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

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

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

March 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

- State Proclamations Recognize Amateur Radio
- Amateur Radio Included in FEMA Guide for National Emergency
Preparedness
- New Chief Named for Air Force Military Auxiliary Radio System
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

STATE PROCLAMATIONS RECOGNIZE AMATEUR RADIO

Several states, counties, and communities across the US have officially recognized the public contributions of amateur radio in advance of
World Amateur Radio Day <http://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day>
(WARD) on April 18.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has released an official statement
designating April 16 - 22, 2023, as Amateur Radio Recognition Week.
Members of the Meriden Amateur Radio Club <https://www.w1nrg.com/>
(MARC) in Connecticut pursued the proclamation with the Governor's
office. "We want the public to know that many of their friends and
neighbors are amateur radio operators," said MARC President Ed Snyder,
W1YSM. "Amateur radio is a worldwide community of volunteers who use
their knowledge and skills to serve our communities," added Snyder.

Snyder said that his radio club participates in many outreach
activities to help introduce ham radio to the public. Club members
support demonstrations for schools, student groups, and scouts. The
club also provides communications support for the National Weather
Service storm spotting program, SKYWARN®, and an annual cycling event
that benefits the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. An annual scholarship is
awarded to a deserving, local high school senior.

Snyder also cited the club's involvement with training members to
provide emergency communications when disasters or other incidents
damage or disrupt critical communications infrastructure, including
cell towers. MARC is closely linked with the Wallingford Fire
Department and the town's Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and holds its
monthly meetings at the Wallingford Emergency Operations Center.

"There are over 40 radio clubs in Connecticut. We're grateful for
the Governor's recognition of our amateur radio community," noted
Section Manager of the ARRL Connecticut Section Bud Kozloff, W1NSK.

A similar resolution was made by the Maine State Legislature,
recognizing April 18, 2023, as World Amateur Radio Day, and
acknowledging "the accomplishments and public service provided by
amateur radio operators." The resolution was advanced by ARRL Maine
Section Manager Phil Duggan, N1EP. Duggan said he pursued the
resolution on behalf of all radio amateurs in the state of Maine.

The March issue of ARRL Club News <http://www.arrl.org/club-news>
encourages radio clubs to seek local government proclamations to build relationships and foster recognition for club events, and amateur radio
in general. Proclamations are typically sought leading up to World
Amateur Radio Day and ARRL Field Day. Radio clubs and other amateur
radio groups are encouraged to share a copy of their proclamations with
ARRL via pr@arrl.org. ARRL will often share the proclamations to
advance legislative efforts, creating additional support of awareness
for amateur radio among lawmakers.

Read the full text of the proclamations at ARRL News <https://www.arrl.org/news/ct-governor-proclaims-april-16-22-amateur-radio-recognition-week>.


ARRL members can subscribe to the free monthly Club News e-newsletter
by visiting their account on the ARRL website <https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out> (requires log in).

QSO TODAY VIRTUAL HAM EXPO THIS WEEKEND

The event takes place March 25 - 26, 2023 (UTC) -- Friday night in the
US.

This is a fantastic opportunity for all ham radio operators and
enthusiasts to come together and enjoy a variety of presentations,
exhibits, and networking opportunities - all from the comfort of your
own home.

Register for the event now at www.qsotodayhamexpo.com <https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/>

AMATEUR RADIO INCLUDED IN FEMA GUIDE FOR NATIONAL EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a final
version (March 2023) of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance.
The guidance, which provides a framework for communications resources
within incident management, officially includes support from amateur
radio operators. The expanded Communications Unit (COMU) structure now
includes the Auxiliary Communicator (AUXC) role, which covers personnel
from services that provide communications support to emergency
management, public safety, and other government agencies. This includes
amateur radio.

NIMS guides government, non-governmental organizations, and the private
sector to work together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from
disasters and other emergencies. "This is a major step in the
recognition of the need and usefulness of amateur radio and other communications services in our national preparedness," said Josh
Johnston, KE5MHV, Director of Emergency Management for ARRL The
National Association for Amateur Radio <http://www.arrl.org/>®. "It
also gives official guidance to pave the way for future training and
education of volunteers in ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service <http://www.arrl.org/ares>® (ARES®)," Johnston added.

The NIMS ICT guide (PDF) is available at https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ict-functional-guidance.pdf.

NEW CHIEF NAMED FOR AIR FORCE MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM

David L. Antry, Jr., WD9HBA, has been named Chief of the Air Force
Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS).

MARS is a Field Operating Agency of the US Air Force's Air Combat
Command (ACC) and HQ Cyberspace Capabilities Center (CCC).

Prior to his new assignment, Antry served as a Logistics Manager in
the 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing War Reserve Materiel Program
Integration Office. <>

He enlisted in the US Air Force in January of 1985 and worked in
Avionics. He received a Palace Chase assignment in 1989 and spent the
rest of his uniformed career working in Avionics and Supply for the Air National Guard.

Antry retired from the 126th Air Refueling Wing at the Scott Air Force
Base in October 2011 with the rank of E-7, Master Sergeant. In addition
to his daily Air Force duties, Antry has voluntarily served with Air
Force MARS since November 2012 as a member of the amateur radio
community, operating both Very High Frequency (VHF) and High Frequency
(HF) radio equipment.

Prior to being named Chief of MARS, he served as Operations Officer for
the 51st Air Force MARS Communications Group.

Reid Snider, N4SPY, Public Information Officer of US Air Force MARS,
said Antry brings with him a broad skill set for MARS operations.
"Chief Antry has the understanding, knowledge, ability, and respect to
help Air Force MARS plan and position its programs for communications
of [the] future," said Snider.

Today, US Air Force MARS is an organization of about 800 licensed
amateur radio operators who volunteer their time and radio equipment to
assist government agencies in the event that normal communications
channels are disrupted, either by natural calamity or deliberate
hostile action.

MARS members are trained to meet the requirements of any communications emergency. In recent years, greater interoperability between the Air
Force and the Army has facilitated accomplishment of this objective.
Individual civilian MARS stations operate throughout the continental US alongside civil agencies and military MARS stations in the US and
overseas.

Antry will be stationed at the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He has
been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1977.

For more information about Air Force MARS <https://www.mars.af.mil/>,
visit their website.

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>.

"Dayton leader of world's largest gathering of radio amateurs dies <https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/dayton-leader-of-worlds-largest-gathering-of-radio-amateurs-dies/ATWCLA7FDFB33PPDR5EYKC2VRE/>"

/ Dayton Daily News (Ohio), March 18, 2023 --The Dayton Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Amateur radio operators like Bob McArthur of New Ipswich make
connections
<https://www.ledgertranscript.com/On-the-airwaves-50168880>" /
Monadnock Ledger -- Transcript (New Hampshire), March 22, 2023 -- Bob
McArthur, K1QT.

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/>

In the current episode, we cover radio orienteering (aka Amateur Radio Direction Finding, or ARDF), a radio sport like no other. It gets you
out of your shack chair and bounding through the woods or a park, using
a handheld receiver and directional antenna to find a transmitter
that's located somewhere in the vicinity. People of all ages and skill
levels can have fun with radio orienteering - and you don't even need a
ham radio license to join in. In this episode, we talk to USA ARDF Co-coordinator Charles Scharlau, NZ0I, about how get involved in what
he calls, "the only athletic radio sport."

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/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

To raise awareness of World Autism Acceptance Week (March 27 - April
2), a team of international amateur radio operators will operate eight
special event stations from March 25 through April 2, 2023. According
to the Center for Disease Control's Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring Network, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects
about 1 in 44 children. The special event stations are sponsored by the
Ten Mile River Scout Museum Amateur Radio Club, W2TMR, <https://www.qrz.com/db/W2TMR> in Narrowsburg, New York. Event stations
W2A, GB2AA, GB2AAW, GB0AAW, 8A0RARI, 4X0AAW, HI0AUT, and S76A will be
joined by more than 40 operators across the US and Puerto Rico and two
dozen international operators from 19 countries on six continents. More information and QSL cards are available from the Ten Mile River Scout
Museum Amateur Radio Club, W2TMR, at QRZ.com.
<https://www.qrz.com/db/W2A>

AMSAT needs volunteers for the Dayton Hamvention. Amateur radio's
biggest event of the year is less than eight weeks away at the Greene
County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. The 2023 Hamvention is May 19 - 21.
AMSAT is a major Hamvention exhibitor with different displays, ranging
from engineering, operations, educational relations, the AMSAT Store,
and much more. In 2022, about 35 people assisted with the AMSAT booth.
It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2022 Dayton
Hamvention a success for AMSAT. The interaction with AMSAT members,
satellite operators, designers, and builders make the whole experience
a lot of fun. Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this
year? Whether you're available for only a couple of hours, or if you
can spend the entire weekend with us, your help will be greatly
appreciated. If you will be attending Hamvention and can help, please
send an e-mail to Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator, at w1eme@msat.org. <w1eme@%20msat.org.>

[A special thanks to Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Coordinator
for the above information.]

Georgia State Parks on the Air <https://gaparks.org/> will be held
April 1 - 2, 2023. ARRL member Claude Ray, AC4SH, said all 50 state
parks will be involved in this inaugural event. "The objective is to
encourage ham radio operators to visit Georgia state parks and
experience the fun of Parks on the Air activations. This is a fun
contest only, the rules are minimal, the scoring is simple, and the
main award is simply the fun of getting on the air," said Ray. The
contest period begins at 8:00 AM EDT on April 1, and ends at 7:59 PM
EDT on April 2. Operating hours are subject to park rules and times.
Every station participating in the event and submitting a log will,
upon request, receive a Certificate of Participation indicating the
number of parks contacted. "Incredibly, we've had enough interest among
Georgia hams that we now have at least one ham signed up at each of
Georgia's 50 state parks," Ray added. "Many parks have multiple hams
doing activations over both days. The enthusiasm for this event has
been remarkable." More information and a complete list of rules can be
found at gaparks.org/rules <http://gaparks.org/rules>.

IN BRIEF...

On February 25th, 2023, the Calvert Amateur Radio Association (CARA) participated in the 10th annual Science and Engineering Expo held at
Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Maryland. CARA members Shawn
Donley, N3AE; Andy Charland, KC3WRX; Les Silva, KH6CUJ, and Dale
Sollars, KC3RKP, set up amateur stations for 2 meters, 70 centimeters,
and HF. They helped introduce students and their family members to the
wonder and fun of amateur radio operation. Handouts were available,
including youth-specific flyers provided by ARRL. Recently, CARA has
been exploring ways to reach out to the community, especially young
persons, regarding the fun and science of amateur radio, which is a
priority for ARRL. Even though the club's planning time was short, much
of the supplies and operating equipment were close at hand due to the
club's involvement with ARES® and RACES®. With that kind of experience,
along with ARRL Field Day and other events that take place outside
normal home station operations, club members had their gear ready to
operate at this event. Some of the interesting things the attendees
experienced included: HF contacts, different types of antennas, how
their first name sounds in Morse code, and how ham radio works when
other kinds of communications fail. Participants were also able to talk
on the local 2-meter repeater system with local hams! The club's
display received a lot of attention due to its proximity to the Expo's
main entrance and attendee sign-in desk. At the club's request, the
school staff arranged for them to be near an exit and away from
participants, which allowed for coax cables to run to temporary
antennas positioned outside. Erik Johnson, KC3QQD, CARA President,
reported that the club, attendees, and event organizers said it was
very exciting and they are looking forward to next time! CARA would
like to thank Dr. Yovonda Kolo, Supervisor of Science and STEM of
Calvert County Public Schools ,for the opportunity to participate.

[ A Special thanks to Erik Johnson, KC3QQD, CARA President for the
updated information.]

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP012:

Sunspot numbers were lower again this week, with the average
declining from 143.6 two weeks ago to 118.7 last week, and now 68 this
week. Average daily solar flux sank eight points, from 153.6 last week
to 145.6 this week.

Six new sunspot groups emerged over the week: one on March 17, another
March 18, three more on March 19, one more on March 21, and another on
March 22.

Predicted solar flux is 155, 150, and 145 on March 23 - 25; 140 on
March 26 - 27, then 130, 130, and 140 on March 28 - 30; 138 on March 31
through April 1, then 136, 136, and 134 on April 2 - 4; 132 on April 5
- 7; 130 on April 8 - 9, then 132, 135, 138, and 140 on April 10 - 13;
142 on April 14 - 15; 143 on April 16; 140 on April 17 - 18; 142 on
April 19 - 21, and 144 on April 22.

Predicted planetary A index is very active over the next few days, at
20, 40, 30, 20, and 15 on March 23 - 27; 8 on March 28 - 29; 20 and 18
on March 30 - 31; 12 on April 1 - 2; 10 and 8 on April 3 - 4; 5 on
April 5 - 9, then 15, 12, 8, and 5 on April 10 - 13: 8 on April 14 -
15, then 12, 10, 5, and 5 on April 16 - 19, then 10, 36, 20, 10, and 8
April 20 - 24.

Send your tips, reports, observations, questions, and comments to k7ra@arrl.net. When reporting observations, don't forget to tell us
which mode you were operating.

Sunspot numbers for March 16 through 22, 2023, were 84, 58, 35, 73, 75,
70, and 81, with a mean of 68. 10.7-centimeter flux was 135.4, 134.2,
140.3, 142.7, 156.1, 151.6, and 158.9, with a mean of 145.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 7, 8, 10, 13, 8, and 17, with a mean of
10.6. Middle latitude A index was 6, 7, 6, 8, 10, 8, and 14, 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

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

- March 22 - March 28 Tennessee W1AW/4

- March 22 - March 28 New Mexico W1AW/5

- March 29 - April 4 Washington W1AW/7

- March 29 - April 4 Vermont W1AW/1

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- March 23 -- RSGB 80m Club Champ., SSB (phone)

- March 25 -- FOC QSO Party (CW)

- March 25 - 26 -- CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB (phone)

- March 26 -- UBA Spring Contest, 6m (CW, phone)

- March 27 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (digital)

- March 29 -- UKEICC 80m Contest (CW)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- 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.

- May 7 | Warminster Amateur Radio Club Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/warminster-arc-hamfest-arrl-eastern-pennsylvania-section-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Bristol,
Pennsylvania

- May 13 | ARRL Nebraska State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-nebraska-state-convention-2>,
Lincoln, Nebraska

- May 19 - 26 | Dayton Hamvention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-arrl-great-lakes-division-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Xenia, Ohio

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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