| ARRL Expands Publications Archive |
ARRL® has expanded member access to its rich archive of publications. The ARRL Periodicals Archive and Search now includes content from two more popular ARRL magazines: QEX — A Forum for Communications Experimenters, which features technical articles and columns of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals; and NCJ — the National Contest Journal, which covers information, scores, and advice from the world of competitive radiosport and the contributions of top contesters. |
Before accessing the archive, members should ensure they are first logged in to the ARRL website. Members may now view and download articles from across the extensively indexed archive of QEX from 1981 to 2011, and NCJ from 1973 to 2011. Members can access an index and view copies of articles from the huge ARRL periodicals archive. A sample search from the archive can be seen below: |
An example of search results from the QEX content in the ARRL Periodicals Archive and Search |
A table of what's available in the ARRL Periodicals and Archive Search |
The ARRL Periodicals Archive and Search was first introduced to members in 2008, providing PDF copies of articles from the QST magazine archive. Since then, thousands of members have enjoyed searching, viewing, and printing their favorite articles, projects, and more. The archive is populated with QST articles from 1915 to 2011. While this archive includes access to downloading many older articles, the more recent and current issues of ARRL magazines continue to be available to members in a digital edition. See www.arrl.org/magazines for more information. ARRL members have access to four digital edition magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ. Access to the archive is an ARRL membership benefit and a service of the ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS). Not an ARRL member? Join today: www.arrl.org/join. |
ARRL IT Security Incident - Report to Members |
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Sometime in early May 2024, ARRL’s systems network was compromised by threat actors (TAs) using information they had purchased on the dark web. The TAs accessed headquarters on-site systems and most cloud-based systems. They used a wide variety of payloads affecting everything from desktops and laptops to Windows-based and Linux-based servers. Despite the wide variety of target configurations, the TAs seemed to have a payload that would host and execute encryption or deletion of network-based IT assets, as well as launch demands for a ransom payment, for every system. This serious incident was an act of organized crime. The highly coordinated and executed attack took place during the early morning hours of May 15. That morning, as staff arrived, it was immediately apparent that ARRL had become the victim of an extensive and sophisticated ransomware attack. The FBI categorized the attack as “unique” as they had not seen this level of sophistication among the many other attacks, they have experience with. Within 3 hours a crisis management team had been constructed of ARRL management, an outside vendor with extensive resources and experience in the ransomware recovery space, attorneys experienced with managing the legal aspects of the attack including interfacing with the authorities, and our insurance carrier. The authorities were contacted immediately as was the ARRL President. The ransom demands by the TAs, in exchange for access to their decryption tools, were exorbitant. It was clear they didn’t know, and didn’t care, that they had attacked a small 501(c)(3) organization with limited resources. READ MORE. |
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Candidates Named for ARRL Director and Vice Director Elections |
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ARRL® has announced that the candidates for the 2024 ARRL Division elections are now official. ARRL members will choose between two candidates for Director in the Hudson, New England, and Northwestern Divisions. The sole candidates in the Central and Roanoke Divisions for both Director and Vice Director are unopposed. The Vice Director incumbents in the Hudson, New England, and Northwestern Divisions are also unopposed. Declared Elected without Opposition • In the Central Division, candidate and current Vice Director Brent Walls, N9BA, will be the next Director, having served as Vice Director since 2021, and candidate Josh Long, W9HT, will be the next Vice Director, both candidates running unopposed. • In the Hudson Division, Vice Director David Galletly, KM2O, who has held the seat since 2024. • In the New England Division, Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, who has served in the role since 2020. • In the Northwestern Division, Vice Director Michael Sterba, KG7HQ, who has served in the role since 2024. • In the Roanoke Division, Director Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, who was elected back to the board in 2022, and Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, who has held the seat since 2016. Contested Seats • In the Hudson Division, Director Ed Wilson, N2XDD, will face challenger John Crovelli, W2GD for the seat. • In the New England Division, Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will face challenger Tom Frenaye, K1KI, who has previously held the positions of Director and Vice President. • In the Northwestern Division, Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, will run against Dan Marler, K7REX, who is currently a Section Manager. Balloting for contested seats will take place this fall. Votes will be counted, and successful candidates announced, in November. Candidates declared elected will assume their roles for terms beginning January 1, 2025. ARRL is governed by its Board of Directors. Elections are held for five of the 15 ARRL Divisions each year, for terms of 3 years. |
Lost and Found: EME WAC Award Application |
 | | Assembly of the dish antenna in Pennsylvania [Photo courtesy of Phil Miguelez, WA3NUF] |
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Forty-eight years ago, the Pennsylvania-based Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club “Pack Rats” were experimenting with the latest amateur radio technology, Earth – Moon – Earth (EME), which became known simply as moonbounce. While the radio equipment was pretty standard for the day, EME was not an easy technology. Moonbounce contacts required big antennas and kilowatt transmitters. “There were a number of dedicated amateur operators in a dozen or so countries that had assembled stations capable of making the ultimate long-distance QSO with one goal in mind – to be the first to work all six populated continents on the globe, the Worked All Continents (WAC) award,” said club president Phil Miguelez, WA3NUF. The Pack Rats were early experimenters of EME communications. Thanks to a donation of a 20-foot stressed dish antenna by Al Katz, K2UYH (SK), an EME station was assembled at a rural sheep barn in Revere, Pennsylvania. The station, W3CCX/3, began making EME contacts but the major obstacle to obtaining the WAC award was the lack of an EME station on 432 MHz on the South American continent. Through a long series of coincidences, hard work by the Pack Rats to help assemble and transport to South America 20 boxes/crates, with the longest box being 6 feet or less, and a seaside cottage in Barranquilla, Colombia, six months of very intense effort ultimately paid off. In early July 1976, six Pack Rats, Elliott Weisman, W3JJZ; Walt Bohlman, K3BPP; Tony Souza, W3HMU; Bill Olson, W3HQT (now K1DY); Dan Mitten, WA3NFV, and Bolmar Aguilar, WB3AOP / HK1AMW, headed to Barranquilla with the callsign HK1TL. In one week of operating, the HK1TL expedition made 16 contacts, but since they were the only station in South America, it was one short of the six continents needed for the WAC award in Colombia. |
 | | First Row: WA3NUF, K3RF. Middle Row: WA3QPX, KB5NJ, WA3GFZ, WA3DRC. Last Row: K1DS, K1JT, KC3BVL. [Photo courtesy of Phil Miguelez, WA3NUF] |
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Meanwhile, in Revere, Pennsylvania, the W3CCX/3 station manned by Dave Mascaro, WA3JUF, completed a contact with HK1TL on July 29, 1976, achieving the goal of contacting the final continent needed to give the Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club WAC on the 70-centmeter band. But the story doesn’t end there. The application for the WAC award was mailed and received. There was an issue with application, but no one remembered the details or recalled what actions were taken at that time. But the club never received a certificate. With the help of retired ARRL Chief Executive Officer Dave Sumner, K1ZZ; ARRL Radiosport and Field Services Manager Bart Janke, W9JJ, and current Chief Executive Officer David Minster, NA2AA, “the ARRL went above and beyond to rectify the Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club lost EME WAC award application,” said Miguelez. The award was dated June 6, 1977. Thanks to Phil Miguelez, WA3NUF, and Walt Bohlman, K3BPP, for their contributions to this story. More information can be found at the Pack Rats website https://packratvhf.com. The HK1TL story is located on the History TAB or directly at: https://packratvhf.com/index.php/history/30-pack-rat-1976-eme-expedition-hk1tl |
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Amateur Radio in the News |
“What Is Ham Radio: A Newcomer’s Guide” / Field and Stream August 19, 2024 -- Field and Stream on - line explores how to learn the basics to become a licensed “ham.” Plus, tips on the gear you’ll need to start transmitting. |
On the Air Sponsored by Icom The podcast takes a field trip to W1AW, ARRL’s Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, to hear from W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, about all the ways to “Practice Code with W1AW,” from daily code practice sessions at a speed that suits you, to Qualifying Runs where you can earn certificates for submitting accurate copy. |
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. On the Air | ARRL Audio News |
The 17th annual Ohio State Parks On The Air (OSPOTA) contest will be held September 7, 2024, from 1400 to 2200 UTC (10 AM to 6 PM EDT). Contacts can be made on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters using SSB. Currently there are 75 Ohio state parks that will be open for the 2024 event. The OSPOTA contest has three main goals: to promote public awareness of amateur radio and Ohio’s state parks system; to contribute to the recognition that Ohio has a diverse and active ecology, and promote camaraderie within the ranks of Ohio’s amateur radio operators. More information is available at the OSPOTA website. |
The 2024 Slidell, Louisiana, EOC Hamfest will be held beginning Friday, September 13, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM and on Saturday, September 14, from 8:00 - 2:30 PM. The event is sponsored by the Ozone Amateur Radio Club. The EOC Hamfest will feature dealer and vendor flea markets, seminars, special presentations, and VE testing sessions. Talk-in frequency is 147.270 MHz with PL 114.8 Hz and admission is $5.00. For more information, contact David Hartley, K5OZ, Chairman, at dehartley@charter.net. |
ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, is scheduled to be live on the Ham Radio 2.0 YouTube channel on August 23, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. He’ll be there talking about the successes of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI). Jason Johnston, KC5HWB, host of the popular channel, will be presenting Goodgame with donations gathered from fellow ham radio YouTubers at a recent event. Ahead of the Huntsville Hamfest, a group of the vloggers met up to do a Parks on the Air® activation that doubled as a fundraiser lunch for TI. See the video live at the following link. https://www.youtube.com/live/U4CWrbtd7bE |
 | | This image was taken on August 22, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
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For this Friday’s ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP034: Ten new sunspot groups appeared over this reporting week, August 15-21, but both solar flux and sunspot numbers were lower, due to the extraordinary numbers of the previous week. Average daily sunspot numbers declined from 255 to 180.3, while average daily solar flux went from 284.9 to 232.7. Geomagnetic numbers were quieter. The average daily planetary A index declined from 28.6 to 11.9, and average daily middle latitude numbers sank from 17.8 to 12. On August 17, the planetary A index was 31, caused by a coronal mass ejection around 1400 UTC. A strong G3 geomagnetic storm was the result. One new sunspot group appeared on August 15; two more emerged each day from August 16 to 19, and one more on August 21. Predicted solar flux is 240 on August 22 - 23, then 245, 250, 240, 230, and 235 on August 24 – 28; 205 on August 29 – 30; 210 and 215 on August 31 to September 1; 220 on September 2 – 3; 225 on September 4 – 6; 220 on September 7 – 8; 225 on September 9; 230 on September 10 – 12, and 225 on September 13 - 16. The planetary A index prediction shows 12 and 8 on August 22 - 23, and 5 on August 24 to September 17. Sunspot numbers for August 15 through 21, 2024 were 164, 169, 170, 170, 213, 200, and 176, with a mean of 180.3. The 10.7 -centimeter flux was 227.4, 224.9, 229.5, 231, 239.1, 238.2, and 239, with a mean of 232.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 8, 31, 13, 10, 7, and 8, with a mean of 11.9. The middle latitude A index was 6, 11, 24, 15, 11, 9, and 8, with a mean of 12. 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. |
- August 23 - 25 -- SCRY/RTTY Ops WW RTTY Contest (digital)
- August 24 - 25 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW, phone, digital)
- August 24 - 26 -- Hawaii QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- August 24 - 25 -- ALARA Contest (CW, phone)
- August 24 - 25 -- YO DX HF Contest (CW, phone)
- August 24 - 25 -- US Islands QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- August 24 - 25 -- World Wide Digi DX Contest (digital)
- August 24 - 25 -- Kansas QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
- August 24 - 25 -- Ohio QSO Party (CW, phone)
- August 24 - 25 -- CVA DX Contest SSB (phone)
- August 25 -- SARL HF CW Contest (CW)
Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar for more events and information. |
Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions |
- August 22 - 25 | Northeast HamXposition, sponsoring the ARRL New England Division Convention, Marlborough, Massachusetts
- August 30 - September 1 | Shelby Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
- August 31 | Summer Symposium, sponsoring the ARRL Santa Barbara Section Convention, Camarillo, California
- September 8 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
- September 20 - 22 | Duke City Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- September 21 - 22 | Midwest Superfest, sponsoring the ARRL Illinois Section Convention, Chillicothe, Illinois
- September 28 | Red River Radio Amateurs Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
- October 5 | Wichita Area Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL Kansas State Convention, Wichita, Kansas
- October 5 | Northstar Radio Convention, sponsoring the ARRL Minnesota State Convention, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
- October 12 | Rock Hill Hamfest, sponsoring the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database to find events in your area. |
Have News for ARRL? Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor |
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ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information Join ARRL or renew today! No other organization works harder to promote and protect amateur radio. Membership supports benefits, services, programs, and advocacy to help you get (and stay) active and on the air. Membership includes access to digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ. Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io email group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive technology. NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bimonthly, features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint, and QSO parties. QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bimonthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals. Free of charge to ARRL members... Subscribe to the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts, and much more! Find ARRL on Facebook! Follow us on Threads, X, and Instagram. |
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The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 51 times each year. ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their profile at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out. Copyright © 2024 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. |
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