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Veteran Wireless Operators Association Honors Two Hams
(May 3, 2008)
-- At their annual awards banquet on April 26 in New York City, the Veteran Wireless Operators Association (VWOA) honored two Amateur Radio operators with two of the association's top awards: Fritz Raab, W1FR, and John Curtis, K6KU. Raab gave the keynote address at the banquet. "The dinner speech was a wonderful presentation of the Amateur Radio Experiment domestically and that which is happening internationally. He explored what may happen, if things go well for the museum stations on 500 kHz and for radio amateurs," said VWOA Chairman Francis Cassidy. "Ever since the emergence of the Global Marine Distress and Safety System, professional radio officers have discussed the prior use of 500 kHz. They know the attributes in the oceans of the world where ground wave transmissions on the oceans provided their primary informational experience of these transmissions." Full Story |
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Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, Wins April QST Cover Plaque Award
(May 3, 2008)
-- The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for April is Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, for his article "Outpost: Packet Radio for Emergency Messaging." Congratulations, Jim! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the May issue by Saturday, May 31. Link to this item |
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Newspaper Reports "BPL plan is dead in Dallas"
(May 2, 2008)
-- The Dallas Morning News has reported that "an ambitious plan for using power lines to deliver fast Internet service to 2 million Dallas-area homes collapsed Thursday." Current Group, LLC has announced plans to sell its Dallas BPL network to Oncor, a regulated electric distribution and transmission business, for $90 million. Oncor reportedly has no plans to offer Internet service but will use the network to detect distribution network issues. While Current originally touted the network as a way to offer Internet service to consumers and had entered into a marketing arrangement with DirecTV, the Houston Chronicle quotes Oncor spokesman Chris Schein as confirming that Oncor will use the network only for monitoring the power grid: "Our business is delivering electricity, not being an Internet provider or a television provider." Full Story |
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The K7RA Solar Update
(May 2, 2008)
-- For several weeks we expected today, May 2, to have active geomagnetic conditions. For instance, if you look at a forecast from April 23, it shows an expected planetary A index for May 1-3 of 10, 20 and 15. The next day, April 24, this changed to 8, 20 and 15, and on April 25 it was 10, 15 and 15. For May 1, we see the actual planetary A index for that day was 9, and for the following two days, the predicted values are 10 and 12, which are much more moderate. So obviously as we moved closer to this date, the return of a solar wind stream seemed less likely, although earlier today the planetary K index rose as high as 4, indicating unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions. Full Story |
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Feature: ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up To Lately?
(May 2, 2008)
-- This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of April. Full Story |
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ARRL Card Checking at Dayton Hamvention
(May 2, 2008)
-- DXCC staff and volunteers will be checking cards at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention® during all hours of operation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, said, "Many hams travel from all over the world to attend Hamvention, so card checkers are especially busy." Card checkers will be checking cards for the following ARRL awards: DXCC, Worked All States (WAS), VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) and Worked All Continents (WAC). In order to help applicants and the card checkers through the process to avoid delays and allow the checkers to serve everyone, Moore offers the following tips: Full Story |
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Feature: Surfin': Google Earth's Ionosphere
(May 2, 2008)
-- This week, a brand new application for Google Earth finds us flying through the ionosphere. Full Story |
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Feature: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler
(May 2, 2008)
-- The Festival of Hams Full Story |
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Eight Tornadoes Ravage Eastern Virginia
(May 1, 2008)
-- When tornadoes swept across the state of Virginia on Monday, April 28, local Amateur Radio operators responded to the call for assistance. According to Ken Murphy, KI4GEM, Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Portsmouth, an EF3 tornado touched down in Suffolk, Virginia around 4 PM local time, plowing its way east into Norfolk, damaging scores of homes, stores and cars and downing dozens of trees and power lines; Suffolk is about 20 miles from Norfolk, Virginia. Soon after the tornadoes touched down, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine declared a State of Emergency and directed state agencies to take all necessary actions to aid in the response to widespread damage from the severe weather. About 140 homes were destroyed, damaged or deemed uninhabitable. Full Story |
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ARRL Continuing Education Online Course Registration
(May 1, 2008)
-- Registration remains open through Sunday, May 25, 2008 for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, June 6, 2008: Technician License Course (EC-010); Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001); Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006); Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009); Analog Electronics (EC-012), and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Each online course has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives, informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some include direct communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator. Link to this item |
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ARRL DXCC Desk Approves YA/LY1Y Operation
(May 1, 2008)
-- ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the 2006 and 2007 YA/LY1Y operations in Afghanistan have been approved for DXCC credit. "If you had cards rejected for this operation, please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk to have your DXCC record updated," Moore said. Link to this item |
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Feature: It Takes a Club
(May 1, 2008)
-- Looking at variations in Amateur Radio licensing activity and new ARRL membership around the country, it's apparent that there are "hot spots" where newcomers are joining our ranks in relatively large numbers compared to other areas. Full Story |
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Spring 2008 W1AW Frequency Measuring Test Scheduled for May
(Apr 29, 2008)
-- Capitalizing on the popular and effective automated online results reporting system developed by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, for the Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) in November 2007, W1AW will conduct a spring FMT. This FMT will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 9:45 PM (EDT) (that's the same as 0145 UTC on May 22), replacing W1AW's normally scheduled phone bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those planning to participate should listen to W1AW transmissions prior to the event to determine which band -- or bands -- will be best for measurement purposes. Full Story |
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FCC Denies Utah Motorsport Park Use of Amateur Radio Frequencies
(Apr 29, 2008)
-- On Thursday, April 24, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, filed an Informal Objection with the FCC regarding a pending application for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) filed by Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. One day after filing the Objection, the FCC agreed with the ARRL, saying, "Due to the possibility of interference to Amateur operators and also the race teams utilizing the proposed frequencies, we feel that it is not in the public interest to grant [Miller Motorsports Park's] request." Full Story |
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VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators
(Apr 29, 2008)
-- The VoIP Hurricane Net is looking for Net Control Operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly Hurricane Preparation Net and during Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane Net, created in 2002, is a support net working with WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Full Story |
| The ARRL is a member-society and International Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union. |
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