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

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

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

March 2, 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

- 2023 Hamvention Awards Announced
- AMSAT Recruiting Engineering Volunteers
- Schools Set to Talk with Astronauts via Amateur Radio
- Radio Merit Badge Sees Biggest Gain in Scouting
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

2023 HAMVENTION AWARDS ANNOUNCED

The 2023 Hamvention Awards committee for Dayton Hamvention® has
announced this year's award winners.

The Special Achievement Award recipient is Dr. Jason McDonald, N2TPA

Dr. McDonald began a career as a radio frequency engineer before
becoming a trauma surgeon. He brings amateur radio to the world through
youth projects and Scouting, particularly through Radio Scouting.

He has helped form Scouting clubs around the world. <>To date, more
than 500 youths in these clubs have become licensed and are on the air.

The Amateur Radio Club of the Year is the Delaware Valley Radio
Association (DVRA). This ARRL Affiliated Club was formed in 1930 and
serves the Trenton, New Jersey, area. DVRA has tripled in size over the
last 6 years, due to the wide range of amateur radio activities and
events they offer.

The Technical Achievement Award recipient is Dr. James Breakall,
WA3FET.

As a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University
from 1989 to 2022, Dr. Breakall developed cutting-edge antenna
technology and mentored his students in amateur radio. Through his
mentorship, he inspired 700 of his students to become new licensees.
Now a retired Professor Emeritus, he serves as a consultant to the
Army, Air Force, and Navy on many antenna-related projects.

Amateur of the Year 2023 is Carsten Dauer, DM9EE.

For 30 years, Dauer has been active in European amateur radio
through the World Radiosport Team Championship and Youth on the Air.

Recently, he spearheaded a movement that provides amateur radio
equipment to Ukraine by collecting donations and personally delivering
them.

You can read more about the 2023 Hamvention Awards at their website <https://hamvention.org/> or at ARRL.org <http://www.arrl.org/>.

Dayton Hamvention® is May 19 - 21, 2023 at the Greene County
Fairgrounds and Expo Center.

AMSAT RECRUITING ENGINEERING VOLUNTEERS

AMSAT is looking for an electrical engineer with RF experience to join
its FOX-PLUS team. The team will be a collaboration of up to 10
electrical, mechanical, software, and systems engineer volunteers.

There will also be an opportunity to design and build the RF
communications subsystems for a series of low-Earth orbit 1U - 3U
CubeSats to support AMSAT's educational and engineering objectives.

Candidates should have working knowledge of analog and digital
communications protocols (e.g., FM, PSK, and FSK) to provide digitally synthesized audio for FM modulated VHF/UHF/SHF voice and telemetry
channels. Development opportunities can begin with modification of
previous FOX designs and/or with an original design.

Mechanical engineers are also needed to join AMSAT's FOX and GOLF
CubeSat teams. There will be a collaboration with an all-volunteer team
of up to 12 electrical, mechanical, software, and systems engineers.
The positions entail an opportunity to use structural design and
analysis skills to develop a series of low-Earth orbit and highly
elliptical orbit 1U - 3U CubeSats.

Contributions may include:

- The development of the space frame and deployable solar panel
subsystem
- The analysis of the thermal characteristics of the CubeSat and the
design of the thermal management system
- Preparation and oversight of the environmental testing procedure
- Management of documentation of the CubeSat's adherence to the launch provider's and space vehicle owner's specifications

AMSAT volunteers typically spend 5 hours per week on their projects and
attend a weekly meeting online. An amateur radio license and CubeSat
experience are helpful, but not necessary. US citizenship or proof of
permanent residency is required.

Interested persons should send an email with their resume/curriculum
vitae to volunteer@amsat.org.

- Thanks to AMSAT Assistant VP, Engineering Jonathan Brandenburg,
KF5IDY, for the above information.

SCHOOLS SET TO TALK WITH ASTRONAUTS VIA AMATEUR RADIO

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced
that several schools are planning to communicate with orbiting
astronauts in the coming weeks.

Lana'i High & Elementary School in Lana'i City, Hawaii, will attempt
the contact between March 20 and 24, 2023. Students attending the high
school already study amateur radio and the research being done on the
ISS, among other scientific pursuits.

Stone Magnet Middle School in Melbourne, Florida, will make their
contact between March 27 and April 1, 2023. In their application, Stone
Magnet wrote that they work to inspire students to develop interest in
science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM)
careers. The school has a special program for science research, and
students from that program place well in district and statewide science
fairs each year.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies
and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating organizations include NASA's Space Communications and Navigation
program (SCaN), the ISS National Lab - Space Station Explorers, ARRL
The National Association for Amateur Radio
<http://www.arrl.org/ariss>®, and AMSAT.

ARISS is presently seeking contact proposals <http://arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-on-the-international-space-station-seeking-contact-proposals>

for the next round of school selections.

RADIO MERIT BADGE SEES BIGGEST GAIN IN SCOUTING

According to a Scouting magazine study of Merit Badges earned in 2022,
Radio had the biggest jump.

It is now the 81st most popular Merit Badge, up from being 98th in
2021. Trailing just behind it on the biggest gains list is the
Electronics Merit Badge, which jumped 15 spots, from 80th to 65th. To
earn the rank of Eagle Scout, members must earn 21 badges, 14 of which
are standard. The Scout gets to choose the remaining badges based on
personal interests.

Many Scouts take part in Jamboree on the Air, which is being held
October 20 - 23, 2023.

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 enthusiasts ham it up in Milford <https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/amateur-radio-enthusiasts-ham-milford-17774406.php>"

/ The Daily (Connecticut), February 23, 2023. The Woodmont Amateur
Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"From Social Activity to Lifeline: Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club <https://www.tryondailybulletin.com/2023/02/23/from-social-activity-to-lifeline-thermal-belt-amateur-radio-club/>"

/ Tryon Daily Bulletin (North Carolina), February 23, 2023. The Thermal
Belt Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Columbiana HS student presents at amateur radio conference <https://www.salemnews.net/news/neighborhood-news/2023/02/columbiana-hs-student-presents-at-amateur-radio-conference/>"

/ Salem News (Ohio), February 23, 2023. Columbiana High School Amateur
Radio 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/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARRL International DX Contest Log Upgrades are Now Available for
HamDash. N3FJP's ARRL International DX Contest Log 5.1.4 (for US and
Canadian users) and the DX version (for users outside the US and
Canada), ARRL International DX Contest Log 3.7.4, are now available.
These upgrades include:

- Support for HamDash
- Ability to sort the Notes list (Ctrl + H) by clicking on the column
header

Upgrades are free for registered users. If you are running a version of
the software released after January 2021, it will detect the new
upgrade and offer to retrieve it for you. If you have any problems with
the automatic upgrade, or if you are running an older version, you can
install the latest version directly from the website at https://www.n3fjp.com/intdx.html

IN BRIEF...

The phone portion of the ARRL International DX Contest runs March 4 -
5, 2023. The event is dedicated to DX contacts only. US and Canadian
stations may only contact DX stations and vice versa. The goal of the
event is for operators to expand their knowledge of DX propagation on
the HF and MF bands, and to improve their operating skills and station capabilities. Participants may only use the 160-, 80-, 40-, 20-, 15-,
and 10-meter bands. You can read the complete rules here <https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/DX-Rules.pdf>. This contest is
an opportunity for stations to earn points in the yearlong Volunteers
On the Air (VOTA) operating event. Each ARRL member is worth one point,
and volunteers are worth even more <https://www.arrl.org/files/file/VOTA%20-%20Volunteers%20On%20The%20Air/VOTA_2023_Points_v5_3.pdf>.

Refer to the VOTA web page <https://www.arrl.org/volunteers-on-the-air>
for more information. Logs submitted to ARRL's Logbook of The World are automatically tallied for points.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP009:

Solar disk image taken March 2, 2023, courtesy of NASA SDO/HM.

This was a busy week for geomagnetic storms. A solar wind stream
from an equatorial hole and a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) seemingly
blew geomagnetic numbers off the scale, with the planetary A index on
Monday hitting 94. An aurora was visible as far south as Colorado.

This week, the source of the 10.7-centimeter solar flux from the
Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Kaleden, British Columbia,
was again saturated by solar wind on February 25, and the measurement
was 279.3. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
corrected this to 152, which I thought was a bit too low. The other
recent saturation was on February 17, at 343.1, but for some reason,
the NOAA let this stand.

https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/daily-solar-indices.txt

Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 107 to 126.3, but average daily
solar flux declined from 162.4 to 158.2.

Average daily planetary A index rose from 10.6 to 27.7.

Over the next few weeks, it appears that solar flux values should hit a
peak around March 17 - 18.

Predicted solar flux is 164, 162, and 158 on March 2 - 4; 154 on March
5 - 8; 165 on March 9 - 12; 170 on March 13 - 15; 175 on March 16; 180
on March 17 - 18; 175, 170, and 165 on March 19 - 21; 160 on March 22 -
23; 155 on March 24 - 26; 150 on March 27 - 28; 145 on March 29 - 30,
and 140, 145, 150, 155, and 160 on March 31 through April 4.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 5, 12, 18, 24, 14, and 8 on March 2 -
8; 5 on March 9 - 14; 15, 8, 8, 5, 8, and 15 on March 15 - 20; 5 on
March 21 - 23; 12, 16, 56, 32, 16, and 10 on March 24 - 29; 8 on March
30 - 31, and 16, 18, and 15 on April 1 - 3.

The predicted A index of 56 and 32 on March 26 - 27 suggests a return
of this week's disturbance in the next solar rotation.

Newsweek reported a radio blackout at the following link:

https://bit.ly/3YsJREJ

Sky & Telescope also reported on aurora season:

https://bit.ly/3ZbC1As

The News Tribune wrote a story about the northern lights:

https://bit.ly/3ymZrqR

The above story features western Washington, where I live.
Unfortunately, the sky was overcast, but folks in eastern Washington
were able to see the aurora. Remember that many of the images you see
were from cameras with a long exposure time, which makes them much
brighter than what can be seen with the naked eye.

Thanks to spaceweather.com for this NASA video clip of sunspot group
AR3234 growing as it comes over our sun's eastern limb:

https://bit.ly/3J1IIiJ

Sunspot numbers for February 23 through March 1, 2023, were 108, 130,
129, 120, 192, 100, and 105, with a mean of 107. The 10.7-centimeter
flux was 148.2, 164.1, 152, 159, 161.2, 160.9, and 162, with a mean of
162.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 22, 6, 10, 26, 94, 28, and 8,
with a mean of 10.6. Middle latitude A index was 16, 4, 9, 18, 60, 19,
and 6, with a mean of 8.4.

73,

K7RA

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 also the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable
Operations <https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including these:

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

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

- March 15 - March 21 -- Virginia, W1AW/4

- March 15 - March 21 -- Ohio, W1AW/8

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

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

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

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

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

- March 2 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

- March 3 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint (digital)

- March 3 -- NCCC Sprint (CW)

- March 3 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test (CW)

- March 5 -- ARRL International DX Contest, SSB (phone)

- March 4 - 12 --Novice Rig Roundup (CW)

- March 4 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)

- March 5 -- UBA Spring Contest, CW (CW)

- March 5 -- SARL 40m Simulated Emergency Test (phone)

- March 5 -- NSARA Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- March 5 -- WAB 3.5 MHz Phone (phone)

- March 6 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test CW)

- March 6 -- OK1WC Memorial (MWC) (CW)

- March 6 -- RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data (digital)

- March 7 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

- March 7 -- AGCW YL-CW Party (CW)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- 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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Amateur Radio News and Information

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