ARRL propagation reports

 

ARRL

07/05/2024

Solar activity increased this week, with average daily sunspot numbers rising from 149.6 to 181.6. For some reason, the average daily solar flux decreased from 178 to 175.

Seven new sunspot groups emerged this week, one on June 27, two on June 28, three on June 29, and one more on July 3.

The average daily planetary index rose from 10.3 to 15.6 while the average middle latitude A index rose from 10.1 to 11.6.

On Friday, June 28, a CME caused a severe G4 class geomagnetic storm. Middle latitude A index was 32 and planetary A index was 59, much higher than Alaska's college A index (36).

Predicted solar flux is 175, 172 and 168 on July 5 to 7, 160 on July 8 and 9, 155 on July 10 and 11, 170 on July 12 and 13, 180 on July 14, 175 on July 15 to 17, 180 on July 18 to 21, 185 on July 22, 180 on July 23 to 29, 175 on July 30, 170 on July 31 through August 9 and 180 on August 10.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 5, 5, 12, and 10 on July 5 to 9, 5 on July 10 to 13, then 10, 10, and 8 on July 14 to 16, 5 on July 17 to 19, then 10 and 8 on July 20 and 21, and 5 on July 22 through August 9, and 10 on August 10 and 11.

"Geomagnetic activity forecast for July 5 to 11, 2024

Quiet: July 5 to 7, 9 and 10

Unsettled: July 7 and 8, 11

Active: possible July 8, 11

Minor storm: 0

Major storm: 0

Severe storm: 0

"Next week, we expect at most quiet to unsettled conditions. More unsettled conditions with possible isolated active events are possible about July 7 and 8, and also at the end of the current forecast period, about Thursday, July 11." Tomas Bayer RWC Prague Institute of Geophysics of the ASCR Department of Geomagnetism Budkov Observatory

2023 NOAA updates:

w.weather.gov/news/102523-solar-cycle-25-update

https://bit.ly/3XRnufb

https://bit.ly/3VT7net    

Latest from Tamitha Skov, KX6SWW:

https://youtu.be/kGUb15uWzBw

Blackout: https://bit.ly/45R9PqD

Send your tips, reports, observations, questions and comments to k7ra@... . When reporting observations, don't forget to tell us which mode you were operating.

For more information concerning shortwave radio propagation, see http://www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information Service web page at, http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals .  

For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere .

An archive of past propagation bulletins is at

http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation . 

More good information and tutorials on propagation are at

http://k9la.us/

Also, check this: https://bit.ly/3Rc8Njt

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins .

Sunspot numbers for June 27 through July 3 2024 were 146, 162, 205, 192, 192, 192, and 182, with a mean of 181.6. 10.7 cm flux was 182.5, 180.7, 186.4, 173.8, 170.6, 163.8, and 167.4, with a mean of 175. Estimated planetary A indices were 9, 59, 14, 11, 6, 5, and 5, with a mean of 15.6. Middle latitude A index was 11, 32, 11, 10, 5, 6, and 6, with a mean of 11.6.

https://www.arrl.org/news/the-k7ra-solar-update-835

Schedule for Alexanderson Day, June 30

 

The Alexander Association welcomes all visitors to the Alexanderson Day, Sunday, June 30th, 2024,

The Alexander Association https://alexander.n.se/en/  in Sweden is celebrating Alexanderson Day 

https://alexander.n.se/en/alexanderson-day-2024/   on June 30th 2024 with CW transmissions on 17.2 kHz utilizing the SAQ radio transmitter that was first used in 1924. At that time the transmitter was used to transmit across the Atlantic Ocean to Long Island, NY, USA.

Messages are scheduled to be transmitted at 09:00 UTC and 12:00 UTC on June 30th. If you can't hear the transmissions over the air, the event can be viewed live on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-83S-l9JKD1iuhsXx3XQ3g

Test transmissions may take place on June 28th [between 1100-1400 UTC]. QSL reports will be accepted. An amateur radio station, SK6SAQ, will also be on the air to mark the event.

More information can be found on the Alexanderson Day webpage: 

https://alexander.n.se/en/alexanderson-day-2024/

Source: The Alexander association via Amateur Radio Daily, 18 June 

https://daily.hamweekly.com/2024/06/saq-station-on-air-june-30-2024/ 

(BDXC)

Together with the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station, we will offer many activities, for the whole family, during the day.The unique Alexanderson alternator from 1924, with the call sign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions over the antenna on VLF 17.2 kHz CW.

Almost a hundred years ago, on December 1st, 1924, the long wave transmitter at Grimeton Radio Station, with the call sign SAQ, was put into commercial operation, with transmissions across the Atlantic ocean, to the receiving station in Riverhead and with the replying transmitter station in Rocky Point, both on Long Island, NY, USA. While all the other transmitting and receiving stations in the RCA network since long are gone, SAQ has been preserved as a World Heritage Site and, amazingly, SAQ is still operational. The design and manufacturing of such a robust and reliable radio transmitter was a monumental achievement by the Swedish-born inventor Ernst F.W. Alexanderson. Thank you Ernst!

Test Transmissions

There may be some test transmissions, preliminary on June 28th between

13:00 – 16:00 CEST.

During the tests, SAQ will be on air shorter periods of time, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements.Your comments are welcome toinfo@alexander.n.se.

QSL Reports to SAQ QSL reports to SAQ are most welcome and appreciated!

We can not guarantee that reports by Email / mail / bureau will be confirmed.The online form will be open from June 30th until July 26th, 2024.Amateur Radio Station SK6SAQ. The Amateur Radio Station with the call “SK6SAQ” will be QRV during the day on the following frequencies:–

3 517.2kHz CW– 7 017.2kHz CW– 14 017.2KHz CW– 3 755 kHz SSB– 7 140 kHz SSBQSL-reports to SK6SAQ (NOT SAQ) are kindly received via:- Email to

info@alexander.n.se- or via: SM bureau- or direct by postal mail (link to address here) Two stations will be on the air most of the time.

Visiting World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station

In addition to these program items, lots of other activities are offered throughout the day, including:–The exhibition, where you can test your Morse skills, among other things.–The control, an obstacle course for all climbers, where there are different tasks to solve.–Signals intelligence, puts your Morse skills to the test. What is the secret message?–Kjells café, with good coffee.–Food galley, with freshly fried, hand-crafted Churros, inspired by radio stations from all corners of the World.–The radio shop, the World Heritage well-stocked souvenir shop.

Please see www. grimeton.org grimeton.org for complete visitor information.

Not a member yet ? Then it’s time to join the Alexander team!We welcome you as a member of the Alexander SAQ Grimeton Friendship Association, to support our non-profit activities in preserving, documenting and bringing to life the unique Alexanderson alternator from 1924.As a member You get a 10% discount on World Heritage Grimeton’s shop and café (not ice cream), and free admission to Alexander's evening displays and to the Alexanderson Day, upon presentation of your membership card.Four times per year, you will receive our online magazine “Alternatorn”, exclusively available only to our members.

Members also get access to our on-line library with lots of unique historical documents about SAQ and the Alexanderson alternator. Membership costs SEK 125 / year.

(BDXC)

(photo/ARRL)

Marconi Day on April 27

 

This year, International Marconi Day (IMD) is on April 27. Italian inventor and electrical engineer Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi was born on April 25, 1874, and is credited for inventing the radiotelegraph system, creating Marconi's law, and sending the first wireless transmission over the open sea.

IMD was created to honor Marconi and is hosted annually by the Cornish Radio Amateur Club http://gx4crc.com/, GX4CRC. The purpose of the day is for amateur radio enthusiasts around the world to contact historic Marconi sites using communication techniques similar to those that he would have used.

The 24-hour event will operate from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC, and registration is required. Participants can register at GX4CRC's registration web page https://gx4crc.com/imd/imd-registration/.

Stations in the United States, including Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club, KM1CC, in Massachusetts, are already registering for the event. KM1CC hosts several on-air events each year to keep the accomplishments and story of Marconi and his wireless station site in South Wellfleet alive. 

In 1975, the Wellfleet station was listed as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places and is now part of Cape Cod National Seashore, a unit of the National Park Service. When possible, KM1CC sets up a temporary radio station inside the park. More information about KM1CC is available on their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KM1CC/ 

Reminder: World Wide Digi DX Contest Debuts on August 31

08/23/2019

The inaugural World Wide Digi DX Contest is set for August 31 – September 2, sponsored by the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF), in collaboration with the Slovenia Contest Club (SCC). Sponsors hope the WW Digi will become an annual event. The new contest will embrace the use of both FT4 and FT8 protocols of the WSTJ-X version 2.1.0 software suite on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.

Participants earn points based on the distance between grid square centers of the two stations in a given contact. Each new two-character grid field contacted on each band will be a multiplier. The final score will the product of total contact points and grid field contacts. Single-operator and multioperator entries are welcome. Plaques will be awarded to top scorers. Additional resources: “Using DigiRite with WriteLog in the WW Digi Contest” and “Operating WW Digi with N1MM+.”
(ARRL)

Department of Defense Message Prompts Listeners to Take WWV/WWVH Survey

Department of Defense Message Prompts Listeners to Take WWV/WWVH Survey 08/19/2019

Through Saturday, August 24, WWV and WWVH will transmit a US Department of Defense (DOD) message in conjunction with the COMEX 19-3 interoperability exercise in Tennessee. The broadcast also urges listeners to complete a survey on WWV/WWVH listenership and listening habits. The messages are broadcast on WWV at 10 minutes past the hour and on WWVH at 50 minutes past the hour. WWV and WWVH transmit on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 MHz.

In addition to asking for the name, email address, and location of those completing the “WWV/WWVH Reception Report,” the survey seeks information on which station (i.e., WWV or WWVH) was heard, the frequency, the transmitted audio quality, whether the information was relevant or useful, how often the respondent monitors WWV/WWVH broadcasts, whether the respondent uses a clock or other device that synchronizes with the low-frequency (60 kHz) WWVB time transmissions, and any other information the respondent would consider useful to hear on WWV/WWVH broadcasts.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — part of the US Department of Commerce — is using the information gathered to determine “how often their stations are monitored and how the various timing signals and messages are used by the listeners,” Chief of US Army MARS Paul English, WD8DBY, said on the US Army MARS Facebook page. “As the saying goes, ‘every vote counts,’ and your input to this survey is being used to help demonstrate the importance of these stations.” Listeners may file multiple reception reports, and anyone may complete the survey.

Earlier this year, the Defense Department began making use of the provisional time slots on WWV and WWVH to announce upcoming HF military communication exercises and to explain how the Amateur Radio community can become involved in them. Use of the time slots has corresponded with Department of Defense communication exercises (COMEX); COMEX 19-3 takes place this month. The announcements will resume during COMEX 19-4 in October.

Following a proof of concept this year, DOD anticipates making use of the WWV/WWVH broadcast time slot full time, all year.

Concern arose in 2018 after WWV and WWVH were included on a list of proposed cuts in the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget request for NIST.
(ARRL)

The lure of the lonely lighthouse via radio !

St. Augustine, Florida Lighthouse

Lighthouses have a hypnotic effect. Even in daylight, they capture our attention, and for some devotees, lighthouses are a true passion.

Whether they stand watch on a river or along a rocky coastline, sailors and travelers have depended on them as a signpost to safety - and home.

If you have succumbed to the lure of lighthouses, here is an opportunity to answer that call.

Although not a contest, the popular annual event is designed to promote goodwill and friendship among amateur radio operators and shortwave hobbyists around the world. You may also follow the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Amateur-Radio-Lighthouse-Society-ARLHS-117508118281703/ 

The following Special Event Stations contain QSL and contact information, as well as frequency usage. QSLing is available to amateur radio and shortwave listeners. This is a perfect time to collect these special lighthouse QSLs.

Isle of Man Lighthouse (N5FPW QSL Collection)

Lighthouses On The Air 

All times UTC

August 4
1400-1830, K9EAM, Green Bay, WI. Green Bay Mike & Key Club. 7.270 14.270. QSL. Green Bay Mike & Key Club SE, c/o Dave N8KQS, 2937 Beth Dr, Green Bay, WI 54311. www.k9eam.org

August 4
Port Clinton Lighthouse Festival
1500-2100, W8GNM/8, Port Clinton, OH. Port Clinton Lighthouses Conservancy. 21.325 18.155 14.325 7.225. QSL. QSL via , LoTW only to, W8GNM/8. portclintonlighthouse.org

Fire Island Lighthouse, New York

August 18-19
Fire Island Lighthouse
0700-1700, W2NMY, Babylon, NY. Fire Island LIghthouse Radio Annex Memorial Club. 18.095 14.050 10.108 7.050. Certificate. W2NMY , 47 Hemlock Rd, Manhasset, NY 11030. LIGHTHOUSE LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND THIS CALL IS A VINTAGE CALL FROM THE FIRE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE RADIO ANNEX DO NOT MISS THE CHANCE TO CATCH THIS CALL FROM WHERE IT WAS USED ORIGINALLY. berny450@aol.com or www.qrz.com/db/w2nmy

August 18-20
International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend
1500-2100, W8GNM/8, Port Clinton, OH. Port Clinton Lighthouses Conservancy. 7.225 14.325 18.155 21.325. QSL. QSL via, LoTW, only . QSL via LoTW only. No paper QSL or certificate portclintonlighthouse.org

August 18-20
Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
0700-1800, W2GSB, Babylon, NY. Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. 14.235 14.050 10.108 7.255 7.050 . Certificate. GSBARC, Po Box 1356, West Babylon, NY 11704. The Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club will be activating the Fire Island Light house for lighthouse lightship weekend. SSB CW. Give them a call to work this historic lighthouse The station will be at the base of the lighthouse on the beach shorts and shoes are required. info@gsbarc.org or www.gsbarc.org
(ARRL)
(photos/ Larry Van Horn, roadtrippers, NPS.gov)

Amateur Radio Field Day 2018

Field Day is ham radio's open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio's science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

Follow Field Day on Facebook! ARRL has created a Field Day event on Facebook, and you can also join the conversation by using the hash tag #ARRLFD. Share your plans, tips and tricks to a successful Field Day!

Field Day Special Event stations

All times listed as UTC

QSLing the following stations is opened to amateur radio and shortwave hobbyists. Check for QSL policy in each post or contact information.

June 22, 2018
ARRL Field Day 2018
2200-2200, K5S, Sachse, TX. Sachse Amateur Radio Association. 14.150. Certificate & QSL. Kerry Krueger, 7021 Park Hill Trail, Sachse, TX 75048. www.sachseradio.org 

June 22, 2018
Field Day 2018 Commemorating the Lives of President Ronald & Mrs. Nancy Reagan
1900-2359, N6R, Simi Valley, CA. Ventura County Amateur Radio Society (VCARS). 21.320 14.255 7.260 3.810. QSL. Peter S. Heins, 1559 Norwich Ave, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum, Simi Valley, CA; Ventura County Amateur Radio Society (VCARS), Simi Settlers Amateur Radio Club (SSARC), and other interested
Amateur Radio Operators. www.qrz.com/db/n6r 

June 23-24, 2018
Field Day 2018
1800-1800, W2GSB, Lindenhurst, NY. Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. 14.258 7.245 3.925. Certificate. W2GSB, PO Box 1356, West Babylon, NY 11704. ALL MODES 6F STATION WITH A
GOTA STATION W2TOB W2GSB WILL HAVE 3 SSB STATIONS 3 CW STATIONS ALSO DIGITAL MODES VHF 6 METER STATION SATELLITE STATION GIVE THEM A CALL W2GSB 6F IF LIVE ON LONG ISLAND STOP BY OUR FIELD DAY SITE EVERYONE IS WELCOME BABYLON TOWN HALL PARK 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY LINDENHURST NY ANY QUESTIONS INFO@GSBARC.ORG CHECK US OUT AT WWW.GSBARC.ORG ALSO ON TWITTER FACEBOOK www.gsbarc.org 

June 23-24, 2018
Field Day 2018
1800-2059, K6A, Palmdale, CA. Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club. 20 meters. QSL. AVARC, P.O. Box 1011, Lancaster, CA 93584-1011. No QSL or Certificate given. www.k6ox.club
(ARRL/GVH/W4GVH)

IARUMS Intruder Report

International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) volunteers continue to document many of the same signals intruding on Amateur Radio bands — some of them audible in other parts of the world, according to the latest editions of the IARUMS Region 1 newsletter. IARUMS Region 1 Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, reported last month that his own band monitoring activity has been hampered by interference from a neighbor’s LED lamp, and that Germany’s telecoms regulator was not helpful in resolving the situation, which Hadel says affects all bands from 80 through 10 meters. Nonetheless, he has worked around the local interference to document many of the same bad actors that show up in the IARUMS Region 1 newsletter month after month. IARU Region 1 includes Europe and Africa.
These usual suspects include a Russian Navy F1B RTTY signal on 14.180 MHz in Sevastopol in Crimea, “still active, not regarding official complaints.” Last fall IARUMS had reported that complaints were successful in silencing the intruder. Another Russian F1B RTTY signal had been showing up on 7.051 MHz, “mostly idling and every evening,” Hadel reported in May. German telecoms regulators registered an official complaint, apparently successful in that instance. Hadel also reported “daily” transmissions of music on 7.050 MHz (LSB), possibly originating in Russia.
The “mysterious beacon ‘D’” from Asian Russia has been reported on CW on 7.093.3 kHz, with spurious transmissions on 7.078.6, 7.117.9, and 7.157.2 MHz, as well as outside the band.
Broadcaster Radio Hargaysa in Somalia continued to be reported on 7.120 MHz (AM) daily. Hadel indicated that the signal is audible in Australia and Japan, as well as in Europe and Africa. On 7.175 MHz, Radio Eritrea continues to be jammed daily with white noise transmissions attributed to Radio Ethiopia. IARUMS reported jamming of Radio Taiwan on 7.200 MHz, apparently originating in China and audible “every evening” in Europe. The Chinese “foghorn” over-the-horizon radar (OTH-R) continues to intrude on 20 meters, with signals on 14.211 MHz “jumping to 14.290 and 14.302 MHz.” The Russian “Konteyner RLS” OTH-R remains a problem on 14.280 MHz
In late April, DK2OM monitored a Chinese wideband OTH-R on 15 meters between 21.280 and 21.458 MHz. “No woodpecker, as some hams believe,” Hadel noted. Several OFDM transmissions originating in Moscow have been heard on 20 meters.

Brazilian “pirates” again have been observed on 21.000 MHz (USB). “They are abusing this [frequency] like a telephone between Rio and northern Brazil,” Hadel reported in April. “We suppose fishery traffic.” Just below that signal and barely outside 40 meters (6.999 MHz) was USB interference attributed to Spanish fishing interests, splattering up into the low end of the band. An Iranian radar was reported back on 28.960 MHz, heard in Europe via E-skip.
(ARRL/Larry Van Horn/Teak Publishing)

HAARP Goes Classical During New Experimental Campaign

ARRL
February 23, 2017

The just-concluded run of ionospheric investigations conducted from Alaska’s High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) observatory — quite likely the most powerful HF transmission facility in the world — revived the latent short-wave listener (SWL) lurking within most radio amateurs. Operating under Part 5 Experimental license WI2XFX, HAARP this month even aired some classical music as it conducted its first scientific research campaign since being taken over 18 months ago from the military by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute.
UAF Space Physics Group Assistant Research Professor Chris Fallen, KL3WX, focused on two experiments — one called “airglow” that literally aimed to light up the ionosphere, and another to demonstrate the so-called “Luxembourg Effect,” first noticed on a 1930s Radio Luxembourg broadcast. Public engagement was part of his plan, and Fallen this week said the Twitter and e-mail feedback from his transmissions had been “fantastic,” and that his science campaign had become “quite an event.”
“Thank you for making a difference and advancing Amateur Radio as well,” Doug Howard, VE6CID, tweeted. Another Twitter follower enthused, “You’re running the coolest DX station in the world.” Fallen said he also received “a lot of great waterfalls,” as well as video and audio recordings from hams and SWLs.
Fallen started and stopped each experiment block with DTMF tones, transmitted in AM on or about 2.8 and 3.3 MHz, each channel fed with audio tones of different frequencies or, in the case of music, as a separate stereo channel. If the “Luxembourg Effect” is present, skywave-signal listeners would hear both channels combined on a single frequency; Fallen said the effect is easier to detect with tones. In addition to tones, he transmitted “a ‘dance track,’ a Pachelbel Canon arrangement, and a variation of ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat.’” Jeff Dumps, KL4IU, composed some of the music, and he arranged and performed all of it.
The CW “airglow” artificial aurora experiment followed the Luxembourg Effect transmissions. All week, Fallen despaired that the “ratty” ionosphere and cloud cover were diminishing his hopes for success with the artificial aurora experiments. But on the last night, he tweeted, “Seeing artificial airglow with the spectrometer. Film at 11.”
Fallen is now evaluating the results of his HAARP efforts. He said one listener posted “a most excellent” YouTube clip. He was not specific; several have been posted that document this week's experiments, including this one from Stephen Oleson, VE6SLP. Laurence Howell, KL7L, in Wasilla, Alaska, posted an audio file.
“The miracle of crowd sourcing!” Fallen said. “If only the Luxembourg Effect was more pronounced, but it is in the 3,300 kHz recording.”
Fallen has been working under a $60,000 National Science Foundation grant. “During campaigns, significant expenditures for fuel and personnel are required,” the grant abstract said. “Large start-up costs make HAARP experiments largely inaccessible to individual researchers unless multiple experiments and funding sources can be bundled together during a campaign of up to two-week duration.” According to the abstract, public participation would maximize “the broader impacts of the investigations.”
“HAARP again...perhaps sometime this summer!” Fallen tweeted on February 23. He has posted additional information on his “Gakona HAARPoon 2017” blog.
(Mike Terry/BDXC)
http://www.arrl.org/news/haarp-goes-classical-during-new-experimental-campaign
(photo/ARRL)

Hams Ready for CQ Contest this weekend

It is almost time for the CQ WW SSB DX Contest which kicks off on Saturday, October 25 at 0000 UTC and runs until Sunday, October 26 at 2359 UTC.

I fully plan to be in the contest this year looking for new countries to add to my DXCC totals. Might even work a state or two I need to finish off the ARRL Triple Play award I have been working on. 

I also plan to have a presence during the CQ WW CW DX contest that starts on 

Saturday, November 29 at 0000 UTC and concludes on Sunday, November 30 at 2359 UTC. I hope to finish out the countries I need for an ARRL CW DXCC award.

 

These are two of my favorite contest and are a lot of fun to participate in at any level. Several years ago I won 1st place in my category, but since I am on a country hunt, I won't be submitting a contest log for these two amateur radio contest.

 

Complete details can be found on the CQ World-Wide Contest website athttp://www.cqww.com/.

Late Breaking News from the ARRL Contest Newsletter:-

CQ Communications has reconsidered its initial policy on stations operating in Crimea for the CQ World Wide contest. Logs will be accepted and counted for the country indicated by the call sign of the station. This aligns CQ policy with DXCC policy. See the CQ website for complete details.

 

On a related topic, found this that was posted to the ARRL website on 17 Oct 2014:--

CQ WILL NOT ACCEPT LOGS FROM STATIONS IN CRIMEA USING RUSSIAN-ISSUED CALL SIGNS

CQ has announced that it will no longer accept logs for any CQ-sponsored contest from stations in Crimea operating with Russian-issued call signs. CQ Magazine said that “after considerable deliberation,” it has decided to follow the lead of the US government and the United Nations and will consider the embattled Crimea region to be a part of Ukraine, “until such time as the political situation there is resolved.” In addition, contacts made by others with Crimean stations using Russian-Issued call signs will be removed from contestants’ logs without penalty. “No contact or multiplier credits will be given,” the CQ announcement said.

“We fully realize that our action may very well disenfranchise several Crimean contesters who use Russian prefixes instead of Ukrainian prefixes,” CQ said. “As regrettable as that may be, our action is consistent with international law, as well as with our own rules.”

CQ sponsors several major international operating events, including the CQ World Wide SSB and CW contests. The first contest to be affected by the new policy would be the CQ World Wide SSB Contest, which takes place this year over the October 25-26 weekend.
 

A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL

This week, we'll look at the 1950s. Danny Weil, VP2VB, began his well-known series of Yasme DXpeditions around the world in 1955, putting some rare countries on the air. That series lasted until 1963, and it gave thousands of DXers the opportunity to work some new ones.

In the mid-1950s, The FCC ran out of 1 × 3 call signs with W and K prefixes and began reissuing lapsed W and K call signs. When those ran out, they went on to 2 × 3 call signs with WA (and, later, WB) prefixes.

The log periodic antenna -- a new and very useful concept -- was introduced to hams in the late 1950s. It had been developed by D.E. Isbell at the University of Illinois.

Late in 1958, hams lost the shared use of 11 meters, which then became the Class D Citizens Band.

During the late 1950s, amateurs continued to push the limits of VHF and higher bands. W6NLZ and KH6UK ran regular schedules on VHF and succeeded in making two-way contact on 144 MHz in 1957, and on 220 MHz in 1959.

Another Amateur Radio first took place in 1960, when the first EME (moonbounce) contact was made on 1296 MHz between W6HB in California and W1BU in Massachusetts.

During the 1950s and 1960s, The USSR and the US were in the midst of the so-called "Cold War." Fearing that Soviet bombers could home in on radio signals to find their targets, the CONELRAD (CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation) system went into effect from 1957 to 1962. For their part hams were required to (1) monitor an AM broadcast station at least every 10 minutes to be sure it was still on the air; and (2) shut down, if broadcast stations went off the air. In the event of such an emergency, key 50 kW AM stations would move to either 640 or 1240 kHz to broadcast emergency information. The stations on each of those frequencies would go on and off the air in a continually varying sequence, while all carried the same audio to provide continuous information to the public. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB
(ARRL)

ICE Spacecraft Recovery Effort Appears at an Impasse

According to a July 10 National Public Radio (NPR) "Morning Edition" report, the effort to recover the venerable International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 spacecraft (ISEE-3) -- later repurposed, redirected, and renamed the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) -- has run into problems and may have reached a dead end. The ISEE-3 Reboot Project has been trying since July 8 to fire the engines of the 36-year-old space traveler without apparent success. The spacecraft is some 2.65 million miles from Earth. The team, which includes several Amateur Radio operators, has been transmitting control signals from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and listening for spacecraft telemetry at the Bochum Observatory in Germany. The pessimistic NPR report featured team member Keith Cowing, a former NASA engineer.

"Our first series of burns, we thought went okay," Cowing told reporter Nell Greenfieldboyce. "And then when we went to the second set, pretty much nothing happened. And we tried it again, and nothing happened." The group has conjectured that the nitrogen tanks needed to pressurize the hydrazine fuel on the spacecraft may be empty, meaning that the engines are dead, and the team will not be able to redirect ICE into an orbit that is closer to Earth, instead of letting it fly past the planet.

"At this point, we're sort of scratching our heads," Cowing said. "We may take one last run at the spacecraft, but this may be it for an attempt to bring it back to Earth." ICE has been in a solar orbit for most of its life, following its 1978 launch.

In late May, Dennis Wingo, KD4ETA, a project team member and the CEO of California-based Skycorp Incorporated, reported that the team was able to command one of the spacecraft's transponders on 2.042 GHz by radio.

The group has been hoping to place ICE into a gravitationally stable spot some 930,000 miles from Earth -- essentially its original orbit -- where it could again study the effects of solar weather on Earth's magnetosphere (the project's slogan is "Make me do science again!"). The private group had to obtain NASA's approval to communicate with the satellite.

Cowing said in a July 15 update that the team's next window of opportunity would be July 16 at Arecibo. "During that opportunity we intend to attempt a deep space plumbing repair on board ISEE-3 and then fire its engines," he said. "Based on the number of thruster firings we achieve during that plumbing repair session we'll need to do some additional firings -- possibly over the course of several days -- all of which will constitute the [trajectory correction maneuver].

"We have most certainly not given up on this spacecraft yet," Cowing said July 10.
(ARRL)

ARRL Letter on Voice of Russia future

Voice Of Russia  -Former 'Radio Moscow' - To End Shortwave Broadcasts

Voice of Russia (http://english.ruvr.ru/), the former Radio Moscow during the USSR era, will cease shortwave broadcasts as of January 1, 2014. From the 1950s through the 1980s, the station, as Radio Moscow, was a virtual beacon for short-wave listeners (SWLs), many of whom gravitated into Amateur Radio.

Voice of Russia currently broadcasts to 160 countries in 38 languages for an aggregate 151 hours per day on short and medium waves, on FM, via satellite, and via the Internet. Earlier this year shortwave transmissions were cut to 26 hours a day in all languages, down from more than 50 hours a day in 2012.
VOR, which claims to be the first radio station to broadcast internationally, will continue to broadcast online and via three medium-wave transmitters.

 In 2003 VOR was among the first major international radio broadcasters to launch daily broadcasts to Europe in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM http://www.drm.org/).

As a result of a decree signed earlier this month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Voice of Russia radio company officially ceased to exist on December 9 and merged with several other state-run news agencies as part of Rossia Segodnya, a Russia-based international news service. Putin's decree also abolished the State Fund of Television and Radio Programs, placing it under control of All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.
(ARRL Letter)

Amateur Radio DXCC 2012 Yearbook Now Available

DXCC 2012 YEARBOOK

The DXCC Blog Web Page reports: "The 2012 DXCC Yearbook is now available online to ARRL members worldwide via the August 2013 Digital QST. To access this publication visit the Digital QST page at:    http://www.arrl.org/qst
       http://www.arrl.org/img/170x130/DXCC_Items/2012YB.jpg

Look down to 'QST Digital Archives'. Click Go Now on this link. The various Digital QST covers will appear and the DXCC yearbook will always be in the August edition. When you open August 2013 QST on the cover is a yellow icon in the lower portion of the cover labeled 'Includes the 2012 DXCC Yearbook'. Click this to open the yearbook. You can read it directly online or print it out for future reference. Again, access to this is by ARRL Members, worldwide."
(OPDX 1127)

Amateur Radio Special Events Calendar

January 2013

January 4-8
Caribbean Tour, Bjorn, SM0MDG, is active as V26BM from Antigua until January 4th. After his activity from Antigua, he will travel to Montserrat and be active as VP2MSW between January 4-8th. Activity from both locations will be holiday style with limited high bands operations with a focus on 17 and 15 meters and with possible operations on 10 meters if propagation allows. If possible, there may be some 160 meters operations from Montserrat on 160 meter. This is an ultra-lite operation is using a FT-857D and simple wire antennas. Look for the log to be uploaded to LoTW after his return to home. QSL Manager is Tim, M0URX, either direct or use his OQRS with preferred options at: http://m0urx.com/oqrs

January 5
Eagle Watch On The Mississippi, 16000-2000 UTC, W0CS, Clinton, IA. Clinton Amateur Radio Club. Operating on 14.250, 14.050 7.250, 7.050. QSL. Clinton Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 1501, Clinton, IA 52733. QSL and pamphlet explaining the Corps of Engineer Eagle Watch Day on the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam #13. (ARRL)

January 5-18
Senegal-6W. Just a reminder that Francis, F6BLP, will once again be active as 6W7SK from Saly Portudal, 80 kms south of Dakar on the coast, between January 5-18th, 2013. Activity will be holiday style using the same station as last time (IC-7000 into G5RV antenna) operating mainly CW. QSL via F6BLP, direct or by the Bureau. Logs will be uploaded to LoTW and eQSL. For more details, logs and pictures of his last operation, visit:   http://www.f6blp.org/index.php?langue=uk&contenu=home.php

January 6
ARRL Kids Day, 1800-2359 UTC. W9MQB, Jefferson, WI. Whitewater, WI, Emergency Management with Tri-County Amateur Radio Club, JefCares and Lakes Area Amateur Radio Club. Opearating on 14.265, 7.265, 3.965, 145.490. Certificate. Kathryn Hinds, N7702 Kettle Moraine Dr, Whitewater, WI 53190. (ARRL)

January 7-20
Kenya-5Z. Operators Bertrand/DF3ZS and Thomas/DL1QW will be active as 5Z4/homecall from Diani Beach between January 7-20th. Activity will be holiday style on 80-10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. The operators plan on using dipoles, GP and vertical loops. QSL via their home callsign, or direct or by the DARC Bureau.

January 12-25
ARRL Puerto Rico State Convention, 0000-1800 UTC. N4D, Hatillo, PR. Caribbean Amateur Radio Group. Operatin gon 28.350, 21.350, 14.260, 147.550. Certificate and QSL. Caribbean Amateur Radio Group, HC4 Box 43014, Hatillo, PR 00659. The Special Event is for the first ARRL PR State Convention in Puerto Rico. More information: wp4crg1@yahoo.com  or www.arrlpr.org. (ARRL)

January 26
2013 Kansas Day at Santa Fe Trail Stage Coach Stop, 16000-2100 UTC. KSOKS, Olathe, KS. Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club. Operatin gon SSB/CW 10, 15, 17, 20, 40 m; 28.320, 21.320, 14.250, 10.115, 7.250.QSL. KS0KS, PO Box 3144, Olathe, KS 66063. eQSL, LoTW KS0KS; ks0ks@arrl.net

January 26
Hot Rods to Hell 46 Filming Anniversary, 1400-2000 UTC. AL7LS, Edwards, CA. BioRem RAC North Base. Operating on 7.243, 3.952, PKT 14.105, 7.105. Certificate and QSL. Katrin Rossi, 2127 Sierra Stone Ln, Las Vegas 89119. Commemorating 46th anniversary release date for Hot Rods to Hell (1967) Country, U.S.A., Date January 27,1967 Filming Locations for Hot Rods to Hell Antelope Valley, California, (Gas Station;), USA; Calabasas, California, USA (The Arena.) (ARRL)

IOTA News (Islands on the Air)
January 3-6
Esconcida Island, SA-096.(Update/NEW IOTA) Just a reminder that operators Cezar/VE3LYC, Johan/PA3EXX, Alex/LU5WW and possibly more Argentinian operators will be active as LU6W(pending) from Escondida Island in the Chubut Province North IOTA Group between January 2-6th. Activity will be for four days using two stations. Activity will be on 40-10 meters using CW and on SSB. QSL via  VE3LYC, direct or by the Bureau. See their Web page below for more details. There is a web page available at: http://lu6w.yolasite.com

January 9-24
St. Vincent & Grenadines-J8. Al, W6HGF, will be active as J8/W6HGF near Kingston on at  St.Vincent between January 9-24th (2013). Activity will be focused on RTTY using dipoles and a traveling beam. QSL via direct to his home callsign (NO IRCs), LoTW or ClubLog (OQRS available after operation). For more details, see: http://www.qsl.net/w6hgf/J8-index.html

January 12-15
Cayman Islands-ZF2. Pete, K8PGJ, will be active as ZF2PG on Grand Cayman (NA-016) during the week of January 12-20th. Activity (when not diving) will occur on 20 to 15 meters SSB during the morning and early afternoon on the weekdays. He will be operating in the NAQP Contest on 20 and 40 meters. QSL via his home callsign or LoTW.

January 15-February 18
Austria-OE2013. (Special Event). Every Austrian amateur radio operator has a chance to operate with the special callsign OE2013(???)(their own suffix) between January 15th and February 18th (2013). Activity is to celebrate the Alpine Ski World Championships 2013 taking place in Schladming. An award is available for three different classes (Gold, Platinum and Diamond). Each class requires a certain number of special event stations and OE stations logged. Each special event station or at OE station will only count once on each band. All bands and the below listed modes may be used; the only exception Packet radio and Echo Link contacts do not count. The award may be worked in the following modes: CW, SSB, DIGITAL, MIXED and QRP (max. 10 Watts). For complete details,
visit: http://wmdiplom2013.oevsv.at/export/sites/wmdiplom2013/downloads/Diplomausschreibung_Englisch.pdf.

January 20-February 27
St. George Island, NA-085.Dennis, WA2USA, will be active as homecall/4 from St. George Island (USI FL0076S, Franklin County), Florida, between January 20th and February 27th  (2013). On this trip he also plans to activate the lighthouse (ARLHS USA-1057, WLOTA 3178) while on the island. The activity will be mostly CW on 30/20/15 meters, with some SSB on 40/20 meters. He also plans to be in the ARRL International DX CW Contest (February 16-17th) and the NAQP RTTY Contest on(February 23-24th) as Single-Op/All-Band entries.QSL via his home callign, by the Bureau or direct. Logs will be uploaded to LoTW. Visit his Web site at: http://www.wa2usa.com
(Ohio/Penn #1093)

Z6OK-The Republic of Kosovo now on the air

 Z60K - Launch of Amateur Radio in Pristina, Kosovo. IARU Project.

Z60K now listed on Club Log with the following message:
Provisionally The Republic of Kosovo - pending news from ARRL. This DXCC is temporarily marked as a current DXCC entity in Club Log in order to allow the expedition log search features to function correctly. Approval for this operation will come from ARRL alone.

On September 17, shortly after 17z, international and local ops started operating as Z60K from near Pristina, Kosovo on both 20 and 17m SSB. Operators included Emil 9A9A, Bob MD0CCE, Martti OH2BH and Pekka OH2TA. Local TV recorded the moment live on air. QSL via G3TXF.

An Amateur Radio working group headed by IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T and including IARU Region 1 Executive Committee Member Nikola Percin, 9A5W and Mission Goodwill Kosovo Coordinator Martti Laine, OH2BH together with their associates are in the final stages of assisting Kosovo’s Telecom Authorities in drafting regulations governing Amateur Radio in Kosovo, to bring the original Kosovar operators and their re-vitalized Amateur Radio Association back to the international community.

Full details at: http://www.iaru-r1.org/

73 and Good DX!
Dave Raycroft, VA3RJ
Home of ICPO: http://www.qsl.net/va3rj/

Amateur radio special events

Amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners that collect QSL cards have new QSLing opportunities for today's post of a portion of upcoming amateur radio special event stations. QSL information is included in each listing. Good luck !

All times UTC

August 29-September 2
Mariana Islands
AH0, Look for 19 year old university students Seiya "Sam"/JE1XUZ (KH0XH) and Yuzo/JQ2WTT (KH0XW) to be active as AH0BT from the Saipan BBQ Contest Club on Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan Island (OC-086) between August 29th and September 2nd. Activity will be focused on the All Asian DX SSB Contest (September 1-2nd) as a Multi-Single entry. QSL via 7L1FPU.

August 29-September 4
IOTA-EU-171. Members of the Dutch Contest Group (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen [PI4DX]) will be active as OV2T from Jutland Island, Denmark, between August 29th and September 4th. Activity will be holiday style using SSB and CW, and perhaps some RTTY. During the weekend of September 1st, they will join the local OZ5GX group from Saeby, Denmark, during IARU region One Field Day as OZ5GX/P. QSL Manager for OV2T is PA0ABM, direct or by the Bureau. QSL via OZ5GX via info on QRZ.com.

September 1-2
Vintage Aircraft Weekend
1500-0200, K7A, Mukilteo, WA. Historic Flight Foundation. 14.240 7.240. QSL. Jack Rookaird, K7A/KC7YE, 8260 53rd Ave W Condo 407, Mukilteo, WA 98275 historicflight.org

September 1-3
Ghost Town of Paradise AZ, 33rd Anniversary
1900-1900, K7RDG, Sierra Vista, AZ. Cochise Amateur Radio Association. 21.315 18.115 14.315 7.230. Certificate. Cochise ARA, PO Box 1855, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636. www.k7rdg.org

September 1-10
85th Anniversary of the Invention of the Electronic TV by Philo T. Farnsworth
0000-2359, K7T, West Jordan, UT. Utah DX Association. 21.300 14.250 7.240. QSL. Wesley Wilkinson, 7363 Galaxy Hill Rd, West Jordan, UT 84081.

September 1-15
North Cook Islands
E5, After trying to head back to South Cook Islands, the sail boat developed some problems and the skipper decided to take Andy/AB7FS (E51AND) and his XYL Kathy back to Palmerston Atoll (OC-124), North Cook Islands. The couple will now stay until the middle of September. Look for Andy to be active mainly on CW around 14048 kHz. He often checks into the ANZA Net on 14183 kHz after 0500z. QSL via AB7FS.

September 1-3
Rag Chew Labor Day Special Event
1215-1800, K1R, Northfield, MA. 72 Rag Chew Group. 7.271 8:15 am to 9 am 7.272 9am to 2pm. Certificate. Robert Lobenstein, WA2AXZ, 1958 E 36th St, Brooklyn, NY 11234. Join us Labor Day weekend, September 1, 2 and 3rd to celebrate Labor day and the US workforce that makes our economy sucessful. www.ragchewers.com

September 2-14
IOTA-EU-165. Riccardo, IZ5JMX, will be active as IM0/IZ5JMX from San Pietro Island between September 2-14th. Activity will be on 40-10 meters using SSB only. QSL via the Bureau to his home callsign.

September 3-10
Nauru Island
C2, Yoosuke "Yuki", JH1NBN, will be active as C21BN (and possibly a special callsign) from Nauru between September 3-10th. Activity will be on 40-10 meters using simple antennas with 100 watts. QSL via his home callsign.

September 7-9
AH0, Kuroi, JH0MGJ/AL5A, will be active as AL5A/AH0 from Saipan Island (OC-086) between September 7-9th. He states that he will be looking "for many friends who will be in the Europe". QSL via LoTW. If you want a paper QSL (if it is necessary), his QSL Manager is JA7JEC. (Ohio/Penn DX # 1976)

September 8-16
13th Annual Route 66 On The Air
0001-2359, W6A-W6Q W6S-T, San Bernardino, CA. Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club. 21.366 14.266 7.266 3.866. Certificate & QSL. Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 3788, San Bernardino, CA 92413. Get your kicks on the 13th Annual Route 66 On The Air Special Event. On the air will be 18 stations and 2 rovers across the US. For QSL and Certificate information, click the "Route 66" link at www.w6jbt.org


September 8
US Air Force Birthday 1947; Patriot Day; first nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65) launched 1960
1600-2359, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway(CV-41) Museum. 14.320 7.250 PSK-31 14.070 D-STAR 012C. QSL. USS MidwayMuseum Radio Room, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.

September 9-28
Santa Fe Trail Bicycle Trek Santa Fe, NM to New Franklin, MO
2300-2300, NM5S, Santa Fe, NM. Santa Fe Trail Bicycle Committee. 14.062 7.032. Certificate. NM5S, 1224 Apache Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Operations daily along the 1,100 mile route following the historic Santa Fe Trail from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Franklin, Missouri. This will be a portable QRP CW station on the air at approximately 5-5:30 pm. and 7 to 7:30pm local time daily. These times and additional operations will be posted on QRPSPOTS.com. A single 8 1/2" x 11" certificate is available for contacts with our station for a SASE to the QRZ address for NM5S. www.santafetrailbicycletrek.com

September 15-16
Florida vs Tennessee Football Game
1600-2100, W4DFU/AA4UT, Maryville, TN. Gator and University of Tennessee Amateur Radio Clubs. 14.200 7.200. QSL. Dr Jay Garlitz, AA4FL, Faculty Advisor, Gator Amateur Radio Club J-12, PO Box 100012, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0012. AA4UT QSLs to Bobbie Williams, W1BEW, 2703 Chantay Dr, Maryville, TN 37803. See www.utarc.org or www.gatorradio.org

September 19-23
National POW/MIA Recognition Day
0000-2359, K4MIA, Loxahatchee, FL. PBSE Radio Society. 21.300 18.150 14.265 7.185. QSL. Michael Bald, 6758 Hall Blvd, Loxahatchee, FL 33470. SASE required.QSL card can be seen on QRZ. Last year worked over 2200 stations and over 500 QSL cards sent out. Please take time to honor our POWs/MIAs on Friday Sept 21. qrz.com/db/k4mia

September 22-23
Apple Days
1700-0230, W7K, Logan, UT. City of River Heights ECom Dept. 14.260 7.260. QSL. Quentin Gardner Jr, WQ7G, 709 East 350 South, Logan, UT 84321. Each year the City of River Heights, UT., has Apple Days. This year the radio operators that are in charge of ECom are sponsoring an Amateur Radio Booth, at the event, to promote Amateur Radio. They will be demonstrating HF SSB; 14.260+- or 7.260+- MHz. QSL cards are available with SASE. DX Welcome. QRZ.com or www.appledays.org

September 29-30
USS Wisconsin Final De-Commissioning
1500-2130, N4WIS, Virginia Beach, VA. USS Wisconsin Radio Club. 14.264 7.264. QSL. USS Wisconsin Radio Club, PO Box 6682, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. Sunday Museum hours start at 1700 UTC www.n4wis.org/n4wis/index.php
(ARRL/Ohio Penn)

Countdown to Field Day 2012

Don't forget to mark Saturday, June 23rd on your DX calendar. Amateur radio operators in the U.S. and Canada will be on the air to celebrate Field Day, a 24 hour period of making as many radio contacts as possible. The club field day operations are usually excellent verifiers. Many shortwave listeners work all 50 states and Canadian provinces during an ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Field Day weekend. Note the call sign, frequency, time, date and who they worked, and the reception quality description. Include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope with your details. Searchable calls for postal address info should go to www.qrz.com . Consult the ARRL website at www.arrl.org for upcoming news and rules about Amateur Radio Field Day.

Tens of thousands of Amateur Radio operators will be firing up portable radio stations from unexpected locations this weekend for ARRL Field Day. On June 23-24, over 35,000 hams are expected to operate from parks, malls, schools and. yes, fields, around the country.

Field Day is the climax of the week-long Amateur Radio Week sponsored by the ARRL. As of June 19, 21 states have issued proclamations thanking and supporting the hams for their community service work, and more are expected to do so.

Looking for a Field Day location? Check out the Field Day locator.

Information for media and the general public is at www.arrl.org/2012FieldDay .

Information for radio amateurs and participants is at www.arrl.org/field-day .

On Twitter you can follow @ARRL.

Here is just a sampling of Special Event stations that will broadcast for Field Day.

All times UTC

June 23 - ARRL Radio Field Day
1600-2359 UTC, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway (CV-41) Museum Radio Operations Room. SSB 14.320 7.250 PSK31 14.070 D-STAR 012C and 2 m/70 cm SOCAL rptrs. QSL. USS Midway Museum Radio Room, 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. kk6fz@arrl.net

Continuous wave Field Day Event
June 23-24, 1200-1200, W2INS, Lyndhurst, NJ. Joe Cass. 7.70 7.168 14.240 3.76. QSL. Joseph Casadonte, 704 3rd St, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071.

Field Day and Commemorating the Lives of President and Mrs Ronald Reagan
June 23-24, 1800-1900, N6R, Simi Valley, CA. Ventura County Amateur Radio Society and Simi Settlers Amateur Radio Club. 28.400 21.320 14.255 7.260 MHz. QSL. Ventura County Amateur Radio Society, N6R c/o Peter Heins, N6ZE, 1559 Norwich Ave, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. www.qrz.com/db/n6r

Sachse Field Day
June 23-24, 1800-2059, KF5NBO, Sachse, TX. Sachse Amateur Radio Association. 145.250 14.130. Certificate. Sachse Amateur Radio Assoc, KF5NBO, 4520 Harvest Ln, Sachse, TX 75048. Our first club Field Day http://www.sachseradio.org/

Amateur Radio Special Event Stations

Amateur radio special event stations, present an excellent opportunity for hams and shortwave listeners, to add colorful cards and certificates to their QSL collection.
Gayle Van Horn

Castle DXpedition
June 16
WCA & UCFA pedition EM7UT from Arsenal, Kievo-Pechorskaya Fortress!
- Serge UR7UT will be active on the 16th and 17th of June 2012 and participate in WCW-2012 from Arsenal, Kievo-Pechorskaya Fortress, WCA: UR-00066, UCFA: KV-001, URDA: KV-06, WW loc. KO50gk. He plans to work as EM7UT. QSL via UR7UT, bureau or direct. 73 & 11! [tnx info UR7UT](ICPO/Andrew-RN1CW)

Special Event Stations
June 12-26 City of Kitchener's 100th Anniversary
0000-2359, CK3/CJ3, Kitchener, ON. Municipality . 50.140 28.400 14.070 7.077 MHz. QSL. Richard Goetze, 105 Fairfield Ave, Kitchener, ON N2H 6C2, CANADA. The call sign prefix of CJ3 is for use with the operator’s suffix holding VA3 call signs, and the CK3 prefix is for operators with the VE3 call sign. Prefixes may be used by any amateur in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario. Expect participating stations in all HF bands operating many different modes. The main frequencies are as planned for the trustee station CK3ZUP: 40m Feld Hell; 20m PSK; 10m USB; 6m USB. QSL via. SASE (and $2 dollars if out side Canada). Note: US stamps not usable in Canada. ck3zup@gmail.com

June 15 - July 15 100th Anniversary of the C.W. Parker Carousel at the Burnaby Village Museum 0000-2359, CG7CWPC, Burnaby, BC. Burnaby Amateur Radio Club. 21.250 14.175 7.225 3.775 MHz. QSL. Via ARRL bureau or direct to Eric Stapleton, VE7EES, 128 - 4111 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC V5C 6T7, CANADA. www.ve7bar.org

June 15-24 - Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure/Field Day
0800-1800, W8O, New Vienna, OH. Highland and Clinton Counties Amateur Radio Associations. 7.255 MHz. QSL. John Levo, 21 Highland Drive, Hillsboro, OH 45133. To recognize the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure as it passes through Highland and Clinton Counties, Ohio, during the week leading to Field Day.

June 16-17 - Delmarva Chicken Festival
1400-0000, K3C, Salisbury, MD. Peninsula Radio Operators Society. 14.240 7.182 MHz QSL. Delmarva Chicken Festival, PO Box 1077, Salisbury, MD 21802. Celebrating Delmarva Poultry Industry www.delmarvapros.i8.com Newington Amateur Radio League NARLFEST

June 16 - Newington Amateur Radio League
1200-1800, NA1RL, Newington, CT. 28.450 24.950 14.250 7.250 MHz. QSL. Richard Lawrence, KB1DMX, 335 Lloyd St, Newington, CT 06111.

June 16 - Simi Valley History Day
0500-1300, W6SVS, Simi Valley, CA. Simi Settlers Amateur Radio Club. 14.255 14.045 7.260 MHz. QSL. Simi Settlers ARC, PO Box 2125, Simi Valley, CA 93065. Simi Valley Strathearn Park History Day www.simihistory.com . www.simisettlers.org

June 16 - 17 - The War of 1812 Kickoff
1800-1900, W3FT, Reisterstown, MD. Baltimore Amateur Radio Club. 21.360 14.285 7.181 3.840 MHz. QSL. Baltimore Amateur Radio Club, C/O W3FT, 12360 Owings Mills Blvd, Reisterstown, MD 21136. This event is in preparation for the 2014 celebration we are planning for the Battle of Baltimore. We are starting off by celebrating the Bi-Centennial of the WAR of 1812 The Blue Angels will be flying over the Baltimore Harbor and the Tall Ships have started to come into ports here. We will run as many bands as we safely can depending on the conditions. As you work us we will announce if we are on 10M, 6M, & 2M. www.w3ft.com

June 18-July 2 - KWARC 90th Anniversary
1201-2359, VC390IC, Kitchener Waterloo, ON. Kitchener Waterloo Amateur Radio Club. 3.760 MHz. QSL. Gord Gibson, 102 Grand River Blvd, Kitchener, ON N2A 2T1, CANADA. We will be communicating on a vintage Viking Pacemaker transmitter/Gonset G63 receiver on SSB - 40 and 80 meters bands. Other equipment will be use on higher frequencies. QSL via. SASE (and $2 dollars if out side Canada). Note: US stamps not usable in Canada. www.kwarc.org

June 21 - Pony Express Reride
1400-2100, W0KY, Kearney, NE. Midway Amateur Radio Club. 14.280 7.280 MHz. Certificate. Midway ARC, PO Box 1231, Kearney, NE 68848. www.w0ky.kearney.net

June 22-24 - 100th Anniversary of the Grotto of the Redemption
1600-1800, W0G, West Bend, IA. Bernard E. Lewiston, KB0L. 21.320 14.250 MHz. QSL. Bernie Lewiston, PO Box 432, West Bend, IA 50597. June 22: 16:00 - 20:00 UTC June 23: 16:00- 18:00 UTC June 24: 18:00 - 22:00 UTC www.qrz.com/db/KB0L

June 22 -24 - 100th Anniversary of the Grotto of the Redemption
1600-1800, W0G, West Bend, IA. Bernard E. Lewiston, KB0L. 21.320 14.250 MHz. QSL. Bernie Lewiston, PO Box 432, West Bend, IA 50597. June 22: 16:00 - 20:00 UTC June 23: 16:00- 18:00 UTC June 24: 18:00 - 22:00 UTC www.qrz.com/db/KB0L
(ARRL)

Shortwave on an iPhone ?

All you have to do is build a quadrature sampling detector

Stan Horzepa: "[A] software defined radio (SDR) application for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and iPad called iSDR. It is a portable software-defined radio receiver designed for experimenters, shortwave listeners and Amateur Radio operators -- and it is free! A caveat: receiving live on-the-air signals with iSDR requires purchasing or constructing a quadrature sampling detector (QSD) RF front-end device that connects between an antenna and the microphone input jack of the iPhone, iPod or iPad."
(ARRL/Kim Elliott)

Additional info: http://digitalconfections.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=54