Whiskey Delta Five Mike

The American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the ARRL Puerto Rico Section on October 10, citing mutually beneficial experiences during recent emergency and disaster responses, especially to hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. María left the island without power and telecommunications, and the Red Cross in the US asked ARRL to help provide Amateur Radio ...

By all credible and reliable accounts, the State of California has not turned its back on Amateur Radio as an emergency communication resource nor have established repeater owners been asked to remove their equipment from state-owned sites unless they pay sizeable fees. The California controversy, inflamed by a viral YouTube video, stemmed from a California Department of Forestry and Fire Prote...

SCS, the company that created PACTOR, has unveiled software that offers the ability to monitor the content of PACTOR 1, 2, and 3 transmissions over the air. The free PMON software runs under the Linux operating system. A software version to monitor PACTOR 4 is scheduled to become available next year. PMON will offer “thorough observation and documentation of all presently available PACTOR 1, 2,...

The Homebrew Heroes Award Program has announced its first annual recipient. He is Hans Summers, G0UPL, of East Sussex in the UK. The annual award recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations who help define the frontiers of Amateur Radio technology through the long-standing tradition of constructing their own equipment.

“Our Steering Committee sought the advice of an anonymous selection com...

A preview of the more than 230 items going on the block this week in the 14th annual ARRL Online Auction is now open. Bidding begins on Thursday, October 17, at 10 AM EST (1400 UTC), and the auction will continue through Thursday, October 24, closing at 10 PM EST (Friday, October 25, at 0200 UTC).

The 2019 auction includes lab-tested QST “Product Review” gear, vintage books, used equipment, and ...

Listen to the new episode of ARRL Audio News on your iOS or Android podcast app, or online at http://www.blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/. Audio News is also retransmitted on a number of FM repeaters. Click here and then scroll down to see the list.

No sunspots appeared over the past week, and in the prior week there were only two days with sunspots, so average daily sunspot number declined from 3.1 to 0.

Average daily solar flux nudged higher, but just barely, from 67.6 to 67.8.

Geomagnetic indicators were much lower this week, with average daily planetary A index retreating from 14.4 to 6.3, while the mid-latitude average went from 11 to 5...

ARES volunteers in Hawaii took the opportunity of the 2019 Simulated Emergency Test (SET) on October 6 (UTC) to test Winlink radio messaging to the US mainland, using the KH6YY (KH6J) contest station on O’ahu. One of the premier contest stations in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, KH6YY offers a commanding propagation path over an expanse of saltwater.

“You have to start with digital modes somew...

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has published changes to the Amateur Radio license conditions, effective on September 21. According to the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), all restrictions on emission modes have been removed for all licensees, and restrictions on permitted transmission bandwidths have been lifted for all licensees on all bands allowed for each lic...

In Greene County, Ohio, one public official not only observed the ARES Simulated Emergency Test (SET) this month but participated in it with Greene County ARES (GCARES). Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer, KX8GCS (“Greene County Sheriff”), checked in when the Resource Net Control, Bob Baker, N8ADO, of Beavercreek, called for volunteers. Although the suggested scenario called for only using simp...

[UPDATED 2019-10-09 @ 1647 UTC to reflect that individual was not a member of the DXpedition team.] Due to the illness of an Island resident, the ZK3A Tokelau Islands DXpeditionthe operation has shut down a couple of days ahead of schedule.

“ALL TEAM MEMBERS ARE FINE!” said an announcement on the ZK3A website. “A person on the island is ill. So, they have sent the boat there early to get this pe...

Southern Rocker Larry “LJ” Junstrom, K4EB, died on October 6. He was reported to be 70.

Junstrom was a founding member and bassist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, although he left the group before it recorded its first album. He’s better known as a member of another Southern Rock band, 38 Special, with which he performed from 1977 until retiring in 2014.

“The Big Man on the Big Bass has left us,” said a sta...

The ARRL Public Relations Committee is seeking ARRL members’ assistance in recognizing print, radio, and television/multimedia news stories that have best showcased Amateur Radio this year. Nominations are open for the 2019 Bill Leonard Award, which honors professional journalists or journalistic teams whose outstanding coverage highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service value of ...

The long-awaited World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) gets under way on October 28 in Egypt and continues until November 22. The Conference Preparatory Meeting Report provides details on the technical, operational, regulatory, and procedural matters that delegates to the international gathering will consider. Amateur Radio’s 50 MHz allocation in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the Middle Eas...

When she turned 80, Anna Brummer, N2FER, of Fort Edward, New York, predicted she would live to be 100. On September 27, she topped her own forecast by 5 years, as she celebrated her birthday at the Fort Hudson Nursing Center, surrounded by family and friends. The only thing she wanted was a drink of Scotch whiskey, and the nursing home obliged, along with a slice of cake. Unit Manager Donna Hop...

The ARRL Board of Directors’ Executive Committee (EC) will meet on October 12 in Denver, Colorado. The meeting agenda includes legal, legislative, and organizational matters as well as reports from ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR; ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, and Washington Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ.

The EC will consider an ex parte filing on ARRL’s petition for rule making (RM-11785) to...