eHam.net News

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Propagation Forecast Bulletin #15 de K7RA:

Posted: 08 Apr 2016 07:01 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36534


All solar and geomagnetic indicators declined again last week.
Compared to the previous seven days, from March 31 through April 6
the average daily sunspot number slipped from 28.1 to 19.4. Average
daily solar flux sank from 88.8 to 83.1, while average daily
planetary A index went from 11.9 to 9.4. Average daily mid-latitude
A index went to 7.6 from 8.6.


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Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2006, April 8th, 2016:

Posted: 08 Apr 2016 04:07 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36532


The following is a QST. Australia's giant electronics retailer gets a
reprieve. A Florida disaster drill is anything but disastrous. And World
Amateur Radio Day is coming. All this and more in Amateur Radio Newsline
Report 2006 coming your way right now.


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Radio Fan Celebrates His 100th Birthday:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 05:00 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36530


Norton St Philip resident Laurie Gibson has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Mr Gibson was born a few months before the Battle of the Somme and in the
same month BMW was founded. He came to live in Norton St Philip with his
wife Dorothy in 1972 on his retirement. He has always had a keen interest
in amateur radio as well as gardening and classical


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American Airlines UFO Report Caught on Ham Radio:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 05:00 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36529


A ham radio user caught what appears to be a UFO report near Nephi, Utah
while monitoring airline communications between commercial airliners and
the control tower. The conversation was not recorded. However, UFO
researchers were able to get a copy of the transmission from the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) in response to a Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) request. Pat Daniels, a paranormal radio host and ham radio
hobbyist, was monitoring airline communications on January 14 at around
12:12 am when he heard exactly what he was looking for, a UFO report.
According to the website UFOs Northwest, Daniels claims: "The pilot
reported seeing an extremely large bright object that he estimated a mile
wide to his right. The air traffic controller told him that he was looking
in the direction of Nephi, Utah. Apparently the air traffic controller told
the pilot that the object was not detected on radar. The object appeared to
keep pace with the aircraft." Daniels reported the event to the Utah
chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). The Utah MUFON state director at
the time was Erica Lukes, who says her team, with the help of William
Puckett from UFOs Northwest, began investigating.


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DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #15:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 09:44 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36528


This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
GW0ANA, QRZ DX, OPDX, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST
and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.


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This Week in Radiosport:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:52 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36527


This Week in Radiosport:


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A New 'ARRL The Doctor is In' Audio Podcast Episode is Now Available:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:51 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36526


"HF Vertical Antennas" will be the topic of the inaugural "ARRL The Doctor
is In" audio podcast, available on April 7 and sponsored by DX
Engineering. "ARRL The Doctor is In" is a lively discussion of all things
technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and
wherever you like!


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World Amateur Radio Day Will Celebrate Ham Radio's Contribution to Society:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:51 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36525


World Amateur Radio Day (WARD), observed every April 18, marks the founding
of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in 1925. As they do every
year, radio amateurs worldwide will take to the airwaves to celebrate
Amateur Radio's contribution to society.


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ARRL MW Experiment Sees Ongoing Research Role After Hams Gain 472-479 kHz:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:51 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36524


The coordinator of the 600 Meter Experimental Group, Fritz Raab, W1FR, said
this week that he sees an ongoing role for medium frequency (MF)
experimentation, even after Amateur Radio gains access to the new 630 meter
band (472-479 kHz). An FCC Report and Order authorizing Amateur Radio
access to 2200 meters (135.7-137.8 kHz) and 630 meters is anticipated soon.
In his 1st quarterly report for 2016 on the WD2XSH Experimental license
work, Raab said that once the new 630 meter ham band is in place, he
expects ARRL experiment participants to pursue work in that part of the
spectrum under their Amateur Radio licenses. But, he said that more MF
research remains, and he would recommend continuing work under the WD2XSH
Experimental a while longer, shifting focus to 461 to 472 kHz.


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National Parks on the Air Update:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:49 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36523


Thanks to the ARRL IT Department, there are now daily updates to the
National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) activity statistics. The new statistics
are listed on the NPOTA Leader board page. There, you can find info on the
number of parks activated, total number of NPOTA activations, and number of
QSOs per NPOTA unit. As of April 6, more than 240,000 NPOTA contacts had
been confirmed in Logbook of the World, from nearly 3400 activations since
January 1. The California National Historic Trail has hosted 4115 QSOs,
more than any other NPOTA unit.


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Author, TV Reporter are the 2015 ARRL Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Award Recipients

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:49 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36522


Author Don Keith, N4KC, and TV reporter and anchor Jackie Lukas are the
recipients of the 2015 ARRL Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Award. Keith was
recognized for an article on Amateur Radio, "Wave of Popularity," that he
contributed to American Legion magazine. Lukas, a reporter and anchor for
News 12 Long Island in New York, was honored for reporting the Great South
Bay Amateur Radio Club's activation of a lighthouse "in an uplifting and
positive manner." The ARRL Board of Directors named Keith and Lukas in
January to receive the award.


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MicroHAMS Digital Conference Showcases Innovative Applications, Hardwa

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:49 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36521


Each March in the heart of the Pacific Northwest's software capital, the
MicroHAMS club hosts the annual MicroHAMS Digital Conference (MHDC). Having
expanded beyond being Microsoft's radio club, MicroHAMS now boasts members
from all around the Puget Sound area, including a lot of digital
innovators. This year's conference was booked solid.


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'Cows Over the World DXpedition' Set to Get Under Way:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:46 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36520


Tom Callas, KC0W, has all of his bovines in a row to begin his "Cows Over
the World DXpedition" to several DXCC entities in the Pacific and Asia this
month, several months earlier than initially announced. All call signs will
include a "COW" suffix. American Samoa will be the starting point for his
all-CW adventure. The Minnesota DXer will operate as KH8/KC0W beginning on
or about April 12. At the outset of his stay on Tutuila Island (OC-045),
Callas will be on a beach near Pago Pago on the east side of the island.


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Hurricane Watch Net Seeks Net Control Operators:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:48 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36519


The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is looking for additional net control
operators. Hurricane Season in the Atlantic begins on June 1 and ends on
November 30; in the Eastern Pacific, it begins on May 15 and ends on
November 30. Hurricanes can form at any time of the year, however, as
witnessed by Hurricane Alex in January.


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Ohio SEC Expanding 'NVIS Antenna Day' Activity this Year:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:48 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36518


ARRL Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL, says he has
expanded participation in his section's "NVIS Antenna Day" on Saturday,
April 23, by inviting stations in neighboring states to participate. This
year's activity also will introduce the "anchor stations" concept, to
provide more consistent signal reports. The Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave
or NVIS antenna has gained traction among emergency communication groups
and others desiring a close-in radiation pattern for regional work on HF.


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Rose A. 'Uti' Gandy, KS6FO, (SK):

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:48 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36517


Rose "Uti" Gandy, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, died on March 25. She was
69 and had been an ARRL member. Uti Gandy was the widow of the prominent
contester and DXer Larry Gandy, AH8LG (SK). Uti Gandy helped with the
Swains Island DXpeditions and hosted the W1AW/KH8 operations during the
ARRL Centennial. A service was set for April 7.


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Voice of America Antenna Farm in North Carolina Leveled:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:47 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36516


A field of 48 antenna towers that the Voice of America (VOA) once used to
broadcast around the world, was dropped by explosives on April 4. The VOA
had not used the towers, located in Beaufort County, North Carolina, for 10
years, although it still broadcasts news and information to Latin America,
Cuba, the Caribbean, and Africa from antennas in a nearby county.


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Steve Thomas, M1ACB, Tapped as New RSGB General Manager:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:48 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36515


Steve Thomas, M1ACB, of Sternfield, Saxmundham, England, has been appointed
as the new general manager of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). He
will succeed Graham Coomber, G0NBI, who is retiring. Thomas has a
background in the IT and telecoms industries, with senior roles in
management, leadership and strategy. He has also served as a director of an
international standards organization and brings experience in contract,
project, and financial management.


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UK to Sell Off 750 MHz of Radio Spectrum:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:47 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36514


UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced in the 2016 budget
that 750 MHz of public sector radio spectrum would be "released" : that is,
auctioned. The Amateur Service in the UK currently shares significant
spectrum with the public sector. In "Supporting the digital economy," the
Budget 2016 document calls electromagnetic spectrum a valuable and scarce
resource.


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ARRL Establishes 'Youth Nets' Web Page:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:46 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36513


The new "Youth Nets" page on the ARRL website is designed to serve as a
clearing house for information about Amateur Radio nets aimed at youth
participation. During those dry spells between bigger operating events such
as School Club Roundup, Kids Day, and Field Day, regular participation in a
net helps to develop operating skills and confidence, and it builds
connections within the community of young hams. A few nets are already
listed, but ARRL invites any nets aimed at young radio amateurs to post and
share their information on the ARRL "Youth Nets" web page.


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Waynesboro, Georgia, SwapFest is April 23:

Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:46 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/36512


The date of the Waynesboro, Georgia, SwapFest was incorrect in the May
edition of QST. The correct date is Saturday, April 23, 9 AM-4 PM at
American Legion Post 120. The Waynesboro SwapFest is sponsored by the Burke
Amateur Radio Club.