• ARRL Weekly 11/21/19

    From Argos@21:1/203 to All on Thu Nov 21 17:20:53 2019
    ********************************************
    The ARRL Letter

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

    November 21, 2019

    Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <ww1me@arrl.org>

    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 Legislative Advocacy Committee Drafting New Bill Addressing
    Antenna Restrictions
    - WRC-19 Delegates Reach Agreement on 6-Meter Band in ITU Region 1
    - Radio Amateur's "Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting" Video Debuts
    on YouTube
    - The Doctor Will See You Now!
    - Melissa Stemmer Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff as Development Manager
    - Youth on the Air Camp Coming to the Americas
    - Southern California Hams Support Major Terrorist Attacks Response
    Drill
    - Dayton Hamvention® Invites 2020 Award Nominations
    - The K7RA Solar Update
    - Just Ahead in Radiosport
    - Alaska and Tennessee Getting New Section Managers
    - Why Propagation Repeats About Every 27 Days
    - In Brief...
    - Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

    ARRL Headquarters will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and
    29, for Thanksgiving. The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will not be
    available on those days. The next editions will be on December 5 and 6, respectively. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

    ARRL LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE DRAFTING NEW BILL ADDRESSING
    ANTENNA RESTRICTIONS

    The ARRL Board of Directors Legislative Advocacy Committee is in the
    process of drafting a new bill to address the issue of private land-use restrictions on amateur radio antennas. The proposed legislation would
    be the successor to the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Legislative
    Advocacy Committee, chaired by Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra,
    K6JAT, will report to the Board soon, once plans are fleshed out.
    Tiemstra told the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) on October 12 in
    Aurora, Colorado, that Advocacy Committee members have traveled to
    Washington to meet on multiple occasions with members of Congress and
    their staffs to inform them of the committee's plans.

    ARRL Washington Counsel Dave Siddall, K3ZJ, told the EC last month that
    he understands the conditional exemption of amateur radio licensees
    from the RF exposure measurement requirements in the FCC's Part 97
    Amateur Service rules is proposed to be removed. A Report and Order in
    FCC Docket WT 13-84 is making the rounds that, if adopted, would make
    amateur licensees subject to the same requirements as all other FCC
    licensees. The Report and Order is expected to be released before
    year's end.

    Siddall also reported to the EC that the FCC is poised to address the
    60-meter band amateur allocation adopted at World Radiocommunication
    Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The National Telecommunications and
    Information Administration (NTIA), on behalf of US government primary
    users of the band, has insisted that the maximum permitted power for
    radio amateurs must not exceed that agreed to at WRC-15 -- 15 W
    effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) or 9.1 W ERP -- despite the
    fact that Canada has authorized its amateur licensees to use 100 W, and eliminate the current discrete channels, which ARRL's petition proposed
    to retain. NTIA oversees federal government frequency allocations and
    users.

    Minutes <http://www.arrl.org/board-meetings> of the October 12
    Executive Committee meeting were posted this week on the ARRL website.

    WRC-19 DELEGATES REACH AGREEMENT ON 6-METER BAND IN ITU REGION 1

    World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19 <https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/wrc/2019/Pages/default.aspx>)
    has approved a 6-meter allocation for International Telecommunication
    Region 1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East). The decision came after
    more than 2 weeks of strenuous negotiations to reconcile widely
    disparate views of Region 1 administrations.

    "The result is a dramatic improvement in the international Radio
    Regulations for amateurs in Region 1," the International Amateur Radio
    Union (IARU) said in announcing the agreement.

    When the Final Acts take effect, 44 countries in Region 1 will have a
    primary allocation of at least 500 kHz, including 26 countries with a
    primary allocation of the 50 - 54 MHz. The entire region will have an
    amateur secondary allocation of 50 - 52 MHz, except in Russia, whose administration opted for only 50.080 - 50.280 MHz on a secondary basis.

    Provisions will be in place to protect other existing services using
    the band in Region 1 and in neighboring countries in Region 3. The
    existing primary allocation of 50 - 54 MHz in Regions 2 and 3 is
    unaffected.

    The decision on WRC-19 agenda item 1.1 is the culmination of years of
    effort by the IARU and its member-societies.

    Delegates this week faced a daunting workload as they tried to reach
    consensus on several remaining issues, including the agenda for the
    next WRC. The final session of the conference plenary to approve texts
    for inclusion in the Final Acts of the conference was set to wrap up on November 21.

    As of the end of last week, no choices had been made as to which of
    more than three dozen proposed topics will end up on the agenda for
    World Radiocommunication Conference 2023. Each proposed agenda item
    would require studies to be conducted between 2020 and 2023, but
    International Telecommunication Union (ITU <https://www.itu.int/en/>)
    resources will not accommodate more than about half of the proposals.
    Some face strong opposition, while others remain ill-defined even at
    this late stage of the conference.

    - Short Duration Satellites: No agreement has been reached on how to
    protect existing services and uses of the uplink frequency band
    proposed for telemetry, tracking, and command of these "simple"
    satellites.

    - 5725 - 5850 MHz: This part of the amateur secondary allocation, which includes an amateur-satellite downlink at 5830 - 5850 MHz, is the
    subject of an unresolved conflict over parameters for wireless access
    systems, including radio local area networks.

    - Frequencies above 275 GHz: This upper frequency range is not
    allocated, but several bands are identified for passive (receive-only)
    use, and administrations are encouraged to protect them from harmful interference. With that in mind, WRC-19 has identified other bands
    above 275 GHz for the implementation of land mobile and fixed service applications. The use of these bands for applications in other
    services, including amateur experimentation, is not precluded.

    With the 50 MHz issue settled, the IARU team devoted most of its energy
    to explaining why the proposed Radionavigation Satellite Service (RNSS)
    agenda item for 1240 - 1300 MHz is unnecessary and undesirable. At
    issue is compatibility between radio amateurs, who are secondary on
    1240 - 1300 MHz, with Galileo RNSS (GPS) system receivers. The amateur community has advocated that this matter be dealt with through existing
    ITU processes rather than the 4 years of study that an agenda item
    would entail. Read more <https://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/174-news/latest-news/1917-wrc-19-approves-re gion-1-50-mhz-amateur-allocation>.

    RADIO AMATEUR'S "TRIBUTE TO A CENTURY OF BROADCASTING" VIDEO DEBUTS
    ON YOUTUBE

    Art Donahue, W1AWX, of Franklin, Massachusetts, has posted his "Tribute
    to a Century of Broadcasting" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKRZJ5uO2Mw&feature=youtu.be> video in recognition of the centennial of formal radio broadcasts. The video
    features a complete scan of the AM broadcast band (530 - 1700 kHz),
    with station IDs for all 118 AM radio channels.

    Donahue told ARRL he recorded these off the air using two long-wire
    antennas in the trees. Each slide highlights one station on each
    frequency with call sign, location, power, day/night/gray-line
    reception, distance, and year of first broadcast, accompanied by audio
    of an actual station identification.

    "If you ever spent evenings when you were a kid trying to hear
    long-distance radio stations on your AM radio, this video has what they
    all sound like today," Donahue said. "I wanted to do something in honor
    of the KDKA broadcasting centennial next year and thought I'd try to
    get every single channel recorded. It took a lot of time, patience, and
    good luck. You'll hear a lot of surprises on the video."

    Donhaue added, "It was a fun project to work on."

    THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW!

    "Big Wire Antennas" is the topic of the new (November 21) episode of
    the ARRL The Doctor is In <http://www.arrl.org/doctor> podcast.
    Listen...and learn!

    Sponsored by DX Engineering <http://www.dxengineering.com/>, ARRL The
    Doctor is In is an informative discussion of all things technical.
    Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever
    you like!

    Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and
    the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of
    technical topics. You can also email your questions to doctor@arrl.org,
    and the Doctor may answer them in a future podcast.

    Enjoy ARRL The Doctor is In on Apple iTunes <https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arrl-the-doctor-is-in/id1096749595?mt=2>, or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for ARRL The
    Doctor is In). You can also listen online at Blubrry <https://www.blubrry.com/arrl_the_doctor_is_in/>, or at Stitcher <https://www.stitcher.com/> (free registration required, or browse the
    site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or
    Android devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download
    our beginner's guide <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>.

    MELISSA STEMMER JOINS ARRL HEADQUARTERS STAFF AS DEVELOPMENT
    MANAGER

    Connecticut native Melissa Stemmer has joined the ARRL Headquarters
    staff as Development Manager. Born and raised in Waterbury, Stemmer
    earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of
    Connecticut in 1998, and she worked in that field for more than 15
    years. After deciding that a career change was in order, Stemmer went
    back to school, earning a master's in organizational leadership in 2015
    from Quinnipiac University.

    "I am so excited to be on this journey at ARRL, and I am looking
    forward to getting to know everyone," Stemmer said.

    Before coming to ARRL, she was the development director at Seven Angels
    Theatre in Waterbury. In September 2015, Stemmer signed on as
    coordinator of the theatre's annual High School Halo Awards -- the
    largest high school theatre award program in Connecticut.

    During her tenure at Seven Angels Theatre, Stemmer was an active member
    of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and the Waterbury Exchange Club. She
    served on the executive committee and governing council of the Arts and
    Culture Collaborative of the Waterbury Region and was a member of the
    Young Professionals Task Force of the Waterbury Region.

    YOUTH ON THE AIR CAMP COMING TO THE AMERICAS

    The Electronic Applications Radio Service (EARS <https://w9ear.altervista.org/>) has announced that the first Youth On
    The Air (YOTA) camp in the US is set to take place in June. Sponsors
    hope the camp will become an annual event.

    The inaugural summer camp will take place June 21 - 26 at the National
    Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township, Ohio.
    The West Chester Amateur Radio Association (WC8VOA
    <https://wc8voa.org/>) will host the event. EARS is a 501(c)(3)
    charitable organization dedicated to wireless technologies and
    activities.

    According to the announcement, the camp will focus on building peer and
    mentor relationships and taking amateur radio "to the next level."
    Campers will learn and exercise on-the-air skills at special event
    station W8Y.

    For more information, email <yotaregion2@gmail.com> Camp Director Neil
    Rapp, WB9VPG, or call (812) 327-0749. (Read more <http://www.arrl.org/news/youth-on-the-air-camp-coming-to-the-americas>.)

    SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAMS SUPPORT MAJOR TERRORIST ATTACKS RESPONSE
    DRILL

    Seventy southern California amateur radio volunteers deployed to 30
    local hospitals, clinics, and city emergency operations centers on
    November 6 to support public safety and emergency medical functions
    during a mock terrorist response drill that tested law enforcement and
    medical treatment facilities in San Diego County.

    The scenario was a coordinated attack at two locations 50 miles apart
    that resulted in mass casualties and inundated local emergency
    departments with 1,000 volunteer actors suffering from simulated
    injuries and frantic families (also actors) trying to locate loved
    ones. One simulated attack occurred at California's LEGOLAND theme
    park, which closed for a half day to support the exercise. The other
    simulated attack occurred at a 20,000-seat amphitheater. During the
    5-hour exercise, hams relayed hundreds of formal ICS 213 messages via
    Winlink and voice nets from hospital to hospital and from hospitals to
    the County Medical Operations Center.

    Participants included hams aboard the 1,000-bed US Navy Hospital Ship
    USNS Mercy and those who checked in via HF from across the southwestern
    US.

    Hospitals used this full-scale exercise to fulfill their annual
    accreditation training requirement. Recent changes in California
    hospital regulations require smaller medical clinics to conduct annual certification drills, and that expansion of clinic participation has
    led to a flood of requests for trained radio operators at hundreds of
    day surgery clinics and group homes not covered previously by ARES.
    Because demand far exceeds the availability of ARES operators for
    mid-week daytime drills, ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave
    Kaltenborn, N8KBC, has encouraged smaller clinics and medical networks
    to consider developing their own internal amateur radio capabilities.
    Several people involved at the smaller clinics have taken classes and
    training provided by ARES.

    The exercise included cross-border participation by members of Club de
    Radio Experimentadores de Baja California (CREBC) at Tijuana General
    Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. CREBC hams maintain an extensive Winlink
    and repeater network used by amateurs on both sides of the border. --
    Thanks to ARRL San Diego Section Manager Dave Kaltenborn, N8KBC

    DAYTON HAMVENTION® INVITES 2020 AWARD NOMINATIONS

    Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org>® is inviting nominations
    for its 2020 awards. Nominations are due by February 15, 2020. Awards
    will be granted for Amateur of the Year, Club of the Year, Technical Achievement, and Special Achievement.

    - The Amateur of the Year Award is given to a radio amateur who has
    made a long-term commitment to the advancement of amateur radio. This individual will have a history of ham radio contributions and
    demonstrated dedication to service, professionalism, and the
    advancement of the avocation of amateur radio.
    - <http://www.hamvention.org>The Club of the Year will be honored for
    clearly demonstrating its involvement in varied aspects of amateur
    radio for the greater good of their community and/or nation.
    - The Technical Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has
    achieved technical excellence in the world of amateur radio. Examples
    are inventions, processes, discoveries, experiments, and other
    technical accomplishments or achievements that contributed to amateur
    radio.
    - The Special Achievement Award recognizes a radio amateur who has made
    an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the radio art and/or
    science. This award is usually given to a respected amateur who
    spearheaded a single significant project.

    Nomination forms <https://hamvention.org/event-details/awards/> are
    specific to the award. At a minimum, each form should be completed with
    the information indicated. Provide contact information for the person
    making the nomination. Submit forms via email <awards@hamvention.org>
    or via USPS to Hamvention, Attention: Awards Committee, Box 964,
    Dayton, Ohio 45401-0964.

    The Awards Committee will make its selections and announce the
    recipients along with details on their accomplishments. An honors
    convocation and award presentation will be held on the Saturday evening
    of Hamvention. Award presentations will also take place at Hamvention
    on Sunday afternoon, prior to the prize award activity.

    For more information, contact <awards@hamvention.org> the Dayton
    Hamvention Awards Committee.

    THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

    Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Still no sunspots since November 2.
    Average daily solar flux during the reporting week dipped slightly from
    70.3 to 69.9. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet, with the average daily planetary A index dipping from 4 to 3.6, and the average mid-latitude A
    index going from 3 to 2.3.

    Predicted solar flux is 70 on November 21 - 22; 68 on November 23; 67
    on November 24 - 27; 69 on November 28 - December 8; 70 on December 9 -
    22, and 69 on December 23 - January 4.

    The predicted planetary A index is 20, 16, and 10 on November 21 - 23;
    8 on November 24 - 25; 5 on November 26 - December 12; 6 on December
    13; 5 on December 14 - 15; 8, 15, 20, 18, and 10 on December 16 - 20; 8
    on December 21 - 23, and 5 on December 24 - January 4.

    Sunspot numbers for November 14 - 20 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with
    a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 69.9, 70, 69.7, 70.1, 70.4,
    69.2, and 70.2, with a mean of 69.9. Estimated planetary A indices were
    4, 4, 6, 5, 2, 2, and 2, with a mean of 3.6. The mid-latitude A index
    was 3, 2, 5, 3, 1, 1, and 1, with a mean of 2.3.

    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/> K9LA's Propagation Page.

    A propagation bulletin archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available.
    Monthly charts <http://arrl.org/propagation> offer propagation
    projections between the US and a dozen DX locations.

    Share <k7ra@arrl.net> your reports and observations.

    JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

    - November 23 - 24 -- CQ Worldwide DX Contest (CW)

    - November 27 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

    - November 27 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (CW)

    - November 28 -- 3.5 RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series (CW)

    - December 1 -- Russian WW MultiMode Contest (CW, phone, digital)

    - December 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)

    - December 5 -- 1.8 QRP ARCI Topband Sprint (CW)

    - December 5 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW, phone, digital)

    - December 5 -- SKCC Sprint Europe (CW)

    - December 6 - 8 -- ARRL 160-Meter Contest (CW)
    <http://www.arrl.org/160-meter>

    See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
    for more information. For in-depth reporting on amateur radio
    contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update <http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues> via your ARRL member
    profile email preferences.

    ALASKA AND TENNESSEE GETTING NEW SECTION MANAGERS

    Two new Section Managers (SMs) have been declared elected in the
    just-concluded fall election cycle. Ballots for the Alaska and
    Tennessee Section Manager elections were counted on November 19 at ARRL Headquarters. Eight incumbent Section Managers ran without opposition
    during this election cycle. All terms of office start on January 1.

    In a very close race in Alaska, David Stevens, KL7EB, received 98
    votes, and his opponent, Lara Baker, AL2R, received 88 votes. Both are
    from Anchorage. Stevens served previously as Alaska's SM, from 1984
    until 1985; from 1998 until 1999, and from 2002 through 2007. Stevens
    takes over as Section Manager from Ray Hollenbeck, KL1IL, of Wasilla,
    who has led the Alaska Section for the past 4 years.

    In Tennessee, David Thomas, KM4NYI, of Knoxville, outpolled Charles
    Talley, KJ4KVC, of Lyles, 557 to 417. An active member of the Radio
    Amateur Club of Knoxville, Thomas serves on the club's Repeater
    Committee as a hands-on technician for the club's repeater suite. He
    enjoys restoring tube-type ham gear, operating HF, 6 meters, and
    digital modes.

    Thomas will be taking the reins of the Tennessee Field Organization
    from Keith Miller, N9DGK, of Rockvale, who decided not to run for a new
    term. Miller has served as Section Manager since 2012.

    These incumbent Section Managers were the only candidates in their
    respective sections and have been declared elected. JVann Martin, W4JVM (Alabama); Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH (Delaware); Jim Siemons, W6LK (East
    Bay); Ron Cowan, KB0DTI (Kansas); Jim Kvochick, K8JK (Michigan); Bill
    Mader, K8TE (New Mexico); John Kitchens, NS6X (Santa Barbara), and Ray
    Lajoie, KB1LRL (Western Massachusetts).

    WHY PROPAGATION REPEATS ABOUT EVERY 27 DAYS

    The sun rotates in about 27 days, but different solar latitudes rotate
    with different periods. This is why propagation repeats roughly every
    27 days, as NASA explains <https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/solar-rotation.html>.

    The sun's rotation was first detected by observing the motion of
    sunspots. The sun's rotation axis is tilted by about 7.25° from the
    axis of Earth's orbit, so we see more of the sun's north pole in
    September and more of its south pole in March. Because the sun is a
    ball of gas/plasma, it does not have to rotate rigidly, as solid
    planets and moons do. In fact, the sun's equatorial regions rotate
    faster -- taking only about 24 days -- than the polar regions, which
    rotate once every 30+ days.

    The source of this "differential rotation" is an area of current
    research in solar astronomy. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update and
    NASA

    IN BRIEF...

    OH2BH to Be On the Air from Myanmar The government in Myanmar has given
    limited amateur operating privileges to Martti Laine, OH2BH. He will
    use XZ2D. Laine reports that authorities in the Southeast Asian nation
    have only permitted him to operate on 15 meters and higher, but he is
    hoping to obtain permission to operate on a spot frequency on 20
    meters. "Getting 14.065 kHz temporarily for the duration of 48 hours
    would be magic," Laine said. Members of the world-wide amateur
    community wrote the Myanmar government to support Laine. "As Radio
    Arcala, OH8X remains at their Climate Park with more than 110,000
    mangroves planted <https://wif.foundation/en/>," he continued. "[O]ur
    dream remains to activate the Union of Myanmar from our own site from
    the noise-free Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar." The XZ2D license is valid
    until April 17. Laine said he has been setting up his station and
    should be on the air on November 21. According to Club Log's DXCC Most
    Wanted list, Myanmar is #48.

    Happy 45th Birthday, AMSAT-OSCAR 7! The world's longest-lived
    satellite, AO-7, turned 45 years old this month. It was launched <https://tinyurl.com/ANS-321-AO7Launch> on November 15, 1974, from
    Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After nearly 7 years of
    service, AO-7 was thought to have reached the end of its life in June
    1981 due to battery failure, and a premature obituary <https://tinyurl.com/ANS-321-AO7Record> appeared in the AMSAT Satellite
    Report. In an interesting footnote, although AO-7 was thought to be nonfunctional after 1981, it's been reported <https://nowahistoria.interia.pl/prl/news-jak-solidarnosc-walczaca-wykorzystala -satelite-do-zbudowania,nId,1734550>
    that the Polish Solidarity movement used AO-7 to pass messages in 1982,
    while Poland was under martial law. Twenty years later, on June 21,
    2002, G3IOR reported hearing "an old-style CW beacon" from an unknown
    OSCAR near 145.970 MHz. It didn't take long to identify the satellite
    as AO-7, which remains operational and well-used while it's in
    sunlight. To celebrate AO-7's 45th birthday, AMSAT plans to auction a
    set of gold-plated AO-7 cufflinks and a 50th Anniversary AMSAT lab coat
    (size 42R). The auctions are now live on eBay <https://www.ebay.com/usr/amsat-na> and will conclude shortly after
    0200 UTC on November 26, 2019. AMSAT reports that 100% of the proceeds
    will go toward Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. -- Thanks to AMSAT News
    Service

    ARRL Self-Guided Emergency Communication Course EC-001-S is Now
    Available On Demand ARRL's EC-001-S online "Introduction to Emergency Communication" course is now available to students in an on-demand
    format, allowing students to register for the course and begin work at
    any time. This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools
    for any emergency communications volunteer. In response to the great
    course demand and to expand access to EC-001, ARRL developed a
    self-guided version of the course, EC-001-S, which launched in June.
    This version of the course is designed for those who prefer to work independently and who do not need guidance from an online mentor.
    EC-001-S was previously offered only during specific sessions along
    with the traditional mentored version. The course opened for general
    enrollment on November 6. Visit <http://www.arrl.org/online-course-registration> the ARRL Online Course Registration page for more information and to register.

    Florida and Georgia Amateur Radio Volunteers Support the Spaghetti 100
    Bicycle Ride Two dozen amateur radio volunteers from the Tallahassee
    Amateur Radio Society (TARS) in Florida and the Thomasville Amateur
    Radio Club (TARC) in Georgia provided communication support for the
    Capital City Cyclists' 35th annual Spaghetti 100 Bicycle Ride on
    November 9. The Spaghetti 100 funds the Kids on Bikes program, which
    teaches hundreds of elementary schoolers how to ride a bicycle safely
    and helps to support the Trips for Kids chapter, which takes
    disadvantaged youth on bike rides on local trails. The hams used one of
    the TARS VHF repeaters to provide communication for safety and
    logistics, as well as for the medical and mechanical teams. Cell phone
    coverage is very sparse along the 100-mile route on back-country roads
    in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Communications Coordinator
    Stan Zawrotny, K4SBZ, said the importance of ham radio's traditional
    role in filling communication gaps was brought home to him when the
    land line at the ride's headquarters was out for several hours, leaving
    amateur radio as the only communication for some areas. "In addition to
    the thanks given by most of the bicyclists as they passed by, event
    sponsors expressed their appreciation for the work of the ham radio
    volunteers and were impressed with the capabilities of amateur radio,"
    Zawrotny said.

    UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

    - December 13 - 14 -- West Central Florida Section Convention <http://fgcarc.org/>, Plant City, Florida

    - January 4 -- New York City-Long Island Section Convention <http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Brookville, New York

    - January 17 - 18 -- North Texas Section Convention <http://www.cowtownhamfest.com/>, Forest Hill, Texas

    - January 19 - 25 -- Quartzfest <https://quartzfest.org/>, Quartzsite,
    Arizona

    - January 24 - 26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention
    <http://www.arrlpr.org/>, Hatillo, Puerto Rico

    - January 25 -- ARRL Midwest Conference <http://winterfest.slsrc.org/>

    Find conventions and hamfests in your area
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

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    Rocket Town BBS - Telnet: rtbbs.ddns.net
    fsxNET: 21:1/203 FidoNET:1:135/383 - Titusville, FL. NASA SPACE Coast

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Rocket Town BBS (21:1/203)