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

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

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

October 6, 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

- Amateur Radio Active During 2 Weeks Of Hurricanes
- ARRL Director Emeritus Dr. Thomas W. Comstock, N5TC, SK
- Gerald J. Ramie, KI6LGY, Receives IEEE Award
- Proposals Sought For Amateur Radio Crew Contacts From The
International Space Station
- The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) To Host The Transatlantic
Centenary Tests
- Support ARRL When You Shop Amazon's Holiday Deals, October 11 - 12
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVE DURING 2 WEEKS OF HURRICANES

The VoIP Hurricane Net, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), and the Amateur
Radio station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, contributed
hundreds of hours tracking and taking reports for hurricanes Fiona and
Ian.

Amateur radio operators from Puerto Rico, Florida, and the US east
coast worked for almost 2 weeks, making sure damage reports and
requests for assistance were dispatched in a timely manner.

HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, reported that their activation for
Hurricane Fiona lasted 39.5 hours. There were 109.5 hours on-air
manpower and 246.5 total man-hours. "The HWN was activated four times
for Fiona: twice on its approach to Puerto Rico, and twice on its
landfall," said Graves. "We collected and forwarded 23 surface reports
to the National Hurricane Center in Miami by way of WX4NHC."

For Hurricane Ian, HWN Assistant Manager Stan Broadway, N8BHL, added,
"Our activation for Ian lasted for nearly 5 full days, with a total of
83 hours. There [were] a total of 383.5 hours of on-air manpower and
1,014.5 total man-hours. We collected and forwarded 164 surface reports
to the National Hurricane Center."

The VoIP Hurricane Net reported that, over the entire course of Ian,
from its tropical storm force effects in Grand Cayman, major landfall
in Cuba and southwest Florida, and landfall in South Carolina into
North Carolina, they sent approximately 150 reports.

"An approximate volunteer man-hour count for this hurricane is
estimated to be over 150 hours, including the planning, execution, and
release of activation information, also accounting for those stations
in the affected areas or stations that were relays into the affected
area reporting storm damage," said Graves.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, had
previously reported that many ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service <http://www.arrl.org/ares>® (ARES®) volunteers and their groups were
involved across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Johnston said
that there were ARES members, at the request of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, serving in the state Emergency Operations Center.
Many ARES groups were also operating in several shelter locations.

The NHC continues to monitor activity in the North Atlantic, Caribbean
Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.

ARRL DIRECTOR EMERITUS DR. THOMAS W. COMSTOCK, N5TC, SK

ARRL Director Emeritus Dr. Thomas W. Comstock, N5TC, passed away on
September 22, 2022. He was 91 years old.

Comstock graduated from Texas A&M University in 1952 and was
commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Air Force. One of his four
domestic assignments was with the Texas A&M ROTC program in College
Station, Texas. While there, Comstock received his master's degree and
PhD. He retired from the US Air Force in 1972 as a lieutenant colonel
and returned to Texas A&M, where he taught in the Industrial Technology
and Industrial Distribution departments. He also published two books.
When he retired from Texas A&M, Comstock was conferred the status of
professor emeritus of the university.

During the 1970s, Comstock became an avid amateur radio operator. He
served as ARRL West Gulf Division Vice Director from 1980 - 1991 and as Director from 1991 - 1997. He was also a Director of the ARRL
Foundation and the Scholarship Committee. In recognition of his service
to ARRL, the Board of Directors named Comstock as Director Emeritus in
July 2012.

Comstock was also a member of the ARRL Maxim Society in the Ambassador
Class.

Thanks to the Dossman Funeral Home for providing additional information
for this story.

GERALD J. RAMIE, KI6LGY, RECEIVES IEEE AWARD

ARRL Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Committee member Gerald J.
Ramie, KI6LGY, received the Laurence G. Cumming Award for Outstanding
Service on August 4, 2022. Presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) EMC Society, the award recognized Ramie
for promoting meaningful EMC immunity testing for utility control
products over the last decade.

Ramie's work began in 2010 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP)

Electromagnetic Interoperability Issues (EMII) Working Group. The
group's report was completed by November 2012, but when compared to the inventory of existing electromagnetic interference (EMI) standards,
five major gaps were found. Soon, three additional gaps were found,
including one that addressed resistance to emissions below 80 MHz. One
existing IEEE standard addressed resistance to emissions above 80 MHz.

Ramie worked for the next 10 years to get these eight missing immunity
tests included in the IEEE Power & Energy Society list of EMC Immunity Standards for substation communications equipment.

"ARRL deserves the Cumming award as much as I do," said Ramie. "None of
this Standards [work could] have been done without that support, and it
will save lives. It has certainly been life-changing for me."

ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said Ramie's work ensured that
the modern power grid would be immune to the transmissions of nearby transmitters. "This protects the grid against threats from radio
transmissions of any kind," said Hare. "This work demonstrates the
value of amateur radio and its continuing contributions to the
development of new technology." Hare also said that if amateur
transmitters were to cause the grid not to function, the value of
amateur radio would be diminished, and, in many cases, amateurs could
be held to blame.

Ramie was granted his General-class license in 2017 at the suggestion
of Hare. "He asked if we could work together more on amateur radio
issues, and suggested that I should acquire a license to make that
easier," said Ramie. "I started studying materials that Hare sent me
and went for a course and 2 days of testing in Fremont, California. I
try now to log into UHF nets sometimes and have several good friends in
local ham clubs."

PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR AMATEUR RADIO CREW CONTACTS FROM THE

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is seeking
formal and informal education institutions and organizations,
individually or working together, to host an amateur radio contact with
a crew member onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023.

Organizations that want to participate will need to submit a proposal
no later than November 13, 2022. ARISS is looking for proposals that
will draw large numbers of participants and integrate into a
well-developed education plan. To assist with the proposals, ARISS has
posted information about expectations and guidelines on their website <https://www.ariss.org/>. In addition, an ARISS Proposal Webinar
session will be held on October 13, 2022, at 8:00 PM ET. The Eventbrite
link to sign up for the webinar is https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2022.eventbrite.com <https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2022.eventbrite.com/>.

ARISS anticipates holding the contact between July 1 and December 31,
2023. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact radio
contact dates. Crew members aboard the ISS will participate in
scheduled amateur radio contacts approximately 10 minutes in length,
and they'll allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.

An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via amateur
radio. It takes place between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the
space station, and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford
education audiences an opportunity to learn firsthand what it's like to
live and work in space. Such contacts provide the chance to learn about
space research conducted on the ISS. Students will also have an
opportunity to learn about satellite radio communication, wireless
technology, and radio science.

Amateur radio organizations around the world, with the support of NASA
and space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe, and Russia, present
educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio
organizations' volunteer efforts provide much of the equipment and
operational support that enables communication between the ISS crew and students around the world.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, sponsors are
the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), ARRL The National
Association for Amateur Radio®, the ISS National Laboratory Space
Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), and
NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program. The primary
goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology,
engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. For more information
about ARISS, visit their website at www.ariss.org
<http://www.ariss.org/>.

THE RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN (RSGB) TO HOST THE TRANSATLANTIC

CENTENARY TESTS

The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will host The Transatlantic
Centenary Tests during December 2022. The international event
celebrates the centenary of the transatlantic success of the RSGB in
December 1922.

On December 24, 1922, the very first verified amateur radio signal from
Europe was received in North America. The signal originated from the
RSGB station (G)5WS at Wandsworth in South London, as part of the Third Transatlantic Tests.

Unlike the tests of the 1920s, which consisted of one-way
communication, the December 2022 tests will encourage worldwide two-way communication with the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies. There
will be a series of awards available for making contacts with those who
are activating special call signs.

For this centenary celebration, the RSGB has renewed five call signs,
which they held in the 1920s:

- G5WS, from the 1922 tests -- "the first to get across"
- G5AT, from the 1923 tests
- G6XX, from the 1923 tests
- G6ZZ, used for the first amateur tests on a moving railway train in
1924
- G3DR, Scottish Highlands Call -- GM3DR

These historic call signs will be activated by RSGB members and clubs,
using G5WS, G5AT, G6XX, G6ZZ, G3DR (England), GM5WS (Scotland), GW5WS
(Wales), GU5WS (Guernsey), GD5WS (Isle of Man), GJ5WS (Jersey), and
GI5WS (Northern Ireland).

Full details of how to participate are available on the RSGB website at https://rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests
<https://rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests/>.

SUPPORT ARRL WHEN YOU SHOP AMAZON'S HOLIDAY DEALS, OCTOBER 11 - 12

Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale is set for October 11 and 12, 2022,
and offers tons of deals ahead of Black Friday. The second Amazon Prime
Day event will feature exclusive discounts across all categories for
Amazon Prime members. As you browse great deals, you can support ARRL
when you shop at AmazonSmile <https://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-6000004>
and choose American Radio Relay League Inc. (ARRL) as your charity of
choice.

When you join AmazonSmile and shop at smile.amazon.com <https://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-6000004> (all year long), you are
generating donations to ARRL. With every qualifying purchase you make
through AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to ARRL at no cost to you. This
helps ARRL extend its reach in public service, advocacy, education,
technology, and membership.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping this season and support the
Amateur Radio Service and ARRL with your eligible purchases. For more information on Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale and AmazonSmile visit AmazonSmile <https://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-6000004> and log in to your
Amazon account.

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>.

"Tupelo Ham radio operators help Hurricane Ian victims <https://www.wcbi.com/tupelo-ham-radio-operators-help-hurricane-ian-victims/>."

/ WCBI TV (Mississippi), September 29, 2022, The Tupelo Amateur Radio
Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Eau Claire group holds emergency simulation test" <https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/eau-claire-group-holds-emergency-simulation-test/ar-AA12un7R>

/ WEAU (Wisconsin), October 2, 2022, The Eau Claire Amateur Radio Club
Inc. is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Hurricane Ian hero: Maryland firefighter uses his ham radio to send
rescuers to Florida's Sanibel Island." <https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hurricane-ian-hero-maryland-firefighter-ham-radio-send-rescuers-sanibel-island>

/ Fox News Channel (Maryland), October 5, 2022, Dale Klonin, KC3TAU, is
a licensed amateur radio operator in Hampstead, Maryland. Thanks to
Josh Johnson, KE5MHV, ARRL Emergency Management Director for this link.

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 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

AMSAT-UK Colloquium talks, given at the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium, will be live-streamed to a global audience over the weekend
of October 8 - 9, 2022. The weekend event attracts an international
audience that ranges from those involved in building and operating
amateur radio satellites, to beginners who wish to find out more about
the hobby. There will also be a roundup of the number of new live and
potential spacecraft projects that are under investigation or
development. The streaming will take place Saturday, October 8 from
0830 - 1645 GMT, and Sunday, October 9, from 0830 - 1415 GMT. More
information and a link to the schedule of talks is available at
AMSAT-UK <https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/>. -- Thanks to AMSAT-UK.

IN BRIEF...

The Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications (DLARC)
continues to build its internet library and is looking for donations as
the project moves forward. Funded by a grant of almost $900,000 from
Amateur Radio Digital Communications <https://www.ampr.org/>(ARDC),
the DLARC 's online, open-access resource will preserve the vital
resources -- past, present, and future -- that document the history of
amateur radio and communication. DLARC is now looking for partners and contributors with "Troves of ham radio, amateur radio, and early
digital communications related books, magazines, documents, catalogs,
manuals, and videos. Software, personal archives, and other historical
records collections, no matter how big or small." Learn more about the
program at the DLARC website <https://blog.archive.org/>, or by
contacting Kay Savetz, K6KJN, Program Manager for special collections
via email at Kay@archives.org.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

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

Sunspot numbers and solar flux increased this week (September 29
through October 5), as expected, with the solar cycle progressing
toward a probable peak in the summer of 2025.

Average daily sunspot number increased from 105.1 to 111.4, and
average daily 10.7-centimeter solar flux increased from 138.4 to 149.2.

Compare it to a year ago, when average daily sunspot number was just
59.4 and solar flux was 89.8.

Predicted solar flux is 158 and 156 on October 6 - 7; 154 on October 8
- 9; 152, 150, 148, and 140 on October 10 - 13; 130 on October 14 - 15;
135 on October 16 - 17; 140 on October 18; 145 on October 19 - 21; 150
on October 22 - 23; 145, 140, and 135 on October 24 - 26; 145 on
October 27 - 28; 150 on October 29; 155 on October 30 - 31; 145 on
November 1, and 135 on November 2 - 4.

Predicted planetary A index is 12, 14, 10, 12, and 8 on October 6 - 10;
5 on October 11 - 12; 8 on October 13 - 14; 10 on October 15 - 16; 8 on
October 17 - 19; 12 on October 20 - 21; 8 on October 22 - 29; 20, 12,
and 10 on October 30 through November 1, and 8 on November 2 - 10.

On October 2, www.spaceweather.com <https://www.spaceweather.com/>
announced "a big dangerous sunspot," AR3112, one of the biggest in
years, had rotated over the sun's eastern horizon. They predict this
could produce 2 weeks of high solar activity.

For the latest from Space Weather Woman Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW,
visit:

https://youtu.be/MFOsaEV4CME

https://youtu.be/ZVSO0grZ5ek

Sunspot numbers for September 29 through October 5, 2022, were 56, 74,
100, 102, 144, 153, and 151, with a mean of 111.4. The 10.7-centimeter
flux was 137.2, 137.1, 147.9, 153.9, 155.1, 152.4, and 161, with a mean
of 149.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 13, 3, 12, 24, 16, and
14, with a mean of 12.7. Middle latitude A index was 7, 12, 2, 9, 16,
13, and 11, with a mean of 10.

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 8 - 9 -- Makrothen RTTY Contest (digital)

- October 8 -- QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party (CW)

- October 8 -- V/U Nevada QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- October 8 - 9 -- Oceania DX Contest (CW)

- October 8 -- Microwave Fall Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- October 8 - 9 -- Scandinavian Activity Contest, SSB (phone)

- October 8 - 9 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

- October 8 - 9 -- Arizona QSO Party (CW, phone)

- October 8 - 9 -- WARC Pennsylvania QSO Party (CW, phone)

- October 8 - 9 -- South Dakota QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- October 8 - 9 -- PODXS 070 Club 160-Meter Great Pumpkin Sprint
(digital)

- October 9 -- UBA ON Contest (CW)

- October 10 -- 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint (CW, phone)

- October 10 -- 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint (CW, phone,
digital)

- October 12 -- NAQCC CW Sprint (CW)

- October 12 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, Data (digital)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- October 7- 8 | Melbourne Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/melbourne-hamfest-arrl-florida-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida

- October 7- 8 | Slidell EOC Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/slidell-eoc-hamfest-arrl-louisiana-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Slidell, Louisiana

- October 7- 9 | ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-rocky-mountain-division-convention>, Cheyenne, Wyoming

- October 9 | Nutmeg Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nutmeg-hamfest-arrl-connecticut-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, North Haven, Connecticut

- 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

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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