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The ARRL Letter March 26, 2020
- ARRL Headquarters Closes, May QST Delivery is on Schedule
- Ham Radio Clubs Connect Amid Social Distancing
- Radio Amateurs Team Up to Help University Design Low-Cost Ventilator
- ARRL Podcasts Schedule
- International Amateur Radio Union Adjusting to COVID-19
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Major Florida Emergency Communication Conference and Exercise are a Major
Success
- Long Island CW Club Offering Free Online Code Instruction for Homebound
Youngsters
- Tower-Mounted Christmas Lights Cheer California Neighborhood
- In Brief...
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Headquarters Closes, May QST Delivery is on Schedule
---------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Headquarters has closed, in compliance with an executive order from
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont that all non-essential businesses and
not-for-profit entities reduce their in-person workforces by 100%. ARRL has
equipped as many Headquarters staffers as possible to work offsite.
"ARRL remains operational, while our teams work remotely to abide by
Connecticut's Stay Home, Stay Safe policy, and most departments are
maintaining business as usual," ARRL Interim CEO Barry Shelley, N1VXY,
explained. "We are doing all we can under the circumstances and trying to
maintain operations in as normal a way as possible."
The print edition of the May issue of QST, now off the presses, will go out
in the mail next week, and the US Postal Service anticipates no delivery
disruptions. Digital QST and the pending digital debuts of QEX and NCJ are
expected to be posted on schedule. The May issue of QST will include more
details on the QEX and NCJ digital editions -- a new member benefit -- as
well as an intriguing cover article on "The Lightbulb QSO Party."
ARRL also anticipates that The ARRL Letter, ARRL Audio News, the ARES
E-Letter, The ARRL Contest Update, and the Eclectic Technology podcast will
be available as usual.
Although ARRL Headquarters closed, W1AW continues operating, but on a
slightly altered transmission schedule. Morning code practice and qualifying
run transmissions have been suspended; evening transmissions, including
qualifying runs, will go on as usual. W1AW remains closed to the public,
however.
Operations at the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) will also
continue, and the best way to receive a timely response is via email, as
call volume has been heavy.
The ARRL warehouse is working with a reduced staff, so orders will be
delayed, and ARRL will not be able to respond to expedited shipping orders.
Members should direct questions to ARRL via email.
"Thank you for your patience during this time of adjustment," Shelley said.
Ham Radio Clubs Connect Amid Social Distancing
----------------------------------------------
As college campuses have sent students home to finish their classes online,
members of the K7UAZ Amateur Radio Club in Tucson -- a student organization
at the University of Arizona -- have moved their radio club meetings to the
radio. K7UAZ Station Manager Curt Laumann, K7ZOO, said that when the
university largely shuttered its campus, club President Ken Gourley, KM6BKU,
immediately transitioned regular meetings to an on-the-air format using the
university repeater. The club was already holding a weekly net on Monday
nights, but the added on-air club meetings offer another opportunity to get
on the radio.
In recent months, in-person K7UAZ club meetings have hosted presentations on
such topics as EME (Earth-moon-Earth) communication and an AMSAT CubeSat
simulation. As meetings move on the air, Gourley explained, he will send out
a copy of meeting presentation slides so members can follow along. "I will
lead the net and start with check-ins," he said. "We will work our way
through the slides, discussing previous events, upcoming activities, the
treasurer's report, projects, etc. I will take new check-ins every 5 - 10
minutes. We will conclude with officer comments and general comments.
Hopefully it won't take more than 30 - 45 minutes."
ARRL staff member Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who liaises for the ARRL Collegiate
Amateur Radio Initiative (CARI), underscores the importance that all radio
clubs encourage on-the-air activity in this challenging time. "While I know
many businesses and schools have moved to online meetings and learning, I
can think of many advantages for a radio club to move club meetings to
on-air," Inderbitzen said. His list includes:
Holding short meetings on the air will encourage individual club members to
practice their personal radio communication capabilities. Station and skills
readiness are tenets of the Amateur Radio Service.
Nets generally help new radio amateurs gain practical operating experience.
Think of this current challenge as an opportunity to encourage your club's
new hams to get on the air.
As online fatigue and a feeling of isolation will inevitably creep into our
"new normal," being on-air will introduce variety into our communication
practices. As many of us are now homebound working or studying, turning on a
radio to connect with your ham radio peers will be welcome respite!
At K7UAZ, experienced club members provide instruction for members to access
the K7UAZ ARC repeater from 2 meters and via EchoLink. The club also offers
members the opportunity to borrow handheld radios or to be patched in via HF
or videoconferencing, if they live too far away from the repeater.
ARRL is encouraging university radio clubs to network with other clubs and
students via ARRL's CARI Facebook group. "Keeping our campus radio clubs
going will ensure we are, together, advancing the art, science, and
enjoyment of amateur radio. It's our collective mission," Inderbitzen said.
Radio Amateurs Team Up to Help University Design Low-Cost Ventilator
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Amateur radio volunteers from around the world have volunteered to assist
University of Florida Professor Sam Lampotang and his engineering team in
their quest to rapidly develop an open-source, low-cost patient ventilator
that can be built anywhere from such commonly available components as PVC
pipe and lawn-sprinkler valves.
The amateur radio volunteers are developing Arduino-based control software
that will set the respiratory rate and other key parameters in treating
critically ill coronavirus victims.
Multiple volunteers responding to a call for help from Gordon Gibby, MD,
KX4Z, include noted software developer Jack Purdum, W8TEE, and uBITX
transceiver maker Ashhar Farhan, VU2ESE. University of Florida physicians
are working to address the critical legal aspects as the design moves closer
to fruition. The ventilator's valves would precisely time compressed oxygen
flow into patient breathing circuits under Arduino control, allowing
exhausted patients with "stiff" lungs impacted by viral pneumonia to survive
until their body can clear the infection.
The software design team is also adding simple features such as an LCD
display, encoders to choose parameters, and watchdog safety features.
ARRL Podcasts Schedule
----------------------
The latest (March 12) episode of the On the Air podcast focuses on how to
calculate feed line loss, real-world examples of how digital and analog FM
transceivers handle weak signals, and an interview with Rob Macedo, KD1CY,
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN
Coordinator for the National Weather Service Boston/Norton office. Rob
offers information about how hams can get involved with SKYWARN.
The latest episode of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 4) includes an
interview with Eric Knight, KB1EHE, updating the RF-based Alzheimer's
therapy featured in QST, and an interview with Robert Dixon, W8ERD, about
the "Wow!" signal and SETI. Dixon was the Big Ear project director when the
Wow! signal was received.
Both podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android) as well
as on Blubrry -- On the Air | Eclectic Tech.
International Amateur Radio Union Adjusting to COVID-19
-------------------------------------------------------
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has reported on how it's
addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, given the various restrictions in place to
slow the spread of the virus. IARU said the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) Headquarters in Geneva remains off limits to visitors until
April 17 at the earliest. ITU has cancelled some meetings, postponed others,
and converted others into online gatherings. IARU representatives are
adjusting plans accordingly and following a similar pattern.
While Dayton Hamvention has canceled its 2020 show, Europe's largest amateur
radio gathering, HAM RADIO in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is still on schedule
for June 26ƒ??-ƒ??28.
IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications and Satellite Communications
workshops set for May 30 - 31 in Trinidad and Tobago will now be held
online. IARU reports that interest and registrations have surged since the
announcement. These workshops will be held in English, but preparations are
under way for workshops in Spanish to be held later.
IARU Region 3 has canceled its first Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) Camp that
had been planned for early October in Rayong, Thailand.
World Amateur Radio Day on April 18 this year celebrates the 95th
anniversary of the IARU's founding. IARU has allowed that amateur radio "is
the best way to practice social distancing."
IARU Region 1 (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) has asked
member-societies to "reconsider their position" on Field Day events over the
next few months.
"Field Days bring radio amateurs together and, therefore, represent an
environment where social distancing is difficult to achieve," IARU Region 1
President Don Beattie, G3BJ, said. "We must recognize that many radio
amateurs are in the older, higher-risk age groups." IARU will not sponsor
the Region 1 HF CW Field Day in June but said national societies have to
make their own decisions as to whether their Field Day events will go forward.
Beattie said single-operator contests "remain a great way for those forced
to stay at home to enjoy the magic of amateur radio."
The K7RA Solar Update
---------------------
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We saw another week with no sunspots,
which were last seen just briefly more than 2 weeks ago on March 8 - 9.
Spaceweather.com reports that, so far in 2020, the percentage of days
without sunspots (76%) is about the same as all of 2019, when it was 77%.
Average daily solar flux inched up from 70.1 to 71.1. Geomagnetic indicators
remain quiet, with average planetary A index at 7.7, a little higher than
the previous week's 5.9 average. Average mid-latitude A index was also 5.9,
up from 4.1 last week.
Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 71 on March 26 - April 2; 70 on
April 3 - 4; 72 on April 5 - 18; 70 on April 19 - May 1, and 72 on May 2 - 9.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on March 26 - 29; 12 on March 30 - 31; 8 on
April 1; 5 on April 2 - 5; 10 and 8 on April 6 - 7; 5 on April 8 - 13; 8,
12, and 8 on April 14 - 16; 5 on April 17 - 22; 12 and 8 on April 23 - 24; 5
on April 25 - May 2; 10 and 8 on May 3 - 4, and 5 on May 5 - 9.
Sunspot numbers for March 19 - 25 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean
of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 72.1, 71.7, 70.8, 70.2, 70.4, 71.2, and
71.2, with a mean of 71.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 12, 7, 8, 7,
12, 4, and 4, with a mean of 7.7. Middle latitude A index was 7, 5, 5, 7,
10, 4, and 3, with a mean of 5.9.
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. Monthly charts offer
propagation projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.
Share your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
------------------------
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting
on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your
ARRL member profile email preferences.
March 28 -- FOC QSO Party (CW)
March 28 - 29 -- CQ WW WPX Contest, SSB
March 30 - 31 -- QCX Challenge (CW)
April 2 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (Phone)
April 2 -- SARL 80-Meter QSO Party (Phone)
April 2 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
April 2 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)
Major Florida Emergency Communication Conference and Exercise are a Major
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Success
-------
Radio amateurs and communications professionals from several states convened
over the February 29 - March 1 weekend in Gainesville, Florida, for a
training conference and exercise to test new skills learned along with basic
radio communication skills and protocols. The Alachua County Emergency
Manager and staff served as exercise evaluators. Former FEMA Administrator
Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, also attended and served as an exercise player on
Sunday. The weekend's programs and exercise were developed by Gordon Gibby,
KX4Z, who also conducted the optional ARRL EC-001 Introduction to Emergency
Communications course on Friday.
"Overall, the exercise was positively reviewed by both the participants and
the professional evaluators," reported Rick Palm, K1CE, who edits the ARES
E-Letter and took part in the activity. "For the participants, a few of the
more-challenging objectives were documentation on the ICS forms, and
establishing HF voice/Winlink connections, which were ultimately achieved
successfully," he recounted. "Some participants were unclear on some
procedures and instructions. Set-up and getting HF antennas erected resulted
in delay, leaving some message traffic backed up." These stumbling blocks
were discussed in an after-exercise debriefing, Palm said.
"More easily accomplished was setting up radio equipment, using VHF packet,
and addressing the issues presented [by the exercise moderators]. Group
relationships were dynamic and positive. Units were able to check into the
command net with little difficulty," Palm added.
The conference featured a basic track for individuals needing basic or
advanced skill improvement, and a leadership track for ARES¶© leaders who
need to design and execute exercises while growing local groups. The day
kicked off with a review of amateur radio disaster response, with discussion
focused on service to main stakeholders, including government agencies,
NGOs, and disaster survivors. Topics covered the importance of
communications when "lives are really at stake" and the value of exercises.
Good weather prevailed for the Sunday exercise with a large and enthusiastic
group of radio amateurs on hand to put lessons learned the previous day into
practice by playing out the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program (HSEEP)-compliant exercise dubbed
2020 Hot & Cold. The scenario was a malfunction of high-pressure natural gas
pipelines with telecommunications failures. Resources required included
VHF/UHF/HF voice and digital equipment and capabilities; the Winlink system,
and the NTS/RRI networks.
The Incident Command post and shelters for area residents were staffed and
set up with both long-haul, regional, and local radio communication
capabilities. The overall exercise mission was "response."
Players worked to meet several objectives, which included joining the
command net, using alternative antennas (such as a long wire to replace a
Yagi), employing emergency power sources and alternatives in the event of
failures, checking into an HF voice net for message handling, using Winlink
to access gateways and make connections, practicing voice net control
procedures, drafting ICS-213 message forms and transmitting, receiving, and
relaying messages, composing and transmitting situation reports to the
Incident Command Post via the command net, and completing required
documentation.
Participant surveys indicated that those taking part felt that the best
features of the exercise were testing equipment, learning how to complete
the ICS forms, having the ICS-205 frequency plan ahead of the exercise,
antennas, and power source testing.
Surveys and comments indicated that some participants wished they had
studied the exercise plan missions and objectives more in advance;
understood the forms they had access to better in Winlink; were more
familiar with Winlink, local frequencies, and digital modes in general;
tested their equipment before leaving home, and had advance practice with
the packet mode.
"[These are] all good learning opportunities that will result in greater
efficiency in next year's exercise, and, of course, the real thing, should
that occur," Palm said.
Long Island CW Club Offering Free Online Code Instruction for Homebound
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Youngsters
----------
The Long Island CW Club in New York is offering free online Morse code
instruction for the "many youngsters at loose ends as a result of school
closings due to COVID-19 concerns." The club's co-founder, Howard Bernstein,
WB2UZE, pointed out that learning Morse code is "a fun and educational
activity for children of all ages that can fill part of the gap left by the
current unfortunate situation that has closed so many schools across the
country."
Ongoing classes will take place Monday through Friday, specifically for
school-agers anywhere across the country or overseas, via Zoom online video
conferencing.
A computer equipped with a microphone and camera is required. Classes for
elementary schoolers run 30 minutes starting at 1600 UTC, followed by
45-minute classes for middle- and high school-aged students, starting at
1645 UTC. Parental permission is required through advance registration.
Contact class instructor Rob Zarges, K2MZ, by e-mail or call 508-831-8248.
-- Thanks to Mel Granick, KS2G, ARRL New York City-Long Island Section
Public Information Coordinator
Tower-Mounted Christmas Lights Cheer California Neighborhood
------------------------------------------------------------
According to media reports, some Southern California residents have been
turning their Christmas lights back on to bolster the mood of the
neighborhood during the coronavirus pandemic.
"That caught my eye," Chip Margelli, K7JA, of Garden Grove, told ARRL.
"Every year, I put lights up on my 70-foot fixed tower, turning it into the
tallest Christmas tree in Garden Grove; it is quite a beacon in the
neighborhood."
Because of knee replacement surgery last December, Margelli had not yet
taken down his Christmas lights, so he re-lit them and put an announcement
on the local Neighborhood Watch Facebook page. Margelli said a lot of
positive comments indicated his neighbors would follow suit.
"So, hams everywhere can use amateur radio to do something to increase the
cheer factor in their neighborhoods, even though it's not over the air,"
Margelli suggested. "Spreading goodwill like this can surely only improve
our image in the community." -- Thanks to Chip Margelli, K7JA
In Brief...
-----------
Refunds are available for canceled Dayton Hamvention-associated social
events. These include Contest University, the Contest Dinner, and the Top
Band Dinner. Each event has its own procedures. Those who signed up for the
DX Dinner will be able to obtain refunds via PayPal. An email to all
registrants will provide details. -- Thanks to Tim Duffy, K3LR, SWODXA
Club Log is contributing 100% of its computing resources to the Folding@Home
Project. The project simulates the dynamics of COVID-19 proteins to hunt for
new therapeutic opportunities. Club Log's Michael Wells, G7VJR, said he's
assigned a higher priority to the Folding@Home work, so radio amateurs may
experience slightly longer upload times. "You can help, too, by contributing
your own computer to the project," Wells said. "If you have a recent home
computer with a good graphics card, and if a lot of people make a
contribution, it will make a significant difference to the research,
potentially reducing decades of work to a far shorter time frame that will
make a practical difference this year." He cautions that computers involved
in the project will be operating at 100% CPU, when not otherwise in use.
Club Log's Folding@Home team number is 246763.
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) HF and VHF Contest committees will
no longer accept multioperator contest entries. The ban, in accordance with
UK social distancing policies, is in effect until the end of June and
applies to all RSGB-sponsored contests. Single-operator entries from shared
stations also will not be accepted, unless the station is being shared by
family members at the same address. The HF Contest Committee has canceled
the RSGB HF NFD (Field Day) for 2020, but is okaying portable operation by
single operators, "because of the potential mental health benefits
associated with engaging in hobbies, as well as the lack of person-to-person
contact in normal single-operator contesting." RSGB is encouraging all to
follow UK government guidelines regarding social distancing and unnecessary
travel and will decide in early June if the VHF NFD, the IOTA Contest, and
SSB NFD events can go ahead as planned.
Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is AMSAT's new Volunteer Coordinator. AMSAT President
Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, announced the appointment this week. Licensed since
1982, Kutzko served for 10 years on the ARRL Headquarters staff as Contest
Branch Manager and as Media and Public Relations Manager. "It's an honor to
be able to volunteer for AMSAT," Kutzko said. "AMSAT is a great organization
and helping find good volunteers who are willing to help all areas of
AMSAT's growth and development is the least I could do for the organization
that has given me a lot of enjoyment and technical skill." An active HF and
VHF contester, DXer, and backpack QRP enthusiast, Kutzko started working
satellites in 2011. He's written instructional articles on satellite
operating for the AMSAT website and for QST, and he blogs regularly on
satellite topics on DX Engineering's On All Bands. -- Thanks to AMSAT News
Service
Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow, KA1FZQ, and his wife Adele have
tested positive for COVID-19. "We started experiencing symptoms on Sunday --
first coughs, then fevers, chills, and muscle aches -- and contacted our
doctors on Monday," Bacow related in a March 10 message to the Harvard
University community. "We were tested yesterday and just received the
results a few minutes ago. We wanted to share this news with all of you as
soon as possible." Bacow said neither he nor his wife knows how they
contracted the virus and have been working from home and limiting contact
with others. "This virus can lay anyone low," Bacow added. "We all need to
be vigilant and keep following guidelines to limit our contact with others."
President Donald Trump has nominated FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly for
another 5-year term on the Commission. The nomination was sent to the US
Senate on March 18. O'Rielly was initially appointed to the FCC in 2013 by
President Barack Obama. "During my tenure at the Commission, I have
advocated for preserving and advancing American free market principles to
develop common sense regulation and eliminate unnecessary rules that hurt
consumers," O'Rielly said in a statement, expressing appreciation to
President Trump. If the Senate confirms O'Rielly's nomination, the new term
would date retroactively to last July and end in 2024.
The FCC will hold its March 31 open meeting by teleconference. "Due to the
current COVID-19 pandemic and related agency telework and headquarters
access policies, this meeting will be in a wholly electronic format and will
be open to the public on the internet via live feed from the FCC web page
and on the FCC YouTube channel," the Commission announced this week. Agenda
items are expected to be voted on circulation prior to the meeting. Live
audio and video and open captioning will be provided on the video as well as
a text only version on the FCC website.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
------------------------------------------------------
Note: Many conventions and hamfests have been canceled or postponed due to
the coronavirus pandemic. Check the calendar of canceled events on the ARRL
website.
May 9 - MicroHAMS Digital Conference 2020, Woodinville, Washington
June 6 -- Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia
June 6 - 7 -- Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
June 6 - 7 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect, Pennsylvania
June 12 - 13 -- Ham-Com, Plano, Texas
June 20 -- Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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