Subj : The Weekly ARRL Letter
To   : All
From : Sean Dennis
Date : Fri Jan 22 2021 09:05 am

  The ARRL Letter
  January 21, 2021

    * Orlando HamCation Announces QSO Party, Special Edition Virtual
      Presentations
    * Eastern Iowans Rely On Ham Radio When Severe Weather Strikes
    * ARRL Podcasts Schedule
    * HamSCI Issues Call for Abstracts for March Virtual Workshop
    * Contest University to Host Propagation Summit on January 23
    * ARRL Learning Network Webinars
    * Radio Amateur is Co-Leader of Just-Published Blood Plasma Research
      Study
    * Announcements: January 21
    * Amateur Radio in the News
    * The K7RA Solar Update
    * In Brief...
    * Just Ahead in Radiosport
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
  Orlando HamCation Announces QSO Party, Special Edition Virtual
  Presentations

  Orlando HamCation has announced it will sponsor the HamCation QSO Party
  over the February 13 - 14 weekend (UTC), "to create a fun way for
  amateurs to celebrate the Orlando HamCation experience over the air."
  The HamCation QSO Party will be a 12-hour event on HamCation weekend.
  HamCation 2021 was to host the ARRL National Convention, which now will
  take place in 2022.

  "The QSO party will replicate the camaraderie and social experience of
  attending HamCation and provide a way to have fun on the radio, since
  HamCation 2021 will not be held due to COVID-19," the HamCation QSO
  Party Committee said. The HamCation QSO Party will run from 1500 UTC on
  February 13 until 0300 UTC on February 14. It will be a CW and SSB
  operating event on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Any station may work
  any other station.

  Categories will be High Power (more than 100 W output), Low Power (100
  W output or less, but greater than 5 W), and QRP (5 W output or less).
  All participants will be single operators; there is no multioperator
  category. The exchange will be your name and state/province/country,
  and the outside temperature at your location. "We are including
  temperature at your QTH as a way of highlighting Orlando's mild
  February weather," the committee said.

  Nine HamCation special event stations with 1 * 1 call signs will be on
  the air with combined suffixes spelling out HamCation (e.g., K4H, W4A,
  K4M, etc). Each contact will count as one point, and stations may be
  worked once on each band and mode. Entrants will report their scores on
  www.3830Scores.com; no logs are required. Final results will be based
  on the information submitted to the website.

  Station guest operators must use their own call signs and submit their
  scores individually. Plaques and certificates will be awarded.

  Virtual HamCation Set

  The Orlando HamCation Special Edition online event over the February 13
  - 14 weekend will take the place of what would have been the HamCation
  2021 in-person show.

  The online event will include youth, technology, contesting, and vendor
  webinar tracks. ARRL will also present two webinars on Saturday,
  February 13. They are:
    * ARRL Member Forum at 1 PM EST, moderated by ARRL Southeastern
      Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB.
    * Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R)) presentation at 3 PM
      EST, moderated by ARRL Director of Emergency Management Paul
      Gilbert, KE5ZW. The ARES presentation will include panelists from
      ARRL Section Emergency Coordinators in Florida.

  Live, online prize drawings are also scheduled during the HamCation
  Special Edition online event.
  Eastern Iowans Rely On Ham Radio When Severe Weather Strikes

  A derecho with winds of 80 to 100 MPH struck eastern Iowa last August,
  disrupting power and telecommunications for some 400,000 residents.
  But, as ARRL member and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES^(R))
  volunteer Scott Haney, N0GUD, recently explained to The Gazette in
  Cedar Rapids, that's when amateur radio shines.

  Haney, the president of the Cedar Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC),
  was the focus of the January 19 feature, "2nd-largest per-capita group
  of amateur radio operators in the world calls Eastern Iowa home," by
  Molly Rossiter.

  "For some people, [amateur radio is] merely a hobby, but for a lot of
  us, it's much more than that," Haney said. "Ham radio operators are
  involved in emergency management, in large event management, in a large
  variety of things. A lot of times people don't know we're there, but
  we're actually a large part of planning and carrying out many events
  and gatherings," he said. "People don't realize, especially in weather
  events like hurricanes, [that] amateur radio is a huge part of getting
  people in and out of dangerous areas. We've been doing that for
  decades."

  As the article notes, the fact that Collins Aerospace (formerly Collins
  Radio and Rockwell Collins) calls Cedar Rapids home is believed to be
  the reason that the second-highest population density of hams in the
  world reside in Eastern Iowa.

  Haney retired in 2019, after 30 years with Rockwell Collins and Collins
  Aerospace. He's been licensed for more than 40 years.

  ARRL Podcasts Schedule

  The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 13) features a
  discussion with Curt Laumann, K7ZOO, about his success in boosting
  activity at the University of Arizona amateur radio club.

  The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 25) will discuss extreme
  magnetic fields and also feature a chat with Bob Allison, WB1GCM, on
  the topic of hunting down and resolving interference.

  The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both
  podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well
  as on Blubrry -- On the Air | Eclectic Tech.
  HamSCI Issues Call for Abstracts for March Virtual Workshop

  HamSCI has issued a call for abstracts for its virtual workshop March
  19 - 20, hosted by the University of Scranton and sponsored by the
  National Science Foundation.

  "The primary objective of the HamSCI workshop is to bring together the
  amateur radio community and professional scientists," said HamSCI
  founder Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF. The theme is midlatitude ionospheric
  physics, "which is especially important to us because the vast majority
  of hams live in the midlatitude regions," Frissell said.

  Invited tutorial speakers will be Mike Ruohoniemi of the Virginia Tech
  SuperDARN initiative and Joe Dzekevich, K1YOW. Elizabeth Bruton, of the
  Science Museum in London, will be the keynote speaker.

  Submit abstracts by February 15. The March conference will also serve
  as a team meeting for the Personal Space Weather Station project.
  Frissell said he will coordinate with respective teams for their
  abstracts.

  The HamSCI workshop welcomes abstracts related to development of the
  Personal Weather Station, ionospheric science, atmospheric science,
  radio science, spaceweather, radio astronomy, and any science topic
  "that can be appropriately related to the amateur radio hobby."
  Submissions related to the workshop theme of midlatitude ionospheric
  physics are encouraged.

  Abstracts will be reviewed by the Science/Program Committee, and
  authors will be notified no later than March 1. Virtual poster
  presentations are welcome, but due to time constraints, requests for
  oral presentation slots may not be guaranteed.

  Contest University to Host Propagation Summit on January 23

  Contest University (CTU) is holding a Virtual Propagation Summit on
  Saturday, January 23. The Zoom-platform event will get under way at
  1600 UTC with introductory remarks from Tim Duffy, K3LR, and Ray Novak,
  N9JA.
    * At 1605 UTC, Scott Jones, N3RA, and George Fremin, K5TR, will
      moderate a session titled "Update on the Personal Space Weather
      Station Project & HamSCI activities for 2021" with Nathaniel
      Frissell, W2NAF.
    * At 1700 UTC, Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, will discuss "Solar Cycle 25
      Predictions & Progress."
    * At 1800 UTC, Bill Fehring, W9KKN, and Marty Sullaway, NN1C, will
      moderate a session, "Maximizing Performance of HF Antennas with
      Irregular Terrain," with Jim Breakall, WA3FET.
    * At 1900, the pair will moderate a presentation, "HF Propagation:
      What to Expect During the Rising Years of Solar Cycle 25," with
      Frank Donovan, W3LPL.

  A drawing for an Icom IC-705 transceiver will be held. The winner must
  be present on Zoom in order to win. Visit the 2021 Propagation Summit
  registration page to sign up. ditional information will be posted on
  the CTU website. -- Thanks to CTU Chair Tim Duffy, K3LR
  ARRL Learning Network Webinars

  Visit the ARRL Learning Network (a members-only benefit) to register,
  check on upcoming webinars, and to view previously recorded sessions.
  The schedule is subject to change.

  Emergency Communications: Why Train? -- North Texas Section Emergency
  Coordinator Greg Evans, K5GTX

  Utilizing amateur radio operators in an emergency communication
  situation is a key function that can save lives. We must be able to
  respond to the needs of our served agencies quickly and responsibly.
  Topics covered include the Incident Command System and its relevance;
  building on consistent training; interoperability with multiple
  communication providers; interoperability with VOAD and partners, and
  mission one: get the information delivered.

  Thursday, January 21, 2021, 12:30 PM PST / 3:30 PM EST (2030 UTC)

  Easy Helical Copper Tape and PVC 2-Meter Vertical Antenna -- John
  Portune, W6NBC

  Learn how to quickly build a tiny, 18-inch continuously loaded
  lightweight portable or base station 2-meter omnidirectional vertical
  with performance and efficiency comparable to a 5-foot J-pole. All you
  need is copper tape and PVC pipe from the hardware store, and the cost
  is roughly $10. It's an easy afternoon's homebrew project, ideal for
  the new ham but equal to the experienced ham's needs. It is great for
  events like bike-a-thons. It also makes an excellent ham radio club
  hands-on building project, and the design is adaptable to other bands.

  Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST (1800 UTC)

  Interesting Stories about Ham Radio & Weather Spotting -- Rob Macedo,
  KD1CY

  One of the most critical ways amateur radio supports agencies such as
  the National Weather Service (NWS), National Hurricane Center, and
  emergency management is through weather spotting via the NWS SKYWARN
  program. This presentation reviews some interesting stories about how
  amateurs involved in SKYWARN have saved lives and property and why this
  is an important amateur radio activity.

  Thursday February 11, 2021 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST (0100 UTC on Friday,
  February 12)

    -------------------------------------------------------------------


  Radio Amateur is Co-Leader of Just-Published Blood Plasma Research
  Study

  Scott Wright, K0MD -- a well-known amateur radio contester and past
  editor of the National Contest Journal (NCJ) -- was a co-principal
  investigator of a research project into the use of convalescent plasma
  to treat COVID-19 patients. The study, Convalescent Plasma Antibody
  Levels and the Risk of Death from COVID-19, appeared in the January 13
  edition of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

  The study began early last April under the co-leadership of Wright and
  Dr. Michael Joyner, MD, both of the Mayo Clinic; Dr. Peter Marks, MD,
  PhD, Dr. Nicole Verdun, MD, of the US Food and Drug ministration, and
  Dr. Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Marks
  is AB3XC. The Mayo Clinic was the lead institution for the program.
  Initially heading up one segment of the study, the Mayo Clinic asked
  him to formally step in as co-principal investigator and to assume the
  forward face with the media.

  "We report a 6.3% absolute reduction in mortality for those who
  received high-titer convalescent plasma, and a 36% relative risk
  reduction in mortality for those who received it while not on a
  ventilator," Wright summarized briefly. "We are hopeful it will have an
  impact globally where more advanced -- and expensive -- therapies may
  not be available."

  The US Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program was a collaborative
  project between the US government and the Mayo Clinic to provide access
  to convalescent plasma for patients in the US who were hospitalized
  with COVID-19. The government-supported study collected and provided
  blood plasma recovered from COVID-19 patients containing antibodies
  that, it was theorized, could help these individuals fight the disease.

  Wright said that in contrast with most studies, the investigators
  designed and carried out the research without help from National
  Institutes of Health (NIH). "It was an enormous project, not to mention
  that over 105,000 people enrolled in the study," Wright said. "The NEJM
  paper is a subset analysis of 3,000 or so subjects. We did a lot of
  innovative things with the FDA's permission to make this a study that
  quickly enrolled patients, physicians, and hospitals."

  Wright said the study participants cooperated with all but five
  hospital systems in the US and had sites in all US territories overseas
  and military facilities. "Our physicians locally at the sites enrolled
  twice as many minority subjects as any randomized clinical trial ever,"
  Wright said, and we had about half men and half women as subjects --
  something most trials struggle with."

  The study has attracted some media attention. Wright was interviewed by
  NBC News. "We were happy to have some media interest, especially given
  the other news in Washington, DC, that overshadows this naturally," he
  said. "It is just a great feeling to have it published and peer
  reviewed."

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

  Announcements: January 21
    * [IMG]Winter Field Day is January 30 - 31, sponsored by the Winter
      Field Day Association (WFDA), "a dedicated group of amateur radio
      operators who believe that emergency communications in a winter
      environment is just as important as the preparations and practice
      that is done each summer, but with some additional unique
      operational concerns." CW and SSB only.
    * Bob Witte, K0NR, has proposed that Summits on the Air (SOTA) and
      similar programs designate 146.48 MHz as the "North America
      venture Frequency" (NAAF) FM simplex channel on 2 meters. This is
      to avoid the national calling frequency of 146.52, which can be
      busy; those using 146.52 MHz are expected to move to another
      frequency after making contact.
    * Madison DX Club President Bob Urban, W9EWZ, has announced that the
      presentation "Understanding and Applying Solar Indices," by Carl
      Luetzelschwab, K9LA, is available on the Madison DX Club YouTube
      channel.
    * Radio amateurs in Australia may use the prefix AX on Australia Day,
      January 26. The day commemorates the arrival of the first fleet in
      1788, the raising of the British flag, and the establishment of
      European settlements. The annual day celebrates Australian history
      and culture.
    * To celebrate Peru's 200 years as a republic, the Peruvian Radio
      Club will field some special call signs throughout 2021. Listen for
      OC200P, OC200E, OC200R, and OC200U. The single-letter suffixes
      spell "PERU." Only one of the commemorative call signs will be on
      the air at a time -- OC200P in January, May, and September; OC200E
      in February, June, and October; OC200R in March, July, and
      November, and OC200U in April, August, and December. QSL to OA4O.
    * The free English-language AMSAT-EA January newsletter features an
      article by Carlos Flores, EA3HAH, about his experiences using FT4
      on the linear (SSB) amateur satellites. He reports good results
      with 1 - 2 W and was able to decode without problems "on almost all
      calls."

    -------------------------------------------------------------------


  Amateur Radio in the News

  ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
  member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news. Share
  any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.

  2nd-largest per-capita group of amateur radio operators in the world
  call Eastern Iowa home

  The Gazette, January 19, 2021

  Irish Students Get to Chat with International Space Station

  Euro Weekly News (online), December 9, 2020

  Ham Radio Operators Honor Legacy of Mars Hill Company

  The Citizen-Times (North Carolina), December 9, 2020

  Happy SKYWARN Recognition Day

  WDRB.com (Kentucky), December 5, 2020

  Liftoff: Sea Road School Students to Chat with Space Station Astronaut

  Kennebunk Post (Maine), December 4, 2020

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

  The K7RA Solar Update

  Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We just witnessed 12 consecutive days
  with no sunspots, which many of us found a bit unsettling. But
  fortunately Solar Cycle 25 activity returned with a new sunspot on
  January 15.

  Average daily sunspot numbers increased from zero last week to 14.7 in
  the January 14 - 20 reporting period.

  Average daily solar flux rose from 73.8 to 76.1, and geomagnetic
  indicators sank to very quiet levels. Average daily planetary A index
  dropped from 5.9 to 4, and average daily middle latitude A index from
  4.4 to 3.

  The outlook for the next month looks good. Predicted daily solar flux
  for the next 30 days is 80 on January 21 - 28; 75 on January 29 -
  February 3; 76 for February 4 - 10; 77 for February 11 -17, and 76 on
  February 18 - 19.

  Predicted planetary A index is 14, 10, and 8 on January 21 - 23; 5 on
  January 24 - 25; 8 on January 26 - 28; 5 on January 29 - 31; 10 on
  February 1 - 2; 5 on February 3 - 13; 10, 10, 12, and 10 on February 14
  - 17, and 5 on February 18 - 19.

  Sunspot numbers for January 14 - 20 were 0, 13, 15, 23, 13, 14, and 25,
  with a mean of 14.7. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 73.6, 73.4, 77.7,
  77.2, 75.3, 78.1, and 77.2, with a mean of 76.1. Estimated planetary A
  indices were 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 6, and 6, with a mean of 4. Middle latitude
  A index was 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 6, and 5, with a mean of 3.

  A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
  website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
  ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
  and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.

  A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable
  propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

  Share your reports and observations.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

  In Brief...

  Over-the-horizon radars (OTH-R) continue to clutter 40 and 20 meters.
  The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring Service
  (IARUMS) reports that OTH-Rs have increasingly been finding spectrum on
  17 and 15 meters. "Above all, the Russian OTH-R 'Contayner,' as well as
  OTH-Rs from China affect amateur radio more and more, sometimes quite
  massively," said IARUMS newsletter Editor Peter Jost, HB9CET, said in
  the December edition, with three or four such signals showing in the
  same band. Significantly fewer FSK transmissions as well as the
  characteristic CIS12 signals from the Commonwealth of Independent
  States were to be found. "For some time now, a broadcast station is
  active every day at 1100 - 1258 UTC at 7200 kHz," Jost said, adding
  that the signal appears to be coming from Taiwan. "The broadcast
  station 'Voice of Broad Masses' from Eritrea can be heard daily on 7140
  kHz (VOBM1) and increasingly also on 7180 kHz (VOBM2)," he added.
  Occasionally, better conditions during November 2020 revealed fishing
  buoy signals and an Iranian OTH-R on 10 meters. The Chinese OTH-R
  nicknamed "Foghorn" "was and is a daily troublemaker," Jost reported in
  November.

  The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius plans to launch MIR-SAT1
  (Mauritius Imagery and Radio - Satellite 1) in 2021. The project was
  the first winner of the 2018 round of the United Nations Office for
  Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  (JAXA) KiboCUBE Program. The CubeSat will carry an amateur radio V/U
  digipeater (a downlink of 436.925 MHz has been coordinated). It's
  expected that JAXA will launch MIR-SAT1 to the International Space
  Station (ISS) in February for deployment in May or June, according to
  Space in Africa. The 1U nanosatellite was designed by a team of
  Mauritian engineers and an experienced radio amateur from the Mauritius
  Amateur Radio Society in collaboration with experts from AAC Clyde
  Space UK.

  Two new member-societies have been proposed for IARU membership. The
  Amateur Radio Union of the Kyrgyz Republic (ARUKR) and the Bahrain
  Amateur Radio Society (BARS) have been proposed for approval by the
  International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) as member-societies. Before
  taking up the BARS application, the status of Amateur Radio Association
  of Bahrain (ARAB), whose membership rights were suspended in 2016, had
  to be determined. "Following an investigation, both the Region 1
  Executive Committee and the IARU ministrative Council are satisfied
  that ARAB no longer exists," IARU said. Member-societies proposed for
  membership are subject to a vote by current member-societies.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

  Just Ahead in Radiosport
    * January 23 - 24 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint
    * January 23 - 24 -- UK/EI DX Contest (CW)
    * January 25 -- K1USN Slow Speed Test (CW, 20 WPM max)
    * January 27 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)
    * January 27 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest
    * January 28 -- NAQCC CW Sprint

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

  Many conventions and hamfests have been canceled or postponed due to
  the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events on the
  ARRL website.
    * February 13 - 14 -- Orlando HamCation Special Edition (online)
    * March 13 - 14 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

  Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

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