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Fw: N7JI Oregon SM mid-November message

 



----- Forwarded Message -----

From: ARRL Members Only Web site <memberlist@...>
To: "tyson.brooks5@..." <tyson.brooks5@...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 08:58:42 AM PST
Subject: N7JI Oregon SM mid-November message

Hello, Oregon!

I appreciate the opportunity to be able to write to all ARRL members in
the Oregon section. I am available to be at your club meetings, either
remotely or in-person (within reason), and am happy to answer questions,
take comments, and take complaints.

SCHOLARSHIPS

ARRL Foundation scholarship season is open. Now is the time to complete
those scholarship applications, get your recommendation letters, and
request transcripts. It's important to note that even if you're "not a
kid," but you're pursuing higher education, you may be eligible for some
of the scholarships offered.



CONTESTS

Contest season is in full swing. Contests are a great chance to work on
awards (WAS, WAC, WAZ, DXCC, and more), push your equipment and antennas
to their limits, and develop your operating skills. It's a great chance
to ask an Elmer to teach you, too.

If you hate contests; that's your prerogative. Fortunately, there are
bands (60, 30, 17, and 12 meters) where contests aren't permitted. And
let's not forget that there are a LOT of operating modes available to
us. This may actually work to your benefit. For example, if there's a
worldwide RTTY contest going on, there are fewer people on FT8, CW, and
SSB, so your desired operating band may be less crowded than usual.

ELMERING

Several other experienced hams and I recently (yesterday) worked with a
17 year old ham, coaching her through her first ARRL Sweepstakes SSB
contest. She is an officer in a brand new school club, and was the first
to use the club's recently assigned callsign, W0AXE. She had never been
on the HF bands, and everything was new to her, including how to tune in
an SSB signal, how, when, and why you should rotate an antenna,
adjusting mic gain, using a foot pedal and headset, understanding band
edges, telling the difference between who's calling CQ and who's
answering, how to call CQ, how to answer a CQ, when and why to use
phonetics, how an exchange works, and how to initiate a contact.

The act of opening up your station, and transferring your knowledge and
enthusiasm to others, is a perfect example of being an Elmer.

Those of us who have been hams for a long time may forget what it felt
like to know absolutely nothing, or next to nothing. When you offer your
services to a new ham, and you get to see an "AH HA!" moment, it can
cause flashbacks. Elmering can help create a confident, capable, and
skilled ham radio operator.

The great thing, of course, is seeing someone go from "zero" to "I've
got this" in a few short hours. You can literally feel their confidence
level rise, as they begin to take control, asking you fewer and fewer
questions, knowing when to confidently key the radio and speak into the
mic, and knowing exactly what to say.

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

We have been looking for volunteers to provide services within the ARRL
Oregon section's field organization.



We have appointed a Section Emergency Coordinator and five Assistant
SECs, populated five of six District EC positions, and are working
closely with Oregon Office of Emergency Management. We also have 36
counties within Oregon, running the gamut from "lots of emcomm
activity," to "none.'

There are many opportunities for those who want to participate in
emergency communications. Many areas have active emcomm groups, and it's
easy to find one to join. Others, which have no active emcomm groups,
are ripe for creation of new ones.

Many of our newest ham operators are interested in emcomm - but many of
them are probably not reading this message. If emcomm is important to
you, let's work to reach out and find the new hams in your area, and
tell them there's a place for them.

While ARRL membership is not required for emcomm participation, ARRL can
help to provide training.



We are actively looking for an Affiliated Club Coordinator, the primary
contact and resource person for each Amateur Radio club in the section,
specializing in motivating, providing assistance and coordinating joint
activities of radio clubs.



ARRL MEMBERSHIP

As an ARRL member, ARRL provides many services that I personally feel
are very valuable and far too numerous to enumerate here. I hope you do
as well, thank you for being a member, and hoping that you will continue
to be a member.?

It is also true, however, that ARRL also advocates for EVERY ham radio
operator in the USA (whether they're members or not) by consistently
fighting for the amateur radio community in front of congress and the
FCC.

Simply put, the more members there are, the more effectively ARRL can
perform its important functions upon which we all rely.

At $59/year, that's less than $5 a month, a small price even if it just
covered lobbying...but ARRL member benefits are far greater than that.

And for those under 26, it's only $25/year, which is about the cost of a
small cup of black coffee a month.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or
complaints, and I thank you for reading.

73,

Scott N7JI
ARRL Oregon SM

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Oregon Section
Section Manager: Scott R Rosenfeld, N7JI
--------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe from messages, go to:


--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Fw: The ARRL Letter for November 30, 2023

 


If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:

The ARRL Letter

November 30, 2023
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor

?

ARRL RF Safety Committee Develops New Guidelines to Communicate RF Safety

Radio amateurs now have a new tool from ARRL to help answer questions about their stations. Neighbors of amateur radio operators are sometimes concerned about transmissions and radio frequency exposure from amateur stations.

The , with their international counterparts at the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), and the Swedish Society of Radio Amateurs (SSA), has developed a new set of guidelines to help amateurs interact with and talk to their neighbors about RF exposure.

Chairman of the ARRL RF Safety Committee Greg Lapin, N9GL, said the new informational PDF found on the ARRL RF Exposure page, , was developed after a year of discussions about RF safety.

"Neighbors may be alarmed by some of the misinformation about RF safety that is available from a variety of sources. By following the exposure regulations from the Federal Communications Commission, we can be confident that our families and neighbors are safe," Lapin said.

Lapin added that RF exposure regulations are based on decades of trustworthy research. He also encouraged all amateur radio operators to perform exposure assessments for their stations to make sure they meet those regulations.

ARRL Advocacy Win: FCC Approves Request for Pearl Harbor Day Crossband Operations

ARRL sought a waiver on behalf of the activators, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted it. The allows amateur radio operators to participate in a special event commemorating the 82nd annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

, with authority from the US Navy and Southwest Marine Corps Spectrum Office, will honor the sailors and ships previously homeported in San Pedro, California, who were attacked on December 7, 1941. There will be special crossband activations of NEPM, Battleship Iowa's original call sign, on December 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2023.

The Battleship Iowa at home port in San Pedro, California. [Photo courtesy of Battleship USS IOWA Museum]

Using the call sign NEPM, the club will transmit on assigned military frequencies and listen for calls from the amateur radio community on their adjacent bands. NEPM will transmit on 14.375, 18.1625, and/or 21.856 MHz on J3E/USB and/or A1A/CW. (Note: 18.1625 MHz is within US amateur allocations for 17 meters) The club operator will tell participating hams where BIARA will be listening, which will be 10 KHz below the top of each adjacent band when working J3E/USB, or 10 KHz above the bottom of each adjacent band when working A1A/CW. Amateur participants are reminded not to transmit on the NEPM military frequencies. Operations on all 4 days are expected to be from 0700 to 1600 PST (1500 to 2400 UTC).

The FCC stated the grant of the waiver meets the second prong of the waiver standard in section 1.925(b)(3)(ii) in that the event presents a unique opportunity for the amateur and military communities to practice communication skills under the guidance of military officials, which may be useful in the future and serves the public interest.

In addition to the skills gained by amateur operators participating in the test, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day has historical significance. It emphasizes the importance of reliable communications and the need to be vigilant in national defense.

If amateur radio operators who wish to participate are licensed in a country outside the US, BIARA advises to check the terms and conditions that govern their respective licenses.

QSL procedures can be found at For specific questions before the operation, email w6hb@....

WX1AW Active for 2023 SKYWARN? Recognition Day

As part of the celebrations for SKYWARN? Recognition Day (SRD) on December 2, 2023, hams will be on the air as WX1AW from the ARRL Radio Laboratory station, W1HQ. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and other amateurs plan to be on the air for several hours Saturday morning and midday.

The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their contributions to the National Weather Service (NWS) during severe weather. Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication to the NWS and emergency management teams in other instances when normal communications fail.

"SKYWARN is a perfect example of an opportunity for hams to provide situational awareness for our communities during severe weather. We are happy to participate with our partners at the NWS and look forward to continuing the service provided by amateur radio operators around the country," said Johnston.

For those interested in participating in the operating event, the website is updated with the SKYWARN registration form, mapping form, rules, and information.

SRD was developed in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL. On SRD amateur stations exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters, plus the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. Contacts made via repeaters are also permitted. Non-amateur radio spotters can exchange information with NWS offices using social media. To learn how to become a trained NOAA storm spotter, visit .

Radio amateurs frequently contribute to their community's situational awareness through the SKYWARN program during severe weather such as this tornadic supercell thunderstorm near Medicine Lodge, Kansas. [Sierra Harrop, W5DX, photo.]

Amateur Radio in the News

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL .

"" / My Edmonds News (Washington) November 22, 2023 -- The Edmonds Woodway Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"" / Daily Times - Call (Colorado) November 24, 2023 -- The Longmont Amateur Radio Club and the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club.

"" / BenitoLink (California) November 28, 2023 -- The San Benito County Amateur Radio Association.

Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.

ARRL Podcasts

On the Air
Sponsored by

The Value of Contest Clubs

"Contesting encompasses so much of the hobby," says seasoned contester Craig Thompson, K9CT, in the current episode of the , "from station building, learning how to operate, understanding propagation, knowing the rules, learning from your peers," that there's something in it for every ham radio operator. As current member and former president of the Society of Midwest Contesters, Craig knows the ins and outs of running a contest club and ensuring that the value proposition makes sense to the average member. In this episode, Craig talks about why you might want to get involved with a contest club, what it entails, and how these specialized clubs stir up on-air activity that benefits every ham. This discussion extends the November/December 2023 On the Air, "Joining a Contest Club," by Leanna Figlewski, KC1RMP.

ARRL Audio News
Listen to , 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. The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on blubrry -- | .

Announcements

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) has removed two General-class license questions. Pursuant to the November 13, 2023, FCC rule change to remove symbol rate restrictions on amateur radio digital emissions (), the QPC of the NCVEC has deleted two questions from the General-class question pool because they are no longer correct. General-class questions G1C08 and G1C10 are withdrawn from the pool effective immediately and should be removed from examinations as soon as possible. Updated question pool files, including the errata and new information, have been posted on the NCVEC General-class question pool web page at The current Element 3 General question pool became effective on July 1, 2023, and it is valid through June 30, 2027. The advises the community to regularly check the NCVEC website at for updates to the question pools, which may include errata and withdrawn questions.

In a ceremony held on November 21, 2023, in Oregon City, Oregon, the Emergency Communications Radio Room in Clackamas County's Disaster Management offices was named in honor of former Section Manager of the ARRL Oregon Section David Kidd, KA7OZO. Kidd is a longtime amateur radio volunteer who stepped down from his role as the County Emergency Coordinator for radio amateurs after 20 years of service. Kidd became the Emergency Coordinator for the Clackamas Amateur Radio Emergency Services? (CARES?) in 2002. Under his leadership, CARES signed a memorandum of understanding with Clackamas County Disaster Management in 2005 that established a strong working relationship between amateur radio volunteers and county disaster management. Kidd's successor, Steve Jensen, KE7GXC, explained, "David built CARES from just a few people to one that has strong cooperation with Clackamas County, city subunits, and a large, active, trained, and committed membership." Interim Deputy Disaster Manager for Clackamas County Jamie Poole announced at Kidd's retirement that the newly established radio room would be named in his honor to recognize his service to the county. CARES is a group of licensed amateur radio volunteers who provide critical communication links during disasters and other major events. For more information about CARES, visit .

In Brief...

Summits on the Air (SOTA) is offering a 10-meter Challenge in 2024. The challenge will run from 0000 UTC on January 1, 2024, to 2359 UTC on December 31, 2024. Solar Cycle 25 is beginning to create regular favorable DX conditions on the higher bands, and early predictions indicate the cycle peak may occur during the summer of 2024. SOTA held a 12-meter Challenge in 2013, and since then, more than 90 associations have been added to the SOTA program, including many in South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. There is excellent potential for DX SOTA activity, and activators are encouraged to consider 28 MHz for their summit operations in 2024. Scoring will be done automatically by the database software. Activations and chases should be entered as normal. The software will note 10-meter QSOs and score them according to the rules. Usual SOTA rules will apply. Multi-band activations can also be entered as normal, and all results will be updated. Qualifying 10-meter QSOs will be scored separately from other SOTA activity. There will be a special 10-meter Challenge results page, and electronic certificates will be issued for all participants with their name, call sign, association, and score. For more information, including the rules for the challenge, visit the website.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP048:

Solar disk image taken on November 30, 2023. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]

The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre issued the following Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning #23/74 at 2321 UT on November 29, 2023:

"Several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expected to impact Earth on November 30 and December 1, 2023. Two CMEs were observed on November 27 that were expected to arrive on November 30, followed shortly by a very mild, glancing blow from a third. One or possibly two halo CMEs were observed on November 29, which are Earth-directed. It is likely that all or some of these CMEs will combine on their trajectory toward Earth, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact arrival time. However, G3-G4 geomagnetic conditions are possible over this period."

Over the past reporting week, 10 new sunspot groups appeared. There were three on November 23, one each day on November 24 - 26, another on November 28, and three more on November 29.

Solar numbers increased, with the average daily sunspot number rising dramatically from 83.3 to 165.9, doubling from the previous week.

The average daily solar flux rose from 146 to 181.5.

Geomagnetic numbers rose slightly, with the planetary A index changing from 10.1 to 11.6, and the middle latitude number changing from 7.3 to 7.6.

Predicted solar flux is 175 on November 30; 170 on December 1; 165 on December 2 - 3; 160 on December 4; 150 on December 5 - 6; 140 on December 7 - 8; 145 on December 9 - 10; 140 on December 11 - 16; 150 on December 17, and 160 on December 18 - 28.

Predicted planetary A index is 30, 56, and 22 on November 30 through December 2; 10, 10, 12, 10, and 10 on December 3 - 7; 5 on December 8 - 11; 10 and 8 on December 12 - 13; 5 on December 14 - 17; 15, 25, 8, and 5 on December 18 - 21, and 20, 10, 10, 8, and 5 on December 22 - 26.

Watch a new video from Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, about solar storms at .

Sunspot numbers for November 23 - 29, 2023, were 176, 184, 179, 169, 159, 130, and 164, with a mean of 83.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 194.2, 178, 176.4, 180.2, 187.3, 183.5, and 170.6, with a mean of 146. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 7, 38, 10, 7, 7, and 5, with a mean of 10.1. Middle latitude A index was 4, 5, 18, 9, 2, 6, and 9, with a mean of 7.3.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@....

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, the ARRL Technical Information Service, "What the Numbers Mean...," and the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the website.

Share your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on .

Just Ahead in Radiosport

Yearlong -- (VOTA). See the State Activations Schedule for weekly , including:

  • Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Rhode Island W1AW/1

  • Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Florida W1AW/4

  • Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Delaware W1AW/3

  • December 6 - 12 -- Louisiana W1AW/5

  • December 6 - 12 -- Illinois W1AW/9

  • December 6 - 12 -- Hawaii W1AW/KH6

Upcoming Contests:

  • December 1 - 2 -- SEC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

  • December 1 - 3 -- (CW)

  • December 2 - 3 -- Kalbar Contest (phone)

  • December 2 - 3 -- UFT Meeting (CW)

  • December 2 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)

  • December 2 - 3 -- PRO CW Contest (CW)

  • December 2 - 3 -- INORC Contest (CW)

  • December 2 - 3 -- FT Roundup (digital)

  • December 5 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)

  • December 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

  • December 6 -- Phone Weekly Test (phone)

  • December 6 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)

Visit the for more events and information.

Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

  • December 8 - 9 | , hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida

  • January 6 | , hosting the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Brookville, New York

  • January 12 - 14 | , Hatillo, Puerto Rico

  • January 19 - 20 | , hosting the ARRL North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas

  • January 27 | , hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Collinsville, Illinois

Search the to find events in your area.

Have News for ARRL?

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@.... -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor

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

  • 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 : QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.

  • Listen to , available every Friday.

  • The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io 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.

  • . Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.
  • . Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

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  • Find ARRL on ! Follow us on , , and !








The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page at .

Copyright ? 2023 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.


--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Christmas Party Suggestion - Response needed

 

GRRAA?Members,

Please respond to me directly at chris.leavitt@... and not the whole group (so we don't all end up with 100+ emails) :)

A request came in to see if the group would consider moving our dinner to January 27th to accommodate those who couldn't make the 16th. This would give us more time to plan and may open up a better night at the church.?

Please let me know if you feel strongly one way or the other indicating which date you would prefer.?

If you don't care and are happy to attend either one, let me know that as well.?

I'll let you know the ruling by Thursday of this week.?

Thanks all,?
C.
W7CDL



Return to Home

Go Wildcats!



¡°They don¡¯t care what you know until they know that you care¡±

?

Chris Leavitt

School Counselor

TAG/504 Case Manager
La Grande Middle School


1108 4th Street
La Grande, OR 97850


541-663-3443? Direct
541-663-3423? Fax


chris.leavitt@...?


CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: Please be aware that the confidentiality of information communicated via the Internet cannot be assured. This message is intended solely for the entity or individual to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorized disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message is strictly prohibited. Nothing in this email, including any attachments, is intended to be a legally binding signature. If you are not the intended addressee, nor authorized to receive for the intended addressee, you should contact the sender immediately and delete the message. Thank you.
ARRL VE Newsletter December 2023: General Exams Corrections Required

 

There is an update to the General question pool. I will remove and update the box with the new questions this weekend.
Tyson
W7BL


----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Somma, Maria, AB1FM <msomma@...>
To: ve-list@... <ve-list@...>
Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023 at 10:45:39 AM PST
Subject: [ve-list:1737] ARRL VE Newsletter December 2023: General Exams Corrections Required

ARRL VE Newsletter December 2023 ¨C Important Message from the ARRL VEC

========================================================================

Inside this VE E-Newsletter:

NCVEC QPC Removed Two General Class Questions From Use

General Exam Booklets Corrections Required

=======================================================================


The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) has removed two General-class license questions

Pursuant to the November 13, 2023, FCC rule change to remove symbol rate restrictions on amateur radio digital emissions (), the QPC of the NCVEC has deleted two questions from the General-class question pool because they are no longer correct.

General-class questions G1C08 and G1C10 are withdrawn from the pool effective immediately and should be removed from use on examinations as soon as possible. Updated question pool files, including the errata and new information, have been posted on the NCVEC General-class question pool web page at The current Element 3 General question pool became effective on July 1, 2023, and it is valid through June 30, 2027. The advises the community to regularly check the NCVEC website at for updates to the question pools, which may include errata and withdrawn questions.


General Exams Corrections Required

General-class questions G1C08 and G1C10 should be removed from use on examinations as soon as possible.
Because these two questions have been withdrawn, VE teams must replace these questions in their ARRL VEC issued booklets and in any exams created and printed by the team in the field.

Questions G1C08 and G1C10 have already been removed from the ExamTools system and will no longer appear in the online exams or on the printed exams.

Teams that create and print their own exams in the field, must either print new general exams or replace the questions on their affected general exams.? If you choose to replace these questions, please ensure the new question¡¯s correct answer position matches the exam answer key¡¯s answer postions.


General Booklets Corrections Required

Please Repair ARRL VEC General Class Booklets 3-5-2023 and 3-9-2023.
Only these two exam booklet designs are affected by the QPC action.
All other ARRL VEC supplied booklets are not affected.

Booklets 3-5-2023 and 3-9-2023 each require ONE patch. ARRL VEC is substituting an alternate question for each withdrawn general questions.

We will not be replacing the booklets.
The correct answer positions will not change so that the answers will continue to match up with the blue overlay grading templates and exam answer keys.

One replacement question is being provided for exam booklet version 3-5-2023.
Question 1 will be replaced (answer position will remain C).

One replacement question is being provided for exam booklet version 3-9-2023.
Question 16 will be replaced (answer position will remain C).

Please refer to the for the updated questions and replacement information.
This document contains the new questions which will be used to repair (patch) your field stocked supplied booklets. Cut out each new question (rectangle) and then affix (tape or paste) the new question over the corresponding invalid question in each booklet. The new cut out questions will completely cover the original questions. Do this for the two copies of each of your booklet versions.

VE teams officially Field-Stocked by the ARRL VEC with a bulk quantity of our exam materials should check the periodically to ensure your VEC printed exam booklets are up-to-date.

As always, we are here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us via your ARRL VE toll free number at 1-800-927-7583 or by email at vec@....


We thank you for your service as an ARRL VE.
Wishing you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season.

73,
The ARRL VEC Staff


========================================================================

The ARRL VEC Staff is Ready to Serve You

As always, the dedicated VEC staff are here to answer any questions you may have.

ARRL VE toll free number:? 1-800-9ARRLVE (1-800-927-7583)
Address:? ARRL VEC,? 225 Main St,? Newington CT 06111
Email:? VEC@...
Web:?
ARRL VEC Fax:? 860-594-0339

Maria Somma, AB1FM, Manager
Amanda O¡¯Brien, N1NHL, Assistant Manager
Stephanie Borden W2MAU, Service Representative
Lisa Riendeau, Service Representative
Joshua Nance, Service Representative

We thank you for your support of the ARRL VEC program.

========================================================================


Please do NOT respond to these automated emails.

A ¡®reply¡¯ to this bulk email address will not reach us as only the list administrator may post to the list.

To unsubscribe from these messages, forward this message to VEC@....

========================================================================


ARRL VEC VE Newsletter is published by the
American Radio Relay League, Inc. - The National Association for Amateur Radio?.

Material from the ARRL VE E-Newsletter may be republished or reproduced
in whole or in part in any form without additional permission.
Credit must be given to The ARRL VEC.

ARRL VEC
225 Main Street
Newington CT 06111 USA

Sincerely,
Maria Somma, AB1FM - VEC Manager / Editor
ARRL ?The National Association for Amateur Radio?
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111 USA
msomma@...

========================================================================

?

_______________________________________________
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--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Meeting agenda link

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Here¡¯s the link, should work now?

C.?
Grande Ronde Radio Amateur Association (GRRAA) meeting minute of 28 November, 2023

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Present were:

W7GFA Gary Anger

W7GQE John Britschgi

W7BL Tyson Brooks

W7CDL Chris Leavitt

KD7CEM Don Magee

KD7JG Joel Hinshaw

KG7HRZ Mike Averett

KD7DB Dennis Bottorff

KK7MJY Cathy Patterson

?

Chris launched the meeting at 1801, greeting all present and reading the minutes of the October meeting. One correction to the minutes: please replace 'microphone' with 'foot switch' in the? minutes.

?

Treasurer's report: We have $6549.59 in the Treasury.

?

Old Business:

K7UNI-12 packet repeater. ?No new information. Save for next meeting.

Elkhorn Relay. Our next follow-up will be in the spring of 2024, probably in March.

Club Christmas get-together will be held on 16 December, 2023 from 1400 ¨C 1600 (2pm to 4pm) at Calvary Chapel in La Grande, Oregon. Chris will send out an e-mail for ?food sign-up.

?

Training on the new VE exam system is delayed until the new year.

?

Eagle Cap Extreme Sled-dog race in January, 2024. Race Central is moving back to its previous location at the Community Center in Joseph Oregon for the 2024 race. Amateur Radio operators are needed. Please consider volunteering. Go to and sign up under "Volunteer Registration ¨C 2024 Race", not under "Amateur Radio" as the Amateur Radio link is for the 2023 race and it won't recognize that you are signing up to help. Amateur Radio volunteers are needed from Wednesday through Saturday 17 Jan ¨C 20 Jan 2024.

?

New Business:

The club will hold? officer position elections at the January,? 2024 meeting.? Chris has volunteered to serve another term as President. Dennis? and Tyson currently? share? the Vice President position.? However, that? position is open for new candidate(s).

Secretary ¨C That position is open for a new candidate. Tyson? nominated, with emphasis, Jason Fouts (W7JSN) as a candidate.

?

Tyson informed us that there is a Public Safety meeting, put on by CHD (Center for Human Development) this Saturday at Riveria School in La Grande. The meeting will be held from 1300 to 1600.

Entities that will be there are OTEC, AVISTA, among others.

?

ARES will hold a meeting in Pendleton, Oregon ?Saturday morning, at 1000, at the Umatilla County Sheriff's office.? Set up is at 0900.? ?

?

Also, we have a new ARRL Section boss, Bonnie Arnoldus. The? Oregon ARRL Section is being 'rebuilt'.

?

Upcoming Events:

Important routine ?GRRAA Ham Club dates ?are as follow:

Weekly? Nets:

Sunday 10-meter net at 1700 on 28.426Mhz(10 meters, open to Technicians)

Sunday ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) at 1745 on 3.955Mhz

Sunday local net at 1900 on W7GRA repeater

WInLink on Wednesdays on 144.930 (KK7MA10)()

Thursday ARES at 1900 on the K7UNI repeater followed by simplex on 146.520

Monthly

Club meetings on the 4th Tuesday Held at 1800 at Calvary Chapel, La Grande

ARES meetings on the 2nd Tuesday at the Union County Sheriffs' Office (UCSO) in La Grande at 1700

Breakfast at the SmokeHouse? on Adams Avenue in La Grande at 0900 on the 2nd Saturday each month.

?

?

VE. No changes since last meeting.

?

Tyson discussed the functions and features of tactical radios using ham band frequencies, call LORA (Long Range Radio).

?

Members present authorized Tyson to spend up to $200 of club money? to purchase items for auction, for the upcoming Club Christmas get-together.

?

Our? next meeting will be held on 23 January, 2024 at Calvary Chapel in La Grande, Oregon at 1800. There will be no regular club meeting in December.

?

The meeting adjourned at 1906.

?

Gary F Anger, CFP?,? AAMS?

?

Financial Advisor

Edward Jones

Phone 541-963-0519

Toll Free 888-963-0519

Fax 866-593-8180

?

PO Box 880

1910 Adams Ave

La Grande, OR 97850

?

?

?
Gary?Anger
Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
1910 Adams Ave
P O Box 880
La Grande, OR?97850
(541) 963-0519
?

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Re: Novembers Treasurers report and question

 

Thanks Mike!
C.


On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 5:13?AM KF7STP Mike Orcutt <kf7stp@...> wrote:
Same report on the right day?????

On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 6:48?AM Mike Orcutt <kf7stp@...> wrote:
???Thanks for the heads up, another?senior moment.? I'm sure nothing will change for next week.

On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 8:12?AM W7BL, Tyson Brooks <tyson.brooks5@...> wrote:
You are a week early. :-)


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 5:28 AM, KF7STP Mike Orcutt
<kf7stp@...> wrote:
Good morning all;
Here's my Treasurer's report for November. Our current balance is $6549.59, this amount reflects the $20 that Dennis gave to Joel.
I'm probably not going to make it to our meeting?tonight. As most of you know I work for FedEx part time 2-3 days a week ( Always on Mondays & Tuesdays) and during the holidays even more until after the?first of the year.?In January of 2024 the wife and I are planning a month-long vacation so I won't be making January's meeting either, so that brings up a question.?
Does the club want to keep me as Treasurer?
?To be clear I would be happy to stay on as Treasurer? BUT I know it's a real inconvenience for everyone else with?me unable to make it to so many of our meeting nights. Our 2024 elections are coming?up soon and I won't have any hard feelings and will completely understand if you all would like someone else to take?on?the Treasurer's position.?
Glenas and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.
Mike Orcutt KF7STP
Treasurer
GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg



--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL

Re: Novembers Treasurers report and question

 

Same report on the right day?????

On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 6:48?AM Mike Orcutt <kf7stp@...> wrote:
???Thanks for the heads up, another?senior moment.? I'm sure nothing will change for next week.

On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 8:12?AM W7BL, Tyson Brooks <tyson.brooks5@...> wrote:
You are a week early. :-)


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 5:28 AM, KF7STP Mike Orcutt
<kf7stp@...> wrote:
Good morning all;
Here's my Treasurer's report for November. Our current balance is $6549.59, this amount reflects the $20 that Dennis gave to Joel.
I'm probably not going to make it to our meeting?tonight. As most of you know I work for FedEx part time 2-3 days a week ( Always on Mondays & Tuesdays) and during the holidays even more until after the?first of the year.?In January of 2024 the wife and I are planning a month-long vacation so I won't be making January's meeting either, so that brings up a question.?
Does the club want to keep me as Treasurer?
?To be clear I would be happy to stay on as Treasurer? BUT I know it's a real inconvenience for everyone else with?me unable to make it to so many of our meeting nights. Our 2024 elections are coming?up soon and I won't have any hard feelings and will completely understand if you all would like someone else to take?on?the Treasurer's position.?
Glenas and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.
Mike Orcutt KF7STP
Treasurer
GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg



--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL

Re: Novembers Treasurers report and question

 

???Thanks for the heads up, another?senior moment.? I'm sure nothing will change for next week.


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 8:12?AM W7BL, Tyson Brooks <tyson.brooks5@...> wrote:
You are a week early. :-)


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 5:28 AM, KF7STP Mike Orcutt
<kf7stp@...> wrote:
Good morning all;
Here's my Treasurer's report for November. Our current balance is $6549.59, this amount reflects the $20 that Dennis gave to Joel.
I'm probably not going to make it to our meeting?tonight. As most of you know I work for FedEx part time 2-3 days a week ( Always on Mondays & Tuesdays) and during the holidays even more until after the?first of the year.?In January of 2024 the wife and I are planning a month-long vacation so I won't be making January's meeting either, so that brings up a question.?
Does the club want to keep me as Treasurer?
?To be clear I would be happy to stay on as Treasurer? BUT I know it's a real inconvenience for everyone else with?me unable to make it to so many of our meeting nights. Our 2024 elections are coming?up soon and I won't have any hard feelings and will completely understand if you all would like someone else to take?on?the Treasurer's position.?
Glenas and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.
Mike Orcutt KF7STP
Treasurer
GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg



--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL

Re: Novembers Treasurers report and question

 

You are a week early. :-)


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 5:28 AM, KF7STP Mike Orcutt
<kf7stp@...> wrote:
Good morning all;
Here's my Treasurer's report for November. Our current balance is $6549.59, this amount reflects the $20 that Dennis gave to Joel.
I'm probably not going to make it to our meeting?tonight. As most of you know I work for FedEx part time 2-3 days a week ( Always on Mondays & Tuesdays) and during the holidays even more until after the?first of the year.?In January of 2024 the wife and I are planning a month-long vacation so I won't be making January's meeting either, so that brings up a question.?
Does the club want to keep me as Treasurer?
?To be clear I would be happy to stay on as Treasurer? BUT I know it's a real inconvenience for everyone else with?me unable to make it to so many of our meeting nights. Our 2024 elections are coming?up soon and I won't have any hard feelings and will completely understand if you all would like someone else to take?on?the Treasurer's position.?
Glenas and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.
Mike Orcutt KF7STP
Treasurer
GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg



--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Novembers Treasurers report and question

 

Good morning all;
Here's my Treasurer's report for November. Our current balance is $6549.59, this amount reflects the $20 that Dennis gave to Joel.
I'm probably not going to make it to our meeting?tonight. As most of you know I work for FedEx part time 2-3 days a week ( Always on Mondays & Tuesdays) and during the holidays even more until after the?first of the year.?In January of 2024 the wife and I are planning a month-long vacation so I won't be making January's meeting either, so that brings up a question.?
Does the club want to keep me as Treasurer?
?To be clear I would be happy to stay on as Treasurer? BUT I know it's a real inconvenience for everyone else with?me unable to make it to so many of our meeting nights. Our 2024 elections are coming?up soon and I won't have any hard feelings and will completely understand if you all would like someone else to take?on?the Treasurer's position.?
Glenas and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.
Mike Orcutt KF7STP
Treasurer
GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg


GRRAA-11-21-23.jpg

VE Software Class

 

Good Evening,
??? Unfortunately I will need to postpone the class on Exam Tools. I need to head out of town for most of Saturday. I will try to come up with a new date and time soon.

Tyson
W7BL

--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
2023 Skywarn Recognition Day December 2nd

 

2023 SKYWARN? Recognition Day is December 2

The popular annual SKYWARN? Recognition Day (SRD) will be held on December 2, 2023, from 0000Z to 2400Z. SRD was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and ARRL. It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During the day, SKYWARN operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world.

SKYWARN Recognition Day Operating Instructions

  1. Object: For all amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters and National Weather Service Stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. Contacts via repeaters are permitted. SKYWARN Recognition Day serves to celebrate the contributions to public safety made by amateur radio operators during severe weather events of the past year.
  2. Date: NWS stations will operate December 2, 2023, from 0000 - 2400 UTC.
  3. Exchange: Call sign, name, location, signal report, a one- or two-word description of the weather occurring at your site ("sunny," "partly cloudy," "windy," etc.), temperature reading if available and SRD Number if the station has one.
  4. Modes: NWS stations will work various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, Winlink, CW, FT8, FT4, and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append "/NWS" to their call sign (e.g., N0A/NWS).
  5. Station Control Operator: It is suggested that during SRD operations for NWS offices a non-NWS volunteer should serve as a control operator for your station.
  6. Event and QSL Information: The National Weather Service will provide event information via the . Event certificates will once again be electronic and printable from the main website after the conclusion of SRD.
  7. Log Submission: To submit your log summary for SRD, you can use the online submission form that will be made available on the NWS SRD Recognition main page when the event is completed. Deadline for log submission is January 31, 2024.

Note on NWS Station Operations: For 2023, guidance on in-person amateur radio operations by volunteers will be determined by each National Weather Service Local Forecast Office. Amateur radio operators must make all necessary inquiries ahead of SRD with the appropriate NWS staff at your respective Weather Forecast Office before registering the NWS office for this event.

Involving Non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters in SRD

Amateur Radio SKYWARN groups and those groups involved with their NWS amateur radio office station setups are encouraged to actively reach out and find ways for non-amateur radio SKYWARN spotters to participate in the event. This can be done through social media and other ways in coordination with the local NWS offices.

For more information on SRD:

For More Information on SKYWARN:



--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Fw: ARLB031 ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions

 



----- Forwarded Message -----

From: ARRL Web site <memberlist@...>
To: "tyson.brooks5@..." <tyson.brooks5@...>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 12:33:50 PM PST
Subject: ARLB031 ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB031
ARLB031 ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions

ZCZC AG31
QST de W1AW?
ARRL Bulletin 31? ARLB031
From ARRL Headquarters?
Newington CT? November 14, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB031
ARLB031 ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions

The FCC Commissioners unanimously voted to amend the Amateur Radio
Service rules to replace the baud rate limit on the Amateur HF bands
with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit to permit greater flexibility in data
communications.

"The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to
incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio
bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with
the flexibility to use modern digital emissions," announced FCC.

The announcement can be found online at,
.

The new rules can be found online at,
.

"Specifically, we remove limitations on the symbol rate (also known
as baud rate) -- the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude,
frequency, and/or phase is varied to transmit information --
applicable to data emissions in certain amateur bands," concluded
the FCC Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
adopted November 13, 2023. "The amateur radio community can play a
vital role in emergency response communications but is often
unnecessarily hindered by the baud rate limitations in the rules."

Consistent with ARRL's request, the amended rules will replace the
current HF restrictions with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. "We agree
with ARRL that a 2.8 kilohertz bandwidth limitation will allow for
additional emissions currently prohibited under the baud rate
limitations while providing sufficient protections in the shared
RTTY/data subbands," concluded the FCC Report and Order.

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, hailed the FCC's action to
remove the symbol rate restrictions. Roderick stated that "this
action will measurably facilitate the public service communications
that amateurs step up to provide, especially at times of natural
disasters and other emergencies such as during the hurricane season.
Digital technology continues to evolve, and removing the outmoded
data restrictions restores the incentive for radio amateurs to
continue to experiment and develop more spectrum-efficient protocols
and methods while the 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit will help protect the
shared nature of our bands. We thank Congresswoman [Debbie] Lesko
(AZ-08) for her efforts on behalf of all Amateurs to get these
restrictions removed."

In a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the FCC proposes
to eliminate similar restrictions where they apply in other bands.
"We propose to remove the baud rate limitation in the 2200 meter
band and 630 meter band - and in the very high frequency (VHF) bands
and the ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands.

"Additionally, we seek comment on the appropriate bandwidth
limitation for the 2200 meter band, the 630 meter band, and the
VHF/UHF bands."

ARRL has previously expressed its support for eliminating the symbol
rate limits in favor of bandwidth limits where they apply on the VHF
and UHF bands but suggested that the bandwidth limits themselves be
reviewed in light of today's technology and tomorrow's
possibilities. Similarly, when eliminating the baud limits on the
2200 and 630-meter bands, consideration should be given to what, if
any, bandwidth limits are appropriate.

The FCC will announce a period for public comment on the additional
proposed changes based upon publication of the FNPRM in the Federal
Register.
NNNN
/EX

--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Fw: The ARRL Letter for November 2, 2023

 



-

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:

The ARRL Letter

November 2, 2023
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor

?

Deadline Extended Until November 28 for 60-Meter-Band Comments

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has extended the deadline to file comments on the 60-meter band proposal to November 28, 2023. Replies to comments will be due December 28, 2023. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close October 30, 2023.

strongly encourages all amateurs to submit comments expressing support to the FCC for the current 100 W ERP power limit (instead of reducing the power limit to 15 W EIRP) and continuing secondary access to the current channels.

ARRL has assembled a web page with instructions on how to submit your comments, as well as background information on the issue: .

Amateur Radio Operators Provide Post-Hurricane Communications in Mexico

Radio Amateurs are providing communication services to and from the affected areas in and around Acapulco, Mexico.

On the morning of Wednesday, October 25, 165 mile-per-hour winds from Hurricane Otis knocked out all communications and unleashed a nightmare scenario in Acapulco.

Prior to landfall, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor on the satellite captured this false-color image of the storm at about 08:30 Universal Time (2:30 AM in Acapulco) on October 24, 2023.

The area is home to roughly 800,000 people.

Radio Club Queretaro member Ruben Navarrete Galvan, XE1EC, told ARRL News that amateur radio operators are still active with multiple operations, and they are receiving citizen requests to obtain information on the whereabouts of their relatives.

"We keep an online database with these requests that we share with the different hams participating in the operation. Read-only access to this database is provided to the authorities who might need it, too. We also transmit this information to hams deployed in the Acapulco area via HF," Galvan said.

Additionally, hams in the Acapulco area are trying to locate civilians using their own resources. Some of these hams are operating their equipment on battery power, while others have access to generators. Accessing many areas in the region has been a challenge due to the amount of debris blocking travel

Amateur radio operators have also been receiving requests from Acapulco residents to call their relatives and let them know they are fine. Those requests are transmitted via HF to the Emergency Net Operator, and then the call is made to the family members.

Galvan also reported that hams have been providing communication between state agencies and their field personnel deployed in the Acapulco area. "At least three state agencies have hams on their teams. This is the case for the state of Durango, Morelos, and Santiago de Quer¨¦taro. We have been communicating their messages to their central coordination via HF relays. Requests for specific requirements have been escalated to the support teams. Air medical services have been directed to areas that were not being attended," he said.

Hams are also helping in other areas, including:

  • Repairing a damaged repeater on Altzomoni at the Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park to support communication efforts in certain areas of Guerrero
  • Deploying donations from a ham in Arizona, including a UHF repeater, solar panels, and 50 handhelds, to the affected areas.
  • Getting the state agency's mobile stations back on the air and reinstalling the HF antennas that were damaged

Emergency Communications Coordinator International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 Emergency Communications Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamar¨ªa Gonz¨¢lez, CO2JC, said frequency protection has been requested for the following bands and frequencies

  • 80-meter band: 3690 kHz
  • 40-meter band: 7060 and 7095 kHz
  • 20-meter band: 14.120 kHz
Veterans Day 2023 Special Events

Special event stations will offer many opportunities for amateur radio operators to honor Veterans and make contacts for Veterans Day.

The will be on the air on Saturday, November 11, 2023, to show their appreciation for those who have served in the military. The club station is located at 85 Quincy Avenue in Braintree, Massachusetts. K1USN will be on the HF bands on SSB, CW, and FT8, and they will begin operating at 1300 UTC and run until 2100 UTC. K1USN QSL cards will be available for all who contact the station.

The American Legion Post 111 Amateur Radio Club, KA4TAL, in South Carolina will also operate on November 11 from 10 AM to 3 PM ET on 14.255, 7.264, 14.275, and 7.185 MHz. Email talarc.ka4tal@... for electronic contact certificates.

On the same day, the Liberty ship S.S. John W. Brown, , will hold National Liberty Ship Day. The event honors those who served in the military and operated, protected, and built all 2,710 World War II Liberty ships, including the Merchant Marines, the Navy Armed Guard, and the female shipyard workers recruited during the war. Operations will be on 14.250, 7.225, and 21.300 MHz, from 0200Z - 0800Z. QSL cards will be available by mail from Project Liberty Ship PO Box 25846 in Baltimore, Maryland.

In Ohio, the will hold their third annual Veterans Day Check-in Net on November 11, beginning at 11 AM ET. They will use their main VHF repeater, W8AIC, on 146.76 MHz (PL tone 123.0 MHz). All amateurs can check in and share stories about their own military experience, or information about family and friends who have served. A special QSL card will be mailed to each ham who contacts the station.

The in Maryland will host their special event, The Ghost Fleet at Mallows Bay, on November 11 from 1400Z - 2100Z. Mallows Bay is the site of more than 100 shipwrecks and is now the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, the first national marine sanctuary in the state of Maryland. K3SMD will operate on 40 (7.270 Mhz), 20, and 15 meters on phone and FT8. QSL cards will be mailed to those who contact the station by Michelle Sack, N3YRZ, at PO Box 1182 in Waldorf, Maryland.

Also on November 11, the United States Marine Corps will celebrate its 248th anniversary (it was officially formed on 11/10/1775) and Veterans Day. The USS Midway CV-41 COMEDTRA amateur radio station, NI6IW, will be on the air from 1700Z - 2359Z on 14.320, 7.250, and 14.070 MHz. The station will use PSK31, D-STAR, the PAPA System repeaters, and a wide-area amateur radio network of 57 additional repeaters on 19 hilltops. These will provide extensive coverage of the Southern California region and beyond. A will be available for every operator who contacts NI6IW.

A complete list of special event stations, including Veterans Day stations, is available at Type "Veterans" in the keyword search bar to find the stations.

Great California ShakeOut Drill Reported a Success

Editor's Note:

Tuolumne County Amateur Radio and Electronics Society (TCARES) members Rich Combs, KN6HSR; Ned Sudduth, K6NED, and Toni Sudduth, K6TNI reported that the October 2023 Great California ShakeOut exercise was an "outstanding" success. Here is their story as reported to ARRL News:

"This is a drill. Drop! Cover! Hold on!" was the mantra for the Great ShakeOut exercise on October 19, 2023, at 10:19 AM in Tuolumne County, California.

The Great ShakeOut is an annual international event that promotes awareness of how to prepare for and react to an earthquake. For the past 2 years, TCARES has used this event as an opportunity to test our ability to provide backup communication for the county public safety agencies. Considering that over the past year there have been two instances where primary communication systems went down -- one due to a fire, and the other due to a damaged T1 fiber optic cable -- this was a timely opportunity. It is a great chance to partner with first responder agencies, build trust, and develop awareness of mutual capabilities and needs.

There was an amateur radio operator stationed at the Tuolumne County Emergency Operations Center, which was operated by the Office of Emergency Services. After a preparatory simulated 5.0-magnitude San Francisco earthquake preamble at 10:19 AM, Ned Sudduth, K6NED, began taking check-ins from amateurs throughout the county with his wife Toni, K6TNI, who logged the reports. County Geographic Information System (GIS) staff loaded the real time of those hams on a map that was displayed on a TV. Tuolumne County is fortunate to have a backbone of four linked, 2-meter repeaters that cover almost the entire county.

There were 38 amateur radio operators providing reports on conditions throughout the county. In addition, we had four Neighborhood Radio Watch (NRW) communities using Family Radio Service radios, General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios, and a few GMRS repeaters to add an additional 28 reports. Each NRW community has an embedded ham who monitors the NRW traffic, and then provides a summary to the Incident Commander during their check-in.

Considering it was a Thursday morning, we felt this was a great response. Participation increased from last year's check-ins. Although Tuolumne is a large county by area, it has a population of just more than 55,000, and it is primarily rural and mountainous in character. Nonetheless, the combination of NRW communities with embedded ham radio operators and a robust repeater system has shown that even when the power and internet are down, first responder operations can continue to operate, and communities can immediately communicate and mobilize to help themselves.

During the net, net control began by asking for regional check-ins based on repeater location, starting with the most remote corners of the county. Roll call was not conducted, but check-ins in small batches of three or four allowed for concise reporting with "yes" or "no" comments on the availability of grid power and telephone services. Most stations checking in had clear audio and delivered their local status professionally. Some stations learned they needed to make improvements. Stations at sites of interest, like schools or government buildings, were asked to state their affiliation with organizations like the Community Emergency Response Team, Search and Rescue, Crime Scene Unit, etc. Mobile units also checked in and made reports. Those in nearby counties checked in, too, and they reported their local situation reports.

Ideas for next year are already underway with plans to assign operators to specific locations like the local fairgrounds, hospital, Red Cross, fire stations, etc. The Automatic Packet Reporting System can also provide value next year with real-time location and status updates from mobile operators. Thanks to TCARES, the Tuolumne County Sheriff, the Office of Emergency Services, and GIS staff, and the radio operators who have made this an outstanding exercise for the last 2 years.

Thanks to TCARES for the information contained in this report.

Amateur Radio in the News

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL .

"" / Atlanta News First/ANF (Georgia) October 24, 2023 -- A.L. Burruss Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia.

"" / KFGO (North Dakota) October 28, 2023 -- The Detroit Lakes Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"" / Salem News (Ohio) November 1, 2023 -- Columbiana High School K8LPS Clipper Radio Club project.

Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.

ARRL Podcasts

On the Air
Sponsored by

The Solar Eclipse QSO Party: When Operating is Science

Gary Mikitin's, AF8A, article, "The Solar Eclipse QSO Party: A Fun Way Support Radio Science" in the September/October 2023 issue of On the Air details how hams can contribute data to a study on how the ionosphere reflects radio signals during the eclipse via an easygoing on-air event called the Solar Eclipse QSO Party. Gary, who is the Amateur Radio Community Coordinator of HamSCI, joins us on the October episode of the On the Air podcast, to talk about just how easy it is to participate.

ARRL Audio News
Listen to , 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. The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on blubrry -- | .

Announcements

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are finalizing plans for 2023 SKYWARN? Recognition Day. The event is held annually on the first Friday and Saturday of December, so this year it will be on Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2. SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL. It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN amateur radio operators make to the NWS. During the event, SKYWARN operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world. More details about the event will be posted on the and websites.

The K1USN Radio Club has announced that due to a direct scheduling conflict with the upcoming 2023 CW ARRL Sweepstakes, they will cancel their regular November 6 0000 UTC SST session. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all of our regular SST participants and to encourage everyone to use that time to participate in the CW ARRL Sweepstakes, November 4 - 6, 2023. Complete Sweepstakes rules can be found here - . Please note that the ONLY K1USN SST session to be cancelled will be the November 6 0000 UTC K1USN SST session. All other sessions will take place as scheduled: Fridays 20:00-21:00 UTC; Mondays 00:00-01:00 UTC

In Brief...

will hold its 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) on November 20 - December 15 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ITU includes 193 member states and several hundred Sector members and associates. WRC conferences are held every three to four years to review and revise, if necessary, the ITU Radio Regulations, which is the international treaty governing use of the radio frequency spectrum and geostationary satellite and non-geostationary satellite orbits. To learn more about the agenda for WRC-23, visit .

The ARRL Foundation is accepting applications for scholarships through January 10, 2024. The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program supports eligible amateur radio operators pursuing higher education. The ARRL Foundation manages more than 100 scholarships established by generous donors ranging from $500 to $25,000. Scholarships will be awarded for the academic year that will begin no earlier than June 2024 following the application deadline. The scholarships vary in eligibility requirements.

ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, said the scholarships pave the way for amateur radio being a hands-on pathway to STEM careers. "We are so thankful to donors who give to ARRL education programs because they are investing the future of amateur radio. The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program provides financial support at a critical time for students pursuing a college degree and keeps these young radio amateurs active in the hobby."

Additional information and a link to the application can be found at .

The , celebrating its 50th year, administers programs to support the amateur radio community, and was established in 1973 by .

Here is a direct link to the application:

ARRL reminds readers about the , founded by JA1BK. The DX Log Archive program was created, thanks to an endowment established by Kan Mizoguchi, JA1BK, to obtain, preserve, and utilize paper logs from rare and significant DXpeditions. Paper logs of prominent DXpeditions or logs from stations and operators active from more rare locations from the 1950s through the 1980s, are the main items which we desire to save from the waste bin and archive at HQ. The archive includes pre-1950 paper logs as well as those from interesting operations, other documents from DXpeditions, and logs kept by long-time residents of rare entities. Logs which are now part of the Archive are indexed online and are being digitized and uploaded into Logbook of the World (LoTW) over time. Former ARRL Radiosport and Field Services Manager Dave Patton, KW9A (ex NN1N), manages the program. Patton noted the recent receipt of interesting logs for all the Colvin's operations; Fred Laun, K3ZO/HS0ZAR; Roger Western, EP2IA/G3TXF; John Snuggerud, LA1VC/3Y1VC (Bouvet Island); and Dick Spencely, KV4AA. Contact Patton at dxlogarchive@... for more information about logs or related DXing ephemera that might be of interest to the DX Log Archive, or to ask for a LoTW of the World confirmation for QSOs made with any of the hundreds of calls whose logs are available on the webpage.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP044:

Solar disk image taken November 2, 2023. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]

Seven new sunspot groups emerged this reporting week. There were two on October 26, one on October 27, another on October 28, two more on October 31, and another on November 1.

Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 41.9 to 76.7, while the average daily solar flux increased from 123.5 to 137.5.

Predicted solar flux is 160, 162, and 162 on November 2 - 4; 160, 157, 150, 148, 136, 138, 136, and 134 on November 5 - 12; 130 on November 13 - 15; 125, 123, and 120 on November 16 - 18; 125 on November 19 - 22, and 130 on November 23 - 26.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 5, 8, 12, 8, and 5 on November 2 - 7; 12 on November 8 - 9; 8 on November 10; 5 on November 11 - 13; 8 and 10 on November 14 - 15; 5 on November 16 - 21, and 15, 10, 15, 15, and 20 on November 22 - 26.

There might be an early peak of Solar Cycle 25. Read about it at and .

Sunspot numbers for October 26 through November 1 were 57, 66, 70, 61, 62, 116, and 105, with a mean of 76.7. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 126.4, 127.5, 128, 135.2, 139.7, 147.3, and 158.6, with a mean of 137.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 23, 11, 19, 28, 12, 9, and 9, with a mean of 15.9. Middle latitude A index was 18, 9, 13, 21, 10, 6, and 6, with a mean of 11.9.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@....

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, the ARRL Technical Information Service, "What the Numbers Mean...," and the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the website.

Share your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on .

Just Ahead in Radiosport

Yearlong -- (VOTA). See the State Activations Schedule for weekly , including:

  • November 1 - 7 -- West Virginia W1AW/8

  • November 1 - 7 -- Massachusetts W1AW/1

  • November 1 - 7 -- Iowa W1AW/0

  • November 8 - 14 -- Wyoming W1AW/7

  • November 8 - 14 -- Maryland W1AW/3

  • November 8 - 14 -- Kansas W1AW/0

Upcoming Contests:

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

  • November 2 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

  • November 2 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

  • November 4 -- YB Banggai DX Contest (phone)

  • November 4 -- IPARC Contest (CW)

  • November 4 - 6 -- ARRL Sweepstakes Contest (CW)

  • November 5 -- IPARC Contest, SSB (phone)

  • November 5 -- EANET Sprint (CW, phone, digital)

  • November 5 -- High Speed Club CW Contest (CW)

  • November 6 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, Data (digital)

  • November 7 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

Visit the for more events and information.

Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

  • November 4 | , hosting the ARRL Wisconsin Section Convention, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

  • November 4 - 5 | , hosting the ARRL Georgia State Convention, Lawrenceville, Georgia

  • November 18 - 19 | hosting the ARRL Central Division Convention, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

  • December 8 - 9 | , hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City, Florida

  • January 6 - | , hosting the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention, Brookville, New York

Search the to find events in your area.

Have News for ARRL?

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@.... -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor

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

  • Eligible US-based members can elect to receive or magazine in print when they join ARRL or when they renew their membership. All members can access digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ.

  • Listen to , available every Friday.

  • The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io 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.

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  • . Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties.
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The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page at .

Copyright ? 2023 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.


--
Tyson Brooks
W7BL
Re: From the ARRL: Comment Deadlines Set on Proposed 60-Meter Band Changes

 

Thanks for the reminder?

On Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 9:59?PM W7BL, Tyson Brooks <tyson.brooks5@...> wrote:
Just a reminder, tomorrow is the last day

Tyson
W7BL

Re: From the ARRL: Comment Deadlines Set on Proposed 60-Meter Band Changes

 

Visit the below link, if you want more information on what the ARRL is proposing vs what the FCC would like to do.
https://www.arrl.org/60-meter-band
FCC To Vote on Removing Symbol Rate Restrictions

 

From the ARRL
?welcomes news of a scheduled vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to??that restrict digital modes, foster inefficient spectrum use, and dampen incentives for innovation.

In the draft Commission decision, the FCC would replace the current HF restrictions with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. The Commission also announced that it will consider a Further Notice in which it will propose eliminating similar restrictions where they apply in other bands and consider relying on signal bandwidth limits. If both actions are adopted by the Commission, there will be a period for public comment on the Further Notice issues.

In announcing the proposed Commission actions, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that "We're bolstering amateur radio. We will vote on a proposal to incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions."


ARRL requested and strongly supports replacing the symbol rate limits on the HF bands with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. ARRL also supports eliminating the symbol rate limits in favor of the already-existing bandwidth limits where they apply on the VHF and UHF bands and eliminating the similar limits 2200 and 630-meter bands.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, said the changes will result in a tremendous time savings during disasters, when every second counts. "We will be very pleased to have the FCC remove the restrictions on symbol rate for the amateur bands. This will eliminate the need for temporary waivers during an event and provide the ability to train and exercise using the higher symbol rate, allowing increased data capability to our served agencies and partners."

, to require that the FCC eliminate the obsolete HF digital symbol rate limit with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit.

The Congresswoman subsequently addressed the issue with Chairwoman Rosenworcel in a Congressional oversight hearing. The changes are supported by many state emergency management officials.

ARRL will continue to engage on this matter.
Re: From the ARRL: Comment Deadlines Set on Proposed 60-Meter Band Changes

 

Just a reminder, tomorrow is the last day

Tyson
W7BL
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