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

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

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

April 13, 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

- This Week: World Amateur Radio Day Special Event
- National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting Open during 2023
Dayton Hamvention®.
- ARSA Announces 2023 Award Winner
- 2023 Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Eastern Conference
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

THIS WEEK: WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY SPECIAL EVENT

World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is April 18, 2023, and will celebrate
the IARU's 98th anniversary. On this day in 1925,the IARU was formed in
Paris, France. American Radio Relay League® (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram
Percy Maxim was its first president.

This year's theme is Human Security for All (HS4A). The day is being
celebrated with a 2-week operating event occurring April 11 - 25.

Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, IARU Assistant Secretary, reports that thanks to the
support of the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group, a special website, hs4a.iaru.org, <https://hs4a.iaru.org/register> has been established to
manage the operating event. If you are planning to operate one or more
special event stations for WARD/HS4A, please register at the website.
Listed below is the procedure to register:

- Click on "register" and provide the requested contact information.

- Click on "participate" and agree to each of the six rules that you
will be shown. Check "I accept these rules" and then click on "next."

- Click on "continue as [your name]." You do not need to enter the
contact information again.

- Select "register a new station" and provide the requested
information. The station description (minimum 200 characters) can be
almost anything, such as what Human Security for All means to you, who
your station sponsor is, etc.

After your registration request is received, it will be quickly
approved, and you will be notified. Please direct any questions to iaru@iaru.org.

ARRL encourages all radio amateurs to take to the airwaves during WARD
to enjoy our global friendship with other amateurs and to show our
skills and capabilities to the public.

More information about 2023 WARD is available at www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day <https://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day> and www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day. <https://www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day.>

NATIONAL VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM OF BROADCASTING OPEN DURING 2023

DAYTON HAMVENTION®.

The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, in conjunction
with the West Chester Amateur Radio Association, announced their
expanded hours during the 2023 Dayton Hamvention®.

The museum will be open Thursday, May 18, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM;
Friday, May 19, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM; Saturday, May 20, from 12:00
PM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday, May 21, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Admission is $10.00 at the door. The West Chester Amateur Radio
Association, WC8VOA, will be on the air. The museum is a short drive
from Hamvention, down Interstate 75 or Route 42 from Xenia. Use the
Crosley Blvd address on your GPS.

New exhibits include a dedicated room for amateur radio and shortwave
equipment and a newly renovated ham shack with state-of-the-art
equipment from Yaesu, Icom, and Elecraft. Docents and operators will be available to enhance visits to the museum.

For further information, visit voamuseum.org
<http://www.voamuseum.org/> or wc8voa.org <https://wc8voa.org/>. You
can also find the museum on Facebook or call 513-777-0027. The museum's
regular hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and it
is located at 8070 Tylersville Road, West Chester, Ohio.

ARSA ANNOUNCES 2023 AWARD WINNER

The Amateur Radio Software Award (ARSA) <https://arsaward.com/>
Committee has announced that GridTracker, a project led by Stephen
Loomis, N0TTL, and the GridTracker.org team, has been selected as the
recipient of the 4th annual Amateur Radio Software Award.

The award recognizes software projects that enhance amateur radio and
promote innovation, freedom, and openness in amateur radio software development.

The committee received many nominations for the 2023 award, and after
careful consideration, GridTracker was chosen as the winner. The
committee was impressed by the breadth of features in GridTracker, its innovative graphic interface, and its ability to make amateur radio
more fun.

GridTracker is a tool that visualizes WSJT-X amateur radio traffic,
like FT8 and contacts from log files, which makes it easier for radio
amateurs to track their contacts and participate in contests. Its
unique approach to visualizing radio traffic adds a new dimension of
enjoyment to the radio art.

To learn more about GridTracker, visit https://gridtracker.org <https://gridtracker.org/>.

As part of the award, Loomis has requested that a $300 grant be donated
to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Oregon <https://namior.org/>, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving
the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

The ARSA Committee is already looking forward to next year's award and
welcomes input and nominations for future awards.

2023 SOCIETY OF AMATEUR RADIO ASTRONOMERS EASTERN CONFERENCE

The 2023 Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) annual Eastern
Conference will be held at the Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank,
West Virginia, on Sunday, August 20 through Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

The trailblazers of American radio astronomy called Green Bank
Observatory home more than 60 years ago. Today, their legacy is still
alive and well. Nestled in the mountain ranges and farmlands of West
Virginia, within the National Radio Quiet Zone, radio astronomers at
the observatory listen to the remote whispers of the universe to answer
our most astounding astronomical questions.

Attendees will participate in plenary sessions, small group workshops,
a technical tour of the facilities, hands-on training, operational
experience with a large radio telescope, and they will meet
contemporary trailblazers in the field.

Registration for in-person attendance by non-members of SARA is $295.00
if received by July 20, 2023. This fee includes meals and a 1-year
membership, but not lodging. The registration fee for online
participation is $35.00.

Payment can be made through PayPal <http://www.paypal.com/> to
treasurer@radio astronomy.org. <treasurer@radio%E2%80%90astronomy.org>
Please include that the payment is for the 2023 Annual Conference in
the comments.

Suggested pre-conference activities include free self-guided tours of
the Green Bank Observatory Science Center and paid public tours of the
radio telescope area. Full details with a link for ticket purchase is
available at https://greenbankobservatory.org/visit/. <https://greenbankobservatory.org/visit/>

An overall guide to other activities and attractions in the area can be
found at https://pocahontascountywv.com/things-to-do/. <https://pocahontascountywv.com/things-to-do/>

Presentations are invited. Individuals or groups who would like to
present topics related to radio astronomy can submit abstracts or
presentation outlines for consideration by April 30, 2023, to vicepresident@radio-astronomy.org.
<vicepresident@radio-astronomy.org.%0d%0d>

Additional information, conference details, and updates are available
at https://www.radio-astronomy.org <https://www.radio-astronomy.org/>
and in the SARA journal, Radio Astronomy.

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>.

"Students study for ham radio licenses <https://www.eptrail.com/2023/04/11/students-study-for-ham-radio-licenses/>"
/ Estes Park Trail Gazette (Colorado), April 11, 2023 -- The Estes
Valley Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Local amateur radio group welcomes all <https://news.yahoo.com/local-amateur-radio-group-welcomes-181600733.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFtkd4I_8Z67C-9gTyB_5JFEtA6zFv62tvqiMYxDkILrmuG8j8_mseO_DSF76O8wMMDsjclmSQy4txnN9DcNIvsjUKllevzvqU5kEv-
IS-ktu-8akqELTa73IrscURTxD8gjBEHXbYyYmlVzdZ8pfRZXQ7JC3MxrunEerzoajhVq>"

/ The Western News (Montana), April 7, 2023 -- The Lincoln County
Amateur Radio Group is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Come help the Beaver Valley Amateur Radio Association celebrate its
100th anniversary <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/come-help-the-beaver-valley-amateur-radio-association-celebrate-its-100th-anniversary/ar-AA19xlv1>"

/ The Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania), April 8, 2023 -- The Beaver
Valley Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"In The Age Of Social Media, Thousands Of Amateur (HAM) Radio Operators
In Wyoming Still Use The Airwaves <https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/04/08/in-the-age-of-social-media-thousands-of-amateur-ham-radio-operators-in-wyoming-still-use-the-airwaves/>"

/ Cowboy State Daily (Wyoming), April 8, 2023 -- Tom "Tex" Ritter,
WY7KY.

"Brandon radio club boosting its signal <https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/04/10/brandon-radio-club-boosting-its-signal>"

/ The Brandon Sun (Canada), April 10, 2023 -- The Brandon Amateur Radio
Club is an ARRL Affiliated 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/>
The March/April 2023 issue of On the Air featured an article on "The
Incident Command System and Amateur Radio," that introduced the
Incident Command System (ICS), an emergency management system that
public safety agencies use to respond to everything from small
incidents to large-scale emergencies. ARRL Director of Emergency
Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, joins this episode of the podcast to
share more about the system's origins and uses, where and how amateur
radio operators fit into the system, and where to get ICS training.

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

The ARRL Rookie Roundup <http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup> event
begins on Sunday, April 16, at 1800 UTC, and concludes at 2359 UTC.
Rookie Roundup is a great opportunity for newly licensed operators to experience competitive amateur radio operating. A "Rookie" is a ham
that was first licensed in the current calendar year or the previous
three calendar years, regardless of their license class. You can also
be considered a Rookie if you haven't made any contest contacts on the
contest mode before the event. Visit the event web page at www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup <http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup> for
rules and more information.

A special thanks to Paul Bourque, N1SFE <contest-update@arrl.org>, for
the information about the ARRL Rookie Roundup.

Almost 6 years after the FT8 Digital Mode Club <https://ft8dmc.eu/> was
founded in 2017, club members were asking why there were no diplomas
for the FT4 operating mode. After examining the issues carefully, club
founders Jo Engelbrecht, OE6VIE, and Hannes Gruensteidl, OE1SGU,
arrived at a solution: founding a new club. On March 17, 2023, the
FT4DMC was launched. The aims of the club are promoting radio
operations in FT4, creating incentives to use this mode of operation
with a moderate number of available diplomas, and increasing activity
on the amateur radio bands. There are currently 17 different diplomas,
with more to come. Membership in the FT4DMC is free and open to all
interested parties. FT4 is becoming more popular, and many DXpeditions
use this type of transmission and distribute additional band points.
FT4 was developed by Dr. Joe Taylor, K1JT. Contacts in this mode count
for the same amount as all other digital broadcast types for the ARRL
Digital (RTTY) DXCC award. The original idea was to use only FT4 for
contests. With about 2.5 times the speed of FT8, FT4 is efficient, and
the level of interest is terrific. In just under three weeks, the
FT4DMC already has more than 1,300 members and the first diplomas have
been awarded. As with the FT8DMC, the application for issuing the
diplomas takes place via the program developed by Heinz Urban, DK5UR,
which is used by nine clubs. The FT8DMC now has 21,600 members from 148
DXCC entities. More than 1.5 million diplomas have been issued. Every
new member receives a membership certificate and new members are
welcome. Additional information is available at:

FT4DMC: https://ft4dmc.com/

FT8DMC: https://ft8dmc.eu/

IN BRIEF...

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko, representative of Arizona's 8th
congressional district (AZ-08), attended the DeVry Hamfest in Phoenix,
Arizona, on Saturday, April 8, 2023. She had the chance to visit with
radio amateurs and explore information about programs such as ARRL's
Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES). Lesko tweeted about her
experience at the event, stating, "It was wonderful to join [ARRL's]
Hamfest and meet with amateur radio operators in Arizona! I'm proud to
support amateur radio operators, who play a critical role in emergency situations and have provided invaluable contributions to our nation!"
Lesko spent several hours at the event. Amateur radio plays a critical
role in emergency preparedness plans in Arizona.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP015:

Solar activity was up for this reporting week, April 6 - 12.

Seven new sunspot groups appeared: one on April 6, another on April 9,
two more on April 10, another on April 11, and two more on April 12.

The average daily sunspot number rose from 53.4 to 70.6, and the
average daily solar flux increased from 132.5 to 141.

Geomagnetic conditions were calm. The average daily planetary A index
dropped from 15 to 7.6, and the middle latitude average dropped from
11.7 to 6.4.

Predicted solar flux is 155 and 160 on April 13 - 14; 165 on April 15 -
16; 160 on April 17 - 18, then 155 and 152 on April 19 - 20; 155 on
April 21 - 22; 158 on April 23; 155 on April 24 - 25, then 152, 148,
145, and 142 on April 26 - 29; 140 on April 30 and May 1; 142 and 140
on May 2 - 3; 135 on May 4 - 5, then 130, 140, 145, 150, 152, 155, and
158 on May 6 - 12, and 160 on May 13 - 15.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on April 13 - 15; 12 on April 16; 8 on
April 17 - 18, then 5, 10, 15, and 10 on April 19 - 22; 5 on April 23 -
25, then 15 and 18 on April 26 - 27; 15 on April 28 - 30, then 12 and
10 on May 1 - 2; 8 on May 3 - 4; 5 on May 5 - 6, then 8, 10, and 8 on
May 7 - 9, and 5 on May 10 - 13.

Spaceweather.com released this news on Wednesday:

"Evidence is mounting that Solar Cycle 25 might peak much earlier than expected. New research by a leading group of solar physicists predicts
maximum sunspot activity in late 2023 or early 2024 with a peak that
could be twice as strong as the previous solar cycle."

It is all explained in this paper:

https://bit.ly/41gZnW4

Look in the Spaceweather.com archive for April 12 - 13 to read more.

I noticed some odd 10-meter propagation at 2000 UTC on April 11. While
running FT8 and a one wavelength end-fed wire at my home in Seattle,
the only stations that heard me, according to pskreporter.info, were
one in New Zealand, another in Hawaii, and only five stations in
Florida over a 200-mile strip from 2,512 to 2,712 miles. Checking again
at 2015 UTC, it was still the same.

Sunspot numbers for April 6 - 12, 2023, were 33, 38, 49, 52, 92, 103,
and 127, with a mean of 70.6. 10.7-centimeter flux was 137.1, 136.3,
135.9, 140.3, 139.8, 143.4, and 154, with a mean of 141. Estimated
planetary A indices were 9, 8, 6, 6, 14, 6, and 4, with a mean of 7.6.
Middle latitude A index was 7, 7, 5, 5, 11, 6, and 4, with a mean of
6.4.

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:

- April 12 - April 18 Massachusetts W1AW/1

- April 12 - April 18 North Carolina W1AW/4

- April 19 - April 25 North Dakota W1AW/0

- April 19 - April 25 Nevada W1AW/7

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- April 14 - 15 -- Holyland DX Contest (CW, phone)

- April 15 - 16 -- Worked All Provinces of China (phone)

- April 15 - 16 -- YU DX Contest CW (phone)

- April 15 -- Dutch PACCdigi Contest FT8 (digital)

- April 15 - 16 -- CQMM DX Contest (CW)

- April 15 - 16 -- Nebraska QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- April 15 - 16 -- Texas State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)

- April 15 - 16 -- Michigan QSO Party (CW, phone)

- April 15 - 16 -- EA-QRP CW Contest (CW)

- April 15 - 16 -- Ontario QSO Party (CW, phone)

- April 15 - 16 -- North Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone digital)

- April 16 -- Quebec QSO Party (CW, phone)

- April 16 -- ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB (phone)

- April 18 -- 222 MHz Spring Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- April 19 -- RSGB 80m Club Champ, SSB (phone)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

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

hosting the ARRL Great Lakes Division Convention, Xenia, Ohio

- June 2- 4 | SEA-PAC <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sea-pac-arrl-northwestern-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon

- June 3 | Atlanta Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlanta-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia

- June 4 | BreezeShooters Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/breezeshooters-hamfest-arrl-western-pennsylvania-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect, Pennsylvania

- June 17 | Knoxville Hamfest and Electronics Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/knoxville-hamfest-and-electronics-convention-arrl-tennessee-state-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

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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Amateur Radio News and Information

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Subscribe to...

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