Solar activity suddenly weakened during this bulletin’s reporting period, January 9-15, and the lower activity and expectations continue. Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 188.1 to 111.4, and average daily solar flux went from 201.6 to 155.4. Those drops compare the January 9-15 period to the January 2-8 week. Daily sunspot numbers dipped below 100, to 95, 87 and 77 on January 14-16.
T…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The digital version of the February issue of QST is now available to ARRL members.
In this issue . . .
• Build a stealth antenna for HF
• Create a deluxe Morse code keyer
• Build your own 10 meter beacon transmitter.
• Reacquaint yourself with the grid dip meter
…and much more!
Enjoy content you won’t see in the print edition . . .
• Watch a video overview of the Kenwood TS-990S transceiver.
• ARRL C…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In the early years of the ARRL, co-founder and first President Hiram Percy Maxim occasionally penned editorials in QST magazine using the pseudonym “The Old Man.” These “rants” became legendary. As part of the ARRL Centennial celebration, we’ll be re-publishing a number of The Old Man’s observations throughout the year.
Rotten QRM (January 1917)
By “The Old Man.”
Say, fellows, here’s the old man …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The February issue of QST includes a biography of ARRL co-founder and first President Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, written by Chris Codella, W2PA. The Digital QST version of the article, available to members today, also includes four minutes of rare movie footage of Maxim filmed in the 1920s.
“Maxim was a man of diverse interests,” said QST Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY. “One of his many pursui…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
TEN-TEC, Inc has announced that Jack Burchfield, K4JU, effective January 1, has turned over day-to-day management responsibility at the Tennessee Amateur Radio equipment manufacturer to TEN-TEC President Jim Wharton, NO4A. “Jack will still remain as CEO and majority stock holder,” Wharton said, “however his plans to begin retiring and spending more time with family will begin this year.” Wharto…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
QST Contributing Editor and ham radio humorist John G. “Jack” Troster, W6ISQ, of Atherton, California, died January 11. He was 93.
“While his contributions to QST were not limited to fiction, Jack will always be remembered for some of the most humorous pieces ever to be written about Amateur Radio,” said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
Licensed in 1935 at age 14 as W2ISQ in Yonkers, New York, Trost…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL Centennial “W1AW WAS” operations that are taking place throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states will relocate at 0000 UTC, January 15 (the evening of January 14 in US time zones), from Utah and South Carolina to Nebraska (W1AW/0) and Delaware (W1AW/3). During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to work all states…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The December newsletter of the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) reports a new intruding Russian over-the-horizon (OTH) radar signal on 20 meters, audible in Euroope. IARUMS monitor Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, said the 10 kHz wide OTH radar signal often jumps frequency. He has posted a sound file. Others posted reports of OTH radar signals on 15 and 10 meters. Hadel also reported the occurrence o…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
An unmanned Orbital Sciences Corp Antares rocket that blasted off from NASA’s Wallops Island launch pad on Virginia’s Eastern Shore January 10, carried aloft an Orbital Sciences Corp (OSC) Cygnus freighter with a bevy of Amateur Radio CubeSats aboard, bound for the International Space Station (ISS).
“We’re in good shape,” Orbital Sciences Executive Vice President Frank Culbertson, ex-KD5OPQ, tol…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
6 in a series of ham radio videos for beginners TelescopeMan does a show and tell on his amateur radio station grounding system. Ideally the ground rod woul…
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Student registration is open for the 2014 Contest University (CTU) Dayton session, May 15, 2014, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton. This will mark the eighth consecutive year that CTU sessions have been held in Dayton. More than 3000 students have attended CTUs in the US and abroad, with more than 70 CTU “professors” sharing their contesting experience and expertise.
There are full-d…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL Board of Directors will gather in the Hartford, Connecticut, area on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, for its annual meeting. Its first order of business will be the election of officers, including the office of ARRL President, now held by Kay Craigie, N3KN. The League’s 15th president, she has been in office since 2010, succeeding Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and was re-elected to a ne…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Antique Radio Classified (ARC) magazine has announced that it will resume monthly publication starting with the February 2014 issue, but with some changes. The last issue published was the March/April 2013 issue.
“The antique radio community as well as the magazine publishing market is changing,” said ARC Publisher Jon Kummer, WA2OJK, “and we are changing what we do and how we do it in order to…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The Intrepid DX Group is seeking nominations for an individual or group that most displayed “Intrepid Spirit” during 2013. “An Intrepid Spirit is bold, courageous, dedicated, innovative, fearless, generous, resolute, and visionary in their approach to Amateur Radio,” said Paul Ewing, N6PSE, in announcing the call for award nominations. “We are seeking to make this award to the group or individu…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The DX Magazine has published the results of its most-wanted DXCC entities, and, once again, North Korea (P5) is number 1. Here are the Top 10 overall worldwide results, as they appeared in The DX Magazine’s January/February 2014 issue.
2013 Prefix/Entity (2012)
1 P5 North Korea (1)
2 KP1 Navassa Island (2)
3 3Y/B Bouvet (3)
4 FT5W Crozet (6)
5 FT5Z Amsterd…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The Library of Congress Braille and Talking Book Program has a free Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) app for iOS devices available via the iTunes Store. QST is among the available publications that can use this app. “People who are blind, visually impaired or have a physical disability may now download audio and Braille books to their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, if they are registered …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Four new poll questions have just been published on the QuickStats page on the ARRL website. To celebrate the beginning of the ARRL Centennial Year, these questions have a historical theme!
Who was Clarence Tuska?
In what year was QST magazine first published?
What name did Hiram Percy Maxim use to refer to his favorite spark gap transmitter, which can still be seen at ARRL station W1AW today?
The …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The Amateur Radio population in the US has continued to show steady growth. As of the end of 2013, the FCC database showed 717,201 licenses in its Universal Licensing System (ULS). That’s the greatest number of US hams ever and up from 709,575 in December 2012. The volume of Amateur Radio applications slowed somewhat to 141,943 from its zenith of 176,826 in 2007, the year the FCC dropped the Mo…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In reply comments filed on its “symbol rate” Petition for Rule Making (RM-11708), the ARRL said comments opposed to its initiative reflect a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the petition’s intent. The League’s petition now tops the FCC’s list of “Most Active Proceedings.” More than 800 comments were filed as of January 7, some of them posted after the December 23 cut-off date and most favoring…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Houston, TX (PRWEB) March 20, 2013
In the face of shrinking public budgets, the Wireless Industry Association invites homeowners and safety-minded neighborhood residents to “neighbor up” for neighborhood safety by promoting the use of readily available, inexpensive wireless radio equipment enabling better community cohesion. WIA supports emerging neighborhood safety resources like Nextdoor.com via their own site, NeighborhoodWatchRadio.org, by referring interested homeowners and home owner associations, and by providing advice toward equipping neighborhood crime watch groups.
Wireless two-way communications are generally the preferred method of maintaining neighborhood watch cohesion in a community. The Wireless Industry Association is well-positioned to promote awareness of the most appropriate types of two-way radio systems for existing and potential neighborhood crime watch groups. WIA president, Bob Hutchinson, explains, “With city, county and state public safety and police budgets being slashed, and even eliminated in some cases, neighbors, neighborhoods, and communities are faced with establishing awareness and neighborhood safety systems for their own protection.” Hutchinson adds, “Although Neighborhood Watch Radio doesn’t sell anything, the GMRS and UHF two-way radios are among the most available consumer electronics products today. Wireless industry retailers, community interest groups, Hams and Ham Radio Club volunteers, and vendors also live in neighborhoods and are ready to help set up groups.” (http://www.wirelessindustry.com/index.asp)
WIA’s sister site, Neighborhood Watch Radio, hopes to increase public awareness of the need for in-community safety & anti-crime prevention systems. One of the ways it intends to do this is by encouraging members of existing or future neighborhood watch groups to communicate with reliable two-way radios to monitor and prevent crime. The group offers group organizing and means for contacting neighbors through zip codes through the website (NeighborhoodWatchRadio.org). NWR also helps to set up neighborhood volunteers, coordinators, and group members, as well as to provide crucial information on various inexpensive two-way radios available for the most reliable and appropriate group use.
NextDoor.com is an already established neighborhood social network site that has received notable media coverage from the likes of ABC News, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. The site has promoted awareness of neighborhood crime prevention by offering community organization resources, and has achieved great exposure and a growing list of subscribing neighborhood groups. The WIA stands poised to support such sites in their effort to fill in the gap caused by shrinking local resources toward better neighborhood safety and security.
The Wireless Industry Association is extending an invitation to all home owner associations, home owners, public safety and local law enforcement agencies, and local media to reach out for information about services and advice on how best to equip such programs for success using the most appropriate existing two-way radio technology. Interested parties may contact Mary Ann Reuter via the attached contact email link for more details.
Related Ham Radio Press Releases
The ARRL Centennial “W1AW WAS” operations that are taking place throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states will relocate January 8 from North Carolina and West Virginia to Utah (W1AW/7) and South Carolina (W1AW/4). In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the ARRL, the ARRL Centennial QSO Party the kicked off January 1 for a year-long operating event in which participants can accumulate poi…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The 10.7 centimeter solar flux index (SFI) jumped to a Cycle 24 record of 262 on January 4, suggesting that Cycle 24 has not yet begun drawing to a close and may be approaching or at a “second peak.” The previous peak for the current cycle was 190 on September 24, 2011. As NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) explains, the flux of the sun’s radio emissions at 10.7 centimeter (2.8 GHz) is …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The digital Amateur Radio TV (DATV) “Ham Video” project delivered to the International Space Station last summer could be up and running in a month or two. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station-Europe (ARISS-Europe) Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, said in a late-December project update that the January-February 2014 time frame “seems a reasonable guess for the Ham Video commissioning…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles (URE) General Secretary Salvador Bernal, EA7SB, reports that Spain’s telecommunications regulatory agency has authorized the use of several frequencies in the 5 MHz (60 meter) band from January 1 through June 30, 2014. The six authorized center frequencies are 5268, 5295, 5313, 5382, 5430, and 5439 kHz, with a power of 100 W PEP and a maximum bandwidth of 3 k…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Average daily sunspot numbers for the past week declined from 114.6 to 107.4, and average solar flux went from 138.8 to 139.2. This is comparing the period from December 26 through January 1 with the previous seven days.
The average daily sunspot number for the entire year of 2013 was 97.1, the highest since 2003. For 2008-2013 the yearly average was 4.7, 5.1, 25.5, 80.1, 82.3 and 97.1.
We’ve als…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Up to 10 Czech radio amateurs will be permitted to operate on 60 meters on an experimental basis until the end of 2014. This experimental phase of 5 MHz operation follows an initial trial that ended two years ago.
Amateurs who wanted to be among the 10 lucky permit holders had to apply to the CTU, the Czech Republic’s telecommunications regulator, in writing.
The initial experiment was on one cha…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, was among those appointed Queen’s Counsel in the Canadian Province of Alberta. Attorney General Jonathan Denis, QC, announced the names of 114 lawyers to be admitted as Queen’s Counsel for “outstanding contributions to legal and public life.” The list includes both public and private sector lawyers who have practiced in commun…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL-sponsored medium-frequency experiment, operating as WD2XSH, continues apace in an effort to demonstrate the viability of 472 to 479 kHz as a secondary Amateur Radio allocation. At the same time, the FCC has been silent regarding the ARRL’s November 2012 Petition for Rulemaking that asked the Commission to make this segment of the spectrum available to radio amateurs in the US. Delegate…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Learn a little bit about Morse Code, and how it is used with Ham Radio. With demonstrations.
QST author and CW key crafter Jerry Pittenger, K8RA, of Powell, Ohio, died January 2 of pancreatic cancer. He was 66. Licensed in 1960, Pittenger was a retired systems engineer. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Miami University and an MS in systems engineering from Ohio State.
Pittenger enjoyed building his own equipment, and some of his amplifier projects were featured in QST, The ARRL Handbook…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Just a quick video going over some general concepts and information about HAM Radio. http://www.arrl.org/
Video Rating: 5 / 5
The ARRL Education and Technology Program (ETP) has offered grants worth approximately $ 4400 to four schools. The ETP makes possible and promotes the integration of wireless technology education into the curricula of participating schools.
Receiving ETP School Station Grants are Ernest S. McBride, Sr High School in Long Beach, California, which just opened last fall, and North Mac Middle School …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The FUNcube-1 (AO-73) spacecraft has now been in orbit and fully operational for about 6 weeks. A Russian Dnepr rocket carried the AMSAT-UK cubesat and 18 other satellites into orbit on November 21. The FUNcube-1 team has expressed its gratitude to all radio amateurs who have uploaded telemetry data to the satellite’s “data warehouse.” The telemetry downlink frequency is 145.935 MHz (BPSK). The…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
At the stroke of midnight (Eastern time) on January 1, 2014, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial station W1AW at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, CT, took to the airwaves with the special ARRL Centennial call sign W100AW.
ARRL Chief Executive Officer Dave Sumner, K1ZZ and Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, were at the helm through the wee hours of the New Year’s Day morning….
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Max de Henseler, HB9RS, the founder and president emeritus of 4U1UN at United Nations headquarters in New York, died December 30. He was 80. A ham since 1955, de Henseler had been a short-wave listener since the late 1940s. In 1976, while in New York as the UN’s chief cartographer, de Henseler reactivated the United Nations Radio Club station K2UN at its new home in midtown Manhattan. As Jack T…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Getting your first ham radio.
The non-profit Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) is inviting applications for the Amateur Radio-related scholarships it administers. These academic awards are sponsored by both individuals and by Amateur Radio clubs from across the US. The FAR scholarship application process is open to Amateur Radio licensees worldwide. Awards range from $ 500 to $ 5000.
Applications are due by April 30, 2014. Su…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
InnovAntennas has acquired the legendary Force 12 antenna company and product line and has moved the Force 12 factory from Bridgeport, Texas, to Grand Junction, Colrado, into a facility shared with InnovAntennas America. InnovAntennas Ltd in England is now manufacturing Force 12 products for the European market at its Canvey Island plant. The Grand Junction facility is up and running, manufactu…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
A few nice Ham Radio images I found:
Tower #1
Image by buba69
Ham Radio Antenna tower, US tower with motor and base. Tower is 23 feet in down position 39 feet in the up position.
Antenna is a Crushcraft 3 element 4 band antenna, 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters.
Rotator is a HAM rotator
Ham Radio on eBay:
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[wprebay kw=”ham+radio” num=”42″ ebcat=”-1″]
[wprebay kw=”ham+radio” num=”43″ ebcat=”-1″]
This is the last bulletin of 2013. In the first bulletin of 2014 we will review the previous year, and look at some averages to give us perspective on the current solar cycle 24.
Solar activity declined somewhat this week. The average of daily sunspot numbers retreated nearly twenty points from 134.4 to 114.6, and average solar flux was off nearly 21 points to 138.8. Geomagnetic indices were qui…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The number of Amateur Radio licensees in Kosovo more than doubled December 14 when 50 university students aged 18 to 21 passed the first-ever Amateur Radio exam administered under the republic’s new licensing regime. The new license is the equivalent of the US General class ticket; procedures are not yet in place to administer higher-class license exams, but the developing licensing framework i…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Most popular Ham Radio eBay auctions:
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Tokyo Hy-Power, a manufacturer of Amateur Radio amplifiers, antenna tuners, and other equipment, is in bankruptcy, and its plant, in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, has been shuttered. Telephones at the company no longer are being answered, and its Japanese website has been taken down, although the company’s US website remains working. Company CEO/President Nobuki Wakabayashi, JA1DJW, founded To…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The only two radio amateurs in South Sudan, Massimo Stella, Z81B (IZ0EGB), and Diya al Asadi, Z81D (YI1DZ), told the DxCoffee newsletter that they are doing well, although many others have lost their lives in fighting that began in mid-December in the capital of Juba. The ensuing strife displaced thousands of civilians.
They said that while the situation has calmed in Juba, fighting has broken o…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The owner of Austin Amateur Radio Supply, John E. “Johnny” Paul, WA5BGO, of Austin, Texas, died December 10. He was 74. Paul was the proprietor of Austin Amateur Radio for 45 years. First licensed in 1960, Paul was a past president of the Austin Amateur Radio Club and was an avid photographer of nature and landscapes. Services were December 16. Survivors include his wife Grace and a son and dau…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
CQ Communications Inc has announced plans to realign its publications lineup and to launch a new online supplement to its flagship magazine, CQ Amateur Radio.
“The hobby radio market is changing,” said CQ Communications President and Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, “and we are changing what we do and how we do it in order to continue providing leadership to all segments of the radio hobby.”
Effective…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Seussical Original Cast – Green Eggs and Ham
from Seussical (2000 Original Broadway Cast)
Price: USD 0.99
View Details about Seussical Original Cast
Responding to many requests, the ARRL Programs and Services Committee this year accepted the Contest Advisory Committee (CAC) recommendation to add the Single-Operator Unlimited category to the ARRL 10 Meter Contest, ARRL 160 Meter Contest, RTTY Roundup, and the IARU HF Championship.
“This particular issue has been a long time coming,” said CAC Chairman Al Dewey, K0AD.
The new category permits th…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
As part of the mix of events marking the League’s 100th anniversary, the ARRL Centennial QSO Party gets underway at 0001 UTC on January 1. This is a year-long operating event, in which participants can accumulate points and win awards, as well as work new stations and make new friends. During 2014 W1AW will be on the air at least twice from every US state and from most US territories, and it wi…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Most popular Ham Radio eBay auctions:
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The next Kids Day, sponsored by the ARRL and The Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club, will be Sunday, January 5, from 1800 to 2400 UTC. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio satellites to youngsters and let them get some hands-on experience.
Share the excitement with your own children or grandkids or youngsters in the neighborhood! For the youngsters, their …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
ARRL Headquarters will be closed on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, and on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2014, and there will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice on those days. The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News have posted their final editions for 2013. The ARRL Letter will return January 9, 2014, and ARRL Audio News will return January 10, 2014. We wish everyone a happy holi…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Ham Radio eBay auctions you should keep an eye on:
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The organizers of World Radiosport Team Championship 2014 (WRTC-2014) have announced the names of on-site referees, listed below, for the July 12-13, 2014, international Amateur Radio competition in New England. Referees will be deployed to each of the 59 stations to monitor and verify compliance with the WRTC rules and to make decisions regarding any rules questions the teams may have. All top…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources