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N9PMO > LETTER 27.04.19 00:03z 541 Lines 25728 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: ARRL3717 ARRL Letter
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Sent: 190426/2351Z 19892@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NOAM BPQ6.0.18
Faster, More Contest-Friendly FT4 Digital Protocol Beta Version to Debut on
April 29
IARU Argues for Protection from Wireless Power Transfer Spurious Emissions
Technology: FCC Asked to Allow All Digital Transmissions on AM Band
The Doctor Will See You Now!
Meet ARRL Authors at the ARRL National Convention
Just Ahead in Radiosport
The K7RA Solar Update
Low Audio for ISS SSTV Transmissions Raises Issue of Crew's Ability to
Intervene
Three BIRDS Constellation CubeSats Delivered to ISS for Orbital Deployment
International Marconi Day 2019 is April 27 (UTC)
Operating: The Upside of Remote Control
In Brief...
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
Internet Access to ARRL Systems May Be Disrupted on April 28
Maintenance work on April 28 may disrupt ARRL Headquarters systems --
including VPN connections and Logbook of The World. The main website should
remain online during this outage, which could last for up to 4 hours on
April 28, starting at approximately midnight EDT (0400 UTC on April 29). All
services will automatically resume as soon as connectivity is restored.
Email should not be affected. Any orders placed via the ARRL Store during
the outage will be queued for handling after connectivity returns. We
apologize for any inconvenience.
Faster, More Contest-Friendly FT4 Digital Protocol Beta Version to Debut on
April 29
A new, speedier, more contest-friendly digital mode is just days away,
initially in beta form. WSJT-X developers say serious work on the new FT4
protocol began shortly after the FT8 Roundup held last December 1 - 2. The
goal was a mode that could compete with RTTY contesting in terms of contact
rates, while preserving many of the benefits of FT8.
"Over the past month, a small group of volunteers have been conducting
on-the-air tests of FT4," the WSJT-X development group -- Joe Taylor, K1JT;
Steve Franke, K9AN; and Bill Somerville, G4WJS -- announced this week. "The
early tests were very successful and helped us to make a number of important
design decisions. We believe FT4 has considerable promise for its intended
purpose."
The developers say FT4 soon will be ready for testing by a larger group and
they're seeking interested participants who can offer their "considered
feedback." They suggest reading The FT4 Protocol for Digital Contesting
first. A general release of the WSJT-X suite that includes FT4 is
anticipated in July.
According to the document, FT4 is an experimental digital mode designed
specifically for radio contesting that -- like FT8 -- uses fixed-length
transmissions, structured messages with formats optimized for minimal
contacts, and strong forward-error correction. Transmit-receive sequences
are 6 seconds long, making it 2.5 times faster than FT8 and about the same
speed as conventional RTTY for radio contesting. FT4 can work with signals
10 dB weaker what would be required to decode RTTY while using much less
bandwidth.
Spectra of an FT4 signal transmitted with GFSK (blue), FT4 with FSK (red),
and RTTY with continuous-phase FSK (purple).
Transmissions last for 4.48 seconds, compared to 12.64 seconds for FT8.
Modulation uses four-tone frequency-shift keying at approximately 23.4 baud,
with tones separated by the baud rate. The occupied bandwidth is 90 Hz.
"We plan to post downloadable installation packages for WSJT-X version
2.1.0-rc5 on Monday, April 29," the Development Group said.
"A few parameters and operating behaviors of FT4 are still being tested and
optimized," the initial FT4 guide says. "It will be very useful to hold
several more mock contest practice sessions, with a larger group of active
participants."
Even if these practice sessions reveal no serious bugs or inadequacies, the
WSJT-X development group believes FT4 is still too new to be used in the
ARRL VHF Contest (June 8 - 10) and ARRL Field Day (June 22 - 23). For that
reason, release candidate WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc5 will "time out" on June 7. A
general availability release is expected in mid-July. Read more.
âÖ¦âÖ¦âÖ¦
IARU Argues for Protection from Wireless Power Transfer Spurious Emissions
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was represented April 8 - 10,
when CEPT Committee SE24 - Short Range Devices met in Ankara, Turkey, to
undertake further work concerning wireless power transfer/transmission
(WPT). SE24 is considering WPT for electric vehicles (WPT-EV) and also for
generic applications.
IARU already provided extensive input on the potential impact on radio
communications resulting from spurious emissions from WPT devices, as
detailed in CEPT ECC Report 289, published in January. According to that
report, given the planned density of WPT systems for electric vehicles
operating in the 79 - 90 kHz range, it is calculated that there will be a
widespread and serious impact for the Amateur Service in the vicinity of WPT
systems, should spurious emissions, measured at 10 meters, be at the current
limits of ERC Recommendation 74-01.
At the Ankara meeting, IARU and other interested parties provided further
input. SE24 will meet again in early July to focus on WPT issues.
Also at Ankara, IARU attended the Short-Range Devices Maintenance Group
meeting (SRD/MG), where it was noted that further work was needed in SE24
before spurious emission limits for WPT devices could be addressed in a
regulatory sense. IARU was represented in Ankara by IARU Region 1 President
Don Beattie, G3BJ, who is spearheading the IARU's work in this area.
The issue of WPT-EV is World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19)
Agenda Item 9.1.6, for which studies are still under way. Broadcasters, land
mobile services, and others have also expressed concern about spurious
WPT-EV emissions. Further work remains regarding generic WPT systems for
such applications as cell phone charging, power tools, and household
appliances.
Technology: FCC Asked to Allow All Digital Transmissions on AM Band
According to Radio World, a prominent advocate for the Standard Broadcast
Band (AM band) has petitioned the FCC to allow stations to use all-digital
transmissions in the US. In March, Bryan Broadcasting Corporation asked the
Commission to initiate a proceeding to authorize the MA3 primary all-digital
service mode for any AM station that chooses to do so. Bryan is the licensee
of four AM and five FM stations (and six FM translators) in central Texas.
All HD Radio receivers in the market that have AM functionality would be
able to receive such all-digital signals, the article explains, but legacy
AM receivers would not.
Since last summer, WWFD in Frederick, Maryland, has had special temporary
authority to broadcast in all-digital. The Bryan petition appears to be the
first to seek all-digital authority. The petition said the broadcast
industry's experimentation with an all-digital approach "could be
accelerated by actually allowing stations to fully switch to MA3; actual
experiential knowledge by stations that elect to switch will provide
economic proof-of-concept for stations that delay in order to see how others
fare."
The petition also noted discussions that the AM band has "become so
overwhelmed by interference and impulse noise that the resultant audio
product is rendered unacceptable to modern listeners." The petition said the
noise floor generated by unlicensed devices and affecting the AM band "has
been noticeable -- and increasing -- for years." According to the petition,
Bryan has tried to quantify the noise floor increase, but that studies have
not been undertaken in the US. The petition said experience in other
countries suggests a rise from anywhere between 10 dB and 40 dB between the
1970s and the early 2000s."
The Doctor Will See You Now!
"Handheld Transceivers" is the topic of the new (April 25) episode of the
ARRL The Doctor is In podcast. Listen...and learn!
Sponsored by DX Engineering, ARRL The Doctor is In is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!
Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the
Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical
topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org, and the Doctor
may answer them in a future podcast.
Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or iPad
podcast app (just search for ARRL The Doctor is In). You can also listen
online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or
Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our
beginner's guide.
Meet ARRL Authors at the ARRL National Convention
ARRL will present a "Meet the Authors" area at the 2019 ARRL National
Convention at Hamvention® May 17 - 19 in Xenia, Ohio. This is an
opportunity for visitors to speak with the radio amateurs who are inspiring
today's experimenters, operators, and innovators. A schedule will be posted
in the ARRL exhibit area to meet these authors and editors:
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, author of ARRL's new book Energy Choices for the Radio
Amateur.
Glen Popiel, KW5GP, author of Arduino for Ham Radio, More Arduino Projects
for Ham Radio, and High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio.
Ward Silver, N0AX, lead editor for The ARRL Handbook and The ARRL Antenna
Book, and author of Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur, ARRL's
Hands-On Radio Experiments (volumes 1 and 2), and ARRL License Manuals.
Dr. Scott Wright, K0MD, editor of NCJ, ARRL's premier contesting journal.
Bob Allison, WB1GCM, ARRL Lab Product Review and author of Amateur Radio
Transceiver Performance Testing.
Books will be available for purchase within the ARRL exhibit area for
authors to autograph. In addition to the Meet the Authors area, ARRL
National Convention exhibits and activities will include QSL card checking
for ARRL award programs, the opportunity to have your handheld transceiver
checked for spurious emissions, and much more.
ARRL exhibits will be located in Building 2 of the Greene County Fairgrounds
and Expo Center. Visit the ARRL National Convention and Hamvention web pages
for a complete convention rundown.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
April 27 - 28 -- 10-10 International Spring Contest, Digital
April 27 - 28 -- SP DX RTTY Contest
April 27 - 28 -- Helvetia Contest (CW, phone, digital)
April 27 - 28 -- Florida QSO Party (CW, phone)
April 28 -- BARTG Sprint 75 (Digital)
May 1 -- AGCW QRP/QRP Party CW
May 2 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)
May 2 -- SKCC Sprint Europe CW
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.
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Following a good 2-week run, sunspots
disappeared after April 20. The average daily sunspot number for the recent
reporting week was 8.1, down from 14 last week, and average daily solar flux
was 70.6, down from 76.4. Daily planetary and midlatitude A index were
nearly the same this week, with the average planetary A index at 4.7 and
middle latitude A index at 4.6.
Predicted solar flux for the next 45 days is 69 on April 25 - May 2; 72, 76,
76, and 77 on May 3 - 6; 78 on May 7 - 16; 76 and 72 on May 17 - 18; 69 on
May 19 - 29; 72, 76, 76, and 77 on May 30 - June 2, and 78 on June 3 - 8.
Predicted planetary A index is 15, 10, 5, and 10 on April 25 - 28; 5 on
April 29 - May 1; 12, 8, 5, 10, 12, and 14 on May 2 - 7; 8 on May 8 - 10; 5
on May 11 - 19; 8 on May 20 - 22; 5, 12, 8, and 5 on May 23 - 26; 10, 14,
12, 8, and 5 on May 27 - 31; 10, 12, and 14 on June 1 - 3; 8 on June 4 - 6,
and 5 on June 7 - 8.
Sunspot numbers for April 18 - 24 were 23, 23, 11, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a
mean of 8.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 74.6, 72.7, 69.9, 69.3, 69.4,
68.8, and 69.3, with a mean of 70.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 2,
4, 4, 4, 4, 8, and 7, with a mean of 4.7. The middle latitude A index was 2,
4, 4, 4, 4, 8, and 6, with a mean of 4.6.
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.
Low Audio for ISS SSTV Transmissions Raises Issue of Crew's Ability to
Intervene
Reception problems owing to low audio levels plagued a recent round of
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station-sponsored (ARISS) slow-scan
TV transmissions from the International Space Station (ISS). Some clever
operators on the receiving end were able to use software to bump up the
deficient audio so the images would decode properly. But the matter raised
questions concerning the ISS
Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, was able to get acceptable SSTV images by
tinkering with the received audio and then decoding.
crew's ability to troubleshoot problems and to make adjustments to the
Amateur Radio gear on the fly. ARISS-International Chair and AMSAT Vice
President for Human Spaceflight Programs Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, subsequently
posted an explanation of how Amateur Radio fits into the operation of the
ISS and the astronauts' ability to service and operate it.
"Please remember that ARISS is not the prime activity on ISS," Bauer said.
"There are over 300 international experiments currently operational on ISS
on this expedition." Bauer said the vast array of ongoing experiments means
it's only possible to "occasionally get suggestions to the crew" to make
changes relative to the Amateur Radio payload. "Any workarounds on any
experiment/payload will compete with the crew's already fully booked
schedule," he explained.
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. [Photo courtesy of ARISS]
Bauer said that once ARISS has its Interoperable Radio System on board, it
plans to augment the system with ground-command capability. "Once in place,
we will be able to do many things with our radio without crew intervention,
including mode changes to support SSTV, APRS, voice repeater, etc," Bauer
said. "This capability will also be important if we fly ham radio on the
Lunar Gateway, which will not have crew on it 24/7."
Bauer pointed out that keeping ARISS afloat and able to implement new
Amateur Radio capabilities requires "a great deal of funding," and he used
the opportunity to note that ARISS has a fundraising activity under way to
get the Interoperable Radio System ready for launch. "If you really want to
see improvements in the ISS radio system from where it is today, please
strongly consider donating to ARISS," Bauer said. Read more. -- Thanks to
AMSAT News Service
Three BIRDS Constellation CubeSats Delivered to ISS for Orbital Deployment
A Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on April
11 also delivered three CubeSats of the BIRDS-3 constellation and three
other CubeSats. The BIRDS-3 constellation is a project of students at the
Kyushu Institute of Technology. The additional CubeSats include Swiatowid,
KrakSat, and EntrySat.
All BIRDS-3 CubeSats are of the same design and have been coordinated to
operate on a common downlink frequency of 435.375 MHz. Each will transmit a
CW beacon and 9.6 k GMSK telemetry. The CubeSat deployer in the ISS Kibo
module will deploy the BIRDS-3 CubeSats at a later date.
The BIRDS-3 constellation includes CubeSats from three countries: They are
Nepal's first satellite, NepaliSat-1; Uguisu from Japan, and Sri Lanka's
first satellite, Raavana-1. The primary mission of the BIRDS constellation
is to provide ciphered short messages via its 435.375 MHz beacon, giving the
opportunity for the Amateur Radio community to decipher the messages using a
publicly available key on the BIRDS-3 website. Operators able to
successfully decipher the message will be recognized on the BIRDS-3 website
and receive a BIRDS-3 QSL card.
In addition to their primary mission, BIRDS-3 CubeSats will conduct remote
data collection based on low-powered LoRa modulation to demonstrate remote
data collection and processing aboard a CubeSat to, for example, monitor
water levels in flood-prone areas. The LoRa remote station will operate at
433 MHz for Sri Lanka and Nepal and at 920 MHz for Japan. Data collected
will be posted on the BIRDS-3 website. Radio amateurs contributing to
receiving the processed data will receive a QSL card showing the nature of
data collected.
Swiatowid will carry a V/U transponder, with an FM voice uplink at 436.000
MHz and downlink at 145.850. EntrySat will carry an Amateur Radio FM relay
with a downlink of 436.950 (uplink not available). Read more. -- Thanks to
AMSAT News Service
International Marconi Day 2019 is April 27 (UTC)
Some 70 stations have registered to take part in the 2019 International
Marconi Day (IMD) observance on Saturday, April 27 (UTC). Registered
stations all will operate at sites with a personal connection with wireless
pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, including sites at which he set up transmitting
and receiving stations. The 24-hour Amateur Radio event celebrates the birth
of Marconi on April 25, 1874, with the event typically held on the Saturday
closest to Marconi's birthday. During IMD 2019, radio amateurs around the
world will make contact with historic Marconi sites. The event is sponsored
by the Cornish Radio Amateur Club, which will operate as GB4IMD.
Marconi at Signal Hill in Newfoundland.
While April 27 is the day of the official celebration, some IMD special
events will take place outside of that time frame, although only contacts
made on April 27 count for IMD awards. For example, in Austria, OE19M will
be on the air for 72 hours, from April 26 until April 28 as an official IMD.
Numerous IMD stations will be on the air from various locations in Marconi's
native Italy.
Several US stations have registered as official IMD stations, including two
on Cape Cod, where Marconi had established stations in Wellfleet and
Chatham. VO1IMD will be on the air from Signal Hill near St. John's,
Newfoundland, where Marconi first received a signal from across the Atlantic
in 1901. Read more.
Operating: The Upside of Remote Control
If you've ever worked Hal Offutt, W1NN, in a contest and thought he was in
Ohio, the more likely possibility is that he was in Japan (he is also
7J1AAI), operating his station in Ohio remotely via the internet. A
philosophical debate continues as to whether operating a station from one
place (e.g., Japan) that is physically in another (e.g., Ohio) is really
Amateur Radio. We'll leave that for the reflector pundits to resolve among
themselves. Fact is, the ability to remotely control a distant station is
not all that new, and it's gaining in popularity, with remotely controlled,
specially sited contest stations now available on a rental basis.
Some hams have done it over the POTS (plain old telephone service) or a cell
phone in years past, but the typical arrangement these days is via the
internet, and some very sophisticated hardware and software (it takes a
combination of both) has been cobbled together to make it work.
Hal Offutt, W1NN, at his remote station control point in Tokyo. [Hal Offutt,
W1NN, photo]
In his "Remote Contesting" column in the November/December 2018 issue of
NCJ, Mark Aaker, K6UFO, notes: "Remotely operated contest stations are
appearing in greater numbers with each passing contest." Aaker said he's
noticed four effects of remote stations on contesting: 1. Remote stations
are being used to win, and place highly, in major contests; 2. Remote
stations provide valuable contacts and multipliers for other contest
participants; 3. Remote stations are allowing operators to get on the air
who might otherwise not be able to participate, and 4. Remote stations are
developing technology that's useful for all station builders. W1NN explained
how it works for him.
"Like most Tokyo residents, I live in an apartment where it is not practical
to put up a ham antenna," he told NCJ. "For much of the contest season I was
off the air, missing contests that I had come to like. Dan, WA6URY, helped
me through the process of setting up a remote station. I made my first
contacts from Japan via my Ohio station in the winter of 2011, so I have
been at this now for 7 years. My station in Ohio is quite modest, but it is
a lot better than having no station, and [operating remotely] allows me to
contest as much as I want while in Japan."
In Brief...
Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, has been selected to receive the 2019 Circuits and
Systems (CAS) Society Industrial Pioneer Award. The Industrial Pioneer Award
recognizes exceptional and pioneering contributions in translating academic
and industrial research results into improved industrial applications and/or
commercial products. The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society sponsors the
award, which will be presented at the International Symposium on Circuits
and Systems 2019 conference. CAS awards are intended to highlight the
accomplishments of CAS Society members and celebrate their dedication and
contributions both within the field and to the CAS Society. Award recipients
are nominated by their Society peers in order to honor the service and
contributions that further strengthen the CAS Society.
âÖ¦âÖ¦âÖ¦
Former ARRL North Carolina Section Manager John Covington, W4CC, of
Charlotte, died on April 17 after a long illness. An ARRL Life Member, he
was 58. Covington served as North Carolina SM from 2000 until 2006. First
licensed in 1972, Covington mainly enjoyed CW and some digital modes, but
operated phone on the National Traffic System, where he was very active, and
on occasional public service nets, special events, and QSO parties. He also
served as the North Carolina Affiliated Club Coordinator from 1997 until
2002, and he was an Official Relay Station.
âÖ¦âÖ¦âÖ¦
The past DX editor of CQ Magazine, John Attaway, K4IIF, of Winter Haven,
Florida, died on April 15. He was 88. He served at CQ Amateur Radio magazine
for 20 years, and it was Attaway who conceived of a DX Hall of Fame, which
was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding DXers. Professionally,
Attaway pursued a career as a research chemist, focusing on the then-nascent
field of flavor chemistry involved with the citrus industry in Florida,
working to identify the chemicals and compounds that give citrus fruits
their unique taste. He retired as the director of scientific research for
the Florida Department of Citrus, and was inducted into the Florida Citrus
Hall of Fame in 2001.
âÖ¦âÖ¦âÖ¦
The FCC has announced a position opening that may be of interest to a radio
amateur. The Commission seeking a telecommunications specialist to work at
the High Frequency Direction Finding Center (HFDFC) in Columbia, Maryland.
This is a full-time position. The person holding this position performs
"watch duty" and serves as a technical authority providing technical
assistance and guidance to communication systems users to resolve radio
interference complaints and problems. The telecommunications specialist uses
radio signal analysis equipment deployed throughout the US to collect,
correlate, and analyze characteristics of radio signals involved in
interference problems, distress or safety-related signals, or other radio
signals involved in other high-priority activities such as law enforcement
or national defense, to include HF, VHF, and UHF. See the position
announcement for full details.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
April 24 - 27 -- RV Radio Network Rally, Linwood, North Carolina
April 26 - 28 -- VHF Super Conference, Sterling, Virginia
April 27 -- Delaware State Convention, Georgetown, Delaware
April 27 -- Aurora '19 Conference, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
April 27 -- ARRL North Texas MentorFest, Garland, Texas
May 5 -- Eastern Pennsylvania Section Convention, Bristol, Pennsylvania
May 17 - 19 -- Hamvention -- ARRL National Convention, Xenia, Ohio
May 31 - June 1 -- Arizona State Convention, Prescott, Arizona
May 31 - June 2 -- Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, Oregon
June 1 -- Georgia Section Convention, Marietta, Georgia
June 1 - 2 -- Western Pennsylvania Section Convention, Prospect,
Pennsylvania
June 7 - 8 -- West Gulf Division Convention (Ham-Com), Plano, Texas
June 15 -- W8DXCC DX Convention, Owensville, Ohio
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
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