The ARRL Letter (Revised)
Here is the revised edition of "The ARRL Letter" from HQ ARRL.
Views expressed in this Amateur/Ham Radio News update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on14 June 2024, 1912 UTC.
Content provided by The ARRL. Copyright ARRL.
Source: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQVwxHbfNRbXdtjGGZMpBqmfxnH/The ARRL Letter.
Please scroll down to read your selections. Thanks for joining us today.
Russ Roberts (KH6JRM), Public Information Officer, Hawaii County (ARRL Pacific Section).
https://bigislandarrlnews.blogspot.com, https://www.simplehamradioantennas.com, https://kh6jrm.blogspot.com.
An edition of The ARRL Letter was sent yesterday with an incorrect date. This version corrects the date and includes updated information. We regret the error.
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor | June 13, 2024
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2024 ARRL Field Day is Next Week!
The amateur radio event of the year is just a few short days away, June 22-23. Hundreds of thousands of hams around North America and beyond will participate in the beloved operating event. If you’re still looking for a place to go, use the Field Day locator tool at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
As clubs and individual operators make their last-minute checks on gear (have you checked all of your cables and jumpers?) ARRL Contest Branch Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, wants to remind organizers to check on the human factors in a good operation. “This is a good time to call everyone who said they wanted to come out and operate at Field Day and make sure they can still come,” he said.
Bourque noted that June is a busy time of year for family obligations and a reminder check-in could be helpful to both clubs and operators. “You also want to make sure you have enough water and sunscreen around, or to have people bring some. It could be very hot depending on where you are, and you’ve got to take care of the most important aspect of the event: the people,” he said.
The June 2024 issue of QST magazine has a special Field Day section, which includes a checklist of all of the ARRL and Radio Amateurs of Canada Sections that count. “Print that out and take it with you. Use it as a fun checklist,” said Bourque.
There’s always a debate as to the purpose of ARRL Field Day. “It is part emergency communications exercise, part social gathering, part open house for ham radio – it is what the local club makes of it. No matter what goal your activation has, ARRL hopes it is a safe, fun, and rewarding event for each club,” said ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ.
Find more information, the complete rules packet, and information on submitting logs at www.arrl.org/field-day.
Amateur Radio Connects Family Members During Utah Boating Emergency
On June 5, Isaac Stiles, KJ7FAY, and his 3-year-old son were involved in a boating accident. Their canoe had tipped over at the Lost Dog Confluence to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The initial emergency call was made by Stiles’ wife, Kendal. She had to drive to nearby campsites until she found someone with a phone and then made the call to the Green River Fire Department (GRFD). She told them the pair were in the water but could not be seen or found. Emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Zach Gunyan, KE7WYG (left) and Isaac Stiles, KJ7FAY. [Photo courtesy of SARC]
The fire crews were able to find Stiles and his son on the opposite side of the river. They were rescued by a Sweetwater County Sherrif’s Department boat. Stiles’ son needed ambulance transportation to a waiting Air Med Helicopter, which would then take him to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Stiles said that once his son was loaded into the ambulance to meet the helicopter, he needed to call his mother to take care of his other son...but there was no cell phone service. So, he tuned on his mobile ham radio to a local repeater and was able to reach Zach Gunyan, KE7WYG.
Gunyan made telephone contact with Stiles’ mother and relayed critical information. He also went a few steps further and stayed on the phone to help calm and assure Mrs. Stiles that everything was going well. He took the rest of the day off from work, kept monitoring the repeater until Stiles was back in the area, and then went to the scene of the accident to help recover the boat and equipment.
After the telephone conversations with Gunyan, Mrs. Stiles thanked him for his help, to which he replied, “This is why I originally got into ham radio, to help just one person in an emergency.”
Stiles had a hard time finding the words to thank Gunyan. “He’s always been a dependable person and helped in many amateur events,” said Stiles. “We are fast becoming good friends!”
Gunyan said he keeps his radio on most of the time, except when he is moving between locations and servicing computer networks. “I lose signal as I move from building to building,” said Gunyan. “But on the day of the accident, I just happened to be at the right place, where I could hear the call for help.”
Stiles’ son is now out of the hospital and on track to make a full recovery.
Gunyan is an ARRL member and the current president of the Sweetwater Amateur Radio Club (SARC). He is an Emergency Management volunteer with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. Stiles, secretary of the SARC, is now working on a way to recognize Gunyan for his efforts during the accident.
ARRL Teachers Institute Kicks Off Summer Cohorts
Teachers are gathered from around the United States to learn about amateur radio, and how to use it in their classrooms as part of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The 2024 cohorts of the ARRL Teachers Institute (TI) on Wireless Technology have begun.
The first group members for the year are each returning teachers participating in the second round of learning, TI-2. “TI-1 was an amazing, immersive experience that broadened my knowledge of wireless technology, electronics, and amateur radio. I implemented ideas and applications from the very first day of the workshop within the first week of my return to school,” said Everton Henriques, KD2ZZT, a teacher from Staten Island, NY. “Attending TI-2 would further invigorate my teaching practice and allow us to do more cool projects,” he continued.
TI-2 takes things a step further from basic radio principles. “It builds on what they learned the previous year and really exposes these teachers to advanced remote-sensing technologies,” said ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA.
Educators from around the country are gathered for TI-2 as part of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology
TI-2 also includes a demonstration of telemetry data gathering from amateur satellites, basic amateur satellite operation, and a discussion of applications of the satellite data to math and science topics. TI-2 participants will also learn how to do Arduino programming and remote sensing.
"The ARRL Teachers Institute is easily one of the best classes I have ever taken. The hands-on projects were phenomenal, and everything I learned in TI-1 was useful with my club and in the classroom. TI-2 is raising the bar, and I already have a ton of ideas for things I will do next year based on this course. I am deeply grateful to ARRL for this opportunity," said Dr. Chris Brown, W9SBS, of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.
The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology is funded entirely by donors through the ARRL Education and Technology Program. Learn more at www.arrl.org/ti. There are seven TI cohorts this summer. It costs teachers a $100 application fee to attend. All travel, lodging, and other costs are covered by the generous donors.
Amateur Radio in the News
“Amateur radio enthusiasts gather in Bennington” / Monadenock Ledger -- Transcript (New Hampshire) June 6, 2024.
“Chautauqua Amateur Radio Service To Form Partnership with Martz-Kohl Observatory” / The Post Journal (New York) June 7, 2024 -- Chautauqua Amateur Radio Club Service.
“County officials recognize radio association” / The Sentinel (Pennsylvania) June 5, 2024 -- The Tuscarora Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
“Wellesley Amateur Radio Society holding annual Field Day in Needham” / The Swellesley Report (Massachusetts) June 7, 2024 -- Wellesley Amateur Radio Society.
“Ham radio Field Day events planned throughout Southwest PA” / Observer - Reporter (Pennsylvania) June 9, 2024 -- Washington Amateur Communications.
“Yolo County Fair Grounds to host emergency radio communications June 22” / Woodland The Daily Democrat (California) June 8, 2024 -- The Yolo Amateur Radio Society, Berryessa Amateur Radio Club, Sacramento Amateur Radio Club (all ARRL Affiliated Clubs), and the Yolo County Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
“Warren County Amateur Radio Society to participate in radio field day” / Independent Advocate (IOWA) June 10, 2024 -- The Warren Amateur Radio Society is an Affiliated Amateur Radio Club.
“Storm support”/ Saint Charles County Community News (Missouri) June 12, 2024 --The Emergency Communications Association of St. Charles County.
The Saint Charles County Community News featured ham radio volunteers on the front page of their June 12, 2024 edition.
ARRL Podcasts
On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Information Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, and ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, join the June episode of the podcast to spread the excitement about ARRL Field Day, which is coming up on June 22 - 23. Premieres June 13
ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
In Brief...
To commemorate Flag Day, (observed on June 14, 2024), the Warminster Amateur Radio Club (WARC) will operate special event station W3U from the League House of the Union League of Philadelphia on Monday, June 17, 2024. The station will be on the air from 1300Z - 2000Z on 14.320 and 7.220 MHz, and a QSO certificate will be available to those who contact WARC by mail at P.O. Box 113, Warminster, PA 18974. The Union League of Philadelphia is a patriotic society founded in 1862. The League House, built in 1865, is considered to be one of the most beautiful structures in Philadelphia and was added to the National Historic Register in 1979.
Announcements
The New Amateur Extra-class Question Pool has been released and will be effective beginning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028. The 2024 - 2028 pool is available as a Microsoft Word document and as a PDF. The 10 graphics required for the new Extra-class question pool are available within the documents or separately in PDF and JPG file formats. ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, and member of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC), said, “The new pool incorporates significant changes compared to the 2020 - 2024 version. We carefully went over the pool for technical accuracy, relevancy to today’s amateur radio practices, syntax, grammar, style, format, and clarity and redundancy within and between the pools. With these goals in mind, 82 new questions were created, and 101 questions were eliminated, resulting in a reduction [of] the number of questions from 622 to 603. Over 350 questions were modified. We considered a question modified when the knowledge being tested was not changed but wording was improved, or answers or distractors were replaced.” Somma advised that "the newly revised pool must be used for Extra-class license exams starting July 1, 2024. A previous version of this story indicated that the ARRL VEC will supply VE teams with the with new Extra-class exam booklet designs around mid-June. Due to ARRL’s recent systems disruption, that date is now to be determined. Supplies will be sent as soon as possible. VE Teams may also contact the ARRL VEC after July 1 for an emailed version in the interim.
The K7RA Solar Update
This image was taken on June 13, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]
For Friday's ARLP024 bulletin:
Solar activity was lower over the past reporting week, June 6 - 12.
Ten new sunspot groups emerged: two on June 6, one on June 7, two on June 9, and five on June 12.
Average daily sunspot number dropped from 183.4 to 139.4, and average daily solar flux dropped from 184.8 to 179.2.
Average daily planetary A index went from 8 to 11.6, and middle latitude numbers went from 9.4 to 11.1.
The most active day geomagnetically was June 7, when the planetary A index was 28. Alaska’s college A index was 38. This was an unexpected G2-class geomagnetic storm that commenced at 1130 UTC.
Spaceweather.com reports a polar cap absorption event on June 12 - 13. Protons from the sun are raining down on Earth, and it is causing shortwave blackouts. You can monitor it at https://bit.ly/3Vpopko.
Predicted solar flux shows a peak at 205 on June 26 – 29, and again on July 23 - 26.
The forecast shows flux at 165 and 160 on June 13 – 14; 155 on June 15 – 17; 150 and 160 on June 18 – 19; 185 on June 20 – 21; 190 and 195 on June 22 – 23; 200 on June 24 – 25; 205 on June 26 - 29, and 200, 190, 180, 175, 170, 165, 160, and 175 on June 30 through July 7.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 13 – 16; 8, 8, 5, and 8 on June 17 – 20; 5, 8, and 8 on Jun 21 – 23; 5 on June 24 – 29; 8 on June 30 and July 1, and 5 on July 2 - 6.
Due to network problems at ARRL HQ, this bulletin has been available every Friday via an alternate site at https://www.wm7d.net/hamradio/
Visit the following sites for May solar images:
From News 9, India: https://bit.ly/45lmVvS
From Mashable, India: https://bit.ly/3VFwCCb
Space.com: https://www.space.com/sun-
BIG THINK.com: Bighttps://bigthink.com/hard-
Sunspot numbers for June 6 through 12, 2024, were 149, 150, 143, 148, 146, 95, and 145, with a mean of 139.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 190.9, 184.4, 190.4, 180.9, 177.8, 164.9, and 164.9, with a mean of 179.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 28, 14, 5, 11, 12, and 5, with a mean of 11.6. Middle latitude A index was 7, 20, 15, 6, 11, 13, and 6, with a mean of 11.1.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.
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 the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
Share your reports and observations.
A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
- June 15 -- Pajajaran Bogor DX Contest (phone)
- June 15 - 16 -- All Asian DX Contest (CW)
- June 15 - 16 -- SMIRK Contest CW (phone)
- June 15 - 16 -- IARU Region 1 50 MHz Contest (CW)
- June 15 - 16 -- LZ International 6-Meter Contest (CW, phone)
- June 15 - 16 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)
- June 15 - 16 -- West Virginia QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- June 15 -- ARRL Kids Day (phone)
- June 16 -- Feld Hell Sprint (digital)
- June 16 -- WAB 50 MHz Phone (phone)
- June 16 -- SARL Youth QSO Party (phone)
- June 16 - 17 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest (CW)
- June 17 -- RSGB FT4 Contest (FT4)
- June 19 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (FT8)
- June 22 - 23 -- 2024 ARRL Field Day
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information.
Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
- June 15 | ARRL Maine State Convention & Hamfest, Augusta, Maine
- June 15 | Knoxville Hamfest and Electronics Convention, sponsoring the ARRL Delta Division Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee
- July 12 -13 | HamCon: Zion, sponsoring the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention, St. George, Utah
- July 13 | SVARC Summer Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL North Dakota Section Convention, Minot, North Dakota
- July 20 | SEARC Tailgate Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL South Dakota State Convention, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- August 3 | Kootenai Amateur Radio S
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