Hamvention Friday opened in the midst of dense fog. Fortunately, the fog burned off before noon.
Attendence seemed high for a Friday with indoor exhibits swamped with amateurs soon after the doors opened at 9AM. The ARRL Expo area drew a substantial crowd with popular activities such as the W1AW 75th anniversary exhibit, the Youth Lounge and spectral purity testing courtesy of the ARRL Lab. Of c…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Since we are now at (or close to) the peak of Solar Cycle 24, it is no surprise that the solar indices are up. The latest forecast predicts Solar Cycle 24 to peak this fall, but that will be determined after the fact, and it will be based on a long running average of sunspot numbers. This past week, the average daily sunspot numbers increased by more than 34 points, rising to 156.1, while the a…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
After much testing, the ARRL will release a new version of Trusted QSL, the open-source development project responsible for developing and maintaining the three Logbook of the World (LoTW) client-side applications: TQSL, TQSLCert and the TrustedQSL library. After six weeks of public beta testing, version 1.14 is ready for official release and will be available for download from the ARRL website…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The digital version of the June issue of QST is now available to ARRL members. The digital edition includes many features not available in the print version, such as:
Every issue of QST is filled with the news…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In early 2012, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski tasked the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council (TAC) to study the role of receivers “in ensuring the efficient use of spectrum and to provide recommendations on avoiding obstacles posed by receiver performance to making spectrum available for new services.” On April 22, 2013, the FCC released a Public Notice (Docket No. ET 13-101), detailing the r…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL’s e-mail service provider is continuing to experience technical issues that are affecting timely delivery of e-mail messages sent via the arrl.net forwarding service, as well as e-mail sent to addresses in the arrl.org domain. This issue remains intermittent, but may result in delaying the delivery of some messages sent to both arrl.net and arrl.org addresses by hours. The ARRL’s e-mai…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Prominent VHF/UHF/microwave enthusiast Mark Dabish, K8MD, of Howell, Michigan died unexpectedly on May 8. Dabish represented the Great Lakes Division on the ARRL VHF/UHF Advisory Committee and was a strong presence in VHF/UHF contests. Church services will take place at Mother of God Church in Southfield, Michigan on Saturday May 11, 2013 at 1:00 PM with burial to follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemet…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ is impressed with a middle school project involving ham radio.
I wish I was back in school again. When I was a student, the only technical gadget in the building was a cranky 16 millimeter projector that our teachers used to show films like Hemo the Magnificent and The Unchained Goddess. I even got to run the projector on occasion.
Toda…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
This week, the average daily sunspot numbers remained about the same, with the number nudging up from 120.9 to 121.7, while the average daily solar flux numbers went from 136.5 to 137.5. For the past two weeks, the average planetary A index has been the same as the mid-latitude A index. Last week they were both 9.9; this week, both values were 8.
Sunspot numbers for May 2-8 were 102, 139, 156, 1…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
As part of the ARRL’s Centennial Celebration in 2014, the ARRL’s Public Relations Committee is sponsoring an “I am the ARRL” video contest. The Committee is looking for pairs of short video clips featuring ARRL members. One clip should show the radio amateur on the radio, while the other should show the amateur in his or her work setting saying “I am (name). I like (radio activity) and I am the…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL’s e-mail service provider is continuing to experience technical issues that are affecting timely delivery of e-mail messages sent via the arrl.net forwarding service, as well as e-mail sent to addresses in the arrl.org domain. This issue remains intermittent, but may result in delaying the delivery of some messages sent to both arrl.net and arrl.org addresses by hours. The ARRL’s e-mai…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL’s e-mail service provider is experiencing technical issues that are affecting timely delivery of e-mail messages sent via the arrl.net forwarding service, as well as e-mail sent to addresses in the arrl.org domain. This issue remains intermittent, but may result in delaying the delivery of some messages sent to both arrl.net and arrl.org addresses by hours. The ARRL’s e-mail provider i…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In the June 2008 issue of CQ Magazine, I wrote about the difficulties of getting on 6 meters while living with covenant restrictions (CC&R) prohibiting antennas.1 I concocted a way to overcome these restrictions and, with considerable effort, was able to erect an antenna in the tight confines of my attic, 35 feet above the ground. Now, with many years of 6 meter activity in my log, I wanted to …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ visits a website dedicated to QSL cards.
The first QSL card I ever received was from shortwave broadcast station Trans World Radio in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. I don’t remember the first ham radio QSL card I received, but I do recall that I never received a QSL card from my first ham radio contact.
I always enjoyed the QSL card asp…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Solar activity made a healthy jump over the past week, with the average daily sunspot numbers up more than 30 points to 120.9, while the average daily solar flux increased more than 27 points to 136.5. The most active day for geomagnetic indices was May 1, when the planetary A index reached 21 and the high-latitude College A index (measured near Fairbanks, Alaska) was a whopping 57. That number…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
On Wednesday, May 1, President Barack Obama announced that he has nominated Tom Wheeler to be the new Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. If the Senate confirms the nomination, Wheeler will replace Julius Genachowski who announced his resignation from the FCC in March. Pending Wheeler’s confirmation, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn — the agency’s soon-to-be senior Democrat — wi…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In celebration of the 63rd anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD), the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio Crossband Communications Test. Although Armed Forces Day is traditionally celebrated on the third Saturday in May — May 18 in 2013 — the AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test will be conducted on May 11 to pr…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Compiled by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL News Editor
news@arrl.org
This feature — including convenient web links to useful information — is a concise monthly update of some of the things the ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of April.
The FCC once again denied an ARRL Petition for Reconsideration regarding the Commission’s BPL rules.
ARRL leadership met w…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The ARRL will present a variety of DX activities as part of the ARRL EXPO — the ARRL’s “show within a show” at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention®, to be held May 17-19 at Hara Arena, near Dayton, Ohio. Activities will include DXCC card checking and the opportunity to drop off QSL cards for the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau, as well as visits with representatives from the International Amateur Radio Union …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Logbook of The World (LoTW), the ARRL’s online QSO confirmation system, will undergo scheduled maintenance on Thursday, May 2 at 5 PM (2100 UTC); this should last approximately three hours. LoTW will be offline and unavailable during this time. Thank you for your patience.
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Since 2001, the US Office of Personnel Management has designated the ARRL to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the annual giving campaign for federal employees. In that time, this campaign for civilian employees of the federal government, US Postal Service workers and members of the military has generated almost $ 220,000 for ARRL programs. The CFC provides federal employees wi…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
Contributing Editor
Some years ago, my wife Nancy and I dabbled at putting together electronic kits. Our efforts weren’t entirely successful, so we drifted on to other interests. In the back of my mind, I always had the notion that we would return to kit-building, but we never did. Recently, however, an opportunity presented itself, and once again I found myself squinting at…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
In the first quarter of 2013 (January-March), the FCC issued 23 enforcement actions. These enforcement actions are in addition to the $ 10,000 fine issued to Jared A. Bruegman, ex-KC0IQN, of Bolivar, Missouri, and the $ 25,000 fine issued to Terry L. VanVolkenburg, KC5RF, of Cocoa, Florida, as previously reported.
This past quarter, the FCC sent Warning Letters to 10 individuals regarding unlicens…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Sterling Coffey, N0SSC, ARRL Youth Editor
n0ssc@arrl.net
One of the first things you learn in a southwestern state is to touch large metal objects often. If you don’t, you’ll find that your electronics will suffer. The dry air of New Mexico is no objection to this rule. So far I have ruined a keyboard, a USB port on my computer (along with the RTLSDR radio attached) and possibly a few good brain …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ looks at the minimalized side of ham radio.
The Dayton Hamvention® is coming up in just a few more weeks. In parallel with Hamvention is the Four Days in May (FDIM) event — a ham radio convention with an emphasis on QRP — which runs Thursday through Sunday of Hamvention week on the northeast side of Dayton (as opposed to the northwes…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Solar activity was quiet this week: The average daily sunspot number declined nearly 23 points to 90.6, while the average daily solar flux values were down nearly 13 points to 109.1. The most active day was April 24, with a planetary A index of 19 and mid-latitude A index of 15. The average daily mid-latitude A index was the same this week as last, 4.9. Sunspot numbers for April 18-24 were 86, …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Wendell C. Morrison, W7LLX, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, passed away October 18, 2012. He was 97. An ARRL member for 66 years, Morrison is perhaps best known for the Antennalyzer, an early analog computing device for designing multi-tower AM directional arrays.
Morrison worked for the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) all his life. While at RCA, he was part of the RCA Laboratory in Princeton, New Je…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The Dayton Hamvention® — the largest gathering of radio amateurs in the US — is just around the corner, May 17-19. Held annually at the Hara Arena Conference and Exhibition Center in the Dayton suburb of Trotwood, Ohio, Hamvention is sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA).
This year’s “ARRL Dayton Team” includes more than 100 people — volunteers, officials and Headquarters s…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and what better way to show your support of Amateur Radio’s flagship station than by sporting W1AW commemorative gear! The ARRL is featuring a limited edition t-shirt, key chain, pin and challenge coin to mark this milestone.
The charcoal-colored cotton T-shirt comes in sizes Small-4XL and features “W1AW…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The FCC has issued a Citation and Order to Ruben D. Lopez Jr of Pomona Park, Florida. The Citation, issued April 23, is in response to several complaints about a well pump at Lopez’s residence that was acting as an incidental radiator and causing harmful interference to local radio amateurs.
In July 2010 and February 2011, the FCC received complaints from radio amateurs regarding interference on…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Digital communications enthusiasts will be heading to the Pacific Northwest this autumn for the 32nd annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), September 20-22, at Cedarbrook Lodge near Seattle, Washington. The ARRL/TAPR DCC is an international forum for radio amateurs to meet, publish their work and present new ideas and techniques. Presenters and attendees will have the opportu…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
While solar activity weakened this past week, geomagnetic conditions were stable. The geomagnetic storm predicted for last weekend did not happen, and both the planetary and mid-latitude A index only rose to 10 on April 14 in response to a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection (CME). The average daily sunspot numbers declined nearly 25 points to 113.3, while the average daily solar flux wa…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
On Saturday morning, April 20, a powerful 7.0 Richter scale earthquake struck Ya’an City in China’s Sichuan province. The epicenter was near Lushan County. There are reports of at least 113 people killed and more than 2000 injured.
Amateurs in Sichuan province took immediate action with Liu Hu, BD8AAA and BD8DX leading a team to the disaster area to provide emergency communication services. In t…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ considers spring outdoor maintenance — with wire antennas in mind.
Last week, all the snow finally melted around my house and I started poking around the yard trying to prioritize spring outdoor maintenance. I discovered a dangerous situation: An underground cable popped out of the ground during the winter and invites the blades of my…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
My first exposure to Walt’s iconoclastic writing coincided with the arrival of my Novice license and my very first QST, in April of 1973. The title of the article, “Another Look at Reflections” immediately grabbed me by the curiosity glands. Not only did this article (the first of a four-part series) steer me clear of one of the major pitfalls trapping many new radio amateurs, namely, an unheal…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) awarded its NAB Television Engineering Achievement Award for 2013 to Jay Adrick, K8CJY, at NAB Show in Las Vegas. Established in 1959, the peer-nominated NAB Engineering Achievement Awards are given for significant contributions to advancing broadcast engineering. Adrick, an ARRL Life Member from Cincinnati, Ohio, retired earlier this year from the…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
On April 16, the FCC issued a Second Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O), denying the ARRL’s December 2011 Petition for Reconsideration that sought reconsideration of the FCC’s Second Report and Order (BPL Second Order), “fundamentally affirm[ing]” its rules for Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL) systems. In denying the ARRL’s Petition, the FCC noted that the Petition “[did] not rais…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Chris Brewer, N5GMJ, of Saginaw, Texas, has been appointed ARRL North Texas Section Manager as of April 30. The current Section Manager, Walt Mayfield, KE5SOO, of Krum, announced he would be resigning due to work and family commitments; he has served as Section Manager since October 2011. ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, appointed Brewer after consulting with AR…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The digital version of the May issue of QST is now available to ARRL members. The digital edition includes many features not available in the print version, such as:
Every issue of QST is filled with the news and features you need to keep active in Amateur Radio. Find all this and more in the …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Ken Ham and Mark Looy – Answers … with Ken Ham
from Answers … with Ken Ham
Price: USD 0
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By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ explores the website of the Young Ladies in ham radio.
It’s no secret that men dominate ham radio; women only represent about 15 percent of the US ham population. This demographic is also evident when attending ham radio events, such as the Dayton Hamvention®: The guys are everywhere, whereas the gals are few and far between. But there…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Both the average daily sunspot numbers and the solar flux were up this week, with the sunspot numbers rising nearly 57 points to 138.1, and the average daily solar flux up more than 25 points to 138.8. Paired with the average daily planetary A index dropping from 9.4 to 4.1, this is great news for HF propagation. On April 8, the daily sunspot number reached 162; two days later, it was at 163. T…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Some recent Ham Radio auctions on eBay:
[wprebay kw=”ham+radio” num=”0″ ebcat=”-1″]
On April 1, Idaho Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter (R) signed Senate Bill 1065 into law. This new law is amendment to a current Idaho law regarding guyed towers, which states that guyed towers “shall be lighted, marked and painted or otherwise constructed to be visible in clear air during daylight hours from a distance of not less than 2000 feet.” With the passage of SB 1065, both guyed Amateur Rad…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
TruckSpec Side Body Antenna Mount With Lug Connector – TruckSpec TS-102B.
List Price: $ 11.97
Price: [wpramaprice asin=”B001JSYDKU”]
[wpramareviews asin=”B001JSYDKU”]
1st Prize: $ 500
Levi Maaia, K6LCM, for his outstanding video highighting the activities of the Near Space Exploration Club at the Anacapa School in Santa Barbara, California. Watch this video on YouTube or on the ARRL website at www.arrl.org/winners.
2nd Prize: $ 250
Kevin Thornton, K5KVN, for his video of the 2012 first-time “activation” of Horseshoe Island on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas as …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Julie N. Zoller, KJ4EMJ, has succeeded Richard C. Beaird at the Department of State as Senior Deputy Coordinator of the Office of Multilateral Affairs, Communications and Information Policy Directorate, Economics and Business Affairs Bureau. In this position, she will serve as principal advisor to the United States Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy. Beaird reti…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The Dayton Hamvention Awards Committee announced on April 7 that it would be withdrawing its Amateur of the Year Award for 2013. According to Dayton Hamvention General Chairman Charles Kaiser, KD8JZR, the committee had received “conflicting information from credible sources regarding the accuracy of the winning nomination.”
After verifying these reports, Kaiser made the decision to withdraw the …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Solar activity increased over this past week, with the average daily sunspot numbers up 32 points to 81.6, while the average daily solar flux increased more than 16 points to 113.4. The geomagnetic field was active on March 29 due to solar wind. Sunspot numbers for March 28-April 3 were 49, 73, 70, 83, 84, 103 and 109, with a mean of 81.6. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 98.7, 105.1, 108.4, 113.3,…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
This year marks the 88th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). To mark this occasion, the IARU and its more than 160 Member Societies will celebrate World Amateur Radio Day on April 18. For many years, the IARU Administrative Council has declared a theme for each World Amateur Radio Day. The theme for 2013 is Amateur Radio: Entering Its Second Century of D…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ finds radio parts on a fascinating website.
Back when I began stinking up my parent’s house with the scent of liquefied solder, there were radio and electronic stores in the area where I could buy all the parts to build my projects. But in the 1970s, those stores went the way of the vacuum tube. I had to go the mail order route to buy …
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, met with ARRL leadership at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC last month. Fugate, an ARRL member, spoke with ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, and ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, as well as ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, about Amate…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
On March 27, the FCC released a First Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a Notice of Inquiry (ET Docket Nos. 13-84 and 03-137). The documents seek to reassess the FCC’s RF exposure limits and policies, as well as to propose changes to the FCC’s rules regarding human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields. These proposed changes would affect the Amateur Radio Service (Par…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
H. Ward Silver, N0AX
n0ax@arrl.net
Worse than the dreaded “word problem,” this April quiz is full of backward problems where I give the answer and you pick the problem. Or something like that. You’ll figure it out!
1) 9
a. The dB equivalent of a power ratio of 4.
b. The number of wavelengths traveled by a 7 MHz signal in 1.29 µs.
c. Value of SWR if a 337.5 Ω load is connected to 75 Ω coaxial cable….
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Gary Hoffman, KB0H
ARRL Contributing Editor
Many years ago, my grandfather used to build radio sets and sell them to his neighbors. Somewhat later, just after World War II, he and my father installed radios in cars for Western Auto. They saved up their earnings and eventually started Hoffman Radio-Television Sales and Service, which was the premiere TV shop in Savannah, Georgia for a number of…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The winner of the March QST Cover Plaque Award is Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA for his article “The Sun and the Ionosphere.” Congratulations Carl! The QST Cover Plaque Award — given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue — is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the April issue today.
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Sterling Coffey, N0SSC
ARRL Youth Editor
Moving to a new town is a big undertaking, whether as a family, a temporary move to study abroad or get work experience while in college — or even moving to college itself. Although it’s never easy to let go of the old and become acquainted with a new place, you never know what amazing opportunities can lie ahead.
Last month, I wrote about my move to Soco…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
This week, Surfin’ remembers George Hart, W1NJM, and his National Traffic System.
My first professional job after graduating from college in 1977 was at ARRL Headquarters, working for ham radio legend George Hart, W1NJM.
George ran the Communications Department at the League. While I worked in the department’s Public Service Branch and reported directly t…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Solar activity was down this week, with the average daily sunspot number at 49.6, less than half last week’s figure. The average daily solar flux dropped 22 points to 97, and geomagnetic activity was quiet also. Sunspot numbers for March 21-27 were 60, 54, 56, 45, 56, 41 and 35, with a mean of 49.6. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 106.1, 100.9, 98.2, 96, 92.6, 92.4 and 93, with a mean of 97. The e…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
Robert “Smitty” Smithwick, W6CS (ex-W6JZU), of Los Altos Hills, California, passed away March 22. He was 92. An ARRL Life Member, Smithwick served as ARRL Pacific Division Vice Director from 1978-1981. A pediatric dentist by trade, Smithwick was one of the founders of Foothill College, a two-year community college in Los Altos Hills, and served as the first president of the college’s Board of T…
American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources