eHam.net News

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US Air Force Wants to Plasma Bomb the Sky Using Tiny Satellites:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:36 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37357


Can you hear me now? The US Air Force is working on plans to improve radio
communication over long distances by detonating plasma bombs in the upper
atmosphere using a fleet of micro satellites. Since the early days of
radio, we've known that reception is sometimes better at night. Radio
stations that cannot be picked up by day may be heard clearly at night,
transmitting from hundreds of kilometres away. This is down to changes in
the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the atmosphere that starts
around 60 kilometres up. The curvature of Earth stops most ground-based
radio signals travelling more than 70 kilometres without a boost. But by
bouncing between the ionosphere and the ground they can zigzag for much
greater distances. At night the density of the ionosphere's charged
particles is higher, making it more reflective. This is not the first time
we've tinkered with the ionosphere to try to improve radio communication
and enhance the range of over-the-horizon radar. HAARP, the High Frequency
Active Auroral Research Program in Alaska, stimulates the ionosphere with
radiation from an array of ground-based antennas to produce
radio-reflecting plasma.


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DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #33:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:33 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37356


This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest
Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites.
Thanks to all.


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FCC 'Symbol Rate' Rule Making Proposal Open for Comment at Least Until Oct:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:33 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37355


In a July Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 16-239,
the FCC proposed to revise the Amateur Service Part 97 rules in
response to the ARRL's so-called "Symbol Rate" Petition for Rule
Making (RM-11708), filed in late 2013. The proceeding will remain
open for public comment at least for another 60 days, since the NPRM
has not yet appeared in The Federal Register, thus starting the
60-day clock.


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Just Ahead In Radiosport:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:33 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37354


Just Ahead In Radiosport:


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New Hamvention Venue: 'You Will Be Very Impressed,' Chairman Assures:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:33 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37353


Dayton Hamvention is moving on after 52
years at Hara Arena, and 2017 preparations at the show's new venue in
Xenia, Ohio, now are in full swing, two Hamvention officials explained this
week on the Amateur
Radio Roundtable webcast hosted by Tom Medlin,
W5KUB.


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Growth In New Amateur Radio Licensees Ahead of Last Year's:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:32 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37352


The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) reports that 20,447 new
US Amateur Radio licenses have been issued since January 1. That's
nearly 1500 ahead of the number that had been issued by this time last
year. At the present pace, the US is on track to exceed 30,000 new
radio amateurs for the third straight year by the end of the year.


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Amateur Radio Sleuthing Pins Down Source of Strange RF Interference:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:32 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37351


Police in Evanston, Illinois, contacted the ARRL Lab, after an apparent
interference source began plaguing wireless vehicle key fobs, cell
phones, and other wireless electronics. Key fob owners found they could
not open or start their vehicles remotely until their vehicles were
towed at least a block away, nor were they able to call for help on
their cell phones when problems occurred. The police turned to ARRL for
help after striking out with the FCC, which told them it considered key
fob malfunctions a problem for automakers, although the interference
was affecting not just key fobs but cell phones -- a licensed radio
service. ARRL Lab EMC Specialist Mike Gruber, W1MG, feels the FCC
should have paid more attention.


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The Doctor Will See You Now!

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:29 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37350


"SWR" is the topic of the current episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is In"
podcast. Listen...and learn!


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National Parks On the Air Update:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:30 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37349


The Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club put on a first-class activation
of the White House Ellipse, which counts for President's Park (DZ10) in
ARRL's National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program.


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Reminder: Youth In Amateur Radiosport Survey Ends August 31:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:30 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37348


Only a couple of weeks remain to add your voice to the Youth in Amateur
Radiosport Survey. The deadline to provide your input is August 31.


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HAARP Facility To Reopen In 2017 Under New Ownership:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:28 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37347


Alaska's High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP)
facility will reopen in 2017. The sprawling facility now is under the
ownership of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and the UAF
Geophysical Institute is preparing HAARP for a new sponsored research
campaign that's set to begin early next year, UAF Researcher Chris
Fallen, KL3WX, told ARRL.


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Amateur Radio Plays Critical Role In Mountain Rescue:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:27 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37346


Glenn Fowler, N5TDJ, of Allen, Texas, reported via Facebook that
Amateur Radio served him well on August 4. "We were on a treacherous Jeep
trip up at about 13,000 feet with
several other Jeeps in Colorado," he said in his post. "One person
there from Texas had a heart attack. There was no cell phone service. I
tried a few repeaters and the National Simplex Frequency and was amazed
that no one was monitoring any of them. I kept trying and finally
reached an ARES station on a Breckenridge linked repeater that took our
GPS coordinates and dispatched an ambulance to meet us at the first
place they could intercept the trail."


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ARES Day In Palm Beach County Recruits 15 New Members:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:29 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37345


It was ARES Day on July 30 in Palm Beach
County, Florida. Sponsored by Palm Beach County ARES, the event at the Palm
Beach/Martin County
Red Cross Chapter in West Palm Beach attracted 50 radio amateurs, and
15 joined ARES. The Red Cross provided lunch.


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New SO-50 Distance Record Set In Youth DX Adventure Contact:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:27 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37344


When Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, in Phoenix, Arizona, worked Faith Hannah Lea,
AE4FH -- on Saba and operating as PJ6Y -- the contact broke the
distance record on the SO-50 (SaudiSat) satellite.


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ARISS US Team to Host ARISS-International Summit:

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:28 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37343


The US Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team will
host the ARISS-International
"face-to-face" summit in the Houston, Texas, area this fall. A
highlight of the November 15-18 gathering will be a tour of NASA
Johnson Space Center (JSC) -- across the street from the meeting site
at the ISS Conference Facility, 1800 Space Park Drive, Nassau Bay,
Texas. Members of the public may attend as observers.


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Tuskegee Airman, Congressional Gold Medal Recipient, KB2OFY, (SK):

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:26 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37342


Tuskegee Airman and Congressional Gold Medal recipient Julius T.
Freeman, KB2OFY, of Spring Garden, New York, died on July 22 after
suffering a heart attack. He was 89. Originally from Lexington,
Kentucky, Freeman served during World War II as a medic with the famed
332nd Tuskegee Airmen. He was a frequent speaker at schools and civic
organizations.


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In Brief...

Posted: 11 Aug 2016 08:25 AM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37341


ARRL Field Day 2016 List of Logs Received Now Available: The list of
Logs Received for ARRL Field Day 2016 now is available. It includes all
logs -- paper and electronic -- as well as all entries classified as
check logs, typically due to incomplete information. Participants have
until Tuesday, August 23, to contact ARRL if they believe there are
problems with their entries.