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

  The ARRL Letter
  March 4, 2021

    * Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive
    * ARISS, NASA, and ESA Continue to Probe Amateur Radio Problems on
      ISS
    * Quantum Receiver Can Detect Huge Swath of the RF Spectrum
    * ARRL Podcasts Schedule
    * Moldova Peace Corps ARISS Contact is Successful
    * North Carolina Radio Amateurs apt Tailgating Hamfest to the
      COVID-19 Pandemic
    * ARRL Learning Network Webinars
    * Amateur Radio in the News
    * Army MARS Volunteers Recognized with Gold-Level President's
      Volunteer Service Award
    * Announcements
    * AMSAT-DL Operators Track Mars Probes
    * January 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report
    * Video Documents Removal, Preservation of 250 kW Voice of America
      Transmitter
    * The K7RA Solar Update
    * Just Ahead in Radiosport
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
  Approaches to Tackle Noise Problems Vary, Remedies Elusive

  RF noise is a frequent discussion topic among radio amateurs. A
  proliferation of electronics has cluttered and complicated the noise
  environment; it's not just power lines anymore. Unless isolated from
  civilization, most hams experience RF interference (RFI) and spectrum
  scopes on modern transceivers can make it much more apparent. Various
  approaches to address the apparently worsening noise floor have been
  taken around the world, some addressing lax regulation.

  "We all want to enhance our ability to copy the weak ones by increasing
  our signal-to-noise ratio," Alan Higbie, K0AV, said in his March/April
  NCJ article, "Tracking RFI with an SDR One Source at a Time." He
  suggests practical methods for individual radio amateurs to improve
  their own noise environment. "We can do that by reducing the noise on
  each band that we operate. Lowering the noise floor increases the
  relative strength of weak signals. Those who live in typical
  residential environments find that locating and eliminating RFI sources
  is a never-ending process. It is much like weeding a garden."

  The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) warns against complacency.
  "Radio amateurs cannot sit back, because even if the desired noise
  limits are agreed, there are many rogue manufacturers

                                     Small household "wall warts" are
                                     typically noisy switching power
                                     supplies.

  and dealers who will happily sell noise-generating devices, leaving out
  filter circuits to cut costs," IARU said. The IARU has urged
  member-societies to get involved.

  The FCC Technological visory Council (TAC) -- a Commission advisory
  group -- initiated an inquiry in 2016 looking into changes and trends
  to the radio spectrum noise floor to determine whether noise is
  increasing and, if so, by how much. The TAC had encouraged the FCC to
  undertake a comprehensive noise study in 1998, and cautioned the FCC
  against implementing new spectrum management techniques or initiatives
  without first concluding one. In 2017, the FCC Office of Engineering
  and Technology (OET) invited comments on a series of (TAC)
  spectrum-management questions. ARRL, in its comments, took the
  opportunity to strongly urge the FCC to reinstate the 2016 TAC noise
  floor study, which, ARRL asserted, was terminated before it even got
  started. ARRL urged the FCC to "depart from the traditional regulatory
  model" that placed limits only on transmitters and called for "a
  'holistic' approach to transmitter and receiver performance."

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

    * ARRL offers a wide range of information on RFI on its website.
    * Paul Giancolo, W1VLF, will offer "Finding and Fixing RFI" as part
      of the ARRL Learning Network webinar series, on Tuesday, April 20,
      at 1700 UTC.
    * ARRL Northwestern Division Director Mike Ritz, W7VO, will offer "HF
      Noise Mitigation" as part of the ARRL Learning Network webinar
      series, on Thursday, April 22, at 1930 UTC.

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

  Greg Lapin, N9GL, represents ARRL on the TAC and chairs the ARRL RF
  Safety Committee. "Perhaps the best result that we obtained was an
  indication that illegal devices, mainly LED lights, were in
  circulation, and the Enforcement Bureau agreed to look into it," he
  told ARRL. "We never heard what they found out, but recently, I was
  buying some LED bulbs over the internet from a site in Texas, and they
  were selling non-FCC approved lights -- and didn't seem to care." Lapin
  said his complaint went nowhere, and the TAC's focus has been nudged in
  the direction of addressing 5G issues.

  The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) has been working on developing
  a noise-measurement system that approximates methods used by the
  International Telecommunications Union Radiocommunication Sector
  (ITU-R). DARC reported that 35 of these electrical noise area
  monitoring systems (ENAMS) have been delivered, and it's seeking
  another 20 locations as part of the effort to monitor noise
  interference on the HF bands. DARC said the ENAMS can help to make
  scientifically reliable statements about interference levels.

  IARU sees wireless power transmission (WPT) as an impending major noise
  threat, especially from WPT electric vehicle (WPT-EV) charging systems.
  "For the amateur service, given the planned density of WPT-EV systems,
  it is calculated that there will be a widespread and serious impact in
  the vicinity of WPT systems" from spurious emissions, said a 2019 EE
  Publishers article, written by "Amateur radio societies concerned about
  the HF noise floor." The article also said, "To ensure a low
  probability of harmful interference to radiocommunication services,
  further study is required." Read an expanded version.
  ARISS, NASA, and ESA Continue to Probe Amateur Radio Problems on ISS

  Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International
  Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports that the ARISS team worked closely
  with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) this week to identify
  what may have caused what ARISS is calling a "radio anomaly" on January
  27. The net result has been an inability to use the NA1SS ham station
  gear in the ISS Columbus module. For the time being, ARISS school and
  group contacts with crew members have been conducted using the ham
  station in the ISS Service Module. The radio issues came in the wake of
  a January 27 spacewalk, during which astronauts installed new cabling
  to support the commissioning of the Bartolomeo attached-payload
  capability mounted on the Columbus module. The job involved re-routing
  the antenna cabling to the ARISS radio system onboard Columbus.

  Bauer said NASA, ESA, and ARISS would conduct a set of APRS (automatic
  packet radio system) tests to determine the operational status of the
  ARISS radio in Columbus through employment of three different cabling
  configurations. The tests would use the station's APRS capability on
  145.825 MHz, with the crew periodically shutting down the radio and
  swapping cables. The tests were expected to wrap up by March 3. No
  results had been reported by March 4.

  "We cannot guarantee that these troubleshooting tests will resolve the
  radio issue," Bauer said.

  Bauer said that if the tests are unsuccessful, "a contingency task" has
  been green-lighted for a March 5 spacewalk (EVA). "This EVA task would
  return the ARISS cabling to the original configuration prior to the
  January 27 EVA," he explained, noting that a contingency task will only
  be performed if time allows.

  "If you definitely hear the packet system working or are able to
  connect through it, let us know the date, time, and grid square of the
  occurrence," he added.
  Quantum Receiver Can Detect Huge Swath of the RF Spectrum

  US Army researchers have built a so-called "quantum sensor," which can
  analyze the full RF spectrum and real-world signals, a report on
  Physics.org says. The quantum sensor -- technically a Rydberg sensor --
  can sample the RF spectrum from 0 to 20 GHz and is able to detect AM
  and FM radio signals, as well as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other RF
  communication protocols. The peer-reviewed Physical

  A Rydberg receiver and spectrum
  analyzer detects a wide range of
  real-world radio frequency signals
  above a microwave circuit including
  AM radio, FM radio, Wi-Fi, and
  Bluetooth. [US Army, illustration]

  Review Applied published the researchers' findings, "Waveguide-coupled
  Rydberg spectrum analyzer from 0 to 20 Gigaherz," coauthored by Army
  researchers Drs. David Meyer, Paul Kunz, and Kevin Cox.

  "The Rydberg sensor uses laser beams to create highly excited Rydberg
  atoms directly above a microwave circuit, to boost and hone in on the
  portion of the spectrum being measured," the article explains. "The
  Rydberg atoms are sensitive to the circuit's voltage, enabling the
  device to be used as a sensitive probe for the wide range of signals in
  the RF spectrum."

  Cox, a researcher at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development
  Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory, called the development "a
  really important step toward proving that quantum sensors can provide a
  new and dominant set of capabilities for our soldiers, who are
  operating in an increasingly complex electromagnetic battlespace."

  Cox said earlier demonstrations of Rydberg atomic sensors were only
  able to sense small and specific regions of the RF spectrum, but "our
  sensor now operates continuously over a wide frequency range for the
  first time." The technology uses rubidium atoms, which are excited to
  high-energy Rydberg states. These interact strongly with the circuit's
  electric fields, allowing detection and demodulation of any signal
  received into the circuit.

                                     Researchers use a Rydberg spectrum
                                     analyzer experimental apparatus at
                                     the DEVCOM Army Research Lab. [US
                                     Army, illustration]

  The report says the Rydberg spectrum analyzer has the potential "to
  surpass fundamental limitations of traditional electronics in
  sensitivity, bandwidth, and frequency range."

  According to Meyer, "Devices that are based on quantum constituents are
  one of the Army's top priorities to enable technical surprise in the
  competitive future battlespace. Quantum sensors in general, including
  the one demonstrated here, offer unparalleled sensitivity and accuracy
  to detect a wide range of mission-critical signals." Read an expanded
  version.

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


  ARRL Podcasts Schedule

  The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 14) takes a
  deeper dive into the subject of HF antenna tuners, including some
  shopping tips.

  The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 28) features a discussion
  on grabbing NOAA weather satellite images at 137 MHz and a chat with
  Nigel Vander Houwen, K7NVH, about how he has combined rockets and
  high-altitude ballooning with amateur radio.

  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.

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

  Moldova Peace Corps ARISS Contact is Successful

  A March 3 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
  contact between young people in Moldova with an International Space
  Station (ISS) crew member was a success. The Moldova Peace Corps (MPC)
  was the hosting organization, and 90 students (aged 10 - 18) from a
  consortium of educational institutions, rural schools, and libraries
  from nine Moldovan villages participated.

  MPC promotes economic and civic development with a particular focus on
  developing local resources in rural and suburban communities. Another
  focus of MPC is to provide youth in Moldovan villages with access to
  STEM opportunities and build capacity among local teachers/librarians
  to implement STEM activities in their curricula.

  During the multipoint telebridge contact, students took turns asking
  questions of astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG. ARISS team member David
  Payne, NA7V, in Oregon served as the relay amateur radio station.

  In support of this contact, the MPC partnered with the staff at the
  Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies within the
  Technical University of Moldova (UTM), the US Peace Corps Volunteer
  Coordinator, and the participating schools and libraries. The contact
  was livestreamed via the MPC and UTM Facebook pages.

  ARRL is a partner in the ARISS program, which has kept amateur radio on
  the air from the ISS for 20 years. A hallmark of the ARISS program is
  the scheduled ham radio contacts made by ISS crew members with schools
  and student groups around the world.
  North Carolina Radio Amateurs apt Tailgating Hamfest to the COVID-19
  Pandemic

  With many in-person hamfests canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
  some radio amateurs in Raleigh, North Carolina, have come up with a way
  to adapt with a tailgate hamfest in an unused shopping center parking
  area. The event grew out of the so-called Ham Radio Taco Thursdays,
  begun many years ago by ARRL Life Member Alan Pitegoff, AB4OZ.

  Pitegoff had to put his event on hold when the pandemic erupted. It was
  suggested that hams could gather and socialize at a safe distance by
  having a Taco Thursday with the taco truck outside in an adjacent empty
  parking lot. That event was a success, with participants remaining at
  their vehicles and bringing their own chairs. That success inspired
  holding a tailgate hamfest in the same spot, and it's now turned into a
  monthly event, called the AB4OZ Hamfest.

  Pitegoff said Taco Thursday started collecting more people -- up to 15
  or so -- and when Taco Bell closed due to the pandemic, the event moved
  to a Thursday on-the-air net, with one requirement -- that participants
  could not talk about COVID-19.

  The tailgate hamfest was established at the new location and held once
  a month on Saturday at 10 AM.

  "I think this is a great, uplifting, and positive experience for all of
  us hams to get out and socialize," participant Charles Murray, KI4DCR,
  said. "We might not be able to have a big hamfest, but these micro
  tailgate hamfests might be the future for a good while. I've met a lot
  of good people. There's a lot of cool stuff out here. The weather's
  great, you know, and there's plenty of space for everybody to be
  socially distanced. I think it's fantastic." -- Thanks to Martin
  Brossman, KI4CFS

  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.

  Technicians: Life Beyond Repeaters -- Anthony Luscre, K8ZT

  Maybe you just received your Technician-class license, or perhaps you
  have had it for a while and are burned out waiting for sparse FM
  repeater contacts. Take a new look at the possibilities available to
  you beyond repeaters. Explore Tech HF and 6-meter privileges for SSB,
  CW, and digital modes such as FT8, RTTY, and PSK31 to expand your
  operating modes and your station's outreach. Explore other VHF/UHF
  uses, including SSB, satellites, FM simplex, digital modes, contesting,
  and more.

  Tuesday, March 9, 2021 @ 1 PM EST (1800 UTC)

  The Art and Science of Operating Ultra-Portable -- Mike Molina, KN6EZE

  Ultra-portable operation, or being able to carry your radio over
  distances (e.g., in a backpack), is quickly growing in popularity.
  Whether for SOTA, POTA, backcountry survival, or just spending time in
  nature, learning how to operate ultra-portable is a fun and rewarding
  experience. In this presentation, Mike, KN6EZE, will cover the basics
  of ultra-portable operating for both the new and experienced ham radio
  operator.

  Tuesday, April 6, 2021 @ 8 PM EDT (0000 UTC on Friday, April 7)

  The ARRL Learning Network schedule is subject to change.

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

  Amateur Radio in the News

  ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
  member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.
    * Estes Park Elementary School Students Speak with Astronaut Aboard
      ISS -- Yahoo News, February 28, 2021
    * Craig Fugate on Twitter: @Wired Also Points Out the Role Amateur
      Radio Can Play in Disasters -- Twitter, February 22, 2021
    * Amateur Radio Operators Help Fill Earthquake Donut Holes -- Eos
      Magazine, February 22, 2021
    * Over Neighbors' Objections, Shelburne Operator Gets the Green Light
      for Ham Radio Towers -- Burlington Free Press (Vermont), February
      19, 2021

    * Amateur Radio Users Want to Be of Service When Modern Technology
      Fails -- Nashville Scene (Tennessee), February 18, 2021

  Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.

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

  Army MARS Volunteers Recognized with Gold-Level President's Volunteer
  Service Award

  A dozen US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) volunteers have
  been honored with gold-level recognition for the President's Volunteer
  Service Award for 2020. They are:
    * Bob Mims, WA1OEZ
    * Ron Tomo, KE2UK
    * Mark Bary, N4EOC
    * Billy Pearson, KO4XT
    * Dave Bock, W8OHS
    * Bob Baker, K5LLF
    * John Monson, WB0PLW
    * Gary Geissinger, WA0SPM
    * Brian Handy, W8JBT
    * Bliss Wheeler, W7RUG
    * Jim Hamilton, K4QDF
    * Daniel Wolff, KA7AGN

  Each award recipient receives a letter signed by the President of the
  United States, a certificate of achievement, and a presidential
  volunteer service lapel pin.

  Volunteer awards are based on the certifying organization's
  recommendation and the number of documented volunteer hours for the
  year. Gold-level volunteers must accrue a minimum of 500 hours
  volunteer time supporting the organization. Silver awardees must
  achieve 300 hours and bronze must achieve a minimum of 100 hours
  volunteer time.

  Army MARS Chief Paul English, WD8DBY, was to conduct a virtual awards
  presentation on Thursday, March 4. -- Thanks to Paul English, WD8DBY

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


  Announcements
    * The Amateur Radio Contest DX Club (ARCDXC) will activate the C7A
      call sign during March, with activity SSB, CW, and digital modes on
      all HF bands, 1.8 - 28 MHz. C7A counts for Austria for DXCC
      purposes.
    * The ARRL International DX Phone Contest is March 6 - 7 (UTC), and
      the DX will abound. It's a chance even for modest stations to snag
      a few new contacts. In this major event on the radiosport calendar,
      the DX will be looking for you! Operators in the US and Canada work
      stations everywhere else in the world. It's not only an opportunity
      to pit your station and operating skills against those of your
      peers but to expand your knowledge of propagation on the HF and MF
      bands and tweak your contesting skills.
    * R125PR is a special event call sign to mark 125 years since the
      reputed "world's first radiogram." Sponsors say that historic event
      took place in 1896 when Alexander Popov at the Russian Physical and
      Chemical Society of Saint-Petersburg Imperial University sent the
      two words "Heinrich Hertz" a distance of 250 meters.
    * The Radio Society of Kenya (RSK) and the South African Radio League
      (SARL) have signed a formal memorandum of understanding. The SARL
      will assist RSK with the amateur radio examinations and administer
      the technical aspects of the examination on RSK's behalf and assist
      with training materials.
    * Members of the Northern Corridor Radio Group in Australia plan to
      activate Cocos (Keeling) Island -- VK9C (not to be confused with
      Cocos Island -- TI9). Cocos (Keeling) is #70 on the Club Log Most
      Wanted DXCC List. The vacation-style operation will take place
      March 16 - 23, using the call sign VK9CE. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
  AMSAT-DL Operators Track Mars Probes

  Members of Germany's AMSAT organization, AMSAT-DL, in cooperation with
  the Sternwarte Bochum Institute in Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
  Germany, have been using the institute's 20-meter (65.6-foot) diameter
  dish antenna to listen directly to signals from probes in Mars orbit.
  Signals have been copied from the Chinese Tianwen-1 and the Hope
  Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) spacecraft now orbiting Mars and
  transmitting in the 8.4 GHz band.

  Recordings of the signals can be heard on YouTube with regular updates
  by following @amsatdl on Twitter.

  In 2003, radio amateurs added phase-locked receivers in the 2.3, 5.8,
  and 10.4 GHz amateur bands, as well as an 8.4 GHz receiver. There is
  also an S-band 2.4 GHz amateur transmitter running 250 W PEP (peak
  envelope power).

  In 2006, the dish was used to copy signals from Voyager 1 at a distance
  of nearly 15 billion kilometers (9.3 billion miles). -- Thanks to AMSAT
  News Service
  January 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report

  The Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program is a joint initiative between ARRL
  and the FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service.

  In January 2021, Volunteer Monitors reported 2,277 hours monitoring the
  HF frequencies and 2,162 hours monitoring VHF frequencies and above.

  The Volunteer Monitor Coordinator issued 11 visory Notices. An
  visory Notice is an attempt to resolve rule violation issues
  informally before FCC intervention:
    * Operators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Centralia, Washington; Edmond,
      Oklahoma; Fontana, California, and Orleans, Massachusetts, received
      advisories concerning operation outside their license class.
    * An operator in Thorn Hill, Tennessee, received an advisory
      concerning interference.
    * An operator in Ridgely, Tennessee, received an advisory regarding
      excessive bandwidth.
    * Operators in Miami, Florida; Friendly, West Virginia; Collinsville,
      Illinois, and Keansburg, New Jersey, received advisories concerning
      station ID issues.
    * An operator in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received an advisory
      regarding improper use of a linear amplifier.

  ARRL had two meetings in January with FCC Enforcement Bureau personnel.
  -- Thanks to Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, VM Program ministrator

  Video Documents Removal, Preservation of 250 kW Voice of America
  Transmitter

  With the former Voice of America Delano relay site in Central
  California scheduled for eventual demolition for resale, the Collins
  Collectors Association (CCA), in association with the Antique Wireless
  Association (AWA), came up with a plan in 2014 (working, among others,
  with past ARRL Midwestern Division Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS, a
  former Collins engineer) to retrieve one of the Collins 821A-1 250 kW
  HF transmitters from the site and put it on display at the AWA museum
  in Bloomfield, New York.

  The Delano site went on the air in 1944 with a 170-foot rhombic
  antenna. The Collins 821 A-1 transmitter was autotuned and could shift
  frequencies between 3.95 and 26.5 MHz in 20 seconds. The transmitter
  and its associated components represent an era when equipment was large
  and heavy.

  The Delano site, now owned by the General Services ministration
  (GSA), remains with antennas still standing and buildings in place and
  demolition on hold, because it was discovered to be the habitat for an
  endangered species of shrew.

  A video presentation featuring Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, describes and
  illustrates the entire removal and relocation effort, and offers some
  background on the VOA. On the continental US, the only remaining VOA
  site is the Edward R. Murrow Greenville Transmitting Site in North
  Carolina.

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

  The K7RA Solar Update

  Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Monday was the only day with no
  sunspots over the reporting week, so average daily sunspot numbers
  declined slightly from 19.6 to 18.9. Two new sunspot groups appeared on
  the following day. Average daily solar flux edged up from 75.7 to 76.7.

  Average daily planetary A index softened from 16 to 14.7, and the
  middle latitude average went from 12.4 to 10.4. Geomagnetic indicators
  remained somewhat active due to persistent solar wind. On Monday,
  Alaska's high-latitude College A index reached 34.

  Spaceweather.com reported a G2 class geomagnetic storm on March 1.

  Predicted solar flux for the next 30 days appears anemic: 74 on March
  4; 75 on March 5 -- 10; 73, 71, 72, and 70 on March 11 -- 14; 71, 72,
  71, and 73 on March 15 -- 18; 76, 75, 76, and 78 on March 19 -- 22; 81,
  80, 80, and 79 on March 23 -- 26; 78 and 73 on March 27 -- 28; 74 on
  March 29 -- 30; 73 on March 31 - April 1, and 74 on April 2 -- 3.

  Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 10, 20 and 15 on March 4 -- 8; 10
  on March 9 -- 10; 8, 15, 10, and 5 on March 11 -- 14; 15, 8, 5, and 18
  on March 15 -- 18; 20 on March 19 -- 20; 18, 12, and, 8 on March 21 --
  23; 5 on March 24 -- 27; 20, 15, and 10 on March 28 -- 30; 5 on March
  31 - April 1; 12 on April 2, and 5 on the following 5 days.

  Sunspot numbers for February 25 - March 3 were 31, 16, 14, 13, 0, 28,
  and 30, with a mean of 18.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 80.1, 80.1,
  79.2, 77.7, 71, 74.7, and 74.2, with a mean of 76.7. Estimated
  planetary A indices were 13, 11, 4, 6, 26, 20, and 23, with a mean of
  14.7. Middle latitude A index was 13, 8, 3, 4, 16, 14, and 15, with a
  mean of 10.4.

  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.

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

  Just Ahead in Radiosport
    * March 5 -- NCCC RTTY Sprint
    * March 5 -- NCCC CW Sprint
    * March 6 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
    * March 6 - 7 -- ARRL International DX Contest (Phone)
    * March 6 - 7 -- Open Ukraine RTTY Championship
    * March 7 -- UBA Spring Contest (CW)
    * March 7 -- NSARA Contest (CW, phone, digital)
    * March 7 -- WAB 3.5 MHz Phone
    * March 10 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest
    * March 10 -- RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW)
    * March 10 - 14 -- AWA John Rollins Memorial DX Contest (CW)

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

  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.
    * March 13 - 14 -- QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

  Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

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

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