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

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

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

March 28, 2024

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 Importance Highlighted at National Hurricane Conference
- World Amateur Radio Day is April 18, 2024
- Reminder: Solar Eclipse April 8
- New Training Course Offered by the ARRL Puerto Rico Section
- 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 IMPORTANCE HIGHLIGHTED AT NATIONAL HURRICANE

CONFERENCE

The National Hurricane Conference <https://hurricanemeeting.com/> was
held March 25 - 28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. Amateur radio was well represented at the event. A series of workshops were held that focused
on amateur radio's involvement in hurricane tracking, coverage, and
recovery.

Among the presenters was the Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator of
WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center <https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/> (NHC)
Julio Ripoll, WD4R.

Ripoll gave a history of amateur radio's involvement in NHC,
including the use of tube radios in the 1980s and the Yaesu FTDX-1200
used today. WX4NHC is also equipped with VHF/UHF radios to access the
Florida Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet), as well as digital
equipment to communicate with the VoIP Hurricane Net
<https://voipwx.net/>, IRLP, and Winlink to receive emails via amateur
radio.

"We were the only means of communication between the National Hurricane
Center and the National Weather Service Field Office in Slidell,
Louisiana, during Hurricane Katrina," Ripoll said. He went on to
highlight other instances of reports given by ham radio that provided mission-critical information that had a major impact on the way NHC
handled a storm.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, gave a presentation to the crowd of hurricane experts, meteorologists, and
emergency managers about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®).

He spoke of ARRL's role on the board of SAFECOM, a program managed
by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that
sets the standards of interoperability procedures. Being a part of the
group solidifies the Amateur Radio Service as a robust resource before
and during times of crisis.

Johnston shared that in 2023, ARES volunteers contributed at least
$21.8 million in volunteer hours to their local communities. "Is
amateur radio still relevant? Absolutely! Are we still involved in the
places that are doing things the right way? Amateur radio absolutely
is," he said.

Johnston highlighted the relationship between ARRL and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) <https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-and-fema-sign-agreement-ham-radio-is-as-relevant-as-ever>,

as well as ARRL's position as a net control station within the SHAred
RESources High Frequency Radio Program (SHARES) <https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/programs/shared-resources-shares-high-frequency-hf-radio-program>

managed by CISA.

Among other presenters was ARRL's The ARES Letter <http://www.arrl.org/ares-letter/> Editor Rick Palm, K1CE.

He shared a harrowing tale of his family riding out a direct hit
from Hurricane Idalia in August 2023. The damage and impact he felt
gave him a new perspective on emergency communications, as he went from
a volunteer communicator to a storm victim. Read more about his
experience in the "Public Service" column in the January 2024 issue of
QST.

Watch a video of the amateur radio workshops <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43X6wVrqwA> at the 2024 National
Hurricane Conference on YouTube, courtesy of Jim Palmer, KB1KQW.

WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY IS APRIL 18, 2024

World Amateur Radio Day <https://www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day/> (WARD) is
celebrated each year on April 18.

The theme for 2024 is, "A Century of Connections: Celebrating 100 Years
of Amateur Radio Innovation, Community, and Advocacy." The global event
covers all of the International Amateur Radio Union
<https://www.iaru.org/> (IARU) regions and spans 2 days: Thursday,
April 18, 2024, 0000 UTC to Friday, April 19, 2024, 0000 UTC.

On April 18, 1925, the IARU was formed in Paris and will celebrate its centenary in 2025. American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram
Percy Maxim was the organization's first president.

All radio amateurs are invited to take to the airwaves to enjoy the
global friendship with other amateurs and to show their skills and
capabilities to the public. WARD is not a contest but rather an
opportunity to talk about the value of amateur radio to the public and
fellow amateur colleagues. It is also a great opportunity to talk about
local radio clubs and amateur radio in local media as a lead-up to ARRL
Field Day <http://arrl.org/field-day>, which is held each year during
the fourth full weekend in June. You can also promote your personal
WARD activities on social media platforms like X and Facebook by using
the hashtag #WorldAmateurRadioDay.

For more ideas and information, visit World Amateur Radio Day
(arrl.org) <https://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day>.

REMINDER: SOLAR ECLIPSE APRIL 8

Amateur radio will play many roles in the upcoming solar eclipse that
will cross much of North America. Radio amateurs are welcome to
participate in ionospheric research that is being conducted. Find
information about the Solar Eclipse QSO Party on the HamSCI web site <https://hamsci.org/eclipse>.

Many emergency communications groups, including those affiliated with
the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) <http://www.arrl.org/ares>
in the areas near totality are planning to be active surrounding the
event. Hams will provide communications to served agencies, such as
local governments, relief oranizations, and other groups that could
benefit from resilient communications during a time when millions are
expected to travel.

NEW TRAINING COURSE OFFERED BY THE ARRL PUERTO RICO SECTION

The ARRL Puerto Rico Section has a new online training course for
prospective amateur radio operators. Fifty-three students have enrolled
in the course, taught by ARRL Technical Coordinator and Instructor
Carlos Roig, WP4AOH, who draws from the ARRL License Manual and the
National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators pool of
questions for the Spanish Zoom course. The course is open to anyone who
is interested in becoming an amateur radio operator. In advance of the
course, on March 16, 2024, Assistant Section Manager (ASM) Leyda Rios,
WP4RBK, offered a Technician training demonstration to 10 registered
students at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus.

Assistant Section Manager of the ARRL Puerto Rico Section Leyda Rios,
WP4RBK, talks to the training course students. [Photo courtesy of Luis
E. Collazo, WP4RAQ]

The session was an overview of amateur radio and its various
activities. Students were most interested in the band plan, the
phonetic alphabet, and how to communicate with others. The instruction
session also included an introduction to amateur radio equipment and
antennas, including how to operate and set up the equipment. There was
also a demonstration of a VHF/UHF radio to establish a simple repeater
contact. "The range of amateur communication and the capabilities
astounded the students," Rios said.

Several students were also interested in learning more about how to
utilize the radio equipment and how to establish their first contact,
while others have an interest in emergency communications for this
year's hurricane season.

For additional information about the training course, contact Leyda
Rios, WP4RBK, at wp4rbk@gmail.com.

For information on how to become an amateur radio operator, visit ARRL
| Licensing, Education & Training | Getting on the Air <http://arrl.org/licensing-education-training>.

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>.

"Hamateur Hour: Radio operators prepare for total solar eclipse
what-ifs <https://www.14news.com/2024/03/21/hamateur-hour-radio-operators-prepare-total-solar-eclipse-what-ifs/>"

/ WFIE (Indiana) March 21, 2024

"Fulton County Amateur Radio Club ready to assist during April 8 total
solar eclipse <https://www.wtol.com/article/news/world/solar-eclipse/fulton-county-amateur-radio-club-providing-communication-lines-for-critical-services-on-eclipse-day/512-48401f82-575e-4f8e-94c7-c927c039af6c>"

/ WTOL (Ohio) March 25, 2024 -- The Fulton County Amateur Radio Club is
an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"GEARS promotes radio use for emergencies in Butte County, preparing
for future events <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/gears-promotes-radio-use-for-emergencies-in-butte-county-preparing-for-future-events/ar-BB1kArS9>"

/ KRCR (California) March 27, 2024 -- The Golden Empire Amateur Radio
Society 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/>

Contribute to Science While You Operate

The Solar Eclipse QSO Party (or SEQP) is an on-air event coming up on
April 8, the same day as the next total solar eclipse. The SEQP is a
great opportunity for hams to contribute data to studies of Earth's
ionosphere, the part of our atmosphere that makes radio communications possible, and all you have to do is get on the air and operate as you
normally would. The lead organizer of Ham Radio Science Citizen
Investigation (HamSCI), Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, joins us in this
episode to explain how to get involved.

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 and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry,
iTunes, and Apple Podcasts -- On the Air
<https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you're a Parks on the Air activator or hunter, there are two events occurring the first week of April that might be of interest. Georgia
State Parks on the Air <https://gaparks.org/> begins at 1200 UTC on
Saturday, April 6, and concludes at 2359 UTC on Sunday, April 7. Also,
Florida State Parks on the Air <https://flspota.org/> begins at 1400
UTC on Saturday, April 6, and concludes at 2200 UTC on Sunday, April 7.
For more information, visit the individual sponsors' websites.

IN BRIEF...

Blind amateur radio operator, tower climber, and Southeastern Repeater Association <https://sera.org/> (SERA) President Wade "Danny" Hampton
Jr., K4ITL, passed away February 28, 2024.

Wade "Danny" Hampton Jr. K4ITL, (SK) [Photo courtesy of Bill Morine,
N2COP]

While attending the North Carolina State School for the Blind (now
known as Governor Morehead School for the Blind) in Raleigh, Hampton
met several sighted friends involved in the amateur radio community and
began attending radio club meetings with them. As a result, he became a licensed amateur radio operator at the age of 12, despite the
requirement that an operator must be able to read, copy, and send Morse
code, all of which he learned by ear. After graduation from Wake
Technical Community College, Hampton founded a company that maintained commercial two-way radio systems across the southeastern US. For many
years, he was a broadcast engineer for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, often
working at the top of the station's 2,000-foot tower. Hampton made his
last climb in 2023 at the age of 79. He was named Hamvention® Amateur
of the Year in 2009 for his design of the Piedmont Coastal Repeater
Network, which links more than 40 repeaters. He was also awarded North Carolina's highest civilian award, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, in recognition for adding broadcast translators to the fringe service area
of the Raleigh National Weather Service office. He leaves behind his
wife Rose, six children, 11 grandchildren, and five great
grandchildren.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP0013:

This solar disk image was taken on March 28, 2024. [Photo courtesy of
NASA SDO/HMI]

A dramatic increase in solar activity emerged over the past week,
and geomagnetic activity reacted as well.

Two new sunspot groups appeared on March 21, then one new group emerged
each day over March 22 - 25.

The average daily solar flux rose from 153.3 to 191.9, and the average
daily sunspot numbers increased from 94.3 to 147.

The highest sunspot number over last week was 171 on March 22, which
was the highest sunspot number since November 22 - 25, 2023, when the
numbers were 174, 176, 184, and 179.

The average daily planetary A index jumped from 5.9 to 25.4, and middle latitude numbers rose from 5 to 19.

On March 24, the college A index in Fairbanks, Alaska, reached 100! The planetary A index was 64.

Looking ahead, the solar flux is predicted to reach a peak of 210 on
April 23 - 24. The projected solar flux is 180 and 175 on March 28 -
29; 170 on March 30 - 31; 175 on April 1 - 3; 180 and 185 on April 4 -
5; 190 on April 6 - 7; 185, 180, 175, and 180 on April 8 - 11; 185 on
April 12 - 13; 190, 185, 190, 185, and 180 on April 14 - 18; 175 on
April 19 - 20; 200 and 205 on April 21 - 22; 210 on April 23 - 24, and
205, 190, and 180 on April 25 - 27.

The planetary A index forecast shows 5, 10, and 8 on March 28 - 30; 10
on March 31 through April 1; 8 and 5 on April 2 - 3; 12 on April 4 - 5;
5 on April 6 - 8; 8 on April 9 - 11; 5 on April 12 - 18; 8, 10, 10, and
8 on April 19 - 22, and 5 on April 23 - 29.

Sunspot numbers for March 21 - 27, 2024, were 141, 171, 146, 145, 163,
149, and 114, with a mean of 147. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 196.9,
197.6, 210.7, 195.1, 190.1, 178.2, and 174.6, with a mean of 191.9.
Estimated planetary A indices were 27, 11, 36, 64, 22, 11, and 7, with
a mean of 25.4. The middle latitude A index was 20, 10, 25, 43, 17, 11,
and 7, with a mean of 19.

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

- March 28 -- RSGB 80m Club Championship SSB (phone)

- March 29 - 30 -- Sasquatch Stomp (CW)

- March 30 - 31-- CQ WW WPX Contest SSB (phone)

- April 1 -- DARC Easter Contest (CW, phone)

- April 1 -- 144 MHz Spring Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

- April 4 - 5 -- Bacon QRP Contest (CW)

- April 4 -- SARL 80m QSO Party (phone)

- April 4 -- 10m Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- PODXS 070 Club PSK 31 Flavors Contest (digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- EA RTTY Contest (digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- RSGB FT4 International Activity Day (FT4)

- April 6 - 7 -- Georgia State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- Louisiana QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- Mississippi QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- VHF/UHF Missouri QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- Florida State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)

- April 6 - 7 -- SP DX Contest (CW, phone)

- April 7 -- WAB 3.5/7/14 MHz Data Modes (digital)

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

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- April 6 | Raleigh Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/raleigh-hamfest-arrl-roanoke-division-convention-1>,

hosting the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina

- April 12 - 13 | Green Country Hamfest 2024 <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/green-country-hamfest-2024-arrl-oklahoma-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Oklahoma State Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma

- April 20 | Delmarva Amateur Radio and Electronics Expo <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/delmarva-amateur-radio-and-electronics-expo-arrl-delaware-state-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware

- May 11 | ARRL Nebraska State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-nebraska-state-convention-3>,
Lincoln, Nebraska

- May 17 - 19 | Dayton Hamvention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/dayton-hamvention-arrl-national-convention>, hosting the ARRL National Convention, Xenia, Ohio

- May 31 - June 2 | SEA-PAC <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/sea-pac-arrl-northwestern-division-convention-2>,

hosting the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon

- June 1 | Atlanta Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlanta-hamfest-arrl-georgia-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia

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>

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information

- Join ARRL or Renew Today! <https://www.arrl.org/join> No other
organization works harder to promote and protect amateur radio.
Membership supports benefits, services, programs, and advocacy to help
you get (and stay) active and on the air. Membership includes access to
digital editions of all four ARRL magazines
<https://www.arrl.org/magazines>: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.

- Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
available every Friday.

- The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly
to the Blind-hams Groups.io <https://groups.io/g/blind-hams> email
group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it
concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of
adaptive technology.

- NCJ -- National Contest Journal <http://www.ncjweb.com/>. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints,
statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.

- QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bimonthly, features technical
articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest
to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members...

- Subscribe <https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out> to the
ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news),
the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and
Section news alerts, and much more!

- Find ARRL on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org/>! Follow us
on Threads <https://www.threads.net/arrlhq>, X
<https://twitter.com/arrl>, and Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/arrlhq>

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 51 times each year. ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out <https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out>.

Copyright (c) 2024 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution.
All other purposes require written permission.

<http://www.arrl.org/>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)