ARRL

On Tuesday October 20, 2009 the FCC released a Public Notice clarifying the Commission's rules relating to the use of Amateur Radio by licensed amateurs participating in drills and exercises on behalf of their employers. Entitled Amateur Service Communications During Government Disaster Drills, the Public Notice addresses participation by paid employees of organizations taking part in drills.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson N1ND, will present a webinar beginning at 9 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 28. This session will discuss the issues behind, and the reasoning for, the ARRL’s recent report, The Commercialization of Amateur Radio: The Rules, The Risks, The Issues. According to webinar sponsor ARRL Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, all amateurs need to be aware of these issues. The webinar, available at no cost, is open to all amateurs. Please click here to register for this informative interactive Internet meeting.

The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) held its annual meeting on October 17-18, 2009 in Christchurch, New Zealand and took the following 16 actions.

Due to a local electrical problem outside of ARRL Headquarters, we are experiencing a power outage. Phones are still working, but there is no e-mail or Web access for ARRL staff. We apologize for any inconvenience and we hope to have this remedied as soon as possible.

Hosted by the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART), officials from the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) -- IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, along with Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, Region 1 Secretary Dennis Green, ZS4BS, and Region 2 Secretary Ramon Santoyo, XE1KK -- attended the IARU Region 3 14th Triennial Conference on October12-16, in Christchurch, New Zealand.

School is back in session all around America, and scouting is ramping back up. September and October are great months to kick off the Scouting year and resume the tireless chase for victory in the world of Radiosport.

No sunspots appeared this week, although there were hopeful signs. Spaceweather.com reported on October 11 that a new sunspot was "struggling to emerge," but it faded quickly, and the Sun has been blank since then. Sunspot numbers for October 8-14 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 68.8, 69.2, 70, 70.4, 70.1, 69.8 and 70.9 with a mean of 69.9. The estimated planetary A indices were 2, 3, 2, 6, 2, 2 and 2 with a mean of 2.7. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 1, 1, 0, 7, 1, 2 and 0 with a mean of 1.7. For this week, expect more of the same quiet geomagnetic conditions. Geophysical Institute Prague expects quiet to unsettled conditions today, October 16, then quiet conditions October 17-22. NOAA and US Air Force predict the planetary A index for today at 7, then back down to 5 for the foreseeable future. They expect solar flux to be up to 72 today through October 30.

One of the great things about Amateur Radio is that it is a key that can open many doors to opportunity. It can help you meet people, make friends and sometimes take you to another country for a contact. This is what happened to me thanks to the common link of Amateur Radio.

This week, Surfin' visits Web sites that encourage you to recount your adventures in ham radio.

ARRL Audio News--OPEN--In this edition . . .; Three Killed While Putting Up Antenna; Ham Provides Rescue Support at Utah Marathon; ARRL Audio News ID--Satellite Update--BREAK; Team Leaders Selected for WRTC 2010; After False Starts, Midway Island DXpedition off to Good Beginning; Did You Know? The Wouff Hong; ARRL Audio News--News Briefs--CLOSE

While not as well known as the Boston and New York City Marathons, Utah's St George Marathon draws more than 7000 runners to the town of St George -- located 300 miles south of Salt Lake City, near the Utah-Arizona-Nevada border -- each year. The race, now in its 33rd year, uses shuttle vans equipped with Amateur Radio operators and medical personnel to provide any help and support needed along its course. On October 3 -- race day -- Brian Plumb, KE7HNW, was driving Shuttle #3, with Kathy Hutchinson, a cardiac nurse at a local hospital, by his side.

At the recent ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) in Chicago, the TAPR Board of Directors of selected a new slate of officers and named Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ, President Emeritus of TAPR. Dr Toth served as TAPR President from 2005-2009 and as a member of the Board from 1987-1993 and 2004 to present. The new TAPR officers are: Steve Bible, N7HPR, President; Scott Cowling, WA2DFI, Vice President; Tom Holmes, N8ZM, Treasurer; and Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, Secretary. TAPR recently elected three new members to their Board of Directors: Scott Cowling, WA2DFI; John Koster, W9DDD, and Mark Thompson, WB9QZB.  -- Thanks to Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, for the information

The KP1-5 Project -- organizers of the 2009 Desecheo Island DXpedition -- is pleased to announce that Amateur Radio operators will be on-the-air in observance of the 2009 National Wildlife Refuge Week, on the air October 10-18. This event features scores of festivals and special events that help connect people with nature at the country's 547 National Wildlife Refuges.

Registration remains open through Sunday, October 25, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, November 6, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics.

The November/December issue of QEX is coming soon, and it is full of theoretical and practical technical articles that you don't want to miss.

After the airplane scheduled to take the K4M DXpedition team from Honolulu to Midway Island developed engine trouble, there was doubt as to if the team would even make it to the island. But Murphy didn't get in the way -- mechanics found the necessary parts to get the plane in the air safely. After a four hour flight, the team arrived on Midway at 0700 UTC on Monday, October 12 to start operations; they were initially scheduled to arrive October 9. Originally scheduled to be on-the-air for 10 days, the team might not be able to extend their time on the island, due to US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regulations.

At approximately 8:40 PM on Monday, October 12, a man, woman and their 15 year old son were killed while trying to erect a 50 foot vertical antenna at the home of the man's mother, Barbara Tenn, KJ4KFF, in Palm Bay, Florida. The deceased were not licensed amateurs.

Folks, I was in ham radio nirvana. What’s so special about this contact? I made it on something that many hams say is not radio, but for hams who live where they can’t have any HF antennas it makes operating possible. If you have a computer and an Internet connection it can bring you back to ham radio.

Noted DXer Mathias Bjerrang, LA5NM/JW5NM, passed away October 11. He was 67. While in Svalbard, Norway, Bjerrang slipped and fell while walking, hitting his head and was later found Sunday morning, cold and unable to speak. He was brought inside where he later stopped breathing; he was unable to be resuscitated and died. A native of Norway, Bjerrang went on many cold weather DXpeditions, including the North and South Poles. Many times, he provided the sought-after double multiplier of Zone 40 and Svalbard in contests. Bjerrang earned WAS as JW5NM and DXCC as both JW5NM and LA5NM; he was previously on the DXCC Honor Roll as JW5NM. Thanks to The Daily DX for some information.

After a grueling selection process, the organizers of the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC) have selected team leaders representing all six continents. Of the 76 applications submitted, 44 were chosen as Team Leaders. These Team Leaders will then choose a partner. WRTC, held every few years, takes place during the IARU HF World Championships, July 10-11. In 2010, WRTC will be held just outside Moscow.