XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.info

********************************************
The ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

November 30, 2023

John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <[email protected]>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- ARRL RF Safety Committee Develops New Guidelines to Communicate RF
Safety
- ARRL Advocacy Win: FCC Approves Request for Pearl Harbor Day
Crossband Operations
- WX1AW Active for 2023 SKYWARN�(tm)� Recognition Day
- Amateur Radio in the News
- ARRL Podcasts
- Announcements
- In Brief...
- The K7RA Solar Update
- Just Ahead in Radiosport
- Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

ARRL RF SAFETY COMMITTEE DEVELOPS NEW GUIDELINES TO COMMUNICATE RF

SAFETY

Radio amateurs now have a new tool from ARRL to help answer questions
about their stations. Neighbors of amateur radio operators are
sometimes concerned about transmissions and radio frequency exposure
from amateur stations.

The ARRL RF Safety Committee
<http://arrl.org/arrl-rf-safety-committee>, with their international counterparts at the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Irish
Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), and the Swedish Society of Radio
Amateurs (SSA), has developed a new set of guidelines to help amateurs
interact with and talk to their neighbors about RF exposure.

Chairman of the ARRL RF Safety Committee Greg Lapin, N9GL, said the new informational PDF found on the ARRL RF Exposure page, Helping Amateurs
Interact with Neighbors Asking About Radio Transmissions <https://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure>, was developed after a year of
discussions about RF safety.

"Neighbors may be alarmed by some of the misinformation about RF safety
that is available from a variety of sources. By following the exposure regulations from the Federal Communications Commission, we can be
confident that our families and neighbors are safe," Lapin said.

Lapin added that RF exposure regulations are based on decades of
trustworthy research. He also encouraged all amateur radio operators to
perform exposure assessments for their stations to make sure they meet
those regulations.

ARRL ADVOCACY WIN: FCC APPROVES REQUEST FOR PEARL HARBOR DAY

CROSSBAND OPERATIONS

ARRL sought a waiver on behalf of the activators, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted it. The waiver <https://www.fcc.gov/document/wtb-grants-arrl-waiver-pearl-harbor-remembrance-day-event>

allows amateur radio operators to participate in a special event
commemorating the 82nd annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA)
<https://biara.org/>, with authority from the US Navy and Southwest
Marine Corps Spectrum Office, will honor the sailors and ships
previously homeported in San Pedro, California, who were attacked on
December 7, 1941. There will be special crossband activations of NEPM, Battleship Iowa's original call sign, on December 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2023.

Using the call sign NEPM, the club will transmit on assigned
military frequencies and listen for calls from the amateur radio
community on their adjacent bands. NEPM will transmit on 14.375,
18.1625, and/or 21.856 MHz on J3E/USB and/or A1A/CW. (Note: 18.1625 MHz
is within US amateur allocations for 17 meters) The club operator will
tell participating hams where BIARA will be listening, which will be 10
KHz below the top of each adjacent band when working J3E/USB, or 10 KHz
above the bottom of each adjacent band when working A1A/CW. Amateur participants are reminded not to transmit on the NEPM military
frequencies. Operations on all 4 days are expected to be from 0700 to
1600 PST (1500 to 2400 UTC).

The FCC stated the grant of the waiver meets the second prong of the
waiver standard in section 1.925(b)(3)(ii) in that the event presents a
unique opportunity for the amateur and military communities to practice communication skills under the guidance of military officials, which
may be useful in the future and serves the public interest.

In addition to the skills gained by amateur operators participating in
the test, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day has historical
significance. It emphasizes the importance of reliable communications
and the need to be vigilant in national defense.

If amateur radio operators who wish to participate are licensed in a
country outside the US, BIARA advises to check the terms and conditions
that govern their respective licenses.

QSL procedures can be found at https://biara.org. <https://biara.org/>
For specific questions before the operation, email [email protected]. <[email protected]>

WX1AW ACTIVE FOR 2023 SKYWARN�(tm)� RECOGNITION DAY

As part of the celebrations for SKYWARN�(tm)� Recognition Day (SRD) on
December 2, 2023, hams will be on the air as WX1AW from the ARRL Radio Laboratory station, W1HQ. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh
Johnston, KE5MHV, and other amateurs plan to be on the air for several
hours Saturday morning and midday.

The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators
for their contributions to the National Weather Service (NWS) during
severe weather. Amateur radio operators also provide vital
communication to the NWS and emergency management teams in other
instances when normal communications fail.

"SKYWARN is a perfect example of an opportunity for hams to provide
situational awareness for our communities during severe weather. We are
happy to participate with our partners at the NWS and look forward to continuing the service provided by amateur radio operators around the
country," said Johnston.

For those interested in participating in the operating event, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) <https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition?fbclid=IwAR1UNO0LepJtMvU_YhcuwWUf3eZ6Hd-iMFVYQ-kssXYEDrnH522kOkkWPTI>

website is updated with the SKYWARN registration form, mapping form,
rules, and information.

SRD was developed in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL. On SRD amateur stations
exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on
80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters, plus the 2-meter and 70-centimeter
bands. Contacts made via repeaters are also permitted. Non-amateur
radio spotters can exchange information with NWS offices using social
media. To learn how to become a trained NOAA storm spotter, visit
Spotter Training (weather.gov)
<https://www.weather.gov/pdt/spotterTraining>.

AMATEUR RADIO IN THE NEWS

ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news <http://www.arrl.org/media-hits>.

"Edmonds Woodway Amateur Radio Club celebrates five years of connecting <https://myedmondsnews.com/2023/11/edmonds-woodway-amateur-radio-club-celebrates-five-years-of-connecting/>"

/ My Edmonds News (Washington) November 22, 2023 -- The Edmonds Woodway
Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

"Longmont's Santa on the Air radio call-in program starts next week <https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/longmonts-santa-on-the-air-radio-call-in-program-starts-next-week/ar-AA1knwyX>"

/ Daily Times - Call (Colorado) November 24, 2023 -- The Longmont
Amateur Radio Club and the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club.

"Amateur Radio Association expands N6SBC repeater coverage <https://benitolink.com/amateur-radio-association-expands-n6sbc-repeater-coverage/>"

/ BenitoLink (California) November 28, 2023 -- The San Benito County
Amateur Radio Association.

Share <[email protected]> any amateur radio media hits you spot with
us.

ARRL PODCASTS

On the Air
Sponsored by Icom <http://www.icomamerica.com/en/>

The Value of Contest Clubs

"Contesting encompasses so much of the hobby," says seasoned contester
Craig Thompson, K9CT, in the current episode of the On the Air podcast <https://www.arrl.org/on-the-air-podcast>, "from station building,
learning how to operate, understanding propagation, knowing the rules,
learning from your peers," that there's something in it for every ham
radio operator. As current member and former president of the Society
of Midwest Contesters, Craig knows the ins and outs of running a
contest club and ensuring that the value proposition makes sense to the
average member. In this episode, Craig talks about why you might want
to get involved with a contest club, what it entails, and how these
specialized clubs stir up on-air activity that benefits every ham. This discussion extends the November/December 2023 On the Air, "Joining a
Contest Club," by Leanna Figlewski, KC1RMP.

ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/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 is available on iTunes. The On the Air podcast
and ARRL Audio News are also on blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC)
Question Pool Committee (QPC) has removed two General-class license
questions. Pursuant to the November 13, 2023, FCC rule change to remove
symbol rate restrictions on amateur radio digital emissions (http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-hails-fcc-action-to-remove-symbol-rate-restrictions),

the QPC of the NCVEC has deleted two questions from the General-class
question pool because they are no longer correct. General-class
questions G1C08 and G1C10 are withdrawn from the pool effective
immediately and should be removed from examinations as soon as
possible. Updated question pool files, including the errata and new information, have been posted on the NCVEC General-class question pool
web page at http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=369. <http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=369> The current Element 3 General
question pool became effective on July 1, 2023, and it is valid through
June 30, 2027. The ARRL VEC <https://arrl.org/volunteer-examiners>
advises the community to regularly check the NCVEC website at http://www.ncvec.org/ for updates to the question pools, which may
include errata and withdrawn questions.

In a ceremony held on November 21, 2023, in Oregon City, Oregon, the
Emergency Communications Radio Room in Clackamas County's Disaster
Management offices was named in honor of former Section Manager of the
ARRL Oregon Section David Kidd, KA7OZO. Kidd is a longtime amateur
radio volunteer who stepped down from his role as the County Emergency Coordinator for radio amateurs after 20 years of service. Kidd became
the Emergency Coordinator for the Clackamas Amateur Radio Emergency
Services® (CARES®) in 2002. Under his leadership, CARES signed a
memorandum of understanding with Clackamas County Disaster Management
in 2005 that established a strong working relationship between amateur
radio volunteers and county disaster management. Kidd's successor,
Steve Jensen, KE7GXC, explained, "David built CARES from just a few
people to one that has strong cooperation with Clackamas County, city
subunits, and a large, active, trained, and committed membership."
Interim Deputy Disaster Manager for Clackamas County Jamie Poole
announced at Kidd's retirement that the newly established radio room
would be named in his honor to recognize his service to the county.
CARES is a group of licensed amateur radio volunteers who provide
critical communication links during disasters and other major events.
For more information about CARES, visit www.clackamasares.org <http://www.clackamasares.org/>.

IN BRIEF...

Summits on the Air (SOTA) is offering a 10-meter Challenge in 2024. The challenge will run from 0000 UTC on January 1, 2024, to 2359 UTC on
December 31, 2024. Solar Cycle 25 is beginning to create regular
favorable DX conditions on the higher bands, and early predictions
indicate the cycle peak may occur during the summer of 2024. SOTA held
a 12-meter Challenge in 2013, and since then, more than 90 associations
have been added to the SOTA program, including many in South America,
the Caribbean, and Asia. There is excellent potential for DX SOTA
activity, and activators are encouraged to consider 28 MHz for their
summit operations in 2024. Scoring will be done automatically by the
database software. Activations and chases should be entered as normal.
The software will note 10-meter QSOs and score them according to the
rules. Usual SOTA rules will apply. Multi-band activations can also be
entered as normal, and all results will be updated. Qualifying 10-meter
QSOs will be scored separately from other SOTA activity. There will be
a special 10-meter Challenge results page, and electronic certificates
will be issued for all participants with their name, call sign,
association, and score. For more information, including the rules for
the challenge, visit the Summits on the Air <http://www.sota.org.uk/>
website.

THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP048:

Solar disk image taken on November 30, 2023. [Photo courtesy of NASA
SDO/HMI]

The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre issued the following Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning #23/74 at 2321 UT on November 29, 2023:

"Several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expected to impact Earth on
November 30 and December 1, 2023. Two CMEs were observed on November 27
that were expected to arrive on November 30, followed shortly by a very
mild, glancing blow from a third. One or possibly two halo CMEs were
observed on November 29, which are Earth-directed. It is likely that
all or some of these CMEs will combine on their trajectory toward
Earth, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact arrival time. However,
G3-G4 geomagnetic conditions are possible over this period."

Over the past reporting week, 10 new sunspot groups appeared. There
were three on November 23, one each day on November 24 - 26, another on November 28, and three more on November 29.

Solar numbers increased, with the average daily sunspot number rising dramatically from 83.3 to 165.9, doubling from the previous week.

The average daily solar flux rose from 146 to 181.5.

Geomagnetic numbers rose slightly, with the planetary A index changing
from 10.1 to 11.6, and the middle latitude number changing from 7.3 to
7.6.

Predicted solar flux is 175 on November 30; 170 on December 1; 165 on
December 2 - 3; 160 on December 4; 150 on December 5 - 6; 140 on
December 7 - 8; 145 on December 9 - 10; 140 on December 11 - 16; 150 on December 17, and 160 on December 18 - 28.

Predicted planetary A index is 30, 56, and 22 on November 30 through
December 2; 10, 10, 12, 10, and 10 on December 3 - 7; 5 on December 8 -
11; 10 and 8 on December 12 - 13; 5 on December 14 - 17; 15, 25, 8, and
5 on December 18 - 21, and 20, 10, 10, 8, and 5 on December 22 - 26.

Watch a new video from Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, about solar storms at https://youtu.be/qiHtkXfZnQo.

Sunspot numbers for November 23 - 29, 2023, were 176, 184, 179, 169,
159, 130, and 164, with a mean of 83.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was
194.2, 178, 176.4, 180.2, 187.3, 183.5, and 170.6, with a mean of 146. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 7, 38, 10, 7, 7, and 5, with a
mean of 10.1. Middle latitude A index was 4, 5, 18, 9, 2, 6, and 9,
with a mean of 7.3.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to [email protected].

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit <http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals> the ARRL Technical
Information Service, read
<http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere> "What the Numbers
Mean...," and check out <http://k9la.us/> the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio <https://www.voacap.com/hf/> website.

Share <[email protected]> your reports and observations.

A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News
<http://www.arrl.org/news>.

JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

Yearlong -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/> (VOTA).
See the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable Operations <https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including:

- Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Rhode Island W1AW/1

- Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Florida W1AW/4

- Nov 29 - Dec 5 -- Delaware W1AW/3

- December 6 - 12 -- Louisiana W1AW/5

- December 6 - 12 -- Illinois W1AW/9

- December 6 - 12 -- Hawaii W1AW/KH6

UPCOMING CONTESTS:

- December 1 - 2 -- SEC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

- December 1 - 3 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest <https://contests.arrl.org/160m/>(CW)

- December 2 - 3 -- Kalbar Contest (phone)

- December 2 - 3 -- UFT Meeting (CW)

- December 2 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)

- December 2 - 3 -- PRO CW Contest (CW)

- December 2 - 3 -- INORC Contest (CW)

- December 2 - 3 -- FT Roundup (digital)

- December 5 -- Worldwide Sideband Activity Contest (phone)

- December 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

- December 6 -- Phone Weekly Test (phone)

- December 6 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (digital)

Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
for more events and information.

UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

- December 8 - 9 | Tampa Bay Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tampa-bay-hamfest-arrl-west-central-florida-section-convention-2>,

hosting the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention, Plant City,
Florida

- January 6 | Ham Radio University <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/ham-radio-university-arrl-new-york-city-long-island-section-convention>,

hosting the ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Convention,
Brookville, New York

- January 12 - 14 | ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-puerto-rico-state-convention-2>,
Hatillo, Puerto Rico

- January 19 - 20 | Cowtown Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/cowtown-hamfest-arrl-north-texas-section-convention-3>,

hosting the ARRL North Texas Section Convention, Forest Hill, Texas

- January 27 | Winterfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/winterfest-arrl-midwest-division-convention-3>, hosting the ARRL Midwest Division Convention, Collinsville, Illinois

Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests> to find events in your area.

HAVE NEWS FOR ARRL?

Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
[email protected]. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
<[email protected]>

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for
Amateur Radio News and Information

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