American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources

The K7RA Solar Update

Fri, 25 May 2012 22:55:00 -0400

The average daily sunspot numbers declined seven points over the past week to 110.3, while the average daily solar flux dropped 3.3 points to 131. Sunspot numbers for May 17-23 were 114, 118, 110, 124, 120, 95 and 91, with a mean of 110.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 136.3, 132.2, 130.9, 130.8, 125.1, 121.3 and 117.2, with a mean of 127.7. The estimated planetary A indices were 6, 8, 5, 13, 7, 16 and ...

Surfin’: A Hamvention Diary

Fri, 25 May 2012 22:37:00 -0400

By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’s contributing editor recounts last week’s excellent adventure at the Dayton Hamvention.

I left home after rush hour Wednesday morning and drove 8 hours/466 miles (I-84, I-81 and I-80) in the general direction of the temporary QTH for thousands of hams every May: the Dayton Hamvention. Traffic was not bad, except for some highway constr...

ARRL HQ to Close in Observance of Memorial Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:11:00 -0400

ARRL Headquarters will be closed Monday, May 28 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions that day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, May 29 at 8 AM (EDT). We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!

Digital QST Now Available!

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 -0400

If you’re an ARRL member, you now have access to the new digital edition of the June 2012 issue of QST. It is available to all ARRL members at no cost. All you need to do is log on to the ARRL website.

Also available: digital editions of the January through May 2012 issues. You will find links to all the digital editions on our website.

But wait -- there’s more: All ARRL members now also have acc...

Former ARRL First Vice President Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML (SK)

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:06:00 -0400

After a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, Steve Mendelsohn, W2ML, of Dumont, New Jersey, passed away May 23. He was 67. An ARRL Life Member, Mendelsohn began his time with ARRL in 1983 when he was elected as Vice Director of the Hudson Division. After two terms as Vice Director, he was elected as Hudson Division Director in 1987. In 1996, the ARRL Board of Directors elected Mendelsohn a...

ARRL Spring Section Manager Election Results Announced

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:17:00 -0400

Of the nine Section Manager elections this spring, two were decided by member balloting. Ballots were counted on May 22 at ARRL Headquarters. Terms for these ARRL Field Organization officials begin July 1.

The incumbent Indiana Section Manager -- John Poindexter, W3ML, of Knox, who has served as Section Manager since 2009 -- decided not to run for a new term of office. Two radio amateurs vied fo...

FCC Dismisses Texas Ham’s Fourth Petition, Calls it “Repetitive”

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:12:00 -0400

For the fourth time in six years, the FCC has rejected a Petition for Rulemaking filed by Glen Zook, K9STH. In each of his Petitions, (2006, April 2009, 2011 and a Petition for Reconsideration in December 2009), Zook has asked the FCC to change its station identification rules as set forth in Section 97.119(a). His 2011 Petition was no different: Zook told the FCC that since “[v]irtually every ...

Thousands of Hams Get “Internationally Connected” in Dayton

Sun, 20 May 2012 15:45:00 -0400

When Hara Arena -- home of the Dayton Hamvention® for the past 48 years -- opened its doors at 9 AM on Friday, May, 18, thousands of hams swarmed in, eager to see the latest and greatest that Amateur Radio has to offer. And they weren’t disappointed! With the introduction of three new transceivers this year, as well as hundreds of vendors -- both new ones and old friends within the giant Hara c...

ICOM to Support Boy Scouts at National Jamboree and at Local Council Level

Sat, 19 May 2012 13:36:00 -0400

Against the backdrop of the 2012 Dayton Hamvention® -- the largest gathering of radio amateurs in the US -- ICOM America announced a sponsorship agreement with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for the organization’s 2013 National Scout Jamboree. As the BSA’s official Amateur Radio transceiver supplier for the jamboree, ICOM will provide equipment and technical support for the K2BSA radio operati...

The K7RA Solar Update

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:20:00 -0400

The average daily sunspot numbers for the past week rose nearly 25 points, or about 27 percent, to 117.3. The big day was Monday, May 14 when the daily sunspot number jumped to 156. This was the day after four new sunspot groups, numbered 1481 through 1484 arrived. Sunspot numbers for May 10-16 were 93, 102, 85, 138, 156, 125 and 122, with a mean of 117.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 130.7, 136.4, 129...

Enter the Seventh Annual ARRL Photo Contest!

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:12:00 -0400

Have you ever wanted to see a photo of yours in QST, the annual ARRL Amateur Radio Calendar or another ARRL publication? Well, here’s your chance! If you’re among the winners, not only will your photographic skill be propagated far and wide, but we’re offering $100 as the First Prize. The winning photo and three runners-up will be published in QST. All submitted photos will also be considered f...

Surfin’: Old Magazines and More Ducks

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:13:00 -0400

By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’ tries to unclutter the house and learns about more open source software.

Old Magazines Fill My House

I have copies of every issue of QST going back to the mid-1960s, when I first became interested in ham radio. In addition to QST, I also have mass quantities of QEX, NCJ, CQ, Ham Radio, 73, Popular Communications and numerous other radio...

CQ Announces 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

CQ magazine announced its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees on May 18, welcoming 16 new members into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, three new members of the CQ DX Hall of Fame and two new members of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame.

The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors those individuals, whether licensed hams or not, who have made significant contributions to Amateur Radio, as well as those amateur...

Amateurs Asked to Listen for HORYU-2 Satellite

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:00:00 -0400

The Japanese HORYU-2 research satellite was launched May 17 at 1639 UTC as part of a mission that included the JAXA climate observation satellite Shizuku.

HORYU-2 was built by students at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) and it carries the call sign JG6YBW. The satellite will conduct a variety of experiments including high-voltage power generation and space debris measurements.

Amateurs h...

New "PRB-1" Law Now in Effect in Ohio

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:49:00 -0400

On May 15, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed a bill into law granting comprehensive rights to Amateur Radio operators in that state. Several key players in the successful effort to enact a “PRB-1” law in Ohio were present for the signing, including Section Manager Frank J. Piper, KI8GW; Rick Swain, KK8O; Bill Carpenter, AA8EY; Steve Katz, N8WL, and Constance Barsky, WD8ODC. ARRL Great Lakes Div...