiliated Club and participates in the ARRL Collegiate
Amateur Radio Program <http://www.arrl.org/WeWantU>.

WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY THEME: HUMAN SECURITY FOR ALL

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) announced that Human
Security for All (HS4A) will be this year's theme of World Amateur
Radio Day <https://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day> on April 18,
2023.

The day is being celebrated with a 2-week operating event occurring
April 11 - 25. Special event stations will be operating from around the
world, making two-way radio contacts to call attention to the HS4A
campaign.

The concept of human security <https://www.un.org/humansecurity/what-is-human-security/> measures the security of an individual by things essential to one's well-being. This includes economics, food, health, the environment, personal factors,
the community, and political factors.

Amateur radio is uniquely positioned to address those challenges by
promoting technical knowledge, practical skills, innovative technology,
and the deployment of backup systems at the community level that can be
called upon in times of emergency.

IARU, a federation of the national amateur radio societies of over 150 countries worldwide, is the global advocate for amateur radio through
its Sector Membership in the International Telecommunication Union, an
agency of the U.N., and other activities.

The United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security <https://www.un.org/humansecurity> and the World Academy of Art and
Science <https://new.worldacademy.org/> are partnering with IARU <https://www.iaru.org/> in the campaign.

In a release, the partners wrote, "Amateur radio has repeatedly
demonstrated its ability to address human security needs. It is a truly
global communications medium comprising some three million radio
enthusiasts connecting communities and the peoples of the world."

ARRL participates in World Amateur Radio Day each year. It was on this
day in 1925 that the IARU was formed in Paris. ARRL co-founder Hiram
Percy Maxim was its first president. For additional World Amateur Radio
Day resources, visit http://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day.

Click the image below to watch a video about HS4A:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPZaOzUrSkE>

ARRL WELCOMES KEVIN BEAL, K8EAL, AS THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Kevin Beal, K8EAL, has joined ARRL staff as the Director of
Development.

He has a significant background in nonprofit administration, and for
the last 17 years, has managed large-scale projects and teams. His
previous experience includes various roles supporting organizations and
higher education institutions with program management, events, alumni engagement, and fundraising.

Beal has also worked on cybersecurity infrastructure training projects supported by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and
feels that amateur radio has significant value as an emergency
communications tool.

With a father who was an electronics engineer during Vietnam in the US
Army Signal Corps, Beal has been surrounded by radio his whole life. "I
grew up in a household of spare electronics and communications
equipment where at-home repair and soldering were commonplace," he
said. He's excited to grow as a licensed ham and was thrilled to make a
contact from the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station as W1AW.

He joins ARRL after a career at his alma mater, Norwich University,
from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in
international conflict management and resolution. As a cadet at Norwich University, he participated in the Naval and Marine Reserve Officers'
Training Corps (NROTC) as a part of the cadre training new cadets, and
he was a member of the Cavalry Troop.

Beal looks forward to getting to know ARRL donors. He and his wife live
in Connecticut near ARRL Headquarters with their two daughters and
their rescued hound. On most weekends during the winter, he can be
found on the road taking his oldest daughter to her next hockey game.

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>.

"Cache Valley students made live contact with an astronaut in space <https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2023-02-10/cache-valley-students-made-live-contact-with-an-astronaut-in-space>"

/ Utah Public Radio (Utah), February 10, 2023. -- Ridgeline High School
Cache County District.

"Ham radio operators and their role with sled dog safety <https://www.upmatters.com/up-200/ham-radio-operators-and-their-role-with-sled-dog-safety/>"

/ WJMN TV (Michigan), February 17, 2023. -- Al Augustyn, W8FYZ, is
Secretary of the Marquette Radio Repeater System.

"Schofield club excels in international radio outreach <https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/local/schofield-club-excels-in-international-radio-outreach/article_18f96e48-ae49-11ed-9575-7b820a2ccdc7.html>"

/ Aiken Standard (South Carolina), February 20, 2023. -- The Schofield
Amateur Radio and Technology Club.

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

ARRL PODCASTS

On the Air
Sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>
ARRL has designated 2023 "The Year of the Volunteers," to shed light
on the work of the hundreds of volunteers who make ARRL and amateur
radio what it is. We've got a year-long, on-air event to go with it;
Volunteers On the Air (VOTA) is already taking the bands by storm just
2 months into the fun. In this episode, "How to Be On the Air All Year
with VOTA," we talk to ARRL Director of Operations Bob Naumann, W5OV,
and ARRL Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, about rules, awards,
special activations, and all things VOTA.

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 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/>.

IN BRIEF...

The rescue and recovery operations continue after a 7.8-magnitude
earthquake struck Turkey on February 6, with casualties reaching nearly
46,000. Another earthquake, this time with a magnitude of 6.4, hit the
country on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. More casualties and injuries are expected. Amateur radio continues to be the major link for
communication for the entire area throughout both earthquakes. Turkish
amateur radio operator Aziz Sasa, TA1E, has been at the disaster areas coordinating frequencies for the teams and carrying out search and
rescue operations. On Tuesday, Sasa was interviewed on the British
Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) Digital Planet program, where he
talked about the continued amateur radio help during the disaster. An
audio link to the program is available here <https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct31zr>. While the entire program
lasts 46 minutes, the interview with Sasa is within the first 6
minutes.

Thanks to BBC and Greg Mossop, G0DUB, IARU Region 1 Emergency
Communications Co-Ordinator, for the contact information.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP008:

Solar activity plunged this reporting week, although there was some excitement on February 17, 2023, when the solar flux was reported as a
record breaking 343.1.

Because it was the noon reading, it is still reported by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the solar flux, but
this was a false reading when the Penticton detectors were overloaded
by energy from a solar flare.

So, in this report, I have chosen the 1800 UTC flux value, which was
165.

The average daily sunspot number plunged from 182.4 to 107, while the
average solar flux dropped from 196.4 to 162.4. If I had not changed
the 343.1 to 165, the solar flux average would have been 187.9.

Six new sunspots emerged over the week, one on February 16, one each on February 18 and 19, and three more on February 20.

The solar flux prediction for the next month shows a peak value of 180
for March 7 - 13.

Predicted values are 150 on February 23; 148 on February 24 - 25; 146
on February 26 - 27; 142 on February 28; 140 on March 1; 145 on March 2
- 3; 150, 155, and 165 on March 4 - 6; 180 on March 7 - 13; 175 and 170
on March 14 - 15; 160 on March 16 - 17; 155, 160, 150, 140, and 135 on
March 18 - 22; 125 on March 23 - 24; 130 on March 25, and 140 on March
26 - 28.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on February 23 - 24; 10, 5, and 12 on
February 25 - 27; 18, 16, and 8 on February 28 - March 2; 5 on March 3
- 4; 15, 18, 15, and 8 on March 5 - 8; 5 on March 9 - 14; 15 on March
15; 8 on March 16 - 17; 5 on March 18 - 20; 10 on March 21 - 23; 5 on
March 24 - 25, and 8 on March 26 - 27.

Jon Jones, N0JK, wrote:

"There was a nice 6-meter F2 opening on February 16.

I logged [the] HC1MD/2 grid FI57 on 50 MHz FT8 at 1916 UTC. I found
this opening by checking the DXMaps website. HC1MD/2 had a strong,
steady signal. I operated from home using an attic dipole antenna. [I]
also logged HC2FG.

Other area 6-meter operators such as WQ0P (EM19) and KF0M (EM17) also
worked stations in Chile. The K index was 4, which I suspect may have
helped.

On February 18, a number of North American stations worked Robert
Felicite, 3B9FR, around 1600 UTC on 6-meter FT8.

(3B9FR is on Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean, off the southeast
coast of South Africa)

Conditions were great [during] the ARRL [International] DX CW Contest
on 10 meters. I operated [for] a couple of hours [on] Sunday morning
[while] running 5 W and a quarter-wave whip fixed mobile. [I] worked
[more than one] hundred stations [between] Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. Many of the Europeans were over S-9."

Sunspot numbers for February 16 - 22 were 101, 86, 109, 112, 135, 106,
and 100, with a mean of 107. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 163.2, 165,
167.2, 169, 159.8, 160.9, and 151.9, with a mean of 162.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 24, 6, 6, 7, 8, 17, and 6, with a mean of
10.6. The middle latitude A index was 21, 4, 5, 4, 6, 15, and 4, with a
mean of 8.4.

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

Year-long -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/>
(VOTA). See also the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW
Portable Operations <https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php> including
these:

- February 22 - March 1 -- Michigan, W1AW/8

- February 22 - March 1 -- Florida, W1AW/4

- March 8 - March 15 -- Kentucky, W1AW/4

- March 8 - March 15 -- Idaho, W1AW/7

- There is no W1AW portable activation on March 1 - 7 in order to not
interfere with the ARRL DX Contest going on March 4 - 5.

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- February 23 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship, CW, (CW)

- February 24 - 26 -- CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB (phone)

- February 25 - 26 -- REF Contest, SSB (phone)

- February 25 - 26 -- FTn DX Contest (digital)

- February 25 - 26 -- UBA DX Contest, CW, (CW)

- February 25 - 26 -- South Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- February 25 - 26 -- North American QSO Party, RTTY (digital)

- February 25 - 26 -- NA Collegiate Championship, RTTY (digital)

- February 26 -- High Speed Club CW Contest (CW)

- February 26 - 27 -- North Carolina QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- February 27 -- OK1WC Memorial (MWC) (CW)

- February 27 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (FT4)

- March 1 -- CWops Test (CWT) (CW)

- March 1 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)

- March 1 -- CWops Test (CWT) (CW)

- March 1 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (phone)

- March 1 - 5 -- AWA John Rollins Memorial DX Contest (CW)

- March 2 - 3 -- Walk for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- March 2 -- CWops Test (CWT) (CW)

- March 2 -- CWops Test (CWT) (CW)

- March 2 -- NRAU 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- March 2 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- February 25 | HAM-CON <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ham-con-arrl-vermont-state-convention-2>,
hosting the ARRL Vermont State Convention, Colchester, Vermont

- March 3 - 4 | BirmingHamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/birminghamfest-arrl-alabama-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Alabama Section Convention, Trussville, Alabama

- March 3 - 4 | Greater Houston HamFest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/greater-houston-hamfest-arrl-texas-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas

- March 18 | MARC St. Patricks Day Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/marc-st-patricks-day-hamfest-arrl-west-texas-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL West Texas Section, Midland, Texas

- March 18 | Charleston Area Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/charleston-area-hamfest-arrl-west-virginia-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL West Virginia Section Convention, Charleston, West
Virginia

- March 24 - 25 | ARRL Maine State Convention and Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-maine-state-convention-and-hamfest>­, Lewiston, Maine

- March 25 - 26 | QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo
<https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/> (online)

- April 7 - 8 | Green Country Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/green-country-hamfest-arrl-oklahoma-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Oklahoma Section Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma

- April 8 | Raleigh Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/raleigh-hamfest-arrl-north-carolina-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North
Carolina

- April 15 | Sussex Amateur Radio and Electronics Expo <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sussex-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
news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
<news@arrl.org>

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