eHam.net News

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Propagation Forecast Bulletin #2 de K7RA:

Posted: 08 Jan 2016 05:30 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/35940


Solar indices were down over the past reporting week (December 31,
2015 through January 6, 2016) with average daily sunspot numbers
down from 49.6 to 41 and average daily solar flux down from 122.3 to
98.2.


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Ham Radio Operators are Emergency Communications:

Posted: 07 Jan 2016 04:00 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/35939


SILVER CITY -- As our society becomes increasingly dependent upon the
internet and cell phones for staying in touch, few stop to consider what
would happen in an emergency situation if these methods of communication
were rendered useless. But ham radio operators in Grant County have
definitely given it some thought. They know all too well what can happen,
and as a result, are prepared to take action to maintain open channels of
communication with emergency personnel. "Amateur radio operators can set up
a backup communications network if telephone service and emergency service
communications are disrupted," says Marc Levesque, president of the Gila
Amateur Radio Society (GARS). "These operators can deploy to key locations
around the county, such as Central Dispatch, the hospital, the sheriff's
office and fire departments to maintain a communications link for public
safety agencies."


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What Is A Sunspot?

Posted: 07 Jan 2016 04:00 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/35938


Sure, the sun's light and heat make life possible on Earth, and its gravity
holds our entire solar system together. But our nearest star remains
surprisingly enigmatic. Scientists still don't know, for example, why its
magnetic activity fluctuates in an 11-year solar cycle. Or how powerful
solar flares can knock out satellites, disrupt GPS systems, and fry
electrical grids here on Earth. What they do know is that sunspots -- those
randomly-spaced dark blotches on the sun's surface -- are a critical part
of that puzzle. In September, an international team of scientists was able
to show, for the first time, how magnetic activity in the sun's interior
leads a sunspot to form. And it revealed how that energy is later released
in plasma jets and explosions, phenomena similar to powerful solar flares.


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2016 Foundation for Amateur Radio Scholarship Information:

Posted: 07 Jan 2016 03:28 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/35937


The Foundation for Amateur Radio, Inc., will be administering a total of 46
scholarships,worth an aggregate of $71,000 for the coming 2016/2017
academic year. The scholarships range in value from $500 to $5,000 each.


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DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #1:

Posted: 07 Jan 2016 08:47 AM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/35936


This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
EI3GC, QRZ DX, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the
ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.